by Jeff Ayers
It’s a monumental week if you’re following Marvel’s Siege storyline, what with #2 and Embedded #2 hitting shelves today. But for those of you with event fatigue, or Siege followers looking for more, there’s plenty else to pick up and enjoy:
Crogan’s March HC- I, myself, am anxious to get my hands on this- the second in a line of books published by Oni Press and chronicling the exploits writer/artist Chris Schweizer’s fictional family of historical adventurers- the Crogans. The first book, Crogan’s Vengeance, introduced us to Catfoot Crogan, ordinary sailor turned reluctant pirate. In this volume, Peter Crogan is a member of the French Foreign Legion. Hijinks are sure to ensue, but what is certain is that Mr. Schweizer’s snazzy cartooning style will drive this one home. He is a major talent, and deserving of a much bigger readership. Best of all? The Crogan books are great for all ages, and affordably priced considering they’re hardcover only as of this writing (just fifteen bucks!). Highly recommended, especially if you’re an Asterix or Groo fan.
Demo Volume 2 #1- Writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan team up once again for a second series of done-in-one, emotionally charged stories. If you’re familiar with their first Demo run (now available in TP format from DC Vertigo) you’ll know that the title showcases the storytelling abilities of both creators… Mr. Wood is just as adept spinning slice of life, humanistic yarns as he is running around in demilitarized zones and mashing up Vikings, and Ms Cloonan displays an astounding versatility, her style adapting to each new 32pg story. Good stuff!
Ultimate Comics X #1- I don’t really follow many of Marvel’s Ultimate books anymore, not for a long tiime, but I’ll be giving this one a shot. Why? Pencils by Art Adams. ART ADAMS. And, like any new comic I try, if it turns out to be good, I’ll stick with it. But this is a rare instance the artist on the book alone grabs four bucks outta my wallet.
Life throws a lotta curveballs. Be a contact hitter.
jeff
For anyone who couldn’t make it to the Anifusion event we hosted at Forbidden City last month you can now live through the video posted to our You Tube Channel. Just for fun here are the first few videos posted. Don’t hesitate to keeps an eye on our You Tube Channel. You never know what might show up there.
Happy Friday Folks!
by Jeff Ayers
If men and women of the far future were to chance upon this article, amongst the charred rubble and when we’re all but a historical curiosity, let it be said that ithis was a neat-o time to be interested in comics, toys and other geeky stuff. And even more neat-o to be a Forbidden Planet customer.
- TP Volume 11 of The Walking Dead has been an instant smash, topping our graphic novels sales chart for the month handily. It was announced last week that cable station AMC has ordered a pilot episode of for Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s immensely popular zombie comics, with an eye on turning it into a series. Best get caught up as soon as ya can before this thing blows up even more.
- Kick-Ass #8 finally releases this week, making Marvel’s current projection of February 17th for the collected series’ HC that much more possible without monkeys flying out of one’s butt.
- A plethora of great new toys arrived post-Christmas, and they are not to be missed. Gnarly new Wolfman figures from Mezco, Ratchet & Clank series 1 from DC Direct, and, on the higher end of things, new Hot Toys releases! Their Wolverine, as depicted by Hugh Jackman in last summer’s X-Men Origins film is superlative, their Watchmen figures are starting to hit shelves, and I’m really digging their vinyls from the Pixar movie Up. Hot Toys puts out high-quality figures of a broad range of properties, and to shore up their dominance they’ll be releasing a Michael Jackson (from Thriller) 12″ within the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled.
- Steve Mannion, artist behind The Bomb and Fearless Dawn from Asylum Press will be signing books, doing sketches, selling original art, and yukkin’ it up at FP this coming Saturday, the 30th, from 3-7pm.
- Finally, next week (Friday, 2/5) sees the release of Magic the Gathering’s WORLDWAKE, and FP- your venerable MtG retailer- will have boosters, fat packs, and intro decks for sale.
Ciao,
jeffy
Pre-order your signed (and personalized) comics from Forbbiden Planet USA!!
FORBIDDEN PLANET HOSTS SIGNING WITH STEVE MANNION IN JAN.
Forbidden Planet and Asylum Press present a Steve Mannion in-store signing On sat. Jan 30th from 3-7pm.
Steve will be available to sign books, do original sketches and have original art for sale. There will also be special previews of upcoming titles.
