Arcana Teams with Cowboys and Aliens at SDCC!

Arcana Comics is pleased to announce that at booth 2415 at San Diego Comic Con from July 20th – 24th, you will find not only Arcana Comics, but Platinum Studios’ Cowboys and Aliens.
Cowboys and Aliens was created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and published by Platinum Studios in 2006 and was the number one graphic novel in America when it was released. Back in 1997, the graphic novel outline was snatched up by Dreamworks and Universal pictures.

The film adaptation has received a lot of buzz since it was first announced due to its original concept as well as some of the talent tied to the film. Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Kurtzman, Orci, and Rosenberg are producers, while Steven Spielberg, Jon Favreau, Denis L. Stewart, Bobby Cohen, Ryan Kavanaugh, and Randy Greenberg are executive producers.

Cowboys and Aliens will be released by DreamWorks / Universal Pictures on July 29, 2011 and stars the talented Daniel Craig (QUANTUM OF SOLACE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS), Harrison Ford (INDIANA JONES, STAR WARS), and Olivia Wilde (TRON: LEGACY, HOUSE).

At booth 2415 (Arcana Comics), you can meet the creator of Cowboys and Aliens, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, pick up some Cowboys and Aliens merchandise as well as other Platinum Studios’ books. On the Arcana side of things, look for exclusives, graphic novel deals, and plenty of surprises across the board!

Don’t miss the premiere of Cowboys and Aliens on Saturday night, July 23rd, in San Diego and if you want more information on some of the special events associated with the film and Platinum Studios, become a fan of Platinum at http://www.facebook.com/PlatinumStudios.

Arcana Panel at SDCC 2011

If you are at San Diego Comic Con this year, be sure to attend the special Arcana Comics panel on Thursday night! From 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21st in Room 23ABC, meet Arcana owner Sean Patrick O’Reilly (KADE, CLOCKWORK GIRL, WINGMAN, PIXIES), Erik Hendrix (SIDESHOWS), Mike Kalvoda (BANSHEE, STRAW), Brooke Burgess (BROKEN SAINTS, BECOMING), Matt Wilson (SCROOGE AND SANTA), Ryan Colucci (HARBOR MOON), and special guest Josh Blaycock (Devil’s Due). We will take you through some of the amazing talent coming out of one of the world’s largest graphic novel producers. With over 150 graphic novels released, find out what the publisher currently has coming in the near future and get a sneak peak at the 3D animated feature film Clockwork Girl, Arcana’s slate of interactive apps, and more. See how independent publishers make their mark in the comic book industry and blur the lines between mediums, Arcana style. Attendees will get free comics and the first in a series of Arcana Universe posters

In Previews This Month

This month in Previews, for items shipping in September, Arcana will be publishing Blade of Kumori, Creature Academy, Divine Intervention, Human Resources, Old School, The Assassin, and UltraDuck.

BLADE OF KUMORI GN – (W) Ron Marz, Mark Poulton (A) Grafiksismik In the mid 19th century, the samurai disappeared forever from the face of the world. Or did they? Blade of Kumori is the tale of present-day samurai, of warriors steeped in honor carrying on their traditions in the modern world. It’s also the tale of a woman who discovers she is something more than a warrior — perhaps even something more than human!

DIVINE INTERVENTION GN – (W) Frank J. Barbiere (A) J.C. Grande, Luke Radl Marc Graham, a conflicted, contract killer, could hardly be considered a hero. Things change when he stumbles into an ancient conflict between the Templar agency, a clandestine organization that protects powerful artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, and strange, demonic forces seeking to control the world. After gaining mysterious, angelic powers from a freak accident Marc must dive headfirst into a dangerous new world where he is hunted by deadly monsters who will stop at nothing to unlock the secret of his new powers and possess them for themselves.

HUMAN RESOURCES GN – (W) Michael Shear (A) Jerry Rascoe Mark never wanted to work for a big evil corporation, but when he loses his job and knocks up his girlfriend, he’s forced to take a job from hell. Literally. As one of the only human employees at an insurance company run by a feckless demon, Mark battles office politics and supernatural creatures as he tries to save his soul without losing his job.

OLD SCHOOL GN – (W) Robert Burke Richardson (A) Alan Gallo, Giuseppe Pica, Kelly Ishikawa, Berny Julianto Old School is the story of retired heroes returning to the world at large, and how heroism, and god ol’ fashioned elbow grease, can still make a difference in today’s world.

THE ASSASSIN GN – (W/A) Vincente Fuentes Students from one of the top International Schools in the country will have to face two of the most challenging issues of their lives: murder and bigotry. It is said that the recent deaths around the school have been assassinations and, intriguingly, a geisha’s kanzashi is always left behind at the scene.

ULTRADUCK GN – (W) Edgar Delgado (A) Omar Lozano, Humberto Ramos Carlos, a regular duck living in the great city of Featherbay, just got dumped by his girlfriend, his life as a freelance do-it-all is going nowhere and must make some grown up decisions: to get a real job, get his girl back and stop drinking. That is, until he gets super powers and becomes the only duck in the world who can stop a powerful creature who’s destroying the city on a vengeful rampage, and an evil weapons manufacturing corporation who want his abilities.

VANCOUVER (July 5, 2011) – Arcana Studios, an award winning comic book publisher and transmedia producer, is excited to announce that an app is now available, showcasing all of the amazing books Arcana has to offer.

Joining in with the digital revolution, Arcana Studios has been looking for the best way to offer their readers access to their substantial library of over 150 comic book titles on smart devices. Using the comiXology platform, Arcana has developed an app bringing their books into the hands of the masses. Available now as a free download for the iPad and iPhone, Arcana’s app will allow readers to download any of a large number of books for some of the most competitive prices in the industry. The app features a number of free comics available for download and other titles are $5.99 each. The majority of these downloads are full length graphic novels! View screen shots of the app and download a free copy at http://appshopper.com/books/arcana-comics.

About Arcana Studios:

Since 2004 Arcana Studios has established itself as an innovative leader in developing content in numerous mediums. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys. Arcana focuses on a transmedia approach to the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.

Arcana’s primary method for establishing new brands has been through comic book publishing since their inception, Arcana Comics has published over 150 original intellectual properties in nearly 200 graphic novels reaching sales of over 2,000,000 units. Arcana is found on 15 different countries and translated into seven languages across the globe. Winning the Shuster Award for Top Publisher, the Moonbeam Award for Top Children’s Graphic Novel, Foreward Magazine’s Top Graphic Novel at Book Expo America, BIV’s Top 40 Under 40 Award and the Top 40 Under 40 in Canada are just a few of the accolades that Arcana has achieved. Arcana has also been awarded the Digital Readiness Grant from BCFilm, a development fund from Telefilm, the Digital Springboard Program from NMBCA, the CME’s Top Export Award and BIV’s Top Fastest Growing Companies Award.

Each graphic novel showcases the high quality branded entertainment that contains over 5000 characters. These characters and storyworlds transcend gender, age, cultural and geographic boundaries. Arcana’s focus towards new media platforms has kept it ahead of the industry’s curve providing customer choice for distribution and format of content.

