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Preview – Mouse Guard: The Black Axe #1 (Of 6)

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Brett

Official Press Release

MOUSE GUARD: THE BLACK AXE #1 (OF 6)

Retail Price: $3.50 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
On-sale Date: December 15, 2010
Written by David Petersen
Illustrated by David Petersen
Cover by David Petersen

The Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD returns with THE BLACK AXE, a third volume of the critically acclaimed series. Set in 1115, this prequel to MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152 fulfills the promise the wise oldfur Celanawe made to Lieam the day his paw first touched the Black Axe: to tell the young warrior about the mouse who first wielded the deadly weapon. The arrival of distant kin takes Celanawe on an adventure that will carry him across the sea to uncharted waters and lands, all while unraveling the legend of Farrer, the blacksmith who forged the mythic Black Axe.

All ages

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Archaia: November 2010 Solicitations

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Brett

Official Press Release

Archaia Items Shipping In November 2010

FRAGGLE ROCK VOL. 2 #1 (of 3)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
Written by Grace Randolph, Jake Forbes and Joe LeFavi
Illustrated by Chris Lie, Mark Simmons, Ross Campbell and Katie Cook
Covers by David Petersen and Chris Lie

Get ready to rock—Fraggle style! Archaia and The Jim Henson Company follow up their highly acclaimed FRAGGLE ROCK anthology series with a brand-new line of comics, featuring the antics of Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red! Worry is indeed for another day, as this new series features a stellar lineup of talent, including: Grace Randolph (MUPPET PETER PAN, MARVEL HER-OES), Chris Lie (RETURN TO LABYRINTH), Jake Forbes (RETURN TO LABYRINTH) and Ross Campbell (WET MOON, SHADOWEYES)! Featuring a cover from MOUSE GUARD’s David Petersen and activity pages from fan-favorite Katie Cook!

All Ages

CYCLOPS #1 (of 8)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Matz
Illustrated by Luc Jacamon
Cover by Luc Jacamon

2054. Douglas Pistoia is desperately looking for work, but only a private military contracting firm, Multicorps Security, has offered him a job. Soon after he signs up, the UN decides to outsource its peacekeeping missions, and Multicorps wins the first bid, propelling Douglas into a war that is not his own—a highly sophisticated war broadcast worldwide by the soldiers themselves thanks to the micro-cameras in their helmets. They are called the Cyclops. Douglas plays the game, and slowly emerges as both a unit leader and a media celebrity, but how far will he go in exploring the boundaries between war and peacekeeping, news and entertainment? From the same creative team that brought you the Eisner Award-nominated crime noir THE KILLER comes this new look at war and the media in the near future…

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence and Adult Content)

DAYS MISSING: KESTUS # 3 (OF 5)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by David Marquez
Cover by Ryan Benjamin

Archaia and Roddenberry Productions continue the history-making series DAYS MISSING! Since the dawn of mankind, the enigmatic Steward has guided our destiny in solitude—but now he knows he is not alone! An immortal woman named Kestus has also been watching humanity…with a suspicious eye. It’s 1969, and mankind is poised to take one giant leap. The Steward does everything in his power to make sure the Apollo 11 moon landing is a success…but a shadowy saboteur stands in his way. DAYS MISSING: KESTUS #3 adds another chapter to the thrilling exploits of The Steward, a being whose ability to “fold” days of time has resulted in critical human events being absent from our historical record. Although their existence is not remembered…the occurrences of these days have forever changed the course of Earth’s evolution!

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

MOUSE GUARD: THE BLACK AXE #2 (OF 6)
Retail Price: $3.50 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
Written by David Petersen
Illustrated by David Petersen
Cover by David Petersen

The new volume of the Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD series continues! Celanawe, honor bound by his loyalty to his Guard Matriarch, accompanies Em, his only living relative to Port Sumac. There they find a mouse just brave or crazy enough to take them across the sea and beyond the record of any map. This long sea voyage gives Em the time to explain to Celanawe about her instance for the journey and how their fates will forever be tied to the Black Axe.

All Ages

LUCID #4 (OF 4)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Michael McMillian
Illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk
Cover by Anna Wieszczyk

The first LUCID miniseries comes to a shocking climax as Agent Matthew Dee and Wren confront the New Pendragon! Can they stop his terrible kingdom from rising before it is too late? What insane new weapon threatens mage-kind? What does fate hold in store for President Monday? What horrible secret lurks in the bowels of Tintagel Castle? And just what is up with Matthew’s girlfriend? Don’t miss the spectacular conclusion!