Steve’s credits include, The Bomb, Fearless Dawn, Warlash:Dark Noir, Satan’s 3-Ring Circus of Hell, Captain America:Sentinel of LIberty, Tales From The Crypt, Batman:Black and White and more.
“This will be my first singing at Forbidden Planet and I’m pretty darn psyched about it. Hopefully we’ll be able to do many more!”, explains Steve Mannion, “Come on down and throw a shoe at me.”
“This is the start of a promotional tour for Fearless Dawn, says publisher Frank Forte,” we’re excited to kick it off at Forbidden Planet. There will be more dates announced soon.”
Where:
Forbidden Planet NYC
804 Broadway.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-1576
When:
Sat. Jan 30th 2010, from 3-7pm
Forbidden Planet can be found on the web at: www.fpnyc.com
Asylum Press can be found on the web at: www.asylumpress.com
ABOUT FORBIDDEN PLANET:
Forbidden Planet NYC is the number one source for all your Comics, Movie, TV, Sci-Fi and Fantasy merchandise, including Doctor Who, Star Trek and more. Founded in April 1981, Forbidden Planet NYC has been a staple to tourists and locals alike for its wide selection in alternative hobbies, such as graphic novels, comic books, role-playing games, manga, and anime, and a wide selection of collectible figurines and statues.
Here at the Planet, we believe in providing our customers with the best merchandise possible with exceptional customer service from our knowledgeable staff. We are always expanding the store to fit out patron’s needs.
ABOUT ASYLUM PRESS:
Founded in 1999 by Frank Forte, Asylum Press is a unique publishing house specializing in high profile projects from some of the industry’s biggest names. Publishing superhero comics with Warlash: Zombie Mutant Genesis, continuing their tradition of horror with Undead Evil, Satan’s 3-Ring Circus of Hell, the upcoming Asylum of Horrors and Beyond Lovecraft, venturing into dark humor with Billy Boy The Sick Little Fat Kid and The Cletus and Floyd Show, Asylum Press continues to be on the cutting edge of comic and graphic novel publishing. Asylum Press is distributed by Diamond Comics, Haven Distributors and Tony Shenton and Partners Publishers Group.
Forbidden Planet NYC is hosting an event this coming Sunday, January 10th with Japanese Cosplay Singer Reni. She’ll be performing live, signing CDs, taking pics, and generally being bouncy starting at 12pm. Sounds like an awesomely surreal Sunday at the Planet!
Photos and video of this event will soon be available on our Flickr page and you tube channel.
Forbidden Planet New York City (840 Broadway New York NY 10003), the comic/ graphic novel/ toy/ t-shirt/ manga/ anime retailer will hold the anime event “AniFusion NYC: A One-Day Celebration of American/Japanese-Pop Fusion” on Sunday, December 20, 2009 from 2:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM at Forbidden City (212 Avenue A, New York, NY 1009, between 13th and 14th).
Cosplay performance artist Mario Bueno and Otaku stand-up Comedian Uncle Yo will host the event which includes a panel titled “What is Otaku?” by Patrick W. Galbraith (author of “The Otaku Encyclopedia”), music performances by Emi and Promise, and a Cosplay Competition.
The Competition’s 1st Place winner will be awarded a $75.00 Forbidden Planet gift card, the 2nd Place winner will be awarded a $25.00 Forbidden Planet gift card, and the 3rd Place Winner will be awarded a copy of “The Otaku Encyclopedia”. To be eligible for these prizes, entrants MUST pre-register before the event at anifusion_register@fpnyc.com. Pre-Registration entries must include their name, age and costume. Additional prizes to be awarded for on-site entrants. All entrants must arrive at the event in costume.
A $3 cover charge at the door will include a free soft drink and a 15% off coupon for Forbidden Planet New York City as well as a 15% off coupon for future purchase at Forbidden City.
“AniFusion” is presented by Forbidden Planet New York City, supported by Kodansha, Mario Bueno, and Forbidden City and produced by MIE Inc.
Questions may be sent to anifusion_register@fpnyc.com
About the Book:
The Otaku Encyclopedia -The Definitive Guide toEverything Geek
Otaku (オタク): Nerd; geek or fanboy. Originates from a polite second-person pronoun meaning “your home” in Japanese. Since the 1980s it’s been used to refer to people who are really into Japanese pop-culture, such as anime, manga, and videogames. A whole generation of people, previously marginalized with labels such as “geek” and “nerd” are now calling themselves “otaku” with pride.
