Baltimore Comic-Con 2013 Tickets On Sale

Press Release:

Tickets are Now On Sale for the 2013 Baltimore Comic-Con!

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - April 23, 2013 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce that tickets are now on sale for this year’s show, taking place September 7-8, 2013 at the Baltimore Convention Center in downtown Baltimore.

Tickets that are now on sale include: General Admission for Saturday and Sunday, Two-Day General Admissions, and Baltimore Comic-Con 2013 VIP Experience Packages.

The 2013 VIP Experience Package includes:

• Admission to both days of 2013 Baltimore Comic-Con
• “First on the Floor” VIP early admission at 9:30am both days of the show
• VIP Priority Access to Panels and Presentations*
• A 2013 Baltimore Comic-Con T-shirt
• Collectible 2013 Baltimore Comic-Con VIP Badge and lanyard
• Collectible 2013 Baltimore Comic-Con Hardcover Yearbook
• And much, much more to be announced as we get closer to the show!

* VIP ticket holders must be in the VIP line 30 minutes before scheduled presentation times, as VIP Seating is guaranteed but not reserved and does not include special ticketed events.

“Last year was our biggest show ever, not only in terms of guests, retailers and exhibitors, but in attendance as well,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con. “Offering the fans the chance to purchase advanced tickets online really streamlined entrance to the show, so we’re doing it again this year! In addition, all of our VIP Packages sold out last year, so this is a great opportunity for those who missed out to get in on the VIP action early!”

Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets!

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Brian Bolland (Dial H); Mark Buckingham (Fables); Jimmy Cheung (Avengers vs. X-Men); Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine); Amanda Conner (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre); J.M. DeMatteis (Phantom Stranger); David Finch (Justice League of America); Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service); Keith Giffen (Masters of the Universe); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Barry Kitson (Empire); Roger Langridge (Popeye); Paul Levitz (World’s Finest); Kevin Maguire (World’s Finest); Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell); Jimmy Palmiotti (Batwing); George Perez (World’s Finest); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Joe Prado (Earth 2); Ivan Reis (Aquaman); Chris Samnee (Daredevil); Louise Simonson (X-Factor); Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); and Mark Waid (Indestructible Hulk).

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

Contact Information

Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:

press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution

promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications

registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations

harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet

general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con

The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 14th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 9 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

Scene on the Web: C2E2 2013

Con sketches, cosplay, and everything else you love about conventions at C2E2. More to be added in the days ahead.

Scene on the Web: C2E2 2013

Storified by Convention Scene· Tue, Apr 30 2013 05:53:28

SDCC 2013 Adds 13 More Including Wendy and Richard Pini, J.H. Williams, Etc.

Via Toucan: 

13 More Guests Added to the Comic-Con Line-up!

Comic-Con 2013 is less than three short months away, and 13 more great special guests have been added to the already-stellar line-up! Part of this group highlights some of our anniversary celebrations, including the 35th anniversary of Elfquest, the 25th anniversary of Sandman, and the 20th anniversary of Milestone Media.

You can’t celebrate any anniversary of Elfquest without, or course,Wendy and Richard Pini. One of the first self-publishers, the Pinis began their epic tale in 1978, it and quickly grew in popularity, spawning numerous collections, prose novels, and an ongoing and vibrant fan community. Wendy is also known for her work on a series of Beauty and the Beast graphic novels (based on the original TV series starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton). More recently, Wendy completed a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death.

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with a new series and an appearance by Gaiman at Comic-Con. Award-winning artist J.H. Williams III is the artist on that new series. Famous for his recent run onBatwoman (and nominated once again, as Best Cover Artist in this year’s Eisner Awards), Williams is also known forPromethea and Chase. And speaking of covers, artist/filmmaker Dave McKean comes to Comic-Con to help celebrate Dream’s 25th. McKean’s evocative covers were an important part of Sandman’s success and his art graced each issue of the original series. Artist Sam Kieth, who illustrated the first five issues of Sandman when it debuted in 1988, is also known for his work on his own creations, The Maxx and Zero Girl, plus a run of memorable Batman tales at DC. (Sam Kieth’s appearance is co-sponsored by IDW Publishing.)

