ReedPOP, creators and organizers of the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), as well as other major events in the popular culture world, and Nerdist Industries, a multi-platform creator of genre and pop culture content, have today announced a continuation and formalization of a relationship that successfully began at NYCC in 2011 with the launch of the exclusive WHITE SPACE B2B conference. This new alliance provides for a wide range of strategic and cross-promotional activities that include Nerdist interviews with ReedPOP guests and a prominent role for Chris Hardwick, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Nerdist Industries, at ReedPOP shows. Hardwick, host of AMC’s Talking Dead as well as Nerdist specials for BBC America, founded Nerdist in 2008 and has nurtured its growth into a multimedia name now spanning blogs, a podcast, television, web-video, live-events and print. Chris will be a leading personality at NYCC, C2E2 and other ReedPOP events.

Nerdist Industries will have a presence on the floor of ReedPOP shows and will be significantly featured in several panels at these same events. Hardwick hosted The Avengers and The Walking Dead panels at NYCC in 2011, and he will emcee similar marquee content in 2012. In addition, Nerdist and ReedPOP will continue to work together to create another WHITE SPACE B2B conference this year as well as develop several live-events, tapings and podcasts at various ReedPOP shows.

“As another nerd leading a group of nerds creating nerd-centric events, I could not be more excited to welcome Chris Hardwick and Nerdist Industries to join forces with ReedPOP,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP. “Our goal is to deliver great shows for our fans, but we also want to communicate the excitement, innovation and essential inner nerdiness of the pop culture spectrum to the world at large. This partnership with Nerdist Industries is a win-win, providing both like-minded organizations solid ways to amplify what we do through collaborating on new opportunities for our fans, our customers and ourselves. We’re both forces in the pop culture world, and we’re eager to see what amazing things we can accomplish together. I look forward to working with Chris and everyone at Nerdist Industries to make this a great continuing relationship.”

“I am THRILLED to be working with ReedPOP in an official capacity. I attended C2E2 last year, and, while still a young event, I was amazed at how well-organized and fan-friendly it was. Between C2E2, New York Comic Con and ReedPOP’s other events, this partnership makes all the sense in the world for Nerdist Industries. I know this because were we to not be in business with ReedPOP, I’d still be attending these events as a fan,” Hardwick said.

As noted, Hardwick’s first appearance on behalf of the joint promotional relationship with ReedPOP will be at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) which will take place April 13 – 15, 2012 in the North Building of McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL. He is scheduled to appear as emcee for special events on Friday, April 13, and he will also be available for a public autographing session. Specific details of his participation at the show will be posted in the near future on the C2E2 website. Hardwick will then present a live podcast from Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Friday night. Other guests who will be participating in C2E2 include Anthony Daniels, David Finch, Josh Gates, Adam Hughes and Joe Kubert. Many more guest announcements will be made in the coming weeks. For further information about these guests as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com. For more on Nerdist Industries, visit www.Nerdist.com.

Related posts:

1. Josh Gates is First Entertainment Guest Announced at C2E2
2. Marvel Guests Announced for New York Comic Con
3. [Photos] Costumes and Artists from C2E2

Star of SyFy’s Destination Truth is First Entertainment Guest Announced for Annual Midwest Pop Culture Convention

Organizers of the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have today announced that Josh Gates will appear at the annual pop culture convention where he will be the focus of a high profile panel and will also do a signing. Known as the “face of SyFy”, Gates is well-recognized as the host of the hit travel-adventure series, Destination Truth, a huge sensation which has garnered considerable attention and publicity, including an interview for Gates on The Today Show. Gates’ reputation as a pre-eminent Monster Hunter was firmly established when, on the season premiere of season two of Destination Truth, he and his team uncovered a series of footprints high in the Himalayas in search of evidence of the Yeti. Josh also hosts SyFy’s Ghost Hunters Halloween Live and other special events for the channel throughout the year and he has written Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter which was published by Gallery Books in October, 2011.

The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo will take place April 13 – 15, 2012 in the North Building at the McCormick Place Convention Center.

Convention officials note that one of their main programming objectives is to provide a diverse range of panels by featuring guests from many walks of life with varied backgrounds, interests and accomplishments. “We look for guests who contribute to the growth and evolution of pop culture in its many forms,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “Josh Gates is a great example of someone from the entertainment world who also has a huge following in the pop culture arena. We are pleased and grateful that he has agreed to come to our show and I know our fans will be very eager to meet him.”

C2E2 programming officials have also announced (12/14/11) that comic legend Joe Kubert will be a “Spotlight” Guest at this year’s convention. It will be Mr. Kubert’s first appearance at C2E2. More guest announcements will be made in the coming months. For further information about C2E2 and for purchasing tickets please visit www.c2e2.com.

ABOUT JOSH GATES:
World adventurer (and international monster hunter) Josh Gates has careened through nearly 100 countries, investigating frightening myths, chilling cryptozoological legends, and terrifying paranormal phenomena. Known as “the face of Syfy,” Josh is the host of the hit travel-adventure series, Destination Truth. In addition, Josh hosts Ghost Hunters Halloween Live and other special events for the channel throughout the year.

His travels have taken him to some of the most remote and treacherous locations on earth, from a terrifying night alone in King Tut’s tomb to the radioactive shadow of Chernobyl. An avid scuba diver, Josh has participated in sub-sea archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, and as a photographer, he’s traveled from sweltering African villages to the icy heights of the Himalayas. In addition, he has scaled “the roof of Africa” on Mt. Kilimanjaro, climbed on Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas, and sailed to the shores of Antarctica at the bottom of the world.

In recognition of his adventures and work around the globe, Josh was recently inducted into the prestigious Explorers Club in New York. Josh holds degrees in archaeology and drama from Tufts University and is available for appearances and speaking engagements around the world.

Related posts:

1. Nerdist Industries Partners w/ ReedPOP for 2012 Events!
2. Marvel Guests Announced for New York Comic Con
3. My Magic: the Gathering Demo at C2E2

CHICAGO COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO ANNOUNCES DATES FOR 2012

Organizers of Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have announced that the 2012 edition of the annual pop culture convention will take place April 13 – 15 in the North Hall of McCormick Place Convention Center. While this represents a small move from the West Building of McCormick Place where the show took place last year, convention officials note that they were eager to remain at McCormick while also securing a slightly later date for C2E2 in conjunction with a change of dates and venue for WonderCon in 2012. An announcement about WonderCon’s change of dates and C2E2’s cooperation in alleviating a crowded convention calendar has just been released (9/1/11) by WonderCon organizers.

“We have had three objectives in mind in determining our 2012 dates for C2E2,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “We wanted to keep C2E2 in the first quarter of the year, preferably March or April, we wanted to work together with WonderCon to set a schedule that makes sense for fans and exhibitors, and we wanted to keep C2E2 at McCormick Place. We have managed to satisfy all three of these requirements and we can now set our sights on delivering a fabulous show that will have all the earmarks of a great ReePOP event.”

Customers interested in signing up for Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo should contact Larry Settembrini at lsettembrini@reedexpo.com. Other information about the show, as well as news about ReedPOP, which also organizes New York Comic Con (NYCC) is available at Lance Fensterman’s blog, Mediumatlarge.net.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival (NYAF), and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

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1. C2E2: Show Wrap-Up and What’s Changed in 2011
2. Comic Book Guests Are Announced for C2E2 2011!
3. C2E2: Wrap-Up, News and Horror Comics

GenCon: Indy 2011 has come and gone…already? The first DriveThruRPG partnership with White Wolf Publishing and select games from Malhavoc Press, Open Design, Nocturnal, Eden Studios and Abstract Nova was a lot of hard work but very rewarding.

The booth was located at the back of a very large and very huge hall, but that didn’t stop new and old fans of these games from driving on back to DriveThruRPG. The quality of the new books is really awesome; people were literally saying… “That’s POD?” when pointing to the Exalted Comic and Ptolus.

And the fans? The ones who practically wept with joy seeing Vampire: the Masquerade back in print? Or how about the guy that seriously demanded to know when his copy of the twentieth anniversary edition will be sitting in his mailbox because he loves that game so much. There were a lot more cheers than jeers and because of the fans, there will be other 20th anniversary edition games in the works.

Besides the already scheduled signings, Jim Zubkavich offered to sign the Exalted comic, Greg Stolze was happy to drop off signed excerpts of his Vampire: the Requiem novel, A Hunger Like Fire, and Jason Vey took time to sign All Flesh Must be Eaten books with me from Eden Studios.

Congrats to Monte Cook! We sold out of Ptolus on Saturday morning.

