Dark Horse and IDW team up on this once-in-a-lifetime crossover between the critically acclaimed Criminal Macabre and 30 Days of Night. Steve Niles’s greatest characters come together in a final showdown, with a thrilling script by Steve Niles and artwork by Christopher Mitten.

Cal McDonald only wanted a beer, but what he got was a jaded federal agent and a story about vampires up in Barrow, Alaska. There’s a new vamp in LA, and he’s hell bent on escalating his attacks. When Mo’Lock’s sometimes ghoul-friend is murdered, Cal’s on the hunt . . . for Eben—the longtime protagonist/antagonist of 30 Days of Night.

Praise for Steve Niles:

“Not only is Niles’ dialogue and pacing the best it has ever been, but Mitten’s art is absolutely paradisiacal by being horrific, high-brow, or low-brow whenever the situation demands it. This is a collaboration seemingly blessed by the comic book gods.”—Comics Bulletin

“Fans of the horror genre really can’t go wrong with [30 Days of Night].”—About.com

For additional information check out the exclusive interview with Steve Niles on Comic Book Resources.

Criminal Macabre: Final Night—The 30 Days of Night Crossover #1 (of 4) is on sale December 12, 2012.

Meanwhile, from celebrated comic artist Mike Mignola and award-winning novelist Christopher Golden come the next installments of the critically acclaimed Baltimore series.

In Baltimore: The Play, a mad playwright puts on a Grand Guignol featuring actors that are real vampires. The evil financier of the play makes a bizarre discovery when he finds out that the playwright is a fraud and the true author is the disembodied head of a famous American author kept in a glass case. Baltimore: The Play is on sale November 21, 2012.

Following The Play, Lord Baltimore finds himself in a double feature with Baltimore: The Widow and the Tank, on sale February 20, 2013. “The Widow” concerns a woman whose husband and war buddies have returned from the war as vampires and begun preying on their hometown. In “The Tank,” Baltimore learns of a wrecked tank in a field as he is passing through the war-ravaged countryside. People believe there is a vampire living inside that has been eating cattle and attacking locals. When Baltimore checks it out, it turns out to be true…to a point.

Lord Baltimore’s next adventure, Baltimore: The Inquisitor, features the origin story of one of his main antagonists—Judge Duvic. Look for The Inquisitor on sale June 19, 2013!

Praise for Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola:

“It still takes something special to impose a unifying vision, and Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden have got it.” —The Wall Street Journal

For more information, check out the exclusive interview with Christopher Golden on Newsarama.

The article New From Dark Horse Comics; Crossover and More Baltimore appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Can’t wait for the new series from visionary Super Spy and 3 Story creator Matt Kindt? Well, lock up your dolphins, shield your brain, and don’t believe anything you see, because Mind MGMT is here.

Leading up to the debut of Mind MGMT #1 in print and digital May 23, Dark Horse Originals presents three weeks of original—and free—stories available only on Dark Horse Digital. Mind MGMT: Secret Files introduces the Mind Management program of psychic spies, its most infamous defector, and Meru, the journalist who stumbles upon their incredible secrets.

In the first installment, available right now, Meru’s investigation begins with the story of “the Bear,” a Soviet mind operative on a mission to eliminate Mind MGMT’s top agent. Don’t miss this electrifying intro to Matt Kindt’s bold new espionage series. This is Akira meets Heart of Darkness by way of 100 Bullets.

Check back for two more exclusive, free chapters on May 16!

Praise for Matt Kindt:

“I’ll read anything Kindt does.” – Douglas Wolk, author of Reading Comics

“Matt Kindt’s work blows my mind. The elegance of his art, juxtaposed with his rich character work and complex narrative – is nothing short of genius.” – Jesse Alexander, producer and writer of Heroes, Lost, and Alias

But that’s not all — Finder: Voice continues to be one of the most talked about books of 2011, and word of its story and artwork has spread far and wide. So far, in fact, that Carla Speed McNeil has been awarded the prestigious Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Graphic Novel category for Finder: Voice.

Praise for Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder:

“I love Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder, and I imagine the reason I love it is the same reason it doesn’t get more attention in the comics press: it’s simultaneously straightforward and labyrinthine, genre-based and uncategorizable . . . For me, and for other readers who have gotten pulled into McNeil’s weird and woolly far-future world, Finder is one of those comics.” – The Comics Journal

“It’s been entirely too long since we were able to experience Carla Speed McNeil’s unique brand of sociological science fiction with its emphasis on character, class and culture. Once again McNeil immerses you in her meticulously detailed world and you’re immediately caught up in a beautifully drawn and deftly written story.” – ICv2

“You’ll keep turning the pages in Voice to put the pieces of the puzzle together and to see what Grosvenor does next. It is an intricate tale, and Carla Speed McNeil is a master storyteller—with her words and art.” – ScienceFiction.com

“McNeil conveys more emotion and depth through the slick line of a raised eyebrow than most can with an entire book, played out in a world that is unquestionably familiar and unshakably alien.” – Bleeding Cool

“McNeil excels at tying her many character and story elements together and anchoring them in the same increasingly familiar universe, making her fictional world, its inhabitants and their issues and experiences all the more real to the invested, gratified reader.” – No Flying No Tights

Awards and nominations:

Unshelved Book Club’s Book of the Month, February 2012—Unshelved

#1 on Comics Worth Reading’s Best Graphic Novels of 2011—Comics Worth Reading

#2 on Comics Bulletin’s Top 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2011—Comics Bulletin

#4 on Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2011, Comics—Publishers Weekly

#4 on ComicsAlliance’s 11 Best Comics of 2011—ComicsAlliance

#29 on Comic Book Resources’ Top 100 Comics of 2011—Comic Book Resources

The article Ming MGMT Unlocks Secret Files, Carla Speed Wins Prizes appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Dark Horse Digital reaches a new landmark, turning one year old this Friday. To thank our loyal fans, Dark Horse announces an anniversary appreciation discount.