The 20th anniversary of Milestone Media is another of our celebrations this year, and co-founders Denys Cowan (The Question, Batman, Hardware), Derek T. Dingle, and Michael Davis join previously announced guest Charlotte Fullerton (the widow of Milestone co-founder Dwayne McDuffie) as special guests. Milestone focused on minorities in comics—as both creators and characters—forging a fan-favorite universe. One of their titles, Static Shock, went on to become an animated hit on television.

Other added special guests include:

Ellen Forney, the Eisner Award-nominated (for Best Reality-Based Work) writer/artist of Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me. Forney’s other work includes I Love Led Zeppelin and Monkey Food.

Russ Heath, the legendary artist best known for his work on war titles for DC Comics, such as The Haunted Tank. Heath also did the memorable 1960s series Sea Devils. He is a member of the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.

Georges Jeanty, the artist behind the popular Dark Horse series Joss Whedon’s Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Jeanty has drawn both Season 8 and Season 9 of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling series.

Rep. John Lewis from Georgia’s 5th District, who comes to Comic-Con with his new graphic novel, MARCH, co-written by Andrew Advin and drawn by Nate Powell. The book chronicles his years in the Civil Rights movement. (Rep. Lewis’s appearance is courtesy Top Shelf Productions.)

Fred Perry, the writer/artist behind the popular Gold Digger series published by Antarctic Press. Perry has produced over 5,000 pages in 22 years since the series began, with a consecutive run of over 200 issues of his American manga series.

For a complete list of special guests appearing at Comic-Con International 2013, please click here.

Dark Horse Announces Powers Collectibles, Will Debut Prototypes at SDCC 2013

Press Release:

DARK HORSE DELUXE PROUDLY ANNOUNCES A NEW LINE OF COLLECTIBLES BASED ON BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS AND MICHAEL AVON OEMING’S POWERS!

APRIL 27, CHICAGO, IL–Dark Horse Deluxe, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics, has licensed rights to create figures based on Powers, a long-running creator-owned series of comics and graphic novels by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming.

Projects include a limited-edition statue of Retro Girl, a central figure in the first Powers story arc, and a boxed set of vinyl figures of the series’ ongoing principal characters.

Combining the genres of superhero fantasy, crime noir, and police procedural, Powers follows the lives and cases of two homicide detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, assigned to investigate cases involving people with superhuman abilities, who are referred to as “powers.”

“We have been very particular about merchandising Powers over the years, because I wanted to make sure it was the highest-quality merchandise we could offer,” said Brian Michael Bendis. “I am a giant fan of Dark Horse and the care they give their merchandising. I am very excited about this partnership.”

“We feel that Powers is one of the best graphic-story treatments of the modern era,” Dark Horse Product Development Vice President David Scroggy remarked. “We are delighted to bring these characters forward. Brian Bendis is a master of story construction and dialogue, making him one of today’s most widely read comics writers, and Michael Oeming’s unique art style is one of the most individual in the field. Capturing their creative vision is a challenge we appreciate, and we couldn’t be more excited to work directly with these two talents in making that happen.”

The Retro Girl statue will be sculpted by Tony Cipriano, who has created many popular superhero-themed collectible statues for a variety of companies. Michael Avon Oeming, working in concert with Bendis and Dark Horse, created special art for the statue, which will be used as control art during sculpting. The statue will capture the stylized nature of the graphic art, while anchoring the figure in realism.

“To see your work translated into sculpture is always scary, but I’m very excited to be working with the amazing Tony,” Oeming stated.

Dark Horse also plans a boxed set of four-to-five-inch vinyl figures, which will include protagonists Walker and Pilgrim as centerpieces of the ensemble.