Our History:

Completing our debut title Kade, we had great success with the gothic hero and began to see the potential we had uncovered. Ant was Arcana’s follow-up title and completely sold out in less than 9 days, an unprecedented feat for an independent publisher. Ezra and 100 Girls went on to be featured as one of the top 12 books of the year in Wizard’s Secret Stash. Arcana Studio is an official Disney vendor, and has been hired by Disney, Sony Animation, Spike TV, MTV, HBO, CAPCOM, NBC, Warner Bros, Mattel, American Girl, the National Hockey League, Harley Davidson, THQ and more to establish new worlds, characters, stories and brands.

Arcana is a transmedia company that has aggressively pursued establishing brands through engaging storytelling and compelling art. With a strong foothold in the print publishing world, Arcana continues to be a premier content provider. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys.

Arcana Studio Inc. remains independent of major entertainment studio affiliation. Arcana Studio is currently in production of the stereoscopic 3D animated feature, The Clockwork Girl. Arcana is also partnered with Gale Ann Hurd (“Terminator”, “Aliens”) on Gearhead, Alexandra Milchan (Sylvestor Stallone’s “Head Shot”) on Blade of Kumori, Hans Rodinoff and Hollywood Media Bridge (“Lost Boys: The Tribe”) on Raise Kane, Scott Milam (“Mother’s Day”) on Gauze, Ben Magid (“Hack/Slash”) on Trout, Jar Productions (“Hidden Howie”) on Philosopher Rex, Terry Dougas (“The Invention of Lying”) on The Tower, Doc Wyatt (“Napoleon Dynamite”) on 100 Girls, JC Spink (“The Hangover”) on Continuum, Adrian Askarieh (“The Hitman”) on Amnesia and also is producing a three slate at Codeblack/Universal for Light’s Out, Ant and Blam!

Long out of print, the wildly popular Clockwork Girl series was originally released in five illustrated stories and sold more than 340,000 copies around the world. The full story of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL (Harper Design//On Sale: July 12, 2011//ISBN:9780062080394) comes to life again in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a new foreword from The Clockwork Girl’s original authors, Sean O’Reilly and Kevin Hanna, along with playful, full-page pin-ups of the characters.

The story takes place in a whimsical land far, far away where inventors compete to show off their latest trinkets and inventions at the local fair. A mad scientist, determined to win the top prize at the fair, creates a robot Clockwork Girl. Against all odds, she finds love and companionship in Huxley, the amazing mutant circus boy. Despite the threats of their warring families, they begin to explore the world together and discover what it means to be human—to move, to think, and ultimately, to love.

This fall, a paperback version of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL will correspond with the release of the 3-D luximation animation film version of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL. The film is voiced by a “dream team” of actors as the characters, such as Carrie Ann Moss (Matrix), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), Jesse McCartney (Horton Hears a Who) and Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond). An exciting sneak peek teaser is available online at http://www.theclockworkgirl.com.

THE CLOCKWORK GIRL has won the Moonbeam Award, as well as the Graphic Novel of the Year Award at Book Expo America by ForeWord magazine.

About the Authors:

SEAN O’REILLY is the founder and C.E.O. of Arcana Studio, Canada’s largest comic book company. He is the creator of a number of comics, including the highly successful comics Kade and Ezra, whose characters have been used in more than 250,000 comics and books, and published in eleven countries and seven different languages. Through his talent as a concept artist, writer, and all around comic book mastermind, Sean lead Arcana, in its very first year, to win the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Publisher, as voted by an international spectrum of comic book retailers and readers, and to be nominated for a Harvey Award in its first year, a feat unheard of in the quarter century tenure of the award. Among his other credits: he is a consultant for Telefilm, in 2008 and 2011 won Top 40 Under 40 Awards from The Globe and Mail, and has worked on a number of TV concept art projects (for shows including Entourage) and videogame designs.

KEVIN HANNA is an American film director, writer, and artist noted for his work in feature film animation, comic books, videogames, and television. He is the owner of Frogchildren Studios, a multimedia entertainment company dedicated to producing high-quality work for children, spent five years at Microsoft where he was a founding member of the Xbox team, and has worked on games for companies such as Electronic Arts and Mattel.

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THE CLOCKWORK GIRL
By Sean O’Reilly & Kevin Hanna
Harper Design
128 pages // $19.99 Hardcover // ISBN: 9780062080394
July 12, 2011

If you’re going to be in the San Diego area in July, most likely you’re there for San Diego Comic Con 2011. While you’re there, be sure to stop by booth 2415 to see what all of the excitement is about at Arcana Comics. We have some spectacular signings planned, SDCC Exclusives (a Kade Art Book and the SDCC Launch Edition of SideShows), and even an Arcana Comics Panel! Below is a run-down of what we’re up to.

EXCLUSIVES:

KADE ART BOOK: Kade, Arcana’s enigmatic warrior makes a special appearance this SDCC with an exclusive art book, featuring original work from some of the most talented artists in the industry!  Tim Bradstreet’s unique style sets the tone with an original cover, while Tim Seeley, Brent Schoonover, Greg Horn, Kevin Mellon, Ashley Wood, Liam Sharp, Ben Templesmith, Greg Titus, and Whilce Portacio provide contributions to this amazing art book. It’s limited to 250 copies, so grab one while you can!

SIDESHOWS SDCC LAUNCH EDITION: SideShows, the next Arcana hit by Erik Hendrix & Michael Nelsen is still months away from official release, but you can see it here first! It’s 1950’s Las Vegas & the mob enlisted former circus attractions as their aces in the hole. These SideShows had a little secret — they really did have the abilities they pretended to. High rollers, lounge singers, cigarettes, alcohol, and superpowers. Welcome to Las Vegas. Packed with extras not available in the retail version and limited to 100 copies!

PANEL:

On Thursday July 21st from 6:00 – 7:00 PM in in Room 23ABC, be sure to head to our panel! Below is the full description that will appear in the convention guide.

6:00 – 7:00 Arcana Comics – A Look at One of the World’s Largest Graphic Novel Publishers – Sean Patrick O’Reilly (Clockwork Girl), Josh Blaylock (Devil’s Due), Erik Hendrix (SideShows), Mike Kalvoda (Banshee), Brooke Burgess (Becoming), Matt Wilson (Scrooge & Santa), and Ryan Colucci (Harbor Moon) take us through some of the amazing talent coming out of one of the world’s largest graphic novel producers. Passing 150 graphic novels released, find out what the publisher currently has in the works, what’s coming in the near future, a sneak peak at the 3D animated feature film, Clockwork Girl, Arcana’s slate of interactive apps, and more. See how independent publishers make their mark in the comic book industry and blur the lines between mediums, Arcana style. Attendees will get free comics and also for free is the first in a series of “Arcana Universe” posters!

SIGNINGS:

This year, we have signings scheduled back to back throughout the convention, so if you miss your favorite creator, worry not, they’re likely appearing again later that day or the next. Below is the schedule for your viewing enjoyment.