This weekend, Dark Horse Digital is offering 10% off all titles in the web store, with an additional coupon to newsletter subscribers and new subscribers who have signed up by this Thursday. And yes, the coupon stacks with an even greater discount off your order!

The sale starts this Friday (April 27) and ends Sunday (April 29) at midnight PST—so head over to Dark Horse Digital and sign up for the Digital Newsletter to maximize your discount on some incredible comics.

Dark Horse Comics launched its standalone comic-reader app and digital store on April 27, 2011 and has received incredible support from the continuously growing digital-comics fan base.

Since then, Dark Horse Digital has grown significantly in numbers and readership featuring it’s most popular, best selling titles including Star Wars, Buffy, Serenity, Hellboy, Conan and Mass Effect as well as exclusive digital only comics such as Falling Skies, Prototype 2 & Dragon Age. Dark Horse Digital also provides sales and discounts for its reader base on a weekly basis. We currently offer thousands of comics and are continuing to increase the digital availability of the Dark Horse back catalog.

Dark Horse Digital is available through all modern web browsers and features cloud storage in both the Android (beta) and iOS apps.

In the meantime, the creator of The Escapist’s Zero Punctuation Reviews (TM) and author of 2010’s runaway hit novel Mogworld is back with his hilarious follow-up. Jam takes the prophecies of the Mayans and turns them on their ear, with a twist on the apocalypse that no one could have expected. The first chapter will run in the newly released digital edition of Mogworld, available today for Nook and Kobo eReaders.

Since 2007, Croshaw’s animated Zero Punctuation reviews have packaged prescient criticism with frenetic animation, off-color humor, and rapid-fire delivery, making him a household name in the gaming community. Mogworld was his first foray into published fiction and has sold through multiple printings! Now, the debut novel finally makes it’s way to tablet readers, marking the beginning of Dark Horse’s foray into digital prose!

Additionally, readers will have a chance to get their first look at Jam, which is set for release later this year. Jam, a dark comedy pitting a handful of twenty-something slackers against a singularly sticky apocalypse, which is set for release later this year.

“You asked for it – by Christ have you been asking for it – and it’s finally here, the Mogworld eBook” said writer, Yahtzee Croshaw. “Now I just have to stop procrastinating on the audiobook version.”

Mogworld is available today for both Barnes & Noble’s NOOK™, as well as the Kobo Vox eReader.

Jam arrives on sale on October 10, in print as well as digitally.

The article Dark Horse to Celebrate First Year of Digital appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Dark Horse Comics makes history again with the announcement of a revolutionary new partnership with Dynamics Inc. Dynamics is an innovator in next-generation payment devices, and will now launch a new comic book experience application for ePlate™ mobile payment devices.

The innovative offering brings a new kind of experience to comic book fans by enabling them to earn access to exclusive Dark Horse digital comics with every purchase made with the ePlate™ device. This groundbreaking technology will link payment devices with exclusive Dark Horse comic content, and empower consumers to engage with Dark Horse and other brands that excite them with every swipe or online purchase.

At any time, users can decide to use the Dark Horse Experience™ application for the ePlate™ payment device. The Dark Horse application allows users to earn pages of exclusive Dark Horse comic books with each purchase. After all pages of a particular comic are obtained, the user is provided with a complete digital comic.

After a certain number of digital comic books are collected, Dark Horse provides, at no cost to the user, a collectible print copy of each exclusive comic book earned. Users will be able to earn comic books faster with purchases made at Dark Horse affiliates, sponsors, and retail outlets. At any time, a user can also decide to earn Dark Horse credits instead of exclusive content so that the user can earn any product from DarkHorse.com.

“Dark Horse is always looking for new ways to expand the comics-reading audience,” said Mike Richardson, president and founder of Dark Horse Comics. “Our new partners at Dynamics have created a platform which gives not only existing comics fans, but a wide variety of consumers, the ability to obtain exclusive Dark Horse content just by making day-to-day purchases.”

“Dark Horse hit the nail on the head with its Experience™ application,” said Jeff Mullen, CEO of Dynamics. “Dark Horse Experience leverages unique content—available nowhere else—and provides participating merchants with an exciting promotional tool to attract customers.”

For additional information, see DEMO’s article on Forbes.com.

The article Dark Horse Unveils Revolutionary Comic Book Experience appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Just when you thought your day couldn’t get any more menacing, Dark Horse Comics announced earlier this month the frightening addition of its Creepy comics relaunch to the annals of Dark Horse Digital.

Creepy #8 is available on Digital.DarkHorse.com, as well as in print, for $4.99. Uncle Creepy has unearthed another malicious mag’s worth of terror. Waiting in these pages are brand-new stories from Jeff Parker (Thunderbolts, Hulk), Colleen Coover (X-Men: First Class), Rick Geary (A Treasury of Victorian Murder), Doug Moench (Batman), and Kelley Jones (Criminal Macabre), all wrapped up in a cover from horror master Richard Corben (Hellboy, classic Creepy and Eerie).

