ACF 634: VIZ Media at Comic-Con San Diego

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES EXCITING PERSONAL APPEARANCES, ACTIVITIES AND SHOW EXCLUSIVES
FOR 2010 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Comics And Pop Culture Icon Stan Lee To Host Signing Session And Discussion On His Manga Series ULTIMO, VIZ Media Welcomes

Cast Of VAMPIRE KNIGHT Anime

And Exclusive Products For Sale In Booth 2813

VIZ Media has announced an exciting roster of personal appearances, panel discussions, events, giveaways and convention exclusives for 2010 Comic-Con International. Comic-Con is the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction event, and takes place July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813.

Fans won’t want to miss a very special opportunity to meet comics and pop culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator along with Hiroyuki Takei (SHAMAN KING) of the groundbreaking ULTIMO manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens), on Saturday, July 24th. Mr. Lee will be a special guest at the SHONEN JUMP Panel, scheduled at 10:30AM in Room #9, where fans will get the latest manga and anime news and on-the-spot surprises, including a special ULTIMO button for all attendees. Mr. Lee will also make an in-person appearance at the VIZ Media booth for a signing session of ULTIMO Volume 2 at 1:15pm.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) is the newest anime series to captivate fans and is based on the smash hit manga series by Matsuri Hino, also published by VIZ Media. To celebrate the release of DVD Volume 1, the company is pleased to welcome as guests the talented voice actors Mela Lee (Yuki), Vic Mignogna (Zero) and Ethan Murray (Kaname) on Friday, July 23^rd. Catch Vic Mignogna in the VIZ Media booth at 11:00am, where he will host the VAMPIRE KNIGHT trivia game. The festivities continue at 1:00pm, where fans will have the opportunity to meet the three voice actors at an in-booth signing session. Round out the day at the VAMPIRE KNIGHT Panel, at 3:30pm in Room #9, where VAMPIRE KNIGHT manga editor Nancy Thistlethwaite and the VAMPIRE KNIGHT voice actors will have an in-depth discussion of the edgy gothic romantic drama. There will also be a raffle, featuring exclusive prizes, for fans who come dressed in their best VAMPIRE KNIGHT costume.

The VIZ Media booth will be an exciting destination on the show floor for fans, with exclusive products available for purchase during special times throughout the show (attendees should check the digital signboard at the front of the booth for the daily schedule). For the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN fan, there will be a NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Limited Edition Sage Naruto Figure from Toynami and straight-from-Japan full-color reproduction NARUTO SHIPPUDEN animation cels (from Digital Manga) featuring favorite characters Naruto and Sasuke. Two special VAMPIRE KNIGHT bundles will be offered: VAMPIRE KNIGHT anime DVD Volume 1 with a Cross Academy armband set, and a set of 6 collectable VAMPIRE KNIGHT pins (armband and pins both from Great Eastern). Also available will be a bundle featuring ONE PIECE Volume 54 (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and ONE PIECE Limited Edition Luffy Mallow (from FUNimation and Shocker Toys), and exclusive BLEACH iPhone 3G/3GS cell phone cases from France in two designs featuring Ichigo and Toshiro.

VIZ Media will be offering a variety of fun activities at the booth this year. Fans can pose with their favorite VAMPIRE KNIGHT or KEKKAISHI anime characters in a special photo area. Test your knowledge in the NARUTO and BLEACH trivia games. Try the fan-favorite claw catcher game to snag fun NARUTO SHIPPUDEN or BLEACH prizes. Everyone’s a winner at the VIZ Media Treasure Trove, where players grab a coin to exchange for cool prizes. Fans can sample the video game area, featuring Namco Bandai Games America with a preview of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (Rated T for Teen) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation^® 3. Scan your badge to enter to win a NARUTO SHIPPUDEN-branded PSP^® game system and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (Rated T for Teen) for the PSP^® (no purchase necessary), and get a Bandai collectible card good for three free NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episodes on the PlayStation^® Network.

The VIZ Media collectable tote bag is back in a brand new color for 2010 – get your free bag to see what series are featured this year. Other giveaways include BIOMEGA posters, VIZ Media Bling, VAMPIRE KNIGHT manga samplers, and much more while supplies last!

