All at Avatar Press booth #2701

Wednesday July 21
6:00 pm- 9pm – Signing: Max Brooks, Mike Wolfer, Brian Pulido, Jacen Burrows

Thursday July 22
9:30 am – 1:30 pm – signing –  Brian Pulido, Mike Wolfer
10:00 am – 1pm – signing – Max Brooks
10:00 am – 3 pm – signing  - Jacen Burrows
3:00 pm – 7 pm – signing – Max Brooks
3:00 pm – 7 pm- signing –  Brian Pulido, Mike Wolfer
4:30 pm – 7 pm – signing – Jacen Burrows

Friday July 23
9:30 am – 1:30 pm – signing –  Brian Pulido, Mike Wolfer
10:00 am – 1pm – signing – Max Brooks
11:00 am – 3 pm – signing  - Jacen Burrows
3:00 pm – 7 pm – signing – Max Brooks
3:00 pm – 7 pm- signing –  Brian Pulido, Mike Wolfer
4:30 pm – 7 pm – signing – Jacen Burrows

Saturday July 24
9:30 am- 12 pm – signing – Mike Wolfer, Brian Pulido, Jacen Burrows
12:30 pm- 5 pm – Signing – Max Brooks
1:00 pm- 5 pm – signing – Mike Wolfer, Brian Pulido, Jacen Burrows
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – William Christensen accepts submissions
5:30 pm – 5:30 – 6:30 Avatar Press and Max Brooks Panel.  Room 26AB

Sunday July 25
10:00 am – 3 pm – Signing – Max Brooks, Mike Wolfer, Brian Pulido, Jacen Burrows

See Also: Complete Avatar San Diego info, SDCC 2010 exclusives.

The Avatar Press comics and other items listed below are available in comic shops this week, according to our distributor. Most retailers in the U.S. display new shipments for the week beginning on Wednesday. Please ask your local stores about these items.

• MAY100802 ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON HORNBOOK WONDERCON ED (MR) $2.99
• MAY100803 CAPTAIN SWING #1 WIZARD TORONTO ED (MR) $3.99
• JAN100756 CAPTAIN SWING #2 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99
• APR100784 CAPTAIN SWING #2 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99
• JAN100757 CAPTAIN SWING #2 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
• OCT090737 CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST BATTLE #4 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
• OCT090738 CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST BATTLE #4 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
• APR100767 CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LB #4 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99
• MAY100790 CROSSED #8 CONVENTION ED (MR) $3.9
• MAY100789 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #1 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99
• MAY100791 FEVRE DREAM #1 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99
• MAY100796 GRAVEL #15 CONVENTION ED (MR) $3.99

The Avatar Press comics and other items listed below are available in comic shops this week, according to our distributor. Most retailers in the U.S. display new shipments for the week beginning on Wednesday. Please ask your local stores about these items.

• APR100778 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #2 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
• APR100779 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #2 TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99
• APR100780 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #2 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
• FEB100711 FEVRE DREAM #2 (OF 10) (MR) $3.99
• FEB100712 FEVRE DREAM #2 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

The Avatar Press comics and other items listed below are available in comic shops this week, according to our distributor. Most retailers in the U.S. display new shipments for the week beginning on Wednesday. Please ask your local stores about these items.

• APR100762 FREAKANGELS TP VOL 04 (MR) $19.99
• APR100763 FREAKANGELS HC VOL 04 (MR) $27.99
• APR100764 FREAKANGELS HC VOL 04 ELLIS & DUFFIELD SGN ED (MR) $39.99
• APR100765 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD TP VOL 01 (MR) $24.99
• APR100766 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD SGN HC VOL 01 (MR) ) $34.99

From award-winning creator Alan Moore comes a brand new tale of Lovecraftian horror that will leave you too afraid to close your eyes, but more afraid to open them. Created, written, and scripted for comics by Moore, NEONOMICON, the sequel to THE COURTYARD Graphic Novel, is slithering its way onto shelves to take its place as a Great Old One of comics terror. Illustrated by Moore’s favorite demented artist, Jacen Burrows, NEONOMICON pulls no punches as every full-colored page is covered in nightmares brought to gruesome life! The story begins some years after the chilling events of THE COURTYARD, in a world where two young and cocky FBI agents are investigating strange… and familiar murders. They think they’ve seen the worst monsters in America, but as they pull up to the maximum security asylum where one Aldo Sax speaks in strange tongues, Agents Brears and Lamper may be beginning to suspect that they’re about to see something so much worse. But they cannot begin to imagine the creeping insanity that has already begun to pull them under…

