CA – Pippin Signs

Billy Boyd, who played the hobbit Pippin in The Lord of The Rings, has a song on the soundtrack for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Meet Billy Boyd on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 6:00 PM when he performs when he performs live and signs copies of the soundtrack from THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES. Please check with the store for further guidelines.

(PLEASE NOTE: This is a wristbanded signing.)

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Barnes & Noble – The Grove at Farmers Market
189 The Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-525-0270

Boston Comic Con 2014 is Next Week

Press Release:

Celebrity appearances, artist meet-and-greets, a film festival, a Cosplay costume contest, the first official after party and Cosplay Harbor Cruise are among many activities lined up for this year’s Boston Comic Con. Boston Comic Con will bring its first three-day convention to the Seaport World Trade Center Friday August 8 through Sunday August 10, 2014. In the seven years since its founding, Boston Comic Con has grown from a one-day show that attracted an estimated 900 comic book enthusiasts to last year’s record turnout of more than 23,000, which organizers expect to top this year.

“The community in Greater Boston that loves comic books and related television and film is tremendous and growing,” said Nick Kanieff, a founder of Boston Comic Con. “We are home to some of the industry’s most talented artists and devoted fans, all of which will join us in great numbers this August. Boston Comic Con has just enough of a celebrity touch to bring in ardent fans while still honoring the artists and writers who are the backbone of the industry.”

The 2014 Boston Comic Con will feature celebrity appearances by Jason Momoa of “Game of Thrones”; John Barrowman of “Doctor Who,” “Torchwood” and “Arrow”; Sean Astin of “The Goonies” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy; James Marsters of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”; Katie Cassidy of “Arrow”; Eve Myles of “Torchwood”; Jewel Staite of “Firefly”; Sam Witwer of “Being Human”; and Darryl McDaniels, aka DMC, of Run-DMC, one of the founding fathers of the hip hop and rap movement, who is producing his own comic about a rap superhero. Celebrities will also participate in panel discussions, Q&As, photo ops, and signing autographs throughout the three-day convention.

Among the 200+ comic book creators taking part in the convention are well known artists such as artist Greg Capullo and writer Scott Snyder, who together produced legendary Batman story arcs as The Court of Owls, Death of the Family and Zero Year for DC Comics. Indie sensation Jeff Smith, creator of the fantasy epic Bone, makes rare appearance at this year’s convention. Also featured is artist Adam Kubert, best known for his work with Marvel Comics on Wolverine, Incredible Hulk, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and X-Men. He is both a graduate of and an instructor at the famed Kubert School, founded by his father, legendary artist Joe Kubert. Other creators include Skottie Young, whose current project, Rocket Raccoon ties in with Marvel’s summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, fan-favorite Gail Simone, writer of Batgirl, Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman, and Mark Waid who is the most prolific writer of popular characters such as Superman, Spider-Man, and Daredevil.

Participating Boston-area artists include husband and wife team Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb, Joe Quinones, Maris Wicks, Ming Doyle, Norman Lee, Sara Richard, and several others.

Boston Comic Con is especially proud of its showcase of 14 top women creators including: Christy Blanch, Danica Brine, Katie Cook, Danielle Corsetto, Ming Doyle, Dawn Griffin, Rebekah Isaacs, Shelli Paroline, Sara Richard, Gail Simone, Cat Staggs, Babs Tarr, Maris Wicks, and Chrissie Zullo.

“Boston Comic Con is at the forefront of supporting local artists, especially women creators. It is truly an organic, home-grown event that has gained popularity over the past few years,” said Kanieff, a Framingham resident who is also an avid collector. “We welcome everyone, from families with young children, to college students, to older comic book fans. There is something for everyone at Boston Comic Con.”

New This Year
The first Boston Comic Con Cosplay Harbor Cruise will take place on Saturday, August 9 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The cruise will be hosted by Ivy Doomkitty, international costume designer and cosplayer, and features noted cosplayers including Nicole Marie Jean, Destiny Nickelsen, and Bethany Maddock. After the harbor cruise, Boston Comic Con will host the official “after party” at Laugh Boston, at the Westin Waterfront Hotel. Also new this year, a limited number of tickets will be sold to allow early entry on the first day of Boston Comic Con, Friday, August 8 at 1 p.m., one hour before the general admission at 2 p.m.

Additionally, Marvel editor C.B. Cebulski will be on hand to provide portfolio reviews for aspiring comic artists. And this year’s exclusive t-shirt features Rocket Raccoon drawn by Guardians of the Galaxy artist Nick Bradshaw with colors by Rich Woodall.

