Tag Archives: josh finney

Kickstarter Spotlight: Kaiju, Unit 44, The Last West and Grump!

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These will normally appear on Thursdays, but I didn’t get a chance to write it up. So a couple days late, but no less awesome. Here’s some of the cool projects we’re highlighting on Kickstarter!

World War Kaiju Graphic Novel

world war kaijuWorld War Kaiju is the story of an alternate history, one in which the atom bomb was never created and the ultimate weapon of mass destruction is the Kaiju—fifty foot tall radioactive beasts spawned from the mysterious KAI-235 isotope. Follow the journey of one journalist as he teams up with a retired CIA operative to uncover the truth about the conspiracy behind the monsters…

With a cool concept and a solid team behind it, how can you not support this graphic novel? From Josh Finney and fellow writer, Michael Colbert, the two are talented writers. Then they’ve got the art of Patrick McEvoy. Just go to that page and check out what’s in store. Hells yes!

 

Best Pledge: $25 – This nets you  copy of the graphic novel, but the $55 level gets you the bonus materials from the stretch goals.

Risk: LOW – This is an experienced team and they layout well where they’re at and some of the issues that might come up. Some of the pledge amounts make me scratch my head, but that shouldn’t impact this at all.

UNIT 44 – a sci-fi/humor comic book

unit 44Unit 44 is the story of Area 51 employees, Agent Gibson and Agent Hatch, who forget to pay the rent on the facility’s off-site storage unit, and the super-secret contents are sold at public auction. When an alien invasion threatens the safety of planet Earth, Gibson and Hatch must recover an item from the locker if they hope to stop the extraterrestrial threat.

To me, that sounds funny and a good read. The art looks good and the prices are right. It’s hard not to support a comic that looks like it’d be fun (something we need more of honestly).

I like the idea, I like the pitch, it’s worth chipping in some cash to support these guys.

Best Pledge: $25 – This gets you a physical copy of the completed project as well as the digital issues. That seems like a good deal to me.

Risk: MEDIUM – I don’t know enough about these guys and this is their first project, so hopefully their math is right. The time frames given seem to be realistic, so overall I think things look pretty sound.

The Last West RELAUNCHED: Volume One

the_last_westEvan Young and Lou Lovino, guys who write stories and love comic books, want to create a new comic. It’s called The Last West and it’s about all technological and social advancement having stopped in 1945, and one man’s quest to discover why.

The team had a Kickstarter project before for this, but cancelled it because situations changed. They now have publisher Alterna backing the project, which will help out a bit as far as costs (I think).

The story sounds cool and it has a veteran team behind it and the art looks cool overall. Alterna does put out some decent titles, so for those who are looking for a read outside of the big two, this could be worth checking out.

Best Pledge: $25 – This gets you an autographed copy of the finished product.

Risk: MEDIUM – The time frame seems realistic, and with Alterna supporting it, I don’t see too much going wrong. The levels make me scratch my head as some seem a bit unrealistic. $5 for a single floppy issue seems a bit off, considering printing and shipping, that’s not much of a margin.

GRUMP! The loneliest kid on your block… until now.

grumpMost neighborhoods have that one crazy house. It’s wood is rotting. Weeds are flourishing. No matter what time of day it is, it’s always in the shadows. Maybe you aren’t afraid of that house, but you definitely won’t be trick-or-treating there. Just to be safe.

That’s where Grump lives.

Grump doesn’t realize he’s alone. All he knows is that something isn’t right. It takes a series of unusual circumstances for Grump to finally meet some neighborhood kids. Now he’s about to have his world shaken up!

Like it or not, Grump. You’re going outside!

The concept sounds awesome. The art looks cool. How can you not support this!?

Best Pledge: $1 – You get a 40 page PDF copy for just $1! There’s some awesome higher tiers, but if you’re not willing to chip in $1 for some random project, you’re crazy. Any of the higher levels sound very cool, so I don’t think you can go too wrong with any of them.

Risk: LOW – This is a digital only book, so some of the extras there might be issues. But Beth Sotelo says she’s done the math for those and has planned out enough time to deliver the digital book. This one I’m feeling pretty confident on being finished on time.

Archaia’s Titanium Rain Nominated for Audiobook Highest Honor

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Titanium Rain CoverTitanium Rain might be known as the graphic novel the Chinese government didn’t want you to read (it was banned in 2010), now can be known as the graphic novel turned audio play that’s being nominated for awards.

The graphic novel turned audio play has been nomination for two awards for the 2013 Audie Awards—considered the Oscars of the audio book industry.

Titanium Rain was adapted by the Audio Comics Company, turning the book into a full-cast radio drama with cutting-edge effects and an original score by BBC composer Jonathan Sharp. The production was scripted by the book’s author, Josh Finney, and directed by William
Dufris.