Creepy #1-#7 have also debuted on Dark Horse Digital and are priced at $2.99 each. A bundle containing #1-#4 is available for $9.99. Creepy #8 will drop to $2.99 after a month in the Dark Horse Digital store.

Additionally, Creepy Archives and Eerie Archives will make their debut on the Dark Horse Digital store beginning May 23. Starting with Creepy Archives Volume 1, the award-winning archival editions will alternate monthly, releasing the next volume every other month.

Creepy Archives Volume 1 reprints the first five terrifying issues of the magazine’s original run. Brilliant, classic Creepy stories from 1964 to 1966 have been raised from the dead, featuring work by such comics luminaries as Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Alex Toth, and Frank Frazetta.

This groundbreaking material turned the world of graphic storytelling on its head in the early 1960s, as phenomenal young artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams reached new artistic heights with their fascinating explorations of classic and modern horror stories.

Meanwhile, the latest apologue to debut in Dark Horse Comics’ legendary anthology brings out the darker side: Michael Avon Oeming’s Wild Rover.

Wild Rover premieres in Dark Horse Presents #14 (a 104-page giant issue). The two-part tale provides a very intense and interesting look through the comic medium at addiction and dealing with alcoholism.

“I’ve been a fan of Dark Horse Presents since I was a kid—it’s where I learned about artists like Moebius and my first exposure to creator owned works, which exploded later with the Legend line,” said Oeming. “I’m proud to launch the first of my ‘true-fiction’ stories with Wild Rover in Dark Horse Presents. Though told through fantasy, much of it is based on my experiences or those that my mother has gone through. I could only trust Dark Horse Presents with such things.”

Oeming received the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2001 for his work on Powers. He also received the Eagle Award in 2006 for Favorite Writer/Artist. In addition to Wild Rover, Dark Horse has announced Oeming will be writing and drawing a very adult superhero adventure series, The Victories, to be released later this year.

Check out Wild Rover in Dark Horse Presents #14, on sale July 18.

The article Dark Horse Digital Expands to ‘Creepy’ Comics appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

What does it mean to be an environmentalist after the world has already ended? Go green! Go digital this Earth Day.

On Earth Day 2012 (Sunday, April 22), find out what the world would be like if environmentalists didn’t save the planet.

For 24 hours, from 12:01 AM to 11:59 PM, pick up the digital one-shot The Massive for free in our digital store. The new comic series by DMZ, Conan the Barbarian, and Northlanders writer Brian Wood will launch in June, but you can snag this lead-in to the series for free and see why you do not want to miss this incredible new story.

So head on over to the Dark Horse Digital store and download The Massive digital one-shot for FREE on Earth Day this Sunday.

Once you’ve read the one-shot and decided you need more, download the order form below, fill it out, and send it to your local comic shop retailer. Tell them loud and clear that you want to have The Massive placed in your pull box. Tell your local retailer that you’re ready to read the next big series.

1. Download the image below or the fillable PDF form.

2. Fill it out with your info.

3. E-mail, fax, or walk the form to your comic retailer and have them order The Massive for your pull box.

Want to know more about what Comics Media is saying about The Massive?

Dr. Apocalypse Examines: Massive Comics Legend Brian Wood - The Nerdist

“If you like comics, and don’t know the work of Brian Wood, you deserve to be gunned down in the war-torn Manhattan of his DMZ, battle-axed in his Viking epic Northlanders, and be forced to hear the lamentations of your women in his new reboot of Conan the Barbarian.”

Interview with Brian Wood: The Massive - Suvudu

“Wood has never shied away from asking tough questions about the price of civilization and the inevitability of change.”

Brian Wood’s “The Massive” Features Print Issue-Only Bonus Content - Comic Book Resources

“Readers of the printed, monthly version of Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson’s “The Massive” will be treated to content unseen in the digital releases or trade paperback collections.”

Read the First Chapter of The Massive - Io9

“We’ve been psyched for DMZ Author Brian Wood’s next big end-of-the-world project The Massive for a spell now.

The article Go Digital on Earth Day with Free Dark Horse Comic appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

At WonderCon, it was announced that Dark Horse would be bringing their most well-known characters to Felicia Day’s all-new YouTube channel, Geek & Sundry, beginning on April 2.

This highly anticipated premium YouTube channel and company, founded by Felicia Day and the producers of the hit web series The Guild, announced a lineup of six new original series premiering online starting April 2.

The channel will present the very best of indie geek culture by exploring fun themes in comedy, gaming, comics, music, and literature that are sure to captivate audiences every week. Geek & Sundry will also provide a social destination and community for fans connecting online and offline about nerd culture worldwide (GeekAndSundry.com).

Alongside Felicia Day (The Guild, Dr. Horrible, Eureka), Geek & Sundry will feature compelling original content by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory), Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt (Sword & Laser), and Paul and Storm (w00tstock), as well as the hit web series The Guild, and the very first Dark Horse motion comics.

Dark Horse will air a new motion-comics episode every Wednesday, featuring characters like Hellboy, Conan the Barbarian, Usagi Yojimbo, and Gerard Way’s The Umbrella Academy. With all-new motion-graphics techniques and compelling storytelling, these are sure to set a new standard for motion comics. Directed by Erik Bruhwiler and produced by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse motion comics offer comics fans an experience unlike anything they have seen before.

“We’re so incredibly excited to produce and develop a channel based on what we think the fans will enjoy the most,” said Felicia Day, cofounder, producer, and star of Geek & Sundry. “From Dark Horse Comics to Wil Wheaton, there’s a killer team of talent on camera and off that will help build on the success of The Guild and Dragon Age: Redemption.”

