Her Universe Introduces Everyday Cosplay

Press Release:

This Halloween, Geek Girls do not have to sacrifice fashion for a cheap costume they’ll wear only once. Actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and founder of the female sci-fi apparel line, Her Universe™, revealed today her line of fashionable costume hoodies, tops and a Hot Topic exclusive TARDIS dress dubbed “everyday cosplay” just in time for the Halloween season. Whether you’re a fan of Star Wars, Star Trekor Doctor Who, Her Universe has you covered to be the stylish one this fall and all year long. And now, until October 22nd (for guaranteed 10/31 delivery), Her Universe (www.heruniverse.com) is offering FREE GROUND SHIPPING on any order of $50.00 or more.

“I have a tub full of Halloween costumes that I have spent a lot of money on which I’ve only worn once,” said Eckstein. “My goal for our ‘everyday cosplay’ line is for girls to be able to wear these fashionable costumed looks on Halloween and all year round! I’ve always been a savvy shopper and I try to get the most for my money.”

New to the “everyday cosplay” line from Her Universe is the Star Trek Spock zip-up hoodie featuring the famous original series blue uniform top where fangirls, with the hood up, can be their favorite Vulcan, complete with pointy ears. Also new this fall season is the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Ahsoka Tano adult tunic top which complements the already released Ahsoka tunic for young girls and the very popular Princess Leia costume hoodie - perfect for any Halloween party or everyday wear. For female Whovians, Eckstein has collaborated with retailer Hot Topic to create Her Universe’s first

fashionably-fun, stylized dress based on Doctor Who’s beloved time-traveling TARDIS – available online NOW at Hot Topic and at Hot Topic retail stores. And what better way to accessorize all of these pieces than with the new Her Universe Star Wars Halloween Tote Bag featuring all-new original art by renowned artist Katie Cook – perfect for fans of any age for school, work, shopping and, of course, trick or treating! Katie’s very popular Her Universe Halloween Tote Bag sold out last year at record speed! The bags are only available for a limited time, so get them while supplies last.

“I was thrilled when Ashley asked me to do another Halloween bag design,” said Katie. “I’ll take any chance I get to draw Darth Vader in a silly costume! Ashley and I came up with the idea for this year’s bag at Celebration a few weeks ago and I couldn’t wait to come home and get started on it.”

All of these “everyday cosplay” pieces for Halloween and beyond can be found on heruniverse.com with the Doctor Who TARDIS dress available NOW online at Hot Topic and Hot Topic retail stores. Eckstein can be seen wearing many of the “everyday cosplay” pieces as co-host for MTV Geek’s coverage (mtv.com/geek/) of New York Comic Con October 11th-14th.

About Her Universe 
Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Warsapparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica and with BBC America for Doctor Who and with CBS Consumer Products for Star Trek. You can learn more about Her Universe and purchase the current line of fangirl apparel and accessories by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Facebook(facebook.com/HerUniverse) and Twitter (twitter.com/HerUniverse).

About Katie Cook
Katie Cook is an illustrator and writer that lives in Michigan. She has done work for Lucasfilm, The Jim Henson Company, Marvel Comics and more. Her websites are www.katiecandraw.com and www.gronkcomic.com

Midtown Comics Signings & Exclusives at NYCC 2012

Press Release:

Midtown Comics in New York City is proud to announce a series of high-profile exclusive items and creator signings and events at the largest pop-culture event on the east coast: New York Comic-Con! Join the staff of Midtown Comics for the party of the year!

Uncanny Avengers #1: Midtown-exclusive cover from Marvel Comics, by J. Scott Campbell:
Dive headfirst into Marvel NOW! and witness the blockbuster debut of an all-new Avengers team featuring members from all across the Marvel Universe…a team uniting Avenger and X-Man alike!  It all happens in Uncanny Avengers #1, by the superstar dream team of Rick Remender and John Cassaday and Midtown Comics presents an exclusive cover by J. Scott Campbell, available at NYCC and in-store. 

Visit Midtown Comics’ booth #1638 at NYCC and catch up with all of the exclusive items, creator signings and more. Coupons will be given out for big discounts valid at Midtown Comics NYC stores and online.

