Tag Archives: canada

Comics Seized at US/Canadian Border

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The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund warned about it, but The Comics Journal is reporting that Rotland Press + Comic Work”s Black Eye anthology was confiscated at the US/Canadian border.  Tom Neely was traveling to TCAF this weekend and when he crossed the border the copies of Black Eye he had were grabbed due to the fact they’re “obscene” by customs.

According to Neely:

… They took ‘em. I tried to get them to just ship them back to me at home, but they said they were required to send it to Ottawa for review… if they found the material to be ‘obscene’ they would take ‘further action.’ I asked what ‘further action’ meant and he said they would just destroy them. Or there is a chance they might ship them back to me.

It was the page of Onsmith’s gags that they first saw… I tried to tell them that it was ‘parody’ and ‘humor’ and the rest of the book had essays on the history of dark humor… the customs guy was really cool and understanding, but he said he just couldn’t let them through. I just hope ‘further action’ doesn’t involve being arrested the next time I try to cross the border.

This news absolutely makes me think twice about crossing the border to events such as Fan Expo.

Hobby Star Fan Expo vs. UFC Fan Expo – Fight!

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Pop culture conventions are in a resurgence across North America with what seems to be dozens of added shows in the last year.  Well, it looks like some of those cons will not be fighting it out in who has the best guests, coolest exclusives and biggest attendance.  Hobby Star Marketing, who handle the Toronto Fan Expo Convention, have filed an injunction against Zuffa LLC, which operates the Ultimate Fighting Championship league (UFC), and Reed Exhibitions over the name of Zuffa’s upcoming event, UFC Fan Expo.  That show is taking place in Toronto this weekend which also hosts the latest UFC pay-per-view event, UFC 128 which features some high profile fights including legend Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida and a title belt fight featuring headliners Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields.

Hobby Star has filed a trade-mark infringement over the use of the term “fan expo” as well as the slogan “the ultimate fan experience.”  They’ve also taken issue with the website http://www.ufcexpon.com.  The lawsuit was filed in a  federal court in Toronto.  The UFC has held other events with the words “fan expo” throughout the world.  There’s no mention of those in this suit.

Zuffa is the primary defendant while Reed Exhibitions as the organizer is also mentioned.  What makes this more interesting is Reed Exhibitions puts together the New York Comic Con and New York Anime Festival.  Both of which could be seen as a competitor to Hobby Star’s Fan Expo.  Could this really just be bad blood between two comic book conventions?

Who knows how serious this is and how far in the courts it’ll go.  My gut tells me there’s more to this than a complaint over two words.  In the end, maybe one will give up in the fight and tap out?

Kill Shakespeare’s first ever public performance to highlight Bard’s birthday (and death day) celebrations in Toronto

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Official Press Release

Kill Shakespeare’s first ever public performance to highlight Bard’s birthday (and death day) celebrations in Toronto.

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Toronto, Canada: On April 23rd the Kill Shakespeare team plans a HUGE birthday surprise for history’s greatest writer – the performance of a Shakespearean adventure that the Bard never actually wrote.

The creators of the popular comic which “mashes up” all of the Bard’s greatest heroes and most menacing villains in the same world and story are teaming up with one of Canada’s most innovative theatres to provide a unique afternoon of entertainment on the anniversary of both Shakespeare’s birth and his death.

Soulpepper Theatre and Kill Shakespeare Entertainment invite you to first “Watch Shakespeare and then Kill Shakespeare” this Saturday a 1:30 PM at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts (55 Mill St., Building 49).

 “We’re very excited to get to show our fans what Kill Shakespeare looks like as a performed piece” says series co-creator Anthony Del Col, “after all the Bard is meant to be seen and not just read – we think this takes the comic’s story into an entirely appropriate new medium.”

Click here for a link to the Soulpepper press-release and find out how you can get a special discounted ticket to A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre just by being a follower of Kill Shakespeare. Then, if you stay after the show you can watch the Soulpepper troupe do a live reading of Kill Shakespeare #1 in the Kevin and Roger Garland Cabaret.

Or go to http://www.youngcentre.ca/Tickets/reserve.aspx?perf=4723 and use Promocode “Kill” to book your seats.