Both projects are slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2013. The prototypes will be shown to the trade and the public for the first time as part of the product display in the Dark Horse booth at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

Retail prices and edition sizes are to be determined.

For more information, check out design sketches and an exclusive interview with Brian Michael Bendis & Mike Oeming on Nerdist News!

Powers is © Jinxworld, Inc. Dark Horse Deluxe, a division of Dark Horse Comics, produces high-quality collectible merchandise.

Scene on Video: Live Coverage of C2E2 (With Live Chat Room, Too!)

Twitch is providing live, streaming video from the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo 2013. Here is the schedule, and you can watch the live coverage below:

 

Watch live video from c2e2 on www.twitch.tv

Archaia Exhibiting at C2E2 2013

Press Release:

ARCHAIA EXHIBITING AT C2E2 THIS WEEKEND!

New Titles! A panel on 3D comics! And, contests to win great Archaia Books at our booth through Twitter, Instagram, FourSquare, and more!

CHICAGO, IL (April 25, 2013) – Award-winning graphic novel publisher Archaia Entertainment is excited to announce it will exhibit at booth #1019 at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) for a fourth straight year since the event’s inception! C2E2 is one of the Midwest’s biggest celebrations of comics and pop culture, taking place during the weekend of April 26-28, 2013 in the West Hall of McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Archaia’s corporate headquarters is based in Chicago.

“We love making C2E2 one of our biggest events of the year. Nearly our entire management team is from Chicago, the Chicago fans are great, and our creators really make it a special show for us,” raved Chicago native, Jack Cummins, President & COO of Archaia. “We have great new titles like Strange Attractors, Mumbai Confidential, and HAWKEN: GENESIS, as well as Rust Vol. 2: Secrets of the Cell, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 2, and Pantalones, TX: Don’t Chicken Out. We are excited for our fans to see these new books and find out about the new upcoming Mouse Guard books directly from Eisner Award winner David Petersen.”

Creators and contributors scheduled to appear at the Archaia booth include:

Andrew E. C. Gaska (writer: Space: 1999: Aftershock and Awe, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier, the upcoming Classic Space: 1999)
Andrew Rostan (writer; An Elegy for Amelia Johnson)
Brent Schoonover (artist, Mr. Murder Is Dead)
Chandra Free (writer/artist: The God Machine, Fraggle Rock)
Charles Soule (writer: Strange Attractors)
Cory Godbey (artist: Fraggle Rock, the upcoming Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and Spera Vol. 3)
David Marquez (artist: Syndrome, the upcoming The Joyners in 3D)
David Petersen (writer/artist: Mouse Guard)
Janet Lee (artist: Return of the Dapper Men)
Jeremy Bastian (writer/artist: Cursed Pirate Girl)
Jim McCann (writer: Return of the Dapper Men)
Ramón Pérez (artist: Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand)
R. J. Ryan (writer: Syndrome, the upcoming The Joyners in 3D)
Royden Lepp (writer/artist: The Rust)
Tom Pinchuk (writer: Hybrid Bastards!)
Yehudi Mercado (writer/artist: Pantalones, TX: Don’t Chicken Out)

Check the signing schedule at Archaia.com for your favorite creator’s availability. Here’s what else is going on at the Archaia booth during C2E2 weekend:

• We will present a panel on Sunday! Archaia Entertainment Presents: Comics Storytelling and the Lost Art of 3D, 1:30-2:30pm, Room W471. Join us for an uncensored discussion of the medium’s benefits and drawbacks, as well as a wide-ranging survey of the highs and lows of 60 years of 3D comics, only at C2E2 2013!   We will preview the 2013 release of the ambitious, all-3D graphic novel The Joyners in 3D from Archaia, writer R.J. Ryan (Syndrome), New York Times best-selling illustrator David Marquez (All-New X-Men, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Syndrome), and Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy have invited a panel of creatives from across comics to dig deep into both the highs and lows of using 3D as a storytelling tool. The multimedia presentation will include big-screen glimpses of comics’ most famous—and most forgettable—3D projects, as well as a brief, exclusive sneak peek at Ryan & Marquez’s epic 3D melodrama, The Joyners in 3D. Moderated by Word Balloon podcast host John Siuntres, every panel attendee receives a free pair of 3D glasses and a coupon to receive a copy of the 2012 Free Comic Book Day hardcover at the Archaia booth (while supplies last)!