Midtown exclusive items:
Along with our exclusive Uncanny Avengers #1 variant cover by J. Scott Campbell, we’ll be offering two exclusive covers for Walking Dead: The Official Magazine #1 from Titan Magazines, exclusive Black Panther, Scarlet Spider, andAvengers tees, a brand-new Avengers vs. X-Men ® 9FIFTY SNAPBACK cap from New Era, the limited edition Khem figure from Captain Action, Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden’s new book Father Gaetano’s Puppet Catechism, a Jim Steranko & Stanley Artgerm Lau variant cover for Heavy Metal magazine #3, and Brian Haberlin’s new hardcover graphic novel Anomaly.

Midtown Comics Booth Signings:

FRIDAY

2:00-4:00

Brian K. Vaughan (Saga, Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways)

and Fiona Staples  (Saga, Mystery Society, Northlanders, Jonah Hex)

SATURDAY

12:30-1:30

Matt Wagner (Sandman Mystery Theatre, Grendel, Mage, Madame Xanadu)

3:00-4:00

Mike Mignola (Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Baltimore, Amazing Screw-On Head)

and Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Baltimore, Joe Golem)

5:00-6:00

Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing, American Vampire)

SUNDAY

12:00-1:00

Andy Diggle (Doctor Who, The Losers, Daredevil, Thunderbolts, Swamp Thing)

Madame Tussauds New York presents: THOR!

A life-sized wax figure of THOR as portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth from Madame Tussauds New York will be at our booth from Friday-Sunday for free photo ops with fans.  Unveiled for the first time in April, THOR is part of Madame Tussauds New York’s new interactive Marvel experience which also features wax likenesses of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, a 15-foot-tall Hulk as well as an exclusive Marvel Super Heroes 4D Experience – a new, short film with thrilling special effects.  Madame Tussauds New York is located at 234 W. 42^nd Street, between Seventh & Eighth Avenues.  For more information visit www.nycwax.com or call (866) 841-3505 

All NYCC Midtown exclusives and event info can be found on our blog: www.blog.midtowncomics.com 

MIDTOWN COMICS opened its first store in 1997, and is now the industry’s leading retailer of comic books, graphic novels, and manga, with its online store as well as three landmark NYC locations in Times Square, Grand Central and Downtown and a mini-boutique in the historic FAO Schwarz toy store on Fifth Ave., in NYC.  Follow us on Facebook,Twitter, Tumblr, and the Midtown blog! More information available online at:  http://www.midtowncomics.com

UK – Captain Jack Harkness Signs

John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman sign at Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Thursday September 20th, from 6:00 – 7:00pm.

Press Release: 

Forbidden Planet are delighted to announce a signing by John and Carole E Barrowman for TORCHWOOD: EXODUS CODE (BBC Books) at our London Megastore on Thursday September 20th, from 6 – 7pm.

NYC – Comic Book Club

Artist J.K. Woodward (Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who) appears on the Comic Book Club podcast with hosts Pete LePage, Justin Tyler, and Alex Zalben on Tuesday August 28, 2012 at 7:00pm! Admission is free!

Woodward brings some original art for trivia prizes including:

- 1 Page of Art from IDW’s Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who
- 1 Cover Concept, used for the comic, submitted to IDW, the BBC, and CBS for approval
- 1 Cover Concept, NOT used for the comic, submitted to IDW, the BBC, and CBS for approval

Fontana’s
105 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002

UK – Dr. Who: The Wheel of Ice Signing

Author Stephen Baxter signs at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Sunday 19th August from 1 – 2pm.

The Wheel. A ring of ice and steel turning around a moon of Saturn, and home to a mining colony supplying a resource-hungry Earth. It’s a bad place to grow up. The colony has been plagued by problems. Maybe it’s just gremlins, just bad luck. But the equipment failures and thefts of resources have been increasing, and there have been stories among the children of mysterious creatures glimpsed aboard the Wheel.

Many of the younger workers refuse to go down the warren-like mines anymore. And then sixteen-year-old Phee Laws, surfing Saturn’s rings, saves an enigmatic blue box from destruction. Aboard the Wheel, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find a critical situation – and they are suspected by some as the source of the sabotage. They soon find themselves caught in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system. A mystery that could kill them all.

Stephen Baxter is a prolific and well-known SF writer, having won major awards in the UK, US, Germany, and Japan. He has degrees from Cambridge and Southampton and lives in Northumberland with his wife.

Forbidden Planet London Megastore
179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

Mark Buckingham Joins the British Invasion at Baltimore Comic-Con 2012

The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of Mark Buckingham to the “British Invasion” taking place at this year’s show, which will be held on September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Buckingham joins already-announced British creators Brian Bolland and Barry Kitson for the 13^th annual show.Buckingham, who is best-known and most-celebrated for his work on the long-running Vertigo title Fables, began his career in 1990 working with Neil Gaiman on Miracleman from Eclipse Comics. Working on such titles as 2000 AD, Hellblazer, and Shade, the Changing Man, he became a mainstay at DC Comics after taking over art duties on Fables with issue #6.