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN Original Graphic Novel Hardcover
Retail Price: $24.95 U.S.
Page Count: 128 pages
Format: hardcover, 9.5” x 11”, full color
Written by Jim McCann
Illustrated by Janet Lee
Cover by Janet Lee

Welcome to Anoreve, a world in between time, where children have played so long it’s almost become work, machines have worked so long they have begun to play and all the clocks have stopped at the same time. This is how this land has remained, until 314 dapper-looking gentlemen rain down from the sky and set off in different directions to start the world again. Now Ayden, the only boy to still ask questions; Zoe, the robot girl all other machines hold dear; and the Dapper Man known only as “41” must discover what happened that made time stop, understand what their true places are in this world, and learn what “tomorrow” really means. The sun is setting for the first time in memory, and once that happens, everything changes. RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN is a visually stunning fairy tale that combines steampunk with fantasy and science fiction with Renaissance style, brought to life from the minds of award-winning playwright and comic book writer Jim McCann (NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION) and critically acclaimed visual artist Janet Lee. Together these two have created a world where J.M. Barrie, Lewis Carroll and Maurice Sendak meet Jim Henson and Tim Burton. All sharply dressed in a pin-stripe suit and a dapper bowler hat. Tick tock, time is about to start.

All Ages

KILLING PICKMAN Collected Edition Hardcover
Retail Price: $24.95 U.S.
Page Count: 144 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Jason Becker
Illustrated by Jon Rea
Cover by Jon Rea

Homicide Detective William Zhu has just made the arrest of his career. With the apprehension of Richard Pickman he has solved over 100 missing child cases, some of which date back over 30 years. The excavation of Pickman’s basement reveals horrors beyond imagination—the bodies of children mutilated in bizarre satanic rites. Frustrated with his role of clean-up man to the detritus of the world, Zhu makes what may be a fatal mistake: He decides to kill Pickman. Fatal, for Richard Pickman is no ordinary psychopath. The rituals he performed were not the work of a madman but sacrifices made to a very real demon. A demon who has granted Pickman near immortality. Killing Pickman is going to be a lot tougher than Zhu could have imagined. It may not even be possible.

Mature Readers (series contains Graphic Violence and Adult Content)

Archaia Panels at Comic-Con

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Brett

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).

Archaia: September 2010 Solicitations

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Brett

Official Press Release

ARCHAIA ITEMS SHIPPING IN SEPTEMBER 2010

DAYS MISSING: KESTUS #1 (of 5)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by David Marquez
Cover by Alex Ross

Archaia and Roddenberry Productions are proud to present the thrilling sequel to the critically acclaimed series DAYS MISSING. DAYS MISSING: KESTUS continues the saga of The Steward, a mysterious being whose ability to “fold” days of time has resulted in critical human events being absent from our historical record. Their existence is not remembered…but the occurrences of these days have forever changed the course of our evolution.

Since humanity’s birth, The Steward has stood as a guiding force for our species. But now, he is not alone! The emergence of the ancient being, Kestus, may put everything he knows in question, and the future of those he means to protect in jeopardy.

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

FEEDING GROUND #1 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 48 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Swifty Lang
Illustrated by Michael Lapinski
Cover by Michael Lapinski

This new series is ripped right out of the real-life drama unfolding on the Mexico-Arizona border. FEEDING GROUND reaches a large and diverse audience no matter tour personal POV on the issue. In this factious story, a famine caused by Blackwell Industries drives Diego Busqueda, a noble “coyote,” to lead a band of Mexican border crossers across the unforgiving Devil’s Highway, a desert cursed with blistering days and deadly nights. Back home, Diego’s daughter Flaca discovers that something hungrier prowls the factory fields. Stalked and persecuted, can the Busqueda family maintain their dreams of immigration or will the horrors of the desert tear them apart? Also included is 24 pages of bonus content in Spanish!

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)
MOUSE GUARD: THE BLACK AXE #1 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.50 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
Written by David Petersen
Illustrated by David Petersen
Cover by David Petersen

The Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD returns with THE BLACK AXE, a third volume to be told in six bi-monthly issues. Set in 1115, this prequel to MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152 fulfills the promise the wise oldfur Celanawe made to Lieam the day his paw first touched the Black Axe: to tell the young warrior about the mouse who first wielded the deadly weapon. The arrival of distant kin takes Celanawe on an adventure that will carry him across the sea to uncharted waters and lands, all while unraveling the legend of Farrer, the blacksmith who forged the mythic Black Axe.