About the series:

Kill Shakespeare is an adventure story that pits all of Shakespeare’s greatest heroes (including Hamlet, Juliet, Falstaff, Othello, Puck) against the Bard’s most menacing villains (including Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) in a quest to track down and kill – or save – a reclusive wizard by the name of William Shakespeare. ComicBookResources calls it “a tour de force of the storytelling marriage of words and art.” Kill Shakespeare has been profiled by NPR, BBC Worldwide Radio, Wired.com, The Globe and Mail and Publisher’s Weekly.  It’s also been debated by Shakespearean scholars online and in the pages of Maclean’s. Written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, the series art is provided by Andy Belanger (D.C.’s Bottle of Awesome), with colours by Ian Herring, and covers by internationally renowned illustrator Kagan Mcleod.

More information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com.

Around the Tubes

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It’s the usual Friday news dump, but there was only one big shocker as far as news.  You can find that below as well as other things you might have missed in the last 24 hours.

Around the Blogs:

Bleeding Cool – Gio Spinella And The Politics Of Comics – Interesting news of Canadian councilor Gio Spinella.

IGN – Goodbye, Tokyopop – The American publisher calls it quits in the US, but still is going on elsewhere.

The Beat – A little Tokyopop follow up – Folks react to the news of Tokyopop.

Graphic Novel Reporter – Librarian wins $20,000 Graphic Novel Library Collection at Texas Library Association’s Annual Conference – Congrats Weslaco Public Library

Technique – Students design comic books – Another great example of comics being used in an educational setting.

Con Coverage:

Comic Book Resources – CBR’s MoCCA Festival 2011 Report

Around the Tubes Reviews:

Graphic Novel News – The Books of Magic

Grizzly Bomb – Superman: Earth One

Man Donates Complete Cerebus to Library

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Cerebus the Aardvark

Image via Wikipedia


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Dave Johnston has donated the complete series of Cerebus, by artist Dave Sim to the Colchester East Hants Public Library this past Monday.  Johnston won the books from Sims on a trip in September to Halifax, Nova Scotia for a signing by Sim.  The books were to be donated to a library of Johnston’s choice.

The donation comes at a good time as the library expands it’s graphic novel selection.

Canadians Successful in Quest to Kill Shakespeare with Release of Graphic Novel Adventure

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Official Press Release

Kill ShakespeareCanadians Successful in quest to Kill Shakespeare with Release of Graphic Novel Adventure

Toronto, Canada: After a very successful initial run in comics, the creators of the Kill Shakespeare series are happy to announce the release of the first graphic novel, Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1: A Sea of Troubles.  Conceived and written by Canadian-based creators Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, illustrated by Andy Belanger, and published by IDW Publishing (30 Days of Night, Transformers, True Blood), the graphic novel collects the first six issues of the sold-out twelve-issue series, offering a dark take on Shakespeare and his work, while pitting his greatest heroes against his most menacing villains.

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The graphic novel was recently selected by the New York Times for their Holiday Gift Guide, declaring it, “gripping, violent and dark fun”, and nominated for the 2011 YALSA Good Graphic Novels for Teens list.  It has received profiles on NPR, CBC Radio 3, Wired.com, The Globe and Mail and Publisher’s Weekly.  The series was the subject of some controversy in April when Shakespearean scholar (and girlfriend of Frank Miller) Kimberly Cox posted a long rant against the series, but artists such as John Layman (Chew), Michael Hirst (The Tudors) and Des McAnuff (The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Jersey Boys) have praised the series.

The Kill Shakespeare graphic novel, which offers an edgy interpretation of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, brings Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others together for an epic adventure. In the book, readers encounter a banished Hamlet, who embarks on a quest to resurrect his dead father. But to do so, he must kill a reclusive wizard named… William Shakespeare!  The graphic novel features a foreword by award-winning cartoonist Darwyn Cooke (New Frontiers, The Hunter, The Outfit), as well as a brand new five-page story that further explores the mythology of the Kill Shakespeare world.

IDW Publishing is also releasing today (November 30th) the first two issues of the series – which were sold out throughout North America and Europe – digitally through iTunes, to allow readers to sample the series before purchasing the book.

More information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com.  The graphic novel is available at all major comic and book stores.

Essex County named one of Canada Reads’ Top 5 Novels of the Decade!

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Official Press ReleaseTop Shelf Products

ESSEX COUNTY named one of Canada Reads’ Top 5 Novels of the Decade!

The CBC’s Canada Reads, a nationwide book club program in which 5 books compete (each championed by a Canadian celebrity) to be named the #1 book of the year, has officially announced the final 5. Jeff Lemire’s phenomenal Essex County has made the cut, becoming not simply the first Top Shelf book, but the first graphic novel ever, to be in Canada Reads! This year, the Canada Reads program bears the theme “the essential Canadian novels of the past decade,” so the honor is even more prestigious.