“This is an exciting new extension of our comics business. Our technology is state of the art and the tales are extremely engaging. Add Erik’s genius to some of the greatest creators in the comics business and the project becomes irresistible.” Said Dark Horse President Mike Richardson.

Dark Horse Motion Comics launches on April 2, 2012, on YouTube, with Mike Richardson’s forty-minute horror epic, The Secret!

Viewers can subscribe to the channel now at www.youtube.com/user/geekandsundry.

The article Geek & Sundry, Dark Horse Joins YouTube Channel appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

I hate to say it, but I think Issue 7 is where Season 9 jumps the shark. Issue 6 tempted us with a potentially juicy plotline with plenty of character development. But in this issue, Buffy and Spike kvetch about their relationship for the billionth time, giant bugs fly around in spaceships, and the issue ends on a truly facepalm-worthy note.

At the end of issue 6, Buffy decided to have an abortion after discovering that she had become pregnant. Rather than follow up on that dramatic decision right away, Issue 7 opens with a pointless scene involving Buffy’s inane roommates (apparently, their names are ‘Tumble’ and ‘Anaheed,’ but I prefer to think of them as ‘Hipster Chick’ and ‘Guy Who Looks Like Stephen Stills from Scott Pilgrim’).

Earlier, they freaked out when they learned that they were living with the Slayer and decided to vote her out of the apartment a la Survivor. But lo and behold, both of them ended up voting in Buffy’s favor when push came to shove. They go to tell Buffy about her reprieve, only to find her stuff in boxes.

It turns out that Buffy has found some new digs. She is now living on an alien spaceship belonging to Spike, her on-again/off-again vampire sex toy. Not only does Spike have a spaceship, but it is crewed by a bunch of giant talking bugs. After some more pregnancy angst (which seems like more of a plot device than genuine emotion), Buffy segues neatly into relationship angst with Spike.

Buffy whines about her desire for a normal life, Spike complains that Buffy is using him, and I roll my eyes because we have all heard this conversation a billion times before. Seriously, these two are stuck in some sort of emotional Groundhog Day where they are doomed to have the same arguments over and over — and over again. Come to think of it, that pretty much describes all of Buffy’s relationships.

Since this is, after all, an issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there has to be a battle. Sure enough, Detective Dowling soon comes under attack by a bunch of zompires. Like all law enforcement officials in the Buffyverse, he is incompetent and unable to defend himself, so he radios Spike for help. Spike naturally obliges (he is, after all, the new Sensitive Spike™, complete with soul), though he makes Buffy stay behind because of her ‘condition.’ Buffy watches the battle from aboard the spaceship until she remembers that she is the title character and jumps into the fray.

Naturally, she kicks butt, and afterward she and Spike end up having a romantic scene amidst the carnage, and we get to see them natter on about their relationship some more. *Sigh* Just as it is revealed that they both want normal lives, Plot Contrivance rears its ugly head, and a random zompire jumps up and rips Buffy’s arm off. Instead of screaming frantically before passing out due to blood loss, Buffy just stands there looking confused. No, it is not because of her hardy Slayer constitution. Apparently, Buffy is a robot!

This issue felt like a gigantic letdown. Having Buffy grapple with an unexpected pregnancy could have interjected a strong human element to the comic. Instead, we are subjected to a mélange of tired tropes. Spike’s spaceship and its bug crew seem like they were lifted from the pages of a bad sci-fi comic, and Buffy-like robots were done to death on the TV show. To series newcomers, the ending might have been a shock, but series veterans are liable to roll their eyes at yet another Buffybot.

In one of the last panels, ‘Buffy’ says that “I think this means I’m not pregnant,” which suggests that writer Andrew Chambliss could be using the Buffybot as a way to extricate himself from the Buffy-is-pregnant plotline. I suppose it could have been worse: she could have woken up and realized it was all just a dream. Still, it will be a shame if such an intriguing plotline is cut short so abruptly.

The article Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 9, Issue 7 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Just under a year after the launch of Dark Horse’s digital initiative, it is announced on Monday that the company has expanded the number of platforms on which comics fans can access their favorite Dark Horse titles.

After an incredibly successful first year of Dark Horse’s proprietary iOS app and digital storefront, Dark Horse is proud to partner with Barnes & Noble, the leading retailer of content, digital media, and educational products, to make a library of titles available on Barnes & Noble’s award-winning NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color.

Dark Horse digital graphic novels are now available for purchase in the NOOK Comics™ store, featuring over 100 of the company’s top titles, like Mass Effect, Hellboy, Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, Sin City, and more.

“Making our content available on new platforms outside of the Apple iOS is an incredibly exciting proposition,” said Matt Parkinson, Dark Horse’s senior director of Marketing. “As we move into new areas and new devices, we look forward to the opportunity to find new readers. I can’t think of a better partner than Barnes & Noble, the leading retailer of digital content and media and the folks behind the number-one chain of bookstores in the country.”

“Barnes & Noble is committed to offering customers a broad array of digital comics and graphic novels. We’re excited to bring NOOK customers Dark Horse’s fan favorite digital collection of graphic novels,” said Theresa Horner, vice president of digital content for Barnes & Noble. “The high resolution of our VividView color touchscreen makes the action virtually jump off the page, and takes these graphic novels to a whole new level of entertainment.”

Starting today, the world’s Dark Horse graphic novels arrive on NOOK. Experience NOOK at any Barnes & Noble bookstore or at Nook.com. Look for more and more titles to be added every month.