• Mouse Guard creator David Petersen and Rust creator Royden Lepp are among the guests on the Imaginative Sci-Fi Authors of C2E2panel! Saturday, 12:45-1:45pm, Room W475B. They will join other science fiction and fantasy authors like E.B. Hudspeth (The Resurrectionist, published by Quirk), Jeffrey Brown (Darth Vader and Son, Top Shelf), Brandon Easton (Roboy, Lion Forge), and Rachel Rawlings (The Maurin Kincaide Series) to talk about their imaginative Sci-Fi and Fantasy graphic novels!

• Meteor Entertainment is bringing the experience of their smash hit, online, free-to-play, giant-mech video game HAWKEN to C2E2 with two play-test kiosks set up at the Archaia booth! Copies of the accompanying graphic novel, HAWKEN: GENESIS, will be on hand for purchase, and each copy comes with a scratch-off card with a code that can be redeemed for 10,000 HAWKEN Credits for use in the game!

• Charles Soule, the new writer of DC’s Swamp Thing, will be on hand to autograph advance copies of his new Archaia graphic novel, Strange Attractors, which is the fascinating sci-fi story of how a professor uses mathematics to help keep New York City from destroying itself! Check for his signing schedule at the booth (#1019) or on Archaia.com.

• Fans who purchase copies of Hopeless, Maine will receive a free, handmade postcard created by authors Tom and Nimue Brown. Quantities are limited!

• Using Foursquare, fans have a chance to win an all-ages prize pack containing copies of: Mouse Guard Vol. 1: Fall 1152; Rust Vol. 1; Pantalones, TX; and Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse. To enter, simply check in to “Archaia Entertainment: Booth #1019” (http://4sq.com/12FDU7y) through the Foursquare app on your iOS or Android phone and tweet your check-in using #ArchaiaC2E2. Winners will be contacted to receive their prize. More info: http://on.fb.me/12G8IFk .

• Using Instagram, fans have a chance to win a Henson/Archaia graphic novel prize pack containing copies of: Fraggle Rock Vol. 1, Fraggle Rock Vol. 2: Tails and Tales, The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1, and The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 2. To enter, take creative photos of the Archaia booth at C2E2 (#1019), upload it using the Instagram app on your iOS or Android phone, and use the hashtag #ArchaiaC2E2. Archaia will choose the best photo and contact the winner to receive their prize! Photos will be posted on the Archaia Facebook page! More info: http://on.fb.me/11idRR2.

• Archaia Entertainment will be hosting a Retweet to Win contest through Twitter for fans who can’t make it to C2E2! Retweeting starts Friday, April 26th at 10am CST! This contest will run thru Sunday, April 28th. To enter, you must follow Archaia on Twitter, look for the special “RT to Win” tweet from our account (@Archaia) which will be sent out several times each day throughout C2E2 weekend (April 26-28). Multiple winners will be selected each day. Prizes include copies of: Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse; The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1; Fraggle Rock Vol. 1; Gunnerkrigg Court Vol. 1; HAWKEN: GENESIS; Mouse Guard Vol. 1: Fall 1152; Pantalones, TX; Return of the Dapper Men; andRust Vol. 1. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/434507266642329/.

See you at C2E2! Visit c2e2.com for information on how to buy tickets!

