Avatar Press News & Updates August 5, 2004
In this message: October Solicited Releases, Garth Ennis’ 303, Lady Death: Dead Rising at Avatar, Stargate SG-1: Aris Boch, Upcoming Avatar Convention Appearances
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COMING IN OCTOBER FROM AVATAR
If you haven’t taken a look yet, solicitations for October Releases from Avatar Press are available online and it’s another strong month from Avatar. Here’s a brief rundown:
* Garth Ennis’ 303 #1 – Ennis, Burrows, Waller. A major new creator-owned series from the writer of legendary title Preacher!
* Brian Pulido’s Belladonna #2 – Pulido, Hilinski, Waller. The tale of vengeance continues!
* Brian Pulido’s War Angel Book of Death – Pulido, Geovani. Future shock with an ancient twist from the creator of Lady Death.
* Stargate SG-1 Fall of Rome #3 – Kuhoric, Correa, Waller. Teal’c faces the Legends in the Gladiatorial arena!
* Stargate SG-1 Aris Boch #1 – Kuhoric, Correa, Waller. The self-proclaimed greatest bounty hunter in the universe is back!
* Joe R. Lansdale’s By Bizarre Hands #6 – Lansdale, Verma. God of the Razor.
You can get complete information and graphics for these and all our October releases at
www.avatarpress.com/2004solic/10/
These items should be available for preorder from your local retailer now. Please support your local retailer and Avatar by asking him to order these items for you. If you can’t get these Avatar Press items locally, they are available from our direct sales agent at
www.comiccavalcade.com/2004solic/10/
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GARTH ENNIS TAKES AIM WITH 303 FROM AVATAR PRESS
Avatar Press has announced that it will publish Garth Ennis’ 303, a six-issue full color mini-series written by Preacher creator and Punisher writer Garth Ennis and drawn by Jacen Burrows (Warren Ellis’ Scars, Alan Moore’s The Courtyard). The eagerly-anticipated saga is scheduled to begin in October. Preview pages from the first two issues are available now at www.garthennis303.com.
“303 is the story of a Russian Special Forces Colonel, who, after a particularly brutal bit of black ops nastiness in Afghanistan, decides to walk to America to take out a highly important target,” explains creator Garth Ennis.
“The title refers to the rifle he’s going to use for the job, an antique British army Lee Enfield, three oh three calibre. This was the weapon that took the British army through two world wars and survived in its service until long after the second. It still shows up today from time to time, carried by tribesmen and guerrilla fighters in some of the world’s most brutal conflicts. The Lee Enfield is one of the great success stories of killing technology; it’s simple to use, what flaws it possesses are few and far between, and it’ll withstand a good deal of very rough treatment indeed before it stops doing what it says on the tin.”
“This particular Lee Enfield, however, is not just some artefact long overdue for retirement. High in the war-ravaged mountains of Afghanistan, the rifle falls into the hands of a man who plans to do the unthinkable: who sets out on a journey across whole continents, who fights his way through killing grounds both terrible and unexpected, all so he can fire a single bullet at the most important target in the world.
“303 begins as a war story, but changes halfway through into something I’m still not certain of myself,” adds Ennis. “This is odd territory we’re traversing, where the past pushes its warriors into the present with murderous intent, aiding and abetting destiny by means of numerous unwitting agents. It’s the tale of a soldier who’s been fighting for nothing all his life, but now believes he’s found his purpose, and the one man who can stop him, a worn-out hero filled with fatal sadness.”
“If I had to sum it up in one line, I’d say 303 was inspired by my fears for the world,” Ennis says.
“I’m extremely fortunate to have the excellent Jacen Burrows drawing the story for me,” notes Ennis. “If you’ve enjoyed his work with Alan Moore and Warren Ellis, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Jacen’s producing some of his finest work to date on this book, and with the complete creative freedom available at Avatar Press, you’ll be glad to hear that neither he nor I will have to pull our punches. Which comes in handy, believe me, when you realize that a story’s taking you places you’ve never been before.”
Garth Ennis’ 303 begins in October 2004 from Avatar Press, and is available for order now from comics retailers everywhere. The full color saga is written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Jacen Burrows, with color by Greg Waller. For more information, email info@avatarpress.net or see the 303 website at www.garthennis303.com.
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LADY DEATH: DEAD RISING
One of the big industry rumors of the summer is true… Brian Pulido’s Lady Death has returned at Avatar Press! Avatar will launch two Lady Death titles, and will preview material in a book called Lady Death: Dead Rising which will debut at Wizardworld Chicago, August 13-15.
“We will launch our new monthly Medieval Lady Death picking up after Lady Death: A Medieval Tale #12,” Lady Death creator Brian Pulido says. “While we will begin with a new series, Medieval Lady Death #1, I will be careful to make this a good jumping on point for new readers. To assure this, we’ve hired Barbara Kesel as editor on the new series. Barbara was also my editor on Lady Death: a Medieval Tale. She knows the characters as well as I do and she is the secret weapon to the success of the series.”
“Our second Lady Death series will be the “classic” Heaven & Hell/Bitch Goddess Lady Death,” Pulido continues. “We had to bring her back because fans demanded her back. True to the Chaos! style I established, her adventures will be in a series of limited series.”
Pulido and Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen will be on hand at Wizardworld Chicago with copies of Lady Death: Dead Rising to talk about upcoming Lady Death plans. Lady Death: Dead Rising will also be available from your local comic shop in November, and can be ordered now from our direct sales agent at:
www.comiccavalcade.com/ladydeath/
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THE GREATEST BOUNTY HUNTER IN THE UNIVERSE RETURNS IN STARGATE SG-1: ARIS BOCH
October brings an all-new Stargate SG-1 one-issue saga called Stargate SG-1: Aris Boch. The SG-1 team stumbles upon the aftermath of a firefight between rival System Lords and the self proclaimed greatest bounty hunter in the universe, Aris Boch. Wounded and in need of assistance the sarcastic mercenary returns to the SGC with the team and offers them an intriguing trade proposition. If they will ambush the envoy of Cronus and obtain the drug he needs to stay alive, he will give them a DNA sample of his Goa’uld resistant blood. With the prospect of eliminating human Goa’uld host possession forever, the team undertakes the risky mission. Will Boch keep his end of the bargain or is he plotting to cash in on the hefty bounty for SG-1’s lives? Available in regular, wraparound by Correa, painted by Ryan Drake, and photo cover editions.
more information on Stargate SG-1 comic books
www.sg-1.us
If you can’t find Stargate SG-1 comics locally, you can also get them at:
http://www.comiccavalcade.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?product=avatar-stargate
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UPCOMING AVATAR CONVENTION APPEARANCES
Avatar Press is going to be exhibiting at a number of conventions in the month of August. Stop by the following conventions to talk about upcoming Avatar releases or find that issue you’re missing:
Official Stargate SG-1 Convention Tour New York
August 7-8
Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford, NJ
Attending from Avatar: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen, Stargate SG-1 writer James Anthony Kuhoric
more info on the show: www.creationent.com
Wizardworld Chicago
August 13-15
Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
Attending from Avatar: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen, Lady Death creator Brian Pulido, Belladonna artist Clint Hilinski, colorist Greg Waller, Garth Ennis’ 303 artist Jacen Burrows
more info on the show: http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/chicago.cfm
Official Stargate SG-1 Convention Tour Chicago
August 27-29
Radisson Hotel O’Hare, Rosemont, IL
Attending from Avatar: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen
more info on the show: www.creationent.com
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