The booth’s success was due to the efforts of the fine people working the booth. Chuck, Mike, Pauline, Sean, Matt, Steve, Corinne, Ken, Steve, Luke, Carol and myself. We came, we sweated, we had meetings, we ate, we sweated some more…

Sadly, the first game we got to play was with Steve Wieck during tear down. Matt had sold him on Castle Panic. We barely won our first round. However, we also picked up quite a few games and are dying to get the chance to play. Unhallowed Metropolis, the Mouse Guard RPG Box Set, Savage Worlds Deluxe, Cthulhu Gloom, the French Edition of Exalted, the Vampire Translation Guide, a Halloween Chibithulhu, a selection of cute-but-devilish toys, catnip Cthulhu, a Lovecraft resource and Rust (a new Archaia graphic novel) made it home.

Ashen Stars did not make it home, but it will… Shortly… I swear by the stars…

Waiting for us here? The debut Magic: the Gathering 2012 set and a stunning anthology from Tachyon Publications dubbed The Urban Fantasy Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale.

Related posts:

1. Post GenCon Indy 2009
2. My GenCon in Review
3. Flash Fire Mini-Reviews (GenCon Wrap-Up)

Dave Martin, founder of the Wrecking Crew Demo Team, is here to tell us a little more about his organization and their role at White Wolf’s Grand Masquerade event next month.

The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew was created by Dave Martin and his gaming group in 1996, and went on to become one of the official demo teams for White Wolf and the World of Darkness table-top games in 2000. Their years of devotion were rewarded in 2009 when White Wolf elevated the Wrecking Crew to the rank of Senior Demo Team. Due to this status, The Wrecking Crew has had the honor of running a number of developer release events including the upcoming Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition. Though the organization began as a local group in Arizona, it has grown into a national association with members in several states.

While the organization has expanded, The Wrecking Crew’s goal is still to provide the best table-top gaming experience at conventions: The Grand Masquerade, GenCon, and KublaCon being the highlights of the year. While we believe that this is accomplished through providing the highest quality stories, the greatest thrills and chills, and the friendliest Storytellers around, the first step towards meeting this goal is always sharing the passion for horror and Storytelling games that has made us one of White Wolf’s Senior Demo Teams. Like the bite of the zombies in one of our games this year, we believe this passion is infectious.

This year at The Grand Masquerade, many of our games have been shaped by the actions of previous years, and players both old and new are invited to join us to craft the next installment in what we hope will become far-reaching chronicles. In addition to these returning favorites, we have a new cavalcade of horrors both personal and other-worldly: from ghosts to mad gods, the Dark Ages to the Modern, and the subtle machinations of ancient monsters to open warfare. It is sure to be a weekend that is not to be missed!

The Grand Masquerade 2011, New Orleans

Rating System

Each of the games below is rated as Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. Advanced players are welcome to participate in Intermediate and Beginner games and Intermediate players in Beginner games.

Beginner: The game is playable by individuals with no knowledge of the World of Darkness rules system in question. Everything (including rules, dice, characters, and assistance) will be provided, and those who have never participated in a game are welcome.

Intermediate: Some knowledge of the World of Darkness setting in question is required. Players should be familiar with the rules which govern forming dice pools, difficulty settings, combat, and the core template which is featured in the game (for instance, vampires for Vampire: The Requiem, werewolves for Werewolf: The Forsaken, etc).

Advanced: Players should be intimately familiar with the product line on which the game is based. Storytellers will assume knowledge of all rules systems, background information (detailed knowledge of Covenants and Clans for V:tR; Auspices, Tribes, and Lodges for W:tF, etc). Old World of Darkness games will assume some knowledge of meta-plot and cross over rules.

All Old World of Darkness Vampire games will be based on the 20th Anniversary Edition of Vampire: The Masquerade

Seats are limited; please contact thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com to reserve yours. Those games which are marked (SOLD OUT) are sadly fully registered on both primary players and alternates.

Title: The Revolution Job

Time: Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
System: Changeling: The Dreaming
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-Gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes, standard character creation; contact the Storyteller for more details by September 1st.
Storyteller: Cassandra
Storyteller Contact: autumn.riordan@gmail.com
Summary: The rich, powerful and (supposedly) normal take what they want. That’s always been true and in these latter days, never truer. In High King David’s absence, Winter is on the rise, and Concordia is in the grips of a civil war. The city of Boston – ironically known to mortals as the Cradle of Liberty – is caught in the iron grip of the upstart, Duke Tymon, and his ultra-conservative court. Now, Tymon and his fellows have gone too far: stealing treasures from the common folk, kidnapping free Kithain for their twisted system of fosterage and even moving in on the Fool’s Gambit, the most famous freehold of the city. It is plain to all that it is time to strike back, even to the most unlikely of heroes. Forget honor. Forget the art of the duel. You’re outlaws, brutes, spies and agents provocateurs, and you’re about to prove that bad guys really can make the best good guys. You’re going to give Boston’s commoners…leverage.

Title: Dust to Dust (3 Games)

Time: Wednesday 7:00 pm – 12:00 am (SOLD OUT); Friday 10 am – 2 pm; Sunday 10 am – 2 pm
System: Vampire 20th Anniversary
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Storyteller: Dave
Storyteller Contact: thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com
Summary: It has been years since the War for Chicago, and nearby Gary, Indiana has been impacted by the changes. Things are heating up just as a new coterie comes onto the scene. How will the balance of power shift in the coming nights?

This is a brand-new adventure written by White Wolf specifically for the Wrecking Crew’s use, using Vampire 20th Anniversary rules.

Title: Zombies vs The Masquerade… (SOLD OUT)

Time: Thursday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Masquerade
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 35 XP
Storyteller: Dave
Storyteller Contact: thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com
Summary: The Sheriff has sent you to get to the bottom of a very public Masquerade breach. Last night in the ghetto, known as the “Isles,” there was a zombie incident. The end result was the death of a police officer and a shaky video that shows the three zombies going berserk. Let’s hope that this is all some stupid Ravnos joke…

Title: Rats’ Nest (SOLD OUT)

Time: Thursday 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Masquerade
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 35 XP
Storyteller: Dave
Storyteller Contact: thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com
Summary: The Prince has hired you to figure out what happened in the recent Sabbat “disturbance.” This “disturbance” includes a traffic camera video of someone killing Mr. Dark, and a troubling rumor of an assassins’ guild. The Prince wants these problems handled discreetly.

Title: Rats’ Nest Part Deux (SOLD OUT)

Time: Thursday 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
System: Vampire: The Masquerade
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 35 XP
Storyteller: Dave
Storyteller Contact: thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com
Summary: Ok, so the Prince asked you to look into a few problems: the Sabbat attack, the traffic video of someone garroting Mr. Dark’s head off, and a freaking assassins’ guild. But last night something went wrong. Now, things are slipping out of you grasp. Is someone hunting you? Did the prince hire all of you as trouble shooters or as patsies?

Title: Smoking is Still Bad for Your Health (SOLD OUT)

Time: Saturday 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Changeling: The Lost
Setting: Kind of Modern
Experience: Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided:
Create Your Own: Yes; Bring your own nWoD Vampire, Werewolf or Changeling table top character/LARP character, 50 XP equivalent. Characters must be approved by July 1st.
Storyteller: Dave
Storyteller Contact: thegrandmasqueradeball@gmail.com
Summary: Last year we started this story and this year we will finish it… Recently, you have had it rough. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. For the Vampires, things have been tense since two Elders almost went to war last week over a ghoul, or at least that is the rumor. Now no one is safe from being used as a pawn in their conflict. What’s worse: being the pawn or not knowing the real reason behind the Elder war?

In the Changeling freehold, there is a rumor about a motley that followed The Great Horned Lady of the Forest back to her realm to rescue a child. A heroic battle was fought and she was bested… or was she? The details become fuzzy at this point with lots of conjecture as to what really happened. One thing everyone can agree on is the fact that another Gentry who calls himself “Johnny Smokestack” showed up and bought the felled Fae.

The Forsaken are concerned because someone is spiriting away the young kin. Before they disappeared, however, they had started using phrases like “bloke” and “mate” as well as smoking like a factory in a bizarre version of Oliver Twist.

Title: Survival of the Fittest: Year 2 (2 Games)

Time: Thursday at 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm (SOLD OUT)
System: Vampire: The Masquerade (Sabbat)
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 100 Freebies, no other restrictions
Storyteller: Dawn
Storyteller Contact: undeaddancer@yahoo.com
Summary: Last year, the Sabbat of Baton Rouge were nearly wiped out in a surgical strike by the Camarilla of New Orleans. Only a few of the strongest survived, banding together for a counter attack as ordered by the greatly displeased and wounded Bishop. Deviousness and cunning were the weapons of choice this time, and the newly formed pack succeeded where others failed and died. The Toreador Primogen and her childer were destroyed, and the Malkavian Primogen barely escaped. The coup de grace was getting the Brujah Primogen to switch sides and join the Sabbat. Now that you have him, how best to use him?

