Category Archives: Background

B.P.R.D. Training Camp – The Best Summer Camp Ever!

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Official Press Release

TRACKERS PIONEERS B.P.R.D. TRAINING CAMP!

GOING OUTSIDE JUST GOT FUN AGAIN!

January 23, MILWAUKIE, OR—Do you or someone you know have a penchant for the supernatural? Do you like spending time in the great outdoors? Are you between the ages of 9 and 17? Will you be in Portland, Oregon, from July 16 to July 20? If so, Trackers Earth has the ultimate summer-camp experience for you!

Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a partnership with Trackers Earth offering officially licensed B.P.R.D. and Hellboy camps, made possible through the generous permission of Mike Mignola, creator of B.P.R.D. and Hellboy.

“Trackers Earth is part of what makes Portland such an interesting place to live, and the most fun place in the country to raise a kid. This year my 6-year-old did Trackers camps focusing on forest ninja skills and stealth archery, and attended a school of magic. I wish he were old enough for B.P.R.D. camp, and I can’t wait to participate myself,” said B.P.R.D.editor Scott Allie.

Trackers Earth is looking for a few good recruits that have got what it takes to join an elite team of paranormal investigators combating the forces of darkness from all across the globe. They immerse you in tactical training of all forms, including survival skills in any environment (both earthly and non), martial arts and self-defense specific to preternatural entities, hand-to-hand weaponry (foam swords, bows, and more) and forensic investigation. All these are key skills that every agent must have; plus, you will be steeped in the history of the Bureau and the legacy of paranormal research.

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Recruits get actual field time during the entire camp. Learning is hands-on, with essential survival skills such as shelter building, stealth, and tactical and martial-arts training.

Younger Recruits

Ages 9–10: Younger recruits train in survival and field skills in local green spaces. They also spend their day investigating the haunted history of our city, piecing together the larger mystery revolving around the legend of Adolph Aschoff.

Older Recruits

Ages 11–13 and 14–17: Older recruits also investigate nearby “haunts,” then finally travel to Camp Trackers near Sandy, Oregon, to investigate reports of dark figures and strange happenings at the remnants of the old, defunct town of Marmot. Here they search for a legendary and lost pioneer cemetery (true story) to ask local specters and spirits about the town’s history and the legend of Adolph Aschoff, the man who is said to have sealed away an ancient evil upon the founding of the town.
Wednesday–Friday Overnight: Older recruits culminate their week with a two-night stay at Camp Trackers’ outdoor wilderness site in Sandy, Oregon. This is the perfect opportunity to focus on many of the skills taught at the camp.

The B.P.R.D. Training Camp includes:

• Tactical training
• Survival in any environment
• Martial arts and self-defense specific to preternatural entities
• Hand-to-hand weaponry (foam swords, bows, and more)
• Investigation and forensics
• Folklore and mythology
• Potions and charms 101
• Telepathy training
• Gadgets of the occult: EMF detectors, polarized lenses, and other paranormal investigative gear
• Comparative analogy and physiology of monsters
• Construction of your own quality foam swords and training weapons
• Meeting with the artists of the comic book that documents the adventures of the B.P.R.D.
• Bureau history and paranormal research

“It’s good to be a kid in Portland. Which other camp teaches you not only survival skills but also telepathy.”—Bleeding Cool

To find out more about B.P.R.D. Camp (AKA Hellboy Camp), head over to the official website: http://trackerspdx.com/youth/summer-camp/day/hellboy-camp.php.

About Trackers Earth

Tony and Molly Deis founded Trackers Earth in 2004. Tony based Trackers on his personal work in outdoor education since 1992 while teaching and developing programs with the Audubon Society of Portland, Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces, Portland State University and many more. Since then, referrals from both parents and students has grown Trackers into one of the largest and most well respected camp and outdoor programs in Portland, Oregon and beyond.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists.  In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

Your First Look At CARNAGE U.S.A. #1!