“Not only is Boston Comic Con drawing interest from the area’s extensive comic book community, but it’s becoming a destination event that brings tourists to Boston,” said Kanieff. “The growing excitement around this convention demonstrates the strength and vibrancy of the creative community we have here in Boston and in the surrounding region.”

More information about events, artists and celebrity guests can be found on www.bostoncomiccon.com. General admission and VIP tickets are on sale now, as are tickets for celebrity photo ops. Boston Comic Con is also accepting entries for this year’s film festival.

For information on ticket sales please visit: www.bostoncomiccon.com.

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Sean Astin Appears at Boston Comic Con 2014

Press Release:

Boston Comic Con’s new guest is a Goonie, a Hobbit, and a Ninja Turtle: SEAN ASTIN makes his first appearance at Boston Comic Con this year! An accomplished actor,  Sean made his film debut at 13 playing Mikey Walsh in the classic adventure movie The Goonies. Sean scored another career defining, triumphant success playing the title character in the inspirational and universally applauded college football biopic Rudy. But Sean probably best known in his role as Samwise Gamgee the stalwart Hobbit from Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings film trilogy for which he received several awards.

Sean has appeared on television as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24, and currently voices Raphael in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated TV series. Sean is also slated to co-star in the much anticipated series The Strain for FX, based on Guillermo del Toro’s trilogy of vampire novels.

Previously announced guests include Jason Momoa, Jewel Staite, Sam Witwer, Simon Bisley, Greg Capullo, Amanda Conner, Danielle Corsetto, Ivy Doomkitty, Adam Kubert, Carlos Pacheco, Jimmy Palmiotti, Eric Powell, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, Jeff Smith, Scott Snyder, Skottie Young, and many more! For the full guest list plus artist alley, exhibitor, and film fest registration please check out the Boston Comic Con website!

Online ticket purchases are available at the link!

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About Boston Comic Con:
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 120,000 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. This year’s convention will be held Friday August 8th, Saturday August 9th and Sunday August 10th at the Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210. For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and Facebook!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Cast Appears at WonderCon 2014

Press Release:

Award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios is pleased to announce that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes cast members Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight) and Keri Russell (The Americans, Felicity), along with film director Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Felicity), will make an exclusive signing appearance at the BOOM! Studios booth during WonderCon in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, April 19. BOOM! Studios is the official publisher of Planet of the Apes comics.

Limited-edition WonderCon exclusive Dawn of the Planet of the Apes prints illustrated by Garry Brown (The Massive, Sons of Anarchy) will be available for purchase for $20, and the cast will be available to sign them from 2:30-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, at the BOOM! Studios booth, #319, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The signing will be ticketed and a print purchase is required for the signing.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is about a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar that is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Twentieth Century Fox will release Dawn of the Planet of the Apes worldwide July 11th, 2014. For more information, visit dawnofapes.com.

For tickets and information for WonderCon, visit comic-con.org/wca.

CA – Three Raphaels Talkin’ Toons

Voice actor Rob Paulsen welcomes Sean Astin and Nolan North to Talkin’ Toons LIVE on Tuesday November 12, 2013 at 8:00 PM! All of them have played the voice of Raphael in different iterations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Get tickets at the link!

Press Release:

The world-famous Hollywood Improv is proud to invite you to join Emmy and Annie award winner Rob Paulsen as he talks about his experiences in voice acting!

Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24[1] and currently voices Raphael in the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series and Oso in the Disney Junior show Special Agent Oso.

Nolan North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as “the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man.” He is most well known for his voice work as Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series; Desmond Miles from the Assassin’s Creed video game series; The Penguin in Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins; Deadpool in Hulk Vs, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds/Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Deadpool, Marvel Heroes, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes; Cyrille Le Paradox and El Jefe from Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time; Dr Edward Richtofen in the Zombies mode in the Call of Duty games World at War, Black Ops and Black Ops II; Corrupt Cores and Defective Turrets in Portal 2; Superboy and Superman in Young Justice; Cpt. Martin Walker in Spec Ops: The Line; and most recently David in the critically acclaimed game The Last of Us. He also played Raphael in the feature film TMNT.

About Rob Paulsen:
Born in Detroit, Rob Paulsen spent his childhood in Livonia and Rochester, attending Junior and Senior high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Rob loved cartoons like most kids but aspired to be a professional hockey player. “Fortunately, thanks to some big, strong, kid from Winnipeg who drilled me so hard my ears are still ringing, I learned around age 18 I had neither the talent nor the temperament to make a living playing hockey. So, I turned to my other passions: singing and acting.”

The goal of bringing absolute believability to a fictional character, live-action or animated, is what every actor strives for. Those who are committed to their career and who combine experience, passion and skill are likely to succeed.