Rain has been nominated in the categories of Best Audio Drama and Best Original Production. Other competitors for these awards include Neil Gaiman’s Swordpoint and Yuri Rasovsky’s Die, Snow White! Die Damn You!

Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic for the post-millennial age. In the year 2031 mankind’s survival instinct is put to the test when a civil war in China spirals into global conflict. Nations are destroyed. Millions are killed. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival will mean shedding some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine. Is this the ultimate corruption of nature, or the birth pains of a new chapter in mankind’s evolution?

You can listen to xxtended cuts from the audio drama and soundtrack. The audio drama and its original soundtrack are now available for download iTunes, Amazon.com, and AudioComics Digital Direct!

Preview – Utopiates Volume 1

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Utopiates Volume 1

Writer: Josh Finney
Art: Kat Rocha
Publisher: 01 Publishing

In the near future, science is able to distill human personalities into a drug-form. Called utopiates –a merging of the words utopia and opiate— these drugs allow users to swap personalities with the “mental imprints” of other people. This is the common thread that links the stories in the Utopiates graphic novel. Over the course of 120 pages, we follow the interconnected lives of three individuals who inject the “souls” of other people. Each is a user of utopiates for his own reasons, but all learn that the cost of soul swapping is extremely high. At its core, UTOPIATES is an unflinching portrayal of human behavior at its most extreme.

Created in the spirit of William Gibson and Phillip K. Dick, Utopiates portrays a gene-spliced tomorrow that falls somewhere between Blade Runner and The Wire. According to writer/artist Josh Finney, “The gene-spliced drugs of Utopiates serve as a metaphor.  These stories aren’t about drugs and addicts, but rather about what it is that makes the human animal tick.”

Utopiates Vol. 1 is currently available on Amazon, DCBService.com, and 01Publishing.com. A Kindle edition is forthcoming.

Archaia’s Titanium Rain Now A Radio Drama

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The controversial sci-fi war epic Titanium Rain is now a full-cast audio production available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

The graphic novel series that made waves back in 2010 when it was banned by the Chinese government for portraying a fictionalized civil war in China has now made the leap to audio. In conjunction with the AudioComics Company, TITANIUM RAIN has been turned into a full-cast audio drama with cutting-edge effects and an original score by BBC composer Jonathan Sharp. The drama was scripted by the book’s author, Josh Finney, and includes scenes that were cut from the graphic novel because of space limitations. It is directed by William Dufris and features performances by Elizabeth Knowelden (Last Man on Earch), William Dufris (Lupin, Bob the Builder), Richard McGonagle (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Trek: Voyager), Lance Roger Axt (Honey West, Horrorscopes) and features guest appearances by Peter David (Fallen Angel, X-Factor) and Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool).

Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic for the post-millennial age. In the year 2031 mankind’s survival instinct is put to the test when a civil war in China spirals into global conflict. Nations are destroyed. Millions are killed. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival will mean shedding some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine. Is this the ultimate corruption of nature, or the birth pains of a new chapter in mankind’s evolution?

Extended cuts from the audio drama and soundtrack can be heard at: http://titaniumrainaudio.com/

The TITANIUM RAIN audio drama and it’s original soundtrack are now available for download iTunes, Amazon.com, and AudioComics Digital Direct!

For more information visit: www.titaniumrainaudio.com

Titanium Rain Audio Production

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Titanium Rain was one of my favorite graphic novels last year so the below press release is very cool.

The AudioComics Company is excited to announce that they will be adapting 01Publishing’s graphic novel series Titanium Rain as one of their next full-cast audio theatre productions, with the first book in the trilogy recording this fall for a winter 2012 release, with parts two and three to be recorded later that year.

The work will be adapted for audio by co-creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, and directed by AudioComics Company Co-Producer William Dufris.

Currently published by Archaia Entertainment, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic set in the year 2031 where a civil war in China has escalated into a global conflict that has decimated entire nations and millions of innocent lives. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival in this new age means that man and machine must exist as one. In the spirit of films such as Ghost in the Shell and Blackhawk Down, Titanium Rain follows Killian’s journey through mankind’s worst, only to discover its best.

“Titanium Rain is the antithesis of the post-apocalyptic ‘trend’ we’re seeing today in film, on television, in comic books. That’s part of the reason why it’s such an appealing audio project, the idea that we can rise above our mistakes rather than be dragged down by them is one worth exploring,” says director William Dufris, who also directed The AudioComics Company’s premiere production, Starstruck. “Also, it’s a great character-driven book. Actors are always looking for roles they can really sink their teeth into, and TR is chock full of great character studies.”

Co-creator Josh Finney: “From Titanium Rain’s initial conception I had always wanted to hear the story translated into an audio production, going so far to actually commission a full-blown soundtrack by musician Jonathan Sharp (New Mind, Bio-Tek). Now with the AudioComics Company onboard this dream is finally shaping into a reality. Stay tuned. This is going to be amazing.”