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Your First Look At CARNAGE U.S.A. #1!

Prepare for a whole new brand of terror as the critically acclaimed creative team of Zeb Wells and Clayton Crain let Cletus Kasady loose on America’s heartland in Carnage U.S.A. #1! Leaving a wake of bloodshed, no one is safe from Carnage’s lunacy – even the Avengers! Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man and more of Earth’s Mightiest must go on a brutal hunt to capture Cletus Kasady before the American heartland falls under his mass-murdering spell. Buckle in for the most mind-blowing cross country tour fans have ever taken in Carnage U.S.A. #1, this December!

CARNAGE U.S.A. #1 (OCT110632)
CARNAGE U.S.A. #1 RAMOS VARIANT (OCT110633)
Written by ZEB WELLS
Pencils and Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
FOC – 11/14/11, ON SALE – 12/7/11

Kids Day set for Austin Comic Con, Sunday, Nov. 13

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Official Press Release

Costumes, Adventures, Readings, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy® Highlight Kid’s Day At Wizard World Austin Comic Con on Sunday, November 13

Popular Nickelodeon® Character, Kids Adventure Passport Quest, Kids Costume Contest, ‘My Favorite Giant’ Reading Just a Few of the All-Day Activities at Wizard World Digital Booth

NEW YORK and AUSTIN, Texas, October 31, 2011 – It’s an all-day kid’s extravaganza as Wizard World Austin Comic Con presents “Kid’s Day” on Sunday, November 13, at the Austin Convention Center.  Kid-friendly activities include meeting (and taking pictures with) characters like the lovable “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!® from the Nickelodeon® series, Austin’s own superhero Jarret “The Defuser” Crippen and others, plus free face painting, balloon art, the impossibly cute Kids Costume Contest and special readings of “My Favorite Giant” by author Peter Mayhew, well-known for having portrayed “Chewbacca” in STAR WARS, and the new Border-Pups book “CrashBat” by comic book creator William “Brimstone” Kucmierowski.

Kids can stop by the Wizard World Digital Booth and pick up a free Wizard World Kids Adventure Passport, to complete activities all over Austin Comic Con and get a prize at the end of their journey.  Parents can look for the “Kid-Friendly” button on activities, vendors, booths and sessions throughout the convention floor.

Tweens and teens ages 11-17 can learn how to “Draw a Comic Character” at a one-of-a kind workshop with graphic novel artists and writing team Andy & Veronica Fish.

Crippen, winner of Stan Leeʼs “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” competition series on SyFy, will be hosting Kidʼs Day and helping youngsters get in on all of the fun.

For more information, parents and kids can visit www.wizardworldkids.com.  The site will be updated closer to the event date as more information becomes available about specific workshops and programs.

Austin Comic Con is the ninth and final stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour.  Hours are Friday, November 11, 4 – 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 13, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/austin.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door.  Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($35 on site); weekend all-session tickets are $45 ($55 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult).  VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

Austin Comic Con brings together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Some of the top celebrity guests at Austin Comic Con include Hayden Panettiere, Adam Baldwin, James Marsters, Juliet Landau, Charisma Carpenter and four of the five original kids from the classic movie WILLY WONKA  & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2011/12 DATES *****
November 11-13 – Austin Comic Con
January 28-29, 2012 – New Orleans Comic Con
April 14-15, 2012 – Toronto Comic Con
June 1-3, 2012 – Philadelphia Comic Con
August 9-12, 2012 – Chicago Comic Con
Fall 2012 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con
TBD, 2012 – Big Apple Comic Con

Radical Comics Review – Damaged #1 and #2

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a comic from Radical Comics.  Luckily they did a bit of outreach and checked in and in my hands were the first two issues of Damaged.  I’d checked out the comic on the shelf at my local shop and for whatever reason didn’t grab it, but here was the opportunity to read something that should be up my way.   Created by, Michael Schwarz and Jonathan Schwarz, executive produced by Sam Worthington, written by David Lapham with pencils by Leonardo Manco the comic reminded me of a Radical comic I loved, The Last Days of American Crime.