Please specify for which time slot you are signing up.

Title: The Shrouded Mirror

Time: Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
System: Geist: The Sin-Eaters
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner to Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 100 XP, begin with Psyche of 4 for no cost
Storyteller: Dawn
Storyteller Contact: undeaddancer@yahoo.com
Summary: What would you see if you looked deep into your own soul? What would you hope to find there? What would you fear you would find? For a lost one, it leads only to madness. Now, madness threatens the city, its boundaries growing with each tear in the veil between life and death. The cause of the tear must be found and stopped, preferably before the madness consumes you as well.

Title: Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler: Day 2 (SOLD OUT)

Time: Friday 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
System: nWoD – Mixed (Vampire, Geist, Changeling, Werewolf)
Setting: Modern
Experience: Moderate to Advanced
Seats: 10
Story Length: 6+ hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; 100 XP
Storyteller: Dawn
Storyteller Contact: undeaddancer@yahoo.com
Summary: Zombie hoards, voodoo priestesses, scavenger hunts, vibrating duffle bags, open supernatural warfare in Jackson Square… it is just the start of another typical Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That is until you turn on the television and watch the latest press release. Someone decided to let the cat out of the bag in the biggest known and recorded Masquerade breach in history. Everyone is on clean up duty for this.

Title: Secrets of Cordóba

Time: Thursday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
System: Dark Ages: Mage
Setting: Dark Ages
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Jason
Summary: The era of Moorish Spain is drawing to a close, as the Almohad empire declines and the great cities of al-Andalus fall. You are the wizards of the chantry at Cordóba, protecting your sanctuary of learning and culture against the oncoming tide of faith and war. Your skills at politics and magic will be put to the test.

Title: Night of the Axeman (SOLD OUT)

Time: Friday 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
System: Victorian Age Vampire (Camarilla)
Setting: Victorian Age
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes; with customization
Create Your Own: Yes; As per the VtM/VA:V rules, but with 30 freebie points rather than 15 characters subject to ST approval; email your character prior to September 7th 2011.
Storyteller: Jason
Storyteller Contact: werther@hilander.com
Summary: The killings in Whitechapel inspired no few imitators, and New Orleans had its own “Ripper” at the dawn of the Jazz Age: the Axeman. He’s promised to kill again after midnight on the 19th, and the Court of New Orleans has assembled you to stop him… or at least preserve the Masquerade in his wake.

Title: Conjure Men

Time: Saturday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
System: Victorian Age: Vampire (Sabbat)
Setting: Victorian Age
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes; with customization
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Jason
Summary: A coven of blood sorcerers has been called together in the Midnight Court of Marie Laveau to defeat an adversary capable of severing the Kindred from the world of magic forever.

Title: Water and Earth

Time: Sunday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
System: Promethean: The Created
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes; with customization
Create Your Own: Yes; As per the P:tC rules with 25 experience. Homemade characters subject to ST approval; email your character prior to September 7th.
Storyteller: Jason
Storyteller Contact: werther@hilander.com
Summary: The Pilgrimage has drawn no small number of the Created to the city of New Orleans for the first Great Ramble of the 21st century. Those with an eye toward signs and portents say that this will be the site of a great display of power, and a crucial display of the nature of humanity. Those who come will not soon forget what they’ll witness.

Title: Remember Martin

Time: Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Requiem (simplified somewhat)
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 5
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-Gens: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Jeff
Contact: jlcrowl@gmail.com
Summary: We all remember Martin, the late Daeva Primogen. We remember that he rose too quickly to power, cut corners, and made three rivals for every ally. How he managed to get the support he did is a mystery, and how he stayed on top for his short tenure is more baffling still. That he met his end three nights ago isn’t a surprise to anyone. What has everyone puzzled, though, is who got around to doing the deed, and – more importantly – who’s going to take the fall for it.

Title: Lovely Saints – Year 5 – Part 1 (The Lovely Saints games are loosely tied together)

Time: Friday 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm
System: Werewolf: The Forsaken
Setting: Modern
Experience: Moderate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Standard Werewolf: The Forsaken creation + 150 experience points
Storyteller: JT
Summary: A new player is coming to town and you’ve been contracted to make sure he doesn’t show. If course, there’s a catch: he won’t leave easy and you can’t kill him.

Title: Lovely Saints – Year 5 – Part 2

Time: Friday 8:00 pm – 2:00 am
System: Werewolf: The Forsaken
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Standard Werewolf: The Forsaken creation + 150 experience points
Storyteller: JT
Storyteller Contact:

Summary: You’ve arrived home to find that Isabella, your pack’s up and coming Omega on the brink of First Change, has gone missing. No one knows what happened.

Title: Lovely Saints – Year 5 – Part 3

Time: Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
System: Werewolf: The Forsaken
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Standard Werewolf: The Forsaken creation + 150 experience points
Storyteller: JT
Storyteller Contact:

Summary: The winds of change have been blowing and now everything you’ve built over the last 5 years is crashing down. Can you salvage your status, your kin, and your pack?

Title: Blood and Coffee (SOLD OUT)

Time: Wednesday 7:00 pm – 1:00 am
System: Vampire: The Masquerade
Setting: Modern
Experience: Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 6 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Camarilla clan vampires at 350 XP, approval by Mike before August 15th
Storyteller: Mike
Storyteller Contact: mikenihonde@yahoo.com
Summary: For the past 50 years, Seattle has existed in a state of uneasy truce between the Camarilla and the Sabbat: Prince Ekkehardt has ruled Northern Seattle and Bishop Molyneux, the South. Unfortunately, the Nisqually earthquake recently struck the Emerald City, unearthing the Prince’s resting place in the Underground at midday. That’s unfortunate for the Prince, but fortunate for his competitors: you. As the Camarilla Elders of Seattle, it’s up to you to grasp the delicate threads of the political infrastructure that are left to dangle after the Prince’s demise. You have to be quick and clever: there’s only room for one Prince. Of course, you also can’t hang the other Elders out to dry. When Molyneux finds out that North Seattle is leaderless, you’ll need as much help as you can get to defend the city from the Sabbat.

Title: Assamites off the Starboard Bow (SOLD OUT)

Time: Friday 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Dark Ages (Revised for nWoD)
Setting: Dark Ages
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 5 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Contact Mike for more information
Storyteller: Mike
Storyteller Contact: mikenihonde@yahoo.com
Summary: In 1202, two hundred ships leave the Venetian lagoons carrying warriors to take back the holy city of Jerusalem in the Fourth Crusade. Though the majority of the crusaders are French, the monetary power behind the Fourth Crusade is largely Venetian. Placed at the head of the fleet by Giovanni investors, Doge Enrico Dandalo, the Duke of the Republic of Venice, is set to lead the ships across the treacherous Mediterranean waters to glory and riches. Of course, Dandalo is getting on in years, and even the Giovanni blood that steals him for the long journey cannot stop the Children of Haqim from snuffing the life out of the eighty year old man. That’s why you’re here. Whether recruited out of holy zeal or base greed, the Giovanni have commissioned you to protect the life of Dandalo, and through him, the beginnings of the Fourth Crusade. You must find the assassins amid the soldiers and ships before they seize an opportunity to murder the duke. If Dandalo perishes, all will be lost.

Title: The Sad, Sad Tale of Alexander Vogel (SOLD OUT)

Time: Friday 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
System: World of Darkness
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Normal character generation (character age 16-18)
Storyteller: Mike
Storyteller Contact: mikenihonde@yahoo.com
Summary: The mansion of paper mogul Alexander Vogel has sat on the outskirts of Oshkosh, WI for as long as anyone can remember. Restored and declared a historical landmark in the 80’s, the building has almost escaped its reputation of being haunted. Until you and several others arrive to spend the night in the house. One among you has brought the house to life once more, and the only way to escape is to unravel the sad, sad tale of Alexander Vogel. Or obey the house and murder your friends…

Title: Picking up the Pieces (SOLD OUT)

Time: Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Masquerade
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Camarilla clan vampires at 50 XP, approval by Mike before August 15th
Storyteller: Mike
Storyteller Contact: mikenihonde@yahoo.com
Summary: For the past 50 years, Seattle has existed in a state of uneasy truce between the Camarilla and the Sabbat: Prince Ekkehardt has ruled Northern Seattle and Bishop Molyneux, the South. No more. Last night’s assault on Northern Seattle had drastic consequences upon the Emerald City. Of course, the Elders never want to dirty their hands with the details, so you’re stuck with the drudge work. Uh oh, looks like it’s going to rain…

Title: Great Uncle Victor

Time: Sunday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
System: Vampire: The Requiem
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Mike
Storyteller Contact: mikenihonde@yahoo.com
Summary: Great Uncle Victor has served the Invictus Princes of Tacoma well for the past hundred years. Some might say too well. Respected and held in high regard (for a ghoul), Great Uncle Victor has kept the city of Tacoma running smoothly during the interchange of Princes, making himself nearly indispensible to the proper running of the city. If Uncle Victor were to perish, the city would fall into chaos. Or at least, that’s what the local Carthian cell believes. Of course, the Invictus won’t give up their hold on the city easily, and Uncle Victor would probably pay awfully well to keep his head connected to his shoulders. So, whose side are you on? More importantly, what about your so-called “friends?”