Finally, VIZ Media is proud to have three manga titles – OISHINBO (rated ‘T’ for Teens), by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki; PLUTO: URASAWA _ TEZUKA (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, Macoto Tezka and Tezuka Productions; and NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa – nominated for 5 awards for the 2010 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the comic book industry. In addition, Naoki Urasawa is nominated for Best Writer/Artist for his work on NAOKI URASAWA’S 20^TH CENTURY BOYS and PLUTO: URASAWA _ TEZUKA. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on the evening of Friday, July 23rd.

For more up-to-date information on VIZ Media’s activities at San Diego Comic-Con International, visit www.VIZAnime.com/comiccon/.

ACF 624: Stan Lee to make special appearance at L.A. Barnes & Noble

KARAKURI DOJI ULTIMO © 2008 by Stan Lee–POW! Entertainment/Dream Ranch, Hiroyuki Takei/SHUEISHA Inc.

COMIC BOOK ICON STAN LEE TO MAKE A
LOS ANGELES PERSONAL APPEARANCE TO CELEBRATE

HIS NEWEST CO-CREATION ULTIMO

In addition to his upcoming appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday, July 24th, Stan Lee will also be making a special appearance in Los Angeles next Friday, July 16th:

VIZ Media has announced a very special personal appearance by comic book legend Stan Lee on Friday, June 16th at 7:00pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, located at 189 Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Lee is the co-creator of comics’ most iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™. His Barnes & Noble appearance celebrates the release of Volume 2 of his latest co-creation – ULTIMO, and he will be autographing copies of ULTIMO Volumes 1 and 2.

ULTIMO (rated ‘T’ for Teens) is a historic East-meets-West collaboration between Lee and famed Japanese manga creator, Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING series. ULTIMO, Volume 2 is available in stores now and is also serialized in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Magazine.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee for a special appearance in the company’s booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th at Comic-Con International 2010, the nation’s largest comic book convention taking place in San Diego, CA.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For more information on ULTIMO visit Ultimo.viz.com or www.shonenjump.com.

ACF 622: Stan Lee to appear at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday, July 24th

KARAKURI DOJI ULTIMO © 2008 by Stan Lee–POW! Entertainment/Dream Ranch, Hiroyuki Takei/SHUEISHA Inc.

VIZ MEDIA AND POW! ENTERTAINMENT WELCOME ULTIMO
CO-CREATOR STAN LEE FOR A PERSONAL APPEARANCE
AT 2010 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Legendary Comic Book Creator To Participate In SHONEN JUMP
Panel Discussion And A Special In-Booth Signing Session

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), and POW! Entertainment (POW!) are proud to welcome comic book legend Stan Lee for a special signing at the VIZ Media booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th, at Comic-Con International 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

Stan Lee will appear at the VIZ Media booth at the nation’s largest comic book convention to help celebrate the release of ULTIMO Volume 2. ULTIMO (rated ‘T’ for Teens) is the historic collaboration between Stan Lee and famed Japanese manga creator Hiroyuki Takei, and has been serialized in SHONEN JUMP Magazine since its debut in 2009. Volume 2 is available in stores now. Starting at 4PM on Thursday, July 22nd, and Friday, July 23rd, the first 60 fans to purchase ULTIMO Volume 2 at the VIZ Media booth each day will receive a ticket to have their copy personally autographed by Mr. Lee on Saturday, July 24th, at 1:15PM.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee as a special guest at the SHONEN JUMP panel, scheduled for Saturday, July 24th, from 10:30-11:30AM in Room 9.

ULTIMO represents a rare East-meets-West production between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet.

Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

“We are extremely honored to have a legend of Stan Lee’s stature as a guest at the VIZ Media booth for a special signing at Comic-Con this year,” says Christopher Boily, SHONEN JUMP Editor-In-Chief. “The groundbreaking collaboration of the ULTIMO manga has been a great success, and we are also extremely excited to welcome Mr. Lee as a guest at this year’s Shonen Jump panel in celebration of the release of Volume 2 of ULTIMO!”