Wednesday – PREVIEW NIGHT – July 20th

· 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

· 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

Thursday – July 21st

· 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

· 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge and Santa

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o John Barker – Dead Cell

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

o Rachel Taylor – Velvet Rope

o Siike Donnelly – Heaven’s Echo

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra: Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

· 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge and Santa

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o John Barker – Dead Cell

Friday – July 22nd

· 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge and Santa

o John Barker – Dead Cell

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

o Siike Donnelly – Heaven’s Echo

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra: Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

· 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge & Santa

o John Barker – Dead Cell

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra: Egyptian Exchange

· 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Rachel Taylor – Velvet Rope

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

· 4:00 – 5:45 PM

o Nikola Jajic – Loosely Based & Devil’s Island

· 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

· 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge and Santa

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

Saturday – July 23rd

· 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Bart Thompson – Blood, Shells, & Roses

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

o Nikola Jajic – Loosely Based & Devil’s Island

· 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge and Santa

o Matt Jacobs & Shannon Eric Denton – Grunts & Grunts: War Stories

o John Barker – Dead Cell

· 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra : Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

o Rachel Taylor – Velvet Rope

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Bart Thompson – Blood, Shells, & Roses

o Matt Jacobs & Shannon Eric Denton – Grunts & Grunts: War Stories

o Nikola Jajic – Loosely Based & Devil’s Island

· 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

o Ryan Colucci – Harbor Moon

· 5:00 PM – 5:45 pm

o Matt Wilson & Josh Kenfield – Scrooge & Santa

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o John Barker – Dead Cell

· 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM

o Bart Thompson – Blood, Shells, & Roses

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra : Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

Sunday – July 24th

· 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

o Matt Jacobs & Shannon Eric Denton – Grunts & Grunts: War Stories

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

· 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

· 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Bart Thompson – Blood, Shells, & Roses

o Mike Kalvoda – Banshee & Straw

o Matt Jacobs & Shannon Eric Denton – Grunts & Grunts: War Stories

· 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

o Rachel Taylor – Velvet Rope

o Ben Fisher & Mike Henderson – Hexen Hammers

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra: Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

· 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

o Erik Hendrix – SideShows

o Brooke Burgess & Dane Cypel – Becoming

o Aaron Nelson – Marlow

· 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

o Bart Thompson – Blood, Shells, & Roses

o Frank Barbiere – Divine Intervention & Endless West

o Alfonso Ruiz – Ezra: Egyptian Exchange (plus some of our promo art this year)

o Sean Dulaney – 51 Delta

Arcana Teams With Impulse Creations!

Arcana Comics is proud to announce that they are a premiere publisher with Impulse Creations.

Impulse Creations, one of the best online comic book stores, offer guaranteed low prices on back issue comics from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, and all other publishers along with low shipping costs.

Arcana will work closely with Impulse Creations to ensure that they have the latest news and product availablity so that they can provide fans of their publications with exactly what they’re looking for. Whatever you’re looking for, if its available at all, Impulse Creations will either have it or can it get it for you quickly. In addition, Arcana will provide the store with exclusive interviews and previews of their products.

Up first is an interview with Arcana owner and EIC, Sean O’Reilly, and Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton. They discuss their popular Kade series, their success in the indie market, and the projects (comic and film) currently under wraps.

To read the interview and check out great deals on Arcana titles, please visit:

http://www.impulsecreations.net

Book of the Month: Harry Walton: Henchman For Hire GN

Harry Walton, a disenfranchised ex-super-hero sidekick, finds himself having to work with every B-List schmuck in town to work up the ranks of the “Henchman’s Union” towards his ultimate goal: Super-Villain status. Smarter than most of the bosses he works for, Harry is stuck as a second banana once again. But when an opportunity to take revenge against his old Super-Hero partner arises, “Henchman for Hire” Harry Walton takes an initiative and launches a plan that catches the eyes of Super-Villains everywhere!

Buy the book now: http://www.arcanacomics.com/store/

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping in May, Arcana will be publishing Blam GN (MAY11 0814), Killing Machine GN (MAY11 0815), Kord & Harley GN (MAY11 0816), and Mwumba GN (MAY11 0817).

Shipping This Month

This May Arcana is offering Breakdown TP (MAR11 0850), Defex TP (MAR11 0851), Dead Cell GN (MAR11 0852), Frozen Wasteland GN (MAR11 0853), Last Ninja GN (MAR11 0854), and League of Super Evil GN (MAR11 0855).

Interview with John Barker

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews writer John Barker about his upcoming Arcana graphic novel, Dead Cell, as well as his past career as a professional wrestler.

MP: John, what can you tell readers about Dead Cell?

JB: On the outside The Dead Cell is a story about a mental hospital where they do experiments on homeless patients with mental disease. Basically they introduce variables that allow them to explore the various diseases they encounter. The book also tells of Dr. Monica McCoy and her journey through these experiments and how they effect her mentally, then of course we throw a little of the supernatural, some twists and turns and we end up with and exploration into shadow self psychology and the philosophy of Merkabah. Depending on your understanding of people and psychology you could be reading several different stories with several completely different meanings. The book is also filled with some crazy twists and I think the ending will really drive the book home for fans.

MP: How did you come up with the idea for the story?

JB: Originally I was going to set it up as an anthology exploring aspects of my own battle with depression, and as the concept evolved and grew it became more centered and I was really able to delve into deeper the human psyche and what really makes people with various forms of mental disease tick.

MP: Were you a big comic book fan growing up? If so, what were some of your favorite comics?

JB: I actually have been collecting comics since I was given my first two comics at age 5. Growing up of course my favorite books were the normal favorites of kids like Batman and Superman. I had kind of given up on comic books around 14 ish when I stumbled upon The Sandman, which led me into other mature reader titles like Swamp Thing and Preacher. As far as superhero comics go I’m still a huge fan of Batman, Green Lantern and Punisher, and am really into The Unwritten and Sweet Tooth.

MP: Now Arcana fans might not know this, but I know prior to getting into the comic industry you were a professional wrestler wrestling the indie circuit. First, what was your wrestling name and second, what were some of your favorite memories of wrestling?

JB: Over the course of my career I had several names before getting out. I have a lot of crazy memories and was fortunate enough to meet a lot of people I used to idolize. I had a lot of great memories from wresting in the ECW arena and other countries to the countless hours I spent jammed into cars with my friends traveling all over the country.

MP: Do you see any parallels between the comic industry and wrestling industry?

JB: Not so far. The comic industry is much less dirty. So far everyone I’ve dealt with has been straight forward, as we are all trying to be as good as we possibly can be. Wrestling is much much shiftier.

MP: Before we go, would you like to tell the fans anything else?

JB: I’d like to ask you all to check out Scott DM Simmons. He’s done a lot of really cool stuff from drawing things for Lucas to inking the Hack/Slash – Halloween Man crossover in the vol 8 TBP, and he was an immeasurable help in teaching me some of the basic aspects on script writing and structuring sequential stories. He has a self published project called Knight of POWER and a lot of other things coming out. Also definitely stay tuned for my future projects. I have several scripts already complete that I’m really happy with. Keep up to date at www.halo-seven.com.

Arcana Offers Over 80 Graphic Novels Through WOWIO!

Arcana Comics is proud to announce that they are currently offering over 80 different graphic novels through WOWIO.

