Tag Archives: augmented reality

Mad Cave and Papercutz Launches First Smurfs Augmented Reality Comic for Free Comic Book Day 2023

Posted on by

65 years ago, legendary Smurfs creator Peyo drew the first Smurf. On Free Comic Book Day 2023 (May 6, 2023), the Smurfs jump off the pages with a brand new Augmented Reality comic from Papercutz. This new comic book includes three original Smurfs stories by Peyo himself that are being published in English for the first time. Among these classic pages, readers will be welcomed to enjoy a new dynamic reading experience with pages that activate through a virtual environment where people are increasingly spending more time.

Papercutz, which was acquired by Mad Cave Studios in 2022, presents this augmented reality FCBD issue for fans to pick up at their local comic shops for free on May 6, 2023– where they’ll immediately be able to activate a digital Smurfette to pop up off the cover of the issue!

This Smurfs 65th anniversary special for Free Comic Book Day will showcase 65 years of evolution for the Smurfs franchise, and represent a major step for the brand. Combining the timelessness of the classic comic book experience with the exciting new frontier, this issue is an ode to the past and a vision for a smurftastic future.

The three stories included in the book were created by Peyo himself. They include:

  • “A Kiss for Smurfette” – Gargamel has hatched another dastardly plot to put an end to the Smurfs.  This time, he practices a dangerous potion on Smurfette, turning her into a frog.  Will Gargamel’s plan work?  Or will the Smurfs find a way to stop him and return Smurfette to her natural form? 
  • “The Smurf from Outer Space” – When Lazy Smurf gets lost at night, he meets a Venutian named Brtt.  After a brief conflict with Gargamel, Brtt’s ship is destroyed! Can the Smurfs fix the ship of their new friend, or will Gargamel have the upper hand and finally get his revenge on his sworn enemies?
  • “Smurfs and the Robot X-XIII” – Brtt returns with his fiancee, chased by a robot sent from Venus because their parents don’t approve of the union.  The Smurfs try to help their friend, but Gargamel catches them!  Will Papa Smurf and the Smurfs be able to save their friend, or will Gargamel finally destroy the Smurfs once and for all?!

With the recent return of The Smurfs TV show on Nickelodeon for Season 2, and November 2022 release of The Smurfs Kart, a new video game for Nintendo Switch, the Smurf’s 65th year is gearing up to be a landmark year for the Smurfs, and Papercutz is pleased to join in with this landmark augmented reality FCBD release.

Marvel World of Heroes Revealed

Posted on by

Niantic labs and Marvel Games have announced — MARVEL World of Heroes launching in 2023. Create your own Super Hero and team-up with your favorite Marvel Heroes in the real world! Pre-register now at marvelworldofheroes.com

MARVEL World of Heroes is Niantic’s latest AR mobile game that brings the iconic Marvel Universe into the real world.

In MARVEL World of Heroes, players can create their own unique Super Hero identity and origin story. Players will need to patrol their neighborhoods to foil crimes, complete Super Hero missions, and thwart interdimensional threats. As players level up, they will unlock equipment and abilities, and will team up with Marvel Super Heroes such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America and others to battle iconic Super Villains and save the Multiverse from cosmic and earthbound threats.

MARVEL World of Heroes is scheduled to launch globally in 2023.

Marvel’s The Avengers Augmented Reality App

Posted on by

Marvel‘s going crazy when it comes to incorporating technology, especially augmented reality, into the entertainment they produce.  The latest involves the Avengers which hits theaters May 4.  There’s a free iPhone and Android augmented reality app that improves the more you shop.  Marvel and Walmart worked with Super Hero AR for the experience.  You can choose six super heroes and fight enemies overlaid on top of the real world around you.  You start with just Hawkeye and need to visit Walmart to get other heroes like The Hulk or Iron Man by pointing your phone at a QR Code in the store.

But there’s more… In Walmart there’s superhero placards and when you point your phone at them a life-size version of the hero will pop up on the screen.  You can then snap a photo and share it to social networks.

Walmart will be carrying around 600 different movie tie-in products, so it makes sense why the two companies are driving traffic to those stores and the app is exclusive to the controversial chain.  There’s also a T-Mobile promotion at the stores were employees will demonstrate the app on Android phones.

Marvel launched Marvel AR last month which uses augmented reality in their comic books.

We Want YOU To Join The Marvel ReEvolution!

Posted on by

We Want YOU To Join The Marvel ReEvolution!

Top Comics Publisher Announces Historic Initiative To Reshape The Comic Industry

New York, NY—March 12, 2012—The Marvel ReEvolution is here—and comics will never be the same! The future of comic book publishing was unveiled yesterday to the raucous crowd at SXSW Interactive’ s ScreenBurn Arcade courtesy of industry superstars Axel Alonso (Editor  in Chief, Marvel Comics), Peter Phillips (SVP/GM, Marvel Digital Media) and Jeph Loeb (Head of Marvel Television) during the historic Marvel: House of Ideas panel

An industry first, the Marvel ReEvolution seamlessly brings the worlds of print and digital media together for a comics experience like no other. The first two elements of this exciting new initiative were revealed as Marvel Infinite Comics, a new comic book format, and Marvel AR, the first major augmented reality app from a comics company. And fans will not have to wait long to get in on the action as they will both be released with the hotly-anticipated Avengers X-Men #1 on April 4th, when the two biggest Super Heroes teams in the world go to war!

“Marvel’s always led graphic fiction industry in digital media innovation and the Marvel ReEvolution is a quantum leap into the future of publishing,” said Dan Buckley. Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. “We see print and digital product as complementary, not competitive—so we’ve made sure that not only do we have new digital content but also digital products that enhance the printed page. The release of Avengers VS X-Men #1, the biggest story we’ve ever told, is the activation point for the re-evolution of comics as a whole.”

Marvel Infinite Comics represent a new form of comic book storytelling, using tablets and smartphones as a new canvas for storytelling, taking advantage of modern technology while staying true to medium’s greatest strengths. The first comic released in this format will be Avengers VS X-Men #1 Infinite, from acclaimed creators Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen and available on April 4th for purchase on the Marvel Comics app, free with the redemption of the code found in print copies of Avengers VS X-Men #1 or included with the purchase of the digital version.

“We call these Marvel Infinite Comics because the storytelling possibilities are, frankly, infinite. Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium,” said Alonso. “Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology’s Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics—but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed.”

The Marvel AR app, powered by Aurasma, will be released in April for iOS and Android devices. By opening this app and scanning select Marvel products featuring the Marvel AR logo, you’ll unlock exclusive content starring the world’s most popular Super Heroes — including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk and many others! Go behind the scenes of your favorite comics, see new footage, hear from creators, catch yourself up on past events and more!

“Marvel AR is a perfect example of how digital innovation not only gives added value to print comics, but also brings a delivers an entirely new reading experience,” explained Phillips. “Now fans will have access to more behind-the-scenes material from their favorite Marvel products than ever before—and it’s all absolutely free.”

Check out www.marvel.com for more information on the Marvel ReEvolution and stay tuned for exciting developments as the comic industry changes forever.