Stan Lee and his producing partner Gill Champion’s company, POW! Entertainment (Pinksheets: POWN.PK), worked with VIZ Media parent company Shueisha, and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of ULTIMO. Champion, POW!’s COO and President, says, “Fans won't want to miss Ultimo Volume 2 as more of the mysteries surrounding the Karakuri Dôji are finally explained. The characters that Stan and Hiroyuki Takei have created together are both classic and unique at the same time, with many different aspects that both manga and American comic fans will enjoy!"

More information on ULTIMO, SHONEN JUMP and VIZ Media please at ultimo.viz.com or www.shonenjump.com. You can also stay up-to-date on all Shonen Jump happenings by following ShonenJump on Twitter.

ACF 580: Stan Lee signing ULTIMO Vol 1 in Pasadena on Saturday

Just got this news about an exciting event this Memorial Day weekend for those in the Pasadena CA area!

ULTIMO co-creator Stan Lee will appear at Rock'n Comic-Con 2010 for an exclusive signing of ULTIMO Vol. 1!

Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet with the legendary comic book creator at the Pasadena Convention Center (300 East Green Street), Booth 402 from 2-3PM on Saturday May 29th!

ULTIMO is created by the historic collaboration between Western comic legend Stan Lee and acclaimed Japanese manga creator Hiroyuki Takei (SHAMAN KING, etc). Created by the mysterious Dr. Dunstan (who has an uncanny resemblance to Stan Lee), mechanical dolls Ultimo (the ultimate embodiment of good) and Vice (the ultimate embodiment of evil) battle each other across 1,000 years to prove whether good or evil is the most powerful force of the universe!

Those who haven't had the chance to check out ULTIMO Vol. 1 yet will have the opportunity to purchase a copy at the show, at the cover price of $9.99 (no tax!). For more information on Rock'n Comic-Con 2010, please check out their website, at http://www.rockncomiccon.com.

ACF 461: Ultimo to arrive February 2nd!!

ULTIMO: KARAKURI DOJI ULTIMO © 2008

by Stan Lee–POW! Entertainment/Dream Ranch,

Hiroyuki Takei/SHUEISHA Inc.

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF

STAN LEE AND HIROYUKI TAKEI’S ULTIMO

Historic Collaboration Comes To Life In New Manga Release

VIZ Media in conjunction with Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment (PK:POWN) has announced the highly anticipated release of the new manga ULTIMO on February 2nd. ULTIMO is the result of a historic collaboration between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series. ULTIMO, rated ‘T’ for teens will carry a MSRP of $9.99 US/$12.99 CAN.

With girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and Daredevil, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

“I am indescribably thrilled to have the honor of working with the famous and extremely talented Hiroyuki Takei on our exciting creation ULTIMO. I feel that ULTIMO combines the very best of Western mythology with the very best of Japanese manga. “ says Stan Lee. “It gives me the greatest pleasure to be associated with VIZ Media on such and exciting and ground-breaking project.”

Unconventional author/artist, Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the 1994 Tezuka Award. After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), Takei debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 with Butsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga SHAMAN KING debuted in Japan in 1998 and has been adapted into a popular animated television series. The SHAMAN KING manga series is also published in North America by VIZ Media; for many years it was serialized in English in SHONEN JUMP magazine.

”While it’s epic in scope and rich in mythology, the ULTIMO storyline is grounded in modern teen angst which is what fans will gravitate to. It’s manga, but it’s got that ‘Stan Lee’ feel of the teenager who suddenly has all this power and can’t believe how crazy that is.” Says Joel Enos, Senior Editor for Shonen Jump Manga, VIZ Media. “This story has found a common ground between Western comics and Eastern manga. Here you have two amazing creators, all this action, robots, and the universal theme of pure good vs. pure evil, all the while staying in high school youth culture and the drama and depth of everyday kids.”