His run on the popular imprint title has earned him four Eisner Awards, including Best New Series in 2003, Best Serialized Story in 2005 and 2006, and Best Artist/Penciler/Inker in 2007.

“We are delighted to be adding another amazing artist from across the pond in Mark Buckingham,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con. “His influence on the landscape of American comics has helped propel Fables to one of longest-running and most popular titles in Vertigo’s library.”

Currently, Buckingham is working on the first arc of IDW’s new Doctor Who series along with Andy Diggle.

BBC America Returns for SDCC 2012 with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and More from Doctor Who

Press Release:

BBC AMERICA RETURNS TO COMIC-CON WITH DOCTOR WHO PANEL IN HALL H, SIGNINGS AND EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE AT THE BBC AMERICA BOOTH #3629

The Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick to moderate Doctor Who panel with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Caroline Skinner and Steven Moffat

BBC AMERICA to Premiere a Comic-Con Edition of The Nerdist on July 28

BBC AMERICA’s (@BBCAMERICA) Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan make their triumphant return to Comic-Con for a panel and Q&A moderated by Doctor Who pundit and creator of the Nerdist, Chris Hardwick. They will be joined by star Arthur Darvill, who’s making his first pilgrimage to SDCC, along with award-winning lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock) and award-winning executive producer Caroline Skinner (The Fades). As fans eagerly await the new season’s premiere, BBC AMERICA has learned that Steven Moffat and team will be bringing something very special with them to reveal to fans in Hall H.

Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, the mysterious traveler who journeys through all of time and space, picking up companions along the way and almost always sidestepping danger. The iconic sci-fi series stars Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as his companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, aka The Ponds. Last season delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA and marked the first time Doctor Who filmed on American soil. Its finale ended with the the Doctor’s greatest escape yet and the intimation of an even greater reckoning to come. Ahead of the new season, BBC AMERICA will premiere new Doctor Who specials - The Science of Doctor Who, The Women of Doctor Who, The Timey-Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who, and The Destinations of Doctor Who - as part of the Supernatural Saturday programming block starting Saturday, August 4, 9:00pm ET/PT.

As well as the Hall H panel, Doctor Who’s Matt Smith will appear on TV Guide’s Fan Favorites panel on Saturday, July 14, 1:00-2:00pm in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel.

THE NERDIST CELEBRATES COMIC-CON ON BBC AMERICA

New world premiere specials of BBC AMERICA’s The Nerdist kick off with two back-to-back programs on Saturday, July 28 - The Nerdist: Comic-Con at 9:00pm ET/PT and The Nerdist: Tribute to Toys & Games at 10:00pm ET/PT. Host Chris Hardwick joins special guests in a comedic roundtable discussion of all the things that nerds love, from pop culture to news, tech trends and more. In The Nerdist: Comic-Con, Hardwick and his crack team of nerd experts do their best to piece together what happened at this year’s Comic-Con. From cosplayers and blockbuster films to new TV shows and video games, this episode has it all. Even comic books. In The Nerdist: Tribute to Toys & Games, Chris and co-hosts Jonah Ray and Matt Mira talk about the nerdiest toys, collectibles and games.

The Nerdist continues in August with premieres of The Nerdist: Tribute to Science on Saturday, August 4, 10:00pm ET/PT. In The Nerdist: Tribute to Nerd Girls on Saturday, August 11, 10:00pm ET/PT and The Nerdist: Tribute to Time Travel featuring COPPER’s Tom Weston-Jones, premiering Saturday August 18, 10:00pm ET/PT.

THE BBC AMERICA BOOTH (#3629)

Fans of Doctor Who will find an assortment of contemporary and classic licensed merchandise at Comic-Con, available at the BBC AMERICA booth, in addition to officially licensed Doctor Who Partners’ booths. The BBC AMERICA booth will also offer fans several product launch exclusives including: bobble heads, a lunchbox with travel mug and multiple t-shirt styles.

BBC AMERICA COMIC-CON COVERAGE

For Twitter, follow @BBCAMERICA and #DWSDCC, on Tumblr at http://DoctorWho.tumblr.com and http://BBCAmerica.tumblr.com and full Comic-Con coverage by BBCAmerica.com’s Anglophenia.