Title: Cat and Mouse (SOLD OUT)

Time: Friday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
System: Changeling: The Lost
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Normal character generation
Storyteller: Michael
Storyteller Contact: michael.o.c.sullivan@gmail.com
Summary: Having just barely escaped the nightmare that is Arcadia and your Keeper, you return to the small town from which you and your friends were taken. Eager to return to the lives that were stolen from you, you’re horrified to find that something has taken your place. These doppelgangers live in your homes, sup with your families, and hold positions of prominence in your community. As if that weren’t bad enough, your Fetches know that you have returned and they’ll stop at nothing to keep what they’ve taken from you. Let the games begin.

Title: A Master-Planned Community

Time: Saturday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
System: Hunter: The Vigil
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginning
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens provided: No
Create Your Own: Yes; normal Hunter: The Vigil creation with 40 XP
Storyteller: Michael
Storyteller Contact: michael.o.c.sullivan@gmail.com
Summary: The last time you stood down the blood-sucker you were unprepared, sloppy. She captured one of the founding members of your cell and turned him into a vampire as retribution. This time, you were more cautious. You’ve spent two months in surveillance – sneaking around, sleeping in cars, eating take-out food – always resting on pins and needles, fearing that at any moment you or a member of your cell may be caught. It was worth it, though. You’ve received information that she will be at a certain party, a certain part in which you have snuck members of your cell in as catering staff. Tonight, you avenge your fallen comrades.

Title: Nightmares

Time: Sunday 11am – 3pm
System: World of Darkness
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: Yes; Standard Character Creation
Storyteller: Michael
Storyteller Contact: michael.o.c.sullivan@gmail.com
Summary: Life’s been good since you and your coworkers were relocated by the Company to the idyllic suburb. That is until the nightmares came. Over the past several days you and your friends have suffered troubled dreams: flashes of light, strange creatures looming, operating tables, and worse. When you try to explain them to your friends and family, their faces slacken for a second before they change the subject. When you mention it to the neighborhood’s Company Wellness Liaison, her grin becomes forced as she parrots words like “stress” and “comes with a change of environment”. But the feelings of isolation and alienation just grow stronger with time. Could this just be a nervous breakdown, or is there something truly wrong with your new home? You know what they say: you’re not paranoid if they’re really out to get you…

Title: Shells and Hollow Men

Time: Friday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
System: Mage: The Ascension
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Tom
Summary: The Hollow Ones are misfits among the Traditions: barely tolerated and never respected. Thrust together by circumstance, they build the world of tomorrow out of today’s despair, dancing the razorblade’s edge. But can they stand in the face of the New World Order’s “Urban Deviation Purge?”

Title: The Academy of Occult Arts and Sciences

Time: Friday 11:00 pm – 3:00 am
System: Mage: The Awakening and World of Darkness: Innocents
Setting: Modern
Experience: Intermediate
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Tom
Summary: Being a kid is rough. Being a kid taken from your parents and thrust into a life of darkness, magic and terror can’t make it any easier. All you have is each other, your wits and a bit of new-found magic to survive the worst horror imaginable: school.

Title: Whispers (SOLD OUT)

Time: Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
System: Mage: The Awakening
Setting: Modern
Experience: Beginner
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Tom
Summary: Something has awoken in the woods. It calls, beckoning to the dark things out of nightmare, creatures that have no right to exist. Its influence has been growing, but the snow has kept your sleepy mountain town away from the threat under a thick, protective blanket. Now that cover has been torn away, and unless you can stop it, the darkness will swallow your friends and family.

Title: Horizon: The Final Frontier

Time: Saturday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
System: Mage: The Ascension
Setting: Futuristic Horizon Realm
Experience: Advanced
Seats: 6
Story Length: 4 hours
Pre-gens Provided: Yes
Create Your Own: No
Storyteller: Tom
Summary: The crew of the Deep Space Aethership Argon is the final hope for the Horizon Realm of Orbius, which is under imminent assault by Nephandi forces while encroaching Marauders rage at the gates. Can they drive back those given over to darkness and Quiet without losing their own minds in the process?

The Grand Masquerade 2011

The Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Convention

Due to the incredible success of The Grand Masquerade 2010, White Wolf is invitng all World of Darkness fans to join us for The Grand Masquerade 2011, September 15-18 at the legendary Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. In cooperation with The Camarilla Fan Club, One World by Night, The Garou Nation, The Wrecking Crew and The Elder Kindred Network, the gala affair will celebrate the historic 20th anniversary of Vampire: The Masquerade.

A defining moment and not-to-be-missed event, The Grand Masquerade 2011 brings together the glamour and style from Grand Masquerade 2010 and blends it with the historic intimacy of the heart of the world’s most iconic vampire city, the New Orleans French Quarter.

Find out more at TheGrandMasquerade.com.

Related posts:

1. Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition eBook is available now!
2. White Wolf 2011-2012 New Release Schedule!
3. Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition

New York, New York and Rosemont, Illinois — North America’s largest pop-culture tour continues as Wizard World Chicago Comic Con returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, August 11-14, with superstar guests Patrick Stewart, Bruce Campbell, Christopher Lloyd, Morena Baccarin, Felicia Day, Academy Award Winner® Lou Gossett Jr. and James Marsters headlining the list of celebrity attendees. The event will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

Stewart (X-MEN, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) will attend on Friday and Saturday only. Campbell (“Burn Notice,” ARMY OF DARKNESS) and Day (“The Guild,” “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”) are scheduled to appear on Saturday and Sunday. The three-time Emmy Award winner Lloyd (BACK TO THE FUTURE, “Taxi”) and Baccarin (“V,” “Stargate SG-1”) will be available on Saturday only. Marsters (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Caprica”) is scheduled for Friday through Sunday.

“Wizard World Chicago Comic Con is our longest running event, and we are excited to be bringing our most star-studded field of celebrities and artists ever to the Stephens Convention Center,” said Gareb Shamus, Wizard World CEO. “The show has huge stars like Patrick Stewart and Christopher Lloyd who are known all over the world, and, as always, features guests from some of the most popular film, TV and comics franchises like Star Wars, Buffy and Spider-Man. This is by far the largest pop-culture event in the region, and the fans, vendors, guests and other attendees have rewarded us by coming in more record numbers every year.”

Wizard World Chicago is also an incredible place to meet and get sketches and autographs from some of the top international creators, many of whom rarely, if ever, appear in the U.S. This includes Mike Deodato Jr. (Brazil), Eduardo Risso (Argentina), Humberto Ramos (Mexico), Mico Suayan (Phillipines), Will Conrad (Brazil), Ariel Olivetti (Argentina), Pia Guerra (Canada) and more.

Wizard World also has a massive number of top comics creators scheduled for Artist Alley, such as Jim Cheung (“Avengers,” “Uncanny X-Men”), Brian Azzarello (writer, “Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance,” “100 Bullets”), Dave Johnson (“Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance, 100 Bullets”), Patrick Gleason (“Batman and Robin”), Michael Golden (“Spider-Man,” “Hulk”), William Stout (Paleontological Artist), Larry Elmore (“Magic: The Gathering”), Ben Templesmith (“30 Days of Night”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “Hero For Hire”), Freddie Williams II (“JSA All-Stars”), Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”) and hundreds of others.

In addition to Gossett Jr., the Chicago Comic Con celebrity roster includes a bevy of major award winners and nominees, including Emmy Award Winners LeVar Burton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” ROOTS), Peter Tork (“The Monkees”) and Phil Ortiz (“The Simpsons”), Emmy Award Nominees Mimi Rogers (AUSTIN POWERS, “The X-Files,”) and Pam Grier (“Smallville,” “The L Word”), Grammy Award Winner Tia Carrere (WAYNE’S WORLD, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Tony Award Honoree Dan Fogler (BALLS OF FURY, GOOD LUCK CHUCK).

Other popular celebrity guests scheduled to be on hand at the event include Julie Benz (“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Desperate Housewives”), Charisma Carpenter (“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”), Colin Ferguson (“Eureka,” THE OPPOSITE OF SEX), Vivica A. Fox (KILL BILL VOL. 1 and VOL. 2, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Kai Owen (“Torchwood,” “Fun at the Funeral Parlour”), Ray Park (STAR WARS: EPISODE 1, X-MEN), Gareth David-Lloyd (“Torchwood,” SHERLOCK HOLMES), Alaina Huffman (“Smallville,” “SGU Stargate Universe”), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk,” “The King of Queens,”) and James C. Burns (voice actor, “Call of Duty: Black Ops”). BOONDOCK SAINTS co-stars Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery will also reunite at the event.