The article Dark Horse Comics Move onto Barnes & Noble’s NOOK appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Tony Puryear wrote the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger smash Eraser, becoming the first African American screenwriter to pen a $100 million summer blockbuster. He has written action and sci-fi scripts for a who’s who of Hollywood A listers, from Will Smith to Mel Gibson to Jerry Bruckheimer, and adapted storied sci-fi properties like Fahrenheit 451 and Buck Rogers for the big screen. Now he brings that Hollywood horsepower to the world of graphic novels.

Concrete Park, Tony Puryear’s first comics project, appears in Dark Horse Presents #8 from Dark Horse Comics, the premier independent comics publisher. “Concrete Park is a sprawling epic,” Puryear says.

“It’s the sci-fi story I’ve been waiting to tell. It’s a perfect fit with Dark Horse Presents, the legendary anthology comic that served as a launch pad for innovative work by the biggest names in comics, including Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) and Mike Mignola (Hellboy). I’m honored to be in the company of these amazing world builders, and happy Mike Richardson of Dark Horse believes Concrete Park belongs with them.”

Richardson says, simply, “I love this strip.”

Concrete Park is a dark and provocative near-future story. It takes place in a turbulent mega-city on a distant desert planet (think Cairo or Rio in space). Young human exiles from Earth must fight to make a new world there. They are “young, violent and ten billion miles from home.”

In its ambitious scope, it resembles nothing so much as George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, but with favelas and aliens, cops and cyborgs, ghettos and gangs, instead of castles and armies.

Concrete Park was cocreated by Puryear and his wife, actress Erika Alexander (Living Single, Déjà Vu), and her brother, writer Robert Alexander. Puryear handles the writing and art chores on the book, and in a refreshing twist for someone known as a writer, it’s his art that has drawn the most initial acclaim.

Read About Comics said, “[Puryear’s] art . . . instantly grabbed my attention. His thick, heavy inks are striking, forming his characters with a great deal of confidence and force. Through his art, you instantly get a feel for this near-future [city]; the swagger of his characters and their surroundings just bursts off of the page.”

About Tony Puryear

Tony Puryear is the first African American screenwriter to write a $100 million summer movie blockbuster. His 1996 hit Eraser catapulted him into a career writing pictures for A listers Jerry Bruckheimer (Buck Rogers), Will Smith, and Oliver Stone. Puryear’s adaptation of the Ray Bradbury classic Fahrenheit 451 for Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson has circulated in Hollywood for years as a legendary unproduced script. His latest script is Lady Scarface for the new RKO Pictures.

A talented artist and designer, Puryear was recently honored when his official campaign poster for Hillary Clinton’s historic 2008 presidential run was added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress and Concrete Park cocreator Erika Alexander.

The article Tony Puryear Joins Dark Horse Comics with Concrete Park appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Keeping the tradition of its creator-owned mentality, Dark Horse Comics has announce its newest venture with Mike Norton—Battlepug

“I was really happy when people first reacted to the comic. It’s hard to predict if the public needs another ‘Giant Pug Epic Fantasy’ story. I mean, we all know those are a dime a dozen, right? Luckily, the story of a barbarian’s quest for revenge with the aid of our favorite four-legged freak seems to have legs,” said Norton.

“When I first made the Battlepug T-shirt, people kept asking when the comic was coming out. So, I put out the webcomic and now everybody wants to know when the book is coming out! I guess now people will want to know when the movie is happening?” This volume collects the first year of Mike Norton’s Battlepug—the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the fan-favorite webcomic by Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Crank.

Join Moll and her dogs Mingo and Colfax, as she recounts the legend of “The Warrior and the Battlepug”—a tale of a fearless barbarian, his trusty and freakishly large pug, and evil baby harp seals.

“I’m a huge fan of Dark Horse and couldn’t be more excited to have Battlepug published by them. Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Buffy, Star Wars—they put out some of the best comics currently being made and it’s humbling to even be on the same shelf with that kind of product! I’m super excited for people to read it and look forward to much more in the future!” stated Norton.

Mike Norton’s Battlepug Volume 1 is on sale July 4, 2012. Also (re)joining the Dark Horse Family is Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, bringing their epic Dark Horse Presents tale of an alien hero named Harry to a fully fledged series beginning with Resident Alien #0. 

“I blame Steve Parkhouse. Having collaborated with him long ago on a couple of stories for The Dreaming, I was keen to do so again—and anyone who’s ever seen Steve’s work (on The Bojeffries Saga or The Milkman Murders, to name but two) already knows the reason why: he’s stunningly good,” stated Hogan.

“We introduced our friendly alien to the world in the pages of Dark Horse Presents last year, and those installments have now been collected into Resident Alien #0. Over the next few months, you’ll learn a bit more about Harry and his supporting cast and watch as he attempts to catch a murderer—and that’s just for starters. This alien is here to stay.”

A stranded alien seeks refuge in the small town of Patience, USA, where he hides undercover as a semiretired doctor, masking his appearance using his unique mental abilities. Now known as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, all the alien wants is to be left alone until he’s rescued. However, when the town’s real doctor dies, “Dr. Harry” is pulled into medical service—and also finds himself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery!

He’d rather be fishing. Acclaimed creators Peter Hogan (2000 AD, Tom Strong) and Steve Parkhouse (Doctor Who) deliver a truly unique sci-fi adventure tale.

