Cartoonist Jimmy Johnson signs at Lemuria Books on February 11, 2012 at 1pm.

Lemuria Books
202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, MS 39206

HASBRO has starting revealing their G.I. JOE: Retaliation movie line, including 3 exclusives for Comic-Con International 2012.

Via HASBRO.com:

HASBRO is proud to unveil the official movie action figure and toy line for the new “G.I. JOE: Retaliation” movie starring Dwayne Johnson & Bruce Willis! The new line reflects the movie magic, including the epic battle between the G.I. JOE team and arch-nemesis COBRA, which, led by COBRA COMMANDER, is once again intent on taking over the world.

The G.I. JOE movie toy line features your favorite G.I. JOE characters, including an all-new, super-heroic take on ROADBLOCK, as well as JOE COLTON, the original founder of the G.I. JOE team, and an imposing COBRA COMMANDER action figure! Also featured is an array of incredible new ninja toys, including an unprecedented line-up of “ninja-tastic” action figures, vehicles, swords, masks, and throwing stars. And don’t forget the action-packed toy vehicles: “Wherever there’s trouble, G.I. JOE is there,” whether by land, sea, or air!

We hope you enjoy the new G.I. JOE movie line of your favorite “A Real American Hero” as much as we enjoyed making it! “Yo Joe”!

Viggo Mortensen

Press Release:

The Coolidge Corner Theatre announces internationally acclaimed actor Viggo Mortensen as the recipient of the 2012 Coolidge Award, to be celebrated Monday, March 5. Mortensen will arrive in Brookline to accept the honor and to participate in related festivities.

Ticket Info

Advance tickets available to Coolidge members at 11am on Tuesday, February 7.
Tickets available to the general public at 11am on Thursday, February 9.
Tickets may be purchased online or at our box office.
Please see below for pricing details.
Schedule of Events: March 5, 2012

12pm – Film Screening
Film title TBA. Q&A after the film with Viggo Mortensen.
Tickets: $20 general admission; $17 students, seniors, and Coolidge members

6pm – VIP Reception
A private reception at the Coolidge with Viggo Mortensen and special guests (TBA).
Tickets: $250 (includes admission to the 8pm event)

8pm – An Evening with Viggo Mortensen
Mortensen will participate in an in-depth conversation about his life and career.
Tickets: $50

Repertory screening schedule (including a LORD OF THE RINGS marathon!) to be announced shortly.
About Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen made his cinematic debut in Peter Weir’s 1985 film Witness. Subsequently he has been featured in over 40 films and has worked with many renowned independent filmmakers including Jane Campion (The Portrait of A Lady), Sean Penn (The Indian Runner), Gus Van Sant (Psycho), Brian De Palma (Carlito’s Way), and David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, and the newly released A Dangerous Method). In 2001 director Peter Jackson cast Mortensen in a leading role for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, launching him to mainstream acclaim and cult status. Mortensen has won several international awards and recognitions during his adventurous acting career including a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2007 for Eastern Promises, and a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2012 for Best Supporting Actor (A Dangerous Method).

In addition to his acting career, Viggo Mortensen is an accomplished photographer, musician, painter and poet. His work has been featured in galleries worldwide, and he has released several CDs of his music. Upcoming film releases include the adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, directed by Walter Salles and scheduled for release this coming summer.

Coolidge Corner Theatre
290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446-2908
617-566-6660

Boston Comic Con celebrates its fifth anniversary with its largest guest list ever! Once again at the Hynes Convention Center in the Back Bay the con will be held on April 21-22, 2012! One of most highly anticipated events for this year is the MAD-Men Reunion! Legendary creators of MAD Magazine Al Feldstein, Paul Coker Jr., Al Jaffee, and Sergio Aragones will appear together to talk about their long and storied history on the iconic humor mag. This is a rare opportunity for MAD fans to meet them and laugh at their outrageous stories.

Al Feldstein

At EC Comics, Al Feldstein created, wrote, illustrated and edited a popular line of titles which are now collectors’ items. These included horror, such as Tales from the Crypt (which was adapted for TV by HBO), sci-fi, and suspense.

In 1955, he became editor of MAD Magazine, one of EC’s titles. He took the magazine’s circulation from 375,000 to a high of almost 3 million by gathering a staff of talented artist and writers: supervising every phase of operation, editing and re-writing every word, designing layouts, and creating the format that led to MAD’s success, including christening its trademark Alfred E. Neuman.

Paul Coker Jr.

After a successful stint as an illustrator for Hallmark, Paul Coker Jr. moved to New York City and began contributing to MAD, Esquire, Playboy, and other magazines.