In addition to adapting the work, both Finney and Rocha will attend the voice-over recording sessions for Part One of the audio trilogy, and will have a hand in casting the project as well. The completed piece will be available on compact disc and pay-per-Mp3 downloads; Jonathan Sharp’s soundtrack for Titanium Rain will also be available as a separate Mp3 download, to be released concurrently with Part One of the TR audio production.

In addition, The AudioComics Company, in association with 01Publishing, has begun a fundraising campaign though the crowdfunding site Indie Go Go to raise production funds for their forthcoming radio drama production of Titanium Rain, which is scheduled to record this coming September at Mind’s Eye Productions in Maine.

AudioComics co-founder Lance Roger Axt: “There are a lot of people who are looking forward to this production, and they understand that it takes money to make it happen. Josh (Finney) and Kat (Rocha) have been incredibly supportive of this endeavor, and with that in mind we’ve come up with some fantastic incentives, and recently added some new ones that we think fans of the series will really enjoy!”

“Perks” for donations include limited edition prints, several hours worth of digital downloads, sketch cards, and even, at the $250 level, the opportunity to be in both the audio drama and in the third and final volume of Titanium Rain:

“Audio-wise, you will get to be in the audio production as a pilot in a dogfight, regardless of where you live in the world! We’ll send you the lines, you send us an Mp3 of your voice reading said lines, and they will be converted into “fighter pilot intercom” voices. In addition, your likeness will be drawn into the third volume of the Titanium Rain graphic novel series as the basis of a character. Here’s your chance to be in the audio play AND the printed graphic novel!”

Furthermore, for every $1,000.00 raised, AudioComics Company co-founder Lance Roger Axt will donate 100 comic books from his personal collection to Operation Comix Relief, which sends care packages of comic books to our men and women fighting for our country overseas.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Titanium-Rain-The-Audio-Drama

Preview – Archaia Announces ‘Moon Lake’

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Official Press Release

ARCHAIA AND DAN FOGLER GET THEIR FREAK ON WITH ‘MOON LAKE’

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL IS A HORROR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING ALIENS AND FREAKS AND BEARS! OH, MY!

Los Angeles, CA (August 23, 2010) – Fangs, freaks and fright fill Archaia Black Label’s newly announced horror anthology, MOON LAKE, an original graphic novel hardcover coming October 2010 in association with the diversely talented writer/director Dan Fogler and his company, UNKATUSH, Inc.

MOON LAKE (oversized hardcover, full color, 112 pages, 7.25” x 11.25”, $19.95) is a collection of short horror stories based in and around the titular, haunted body of water, which was the basis of Fogler’s independent horror movie, HYSTERICAL PSYCHO.

“The idea for the graphic novel came from wanting to expand the world of HYSTERICAL PSYCHO,” said Fogler. “The movie takes place up north at the eternally haunted region called Moon Lake. The tone of the film is like Alfred Hitchcock on acid meets EVIL DEAD, so I thought, why not do HITCHCOCK PRESENTS on acid, or TALES FROM THE CRYPT on crack, or TWILIGHT ZONE on THC…you get the picture. MOON LAKE is an anthology telling the hysterically horrific tales of Moon Lake from prehistoric times through today and into the possible future. Not all the stories are funny but they sure as hell are freaky…”

“Anyone who loves 50-foot tall zombie dinosaurs, naked women from the dawn of prehistory, horny sasquatches, secret wars on the lunar surface and learning the truth about how humans were created by aliens who spliced their DNA with the DNA of Earth monkeys, I guarantee that MOON LAKE is the one book that you absolutely cannot miss this year,” said Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy. “Dan Fogler is one of the most amazing creators I’ve ever had the honor to work with, and I feel so lucky that we’ve been able to bring his vision to life here at Archaia. I’m only sorry that Dan and I will have to wait to share the wonders of ‘Cannibal House’ and ‘Ben Franklinstein’ until MOON LAKE Vol. 2.”

Fogler’s illustrated alter ego, the Man in the Moon—a demonic spoof of Alfred Hitchcock—will introduce each story in the chapter breaks, featuring the art of rising talent Brooke Allen. Fogler will also write a bonus prose story as part of the extras in the back of the graphic novel, with illustrations by Scott Newman (TUMOR).

Joining Fogler will be a group of some of the most talented writers and artists in horror and science fiction comics. Following is a list of the stories appearing in MOON LAKE and their respective creators:

“Camp Sasquatch” short story
(W) Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH)
(A) Robbi Rodriguez (HAZED)
A group of randy camp counselors has a close encounter of the Sasquatch kind.

“Desensitized Deirdre” short story
(W) R. H. Stavis (DEMONS OF MERCY)
(A) Jeffrey Zornow (GRIMM FAIRY TALES, HALLOWEEN: THE FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE STRODE)
A peppy cheerleader has the worst day of her life, transforming her into a manic mass murderer.