The convention center floor will also feature several famous TV and movie vehicles for fans to pose with, including the Batmobile (original “Batman” series), DeLorean Time Machine (BACK TO THE FUTURE), The Mystery Machine (SCOOBY DOO) and Ecto-1 (GHOSTBUSTERS).

Children and adult attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite villain, superhero or pop culture personality for the chance to win special prizes in costume contests. Event-goers may also try their hand interactive product exhibits and shop for collectible comics, movie and television memorabilia, toys and games at more than 200 dealer booths.

And Sunday, August 14, is Kids Day at Chicago Comic Con, with face painting, balloons, a “passport” treasure hunt and other activities designed especially for kids! Other special events include card gaming tournaments, professional photo opportunities (Photo Ops) and more.

Chicago Comic Con is the seventh stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour. Hours are Thursday, August 11, 5 – 9 p.m.; Friday, August 12, noon – 8 p.m.; Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, August 14, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworld.com/chicago.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($35 on site); four-day all-session tickets are $50 ($60 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

About Wizard World: Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

Related posts:

1. Wizard World 2010: an Artist’s Alley Perspective
2. Do Fanboys Dream of Spandex Sheep? Wizard World Chicago 2010
3. Wizard World and The Hero Initiative partner for 2010

Smart Pop Books Gives Away Anthology Featuring Walking Dead novelist Jay Bonansinga, NYT bestselling horror writer Jonathan Maberry, and more.

On Thursday, July 21, Smart Pop—the pop culture imprint of BenBella Books—will give away 50 advance print galleys, plus 100 advance electronic galleys, of their upcoming release Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman’s Zombie Epic on Page and Screen during a signing with the book’s editor, award-winning author and anthologist James Lowder (Prince of Lies, The Book of All Flesh), and contributors Scott Kenemore (Zombie, Ohio), Steven Schlozman (The Zombie Autopsies), and Ned Vizzini (It’s Kind of a Funny Story).

Triumph of The Walking Dead is an essay anthology exploring the hit AMC television show and comics phenomenon, featuring contributions from an all-star line-up of creators and commentators well-known to
zombiephiles. The full list of contributors:

Kyle William Bishop
Jonathan Maberry
Arnold T. Blumberg
Lisa Morton
Jay Bonansinga
Kim Paffenroth
Craig Fischer
Brendan Riley
Kenneth Hite
Steven Schlozman
David Hopkins
Kay Steiger
Scott Kenemore
Ned Vizzini
Vince A. Liaguno

The signing and giveaway will take place at the Smart Pop booth, B-4, in the San Diego Comic-Con exhibit hall, from 3 – 4 p.m on July 21, 2011.

Additionally, booth visitors can enter to win a signed print of Rafael Kayanan’s cover illustration.

All Smart Pop Giveaway and Event Details:

Thursday
• Advance galley signing and giveaway (3 – 4 PM): James Lowder – Triumph of The Walking Dead (includes essays from Walking Dead novelist Jay Bonansinga, NYT bestselling horror writer Jonathan Maberry, and more; Nov 2011)
• Enter to win a limited edition print of the Triumph of The Walking Dead cover art, signed by illustrator and comics artist Rafael Kuyanan
Friday
• Signing and giveaway (3 – 4 PM): P.C. and Kristin Cast – Nyx in the House of Night (a 2-color illustrated guide to the mythology of the #1 New York Times bestselling House of Night series)
• Enter to win a limited edition print of Nyx, signed by book illustrator Alan Torrance
Saturday
• Free drink recipe: The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook (Dec 2011)
• Enter to win the t-shirt on the cover of Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory: The Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion (Dec 2011)
Sunday
• Signing and giveaway (10:30 – 11:30 AM): Leah Wilson – The Girl Who Was on Fire (on the Hunger Games series)
• Signing and giveaway (1 – 2 PM): Vee of Vampire-Diaries.net – A Visitor’s Guide to Mystic Falls (on The Vampire Diaries)
• Advance electronic galley giveaway: The Psychology of Twilight (Oct 2011)
All Four Days
• Free preview volume with essays and excerpts from Smart Pop’s 2011 titles, including Fringe Science and A Friday Night Lights Companion
• The chance to win Smart Pop’s full Fall 2011 line

Triumph of The Walking Dead is available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Related posts:

1. Translating The Walking Dead to Prose
2. The Walking Dead Season Finale Review
3. Zombie Week: Walking Dead Episode 5 Review

Many additional top creators to participate in panels, signings and appearances!!

Many top writers and creators will be joining Marvel Comics at New York Comic Con (NYCC) as the renowned comic books and media entertainment company reveals preliminary plans for the 2011 edition of the annual pop culture extravaganza which will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, October 13 – 16, 2011. Marvel will not only have a 3000 square foot booth on the show floor where attendees will have an opportunity to mingle with creators and staff, but the company will also be conducting numerous high profile panels throughout the weekend which will feature their top talent. Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment, and Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, will be Guests of Honor at the show and will be joined by many other notable Marvel creators including Guests of Honor Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, and Stuart Immonen.

“The enthusiastic participation of premiere companies like Marvel is critical to our success,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. “We are always eager to host Marvel at New York Comic Con and to provide their talent with a range of opportunity. Our show not only brings thousands of fans together with their favorite writers, artists and creators but we are a preeminent venue for launching and displaying new content and product. Marvel’s participation is a huge validation of our efforts and we are grateful to them for their energy and commitment. We look forward to making the 2011 edition of New York Comic Con one of the best ever!”

JASON AARON: Jason Aaron is an Eisner and Harvey Award nominated comic book writer whose work includes the critically acclaimed crime series Scalped for Vertigo and stints on Black Panther, Ghost Rider and Wolverine: Weapon X for Marvel. Current and upcoming projects include Wolverine, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, PunisherMAX , X-Men Schism and Wolverine & the X-Men, all for Marvel. He was born in Alabama but currently resides in Kansas City.

AXEL ALONSO: A 17-year comics industry veteran, Axel Alonso got his start at DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, where he edited such seminal series such as Preacher, Hellblazer and 100 Bullets, before leaping to Marvel Comics in 2001. Since that time, he has overseen many of the publisher’s biggest franchises – including Spider-Man, Hulk and the X-Men – and edited some of its most talked-about series – including Truth, Rawhide Kid and X-Statix. In 2011 Axel was promoted to Editor In Chief, a tenure during which he has overseen major events such as the Death of Ultimate Spider-Man and the chart-topping Fear Itself. Besides comics, Alonso’s passions include basketball, hip-hop, 8-year-old shooting guard Tito “Mr. T” Alonso, Asian food and preparing for the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse.

MATT FRACTION: Matt Fraction is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer known for his work on The Invincible Iron Man, Thor, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics, Casanova for Icon Comics. This summer he masterminds Marvel’s mega-event Fear Itself alongside Stuart Immonen. He’s written the graphic novels Last of the Independents and The Five Fists of Science, and comics like 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales and The Order. He’s recently contributed to the storylines and dialogue of both the Iron Man 2 and Thor video games for Sega, and was a consultant on the Iron Man 2 film. He lives in Portland Oregon with his wife, the writer Kelly Sue Deconnick, and his two children, two dogs, two cats, and frog. There were two frogs but they died.

KIERON GILLEN: Kieron Gillen is a foul writing worm who crawls inside artists’ ears and makes them do his bidding. Products of this evil symbiosis include Journey Into Mystery and the award-winning Phonogram. This fall Kieron will be launching Uncanny X-Men #1 with Carlos Pacheco & Greg Land. There is no known cure.

STUART IMMONEN: Since his self-published debut in 1988, Stuart Immonen has worked for almost every publisher in the comics industry from Archie to Rip Off Press, with notable tenures at DC, where he wrote and drew Adventures of Superman; Gorilla, where he co-created Shockrockets with writer Kurt Busiek; and Marvel, where he pencilled Ultimate Spider-Man, Nextwave and New Avengers, and most recently the event title Fear Itself. Stuart is known for employing diverse drawing styles as seen in his sketchbook series Centifolia published by AdHouse Books, and in his work with writer Kathryn Immonen, including Boom! Studios’ Never as Bad as You Think and Moving Pictures, published by Top Shelf. He lives in Toronto.

JOE QUESADA: Joe Quesada wears many creative hats, as both an acclaimed writer-artist and the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment, the world’s largest and most dynamic comics publisher. In this role, Joe is steward of such legendary characters as Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four. His tenure as Editor-in-Chief recently drew to a close after 10 successful years – the longest term since Stan Lee himself. Under Quesada’s guidance, Marvel underwent a creative boom and became home to the comic industry’s greatest talents, which continues to hold true today. He brings this same vision to his role in the whole of Marvel Entertainment across the worlds of publishing, film, and television.