Coker’s first appearance in MAD was 1961. He has since gone on to illustrate over 400 articles for the magazine. His drawings encompass a wide range of characters, expression, and forms. And although they may appear simple, they reflect considerable sophistication and talent. Coker’s proudest accomplishments for MAD have been “Horrifying Cliches” and the MAD Pet Book.

Al Jaffee

In 1955, Al Jaffee received his first assignment for MAD. Since then Jaffee has become MAD’s reseident artist for elaborate gimmicks and gadgets, including the popular MAD inside back cover fold-ins and the feature “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.” Jaffee is a true artist who’s led an amazing life. He remains a regular in the magazine after 55 years and is its longest running contributor.

Sergio Aragones

Soon after he moved from Mexico to the United States in 1962, the “World’s Fastest Cartoonist” started contributing to MAD with his special brand of non-verbal gags, which often appeared in the margins of the magazine. He quickly became one of MAD’s featured artists. He also created several books and co-created the humorous magazine Plop for DC comics. During the early 1980′s he created Groo the Wanderer with Mark Evanier.

The Boston Comic Con is a 100% independently run comic book show committed to bringing the biggest and best comic creators to New England. Run by fans for fans, Boston Comic Con is not affiliated with any other convention tour or corporate interests. Hosting over 40,000 square feet of vendors selling comic books, toys, posters, trading cards, and other pop culture memorabilia, this is a destination event for geeks of any stripe. The convention will be held Saturday April 21st and Sunday April 22nd at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA from 10am to 5pm each day. For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and Facebook!

Press Release:

Paul Wesley, Jeri Ryan, Scott Bakula, WWE® Superstar Edge®, Amy Acker Among Headliners At 2012 Wizard World Toronto Comic Con, April 14-15 At Metro Toronto Convention Centre

World-Class Comics Creator Lineup Includes Mike Deodato Jr., “Jock,” John McCrea, Dale Keown, Tyler Kirkham, Greg Horn, Arthur Suydam Among Dozens Of Others

NEW YORK and TORONTO, February 2, 2012 – A state-of-the-art downtown venue, new dates and fresh celebrity guests mark the third Wizard World Toronto Comic Con, which today announced its standout lineup scheduled to attend the event, April 14-15 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).  Popular screen stars Paul Wesley, Jeri Ryan, Scott Bakula and Amy Acker will be joined by WWE® Superstar Edge® and dozens of standout celebs and talented comic book artists and writers at the convention, which promises to be even bigger and better in 2012.

Bakula (“Star Trek: Enterprise,” “Quantum Leap”) and Acker (“Angel,” THE CABIN IN THE WOODS) will appear both days, while Wesley (“The Vampire Diaries,” “24”), Ryan (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Boston Public”) and Edge® are scheduled to attend on Saturday only.

“Toronto and the entire region have embraced Wizard World Toronto Comic Con over the past two years, and we’re excited to bring a first-class event to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World Board of Directors.  “From well-known, relevant stars like Paul Wesley and Jeri Ryan and classic and cult actors and actresses to an outstanding collection of big-time artists and a unique array of exhibitors and vendors, there’s something for everyone.”

The event, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals 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 shows always have top-notch comics creators on hand, and Toronto Comic Con boasts one of the most impressive rosters ever.  Headlining the group are Mike Deodato Jr. (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “Wonder Woman”), “Jock” (“Detective Comics,” “Batman”), John McCrea (“Hitman,” “Transmetropolitan”), Javi Fernandez (“Flashpoint: The Outsider,” “Captain America: First Vengeance”), Dale Keown (“Hulk,” “The Pitt”), Tyler Kirkham (“Green Lantern Corps,” “Blackest Night”), Marcus To (“The Huntress,” “The Authority”), Ken Lashley (“Batwing,” “Avengers”), David Mack (“Kabuki,” “Daredevil”), Greg Tocchini (“Batman and Robin,” “Hulk”), Michael Golden (“Batman,” “Spider-Man”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “X-Force”) and Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”).

Other popular celebrity guests scheduled for Toronto include Colin Ferguson (“Eureka,” THE OPPOSITE OF SEX), Sean Maher (“Serenity,” “Firefly”), Jeremy Bulloch (STAR WARS: EPISODE V, VI, III, “Doctors”), Sam Witwer (“Smallville,” THE MIST), Sam Huntington (SUPERMAN RETURNS, FANBOYS), Meaghan Rath (“Being Human,” LOST AND DELIRIOUS) and Catherine Mary Stewart (WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S, THE LAST STARFIGHTER).