“Black Bear Blues” short story
(W) Stef Hutchinson (HALLOWEEN: NIGHT DANCE)
(A) Jim Daly (BAD PLANET)
A spoof of the documentary “Grizzly Man,” in which a man goes out into the wild to commune with grizzly bears—this time, with different results.

“Cave Girl” short story
(W) Brian Holguin (SPAWN)
(A) Tommy Castillo (BATMAN, EVIL ERNIE, TOETAGS FEATURING GEORGE ROMERO)
A prehistoric adventure following the exploits of Cave Girl and her pack of zombie dinosaurs.

“His Final Escape” short story
(W) Nick Tapalansky (AWAKENING)
(A) Alex Eckman-Lawn (AWAKENING)
A Houdini-like escape artist performs one last, fatal stunt in the depths of Moon Lake.

“Moon Wars” short story
(W) Blake Leibel (SYNDROME)
(A) Josh Finney and Kat Rocha (TITANIUM RAIN)
Evoking 1950s, sci-fi B movies, a group of soldiers in high-tech gear battle dozens of Godzilla-like creatures on the dark side of the moon.

“Archaia has put together a great crew,” marveled Fogler. “Each story is a unique puzzle piece that fits together beautifully to create MOON LAKE Volume 1, and in my opinion, the variety of artistic styles throughout the book rivals that of classic issues of HEAVY METAL magazine. My good friend, R.H. Stavis, co-creator of ‘Desensitized Deirdre’—one of my favorite Moon Lake residents—said to go with Archaia because the books they put out are classy and they are extremely creator friendly. And she was absolutely right! I hope to do many more books with Archaia.”

MOON LAKE will be published under Archaia’s new Black Label line of titles, which specializes in co-developing intellectual properties with prestigious partners who are seeking to flesh out and realize their original ideas through the use of Archaia’s resources.

Limited advance copies of the MOON LAKE hardcover will be available at New York Comic Con (Oct. 8-10 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, NY) and go on sale in October wherever books are sold. To pre-order a copy, use ISBN code 978-1-932386-96-7.

About Archaia

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. Archaia is: Artesia, Awakening, Beautiful Scars, Berona’s War, The Black Knight, Critical Millennium, Cyclops, The Dark Crystal, Dark Fall, Days Missing, The Devil’s Handshake, An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, The Engineer, Everlast, Feeding Ground, Fraggle Rock, God Machine, The Grave Doug Freshley, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hybrid Bastards!, Inanna’s Tears, Johnny Recon, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Labyrinth, The Lone and Level Sands, Lucid, Miranda Mercury, Moon Lake, Mouse Guard, Mr. Murder Is Dead, Okko, One in a Million, Primordia, Return of the Dapper Men, Robotika, Saga, The Secret History, Some New Kind of Slaughter, Starkweather: Immortal, Syndrome, A Tale of Sand, Titanium Rain, Trial By Fire, and Tumor.

For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter (twitter.com/archaiacomics).

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10 Questions with Josh Finney

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Titanium Rain CoverIn July we reviewed Titanium Rain by Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, heaping lots of praise upon it.  Focused on a civil war in China, the story follows a team of pilots and their missions.  What’s amazing isn’t just the beautiful artwork and action packed story, but the human focus of the tail.  This isn’t about crazy action sequences, it’s about the characters it revolves around.

To be alive is to be at odds with the world.  Man against nature.  Man against man.The instinct to survive is what has made us who we are.

In year 2031 mankind’s survival instinct is put to the test when a civil war in China spirals into global conflict.  Nations are destroyed.  Millions are killed.  And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival will mean shedding some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine.

Is this the ultimate corruption of nature?  Or the birth pains of a new chapter in mankind’s evolution?

From Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, the team who brought you the acclaimed cyberpunk series,Utopiates, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic for the post-millennial age.  In the spirit of films such as Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, and Blackhawk Down,Titanium Rain follows one pilot’s journey through mankind’s worst, only to discover its best.

There’s heavy political themes and plots that run throughout the book (it’s about a civil war!?), so Josh seemed to be the perfect victim, I mean subject, of our latest round of 10 questions.  Check out below for the full interview.

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Archaia San Diego Comic-Con Signing and Appearance Schedule

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Official Press Release

ARCHAIA’S SIGNING AND APPEARANCE SCHEDULE FOR SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

OVER 40 ARCHAIA WRITERS AND ARTISTS WILL BE ON HAND TO MEET FANS, SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AND OFFER EXCLUSIVE ITEMS