All ages

LUCID #2 (of 4)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Michael McMillian
Illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk
Cover by Anna Wieszczyk

Things are heating up at the House at Dupont Circle. What is the Prophecy of the Pendragon? What Occult weapon threatens the fate the United States… for the second time? And what exactly is an Astral Amplifier?! LUCID #2 takes you one more giant leap into the strange world of Matthew Dee as the novice Combat Mage races against the clock to prevent President’s Day from becoming a National Day of Mourning!

Written by “True Blood” actor Michael McMillian and illustrated by newcomer Anna Wieszczyk, LUCID is Archaia’s first title published in association with Zachary Quinto (“Heroes,” “Star Trek”) and his production company, Before the Door Pictures.

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

CRITICAL MILLENNIUM #4 (of 4)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 40 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Andrew E. C. Gaska
Illustrated by Daniel Dussault
Cover by Daniel Dussault

The dramatic conclusion to the first miniseries! The gravitic drive vessel Black Rabbit is on the pad for its earthborn launch to new worlds! Prime Minister Blacklytter bans public transmission of the lift off! The Wraith infiltrates the launch bay with the intent of hijacking the starship! Young John Adams makes a stand for his beliefs, and pays the ultimate price! Disaster strikes New Bombay, heralding the end of Hope itself! Angel Rei stares long and hard into a bottle of sleeping pills! Countess Watwani races to stop her husband from committing genocide! All this, and Coney, Eryc and Pandita find their flight out-system blocked by a police force! As all points converge, will Thomm finally realize his grandparents’ dream of a new beginning for mankind, and a future amongst the stars?

Mature Readers (Contains Adult Content)

THE KILLER: MODUS VIVENDI #5 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Matz
Illustrated by Luc Jacamon
Cover by Luc Jacamon

In Venezuela, our Killer has made a pact with the Cubans, leading a campaign of assassinations against a military junta. It’s a crusade of sorts, and well out of character for a stonehearted executioner. So has the Killer finally woken to the world, to a cause? Or, as his buddy Mariano suggests, is his heart just being manipulated by the bewitching Cuban officer, Katia?

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence and Adult Content)

THE SECRET HISTORY BOOK FOURTEEN
Retail Price: $5.95 U.S.
Page Count: 48 pages
Format: perfect bound, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Jean-Pierre Pécau
Illustrated by Igor Kordey
Colors by Leonard O’Grady
Cover by Manchu & Olivier Vatine

The Watchers. 1945. The two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seem to have put an end to the evil plots of William of Lecce. In liberated Paris, Daniel Rosenthal, a survivor of the death camps, learns how to live again. He owes his survival to a “star,” a strange tarot card given to him by the surrealist poet Robert Desnos in the Terezín concentration camp, who also told him about the mysterious cabaret, L’Arcane 17. Daniel begins a descent into a world he did not know existed and into a story that the textbooks do not teach: the secret history.

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)

PRIMORDIA Collected Hardcover Edition
Retail Price: $19.95 U.S.
Page Count: 128 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by John R. Fultz
Illustrated by Roel Wielinga
Colors by Joel Jason O’Chua
Cover by Roel Wielinga

A pair of human infants are abandoned in the depths of an ancient forest and adopted by the strange creatures called Woodfolk. Driniel (Moon) is the night-wanderer, dancing with the Darkling spirits of the deep groves, summoning demons for his arcane pleasures. Alleyar (Sun) is the flame of valor, rising to esteem in the ranks of the Woodfolk hunters and taming a fierce beast with his sorcery. The Woodking’s daughter, Princess Vega, must choose between her twin lovers as they are exiled into the savage world of Man. More than human, less than gods, these misfit brothers will change the worlds of Gods and Mortals forever as they uncover the secrets of their own past and parentage.

Mature Readers (series contains Mild Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)

OKKO VOL. 3: THE CYCLE OF AIR Collected Hardcover Edition
Retail Price: $19.95 U.S.
Page Count: 108 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Hub
Illustrated by Hub

It is the Spring of 1110 in the official calendar of the Pajan Empire. Okko is called upon to assist the daughter of Lady Mayudama, who has retreated into a profound silence. The best doctors have been unable to provide even a diagnosis of her condition. Okko may prove to be her last resort. But a strange force that has been prowling around the region for over a week has also arranged a meeting with the ronin for a duel of incomparable violence… Collects all four issues of Okko: The Cycle of Air miniseries.

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)