WOWIO, an Alliance Acquisitions, Inc. company, is a unique eBook marketplace that stands apart from the crowd by offering significant advantages to readers, authors, publishers and advertisers.

With WOWIO, once you purchase an eBook, it’s yours. They will never reach into your device and delete it or stop allowing you to use it. No device limits. Also, if you lose your downloaded eBooks to a crash, you can re-download any purchased eBook from your library.
Arcana is currently offering 86 different graphic novels and books including Zedura Magazine and a Special Edition offering of the Clockwork Girl that comes with the animated motion picture trailer! Each month WOWIO will offer even more Arcana projects as they are released.

Preview the first 5 to 10 pages of any Arcana book for free or buy it for as low as 99 cents with graphic novels costing on average $4.95!

http://www.wowio.com/arcana

Snow Angel Arrives This Month!

Kurtis J. Wiebe, writer of Image Comics’ instant sell out hits Green Wake and Intrepids, brings you Snow Angel, a crime noir graphic novel from Arcana Comics.

SNOW ANGEL GN
(W) Kurtis Wiebe, (A/C) Tyler Jenkins From Arcana Studio. On a rain-soaked night in the heart of Bogota, a young girl witnesses a brutal murder by the hand of her father. This was no accident as her father wanted her to see. Snow Angel tells the story of Angela, a little girl growing up in the long shadow of her criminal father, Cesar. What would a child do to win the respect of the most brutal enforcer in the Cali cartel?

InStockTrades Book of the Month: Penance

When a news crew videotapes a battle, a masked superhero is arrested for the murder of a costumed super-villain. When police officer LJ McCloud is assigned to the open-and-shut case, she quickly finds her life spiraling out of control as she tries to weather the media hurricane that is surrounding the situation. And the deeper that the officer digs into the case, the more she realizes that they may be condemning an innocent man?

When ordered from InStockTrades, you will receive a signed bookplate from creator Sean Wise!

Buy the book now: http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Arcana-Studio/PENANCE-TP/JUL100758

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping June, Arcana will be publishing Kagagi The Rave GN (APR11 0773), Pistolfist GN (APR11 0774), Ralph Filmore GN (APR11 0775), Spy School GN (APR11 0776), and Woody & The Noble GN (APR11 0777).

Shipping This Month

This April Arcana is filling your Easter basket with Canadian Legion GN (FEB11 0725), Demonslayer TP (FEB11 0726), Jack and the Zombie Box GN (FEB11 0727), Mercy Sparx TP (FEB11 0728), Misplaced TP (FEB11 0729), and Snow Angel GN (SEP10 8039).

Interview with Ben Magid

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews Hollywood screenwriter, Ben Magid, on his upcoming Arcana GN, Trout.

MP: Ben, you are making your comics’ debut with the original graphic novel, Trout. What can you tell us about the project?

BM: Trout actually started out as a screenplay I was working on, but never quite finished. I wanted to tell a new type of monster movie about this great big world beneath the world we know that is inhabited by monsters, while at the center of it all, have a small, personal story that is really of coming of age tale. The story focuses on a scientist for the government who created a virus with the power to turn man into monster, and monster into man. Attacked, he hides the serum by injecting it into his son, Trout. Now everybody is after this 9 year old boy, and the story focuses around him, and the disgraced monster sent to protect him. There are some big action scenes and world creation, but at its heart, it is a personal story about these two characters as they form a bond as they try to stay alive, learning about who they are during the process. While the story would make a great movie, it just screamed to be a comic book, because it is so visual.

MP: Even though this is your first comic, you are no stranger to the world of comics. You wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Hack/Slash feature film from Rogue Pictures. How familiar were you with the comic before getting the job?

BM: I had heard of Hack/Slash but had never actually read any of the issues before being approached with adapting it. But after reading it, I was hooked. More than anything, I was jealous. It was such a great, simple concept that creator Tim Seeley came up with and I wished I had thought of it. I get sent a lot of adaptations from books to comics to video games, and the vast majority are fairly unoriginal. But Seeley’s Hack/Slash had a great concept, great characters and such a distinct voice that I had to be part of it. The comic fit with exactly what I try to do when I write, which is to play of familiar conventions and story lines in a totally unique and arresting way.

MP: What are the differences for writing comics compared to screenplays?

BM: The difference between writing screenplays and comics aren’t all that different. Outside of the different formatting, each are a visual way of storytelling, and each come down to creating a compelling story and characters. The way I work is I write a treatment, or a short story, and then after that is fine tuned, I begin writing the screenplay. The same principal applies to comics, so it is a great way to begin and really focus on characters and plot. One big difference I’ve noticed is that most comics, especially graphic novels, have a first act and a third act, with little to no second act. Scripts are the opposite. Half of the entire movie is second act, which makes it difficult in adapting comics to film. One definite advantage to writing comics is creating the panels and what is going to be seen on each page. While screenplays are written visually to a degree, the shots and framing are all done by the director. With comics, the opposite is true, which is often times creatively liberating, but daunting as well.

With film today, it is incredibly hard to get an original story told that isn’t based on some underlying property. Many people think the new great writing is happening in TV, but I think it’s really with comic books. Because superheroes are mostly encapsulated by DC and Marvel, it has opened up the world to new original stories. Comics like DMZ, Y: The Last Man and Chew are so original and so not comic books, that a whole new audience has been exposed up to the possibilities that can be achieved in the format. That is pretty exciting.

MP: What advice do you have for aspiring writers looking to break into either industry?

BM: Write. A lot. Learn your craft and come up with great ideas. Film is incredibly hard to break into nowadays, but it is possible with a great script. On the comics side, there are so many new avenues, from indecent publishes, to software, to apps like Comixology, that it just takes a great story, some luck and ingenuity to get your work out there. If the story is good, whether film or comic, people will find it.

MP: Before we go, are there any other projects of yours you would like to tell us about?

BM: I am currently developing a new comic book that I’m incredibly excited about. It takes the tried and true revenge story model, but turns it on its head in a way in which you’ve never seen before, in a world you have never seen before. It definitely pushes the boundaries on what the genre can be, which in the end, is what comic books, movies and all stories should be. Or it will suck. We will just have to wait and see.

MyDigitalComics Now Carries Arcana Titles!

Arcana Studio, Inc., a transmedia entertainment company that has over 100 graphic novels it publishes, produces, and licenses for all forms of media, is proud to announce their titles will now be available on MyDigitalComics, a member of the Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS) family. The list of titles includes:

American Wasteland – Truck Driver Cletus McCoy only wants one thing: to get back home and save his Mama from a fate worse than death. But, in a world crumbling into a vampire apocalypse, which is easier said than done. Cletus will have to truck his way through an emerging nation of bloodthirsty monsters hell-bent on making him supper.

Koni Waves: The Perfect Wave – KONI WAVES introduces private detective Koni Kanawai, an ex-cop in Honolulu, Hawaii who worked her way through college as a dancer at the Apanapana Ballroom. When a drinking problem gets her booted from the force, Koni starts her own detective agency. With the aid of Pete – her surf buddy, Krystal – a colleague from her dancing days, and Huko – the owner of her favorite watering hole, Koni encounters a series of supernatural events that leads her to discover a dark side of her island not seen in the usual tourist spots.