Los Angeles, CA (July 20, 2010) – In anticipation of the largest gathering in North America of comic book and pop culture fans, Archaia Entertainment announced it will be hosting over 40 writers and artists for autograph sessions and meet-and-greet opportunities at its booth at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif., to be held July 22-25, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Guests of special note include Brian Froud, a veteran of The Jim Henson Company, who will be on hand to sign exclusive posters for the upcoming Dark Crystal comics; actor/writer Michael McMillian (“True Blood”), who will sign copies of Lucid #1, the first comic to come from the partnership between Before the Door and Archaia; actor/writer/producer/director Dan Fogler (“Fanboys,” “Balls of Fury”), who will be signing a preview book of the upcoming Moon Lake, a hardcover anthology of comedic horror stories; Eisner Award-winning creator David Petersen, who’ll be on hand to sign copies of Mouse Guard; Tom Siddell, who will sign copies of the two volumes of  Gunnerkrigg Court; Matz, the Eisner Award-nominated writer who will sign copies of The Killer, a popular series originally published in France that has captivated American readers; and Eisner Award-nominated writer Phil Hester, who will sign copies of the Archaia and Roddenberry Productions hardcover, Days Missing. Plus, writers and artists who contributed to the Fraggle Rock comic book will be around all weekend to sign copies of the new hardcover collection.

“Our mission for San Diego Comic-Con is twofold: to thank our loyal readers by rewarding them with the opportunity to meet their favorite Archaia writers and artists, and to reach out to those who may have not yet heard of us but are willing to try something different,” said Archaia Marketing Manager Mel Caylo. “By having over 40 creators rotating at the Archaia booth throughout the weekend, I believe we’ll accomplish just that!”

Archaia will be located at Booth #2635. Here is the schedule* of signings and appearance times:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Table 1
5:30-7 p.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)
7:30-9 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey, Jesse Labbé)

Table 2
5:30-7 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Sam Humphries, Jeremy Love)
7-8 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Leigh Dragoon)
8-9 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Adrianne Ambrose)

Table 3
5:30-7:30 p.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)
7:30-9 p.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)

Table 4
5:30-7:30 p.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)
7:30-9 p.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)

Featured Table
5:30-9 p.m. GUNNERKRIGG COURT (Tom Siddell)

Thursday, July 22, 2010
Table 1
9-11:30 am. GUNNERKRIGG COURT (Tom Siddell)
11-30 a.m.-1 p.m. THE GOD MACHINE (Chandra Free)
1-3 p.m. THE ENGINEER (Brian Churilla, Jeremy Shepherd)
3-5 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
5-7 p.m. RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (Jim McCann, Janet K. Lee)

Table 2
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Grace Randolph)
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Leigh Dragoon)
12-1:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Sam Humphries, Jeremy Love)
1:30-2:30 p.m. FRAGGE ROCK (Katie Cook)
2:30-4 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Michael DiMotta)
4-5:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Heather White, Jeff Stokely)
5:30-7 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Adrianne Ambrose, Nichol Ashworth)

Table 3
9-11:30 a.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)
2-4 p.m. KILLING PICKMAN (Jason Becker)
4-6 p.m. DAYS MISSING (Trevor Roth, David Marquez, Phil Hester)
6-7 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)

Table 4
9-11 a.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. TUMOR (Joshua Hale Fialkov)
12:30-1:30 p.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)
1:30-2:30 p.m. HYBRID BASTARDS! (Tom Pinchuk)
2:30-4 p.m. ARTESIA (Mark Smylie)
4-7 p.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)

Featured Table
9-10:30 a.m. FEEDING GROUND (Swifty Lang, Michael Lapinski, Christopher Mangun)
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MOUSE GUARD (David Petersen)
12:30-1:30 p.m. TUMOR (Joshua Hale Fialkov)
1:30-2:30 p.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)
2:30-3:30 p.m. HYBRID BASTARDS! (Tom Pinchuk)
3:30-5 p.m. THE DARK CRYSTAL (Brian Froud, Wendy Froud)
5-6 p.m. MOUSE GUARD (David Petersen)
6-7 p.m. ARTESIA (Mark Smylie)

Friday, July 23, 2010
Table 1
9-11:30 a.m. RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (Jim McCann, Janet K. Lee)
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. THE ENGINEER (Brian Churilla, Jeremy Shepherd)
2-3 p.m. THE GOD MACHINE (Chandra Free)
3-5 p.m. GUNNERKRIGG COURT (Tom Siddell)
5-7 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)

Table 2
9-10:30 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Michael DiMotta)
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Sam Humphries, Jeremy Love)
12-1:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Adrianne Ambrose, Amy Mebberson)
1:30-3 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Heather White, Jeff Stokely)
3-4:30 FRAGGLE ROCK (Nichol Ashworth, Leigh Dragoon)
4:30-5:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Katie Cook)
5:30-7 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Grace Randolph,

Table 3
9-10:30 a.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)
12:30-2:30 p.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)
2:30-4 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
4-5 p.m. FEEDING GROUND (Swifty Lang, Michael Lapinski, Christopher Mangun)
5-7 p.m. LUCID (Michael McMillian)