Customers interested in signing up for New York Comic Con should contact Larry Settembrini at lsettembrini AT reedexpo DOT com. Tickets for NYCC are now on sale via the website www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Limited 4-Day tickets are available. For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.MediumAtLarge.net. Convention organizers note that many more guests will be announced over the next few weeks and months and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival (NYAF), and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

Related posts:

1. Nerdist Industries Partners w/ ReedPOP for 2012 Events!
2. Josh Gates is First Entertainment Guest Announced at C2E2
3. C2E2 Announces 2012 Dates!

FlamesRising.com is pleased to announce a new type of theme week for our readers. From Monday, May 2nd 2011 through Friday, May 6th 2011 we will highlight a specific publisher.

To launch our new theme week, we have chosen Pelgrane Press as our featured publisher. If you’ve been following our site, you may recall we have provided you with popular previews, interviews, reviews and articles in the past. Based on this publisher’s popularity in the hobby games industry and with horror fans like you, we felt Pelgrane Press was a worthy choice.

Not familiar with Pelgrane Press, its Gumshoe System and its recently announced Stone Skin Press fiction imprint? For starters, why not check out our Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Dead White World Preview, which is the first part of the highly anticipated Cthulhu Apocalypse series by Graham Walmsley. From there, we recommend reading our recent interview with Robin D. Laws, our interview with Ken Hite and our interview with composer James Semple.

For Trail of Cthulhu RPG fans, don’t forget to check out our FlamesRising.com exclusive. Robin Laws provided us with Inmates: A Campaign Frame.

Curious about the Gumshoe System? Want to play games like Trail of Cthulhu and Esoterrorists but haven’t had the cash? To celebrate our first-ever publisher theme week, Pelgrane Press is sponsoring a contest here on FlamesRising.com!

Pelgrane Press Week Contest!

As part of Pelgrane Press Week here at Flames Rising we are giving away several gift certificates to the Pelgrane Press Online Store. You can use these gift certificates to get your favorite Gumshoe, Dying Earth and other goodies directly from the folks at Pelgrane Press!

Since the Gumshoe RPG system is all about investigation scenarios, we want to hear about your favorite fictional detective. Who is it and why are they your favorite? Want to win? Read the rules below and comment on this post to enter. How easy is that?

Contest runs through midnight on Friday May 6, 2011 so be sure to enter today! We have several prizes we can give away, so don’t be afraid to tell a friend, too!

Contest Details

Pelgrane Press will be giving away one $30 and two $10 gift certificates. Please read the fine print below to find out how you can win!

Good luck!

Related posts:

1. SJ Games Week and Munchkin 10 Year Anniversary Contest
2. Pelgrane Week: The Ashen Stars Pre-Order
3. Pelgrane Week: The Origins of the Occult Guide

After going through hundreds of entries, the judges have narrowed the field and selected the nominees for each of the 20 categories. On behalf of the judges and the Board of Directors, please allow me to congratulate each publisher for their nomination(s) for the Tenth Annual ENnie Awards. Voting for the ENnies will begin on July 16th. Until then, feel free to view the nominees and offer your own congratulations.

Visit the official announcement page for links to all of the products listed below:

The judges have chosen five products for each category below. The HM products (Honorable Mention) are products that the judges really liked, but fell short of an actual nomination. For more information, click on a product’s name. Winners will be announced on the evening of Friday, August 6th at Gen Con!

If you are a nominee, click here for the ENnie Awards 2010 Nominee image badge to place on your product’s website/marketing material.

Fans: Feel free to download a flyer for you to print out and take to your Friendly Local Gaming Store to spread the word about the ENnies: 2010 ENnies Nominee Flyer

And don’t forget to look at who will be running for a spot as a judge for next year’s ENnies: 2010 Judge Nominees. Voting for the judges will take place at the same time as voting for the products on Friday, July 16th.

Fan Award of Best Publisher

For all the other ENnie Award categories, a panel of fan-elected judges selects their favorite products upon which the world at large votes. However, when it comes to Best Publisher, the ENnies go to fandom directly and asks their opinion. To nominate a publisher, visit the 2010 ENnies Fan Award for Best Publisher Nomination Form. You have until July 14th to nominate a publisher.

Best Adventure

* The Grinding Gear (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
* Pathfinder AP #31: Stolen Land (Paizo Publishing)
* A Song of Ice and Fire: Peril at King’s Landing (Green Ronin)
* Trail of Cthulhu: The Armitage Files (Pelgrane Press)
* WFRP: The Gathering Storm (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows over Filmland (Pelgrane Press)

Best Aid or Accessory

* Battlegraph Dry Erase Boards (Longtooth Studios)
* Campaign Coins (King of the Castle Games & Paizo Publishing)
* Gaming Paper (Gaming Paper)
* Hero Lab v3.6 (Lone Wolf Development)
* Pathfinder GM Screen (Paizo Publishing)
* HM: A Song of Ice and Fire Narrator’s Kit (Green Ronin)

Best Art, Cover

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Trail of Cthulhu: Rough Magicks (Pelgrane Press)
* WFRP: The Gathering Storm (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Star Wars: The Unknown Regions (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Art, Interior

* Escape from Tentacle City (Willow Palecek)
* Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)

Best Blog

* Critical Hits
* Gnome Stew
* Kobold Quarterly
* NewbieDM.com
* One Geek to Another
* HM: Sarah Darkmagic

Best Cartography

* Aces and Eights: Judas Crossing (Kenzer & Company)
* Dungeon of Terror Virtual Box Set (0one Games)
* Maps of Mastery: Swamp Caves (Maps of Mastery)
* Pathfinder City Map Folio (Paizo Publishing)
* Revenge of the Giants (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Death Frost Doom (Lamentation of the Flame Princess)

Best Electronic Book

* The Great City Player’s Guide (0one Games)
* Heroes of the Jade Oath BETA (Rite Publishing)
* To Kill Or Not To Kill (Rite Publishing)
* Pathfinder Society Scenario #29: The Devil We Know Part 1: Shipyard Rats (Paizo Publishing)
* Shambles (A Terrible Idea)
* HM: Fey Folio: The Unseelie Court (Alluria Publishing)

Best Free Product

* Advanced Players Guide Playtest (Paizo Publishing)
* Combat Advantage #15 (Emerald Press)
* Lady Blackbird (one.seven Design)
* Warriors Adventure Game (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
* Wayfinder #1 (Paizo Fans United)
* HM: Hexographer (Inkwell Ideas)

Best Game

* Dragon Age: Set 1 (Green Ronin)
* Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)
* Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7)
* HM: Labyrinth Lord (Goblinoid Games)

Best Miniature Product

* Alkemy Minis (Kraken Editions)
* D&D Minis (Wizards of the Coast)
* Fortress of Redemption (Games Workshop)
* Gaming Paper (Gaming Paper)
* Maps of Mastery: Swamp Caves (Maps of Mastery)
* HM: Battlegraph Dry Erase Boards (Longtooth Studios)

Best Monster/Adversary

* Aces and Eights: Rustlers & Townsfolk (Kenzer and Company)
* Hellfrost Bestiary (Cubicle 7)
* Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
* Pathfinder: Classic Horrors Revisited (Paizo Publishing)
* Supernatural: Guide to the Hunted (Margaret Weis Productions)
* HM: Fey Folio: The Unseelie Court (Alluria Publishing)

Best Podcast

* All Games Considered
* Atomic Array
* NewbieDM.com Minicast
* Open Design
* Power Source
* HM: The Gamer’s Haven Podcast

Best Production Values

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Mysteries of the Hollow Earth (Exile Game Studio)

Best Regalia

* Battletech: 25 Years of Art and Fiction (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Buried Tales of Pine Box, Texas (12 to Midnight)
* Cthulhu 101 (Atomic Overmind Press)
* Grind (Privateer Press)
* Three Dragon Ante: Emperor’s Gambit (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Best of All Flesh (Elder Signs Press)

Best Rules

* Atomic Highway (Radioactive Ape Designs)
* BASH Ultimate Edition (Basic Action Games)
* Diaspora (VSCA)
* Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7)
* HM: Earthdawn 3rd Edition, Player’s Guide (RedBrick LLC)

Best Setting

* Day After Ragnarok (Atomic Overmind Press)
* Goblin Markets (White Wolf Publishing)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7)
* Judge Dredd (Mongoose Publishing)
* Rome: Life and Death of the Republic (Cubicle 7)
* HM: Shadowrun: Seattle 2072 (Catylst Game Labs)

Best Supplement

* Lucha Libre Hero (Hero Games)
* Mysteries of the Hollow Earth (Exile Game Studio)
* Nobis: The City-States (Pantheon Press)
* Player’s Handbook 3 (Wizards of the Coast)
* Rebellion Era Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Cthulhutech: Damnation View (WildFire)