The celebrity champion of Essex County has also officially been announced: indie rocker Sara Quin, one-half of the award-winning band Tegan and Sara ! Along with Sara’s spirited defense of the book in the Canada Reads broadcasts, we can expect plenty of attention on author Jeff Lemire, ranging from this Q&A to a variety of podcasts, interviews, and more!

The selection of Essex County for this program is a huge honor for Jeff Lemire, Top Shelf Productions, and the comics industry at large. It poses an opportunity for an entire country to discover the power of Jeff’s work, and to debate its values against four other excellent books. Our deepest congratulations to Jeff and the other finalists!

Canada Reads encourages everyone to spend this winter reading all 5 books, with various programming allowing readers to get to know the finalists better, all building up to the official competition in February 2011. Happy reading, and may the best book win!

Get Ready to Kill Shakespeare in Halifax

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Official Press Release

Get Ready to Kill Shakespeare in HALIFAX

Creators of sold-out comic series re-imagining
the Bard and his most famous characters
invade Maritime Canada’s top comic convention.

Co-Creator Conor McCreery hosts panels and signing at Hal-Con Oct 29-31st

First graphic novel debuts on November 9, 2010

[Kill Shakespeare Vol 1 TPB cover]San Diego, CA (October 22, 2010) – Continuing to build excitement for the first collection of the critically acclaimed and sold-out series KILL SHAKESPEARE, creator Conor McCreery will be attending the Halifax Comic Con, at The Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia from October 29th to 31st. McCreery will host panels and signings at the 2010 Hal-Con, the largest Canadian comic convention east of Montreal.

“I’ve been to Halifax several times and I know they have a fantastic comics tradition,” said McCreery. “I’m excited to be able to showcase some of the great work our all-Canadian team has been doing, and to introduce KILL SHAKESPEARE to a whole new region of the country”.

McCreery will host two panels on on Saturday the 30th at 9:00 and 11:30 am in the Regency Ballroom of The Lord Nelson Hotel, and a special Q&A and signing event at 3:45 pm in the Georgian Lounge. McCreery also be available Sunday for autographs and photos in the Georgian Lounge.

Hal-Con originally began in the 1980s and has become the largest convention in the Canadian Maritimes and is expected to draw over 1000 fans from four provinces. “We are so excited to be hosting Conor McCreery at the Hal-Con convention; the KILL SHAKESPEARE comic is brilliant! We are looking forward to showcasing a lot of Canadian content at this year’s event, and KILL SHAKESPEARE is perfect for that. IDW produces some of our favourite comics – how great is it to be able to work with such a prestigious company?” said Hal-Con organizer Jennifer Lambe.

The first KILL SHAKESPEARE graphic novel, “A Sea of Troubles,” will hit comic shops and book stores on November 9th. “We and IDW have some big plans for promoting the release,” said co-creator Anthony Del Col. “Stay tuned!”

KILL SHAKESPEARE TPB #1 “A Sea of Troubles” ($19.99, 175 pages full color) will be available in stores on November 9th, 2010. Diamond Order code: SEP10 0391; ISBN 978-1600107818.

Kill Shakespeare #7 “The Plays the Thing” ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 17, 2010. Diamond order code: SEP10 0390.

Visit killshakespeare.com to take a “behind the curtain” preview of the series, including art work, story, and characters.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

Visit Hal-Con.com to learn more about the 2010 convention, its guests and its schedule.

About KILL SHAKESPEARE
Conceived and written by Canadian-based creators Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, drawn by Andy Belanger, coloured by Ian Herring, and featuring covers by Kagan McLeod Kill Shakespeare is a twelve-issue series that presents a dark take on Shakespeare and his work, pitting his greatest heroes against his most menacing villains.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics and ComicMix.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

Cartoonist Running for Toronto Mayor

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Steve Murray is running for Mayor of Toronto.  You might know Murray as Chip Zdarsky. Working in politics, I have to say his campaign website isn’t too bad and you can also follow him on Twitter.  Best of all his campaign has the fantastic short name on M4M (Murray 4 Mayor) which makes him a popular fellow on Craigslist.

Listen, you’re either with the cops or you’re Doctor Doom. It’s pretty simple in Steve Murray’s Toronto. Go Argos.

We can get behind Murray 4 Mayor.

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