Olive Peril – When the CEO of the largest soap manufacturer in the United States dies, her only daughter, Olive, is left with quite the dilemma: she can marry her mother’s Evil Corporate Lawyer, or she can put her fate in the hands of a ghostly child who claims to know a way out of Earth.

The Hope Virus – Herbert is a social outcast at school and deals with his gloomy boredom through his website www.thehopevirus.com. After struggling with fitting in at school and his unusual case of insomnia, Herbert falls into a deep coma. He awakens to realize that his blogs have become some of the most quoted and influential scriptures of history.

Velvet Rope – Admit one to a new collection of horrifying tales! Grab your popcorn and candy, as Velvet, the beautiful usher from beyond the grave threads the projector for Arcana’s brand of spine tingling horror in this anthology which includes deadly glimpses of upcoming Arcana titles.

These titles are just the first in a series of titles being released digitally from MyDigitalComics for Arcana, who are on pace to publish 80 original graphic novels from January 2010 through June 2011. Although still a young company, some of these projects have been developed for numerous mediums including movies and animation.

Arcana’s Vice President of Operations and creator of 2 of the first Arcana offerings from MyDigitalComics, Mark Poulton, (Koni Waves and Velvet Rope) said, “It’s exciting working with MyDigitalComics, who have been a major player in the online market of comic book retailers through their other companies DCBS and InStockTrades.”

“MyDigitalComics is excited to work with Arcana Studio and its broad range of original graphic novels which offer exceptional writing and beautiful art styles,” said Cameron Merkler, co-founder of DCBS, InStockTrades, and MyDigitalComics.

About MyDigitalComics

MyDigitalComics was founded in 2009, and is a member of the Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS) family of comics retail stores which also includes InStockTrades. DCBS has been a long-time supporter of not just comics, but the comics community. They have been the sponsor of several major comics podcasts and are chief sponsor of the Summit City Comic Con, a creator-centered convention held annually in Fort Wayne, Indiana. DCBS was founded in 1999 and has been a major player in the online comics market place since that time. DCBS has a brick and mortar comic shop located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

MyDigitalComics offers digital comic books in PDF, CBZ and page-flip formats from 44 publishers including Arcana Studio, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, and Top Cow.

Discount Comic Book Service—www.dcbservice.com

InStockTrades—www.instocktrades.com

MyDigitalComics—www.mydigitalcomics.com

About Arcana Studio

Arcana Studio Inc. remains an independent of major entertainment studio affiliation. Arcana Studio is developing Gearhead with producer Gale Anne Hurd (“The Terminator”, “The Walking Dead”) and producing The Clockwork Girl with Deboragh Gabler (“A Dangerous Man”). Also in development is Raise Kane with Hans Rodionoff (“Lost Boys: The Tribe”), Gauze with Scott Milam (“Mother’s Day”), and Trout with Ben Magid (“Hack/Slash”).

InStockTrades Book of the Month: Velvet Rope TPB

This book will include a free book plate signed by the creators! The book plate may ship separately from the book. Admit one to a new collection of horrifying tales! Grab your popcorn and candy, as Velvet, the beautiful usher from beyond the grave, introduces Arcana’s brand of spine-tingling horror in this anthology. Featuring stories from Mark Poulton, Stephen Sistilli, Dexter Weeks, and many more. Velvet Rope is sure to make a killing at the box office. 40% off cover price!

Buy the book now: http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Arcana-Studio/VELVET-ROPE-TP/AUG100758

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping in May, Arcana will be publishing Breakdown TP (MAR11 0850), Defex TP (MAR11 0851), Dead Cell GN (MAR11 0852), Frozen Wasteland GN (MAR11 0853), Last Ninja GN (MAR11 0854), League of Super Evil GN (MAR11 0855).

Shipping This Month

This March Arcana roars in like a lion with the release of All Fall Down GN (JAN11 0932), Every Waking Moment GN (JAN11 0933), and Kade Prodigal Sun GN (JAN11 0934).

Interview with Kevin Sorbo

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews television and motion picture star, Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Andromeda), who plays Detective Sean Nault in the live action adaptation of Arcana’s Paradox!

MP: Kevin, you play Detective Sean Nault in the motion picture adaptation of the Arcana graphic novel Paradox. What drew you to the role?

KS: It was just a fun role to play. The mixture of action/comedy/sy fy and drama made it an easy role to want to dive into. Mix in the fact the script was well written and Brenton Spencer was directing, there was no need to say no.

MP: What can you tell fans about the movie and do you think it measures up to its comic book counterpart?

KS: The comic book world will be pleased. There is always going to be critics of no matter what you do when you take a book or comic book and make a movie. Depending on the cost of the movie, there is so much you can do to make it bigger and better. I just feel we did it justice and fans hopefully will be pleased.

MP: Your two most notable roles have come from television as Hercules and Captain Dylan Hunt on Andromeda. Do you prefer television over film?

KS: Right now I am ready to dive back into a series mainly because I want to stay in one place. I have 3 small children and it gets tough to take off all the time and not be there for them. Movies tend to take you on the road. The hours can be tough on hour TV shows, but I like to stay busy!

MP: Besides Hercules and Andromeda, you’ve also played other notable characters in the sci-fi/comic community such as Kull the Conqueror and even voiced Ka-Zar on the Super Hero Squad Show! Is this a genre you are a fan of? And did you grow up reading comics?

KS: I read everything as a kid. Studied Greek Mythology heavily in junior high. So to get Hercules many years later was a blast for me. I love the fantasy world and sy fy world. Much better to escape reality than to suffer through the crap of reality TV!! Trust me, us actors hate reality TV. It is a joke.

MP: An interesting piece of trivia about your career is you were the runner up to Dean Cain for the part of Superman in Lois & Clark. What type of Superman do you think you would have made?

KS: I would have been a great Clark Kent. Dean made a much better Superman!!

MP: Finally, what other projects can fans look forward to seeing you in later this year?

KS: I have a number of movies coming out this year. Hopefully Paradox will be out soon. I have another sci fi film called Flesh Wounds. A big Sony Studios movie called Soul Surfer out April 8th. Then What If comes out on DVD March 1st. That movie is up for Movie of the Year and I got a Best Actor nod from the upcoming Movie Guide Awards show where I am also the host! Give Me One Reason, The Coffin, and Poolboy: Drowning Out The Fury will be theatrical releases as well. Oh yeah, one more. Julia X in 3D where I play a serial killer.

Graphicly To Carry Arcana Studio Titles!

Arcana Studio, Inc., a transmedia entertainment company that has over 100 graphic novels it publishes, produces, and licenses for all forms of media, is proud to announce their titles will now be available on Graphicly. The list of titles includes:

A Cat Named Haiku – Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Haiku is also a little cat who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. “A Cat Named Haiku” tells the story of the day in the life of a mischievous little cat. Was selected by Teachersandparents.com for their “TogetheRead Program,” which helps build better readers by encouraging fun!