About Archaia Entertainment, LLC

Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 75 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Rust, Cow Boy, Cursed Pirate Girl, Gunnerkrigg Court, and Artesia. Archaia has also published an entire line of graphic novels in partnership with The Jim Henson Company, including the multiple award-winning Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and such beloved tales as The Dark Crystal, The Storyteller, and Fraggle Rock. Alongside these celebrated titles, Archaia has released English translations of numerous renowned foreign titles to much fanfare, including The Killer, Sergio Toppi’s Sharaz-De, and The Secret History.

This year, Archaia was honored with two Eisner nominations, and in 2012, Archaia was honored with six Harvey Award nominations, two Harvey Awards, six Eisner nominations, and three Eisner Awards (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand won for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Penciller/Inker, and Best Publication Design). Also in 2012, Archaia earned both Gold and Silver awards from ForeWord Reviews. Archaia was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations and two Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Anthology.

In addition to its partnership with The Jim Henson Company, Archaia has forged creative partnerships with storytellers in all facets of the entertainment industry, resulting in print and digital expansions of such noted properties as Bleedout and HAWKEN (video games), Immortalsand Planet of the Apes (film), and Space: 1999 (television).

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation within the creator community for producing meaningful, transformative content, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels.

Image Expo Announced for July 2013 with Robert Kirkman and Ed Brubaker

Press Release:

IMAGE COMICS ANNOUNCES IMAGE EXPO 2013

Publisher to host media event on July 2 in San Francisco

At the Diamond Comics Retailer summit in Chicago today, Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson announced Image Expo 2013, a unique media event that will take place in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on July 2, 2013.

Image Expo 2013 will be an all-day event featuring announcements from Image Comics, the publisher of the best-selling comic book titles THE WALKING DEAD, SAGA, FATALE, EAST OF WEST and JUPITER’S LEGACY, as well as appearances by superstar creators, including Image partner and THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman and Ed Brubaker, co-creator of the Eisner-nominated FATALE, revealing panels, and autograph sessions. Tickets for this exciting event will available to the general public for purchase on May 3, 2013.

Image Expo 2013 follows the publisher’s successful 2012 Image Expo convention, which was held in Oakland, California. Image Expo 2013 will be be the most intimate comics event of its kind, offering unprecedented access to creators, exclusive swag, and the first chance to hear what the publisher that has been taking the comics industry by storm has planned for the future.

Image Comics fans can keep on top of all the latest Image Expo 2013 developments at www.imagecomics.com/expo for ticket information and guest announcements.

Bryan Hitch Heads Up List of 175 Comic Creators for Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con 2013

Press Release:

Bryan Hitch, Salvador Larroca, Leinil Yu, Bob Layton, Yildiray Cinar, Barry Kitson Head Up 175+ Comics Creators At Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2

Mico Suayan, Julian Totino Tedesco, Angel Unzueta, Michael Golden, Greg Horn, J.G. Jones Among Other Superstar Artists On Board At Pennsylvania Convention Center

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2013 – A superstar lineup of comics writers and artists, including such luminaries as Bryan Hitch (“Wolverine,” “Captain America”), Eisner Award winner Salvador Larroca (“Avengers vs. X-Men,” “Iron Man”), Leinil Yu (“Hulk,” “Superman: Birthright”), Bob Layton (“Avengers,” “Batman”), Yildiray Cinar (“Teen Titans,” “Action Comics”) and Barry Kitson (“Thor,” “Green Lantern”) will be among the more than 175 scheduled to populate Artist Alley at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Eisner Award Hall of Famer Stan Lee will attend on Friday and Saturday, May 31 – June 1, appearing in the celebrity area.

The international roster also features top creators like Mico Suayan (“The Punisher,” “Batman: Arkham Unhinged”),Julian Totino Tedesco (“X-Treme X-Men, “Daredevil”), Angel Unzueta (“Titans, “DC Comics Presents”), Michael Golden (“Star Wars,” “BSG”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “Wonder Woman”), Phil Noto(“Buffy,” “Batgirl”) and J.G. Jones (“Final Crisis,” “Wanted”).  Nearly any comics character and franchise imaginable are represented by at least one, and usually more, of these talented men and women.