Table 4
9-10:30 a.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. AWAKENING (Nick Tapalansky, Alex Eckman-Lawn)
1-2 p.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)
2-3:30 p.m. TUMOR (Joshua Hale Fialkov)
3:30-4:30 p.m. KILLING PICKMAN (Jason Becker)
4:30-5:30 p.m. HYBRID BASTARDS! (Tom Pinchuk)
5:30-6:30 p.m. THE KILLER (Matz)

Featured Table
9-10:30 a.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MOUSE GUARD (David Petersen)
12:30-2 p.m. THE DARK CRYSTAL (Brian Froud, Wendy Froud)
2-3 p.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)
3-4 p.m. THE GOD MACHINE (Chandra Free)
4-5:30 p.m. THE KILLER (Matz)
5:30-6:30 p.m. AWAKENING (Nick Tapalansky, Alex Eckman-Lawn)

Saturday, July 24, 2010
Table 1
9-10:30 a.m. THE ENGINEER (Brian Churilla, Jeremy Shepherd)
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
1-3 p.m. RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (Jim McCann, Janet K. Lee)
3-4:30 p.m. THE GOD MACHINE (Chandra Free)
4:30-7 p.m. GUNNERKRIGG COURT (Tom Siddell)

Table 2
9-10:30 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Leigh Dragoon)
10:30-11:30 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Katie Cook)
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Heather White, Jeff Stokely)
1-2:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Michael DiMotta/Bryce P. Coleman)
2:30-4 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Amy Mebberson, Sam Humphries)
4-5:30 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Adrianne Ambrose, Nichol Ashworth)
5:30-7 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Heather White, Jeff Stokely)

Table 3
9-10:30 a.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. LUCID (Michael McMillian)
12-1:30 p.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)
1:30-4 p.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)
4-5 p.m. DAYS MISSING (Trevor Roth, David Marquez, Phil Hester)
5-6 p.m. KILLING PICKMAN (Jason Becker)
6-7 p.m. FEEDING GROUND (Swifty Lang, Michael Lapinski, Christopher Mangun)

Table 4
9-10 a.m. AWAKENING (Nick Tapalansky, Alex Eckman-Lawn)
10-11:30 a.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. TUMOR (Joshua Hale Fialkov)
1-2:30 p.m. AWAKENING (Nick Tapalansky, Alex Eckman-Lawn)
2:30-4:30 p.m. THE KILLER (Matz)
4:30-6 p.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)
6-7 p.m. HYBRID BASTARDS! (Tom Pinchuk)

Featured Table
9-10:30 a.m. LUCID (Michael McMillian)
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MOUSE GUARD (David Petersen)
12:30-1:30 p.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)
1:30-3 p.m. THE DARK CRYSTAL (Brian Froud, Wendy Froud)
3-4 p.m. DAYS MISSING (Trevor Roth, David Marquez, Phil Hester)
4-5:30 p.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)
5:30-7 p.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)

Sunday, July 25, 2010
Table 1
9 a.m.-12 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
12-2:30 p.m. THE ENGINEER (Brian Churilla, Jeremy Shepherd)
2:30-5 p.m. THE GOD MACHINE (Chandra Free)

Table 2
9-10 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Katie Cook, Nichol Ashworth)
10-11 a.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Leigh Dragoon)
1-2 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Sam Humphries, Jeremy Love)
2-3 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Adrianne Ambrose, Bryce P. Coleman)
3-4 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Sam Humphries, Jeremy Love)
4-5 p.m. FRAGGLE ROCK (Heather White, Jeff Stokely)

Table 3
9-10:30 a.m. MOON LAKE (Dan Fogler, R.H. Stavis, Robbi Rodriguez, Tim Seeley)
10:30-11:30 a.m. FEEDING GROUND (Swifty Lang, Michael Lapinski, Christopher Mangun)
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CRITICAL MILLENNIUM (Andrew E. C. Gaska, Daniel Dussault)
12:30-2 p.m. LUCID (Michael McMillian)
2-3:30 p.m. SYNDROME (R.J. Ryan, Daniel Quantz, David Marquez, Blake Leibel)
3:30-5 p.m. DAYS MISSING (Trevor Roth, David Marquez, Phil Hester)

Table 4
9-11 a.m. THE KILLER (Matz)
11 a.m.-1 p.m. TUMOR (Joshua Hale Fialkov)
1-2:30 p.m. KILLING PICKMAN (Jason Becker)
2:30-4 p.m. STARKWEATHER: IMMORTAL (Dave Rodriguez, Patrick McEvoy)
4-5 p.m. HYBRID BASTARDS! (Tom Pinchuk)

Featured Table
9-11 a.m. RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (Jim McCann, Janet K. Lee)
11 a.m.-12 p.m. THE ENGINEER (Brian Churilla, Jeremy Shepherd)
12-1 p.m. BERONA’S WAR (Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbé)
1-2 p.m. MOUSE GUARD (David Petersen)
2-3:30 p.m. THE DARK CRYSTAL (Brian Froud, Wendy Froud)
3:30-5 p.m. TITANIUM RAIN (Josh Finney, Kat Rocha)

*Schedule is subject to change.