The article Dark Horse Comics Introduce Battlepug, Resident Alien appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

When Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre, 30 Days of Night) premiered artwork from his upcoming collaboration with artist Menton3 (Monocyte, Proof: Endangered, Crawl to Me) via his Twitter feed, speculation and anticipation spread like wildfire across the Internet. Now, Dark Horse has finally announce that this new vampiric tale will premiere in Dark Horse Presents.

The Black Plague was a time of death and misery; except for the undead. For vampires, the Black Death was a welcome relief from being hunted and a time of incredible growth for the undead. On the night of their wedding, two vampire lovers are torn apart and separated for five hundred years, setting off a sequence of events that will bring the modern world to its knees.

“I haven’t been this excited about working on something in a long time. Menton3 is the perfect artist and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be doing this at Dark Horse,” Niles said. “This year I’m making a big push to become 100 percent creator owned. Nosferatu Wars will be a big part of that, I hope.”

Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith redefined the vampire genre with the groundbreaking comic series 30 Days of Night in 2002. Ten years later, Niles is poised to make history again, as he and Menton3 blow the sparkle off of the undead in Nosferatu Wars, premiering in Dark Horse Presents later this year.

Earlier this month, Dark Horse Originals also announce two new amazing series from critically acclaimed creators Matt Kindt and Gilbert Hernandez.

Matt Kindt, the most original voice in genre comics, outdoes himself in his bold new espionage series, Mind MGMT. Reporting on a commercial flight where everyone aboard lost their memories, a young journalist stumbles onto a much bigger story, the top-secret Mind Management program. Her ensuing journey involves weaponized psychics, hypnotic advertising, talking dolphins, and seemingly immortal pursuers, as she attempts to find the flight’s missing passenger, the man who was Mind Management’s greatest success—and its most devastating failure. But in a world where people can rewrite reality itself, can she trust anything she sees? If you think you know what Matt Kindt can deliver, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Comics luminary Gilbert Hernandez envisions his strangest, most thrilling future yet in Fatima: The Blood Spinners, a horrifying new take on zombies. A drug called “spin” offers the wildest trip imaginable, followed by its users’ inevitable, rapid deterioration into undead flesh eaters. Despite the side effect, the drug is so popular that the human population is dying out. With no cure to be found, the beautiful, lovesick Fatima may be the only thing standing between the survivors and the apocalypse. Get ready for four issues of zombies, drug lords, and gorgeous women.

Also, announced this month was multiple Harvey and Eagle Award winner Peter Bagge’s Reset, which leads off the Dark Horse Originals variant-cover program.

The article Nosferatu Wars, Mind MGMT Premieres with Dark Horse appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Dark Horse Comics has announce a partnership with Trackers Earth offering officially licensed B.P.R.D. and Hellboy camps, made possible through the generous permission of Mike Mignola, creator of B.P.R.D. and Hellboy.

“Trackers Earth is part of what makes Portland such an interesting place to live, and the most fun place in the country to raise a kid. This year my 6-year-old did Trackers camps focusing on forest ninja skills and stealth archery, and attended a school of magic. I wish he were old enough for B.P.R.D. camp, and I can’t wait to participate myself,” said B.P.R.D. editor Scott Allie.

Trackers Earth is looking for a few good recruits that have got what it takes to join an elite team of paranormal investigators combating the forces of darkness from all across the globe. They immerse you in tactical training of all forms, including survival skills in any environment (both earthly and non), martial arts and self-defense specific to preternatural entities, hand-to-hand weaponry (foam swords, bows, and more) and forensic investigation.

All these are key skills that every agent must have; plus, you will be steeped in the history of the Bureau and the legacy of paranormal research. 

Recruits get actual field time during the entire camp. Learning is hands-on, with essential survival skills such as shelter building, stealth, and tactical and martial-arts training.

Ages 9–10: Younger recruits train in survival and field skills in local green spaces. They also spend their day investigating the haunted history of our city, piecing together the larger mystery revolving around the legend of Adolph Aschoff.

Ages 11–13 and 14–17: Older recruits also investigate nearby “haunts,” then finally travel to Camp Trackers near Sandy, Oregon, to investigate reports of dark figures and strange happenings at the remnants of the old, defunct town of Marmot. Here they search for a legendary and lost pioneer cemetery (true story) to ask local specters and spirits about the town’s history and the legend of Adolph Aschoff, the man who is said to have sealed away an ancient evil upon the founding of the town.

Older recruits culminate their week with a two-night stay at Camp Trackers’ outdoor wilderness site in Sandy, Oregon. This is the perfect opportunity to focus on many of the skills taught at the camp.

The B.P.R.D. Training Camp includes:

• Tactical training
• Survival in any environment
• Martial arts and self-defense specific to preternatural entities
• Hand-to-hand weaponry (foam swords, bows, and more)
• Investigation and forensics
• Folklore and mythology
• Potions and charms 101
• Telepathy training
• Gadgets of the occult: EMF detectors, polarized lenses, and other paranormal investigative gear
• Comparative analogy and physiology of monsters
• Construction of your own quality foam swords and training weapons
• Meeting with the artists of the comic book that documents the adventures of the B.P.R.D.
• Bureau history and paranormal research

“It’s good to be a kid in Portland. Which other camp teaches you not only survival skills but also telepathy,” says Bleeding Cool, online blogging site for comic lovers.

To find out more about B.P.R.D. Camp (AKA Hellboy Camp), head over to their official website.

The article Dark Horse Comics Presents B.P.R.D/Hellboy Camps appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The second printing of “The Good: Wicked Inclinations” Volume 5, a collection of Issues #14-18, has come out this November 30, almost exactly five years after its original publication in 2006. Featuring an all-new design for the cover illustrated by author, Eric Powell, the second edition of “Wicked Inclinations” offers a humorous and action-packed look into the world of The Goon.