American Wasteland – Truck Driver Cletus McCoy only wants one thing: to get back home and save his Mama from a fate worse than death. But, in a world crumbling into a vampire apocalypse, which is easier said than done. Cletus will have to truck his way through an emerging nation of bloodthirsty monsters hell-bent on making him supper.

Olive Peril – When the CEO of the largest soap manufacturer in the United States dies, her only daughter, Olive, is left with quite the dilemma: she can marry her mother’s Evil Corporate Lawyer, or she can put her fate in the hands of a ghostly child who claims to know a way out of Earth.

The Hope Virus – Herbert is a social outcast at school and deals with his gloomy boredom through his website www.thehopevirus.com. After struggling with fitting in at school and his unusual case of insomnia, Herbert falls into a deep coma. He awakens to realize that his blogs have become some of the most quoted and influential scriptures of history.

Velvet Rope – Admit one to a new collection of horrifying tales! Grab your popcorn and candy, as Velvet, the beautiful usher from beyond the grave threads the projector for Arcana’s brand of spine tingling horror in this anthology which includes deadly glimpses of upcoming Arcana titles.

These titles are just the first in a series of titles being released digitally from Graphicly for Arcana, who are on pace to publish 80 original graphic novels from January 2010 through June 2011. Although still a young company, some of these projects have been developed for numerous mediums including movies and animation.

Arcana’s Vice President of Operations and creator of 2 of the first Arcana offerings from Graphicly, Mark Poulton, (A Cat Named Haiku and Velvet Rope) said, “It’s exciting going into this venture with Graphicly, who not only provide great content, but offer an enthusiastic community to share our love of comics with. I look forward to interacting with our fanbase via Graphicly.”

“We’re extremely excited to be working with Arcana Studio and providing their graphic novels on Graphicly,” said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphicly, “Their library is filled with great graphic novels that I know the Graphicly community will enjoy.” These titles from Arcana can be read on Grpahicly by going to http://www.graphicly.com and downloading one of the many apps available for the desktop, the iPhone and iPad. Or all of Arcana’s available titles can be viewed on the web at http://chrome.graphicly.com/arcana

About Graphicly:
Graphicly is a cutting-edge entertainment digital content delivery system and community platform, providing an immersive social experience and marketplace around digital comics and associated entertainment.

About Arcana Studio:
Arcana Studio Inc. remains an independent of major entertainment studio affiliation. Arcana Studio is developing Gearhead with producer Gale Anne Hurd (“The Terminator”, “The Walking Dead”) and producing The Clockwork Girl with Deboragh Gabler (“A Dangerous Man”). Also in development is Raise Kane with Hans Rodionoff (“Lost Boys: The Tribe”), Gauze with Scott Milam (“Mother’s Day”), and Trout with Ben Magid (“Hack/Slash”).

Mom’s Choice Awards Honors Arcana!

Arcana is pleased to announce the Mom’s Choice Awards have honored The Clockwork Girl and The Gwaii in this year’s awards!

The Mom’s Choice Awards is known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. This annual competition recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents, and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media products and services.

This year The Clockwork Girl was awarded the Gold in Juvenile Level 2 Books, while the Gwaii was awarded the Gold in Juvenile Level 1 Books.

For more information on the Mom’s Choice Awards, please visit their website at: www.momschoiceawards.com

InStockTrades Book of the Month: Shadowflame

When Officer Tom Wyatt’s wife, Janice, was murdered he tried to find solace in his own grief and despair. He attempted to end his own life. Instead he found himself transported to a ship orbiting the Earth. The aliens aboard explained that he could not kill himself for he was the last of a chosen line. A family line which possessed the perfect genetic Imprint to receive the ‘gift of power’ and become a third holy man of lsht. So after hearing the story of Isht and his family, Tom agreed to take the power. In a painful ceremony he was endowed with powers that set him apart from other men. He was now a superman, capable of vast feats of strength, flight, telekinetic force bolts and all the rewards of being a holy man. This gave him not only great powers, but a reason to live.

If you buy the book now at InStockTrades you will receive a bookplate signed by Shadowflame creator, Joe Martino!
Buy the book now: http://www.instocktrades.com/search/shadowflame

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping April, Arcana will be publishing Canadian Legion GN (FEB11 0725), Demonslayer TP (FEB11 0726), Jack and the Zombie Box GN (FEB11 0727), Mercy Sparx TP (FEB11 0728), and Misplaced TP (FEB11 0729).

Shipping This Month

This February Arcana has the Valentine’s gifts every comic lover wants with the release of Continuum GN (DEC10 0729), Harry Walton Henchman for Hire GN (DEC10 0730), Harbor Moon GN (DEC10 0731), Kore TP (DEC10 0732), and Warstone GN (DEC10 0733).

Interview with Alexa Vega

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews actress, Alexa Vega, voice of Tesla in the upcoming The Clockwork Girl animated movie.

MP: For those that don’t know you are voicing Tesla in the upcoming The Clockwork Girl animated film. What drew you to the character?

AV: While I was at Comic Con a few years ago I remember passing the graphic novel and doing a double take. I went back…. Picked it up and read the whole thing right there. I walked over to Sean O’reilly and said ” I am going to play this girl.” He thought I was CRAZY. I looked like some psycho fan who wanted to become Tesla. But who wouldn’t. Tesla is so unique and …..well, new. She is seeing the world with fresh eyes. Everyday for Tesla is a discovery to something new.

MP: Do you approach voice acting in an animated film any differently than acting in a live action film?

AV: I had never done an animated film before. I had no idea what to expect. But with Tesla, I wanted to make sure that we didn’t get to animated with her voice. She is still discovering so I wanted her voice to have a sense of wonder to it. But I also wanted her to sound like a real girl. None of that cheesy movie mumbo jumbo. That works for other characters… but not Tesla. I think with the help of the director Kevin Hanna we were able to together find the right tone and excitement for Tesla’s voice.

MP: Can you tell us how the film will differ if any from the graphic novel?

AV: The graphic novel can only go so far as to telling you the whole story. I feel like we are introduced to the children but aren’t truly able to see their capabilities until the film. Both Huxley and Tesla are amazing creations. Each built for a unique purpose. They have skills beyond belief. It’s fun to see that come to life in the film.

MP: One of your most popular roles is as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids films. The fourth installment of the franchise is currently in the works. Can you tell fans what they can expect from it and when they can hope to find it in theaters?

AV: There are a lot more gadgets… New Kids… and some wonderful new additions like Joel Mccale, Jessica Alba and the amazing Jeremy Piven. It is nice to come back and be a part of something that was such huge part of my life growing up. I think in my heart I will always have a spy kid in there.

MP: Before we go, what other upcoming projects are you excited about?

AV: I have a movie that I did a cameo in for Darren Bousman called Mother’s Day. I get to play a character that I have never played before and lets just say… I am not that nice (laughs). I also have a film called “from Prada to Nada” which releases in theaters on Jan 28th. So be sure to check that out.

Pixies and Clockwork Girl Sign With HarperCollins!

Arcana Comics is proud to announce Pixies and Clockwork Girl have signed with HarperCollins Publishers.