After a violent incident in their shared past forces the lives of brothers Frank and Henry Lincoln to diverge, each carries on with his own brand of justice. Frank, who is very close to retirement, has spent his life becoming a distinguished member of the San Francisco police force.  Meanwhile, Henry has devoted his life to being a vigilante whose own brand of justice is far more violent than the law allows. After 35 years, these brothers are brought together again by the murder of a Russian mafia boss in the city by the bay.  Frank, caught between political turmoil and training his replacement as he leaves the force, comes face to face with Henry, who may have more than just answers about the murder.

Take The Last Days of American Crime and mix it with the Punisher and you might get pretty close to the series.  That’s a good thing I think.  But how did it all measure up?  Find out below.

Damaged #1

Damaged #1The comic kicks it off, taking you right into the vigilante justice.  I really had it in the back of my mind it’s their version of the Punisher.  Again, not a bad thing if done right.  And they have.  We’re introduced to a bunch of slimy politicians (I can spot them, I work in politics) and what seems like a pretty clean cop who they want to replace the old grizzled veteran.  A nice twist to the vigilante comic, while not original it still added a layer to the story telling as opposed to the simple “catch the bad guy.”  There’s a lot of twists, some mobsters get killed, there’s a story of another cop who took justice in his hands, it all adds up for the positive.

The art helps the case with some great work that doesn’t fall into Radical’s habits of lots of blacks (no idea why but it’s something I’ve noticed with their comics while reading digitally).  The art is solid with similar work to some books I can’t quite place.  Maybe a little Tim Bradstreet?  It’s good, really good.

What easily could have been a stereotypical vigilante comic and the cop trying to stop him, got me to not only want to come back for the second issue, but happy Radical reached out.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Damaged #2

Damaged #2So, there’s a lot of good stuff here that continues and adds to that first issue.  We get a better sense of the problems between the two main characters and their falling out.  We have the old grizzled cop trying to bring in the young upstart and give him advice.  You also get a lot on Henry and his motivations and some of his plan.

There’s a nice contrast here.  The older cop dealing with the younger cop who wants his job.  The old vigilante who is looking for someone to take over.  The two story lines will play off each other nicely.

The art is solid as expected with some great detail here.  It’s really solid work that gets me to really linger on the art as I flip through the pages.

Two issue in, and I can’t wait to read the third.  Very solid read with some great art too.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Radical Comics provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy for FREE for review.

Where is Amanda Waller?!

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Oh Amanda!

Suicide Squad #1 had a few good points (mostly involving King Shark) but one major problem is on EVERYONE’s lips: Where Is Amanda Waller?!
The REAL Amanda Waller.

She is the only middle-aged, African-American, woman of size in comics. Actually she is one of the few characters who is any one of those things. What is gained by representing even fewer types of people in comics? What is gained by diluting her iconic presence?

Waller is one of those characters who you can’t help but remember and be impressed by. Sure, in the real world as someone who believes in the Constitution and human rights, I would be disgusted by her politics– she makes even Cheney, Kissinger and their war criminal cronies look moral. But no-one can doubt her power as a character and all she has overcome to get where she is.

DC mentioned one of the reasons for the relaunch was to impart some realism to comics (not sure if that’s what they need but let’s follow that path).

Realistically, women working in male dominated government agencies don’t wear their shirts unbuttoned so low their bra hangs out (heck, even I don’t do that and I work in a liberal workplace). As the daughter of two federal employees growing up in the DC suburbs I was surrounded by powerful women (like my Mom) who worked for the federal government. They don’t dress like fake Amanda Waller.  They dressed like real Amanda Waller (and in the 80s they even wore those awkward floppy ties). They are also a range of ages and sizes. Amanda was one of the most realistic-looking characters in comics (don’t get me started on hobby horse about grown women characters wearing crop-tops out and about during the daytime like they’re going to a 80s dance party).