In addition to displaying some of their best work at the event, most creators at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con will be available for commissions.  Many will also take part in four full days of Creator Spotlights and a wide variety of other panel programming focusing on the comics industry, to be announced in the coming weeks.

Other special guest creators scheduled to attend are Tyler Kirkham (“Superboy,” “Ultimate FF”), Doug Sneyd(“Playboy”), Mark Texeira (“The Punisher,” “Black Panther”), Tom Raney (“AVX: Consequences,” “Deadpool”) and recent Eisner Award nominee Ryan Inzana (“Johnny Jihad,” “Ichiro”).

Celebrities featured at Philadelphia Comic Con include “Castle” star Nathan Fillion, fellow “Serenity” and Firefly headliner Summer Glau, “Star Trek’s” William Shatner, WWE® Superstars John Cena® and Daniel Bryan®and “The Walking Dead” trio of Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker and Jon Bernthal.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con show hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon – 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For more on the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-pa.html.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES *****
May 30 – June 2 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
June 28-30 – Wizard World New York City Experience
August 8-11 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
April 4-6, 2014 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Wizard World Looks to Grow Their Convention Business in 2013

Press Release:

Wizard World, Inc. CEO Issues Letter to Shareholders

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB:WIZD) announces letter to shareholders from its Chief Executive Officer, John Macaluso:

Dear Valued Shareholder,

I write to you at an exciting and important time for Wizard World, Inc. (“Wizard World” or the “Company”) and would like to offer my most sincere thank you for your continued and amazing support over the past year. We have experienced a number of recent positive developments that I would like to share with you as we continue to grow as a company and as the leading presenter of Comic Con touring exhibitions around the country.

Improved Financial Results in 2012

We believe that our ability to successfully grow our Comic Cons will enhance our ability to be profitable on an annual basis for the first time in many years. During the fiscal year 2012, we made substantial progress in expanding our shows through organic growth, and better business practices that we have put in place. While we have experienced a loss of approximately $1.02 million and approximately $2.01 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2012 increased by 78% to $6.74 million compared to $3.78 million for the comparable year ended December 31, 2011. The net loss during the year ended December 31, 2012 was primarily attributable to derivative and interest expenses associated with our financing activities. We had income from operations of approximately $198 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to a loss from operations of approximately $3.2 million for the comparable year ended December 31, 2011. In addition, we generated approximately $243 thousand in cash from operations during the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to exhausting approximately $1.6 million in cash from operations during the comparable year ended December 31, 2011. Such stronger revenue growth has enabled us to leverage opportunities afforded by our business model, as evidenced by our significant improvements in gross profit as compared to the previous year. Our primary operational objective is achieving sustainable long-term profitability.

Going Concern

As of December 31, 2012, management and our auditors concluded that there is no longer substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. This is a result of many positive milestones we achieved during fiscal year 2012 including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the securing of financing through the issuance of Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock; (ii) the undertaking of converting promissory notes and other liabilities into equity; (iii) the increase in revenues and margins from our existing Comic Cons; (iv) our ability to decrease our consulting fees and overall overhead; and (v) the increase of cash flows from our operations.

Appointment of Two New Directors

On March 17, 2013, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) appointed Paul L. Kessler and Kenneth Shamus as new members of the Board. Both members possess extensive experience in their respective fields as described in further detail below.

Paul L. Kessler combines over 30 years of experience as an investor, financier and venture capitalist. He is the founder of Bristol Capital Advisors, LLC, a Los Angeles based investment advisor, and serves as the company’s Principal and Portfolio Manager. He has broad experience in operating, financing, capital formation, negotiating, structuring and re-structuring investment transactions, and is involved in all aspects of the investment process including identification and engagement of portfolio companies. His investment experience encompasses both public and private companies. Paul also actively works with executives and boards of companies on corporate governance and oversight, strategic repositioning and alignment of interests with shareholders.