Nice interview with Garth by Rick Marshall at MTV Splashpage:

At the moment, I’m very encouraged by everyone I’ve spoken to at Kickstart — they get it,” he added. “They like ‘Crossed’ for what it is. No one has ever given me the impression they just want an image they can stick on a t-shirt, or a title without a story. They like the characters, they like the villains, and they like the notion of The Crossed. So that’s encouraging. As always, it’s hard to say where it will end up, though.”

Ennis said his script covers the first 10 issues of the “Crossed” series he wrote for Avatar, without any of the tie-ins or spin-off series they’ve launched subsequently. More accurately, the script will contain half of the first 10-issue run — the scary half.

Crossed: Family Values #1 by David Lapham and Javier Barreno is out in the US and elsewhere soon. What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

One of Avatar’s big announcements at C2E2 was that we will be creating a separate company to publish Lady Death and related books. Here’s a rundown of more info on that:

• Interview with Avatar EIC William Christensen about Boundless
• CBR report on the Avatar Press C2E2 panel with more info from Brian Pulido
• BoundlessComics.com

The first C2E2 is in the books, and it was a great start to what has turned out to be one of the country’s major shows right from the beginning. At one point on Saturday I got an IM from William saying that we were busier there than our busiest moment ever at San Diego — and that’s saying something.

Shown here: Giovanni (Gianluca’s translator), Gianluca Pagliarani (Ignition City, Aetheric Mechanics), Christos Gage (Absolution), Garth Ennis (Crossed, 303, Chronicles of Wormwood), Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z), George R.R. Martin (Fevre Dream, A Song of Ice and Fire), Jacen Burrows (Crossed, Neonomicon).

2nd row: David Marks (Avatar Marketing Director), William Christensen (Avatar EIC), Mike Wolfer (Gravel, Lady Death), Matt Martin (Snowman, Boundless cover artist).

Several brand new Avatar releases were a big hit at the show, including the Crossed Trade Paperback, Fevre Dream #1, and Crossed: Family Values #1. The announcement of the Crossed film with script by Garth Ennis was among the biggest news of the show. The Crossed Mask giveaway was also very well received, and the tidbit that Garth and Jacen would reunite on an upcoming Crossed series received a bit of attention as well.

Avatar also announced that we have created a separate company called Boundless to publish Lady Death. The announcement was well received at the pre-C2E2 Diamond Retailer Summit where Avatar’s new Director of Sales Keith Davidsen outlined some of our upcoming plans for retailers in attendance.

On Friday night, Avatar hosted an event with George R.R. Martin and Max Brooks. Brooks showed people why he’s pretty much the biggest expert on zombies around these days, and Martin surprised his fans in attendance by reading from the eagerly anticipated next novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

A number of projects were discussed at the Avatar Press panel. Christos Gage revealed details of his upcoming Absolution: Rubicon, the follow up to his hit superhero series for Avatar. Lady Death creator Brian Pulido talked about further details of the Boundless Lady Death monthly series. More details from the Avatar Press panel.

And finally, you can check out the weekend in pictures from the Avatar Press booth. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see Avatar at the show, and if you couldn’t make it this time, hope to see you next year.

C2E2 Day 1 is a wrap and sounds like it was a great show. At one point during the afternoon I got a two-word IM from the booth that simply said “On fire”. Here’s how things looked on Day 1:

Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z author Max Brooks signs at the Avatar booth.

Absolution writer Christos Gage.

Crossed and Neonomicon artist Jacen Burrows.

A Song of Fire and Ice and Fevre Dream author George R.R. Martin

The Avatar Friday Night Event with George R.R. Martin and Max Brooks. Martin wowed the audience by reading from his upcoming A Song of Ice and Fire novel.

Many more photos at the Avatar Press flickr page.

The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo is underway and based on the way twitter is buzzing about it it’s a great show right from the start. Avatar is there at booth #471 right near the front doors, so stop by and say hi to the Avatar staff and creators at the show (check out the creator signing schedule here).