Those gifted with exceptional talent who focus on maximizing their potential by finding their own niche, quickly break away from the pack. After years of honing their craft and consistently delivering memorable performances in which the character impacts an indelible image on the viewer, the public and the industry take notice, singling out the best.
“I’m getting paid to do what I got in trouble for in the 7th grade,” jests Rob, who won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 as “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program” for Pinky and The Brain (Warner Bros.) Though nominated twice previously, the victory was especially sweet due to some formidable competition – fellow nominees Louie Anderson, Ernest Borgnine, Dennis Franz and Jeffery Tambor. In addition to his Emmy, Rob won back-to-back Annie Awards in 1997 and 1998. “I absolutely love what I do and thank my lucky stars for twenty-five years of full-time employment in this business,” he says.

“It’s a treat to portray a complex character,” Rob explains about Pinky, a goof-ball mouse with funny teeth, a head filled with clouds and an inane imagination that is punctuated with a staccato laugh. “Besides … where else could I find a job where emotional outbursts and odd exclamations like ‘Egad!,’ ‘Narf!,’ ‘Poit!,’ ‘Splonk!,’ and ‘Zort!’ are allowed and in fact, encouraged?” With over 2,000 half-hours of animation to his credit, Rob’s versatility shines in his starring roles as the voices of Yakko, Pinky and Dr. Scratch ‘n’ Sniff in the Peabody and two-time Emmy award-winning series “Animaniacs.”

Some of Rob’s other well-known animated characters include Raphael of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Arthur in “The Tick,” the title role in “The Mask” (for a WHOLE lot less dough than Mr. Carrey, thank you), the title role in “Mighty Max,” Carl Wheezer in “Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius,” Jack Fenton in “Danny Phantom,” Bobble in the “Tinkerbell” series of DVDs and hopefully more to come.

Paulsen’s extensive credits include on-camera roles in numerous motion pictures including Body Double, Stewardess School, Eyes of Fire, The Perfect Match, and Warlocked. His television acting credits include guest-starring roles on MacGyver and St. Elsewhere. Additionally, he is one of the most sought-after voice actors in the commercial arena, performing in over 1000 commercial spots.

As passionate about “paying it forward” as he is about his lucrative career, Rob supports various charitable organizations, particularly those benefiting children and military veterans. Rob’s volunteer work with GOALmodels has been particularly rewarding. GOALmodels, a high school program in Reseda, California, is designed to inspire 9th graders to set goals and overcome obstacles in life. Blending his life experiences with passion for his work, his presentations are informative, entertaining and inspiring. In his leisure time, Rob enjoys golf, riding his motorcycle and occasionally lacing up his skates for another chance to relive his past glory on the rink. He spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Parrish, and their two Yorkshire terriers, Pooshie and Tala.

Hollywood Improv
8162 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048

CA – TMNT Cast Live

Rob Paulsen welcomes Sean Astin, Greg Cipes, and (via Skype) Jason Biggs to a live recording of the Talkin Toons podcast on Friday, December 14th at 8:00 pm to talk about the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles SENSATION! Surprise guests too! BOOYAKASHA!

JUST ADDED: Mae Whitman (April O’Neil), Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder), and showrunner Ciro Nieli!!

Click here for Tickets $20

18 & over

Two items minimum per person
Seating First Come First Serve
All Shows Have Adult Content
Door Time: 07:15 PM

Jon Lovitz Comedy Club
1000 Universal Studios Blvd #222, Universal City, CA 91608

MA – An Evening with Aragorn

Viggo Mortensen appears at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on March 5, 2012!

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
Eastern Promises. Q&A after the film with Viggo Mortensen.
Tickets: $20 general admission; $17 students, seniors, and Coolidge members
Click here for tickets!
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 SOLD OUT

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

NYC – Wilfred Premiere

Join actor Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings) on June 23, 2011 from 6:30 – 7:30pm as he discusses his new FX show, “Wilfred,” a comedy about a struggling dude who forms a unique relationship with his neighbor’s canine pet— he sees him as a man in a dog suit.

Apple Store
103 Prince Street, New York City, NY 100121

Previewing the Dragon*Con 2010 Guest List

The guest list for Atlanta’s Dragon*Con is always long (and this year’s is no exception) with someone interesting for fans of any genre. While everyone will have their favorites, I just thought that in addition to the recent addition of comics legend Stan Lee, I would highlight a few of the names that stand out to me for 2010:

• Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings)
• Morena Baccarin (Firefly/Serenity, V)
• Avery Brooks (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
• LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Erica Cerra (Eureka)
• Daniel Cudmore (Twilight, X-Men)
• Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Larry Hagman (Dallas, I Dream of Jeannie)
• Linda Hamilton (Terminator, Beauty & The Beast)
• Stan Lee – comic book legend
• Kellan Lutz (Twilight)
• James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Smallville)
• Mike McKone (Teen Titans, Avengers Academy)
• Mike Mignola (Hellboy)
• Jason Momoa (Conan)
• Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)
• Adrian Pasdar (Heroes)
• George Perez – comics legend
• Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes)
• Elisabeth Rohm (Angel, Law & Order, Heroes)
• Michael Shanks (Stargate SG-1)
• Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Shawnee Smith (SAW)
• Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, Andromeda)
• Chaske Spencer (Twilight)
• Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Jewel Staite (Firefly/Serenity, Stargate: Atlantis)
• Sam Trammel (True Blood)
• Laura Vandervoort (Smallville, V)

Who else do you think is a highlight?

NYC – The Streets Exhibition

Ralph Bakshi will return to Animazing Gallery in SoHo for a reception where his altogether new series of fine art paintings will be debuted in an exhibition entitled The Streets. This bold series of mixed-media construction/paintings was inspired by the gritty and colorful neighborhoods of Bakshi’s youth in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

MoCCA, New York’s Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, and Bill Plympton will present a lifetime achievement award to Mr. Bakshi at the opening reception on Friday, March 19th, from 6-9PM (by invitation). A public meet and greet reception takes place on Saturday March 20th, 2-5PM. Admission is free and open to the public. Exhibition runs through May 15th. Animazing Gallery is located at 54 Greene Street at Broome in SoHo. Hours of operation are Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM and Sun 11AM-6PM. For more information log onto www.animazing.com or call 212-226-7374.

Throughout an artistic career spanning more than half a century, Ralph Bakshi’s secret passion has always been fine art. Although he has become a renowned film director, Bakshi has remained a sedulously dedicated self-taught painter, and this body of work is as sophisticated as his films are outrageous. The Artist has created multi-media pieces that are emotionally layered works, and clearly a departure from his past figurative works. Bakshi builds up his surfaces with elements of wood, nails, and other found objects. The artist deconstructs the sculptural elements at some point during the process, and then uses the ravaged sculpture as a canvas, continuing to paint and repaint the accumulating textures, going deeper and deeper into what he thinks he sees. In this ongoing process of building up and taking away, Ralph transforms his reality into sculptured abstraction. Inspired by every single memory of his life in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Artist produces work that is as gritty, colorful, and dynamic as New York. Bakshi’s paintings are derived from a lifetime of loving the artistic peeling of the paint on old Brownsville walls; the play of sunlight on their surfaces that changed them every few minutes. These paintings are the closest thing to realism that Ralph can imagine, although they appear to be abstract.

Ralph Bakshi is a legend in the world animation. His controversial and cutting edge films have secured a place in the historical archives of many museums, including the Whitney and MoMA, because they raised a generation’s social consciousness with the raw, creative and artistic genius that was larger than life on the big screen. Bakshi was raised in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn, and displayed artistic talent before he was old enough to go to school. Graduating high school with an unprecedented “Award in Cartooning,” at eighteen years old Bakshi was given an entry level position at the Terrytoons animation studio. He promoted himself quickly to animator by commandeering an empty desk, and by the time he was 28, Bakshi was Creative Director of the studio. He created shows like Mighty Mouse, Heckle & Jeckle, Deputy Dawg, and later Spider-Man for Paramount Studios. After this, Bakshi produced his first theatrical animated feature, a down-and-dirty X-rated adaptation of Robert Crumb’s “underground” comic strip Fritz the Cat. Bakshi’s next feature, Heavy Traffic was even more outrageous, but won acclaim from both film and art critics. Next was Coonskin, a savage attack on Hollywood racial stereotypes. In 1977, Bakshi released Wizards, then Lord of the Rings. In 1980 he animated jazz music with American Pop, and afterwards Hey, Good Lookin’; a nostalgic glance at 1950s street gangs. After Fire and Ice in 1983, Bakshi retreated to his studio, painting every day for nearly 10 years, before resurfacing in 1987 with the brilliant TV series of Mighty Mouse, directed by Bakshi’s protégé, John Kricfalusi (of Ren & Stimpy fame). In 1992, Bakshi returned to the Big Screen with Cool World, a combination of animation and live action starring Brad Pitt and the voice of Kim Basinger, among others.

ABOUT ANIMAZING GALLERY | Since 1984, Animazing Gallery has showcased a unique collection of original and limited edition works, including animation, great American illustration art & fine art that indulges the senses and emotions with color, playfulness and beauty. For more information about Animazing in New York or France visit animazing.com. 

Click here to RSVP to the Event

Animazing Gallery, SoHo | 54 Greene St. NY, NY 10013 | 212.226.7374

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