Best Website

* d20PFSRD.com
* Epic Words
* Obsidian Portal
* Pathfinder Wiki
* Pen & Paper Games
* HM: Hexographer

Best Writing

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* FantasyCraft (Crafty Games)
* How We Came to Live Here (Galileo Games)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7)
* Victoriana 2nd Edtion (Cubicle 7)
* HM: Colonial Gothic (Rogue Games)

Product of the Year

* Doctor Who (Cubicle 7)
* Dragon Age: Set 1 (Green Ronin)
* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Geist the Sin-Eaters (White Wolf Publishing)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7)
* Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing)
* Rome: Life and Death of the Republic (Cubicle 7)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7)
* HM: FantasyCraft (Crafty Games)
* HM: Savage Suzerain (Cubicle 7)

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C2E2 ANNOUNCES “AN EVENING WITH NEIL GAIMAN”

Neil Gaiman, the award winning author of novels, film, and comics including the epoch changing graphic novel series The Sandman will take the stage for a benefit appearance on behalf of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). An “Evening with Neil Gaiman”, a paid ticketed event, will happen on Saturday night, April 17, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

The last time Gaiman performed theatrical readings was ten years ago when he did the “Last Angel Tour.” On that tour, he criss-crossed the country doing sold-out evenings reading stories and poems, new material and beloved tales in order to draw attention to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The “Last Angel Tour” was meant to have been the last ever such tour, and it produced the long-since sold out LIVE AT THE ALADDIN film. Even the posters from that tour now sell for hundreds of dollars.

That was ten years ago. A generation has grown up who have not seen an evening with Neil Gaiman. In these ten years he’s published such books as American Gods, Coraline and The Graveyard Book. He’s made movies and operas. He even started keeping a blog.

“Neil Gaiman is an enormous personality and it is a genuine privilege to have him perform at the inaugural C2E2 to bring attention to the important work that is carried out by the CBLDF,” states Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2.

“The Reed Pop Culture Group’s commitment to the CBLDF is tremendous, and we’re honored to work with them to create this unforgettable evening of storytelling to raise funds for the CBLDF’s important work,” says Charles Brownstein, the CBLDF’s Executive Director.

An “Evening with Neil Gaiman” will be Mr. Gaiman’s only public appearance at C2E2. Tickets for the event will be available at www.C2E2.com beginning Monday, March 8th at 12pm Central Time. You do not need a ticket to C2E2 to attend. Tickets for the general public start at $30 and C2E2 VIP Ticket Holders can attend for as low as $12. Ticket prices will increase at the door. Visit www.C2E2.com now for full details and ticket pricing.

For One Night Only. On the 17th of April 2010, at 7pm in the Arie Crown / IGN Theater at McCormick Place in Chicago. In support of the First Amendment. Neil Gaiman. You don’t want to miss this.

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The Hero Initiative and Wizard World Comic Con will partner in 2010 to maximize the reach to fans for this important comic industry charity organization, Gareb Shamus, CEO of New York-based Wizard Entertainment and producer of Wizard World Comic Con tour, announces today.

“It’s important to support The Hero Initiative since they support so many of the folks in our industry. Without this industry support many artists wouldn’t be able to keep producing the wonderful work we love,” said Shamus.

The Hero Initiative will have a booth at Toronto Comic Con and Chicago Comic Con in 2010 to raise awareness among fans of the importance of their continued industry support. They will also invite special comic book guests to sign at their booth to help increase donations for the organization and art auctions will be part of convention programming with proceeds going to The Hero Initiative.

“Being on location at Wizard World Comic Con events helps us reach many fans when they are in a place to understand their role in the industry, and how if you love something, you have the power and the obligation to support it, like our organization does,” said Christina Zietsma, Associate Development Director at The Hero Initiative. “Partnering with Wizard World on a larger scale, outside of only the convention appearances, is strategic move by the organization to maximize awareness and impact for The Hero Initiative.”

More programming and special guest details for The Hero Initiative at Wizard World Comic Con events will be announced soon.

The Hero Initiative is also selling tickets for all Wizard World 2010 Comic Con events with part of the proceeds going back to the charity. Go to www.heroinitiative.org to buy your tickets now for Toronto Comic Con, Anaheim Comic Con and Philadelphia Comic Con. More events will be added as they go on sale.

For more information on the Wizard World Comic Con tour, including show dates, locations and guests go to www.wizardworld.com

About The Hero Initiative:
The Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. Since inception, the Hero Initiative has been fortunate enough to benefit over 40 creators and their families with over $400,000 worth of much-needed aid, fueled by fan contributions. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment. www.heroinitiative.org

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Premium Ticket with Exclusive Access and Offerings!

Officials of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have announced that VIP tickets will go on sale November 19, 2010 at 12 noon Eastern / 11:00am Central. There will be a total of 500 VIP packages available at $200 per package. “We want to make our VIP program simple and straightforward so the fan knows exactly what they are getting when they buy this awesome ticket,” notes Lance Fensterman, who oversees C2E2 and is Vice President of the Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group. “We are offering one package which includes some terrific benefits and provides great value for the customer who is seeking a truly special and unique experience at our show.” C2E2 is a new pop culture convention which is being launched by the organizers of New York Comic Con (NYCC). It will take place April 16 – 18, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center.

The C2E2 VIP package includes:

· Limited edition C2E2 sketch variant of original Alex Ross poster created especially for C2E2.
· Limited edition C2E2 Alex Ross T-Shirt.
· Special variant VIP badge.
· Guaranteed VIP seating in the IGN Theatre.
· Separate VIP entrance to show floor.
· First access each day to show floor
· VIP lounge/coat check area.
· 10% off all C2E2 branded merchandise items in the show store.
· 10% off all future special packages
· 48 hour early pre-sale access for all special packages before they go on sale to the general public.

Convention officials note that they are moving quickly to line up guests and announce programming at C2E2. Celebrated comic book painter and Chicago area resident Alex Ross will appear as a Keystone Guest of Honor. Additionally, other notable guests who have been announced to appear at C2E2 include: Jackson Guice, Geoff Johns, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Jeff Smith, and Ben Templesmith.

For more information on C2E2 or to purchase tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com. For the latest announcements, please visit C2E2’s official blog, www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/C2E2.

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Madison Games Day 2 is all about the spookier side of gaming. Gamers in and around the Madison, Wisconsin area have a chance to meet new people and play new games. In addition to all the other great games, there will be horror-themed games and events.

We invite everyone in the area (or willing to make the trek) to come and play some games! There will be indie and mainstream roleplaying games, card games, and board games. If you have something you’d like to play, bring it!

Date, Time, & Location:

October 17th, 2009 -12pm – 10pm

The Pizza Oven
5417 Monona Drive
Monona, WI. 53716

RSVP on Facebook!
Facebook users can RSVP to the event on Madison Games Day 2’s official event page!

Some of the games that will be on hand for Madison Games Day 2 include the Little Fears Nightmare Edition, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, 3:16 – Carnage Among the Stars and Aletheia RPGs.

Also on hand will be plenty of board games, just a few we’ll have handy are Castle Panic, Monster Mayhem, Zombies!!! and Cthulhu Rising.

Demos of several card games will be offered throughout the day as well. Look for Munchkin Cthulhu, Gloom, Zombie Fluxx and more!

Visit MadisonGamesDay.wordpress.com for all the latest information.

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3. Screen Screams: Madison Horror Film Fest 2009

Calling all zombie lovers! Crackle.com is getting into the spirit of Halloween by offering free films, previews of ZOMBIELAND and an original comedy series entitled WOKE UP DEAD starring Jon Heder (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE).

The folks over at Crackle.com are really excited to show their love for the shambling, brain-eating undead. In the first half of October, they’ll be highlighting some great zombie films for fans to legally watch on the web for free. How cool is that? We’d like to share with you a little bit about how Robby, Crackle.com’s Director of Development, feels about the horror in these films.

On the surface level zombie films are exactly the same as all horror films: you’re being chased by something that wants to kill you, and that’s, you know, scary. What’s even more terrifying in zombie films is the collapse of society around the characters. The police are in as much danger as you are, and no one is going to bother with the court system if a conflict arises. So the real terror is that even if you manage to escape from the zombies that are (slowly) chasing after you, you still have to deal with the regular folks around you, who are no longer held in check by laws or fear of imprisonment.–SOURCE: Welcome to Zombiefest

Robby has a great point, because unlike other monster movies, in a typical zombie movie the focus is on the main characters trying to survive in a setting that is working “against” them. That setting doesn’t just involve a frantic escape from the zombies, but also from other people that are desperate to do whatever it takes to survive. In a way, zombie films are more terrifying than other horror flicks because there seems to be no escape. Even if the characters manage to avoid turning into (or getting eaten by a zombie), they still have to deal with the “happily-never-after.” How will they rebuild society? How will they find clean water, food and medicine?

