Top Cow Announces Comic-Con International Plans

TOP COW AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2009

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THE PREMIERE OF NEW TOP COW BOOKS

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 20th, 2009 – Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today its plans for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention brought together in the San Diego Convention Center in California from July 23rd-26th.

Top Cow will set up in booth #2629 and barrels into the convention with exclusives, preview books and free goodies to augment their headlining announcements, including free copies of Berserker #0, the Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer First Look, tons of Top Cow bookmarks, and lots more (while supplies last).

Fans are invited to join Marc Silvestri (Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia), Matt Hawkins (President of Top Cow) and Filip Sablik (Publisher of Top Cow) as they hit you with a hurricane of exciting news and announcements from comics, film, television, anime, and much more! Joining them will be Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Berserker), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible), along with a multitude of media and comic special guests! Don’t miss major announcements regarding the Witchblade feature film, The Magdalena feature film, and The Darkness video game! The panel will be featured in room 7AB from 4:30pm-5:30pm under the title, Top Cow: Comics & Multi-Media, on Saturday, July 25th. Fans wanting to get in on the Berserker signing with Milo Ventimiglia, Russ Cundiff, and Rick Loverd will need to attend the Top Cow panel in order to secure a free ticket. The signing will take place at the Top Cow booth immediately following the panel.

Top Cow has an exciting and varied list of creators signing which include fan favorites like Marc Silvestri, Ron Marz (Witchblade), Phil Hester (The Darkness), Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade), Michael Broussard (The Darkness), and Eric Basaldua (Witchblade Annual). Making his first Comic-Con appearance will be Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer). Top Cow will also host a special signing with wrestling legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who will be on hand Friday from 1:00pm-2:00pm to promote and sign free posters promoting his new film, Damage. Fans will need to obtain a free ticket for the Austin signing, which will be available at the Top Cow booth on Wednesday night, throughout the day Thursday, and Friday morning (while supplies last). A complete signing schedule follows (please check the booth daily for updates as the schedule is subject to change without notice):

Wednesday
6PM-7PM Witchblade
Eric Basaldua
Stjepan Sejic
7PM-8PM Top Cow All Stars
Michael Broussard
Joshua Hale Fialkov
Nelson Blake II

Thursday
9:45-10:45 Zero G
Alex Zamm
Jason Badower
11:00-12:00 Witchblade
Stjepan Sejic
Rick Basaldua
12:00-1:00 Pilot Season
Joshua Hale Fialkov
Marc Bernardin
Adam Freeman
1:00-2:00 Darkness
Michael Broussard
Phil Hester
Rob Levin
2:00-3:00 Darkness / Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer
Nelson Blake II
Kenneth Rocafort
Mark Waid (at the Boom! Studios booth)
Troy Peteri
3:00-5:00 Witchblade
Stjepan Sejic
Ron Marz
Eric Basaldua
5:00-6:00 Top Cow In-House Artists
Nelson Blake II
Rick Basaldua
Sheldon Mitchell

Friday
9:45-10:45 Big Trouble in Little China
Jason Badower
Evan Bleiweiss
11:00-12:00 Darkness
Phil Hester
Michael Broussard
Frazer Irving
12:00-1:00 Cyberforce/ Hunter Killer
Kenneth Rocafort
Mark Waid (at 12:30 PM; at the Boom! Studios booth)
Marc Silvestri
1:00-2:00 Stone Cold Steve Austin “Damage” signing (ticket required)
2:00-3:00 Pilot Season
Joshua Hale Fialkov
Marc Bernardin
Adam Freeman
3:00-4:00 Witchblade
Ron Marz
Stjepan Sejic
Eric Basaldua
Troy Peteri
4:00-5:00 Tracker/Berserker
Jonathan Lincoln
Francis Tsai
Rick Loverd
5:00-6:00 Witchblade
Nelson Blake II
Paul Jenkins
Rick Basaldua

Saturday
10:00-11:30 Image United (at the Image Booth)
Marc Silvestri
10:00-11:00 Beneath the Darkness
Paul Jenkins
Sheldon Mitchell
11:00-12:00 Pilot Season
Joshua Hale Fialkov
Marc Bernardin
Adam Freeman
12:00-1:00 Top Cow In-House Artists
Eric Basaldua
Neslon Blake II
Sheldon Mitchell
1:00-2:00 Witchblade
Ron Marz
Stjepan Sejic
Marc Silvestri
1:00-2:00 Photoshoot with Witchblade Through the Ages
2:00-3:00 Darkness
Marc Silvestri
Phil Hester
Michael Broussard
3:00-4:00 Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer
Kenneth Rocafort
Mark Waid (signing at Boom! Studios)
Eric Basaldua
4:00-5:00 Tracker
Jonathan Lincoln
Francis Tsai
Troy Peteri
5:00-5:40 Witchblade
Eric Basaldua
Rick Basaldua
5:45-7:00 Berserker (ticket required)
Milo Ventimiglia
Russ Cundliff
Rick Loverd

Sunday
11:00-12:00 Darkness
Michael Broussard
Nelson Blake II
Rob Levin
12:00-1:00 Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer/Witchblade
Stjepan Sejic
Kenneth Rocafort
Troy Peteri
1:00-2:00 Top Cow In-House Artists
Eric Basaldua
Rick Basaldua
Shedon Mitchell

Also at the Top Cow booth, the publisher will offer several items exclusive to San-Diego Comic-Con. This includes a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive cover to Witchblade #128 featuring the artwork of Stjepan Sejic and an exclusive variant cover homage to Frank Frazetta by Kenneth Rocafort to Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1. Alongside these comic variant covers, the Top Cow Booth (#2629) will be selling Comic-Con exclusives of The Top Cow Bible softcover and The Art of Top Cow hard cover (books premiering at the San Diego Comic-Con Top Cow Booth). Top Cow will also debut a special First Look issue for a new series entitled Tracker, produced in conjunction with Heroes and Villains Entertainment.