Children and adult attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite villain, superhero or pop culture personality for the chance to win special prizes in costume contests.  Event-goers may also try their hand interactive product exhibits and shop for collectible comics, movie and television memorabilia, toys and games at scores of dealer booths.

Toronto Comic Con is scheduled as the second stop on Wizard World’s 2012 North American tour.  Hours are Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 15, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.  Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/toronto.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door.  Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($38 on site); two-day tickets are $40 ($55 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult).  VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

About MTCC
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (http://www.mtccc.com) is Canada’s #1 convention and trade show facility.  It is located in the heart of downtown Toronto, within walking distance of almost 13,000 hotel rooms, shopping, restaurants and Toronto sites.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World 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.wizardworldcomiccon.com.

***** SAVE THE 2012 DATES *****
April 14-15 – Toronto Comic Con
June 1-3 – Philadelphia Comic Con
August 9-12 – Chicago Comic Con
September 29-30 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con
October 26-28 – Austin Comic Con
TBD 2013 – New Orleans Comic Con

• Category: Comic Book Convention
• Location: North Carolina
• Date: Sunday, April 29th 2012
• City: Comic Book Convention in Raleigh, NC
• Event: Raleigh Comic Book Show 2012
• Address: Holiday Inn Raleigh Crabtree Valley Mall
• Country: US
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

• Category: Comic Book Convention
• Location: North Carolina
• Date: Sunday, August 26th 2012
• City: Comic Book Convention in Raleigh, NC
• Event: Raleigh Comic Book Show 2012
• Address: Holiday Inn Raleigh Crabtree Valley Mall
• Country: US
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

• Category: Comic Book Convention
• Location: North Carolina
• Date: Sunday, December 2nd 2012
• City: Comic Book Convention in Raleigh, NC
• Event: Raleigh Comic Book Show 2012
• Address: Holiday Inn Raleigh Crabtree Valley Mall
• Country: US
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

About This Convention:	Sunday, April 29, 2012 Sunday, August 26, 2012 Sunday, December 2, 2012 Holiday Inn Crabtree 4100 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612 (exit 7 off Hwy 440) Hotel: (919) 782-8600Comic Book Show & Sale: featuring thousands of golden age, silver age to current comics plus posters, art, toys, & related merchandise.FREE Giveaways! Hours:10am to 4pm Admission: ***FREE*** More Info: Lyn Anderson PO Box 99201 Raleigh, NC 27624 (919) 844-1758 Dealers come from a five state area with the finest selection of golden age & silver age books for a show this size. 25 tables and a lot of fun!!!
Venue Name	Holiday Inn Crabtree
Venue Address	4100 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612 United States
What category best describes your convention?	Comic Books

Press Release:

Lay, Snyder, Wheaton and Even More Guests Flock to WonderCon

WonderCon in Anaheim features increasingly stellar lineup 

Anaheim, CA – WonderCon, part of Comic-Con International’s (CCI) family of nonprofit comics conventions, announced the latest additions to a guest list that already has fans buying passes at an unprecedented pace for the three-day celebration of comics and related popular art forms. The additions include fan favorites cartoonist Carol Lay (WayLay, The Simpsons), award-winning writer Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire, Swamp Thing), and actor/author Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory). WonderCon will be held March 16-18, 2012.

            Passes and hotel accommodations for WonderCon became available on www.comic-con.org/wc/ in December. The event, traditionally held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987, relocated the Anaheim Convention Center for 2012 due to renovations at the usual venue. Organizers for the event are pleased to offer southern Californian fans a chance to attend WonderCon who otherwise may not have been able to make the trek to San Francisco. Fans from Orange County and the Los Angeles area have expressed delight in having an event akin to San Diego Comic-Con at their doorstep.

            WonderCon’s format resembles the world-renowned Comic-Con albeit on a reduced scale. The 2011 WonderCon welcomed nearly 50,000 attendees, which is less than half of the 130,000 who attended the 2011 San Diego show.

            Joining Lay, Snyder, and Wheaton among the newly announced special guests are Renae De Liz (artist/editor, Womanthology, The Last Unicorn), Rebekah Isaacs (artist, Angel & Faith, Magus), Todd Nauck (artist, Amazing Spider-Man, Young Justice), Humberto Ramos (artist, Amazing Spider-Man, Impulse, Crimson), and Ryan Sook (artist, The Spectre; cover artist, Justice League Dark, DCU Presents). For a complete list and bios of the previously announced special guests, who include award-winning comics writers and artists as well as novelists and screenwriters, visit www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_guests.php.          