Volume 5 opens with a brief background of one of The Goon’s allies, The Buzzard, who has discovered the Priest’s real name. Armed with this information, he successfully scares The Priest into not calling up any more of the undead, but The Priest is determined, and he manages to create an unholy army of minions set on destroying The Goon.

Meanwhile, Goon and his friend, Franky, defend their territory from several local crime families, as well as help the owner of the bar they frequent from a powerful gypsy bent on getting revenge.

For someone who hasn’t read the first four volumes of “The Goon” series, the beginning comes off as being very serious and a little dark. But as the story continues, the humor shines through. Although it can be easy for humor to overpower or detract from a relatively serious plot, Powell manages to keep the tension going, while at the same time encouraging his readers to have a few laughs along the way.

Originally, Powell had planned on making Issue #18 an independent piece called “Satan’s Sodomy Baby,” but word got out about its possibly blasphemous nature, and it began to be boycotted even before its release. As a result, Powell ratcheted up the offensive content and Dark Horse Comics released it separately as a one-shot.

The title on the cover was changed to “Satan’s **** Baby” with a parental advisory sticker on the front, and plastic wrapping was put on it so no one could accidentally be offended by browsing through its pages. Because of the controversy, “Satan’s **** Baby” will never be put into a collection, but Powell does reference it in “Wicked Inclinations.” Franky finds a copy of the comic and makes several humorous comments about it to Goon.

Eric Powell is most well-known for his work in “The Goon” series, but he has also been involved in a number of other popular comic series such as, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, and The Incredible Hulk. Powell is a talented writer and author, and both abilities shine through in “Wicked Inclinations.”

Stirring violence mixed with humor that is often irreverent, “The Goon: Wicked Inclinations” is a riveting and amusing journey into a mix of 30’s noir, zombies, and fantastic creatures. The winner of the 2005 Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication and Best Ongoing Series, this comic is a must-read for anyone looking for a high-quality humorous tale.

The article “The Goon: Wicked Inclinations” Volume 5 Review appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Following up on an announcement made at this year’s New York Comic Con, Dark Horse unveils the schedule for Mike Mignola’s 2012 Year of Monsters program.

The program kicks off in January with a highly anticipated Lobster Johnson miniseries, The Burning Hand. Following up on the critically acclaimed 2007 series The Iron Prometheus, this new story pits the 1930s vigilante against one of the more terrible villains of the twentiethcentury.

These special variant covers will be available to any retailer who orders five or more copies of the standard cover. These are sure to be sought-after items with a broad appeal to fans of Mike Mignola’s work, as well as monster fetishists of all types. “Mike Mignola got into the comics business with the simple goal of drawing monsters for a living,” said Dark Horse managing editor Scott Allie.

“Mike celebrates 2012 by pitting his greatest characters against his favorite monsters on these special covers, unrelated to the stories inside.” With Dark Horse Presents continually adding new and awesome stories to the lineup, Evan Dorkin wants to tell you about House of Fun.

“While we were working on the Milk and Cheese collection with Scott Allie and Daniel Chabon, I pitched the idea to do new material for Dark Horse so I could revive some of my old characters. This dovetailed nicely with the revival of Dark Horse Presents, since most of my humor comics originally ran in various anthologies including several from DHC like Instant Piano, Deadline USA, and the first run of Dark Horse Presents.

“The idea was to bring back as many of my old characters and concepts from Milk and Cheese and Dork as possible, grouping it all under the new House of Fun name. I decided not to use Dork as a catchall title for these comics. I got sick of the name a long time ago and this relaunch felt a good opportunity to finally retire it.

“So, what I’m doing is twenty-four pages of comics to be spread over three issues of DHP, with each eight-page anchored by a new Milk and Cheese strip. The other features will include a new Murder Family episode; several pages of Fun gag strips, as well as the return of The Eltingville Comic Book, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Role-Playing Club.

If all goes according to plan I’ll also be doing a one-page Fisher-Price Theater adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 and a short Devil Puppet story. “Also, the comics will all be colored by my longtime collaborator and long-suffering wife, Sarah Dyer. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now.

The last issue of Dork came out in 2006 and it’s been even longer since I worked on an Eltingville or Murder Family strip. I’m excited to be working on my own stuff again, I’m having a lot of fun making these comics, and I hope folks will have fun reading them. If not they can go suck an egg.”

House of Fun will premiere in Dark Horse Presents #10, on sale March 21, 2011.

The article Mike Mignola’s Monsters Program and a House of Fun appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The future of Marvel Digital Comics has arrived; you can download the Marvel Comics app 3.0 for your iOS device right now. This all-new update takes the unparalleled Marvel Comics app experience to the next level a stunning new interface; broader array of search and browse functions; improved performance and stability; easier management of purchases and downloads; and more!

In celebration of this exciting new upgrade, the Marvel Comics app is offering a special sale on the biggest new launches of 2011, including FF, X-Men Schism, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and more until Tuesday, December 6, 11pm EST. So why wait? Upgrade your Marvel Comics app now to take advantage of this unprecedented offer.

“Marvel is committed to giving our fans the best digital reading experience possible and with this latest upgrade to the Marvel Comics app, I’m proud to say we’re delivering just that,” said Peter Phillips, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Marvel Digital Media Group. “So whether you’re a fan of Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine or the Wizard of Oz, you’re going to find some great comics to read—and they’re going to look better than ever.”