Pixies tells the tale of Joe Beck, who since a young age has been plagued by bad luck. After losing the love of his life, he realizes that karma, and a tribe of Pixies, have been responsible for all of his unfortunate accidents. He now needs to figure out how to get his girl back, cooperate with the ever mischevious Pixies and undue a bad deed he did long ago.

Clockwork Girl tells the tale of a nameless robot girl who has recently been given the gift of life from her creator. While she explores the wonders of an ordinary world she meets an amazing mutant boy and they share a friendship that must overcome their warring families. An animated film based on the graphic novel is currently in post production.

Arcana is an innovative leader in developing content in various mediums. Working in websites, comics and graphic novels, video games, short-form animation and live action shorts, toys and merchandise, as well as feature length films, Arcana focusses on a transmedia approach to the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.

HarperCollins Publishers is one of the world’s leading English-language publishers. Headquartered in New York, the company is a subsidiary of News Corporation. They are a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, and mystery, romance, reference, religious, and spiritual books. Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement, HarperCollins is the first publisher to digitize its content and create a global digital warehouse to protect the rights of its authors, meet consumer demand, and generate additional business opportunities.

http://www.arcanacomics.com

Captain Action Teams With Kade and Koni Waves in Devil’s Sun!

Captain Action, the original super hero action figure from the 60s, is teaming up with Arcana’s flagship characters Kade and Koni Waves for the 4 issue limited series, Devil’s Sun, later this year.

Devil’s Sun, written by Mark Poulton (Koni Waves, Image’s Brigade) and illustrated by Mike McMahon, finds Kade and Koni teaming with Captain Action to stop the ascension of Satan’s son. Along the way, they will encounter some of the top indie characters around including Hack/Slash, Jack Staff, The Living Corpse, Pinocchio Vampire Slayer, and many more.

What makes this team-up even more monumental is the series will introduce the new Lady Action… Koni Waves?! That’s right, Honolulu’s own supernatural private detective will don the costume of sexy superspy, Lady Action! To promote the event Koni will be appearing in person at the Summer conventions dressed as Lady Action. In addition, a special preview edition will be available at San Diego Comic Con and other Summer conventions.

Look for Devil’s Sun later this year, featuring variant retro covers by Stephen Sistilli (Koni Waves).

Captain Action is part of Captain Action Enterprises, an LLC retropreneurial company, dedicated to bringing nostalgic brands back for both dedicated fans and new audiences.

InStockTrades Book of the Month

Koni Waves: The Perfect Wave (40% Off Cover Price!)

Koni Waves introduces private detective Koni Kanawai, an ex-cop in Honolulu, Hawaii who worked her way through college as a dancer at the Apanapana Ballroom. When a drinking problem gets her booted from the force, Koni starts up her own detective agency. With the aid of Pete, her surf buddy, Krystal, a colleague from her dancing days, and Huko, the owner of her favorite water hole, Koni encounters a series of supernatural events that leads her to discover a dark side of her island not seen in the usual tourist spots.

This massive 240 page omnibus collects the first two volumes of Koni Waves as well as the Koni Waves/Demonslayer oneshot and the rare Headress of the Undead con exclusive. In addition, this director’s cut includes 28 new pages of story and an all-new ending. Read the first chapter for free at InStockTrades.

Plus exclusive to InStockTrades each order comes with a signed bookplate by series creators Mark Poulton, Stephen Sistilli, and Dexter Weeks. Each bookplate will also come with a free headsketch!

Buy the book now: http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Arcana/KONI-WAVES-PERFECT-WAVE-GN/JUN100741

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping in March, Arcana will be publishing All Fall Down GN (JAN11 0932), Every Waking Moment GN (JAN11 0933), and Kade: Prodigal Sun GN (JAN11 0934).

Shipping This Month

This January Arcana brings in the New Year with 51 Delta GN (NOV10 0709), Curse of the Cortes Stone #1 (NOV10 0710), Frozen Wasteland GN (NOV10 0711), Hexen Hammers GN (NOV10 0712), Hyper Actives GN (NOV10 0713), League of Super Evil GN (NOV10 0714), and the Pixies HC (NOV10 0715).

Interview with Jeff Dyers

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews Jeff Dyer, writer of the hot new graphic novel, Every Waking Moment.

MP: Jeff, Every Waking Moment is solicited in this month’s Previews. What is the graphic novel about?

JD: Everyone wants more time. It seems to be, other than death, the great equalizer. People want more time with their families, more time to work, more time to play. So in Every Waking Moment, billionaire visionary Grant Auden has developed a medical procedure, The Wake-Up Call, which eliminates the need for sleep. He thinks people will use their “extra time” to make themselves better people and, thus, make the world a better place. The world’s greatest protectors, The Idealists, volunteer to undergo The Wake-Up Call so they can protect humanity 24/7. Meanwhile, a young reporter named Emma Troy begins to investigate the story and uncovers some startling consequences: without sleep, there are no dreams… and what happens if people don’t dream? As the story reaches its dramatic conclusion, these lost dreams erupt into the waking world, causing chaos and destruction beyond imagining.

MP: Did you ever wish you didn’t need to sleep?

JD: No! I love sleep, but the notion of having more time fascinates me. If you estimate that we sleep 8 hours per night, that’s roughly a third of your entire life. I know sleep is a necessity, but if I had those extra hours (years), think what could be accomplished!

MP: When did you first come up with the idea and how has the process been getting it to print?

JD: Well, I came up with the core idea way back in 1992. So almost 20 years ago! I spent years trying to write Every Waking Moment as a prose novel. I finally finished the novel in 2002, but it wasn’t very good. I’m not a novelist, and I knew the story wasn’t as good as it could have been. But I’ve always loved comics, so the novel became a graphic novel. In 2005, I ran into my high school buddy Steve Ott, an aspiring comic book artitst. We were at our local library for an event. Comic writer/artist Phil Hester was there doing a presentation about comics. Phil, incidentally, would later agree to draw the cover for Every Waking Moment! So anyway, I asked Steve if he wanted to illustrate Every Waking Moment as a graphic novel and thankfully he agreed. So we spent about two years creating the graphic novel. I give huge props to Steve for drawing a 200 page book in its entirety before we ever submitted to a single publisher. We went with Arcana in January 2010, and it’s been an exciting year seeing the pages get colored by Todd Rayner and Lionel Dusklight. I’m very excited to finally hold the finished book in my hands!

MP: Were you a comic book fan growing up? If so, what were some of your favorite comics?

JD: I’ve loved comics my whole life. My favorites are probably not very surprising: Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come. I adore Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Will Eisner’s Spirit, Milton Caniff, Hal Foster. Lee and Kirby’s FF is amazing. My favorite character is Superman. On my 40th birthday this past summer, I got my first tattoo: a Superman shield!

MP: Before we go, is there anything else you would like to say to readers?

JD: I just hope people will give Every Waking Moment a shot. It’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for 20 years. Over the past two decades, I’ve struggled to get the story out there, I’ve never lost sight of the fact that the story is strong. I think it deals with huge concepts and ideas that are at the core of what makes us all human. It’s also a big, fun story with super heroes and great action. If you’re looking for a unique graphic novel, unlike anything else you’ve read, then try Every Waking Moment!

Arcana Acquires Hero Happy Hour!