            “The guest list just keeps getting more impressive,” said David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for WonderCon and parent company, Comic-Con International. “That, along with rapid badge sales, indicates WonderCon will be just as exciting, if not more so, than the 2011 blockbuster show.”

About WonderCon:

WonderCon, one of the country’s best comics and popular arts conventions, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to WonderCon each spring, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world’s largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo (APE) each fall. On the web: WonderCon.org, Facebook.com/comiccon,Twitter.com/wondercon.

Chris Hardwick

Click here for tickets! They’re Free!

Press Release:

Chris Hardwick is a professional stand-up comedian, author, TV personality and a self proclaimed nerd. You may know him from his frequent appearances on Chelsea Lately, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and most notably as the current host of AMC’s first live after show “Talking Dead,” which airs as a platform to discuss the network’s highly rated show “The Walking Dead.” In 2008, Chris founded Nerdist, which merged with GeekChicDaily in 2011 to form Nerdist Industries, a multi-platform creator of genre and popular-culture content, where he serves as Chief Creative Officer. Chris recently penned his first book “The Nerdist Way” (Penguin) as a full-fledged self-help book for nerds and his Nerdist Podcast, often found at #1 on iTunes, was named one of the top comedy podcasts by Rolling Stone and GQ. Have no fear, Chris has pioneered the twitterverse garnering a mind-altering 1.5 million followers, which is why Time Magazine named him one of the most influential people on Twitter. Don’t miss his Comedy Special live in New York.

Joe Hill appears at Jetpack Comics on Saturday February 4, 2012 from 2-5pm.

Press Release:

The writer & creator of Locke & Key is coming to Jetpack this Saturday to teach you how to play the Locke & Key Game!

Spend this Saturday afternoon with award winning author Joe Hill and all your friends at Jetpack Comics, learning to play Cryptozoic Entertainment’s LOCKE & KEY Game! This fast paced card game is great family fun.  Easy to learn but tough to win!

Everyone that comes to the event & sits down to learn the game will get a FREE copy of one of the Jetpack Comics Exclusives of Locke & Key as well a copy of the FCBD edition of Locke & Key (to help bring you up to speed).  All participants will be entered to win a copy of the $100 Welcome to Lovecraft Special Edition!

…and we’ll even have a spread of FREE cup cakes for you to sample from our friends at Sweet Kuppin Cakes (I know it’s news to you Keegan but roll with it).

And, if you’re really nice you can even purchase a copy of the game, and Joe might even sign it all for you!  If you’re really nice!

Jetpack Comics
37 North Main Street, Rochester, NH

Paul Levitz

TUITION:
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Register by February 1:
$40 | $35 for MoCCA members
Register after February 1:
$50 | $45 for MoCCA members

From one of comics’ undisputed master plotters, PAUL LEVITZ, a discussion of how to construct plots to suit story structures long and short, building ideas from character, and tools for analyzing the form to develop your goals. Everything you ever wanted to know about plotting comics but were afraid to ask!

PAUL LEVITZ was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1956, and entered the comics industry in 1971 as editor/publisher of The Comic Reader, the first mass-circulation fanzine devoted to comics news. He continued to publish TCR for three years, winning two consecutive annual Comic Art Fan Awards for Best Fanzine. His other fan activities included editing the program books for several of Phil Seuling’s legendary New York Comic Art Conventions. He received Comic-con International’s Inkpot Award in 2002 and the prestigious Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award in 2008. Levitz also serves on the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Levitz is primarily known for his work for DC Comics, where he has written most of their classic characters including the Justice Society, Superman in both comics and the newspaper strip, and an acclaimed run on The Legion of Super-Heroes, a series he’s recently returned to write. Readers of The Buyers’ Guide voted his “Legion: The Great Darkness Saga” one of the 20 best comic stories of the last century, and visitors to the site comicbookresources.com selected the same story as #11 of the Top 100 Comic Book Stories of All Time. Cumulatively, Levitz has written over 300 stories with sales of over 25 million copies, and translations into over 20 languages. As a DC staffer from 1973, Levitz was an assistant editor, the company’s youngest editor ever, and in a series of business capacities, became Executive Vice President & Publisher in 1989 and then served as President & Publisher from 2002-2009. He continues as a Contributing Editor, but is now concentrating on writing and teaching. Paul is the author of the monumental history book, 75 Years Of DC Comics: The Art Of Modern Mythmaking, published by Taschen, which won the 2011 Will Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book.

Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art
594 Broadway, Suite 401, (btwn. Houston and Prince), New York, NY 10012