Official Press Release

VANCOUVER (Aug 11, 2011) – Arcana Comics, one of the world’s top producers of graphic novels, welcomes you to another exciting month of comics and news! We are rolling out another month of new releases and pre-orders, all available through Diamond, including some behind the scenes details on the books from the creators themselves. Also, read our convention news as Arcana Comics spreads across North America, plus previews of some of the books coming out. If you’re interested in any of the books we have to offer, be sure to go to your local comic book shop and provide the Diamond codes below them, so the stores can order. Some are even available for pre-order through Amazon!

Don’t forget, if you run a comic fan site, review site, blog, podcast, magazine, fanzine, newspaper, tv show, talk show, etc, and are interested in reviewing Arcana Comics’ releases or doing interviews with creators or staff from Arcana, please contact us at the email at the bottom of this release.

LATEST RELEASES
PRE-ORDERS
CONVENTIONS
PREVIEWS
ABOUT ARCANALATEST RELEASES

Below are the latest Arcana books, hitting the shelves this month! If you can’t find them in stores, ask them to order using the information below or head over to Arcana’s Store.

AWAKENINGS GN – ISBN: 978-1-926914-30-5 / DIAMOND: JUN110824
By (W)Eric Hobbs (A) Gabe Pena. Set in the year 2062, New York detective Spencer Straight is hot on the trail of a gruesome serial killer with a peculiar trademark only to find himself on the run when every lead points to the one person he never would have suspected – himself! Forced underground, Spencer discovers a secretive presence may be the culprit behind the seemingly senseless killings. A force many have tried to stop without success. A force that’s already chosen its next victim: Spencer’s son! SC, FC, $19.95.
SCIONIC GN – ISBN: 978-1-926914-40-4 DIAMOND: JUN110824
By (W/A) Philip Daay (W/A) Victor Castro. Theophilus embodies the archetypal noble warrior. When the lines are clear in a just cause, he fights as your greatest champion. But, life rarely remains clear. Theophilus refuses to believe that breeding and sacrificing innocent children is necessary for his race’s survival. Unfortunately, his president and former military colleagues believe otherwise. And both sides are about to put the force of their convictions to the ultimate test! Scionic tells an epic tale about a father figure and the children who look up to him. It explores the moral lines in war that any human society might cross when it feels under constant threat.SC, FC, $14.95.
TROUT GN – ISBN: 978-1-926914-41-1 DIAMOND: JUN110825
By Ismael Hernandez, Ben Magid, Chandran. Trout is the story of a nine-year-old boy – and the monster sent to protect him! It centers on a virus created to eradicate the monster gene, and has the power to turn man to monster, and monster to man. Under attack, the scientist who created this Final Solution injects it into his son in order to hide it. Now, everyone wants it and will do anything to get their hands on it! SC, FC, $14.95.
WINGMAN GN – ISBN: 978-1-897548-38-7 DIAMOND: JUN110823
By Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Jay Shore, Asta Gunn, Eve. Wingman follows the adventures of two best friends, Hank and Max, whose main mission in life is picking up women. Hank, more confident and good looking than Max, is the stud of the two, while Max is mostly relegated to wingman status. One day, lightning (literally) strikes and alters Hank’s chemistry such that he’s no longer able to pick up women. However, women now find any man within a few feet of Hank irresistible – thus, Max instantly goes from Wingman to Cassanova! SC, FC, $14.95.

PRE- ORDERS

Below are books being solicited for pre-order in the latest Diamond Previews Magazine. Take the information below to your stores and ask them to carry Arcana!

AMNESIA TP – AUG110794
By (W/A) Dwayne Harris. One of the most feared terror attack scenarios involves the detonation of a weapon that generates a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that immediately renders power circuits, computers, even automobiles useless. But what if a weapon was discharged that, in addition to all the above, also erased people’s memories? Would mankind, given a fresh start, continue on its path to self-destruction? Or would it, free of its preconceptions, usher in a new age of peace? This is the first time Amnesia GN has been listed in Previews. SC, 98pgs, FC $14.95