About Archaia

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. Archaia is: An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, Artesia, Awakening, Beautiful Scars, Berona’s War, The Black Knight, Critical Millennium, Cyclops, The Dark Crystal, Dark Fall, Days Missing, The Devil’s Handshake, The Engineer, Everlast, Feeding Ground, Fraggle Rock, God Machine, The Grave Doug Freshley, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hybrid Bastards!, Inanna’s Tears, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Labyrinth, The Lone and Level Sands, Lucid, Miranda Mercury, Moon Lake, Mouse Guard, Mr. Murder Is Dead, Okko, One in a Million, Primordia, The Return of the Dapper Men, Robotika, Saga, The Secret History, Some New Kind of Slaughter, Starkweather: Immortal, Syndrome, Titanium Rain, Trial By Fire, Tumor and 10 more new titles in 2010.

Review – Titanium Rain

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Titanium Rain CoverYou might remember Titanium Rain from a story we ran in April concerning censorship from it’s printer.  We received a review copy of Titanium Rain by Josh Finney and Kat Rocha and sat on reading it.  It was one of those comic books I’ve wanted to read for a very long time, but knew my crappy laptop wouldn’t do it justice.  So, as soon as my shiny iPad was in hand, it was a perfect opportunity to dive in and give it a shot.  The comic is amazing, I didn’t want to put it down.  The story is fantastic and art is beautiful.

To be alive is to be at odds with the world.  Man against nature.  Man against man.The instinct to survive is what has made us who we are.

In year 2031 mankind’s survival instinct is put to the test when a civil war in China spirals into global conflict.  Nations are destroyed.  Millions are killed.  And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival will mean shedding some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine.

Is this the ultimate corruption of nature?  Or the birth pains of a new chapter in mankind’s evolution?

From Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, the team who brought you the acclaimed cyberpunk series,Utopiates, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic for the post-millennial age.  In the spirit of films such as Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, and Blackhawk Down,Titanium Rain follows one pilot’s journey through mankind’s worst, only to discover its best.

The story is a futuristic Top Gun, following bio-enhanced fly-boys who are thrown into a Chinese civil war.  But the brilliance of the series is that it’s not a straight up action/military tail.  Most of the story focuses on man versus nature and the right of people to meddle with God’s work.  On top of that there’s the look at the root cause of the Chinese civil war which is the farm class versus power elite.  This is a socio-political comic book at it’s best.

The story is told from the perspective of primarily one pilot.  Mixed in with his experiences are news reports and a dossier with various tidbits on the war, news, military weapons.  It fills in a lot of the background not told from one person’s perspective.

This is well worth the buy, I can’t recommend it enough.  The quality is top notch and I can’t wait for volume two in August.

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Archaia Panels at Comic-Con

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Official Press Release

ARCHAIA GRANTED FIVE PANELS FOR SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

FEATURED GUESTS INCLUDE BRIAN FROUD, ZACHARY QUINTO, MICHAEL McMILLIAN, DAN FOGLER, DAVID PETERSEN OF ‘MOUSE GUARD’, TOM SIDDELL OF ‘GUNNERKRIGG COURT,’ MATZ OF ‘THE KILLER’ AND PHIL HESTER OF ‘DAYS MISSING: KESTUS’

Los Angeles, CA (July 8, 2010) – Looking to deliver the best experience for their fans attending Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif. and to capture an even larger audience of its high-quality line of publications, the show organizers granted Archaia Entertainment five diverse panels at the convention, loaded with special guests, exclusive sneak peeks and advance information on upcoming titles.

Over a dozen projects and up to 20 creators will be highlighted during Archaia’s panels. Guests of special note include Brian Froud, a veteran of The Jim Henson Company who will be on hand to discuss his involvement in the forthcoming Dark Crystal and Labyrinth comics; actor/producer Zachary Quinto (“Star Trek, “Heroes”) and actor/writer Michael McMillian (“True Blood”), who will speak about Lucid, the first comic to come from the partnership between Quinto’s company, Before the Door, and Archaia; actor/writer/producer/director Dan Fogler (“Fanboys,” “Balls of Fury”), who will unveil a sneak peek of the upcoming Moon Lake, a hardcover anthology of comedic horror stories; Eisner Award-winning creator David Petersen, who’ll be on hand to talk about the current Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard series and preview the upcoming Mouse Guard: The Black Axe; Tom Siddell, creator of the popular Gunnerkrigg Court Web comic and books; Matz, the Eisner Award-nominated writer of The Killer, a popular series originally published in France that has captivated American readers; and Eisner Award-nominated writer Phil Hester, who will talk about his involvement with the sequel to the critically acclaimed Archaia and Roddenberry Productions series, Days Missing: Kestus.