Avatar VIP passes and Friday Night Event tickets

CROSSED Mask giveaway available at the Avatar booth while supplies last.

With the CROSSED film having just been announced a lot of are going to be stopping by the site to see what the deal is.  Here’s what you need to know about CROSSED:

Crossed is a 10-issue (numbered #0-9) Comic Book series written by Garth Ennis and Drawn by Jacen Burrows.  Through ten heart-stopping chapters, Crossed is his horrifically visceral exploration of the pure evil that humans are truly capable of indulging. This gut-wrenching vision is brought to vivid (and more than a little disturbing) life by Ennis and Burrows. Imagine, for a moment, the worst crimes against humanity. Picture the cruelest affronts to decency. Conjure your darkest nightmares… and then realize it could all be so much worse. When civilization crumbles in one terrifying moment; when people are gleefully breaking into unthinkable acts of violence all around you; when everyone you love has died screaming in agony: What do you do? There is no help. There is no hope. There is no escape. There are only the Crossed.

More about creators Garth Ennis (Crossed intervew) and Jacen Burrows (Crossed interview)

CROSSED Volume 1 is available in collected form in trade paperback now from comic retailers and bookstores. ISBN 1592910904.

In stores next week, the saga will continue with CROSSED: Family Values by writer David Lapham and artist Javier Barreno. Preview Crossed: Family Values #1 here.

Coming in July. More info on Absolution here.

A good time was had, according to the Avatar Field Team and reports on twitter. By all accounts a breakout year for the show. See you there again next year.

Wondercon is getting underway in San Fransisco today, and the weather looks nice judging from the pics I’ve seen so far. Avatar is there with Zombie Survival Guide author Max Brooks. Check out more info on the show and stop by and say hi if you’re in the area this weekend.

Sadly, there are no new Avatar books being released today, but if you’re looking for your fix, Supergod #3 came out last week if you missed that. It might also be a good time to catch up on our recent trade paperback releases, which are always available from good retailers. On twitter this morning the Comic Day conversation somehow turned to the question of what comics would have been like if Avatar had been around when the American comics industry got off the ground in the late 1930′s. I’m not sure about that (ok, I do have some ideas but never mind that now) but it does bring to mind Warren’s reconfig of classic pulp in Ignition City. We are filling reorders on this like crazy, so if you haven’t taken a look yet it might be a good week to check it out.

Wow. Several hundred people searched the internet for info on our Absolution series in the past hour. I did mention on twitter that there’s a collection of Volume 1 coming in July, but that’s quite a reaction. Here’s a roundup of what you’re looking for:

And more Absolution issue previews here.

And more cover artwork from the series on flickr.

Interviews with series writer Christos Gage on the Flickcast, Ain’t it Cool News, and this comicbookresources.com video interview:

And from this newsarama interview:

Real-life SVU cops (those who deal with sex crimes and child abuse) are transferred after two years, because the police department has determined that no one can handle what they experience, mentally and emotionally, for very long. John Dusk has been on the job a lot longer than two years…and it’s getting to him. Which doesn’t necessarily mean he’s crazy. It just means he’s had enough.

Any other questions? Lemme know in the comments and I’ll pass them along to Christos.

These guys tweeted me about this earlier today and I gotta say I like what they’re doing quite a bit — two geeks drinking beer and talking about comics on video: perfect. Looks like they’ve done a bunch of these which you can find on the Multiversity Comics site.

Longtime @avatarpress followers will recognize this as fitting into the theme of my Comics Channel rants. I really like video review segments like this, Cammy’s Comic Corner, Fanboy Video, Blair Butler’s Fresh Ink, and A Comicbook Orange, among others. Keep it up, people.

Avatar suits me well because…well…they’re unhinged.

Find out what else he has to say in his interview at newsarama over Crossed: Family Values. All this time later, I still remember my fuck yeah reaction the week that Stray Bullets #1 came out. Thrilled to be working with Lapham.

Quite a lively little conversation on this book around the net. io9 got summed it up well with:

This is like Akira meets Destroy All Monsters meets Street Fighter 2 meets World Religion 101. Insanely recommended.

An interesting convo with Warren on it over at Whitechapel, some conflicting opinions at Millarworld, and a lengthy discussion about why some stores seem to be refusing to carry it on facebook.  But what did you think?