Dark Horse Comics are taking digital moves as well to expand the reading experience for their fans and readers. Their digital evolution continues after seeing huge success with digital sales. Dark Horse Comics will now make their comics available digitally the same day they are on sale in comic shops.

Beginning December 14, all titles from Dark Horse Comics will be on sale the same day in both print and digital format, allowing new-technology readers to access their favourite comics at the same time as their print-oriented counterparts. Dark Horse Digital launched its standalone comic-reader app earlier this year and received incredible support from the continuously growing digital-comics fan base, a new type of comics fan eager to adapt to new technologies.

Since then, Dark Horse Digital has grown significantly in numbers and readership with the additions of several key titles to the digital roster, including Star Wars, Buffy, Angel & Faith, and Dollhouse. Dark Horse Digital also provides weekly sales and discounts to its readers, currently offers over eight hundred comics, and continues to increase the digital availability of the Dark Horse back catalog.

The article The Digital Future of Your Favourite Comics appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The second issue in the “Orchid” series came out last week on November 9, and it is already gaining interest. Set in a dystopian future, “Orchid” follows the life of a prostitute and her little brother as they struggle to survive. In the first comic she meets up with Simon, who has been involved in a group trying to fight those oppressing their human slaves that they use for manual labor.

Similar to the first issue, “Orchid” #2 starts off by giving some more details into the history of this universe and how things got to where they are. The details are gruesome and compelling, adding some depth to the story. By juxtaposing the present with the past, it helps the reader to slowly gain more insight into the motivations of the characters, and adds to the storyline.

The idea behind the story is one that has been told before, but the author, Tom Morello, has added some interesting elements, such as the fantastic creatures and the sometimes unexpected interactions between the characters. All of the animals have become behemoth mutant creatures, pushing the humans to the bottom of the food chain.

In addition to Morello’s work with the “Orchid” comic, he has been the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, and after leaving the band, also played in Audioslave and Street Sweeper Social Club as well as having a solo career as The Nightwatchman. Morello is a strong supporter of the Occupy movement, and his views on the oppression of the underclass are made quite clear in “Orchid.”

He feels very strongly about protesting against the oppression of the underclass, and has even begun travelling around to various cities to sing at the different Occupy demonstrations to help bring awareness to the movement and solidarity to those who are protesting.

Music is a large part of his life, and he has managed to bring that passion to his “Orchid” comic as well. He has provided theme music for each of the first two issues, and this innovative idea adds a nice unexpected element to the story. While it is not clear exactly how the audio is supposed to accompany the comic itself, the tone of the music does seem to reflect the tone of the story.

In the music for the second issue of “Orchid,” the track titled “The Deluge” starts off softly with the sound of waves gently lapping up against the shore. Then as the track continues, a single guitar begins playing, followed by a full orchestra. The music is morose and poignant, and it creates just the right mood for the story.

Because it is only four minutes and sixteen seconds long, it is not really possible to read the entire issue before getting to the last page. The track seems to be a musical rendition of this part of “Orchid” and even though it may not be understood by everyone, it is certainly a nice addition to the story.

Scott Hepburn is the main artist for “Orchid” and he does very detailed drawings. One of the visual appeals to this series is all of the strange creatures, such as the six-legged bear with a scorpion tail that is featured on the cover. Hepburn first worked on several Star Wars comics, but he has been very excited to work on this project with Morello and to draw numerous fantastic creatures, according to an interview with comicbooked.com.

The second issue of “Orchid” delves deeper into the story, ending with a compelling mystery that is sure to leave readers waiting anxiously for the next issue to come out. While “Orchid” is not groundbreaking as far as the theme of the story goes, it is an enjoyable read, and is very visually appealing.

The addition of the musical soundtrack for each issue adds a certain depth that would otherwise be missing. “Orchid” is a good story that compels the reader to consider wealth and class, not only in the context of the comic, but in our society as well.

The article Comic Review: “Orchid” Issue #2 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Dark Horse Comics has announced an all-new digital comic series based on BioWare’s dark, fantasy RPG series, Dragon Age™. Written by Dragon Age Lead Writer, David Gaider, and featuring original art by Chad Hardin (Stan Lee’s The Traveler, Web of Spider-Man, The Spirit), the deep and fascinating lore surrounding the Dragon Age universe will unfold, as new adventures will come to light in the comic series.

The thrilling, six-part series will feature a riveting story that takes fans of the critically-acclaimed Dragon Age franchise deeper into the RPG’s mythology. Readers will follow Alistair, Isabela, and Varric, three important heroes from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, as they travel to Antiva, a nation ruled by deadly assassins.

The comic series’ heroes will embark on an epic journey to uncover one of the greatest secrets in the history of Thedas while encountering a dangerous prison break and the mysterious and feared Witch of the Wilds. Dark Horse Comics will release the six-part comic series exclusively at www.digital.darkhorse.com for $0.99 each starting February 22, 2012.

This news coincides with Dark Horse announcing that more series, including Trigun and Old Boy, will be added to the digital lineup. Manga has official arrived to your ereader! The Dark Horse Digital store now offers a full and ongoing Manga selection featuring Trigun, Crying Freeman, Hellsing, Lady Snowblood, Old Boy and Path of the Assassin.

Not only are these titles available digitally, but also the latest version of the Dark Horse Digital app lets you read them in the way Manga was meant to be read — right to left!

If you don’t have the App yet, you can download it for free.

The article Dark Horse Comics Unveils More Digital Comic appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.