Otaku culture has been on the rise since the 1980s. In fact, even the current Prime Minister of Japan, Taro Aso, is an admitted otaku, having been a manga fan since childhood. And while its influence spans fashion, gaming, comics and music, the otaku culture has long been misunderstood.
The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider’s Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan (Kodansha International, October 2009, $19.95) by Patrick Galbraith, delves into the obsessive and eccentric world of Japan’s chicest nerds.
Galbraith – an American Otaku who guides tours of the Akihabara, the epicenter of Otaku culture, every weekend – has compiled over 600 entries in the book, including common expressions, people, places and moments in Otaku history.
“During my research I found the perception of otaku was infinitely complex,” says Galbraith. “I wanted to illustrate how the otaku culture evolved from something geek to something chic.”
Otaku terms such as, moé, doujinshi, cosplay, maid cafes and idols, are all explained in The Otaku Encyclopedia. Interviews with key figures in the otaku world — including the idol Shoko Nakagawa, otaku expert Toshio Okada, and artist Takashi Murakami — provide an intimate glimpse inside this quirky phenomenon.
Packed with dozens of color manga illustrations, film stills and photos of various Akihabara faces and places, The Otaku Encyclopedia is the essential reference for anyone interested in Japanese pop-culture.
The Otaku Encyclopedia -
ISBN: 978-4-7700-3101-3
$19.95, Paperback
Kodansha International
www.kodansha-intl.com
Available at Forbidden Planet
About the Author:
Patrick W. Galbraith is an ethnographer and journalist based in Tokyo. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo. Galbraith was born in Alaska and raised on a farm in Montana. At the University of Montana, he earned degrees in print journalism and Japanese.
Working as a freelance journalist specializing in Japanese popular culture since 2004, Galbraith writes a regular column for Metropolis magazine. Under the auspices of H.I.S. Experience Japan, he also runs a weekly tour of Akihabara, the otaku capital of Japan. He can also be reached at Otaku2.com, an information network for otaku around the world.
About the Participants:
Mario Bueno
A fan of Japanese Animation since 2000, convention attendee since 2001, and cosplayer since 2002, Mario Bueno has come a long way since he was first formally introduced to the medium! With a background in stage and screen, Mario is an award-winning cosplayer whose performances have made a splash throughout the world thanks to the power of the internet. He has appeared on Anime News Network as a co-host for their 2007-2008 news webisodes, and was the director/writer/star of his 2005 fan film “Final Fantasy vs Kaiju Big Battel”. Currently working on the web program “Doujinopolis” for NYC-based retailer Image Anime, Mario invites you to check out his costume gallery on American Cosplay Paradise (http://www.acparadise.com/ace/display.php?a=49268), as well as his website (www.mariobueno.com) and YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/empmaniac) to keep up to date on his latest projects!
Uncle Yo
For the past three years, Karl “Uncle Yo” Custer has traveled the Northeastfor many video game, comic book, and anime convention, developing his uniquegeek-specific stand-up comedy. He has MC’ed cosplay masquerades and hostedgameshows for Anime Boston, Zenkaikon, Otakon, Connectiocon and the New YorkAnime Festival just to drop names. Whether it’s anime, comics, Star Wars, orSuper Mario Bros that sparks your fancy, Uncle Yo’s got a joke for you. Bothhis CD’s are available exclusively at his website at www.uncleyo.com.
Emi
Emi is a cosplay singer based on the east coast specializing inenergetic songs, both cute and rockish. She has only recently debuted,but hopes to perform for many people and spread the music and cosplaylove!
Promise
Leanne Finnegan (Yuka) began singing Jpop and Anime Songs in 2005 when she won her first Anime Karaoke Contest at Onna Fest 05. In the following years she teamed up with her two little sisters Vanessa (Aya), and Melinda (Emi), and together they have won first place in Contests at AnimeNext 07, AnimeNext 08, Otakon 08, AnimeNext 09 and Zenkaikon 09, as well as perfoming at Various Conventions and Concerts locally. The girls recently decided to become a formal group under the name of “Promise” and they debuted as a guest performance group at Mokucon 2009.