Dwayne Harris, the creator of Amnesia, is a classically trained artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Oil Painting, whose work now combines a fine art sensibility with the infinite possibilities of the digital realm. His inspiration for Amnesia came out of learning about the threat of an electron-magnetic pulse (EMP) in weaponized form. “An EMP usually results when the detonation of a nuclear weapon emanates a wave that immediately renders power circuits, computers, even automobiles useless… It occurred to me, how much more terrifying if in addition to wiping out hard drives and computer chips, such a pulse also erased people’s memories? Would the human race benefit from such a reboot, or instead suffer a crash it would never recover from?” In reasearching the plausibility of such an event, Dwayne found that “microwaves similar to the ones emitted by cell phones could cause memory loss… attributed to the cell phone’s microwave radiation causing a leakage through the blood-brain barrier.” Mixing the two together, EMP’s and the idea of a “mind bomb”, Dwayne threw in his love for Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, and “a protagonist who is just as confused as we are. I decided to start with one man, waking in a place he doesn’t recognize, next to a woman he doesn’t know… andthe story simply grew from there.”

BLOOD SHELLS & ROSES GN – AUG110795
By (W) B. Alex Thompson (A) Andres Guinaldo. Playing their largest concert in their hometown, metal band and reformed monster hunters “Subliminal Torment” and their fans are attacked by the worst creatures they’ve ever faced. After the monsters slaughter the fans in homage to a previous encounter, the band is left to take the fall. In heavy metal, there are dangers that surpass mosh pits and diseased groupies; rap and country ain’t the only music genres that has to live out their lyrics, after all! MATURE THEMES SC, 108pgs, FC $14.95

LIL HELLIONS GN – AUG110797
By (W) Dwight L. MacPherson (A) Mathieu Benoit. A day at the zoo for a group of kids is no cause for alarm — unless those kids are from the bowels of Hell. Join Jim Reaper, Louie, Lucy, and Boog for a trip to the zoo! It doesn’t take long for the trip to turn into bedlam, and it’s up to Jim to save the day — that is, if he can control his bowels long enough.SC, 82pgs, FC $14.95

Dwight L. MacPherson, writer of other Arcana books, such as Dead Men Tell No Tales, Dead Men: Decimation, and Interagents tells us that the idea of Lil’ Hellions came “with Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in mind. I’m a big fan of Venture Bros and Metalocalypse, so I set out to create a book that would easily fit into their lineup. I’ve heard fans compare Lil’ Hellions to Cartoon Network’s Adventures of Billy and Mandy as well, and I have to agree. My kids and I loved that show.” Dwight also quips, “I think people should check it out because, if they don’t orde a copy, their names will be added to the Book of the Damned. That means a non-refundable ticket to the Lake of Fire.” Don’t take his word for it, though… Briak K. Vaughan (Y THE LAST MAN) says of Dwight, “You’re sick! In a good way.” Michal Scott (THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL) says, “MacPherson is so good he’s scary.”

Dwight’s book, Interagents is currently available as a pre-order through Amazon. Previews are below and you can pre-order by clicking here

MIDNIGHT TO DAYLIGHT GN – AUG110800
By (W/A) Ryan Foley. No army has ever marched into battle thinking they were the bad guys. And it is up to the reader to decide who is the hero and who is the villain.MATURE THEMES SC, 80pgs, FC $14.95

RIPPERMAN GN – AUG110798
By (W/A) Joe Martino. This story begins the saga of the Ripperman, Killer of Killers. The birth child of God’s disgust for humanity’s crimes and the Devil’s ambition, the Ripperman was created by both angel and demon. Thrown into a world that he doesn’t understand, he falls under the teachings of Father Thomas Jacob to learn the ways of the Lord — but not if the devil has anything to say about it!SC, 143pgs $14.95

Joe Martino says of Ripperman, he’s “a character that I created in late 1987. At that time, as well as today, it seemed as though all you heard about were that people were being killed and worse! I kept wondering, ‘Where is God in all of this? Why doesn’t he do something?’ Receiving no answer, I came up with one in the darkest reaches of my mind… What if God and the Devil got together and created a killer of killers? That was all the incentive I needed. The Ripperman was born! The Ripperman was born out of the necessity for someone to dole out vengeance and justice to those who would have otherwise escaped their deserved ends.”