FlamesRising.com got a sneak peek at the upcoming movies that will be featured on Crackle.com, and we’re happy to report there is an excellent mix of true black-and-white classics and contemporary films. You can watch CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1959), a pulp film about an ex-Nazi mad scientist, hell-bent on creating a nuclear-powered zombie. If you don’t want ex-Nazis showing up in your zombie films, you might want to check out BLOOD SHACK or the zombie-infested VOODOO ISLAND, starring Boris Karloff. We have a lot of Edgar Allen Poe fans here at FlamesRising.com, so we’re pretty excited to see the Poe-inspired film THE OBLONG BOX starring Christopher Lee and the legendary Vincent Price.

In addition to offering zombie movies for you to enjoy, Crackle.com will be offering previews for its new webisode series entitled WOKE UP DEAD and a few more “horrifying” tricks up their sleeve to help movie lovers get in the mood for Halloween. WOKE UP DEAD is about a nerd named Drex who wakes up in a bathtub full of water…only he can’t find his heartbeat. We all know how hard it is to be a nerd, can Drex deal with being a zombie, too? Be sure to check out the trailer below to get a taste for what this series is about.

For more information about Zombiefest, be sure to shamble on over to Crackle.com today!

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Tired of your rights as a member of the living dead being violated? Sick of people putting you down or worse, screaming and trying to smash your head with a cricket bat? We don’t deserve to be treated like this! We will no longer stand for being viewed as lesser citizens. We need to fight for our rights and demand equal treatment.

The Coalition Of the Living Dead (COLD) will gather on Saturday October 24th at 2:00 pm at the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, and lurch for our rights as zombies. COLD encourages zombies and zombie supporters to come equipped with signs and slogans to make our point. We will raise our voices and we will not be ignored. We will lurch from the capitol down State Street to the Memorial Union.

Help our support numbers grow! please post this message on your blog, email it to your friends and bring as many people to the lurch as you can. Feel free to bring your family, children and friendly dogs to march with us for our rights.

www.vashtisilks.com/zombie.html

Thriller Street Performance

In tribute to Michael Jackson, who brought the cause of zombies before the nation in his landmark music video, the COLD Corpse de Ballet will be performing to “Thriller” right before the lurch!

Would YOU like to be part of the performance? You can. We’ll be performing the three-minute simplified version of the choreography as set down by the Thrill the World organization, which is part of a world-wide effort to have zombies everywhere dancing to “Thriller.” (This is not quite the same as the music video dance.) You can learn the dance one of two ways:

1. You can visit the website and watch their instructional videos: www.ThrilltheWorld.com. They also have dance notes you can print out and follow.
2. You can join us for a Thriller practice session on Sunday, 10/18, from 1pm to 3pm at the Madison Multicultural Dance Center, 1421 S. Park Street (entrance in back on Beld St.) This session will cost $2. (This session is not taught by a professional dance teacher.) Please pre-register by emailing MadisonThriller@gmail.com.

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Play New Games. Meet New People.

Madison Games Day is a chance for gamers in and around the Madison, Wisconsin area to meet new people and play new games. Bring your friends, bring your game group, but while you’re here, sit at a table with folks you barely know—or don’t know at all—and try some games that you haven’t played before but maybe have always wanted to.

We invite everyone in the area (or willing to make the trek) to come and play some games! There will be indie and mainstream roleplaying games, card games, and board games. If you have something you’d like to play, bring it!

Date, Time, & Location

May 30th, 2009
12p – 10p

The Pizza Oven
5417 Monona Drive
Monona, WI. 53716
(608) 222-8722

The Pizza Oven is located on Monona Drive, not far from the beltline. It’s in the same plaza as the Village Pedaler. They offer pizza, pasta, fried chicken, and more as well as a variety of beverages. You can check out their website at www.thepizzaoven.net.

To keep up to date on Madison Games Day news and events, join the Yahoo! Group.

While attendance is free, donations are gratefully accepted. Donations will be used to recoup event costs with the remainder going into a reserve to be used toward future events. For more information visit MadisonGamesDay.wordpress.com.

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1. Announcing Madison Games Day

Meet new people. Play new games. Madison Games Day, May 30th 2009.

Matt M. McElroy (of Flames Rising and DriveThruComics.com) and Jason L Blair (designer of Little Fears) announce Madison Games Day, a ten-hour event dedicated to introducing Madison-area residents to meet new people and play new games.

Madison Games Day will take place on Saturday, May 30th 2009 at the Pizza Oven on Monona Drive. From 12p until 10p, Madison-area gamers are invited to stop in, meet local players, and try new games. A variety of games are slated for play and attendees are urged to bring their own as well. Have a game you want to try but your regular group isn’t into? Bring it! Have a hankering to dust off an old favorite for one more spin? Bring it! Want to give a game you weren’t sure about another shot? Bring it! There is an official event schedule but pick-up games are encouraged. If you have something you want to run or play, bring it along!

If you have games you no longer play or wish to own, bring them too! A table will be available for attendees to display copies they’re looking to sell or trade.

For complete information on Madison Games Day, to register an event, or view the existing event line-up, visit the official website at MadisonGamesDay.wordpress.com or join the Yahoo! Group.

Madison Games Day is a free event but donations will be gratefully accepted onsite.

Matt M. McElroy is the owner/editor of the Flames Rising horror webzine and Marketing Manager for DriveThruComics.com. His fiction work includes the novella “Time to Burn” in the Tales of the Seven Dogs Society collection from Abstract Nova.

Jason L Blair has been a writer and designer in the pen-and-paper and video game fields for almost ten years. His critically-acclaimed, award-winning game Little Fears – the roleplaying game of childhood terror is currently being revised. Little Fears Nightmare Edition is slated for a Summer 2009 release.

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Heads up to all aspiring artists and designers out there. The Hugo Awards, known throughout the literary world as science fiction’s most prestigious award, is offering you a chance to design their logo. While their awards have been topped by the shape of a rocket, the Hugo Awards haven’t really had a logo.

Although the rocket atop the Hugo Award has been one of the most visible signs of excellence in science fiction and fantasy for more than fifty years, there has never been an official logo to designate works as Hugo Award nominees or winners. The World Science Fiction Society now aims to change that by soliciting designs for such a logo, with the winning design to be the official logo suitable for use in the publishing and film/television industries.–SOURCE: Huge Awards Announces Logo Contest

Winners receive a cash prize of $500 and a number of other goodies that include credit for designing the logo and a membership to WorldCon. Contest deadline is May 31st, 2009 and the judges include Neil Gaiman and Irene Gallo who is the Art Director at Tor Books and Tor.com.

For a full set of rules, prizes and information on how you can enter this contest, visit: The Hugo Awards Logo Contest Official Rules. Good luck!

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Magic: The Gathering Tournament Champion is First to Capture the Title in 2009

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season kicked-off this weekend in Kyoto, Japan. Gabriel Nassif from Paris, France was the first to be crowed Pro Tour champion in 2009 and took home $40,000. Luis Scott Vargas from Davis, California, Akimasa Yamamoto from Iwade-shi, Japan and Brian Robinson from North Quincy, Massachusetts filled out the top four. Nassif’s win in Kyoto marks his first Pro Tour victory although he’s had several top-8 finishes and was the 2004 Player of the Year. Since 1996, Wizards of the Coast has given away more than US$32 million in prize money, which includes both cash prizes and scholarship awards.

Pro Tour Kyoto was a Standard Constructed and Booster Draft format event with a number of public events played simultaneously – each awarding prizes of its own. This was the first time Conflux – the most recent set release – was playable in a large-scale sanctioned event. In addition to competitive events, players were able to meet legendary artists and Conflux contributors Todd Lockwood, Jeremy Jarvis, and D. Gregory Alexander.

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the collectible trading card game. It is a series of high payout tournaments held throughout the world and run by the Wizards of the Coast “Organized Play” division. The Pro Tours culminate in the Magic World Championships each year. Next stop on the Pro Tour will be Honolulu, Hawaii in June followed by Pro Tour Austin, Texas in October and the World Championships in Rome, Italy in mid-November.

About Magic: The Gathering
Introduced in 1993, Magic: The Gathering is the premier and original trading card game that inspired an entirely new game genre. Gamers, deemed “Planeswalkers,” are empowered to control their destiny through the use of illustrated cards featuring spells and magical creatures. Combining the dynamics of a card game with the excitement of trading and collecting, Magic offers fun for casual players, as well as options for highly competitive tournament players.

Wizards of the Coast and its logo, Magic: The Gathering and its logo, Magic: The Gathering Online and Magic are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC. in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2009 Wizards.

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