For more information on ULTIMO, visit http://shonenjump.viz.com/

ACF 342: Stan Lee & Hiroyuki Takei to guest at 2009 Comic-Con International

VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES ULTIMO CREATORS STAN LEE
AND HIROYUKI TAKEI FOR RARE PERSONAL APPEARANCES
AT 2009 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Legendary Manga And Comic Book Creators To Participate In SHONEN JUMP Panel Discussion And A Special In-Booth Signing Session

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) is proud to welcome comic book and manga legends Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei for a very special series of appearances at the 2009 Comic-Con International, taking place July 23-26 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

The pair will appear at the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction convention to celebrate their historic creative collaboration for the ULTIMO manga series (KARAKURIDÔJI ULTIMO), which debuted in the July 2009 issue of VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei will be welcomed as special guests at the SHONEN JUMP panel, scheduled for Friday, July 24th from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 10. Lee and Takei will also appear together in VIZ Media’s Booth #2813 on the main show floor for an exclusive autograph session on Friday July 24th from 2:15-3:15 p.m. The first 40 fans to purchase the July issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine featuring ULTIMO from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Friday will receive a ticket to have their issue personally autographed by Lee and Takei.

ULTIMO represents an innovative and historic collaboration between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? Find out in the first chapter of ULTIMO!

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

Unconventional author/artist Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the coveted Hop Step Award (for new manga artists) and the Osamu Tezuka Award. After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), Takei debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 with Butsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga series SHAMAN KING debuted in Japan in 1998 and has been adapted into a popular animated television series. The SHAMAN KING manga series is published in North America by VIZ Media and has sold more than 400,000 copies in the U.S. to-date; for many years it was also serialized in English in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

“We are extremely honored to host two creative luminaries as huge as Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei to Comic-Con this year,” says Grant Lowery, SHONEN JUMP Editor-In-Chief. “Their groundbreaking new collaboration, ULTIMO, is an exciting, action-packed story that blends the best attributes of the Western and Eastern comic book and manga traditions. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we look forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s Comic-Con which promises to be the most exciting one yet!”

Lee’s own company, POW! Entertainment (Pinksheets: POWN.PK), worked with VIZ Media parent company Shueisha, and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of ULTIMO.

For more information on ULTIMO, SHONEN JUMP and VIZ Media please visit www.shonenjump.com or www.viz.com and on TWITTER: VIZ-Media

ACF 322: Lee & Takai's "Ultimo" featured in July issue of Shonen Jump - available now!

VIZ MEDIA’S SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE
JULY ISSUE NOW AVAILABLE
FEATURING STAN LEE AND SHAMAN KING MANGA CREATOR HIROYUKI TAKEI’S GROUNDBREAKING COLLABORATIVE PROJECT ULTIMO

Running Action-Packed New Series
Created By Two Legends Of Comics And Manga
Begins With July Issue Of Monthly Manga Anthology

VIZ Media has announced the debut of the serialization of the ULTIMO series (KARAKURIDÔJI ULTIMO) in SHONEN JUMP magazine. Originally announced to a packed house at a Press Conference at New York Comic Con in 2008, the serialization begins in the July issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine, which is on sale now at retailers and newsstands nationwide.

ULTIMO represents a historic collaboration between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? Find out in the first chapter of ULTIMO!

“The addition of ULTIMO to SHONEN JUMP magazine marks this as a great time for both manga and comics, and we are very excited to be able to deliver this bold new story to fans every month,” says Grant Lowery, Editor-In-Chief of SHONEN JUMP. “The captivating character designs and action-packed story blend the best aspects of Western and Asian comic book traditions and will delight fans of both genres. We invite fans of both comics and manga to seize the opportunity to explore this groundbreaking new series!”

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

Unconventional author/artist Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the coveted Hop Step Award (for new manga artists) and the Osamu Tezuka Award. After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), Takei debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 with Butsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga series SHAMAN KING debuted in Japan in 1998 and has been adapted into a popular animated television series The SHAMAN KING manga series is published in North America by VIZ Media and to-date has sold more than 400,000 copies in the U.S.; for many years it was also serialized in English in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

Lee’s own company, POW! Entertainment, worked with Jump SQ. parent company Shueisha and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of ULTIMO.

For more information on ULTIMO, SHONEN JUMP and VIZ Media visit www.shonenjump.com or www.viz.com.