Fans should note that because of anticipated crowding issues; artists appearing at the Top Cow booth will only be able to do a limited amount of free sketches per sitting. Sketch tickets will be available at the beginning of each day of the show. Sketch tickets are limited one per fan per day. Fans must be present at the appointed signing time to redeem their sketch ticket. Not all artists appearing at the Top Cow booth will offer free sketches and fans should inquire at the booth on the morning they plan to get a sketch for availability.
*SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

About Top Cow Productions, Inc.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. A feature film, co-produced by Platinum Studios, Inc. and Arclight Films, is slated to begin production in Australia with director Michael Rymer. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

Hero Initiative at SDCC with Stan Lee, Jim Lee, & More

Press Release:

Hero Initiative heads to San Diego to Celebrate Comic-Con’s 40th year!

Highlights include parties with Stan Lee, Jim Lee, Darwyn Cooke, and the premiere release of Hero Comics
Los Angeles, CA (July 14, 2009) – Hero Initiative travels to the 40th annual San Diego Comic-Con July 22-26 at the San Diego Convention center! Come celebrate with us and help us raise money for our cause. Hero will be at booth #907 all weekend with a great variety of guests, and the weekend is highlighted by three great parties featuring the top names in comics, and the premiere release of Hero Comics!

World-famous storyteller Jim Lee (All-Star Batman and Robin) has graciously agreed to host a cocktail party for five lucky fans benefiting Hero Initiative on Thursday July 23 at 4:15 pm at a four-star hotel located near the convention center.

In addition, the wildly talented Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier) has also agreed to

have a few cocktails with five adoring fans on Thursday at 5:45 pm. And each winner gets a brand-new copy of Cooke’s latest work, Parker: The Hunter from IDW Publishing!

And last but most certainly not least, the godfather of comics and co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Man, The Fantastic Four and so many more returns! That’s right-Stan Lee will board the ComicBookResources.com yacht on Friday July 24 at 5pm. Five lucky fans will be personally escorted to the yacht to enjoy drinks and chat with the legend himself. In addition, each guest will have the opportunity to participate in a video interview on the yacht broadcast on ComicBookResources.com

To check out and bid on ALL the auctions for admittance to these parties, please visit Hero’s eBay store at: http://qurls.com?i=47916

And in collaboration with IDW Publishing, Hero Initiative also proudly premieres the highly anticipated Hero Comics at San Diego! This 32-page, no ads extravaganza features a bevy of great comic talent, and will be supported by a mega-signing with seven of its creators on Thursday, July 23rd from 3:30-5:30. Hero Comics will be on sale all weekend at the Hero booth, while supplies last.

As always, our amazing line up of guests will be on hand at Hero’s booth, #907:

WED., 22 JUL (CON HOURS 600-900 PM)
630-900 PM: Scott “Kaiser” Koblish

THUR., 23 JUL (CON HOURS 930 AM-700 PM)
1000-1130: Tim Seeley
1130-130: Dan Jurgens
130-330: Daniel Way
330-530: Hero Comics mega-signing w/Gene Colan, JG Roshell/Richard Starkings, David Lloyd, Bill Willingham, Art Adams, Laura Martin
530-700: Phil Hester

FRI., 24 JUL (CON HOURS 930 AM-700 PM)
1000-1130: Tony Parker
1100-1200: Chris Bachalo
130-330: Ron Marz + Stjepan Sejic
230-330: Mark Waid

SAT., 25 JUL (CON HOURS 930 AM-700 PM)
1130-130: Josh Middleton
130-330: Kaare Andrews (of Hero Comics)
330-530: Jim Valentino
530-700: Ken Lashley

SUN., 26 JUL (CON HOURS 930 AM-500 PM)
1000-1130: Kaare Andrews (of Hero Comics)
1130-130: Josh Middleton
130-230: Jimmy Palmiotti

About The Hero Initiative

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.

CA – Live Art Demo

MELTDOWN COMICS FEATURES LIVE ART DEMO WITH STJEPAN SEJIC!

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 2nd, 2009– Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the exciting young artist behind Witchblade, Stjepan Sejic, will be hosting a live art demonstration and signing for fans at Meltdown Comics.  Since Witchblade issue #116, Sejic has been leaving readers awe-struck with his beautiful and unique digitally painted artwork.  Now, for the first time, fans will get a firsthand look into the artistic craft and process behind his work on the Witchblade series.    

Sejic will present his live art demo on Sunday, July 18, at Meltdown Comics from 4:00 P.M to 6:00 P.M. in their popular gallery area.   Following the art demo, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Stjepan Sejic will sign his comics including Witchblade, Broken Trinity, First Born, and more.   Meltdown Comics (http://www.meltcomics.com) is located at 7522 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046 and can be reached at 323-851-7223.