“I’m super stoked that Archaia is able to bring all these talented individuals together and have them speak to their fans, as well as help make new ones,” exclaimed Archaia Marketing Manager Mel Caylo. “I’d like to thank Comic-Con International for being very gracious in granting us five panels so that we’re able to give all our creators an opportunity to speak about their projects.”

Here’s a detailed look at the five panels Archaia will host during Comic-Con International, which takes place July 22-25, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.:

Thursday, July 22, 6-7 p.m., Room 9
Archaia: BLACK LABEL — The new Archaia Black Label specializes in co-developing intellectual properties with prestigious partners who are seeking to realize their ideas through the use of Archaia’s resources. Join us as we show exclusive preview images and discuss the first of the Archaia Black Label titles, including: Days Missing: Kestus with Roddenberry Productions’ Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, writer Phil Hester (Days Missing) and artist David Marquez (Syndrome); Moon Lake with creator Dan Fogler (“Fanboys,” “Balls of Fury”), writer R.H. Stavis (Demons of Mercy) and artist Robbi Rodriguez (Hazed); and Syndrome with Fantasy Prone’s Blake Leibel (United Free Worlds), writers Daniel Quantz (Marvel Age: Spider-Man) and R.J. Ryan (Marvel Studios), and artist David Marquez.

Friday, July 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Room 25ABC
Archaia: LUCID — Lucid, the first comic book project from Archaia’s partnership with Before the Door, arrives in stores in August! Join Lucid creator and writer Michael McMillian (“True Blood”) and BTD partners Zachary Quinto (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”), Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa as they share cool behind-the-scenes info and other interesting tidbits about the making of the comic. Moderated by Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy.

Friday, July 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Room 9
Archaia: ALL ACCESS — Get updates and new information on a host of Archaia titles, including: Awakening with writer Nick Tapalansky and artist Alex Eckman-Lawn; Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier with writer Andrew E. C. Gaska and artist Daniel Dussault; Feeding Ground with creators Chris Mangun, Swifty Lang and Michael Lapinksi; The God Machine with creator Chandra Free; Gunnerkrigg Court with creator Tom Siddell; Hybrid Bastards! with writer Tom Pinchuk; The Killer with writer Matz; Killing Pickman with writer Jason Becker; Starkweather: Immortal with writer David Rodriguez and artist Patrick McEvoy; and Titanium Rain with writer/artist Josh Finney and artist Kat Rocha.

Sunday, July 25, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Room 25ABC
Archaia: THE JIM HENSON COMPANY — The first series of Fraggle Rock comics was a rousing success, so what does Archaia and The Jim Henson Company have in store next? Find out exclusive information on upcoming Archaia/Henson comic book and graphic novel ventures from Archaia Editor-in Chief Stephen Christy and special guest Brian Froud, who worked closely with Jim Henson on “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth” movies as a concept artist. Joining them will be The Jim Henson Company Senior Vice President of Marketing and Publicity Nicole Goldman, Fraggle Rock comic book editors Tim Beedle, Paul Morrissey and Joe LeFavi, plus Fraggle Rock comic book writers Heather White and Sam Humphries, and artist Heidi Arnhold!

Sunday, July 25, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Room 3
Archaia: ALL AGES — All ages books are not necessarily children’s books—they’re books that readers of all ages can enjoy! Join Archaia for updates, previews and exciting new information on several of its All Ages titles, including: Berona’s War with creators Jesse Labbé and Anthony Coffey; Fraggle Rock with The Jim Henson Company; Gunnerkrigg Court; Mouse Guard: The Black Axe and Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard with creator David Petersen and contributors Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl), Katie Cook (Fraggle Rock) and Karl Kerschl (The Abominable Charles Christopher); and Return of the Dapper Men with artist Janet Lee. Moderated by Archaia’s Mel Caylo.

Many of the creators listed above will also be available at the Archaia booth at Comic-Con International (#2635) for autograph signings. A schedule will be distributed and posted on the Archaia website soon.

About Archaia

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. Archaia is: An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, Artesia, Awakening, Beautiful Scars, Berona’s War, The Black Knight, Critical Millennium, Cyclops, The Dark Crystal, Dark Fall, Days Missing, The Devil’s Handshake, The Engineer, Everlast, Feeding Ground, Fraggle Rock, God Machine, The Grave Doug Freshley, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hybrid Bastards!, Inanna’s Tears, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Labyrinth, The Lone and Level Sands, Lucid, Miranda Mercury, Moon Lake, Mouse Guard, Mr. Murder Is Dead, Okko, One in a Million, Primordia, The Return of the Dapper Men, Robotika, Saga, The Secret History, Some New Kind of Slaughter, Starkweather: Immortal, Syndrome, Titanium Rain, Trial By Fire, Tumor and 10 more new titles in 2010.

For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter (twitter.com/archaiacomics).