ROVERS GN – AUG110799
By (W) Pat Lesparre (A) Chris Malgrain. In the thirty-first century, three young Earthlings fleeing the tyrannical empire known as the Reix form an uneasy alliance with a human-hating alien whose planet has been destroyed. Can they overcome their differences in time to take on the Reix, or will their own prejudices destroy them even before their enemies do? SC, 80pgs, FC $14.95

CONVENTIONS

Read about some of the places Arcana will be in the coming months.

Arcana Comics is expanding its convention schedule this year by appearing at the Comikaze Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center on November 5th and 6th. If you haven’t heard about the convention, it looks to be an exciting one! Their web site states, “Comikaze is unlike any other comic-related event in the US. Having spent much time researching both local and national conventions in the United States, the Comikaze Team crafted an event that will thrill and excite even the most casual comic fan. Comikaze is a multi-tiered extravaganza created by real comic fans with deep ties to the entertainment world. While Comikaze might have a classic convention vibe, it’s much more than that. The Comikaze Team did not want to make an event for industry people and hardcore fans only. Instead, they designed a more balanced event as an alternative to the standard fan convention, dedicated to the Los Angeles and geek community above all else… Comikaze Expo is an integral part of the city of Los Angeles, something both residents and visitors can enjoy for years to come. Drawing inspiration from the city and the fans, Comikaze is an eclectic mix of LA and geek culture. Comikaze strives to create something unique for the city of Los Angeles. Between the Convention and Pre-events there will defiantly be something for everyone to enjoy.” Arcana Comics is excited to be part of this new convention and looks forward to seeing fans there! Be on the lookout for more news on this convention as the date approaches, as we will debut books at the convention and several creators will be there as well, sharing in the fun. If you are an artist, we will be doing portfolio reviews and someone is always on hand to talk shop. Come by and say hi! Read more about Comikaze Expo by CLICKING HERE.

Arcana Comics’ creators will be appearing at several other conventions in the coming weeks and months as well. Wizard World Chicago takes place from August 11th through the 14th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Nikola Jajic, creator and writer of Loosely Based and Devil’s Island will be there for the entire show at Table #3305. Mario Wytch, creator of the upcoming Arcana release, Kutter Blaque will be in attendance as well. Read more about Wizard World Chicago by CLICKING HERE.

Cola-Con runs on September 2nd at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC. The convention is where hip-hop and comic book culture intersect and will be an event of comic book artists, vendors, visual artists, lectures, panels, and music. Stephen Prouse, creator of Coin Operated Boy / Coin Operated Girl will be on hand for the event. Read more about  Cola-Con by CLICKING HERE.

Sean Dulaney, creator of 51 Delta will be appearing at Comic City Tennessee, which runs on October 1st and 2nd at the TN State Fairgrounds with over 30,000 square feet of comic goodness. Read more about Comic City TN by CLICKING HERE.

PREVIEW PAGES – CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGES

NOTE: All images below are safe to post anywhere online.

AMNESIA

AWAKENINGS

BLOOD, SHELLS, & ROSES

INTERAGENTS

LIL HELLIONS

RIPPERMAN

ROVERS

TROUT

THE WINGMAN

ABOUT ARCANA STUDIOS

Arcana Studios, Inc. is a transmedia company that has aggressively pursued establishing brands through engaging storytelling and compelling art. With a strong foothold in the print publishing world, Arcana continues to be a premier content provider. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys.

Arcana Studios, Inc. remains independent of major entertainment studio affiliation. Arcana Studios is currently in production of the stereoscopic 3D animated feature, The Clockwork Girl. Arcana is also partnered with Gale Ann Hurd (“Terminator”, “Aliens”) on Gearhead, Alexandra Milchan (Sylvestor Stallone’s “Head Shot”) on Blade of Kumori, Hans Rodinoff and Hollywood Media Bridge (“Lost Boys: The Tribe”) on Raise Kane, Scott Milam (“Mother’s Day”) on Gauze, Ben Magid (“Hack/Slash”) on Trout, Jar Productions (“Hidden Howie”) on Philosopher Rex, Terry Dougas (“The Invention of Lying”) on The Tower, Doc Wyatt (“Napoleon Dynamite”) on 100 Girls, JC Spink (“The Hangover”) on Continuum, Adrian Askarieh (“The Hitman”) on Amnesia and also is producing a three slate at Codeblack/Universal for Light’s Out, Ant and Blam!