Industry-leader, IDW Publishing, To Debut New Releases at
Comic-Con in July
Pioneering projects cross over from comics to the big- and small-screen
San Diego, CA (July 12, 2007)—IDW Publishing, publisher of some of today's most innovative and ground-breaking comic books, will be debuting a number of much-anticipated new releases at this year's Comic-Con (July 26-29 at the San Diego Convention Center)—all of which also bridge the gap between comic books and the moving pictures of film or TV:
- Comic-Con attendees will be the first to see artist Ben Templesmith's first go-it-alone "30 Days of Night" project with the release of "30 Days of Night: Red Snow"—just before the original "30 Days of Night" story hits movie theaters in October.
- Rock-legend Gene Simmons' son Nick Simmons, who is the breakout star of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" on the A&E Network, will debut "Nick Simmons' Skullduggery," written and illustrated exclusively by Nick.
- Copies of an exclusive "Beowulf" promo comic book will preview the coming weekly miniseries, which is inspired by the Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Shangri-La Entertainment movie that hits theaters this November.
Exclusive "30 Days of Night: Red Snow" Debuts at Comic-Con
Artist Ben Templesmith, one of comics' fastest-rising stars, makes his debut as both artist and writer in the nightmarish world of vampires at Comic-Con 2007—premiering "30 Days of Night: Red Snow #1." Co-creator of "30 Days of Night" and "Fell," Templesmith goes it alone on this gritty, three-part tale.
"30 Days of Night: Red Snow" is set half a century before "30 Days of Night," the horrifying vampire tale from IDW Publishing that shocked the comic book world in 2002 and quickly became a bona-fide smash hit. Created by writer Steve Niles and artist Templesmith, "30 Days of Night" was the terrifying story of a small Alaskan town overrun by vampires during thirty sunless days of the harsh northern winter. This October, "30 Days of Night" will frighten movie-going audiences with the much-anticipated motion picture adaptation from Sony Pictures, directed by David Slade, best known for directing "Hard Candy," and starring Josh Hartnett, who also acted in "Sin City," based on the graphic novel of the same name.
"30 Days of Night: Red Snow," the first prequel miniseries in the "30 Days of Night" comic book series, is set during World War II. The story follows a British military attaché who is assigned to get aid through Stalin's frontline troops, all while the Russian winter grows more threatening. However, he finds survival even more difficult than anticipated when an unexpected element—which is much more adept at killing humans than humans are—adds itself to the mix.
In addition to the 28-page story, the exclusive Comic-Con edition of "30 Days of Night: Red Snow #1" includes an exclusive foil-stamped cover by Templesmith; behind-the-scenes artwork; and a 5-page preview of "30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow," written by Steve Niles and illustrated by industry legend Bill Sienkiewicz.
Templesmith, a Featured Guest at this year's Comicon whose stylish art has set a new standard in comics horror, will be available for interviews throughout Comic-Con. A Spotlight on Ben Templesmith panel will take place Friday, July 27th at 6 PM.
30 Days of Night Con Edition Preview
Gene and Nick Simmons Release New Work at Comic-Con
Earlier this year, IDW Publishing partnered with rock-legend Gene Simmons, of KISS fame, to create the Simmons Comics Group, an imprint within IDW's stable of comics. Now, at Comic-Con 2007, "Nick Simmons' Skullduggery" will be debuted. This comic, which will debut in its entirety later this year, is written and illustrated by Nick Simmons, Gene Simmons' 17-year-old son and star in his own right—thanks to the smash-hit "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" on the A&E Network. The exclusive comic will also preview pages from the line of Simmons Comics Group titles, too. Gene and Nick Simmons are both available for interviews on Friday during Comic-Con.
Skullduggery Con Edition Preview
"Beowulf" Preview Released at Comic-Con
"Beowulf," the ancient epic poem, will receive its most spectacular adaptation of all this November, in the form of a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Shangri-La Entertainment, with an all-star cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Crispin Glover, and Angelina Jolie. In turn, the spectacular new motion picture has inspired a comic book adaptation from IDW Publishing.
In four weekly installments in October, writer Chris Ryall, who is also IDW Publishing's publisher and editor-in-chief; artist Gabriel Rodriguez; and colorist Jay Fotos—the creative team also behind "Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show"—will release an adaptation of the movie, working directly from the screenplay written by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary.
And, as a special bonus, Paramount Pictures will hand out more than 200,000 copies of an exclusive 8-page "Beowulf" promo-comic book at Comic-Con, which will preview the miniseries to come.
Ashley Wood's 48 Nudes Con Exclusive
Fans of celebrated artist Ashley Wood will be happy to know they can pick up an Exclusive SDCC '07 Variant cover for his newest work, "Ashley Wood's 48 Nudes." This collection presents 48 all-new drawings... or should we say "all-nude" drawings? That's right, this title ain't just hyperbole, folks. So if you prefer your art to be clothing-free, this one's for you! Soft-bound in an attractive 11" x 11" format, you can finally add some more Wood to your collection.
48 Nudes Con Edition Preview
Comic-Con Panels of Note:
- IDW Publishing Panel – Friday, July 27, 11:30am-12:30pm, Room 4
This panel will present an overview of IDW Publishing's upcoming projects, including an "Angel: After the Fall" comic by Joss Whedon and Brian Lynch, as well as updates on the upcoming "Star Trek" and "Transformers" series, and a special announcement of a new title or two, too. Participants include: science fiction writer and co-founder of boingboing.net, Cory Doctorow; publisher of IDW Publishing, Chris Ryall; comic writer Mike Baron, screenwriter Brian Lynch, David Tischman, and more.
- 30 Days of Night Panel–Saturday, July 28, 5:15-6:45pm, Hall H
Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith's vampire noir epic horror/thriller reaches the big screen under the banner of Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures. On hand to show clips and answer questions will be director David Slade, producer Sam Raimi, creators Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, and stars Josh Hartnett (Sin City) and Danny Huston (Children of Men).
- Star Trek– Saturday, July 28, 10:30am-11:30pm, Room 2
This panel will be an overview of IDW Publishing's "Star Trek" projects. Participants include: "Star Trek" editor Dan Taylor and "Klingons" and upcoming "Star Trek: The Next Generation" writer Scott Tipton.
- Hasbro / IDW /Cartoon Network: Transformers– Saturday, July 28, 11:45am-1:15pm, Room 6A
This panel will be an overview of upcoming toys, movie-related projects, and comic books connected to Transformers.
Participants include: IDW's Publisher/Editor-in-Chief and Hasbro and Cartoon Network personnel to be announced.
- Great American Comic Strips– Saturday, July 28, 1:30-2:30pm, Room 4
This panel will discuss the process and projects related to archival reprints of comic strips like Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates and Little Orphan Annie.
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among their best-selling titles are Hasbro’s THE TRANSFORMERS; Fox's ANGEL, Konami's METAL GEAR SOLID, and FALLEN ANGEL. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film is in development and will be released by Sony Pictures in October 2007. IDW has films in development at Dimension Films and Paramount Pictures, as well. More information about the company can be found at www.idwpublishing.com. Information on the Simmons Comics Group line of comics can be found at www.Simmons-Comics.com.
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