ELEVENTH DOCTOR AND HIS COMPANIONS COSPLAY CONTEST

Fans that want to show off their best Doctor Who costumes are encouraged to enter BBCAmerica.com’s Eleventh Doctor and His Companions Cosplay Contest. Entries can be submitted online through Wednesday, July 25. Official rules and details can be found at bbcamerica.com/cosplay.

BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy®, five Golden Globes® and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 79 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist. Find out more by visiting www.press.bbcamerica.com or follow us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.

UK – Doctor Who Signing

Author J.T. Colgan signs her Doctor Who novel, DARK HORIZONS at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Tuesday 10th July from 6 – 7pm.

“Now, you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire…”

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path – yet the burned still speak. The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all. Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands. The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn’t made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side… Don’t they?

J T Colgan has written 13 bestselling novels as Jenny Colgan, which have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Aged 11, she won a national fan competition to meet Doctor Who and was mistaken for a boy by Peter Davison. Of writing the book Jenny says, “Writing Dark Horizons has been, as my friends and family already know, a dream come true for me. I grew up on Terrance Dicks and I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the ranks of Doctor Who novelists.”

Forbidden Planet London Megastore
179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

Her Universe & BBC Debut Doctor Who Collection

Press Release:

Her Universe™, a leader in female genre merchandise, announced today a license with BBC Worldwide, to create a collection of Doctor Who apparel for the ever-growing female fan base for the television show.

Her Universe recognized the burgeoning force of female Doctor Who fans and the need to create unique apparel and merchandise just for them. The international iconic brand and television hit Doctor Who is the longest-running sci-fi series in the world and continues to earn critical acclaim as BBC AMERICA’s highest rated series as well as the #1 downloaded series for iTunes in 2011. The new Doctor Who collection by Her Universe will premiere in July with fashion tops featuring images, characters and phrases from the Doctor Who universe all with fashion-forward designs for girls to look “Geek Chic.” To recognize their female Doctor Who fans, BBC Worldwide has created a special Doctor Who logo which will only appear on merchandise from the Her Universe collection.

Ashley Eckstein, founder of Her Universe and known to sci-fi fans as the voice of Ahsoka Tano on the hit animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars also designed and created the Her Universe merchandise. “Her Universe is a line for the fans,” said Eckstein. “Many of our design choices and decisions are influenced by our fans and Doctor Who was the #1 requested license by fangirls for us to pursue next. It was truly a dream come true when BBC Worldwide asked us to do their female merchandise and I am beyond excited to share this extraordinary announcement with our girls today! In the words of the Doctor, I feel like screaming Geronimo!”

Doctor Who apparel and accessories from the Her Universe collection will be available in the U.S. and Canada at both www.heruniverseshop.com and BBCAmericashop.com and through national retail outlets such as Hot Topic. Throughout 2012, the Doctor Who merchandise will also be available at select conventions including San Diego Comic Con.

About Her Universe
Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica and with BBC America for its Doctor Who franchise. You can learn more about Her Universe and purchase the current line of fangirl apparel and accessories by going towww.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

About BBC Worldwide Ltd.
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has five core businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales & Distribution, Consumer Products and Brands, Consumers & New Ventures, with digital ventures incorporated into each business area. In 2010/11, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £160 million on sales of £1158 million and returned £182m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website:www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview

Photo credit: - Kelsey Edwards Photography

UK – Classic Doctor Who Signing

Chris Achilleos and Terrence Dicks sign at Forbidden Planet on Thursday 21 June 2012 from 18:00 –  19:00.

Press Release:

To celebrate the release of BBC Books’ six classic Doctor Who titles, each featuring Chris Achilleos’ stunning cover art and based on some cult classic early stories. Forbidden Planet are delighted to be hosting a signing with Chris Achilleos and Terrance Dicks on Thursday 21st June from 6 – 7pm at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR.

CHRIS ACHILLEOS is a name associated with the very best in fantasy art. His work has appeared in Heavy Metal magazine and in the Radio Times, on book covers and in collections of his own.

TERRANCE DICKS has been involved with the writing and editing of Doctor Who for more than forty years. He’s written Doctor Who stage plays and original novels including the best-selling title The Eight Doctors.

This series of books feature the very best in classic Doctor Who tales, and, as well as fantastic new a series of new introductions by Stephen Moffatt, Mark Gatiss, Michael Moorcock, Alastair Reynolds, Tom MacRae, and Gary Russell.

Forbidden Planet London Megastore
179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

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