One of the other reasons for the relaunch is to appeal to more readers. Well, DC just told middle aged women and women of size that they don’t exist. They don’t wield power. Does that move comics?

And if all it takes to move comics is t&a they’d be selling a lot more books than they are today. So lack of t&a isn’t whats’ hurting the industry.

Bring back Amanda Waller.
—

Sign the petition and Tweet a message to DC to bring The Wall back!

CDC Turning to Comic Books to Fight HIV

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a contract to Terminus Media to create a digital motion comic to raise awareness about HIV in people ages 15 to 24.  According to the Politico the CDC wrote in their bid announcement:

There are few health education communication interventions designed specifically for this group.  Technological advances in computerized graphics have provided new ways of presenting comics and their applications for HIV/STI prevention.

This will be the first time motion comics have been used in an HIV education program.  The CDC contract requires delivery of a 66-page hard copy comic that will be translated into three, seven-minute motion comics with original characters.

As a whole comics are being used more and more in healthcare education and care.

Around the Tubes

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If you missed last night’s episode of Graphic Policy Radio, you can catch it online.  While you’re listening, here’s some more news for you to check out.

Around the Blogs:

Otago Daily Times – Comic books to help young patients – A great article about Medikidz comics and how they’re being used in healthcare.

20th Century Danny Boy – Original Art Stories: Steve Geppi’s Million Dollar Art Deal Gone Bad – An interesting article about a fairly controversial figure on the comic book industry.

Kotaku – Sunday Comics – Each week Kotaku brings us some great web comics.

Con Coverage:

Time Out Chicago – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con 2011 | Photos + wrap-up

Lionsgate To Make Last Stand – Arnold Schwarzenegger To Star In High Octane Chase Story

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Official Press Release

LIONSGATE TO MAKE LAST STAND

Arnold Schwarzenegger To Star In High Octane Chase Story

Santa Monica, CA, July 12, 2011– LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be making his return to film in THE LAST STAND, which the company is developing as a starring vehicle for the former California Governor.  The announcement was made by the President of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group Joe Drake, and President of Production Michael Paseornek.

Korean action-suspense master Kim Jee-Woon (A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) will direct the film, which is to be based on a spec script by Andrew Knauer that was subsequently rewritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff.  Lionsgate has domestic and international distribution rights, with the film having pre-sold well in several overseas territories already.  Lorenzo di Bonaventura will be producing the film through di Bonaventura Pictures.

Schwarzenegger will be starring as Sheriff Owens, a man who has resigned himself to a life of fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction after leaving his LAPD post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with failure and defeat after his partner was crippled.   After a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the hemisphere is hurtling toward the border at 200 mph in a specially outfitted car with a hostage and a fierce army of gang members.  He is headed, it turns out, straight for Summerton Junction, where the whole of U.S. law enforcement will have their last opportunity to make a stand and intercept him before he slips across the border forever.  At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility for one of the most daring face offs in cinema history.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger will bring incredible magnetism to this complex but classic role,” explained Drake of the perfect fit between the material and the star.  “When he came on the screen in THE EXPENDABLES, it always electrified the audience.  In this film, the Sheriff Owens character grapples with some really tough stuff, but ultimately triumphs, and we knew he’d truly elevate this high octane ride.”

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Motion Picture Group Senior Exec VP Rob McEntegart.

Schwarzenegger is represented by CAA, who negotiated the deal on his behalf along with attorneys Jake Bloom and Patrick Knapp of Bloom Hergott et al., LLP.  Jee-Woon is also represented by CAA.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as “Mad Men”, “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie” along with the popular comedy “Blue Mountain State” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne”, its spin-off “Meet The Browns,” “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?”.

Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as THE EXPENDABLES, THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, SAW 3D, THE LAST EXORCISM, KICK ASS and PRECIOUS. The Company’s home entertainment business has grown to more than 8% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

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