Arcana Comics is proud to announce that they have acquired Hero Happy Hour.

Imagine pulling up a stool to the bar and sipping a frosty pint of your favorite beverage as you listen in on the conversations of the “regulars” that frequent the neighbourhood tavern. But this establishment is unlike any other bar. The Hideout Bar & Grill caters to super heroes of First City. And this watering hole serves as more than just a place to wash away the troubles of serving and protecting society as crime fighting crusaders. For the regular heroes it is “a place where everyone knows your name,” secret identity or not.

“I actually wish I would have thought of it.” – Brian Michael Bendis (writer of Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers, New Avengers).

Created by writer Dan Taylor and artist Chris Fason, Hero Happy Hour was named in Wizard’s Best of 2003 as “Concept We Wish We’d Thought Of.”

“With a concept that’s as ingenious as a two-for-one happy hour and laughs that hit faster than a shot of Wild Turkey to your dome, Hero Happy Hour won’t leave you skunky.” – Wizard Magazine

http://www.arcanacomics.com

View the Paradox Trailer Now!

Homicide detective Sean Nault (Kevin Sorbo), a cop on a parallel Earth whose technology is powered exclusively by magic. Sean investigates a baffling series of murders committed by a means he’s never seen before: science. With the aid of Lenoir, a member of the ridiculed subculture of “pragmatists” who believe science is more than the stuff of myths & children’s stories, and the 130 year old sorcerer Winston Churchill, Sean uncovers an ominous plot that will lead him to another dimension and the realization that, unless he prevents it, both earths could well be destroyed. Based on the graphic novel by Christos Gage!

View the trailer here: http://www.americanworldpictures.com/

Leage of Super Evil (L.O.S.E.)

The hit animated series, League of Super Evil, comes to Arcana in the League of Super Evil Comics Special! Armed with a whole new approach to badness, The League of Super Evil (L.O.S.E.) follows four super villians who have set their sights on nothing less than total neighbourhood domination! These four may think they’re bad to the core, but with no budget, no skills, and not a heck of a lot of brain power, evil is the last thing they really are!

Features two stories: Swimming with Sharks – a battle to keep the neighbourhood kid away from the inflatable pool, and One Zillion – The Great Voltar’s quest to accumulate the most TV channels EVER!

L.O.S.E. can be seen on Cartoon Network and YTV. This book is appropriate for kids, but great for adults too!

Diamond Code: NOV10 0714
ISBN: 9781926914121
64 Pages, Full Color
$7.99

Buy the book now: http://www.arcanacomics.com/store/

In Previews

This month in Previews, for items shipping in February Arcana has Continuum GN (DEC10 0729), Harry Walton Henchman For Hire GN (DEC10 0730), Harbor Moon GN (DEC10 0731), Kore TP (DEC10 0732), and Warstone GN (DEC10 0733).

Shipping This Month

This December Arcana has the perfect presents for under your tree with Anywhere TP (OCT10 0758), Chaotic Soldiers GN (OCT10 0759), Dead Men Tell No Tales GN Vol. 2 Decimation (OCT10 0760), Opera Manga GN (OCT10 0761), Pixies #1 (OCT10 0762), Scrooge & Santa GN (OCT10 0763), and Unimaginable GN (OCT10 0764).

Interview with Josh Blaylock

This month, Arcana’s Vice President of Operations, Mark Poulton interviews Josh Blaylock, CEO and founder of Devil’s Due Publishing about Arcana’s acquisition of some of the Devil’s Due library.

MP: Devil’s Due is one of the biggest comic book publishers around. Looking back what are some of your proudest accomplishments?

JB: One of? WE are THE biggest! (note – we use the same statistical analysts as Wizard World convention attendance trackers). Seriously, though, thanks for the compliment. Obviously snagging the G.I. Joe license ten years ago at a time that everyone used to ask “Why on Earth would anyone want something from the EIGHTIES?” was the pinnacle event that put us on the map. Out of other series I’d have to say bringing HACK/SLASH and DRAFTED to the world top the list. Also working with the series’ respective creators – someone as prolific as Tim Seeley since the beginning of both our careers, and Mark Powers, an industry veteran, respectively. There are ton of convention stories I’d love to tell that top the list too, but out of respect for the other parties in those stories, I’ll keep them to myself.

Lastly, I’d say, simply, just not working for anyone! I have a deep belief that no one should just blindly become an employee, or in the case of talent, work for hire. It’s okay to do that, but be conscious of it and work to build something you own on the side.

MP: When you decided to work with other publishers how did you come about choosing to work with Arcana?

JB: Sean ran up to me at a comic-con five or six years ago, in that distinct O’Reilly fashion, and offered to buy me a beer so he could ask me some publishing questions. I had no idea who he was and that Ant costume kinda gave me the willies, but Momma always said never pass up a free drink.

We stayed in touch, and a mutual associate mentioned that Arcana was looking to expand its library. By this time I had yanked publishing from our distributor due to matters we’re still looking into, so publishing in the traditional sense was over. Sean agreed to let me keep creative control, and to bring some titles back from the dead, so how could I say no?

As Devil’s Due rebuilds, and comics moves out of its direct market prison into the mainstream world, it’s evolving (I believe with the entire publishing industry) into a company no longer as focused on publishing as we are on creating stories and characters that can be published by multiple parties. Our biggest asset is our ability to create ideas, and then to sell those ideas through stories and products, or sell the ideas outright. Kind of full circle to how the company started.

MP: Now Arcana has acquired select titles from DDP to publish as collected tpbs. They are Kore, Warstone, Mercy Sparx, Misplaced, Defex, Breakdown, and Blade of Kumori. For fans who may be new to Devil’s Due, what can they expect from these titles?

JB: I’d like to continue Mercy Sparx and finish the story we started on Free Comic Book Day a couple of years ago, and would love to do more Kore, but we’re still waiting on a budget from Mr. O.

I’m told you guys are also going to finish the long-hibernating Blade of Kumori story, and am anxiously awaiting writers and artists to approve.

In general we tried to tell high action stories with a good dose of humor, ranging from post modern high fantasy to super hero. Mercy is my baby, and deals with the bureaucracy between Heaven and Hell. There’s a badass exorcist coming into the story, and Mr. Suit is on a tirade in Hell looking for everyone that sold him out so I hope we get to tell it.

I personally created the core concepts behind all of those titles, even the ones that were written by others, and I guess the common theme usually involves being transported from one world to another in some way, and getting caught up in ‘the system.’

MP: Do any of the collections contain any new material?

JB: I hope not! If they do I know nothing about it. That’s another thing I’m looking forward to seeing the presentation on.

MP: Can fans expect to see you at the Arcana booth this year at SDCC?

JB: Sure. I’ll probably be there a few times during the week when not at the Devil’s Due booth.

MP: Is there anything else you would like to say to fans before we go?

JB: Just thanks for sticking with us for all these years. It’s been a very rough two years, but we just celebrated our 9th anniversary since the release of our first major title. Thanks to Arcana for helping to continue getting these stories out to the people who love them!

I’d also like to let everyone know to check out www.joshblaylock.com, my personal blog about the business of creativity, with heavy ties to the comic book and pop culture world.