The Board believes that Paul’s extensive experience in matters including capital formation, corporate finance, investment banking, founder, owner, operator of successful companies, corporate governance, as well as his understanding of capital markets, will provide a significant contribution to the growth of the Company.

Kenneth Shamus combines over 25 years of experience in the toys and collectibles industry. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ToyWiz, Inc., an online toys, action figures and trading card games company.

The Board believes that the combination of Kenneth’s extensive experience in the pop culture space, including toys, games, action figures and collectible trading cards, and his business acumen brings a unique blend of skills which will help steer the Company’s growth and development.

The Formation of Two Committees of the Board of Directors

On March 17, 2013, the Board authorized the formation of a Compensation Committee and an Audit Committee. The Board believes that the establishment of such committees will enhance the Board’s ability to assist management in setting the direction for growth of the Company. The committees have not yet adopted written charters which govern their conduct but anticipate doing so by the end of the next fiscal quarter.

Audit Committee

Vadim Mats, Kenneth Shamus and Paul L. Kessler were appointed as the initial members of the Audit Committee, with Mr. Mats serving as Chairman. As mentioned above, the Audit Committee has not yet adopted a written charter but its functions shall include: selecting our independent registered public accountants; reviewing the results and scope of the audit and other services provided by our independent registered public accountants; reviewing our financial statements for each interim period and for our year end and our internal financial and accounting controls; and recommending, establishing and monitoring the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures.

Compensation Committee

Gregg Suess, Vadim Mats and John Maatta were appointed as the initial members of the Compensation Committee, with Mr. Suess serving as Chairman. While the committee has not yet adopted a written charter, the Compensation Committee shall be responsible for establishing and administering our policies involving the compensation of all of our executive officers and establishing and recommending to our Board the terms and conditions of all employee and consultant compensation and benefit plans.

Looking Ahead to 2013

For 2013, we shall continue to work on expanding the Wizard World brand and our current focus on growing our existing Comic Cons by obtaining new exhibitors and dealers and attracting more high profile celebrities and VIPs. We also plan to expose our database of fans and our target market to our content through digital media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and Tumblr. We anticipate that we will be able to draw higher traffic to our website, www.wizardworld.com, by creating content from our live multimedia events and promoting such events through email and newsletters.

For more information about the Company, please refer to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2013. You may access a copy of the report at the SEC’s website maintained at www.sec.gov.

In closing, we at Wizard World will not rest until we are the dominant name in this industry. I thank you for your continued support and the opportunity to serve you.

Sincerely,

John Macaluso

Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statements

This letter may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve certain risks and uncertainties. The actual results or outcomes of Wizard World, Inc. may differ materially from those anticipated. Although Wizard World, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any such assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, Wizard World, Inc. can provide no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements contained in this letter will prove to be accurate.

In light of the significant uncertainties and risks inherent in the forward-looking statements included in this letter, such information should not be regarded as a representation by Wizard World, Inc. that its objectives or plans will be achieved. Included in these uncertainties and risks are, among other things, fluctuations in operating results, general economic conditions, uncertainty regarding the results of certain legal proceedings and competition. Forward-looking statements consist of statements other than a recitation of historical fact and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “intend,” “expect,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate” or “continue” or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Because they are forward-looking, such statements should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Wizard World, Inc.’s most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading entitled “Risk Factors.” Wizard World, Inc. does not undertake an obligation to update publicly any of its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Scene on the Web Weekly: April 22-28, 2013

Boston fans and pros make the best of a bad situation, Sanjulian is coming to to the U.S. for the next Tampa Bay Comic Con, and Halle Berry suits up again as Storm. All this and more in the latest in-progress Scene on the Web.

Scene on the Web Weekly: April 22-28, 2013

Storified by Convention Scene· Wed, Apr 24 2013 05:18:02

« Previous Page — Next Page »