VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES TIGER & BUNNY JAPANESE PRODUCER AND ENGLISH VOICE CAST FOR ANIME EXPO 2012

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Here is some Anime news from our pals at Viz Media.


VIZ Media will welcome TIGER & BUNNY Producer Masayuki Ozaki as its exclusive guest for a very special panel discussion to be held on Saturday, June 30th, 12PM to 1:30PM in Room LP1. Masayuki Ozaki began his anime career in 2004 at Sunrise, Inc., where he was a planning manager for Mobile Suit Z Gundam. He went on to play an important role in producing anime features including Dinosaur King, INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT(distributed by VIZ Media), and Gintama: The Movie. In addition to producing anime, Mr. Ozaki produces a variety of live music events, musicals and other areas of show business.

VIZ Media will augment the TIGER & BUNNY fun at the Saturday panel discussion by also welcoming the talented voice actors that brought the characters to life for North American fans. VIZ Media plans to release the TIGER & BUNNY series on Blu-ray and DVD in 2013. Anime Expo attendees won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet and question the English cast members in attendance, including: 

  • Laura Bailey (Dragon Kid)
  • John Eric Bentley (Fire Emblem)
  • Yuri Lowenthal (Barnaby Brooks Jr. / Bunny)
  • Tara Platt (Agnes)
  • Patrick Seitz (Sky High)
  • Travis Willingham (Rock Bison)

Also on Saturday, catch Mr. Ozaki and the TIGER & BUNNY voice actors at the South Hall Autograph Area at 3:30pm, where fans will have the opportunity to meet everyone at an in-booth signing session.

TIGER & BUNNY (rated TV-14) is set in Stern Bild, a metropolitan city where superheroes called NEXT help to maintain peace. Sporting sponsor logos on their suits, these heroes work to solve cases and save people’s lives in order to earn Hero Points, while also helping to improve the public image of their corporate sponsors. Their activities are documented and broadcast by the popular show “HERO TV,” in which each superhero strives to become the “King of Heroes” of the year.

One such hero is Wild Tiger (real name Kotetsu T. Kaburagi), a veteran superhero who relies on his years of experience and instincts to fight crime. Though obligated to work for his boss’s best interest, Kotetsu follows his own code of honor and is even willing to cause destruction to public property for the sake of protecting the lives of his fellow citizens. Over time, he has grudgingly earned the nickname “Crusher for Justice.” Now, Kotetsu suddenly finds himself forced to team up with rookie hero Barnaby Brooks Jr.

For more information on TIGER & BUNNY and other animated titles from VIZ Media please visitwww.VIZAnime.com.


FIRST-EVER ANIME POP-UP MUSEUM LANDS IN S.F. FOR 2012 J-POP SUMMIT

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San Francisco, CA, June 20, 2012 – NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, is proud to present the U.S. premiere of the EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM as part of the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival. This special time-limited special exhibit, to be staged inside the venue’s 3rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery, launches on Saturday, August 25th and is co-produced by Nippon Television and NEW PEOPLE.

The 2012 J-POP Summit Festival commences with the theme of “Cyberpop Overload!,” and will be held across San Francisco’s Japantown, in association with the Japantown Merchant Association, on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th. General admission to The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM is $5 with re-entry stamp, but will only run for the duration of the J-POP Summit Festival. Tickets will be available at NEW PEOPLE’s 3rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery on the day of the event. More information about the Festival is available at J-POP.com.

The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM at NEW PEOPLE will offer an extensive collection of original concept and production art, character drawings and other key artifacts from the famed Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone and Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance film series. Anime/Manga and sci-fi fans are invited to enjoy this unique exhibit and catch a rare inside glimpse at how original drawings, computer graphics and animation for these films were created. A variety of rare and valuableEvangelion books, toys and collectables, and other items will also be on display.

“Evangelion is one of the most successful anime properties ever produced and its massive international popularity approaches an almost religious following among fans,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the President/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. and Chairman of the J-Pop Summit Festival Committee. “We are extremely honored to offer J-POP Summit attendees this special opportunity to enjoy a wide range of captivating artwork and other rare artifacts from the show that have never been exhibited before outside Japan.”

In the Evangelion: 1.0 and 2.0 films, fourteen year old Shinji Ikari is called to Tokyo-3 by his father who he hasn’t seen in more than eight years. His father reveals to him a gigantic humanoid weapons system that the special governmental agency has secretly developed to fight alien invaders called Angels. He enlists Shinji to pilot the giant artificial human Evangelion Unit One. In an explosive new storyline full of brutal action and primal emotion, a group of young pilots maneuver their towering, cyborg Eva Units into combat against a deadly and disturbing enemy.  The third film of the series, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, is set for release in Japan this fall.

A variety of other pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, theatrical film premieres,  live art performances, celebrity appearances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands are planned for the 2012 J-POP Summit both inside the NEW PEOPLE complex, and outdoors at the adjacent Peace Plaza. Innovative artists from Japan will join a variety of product merchants and food vendors from the Bay Area to offer an array of pop-inspired products and delicacies for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street, the main Japantown thoroughfare.

NEW PEOPLE opened in 2009 and has become a unique must-see attraction of San Francisco’s cultural landscape. The20,000 square foot contemporary venue features the latest examples Japanese popular culture expressed though film, art, fashion, and a variety of specialty boutiques and ongoing monthly events. NEW PEOPLE is located at 1746 Post Street in the city’s Japantown.


Crash Plan 3.0 Review

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Crash Plan 3.0 is a design for users to backup their data online, on a friends computer, in addition to any computers they have in the house. Is this the program you need to backup your system? One thing I like about Crash Plan is that it's very user friendly, it's simple and not to complicated to understand. Unlike other backup software out there, Crash Plan has an unlimited storage plan. When you first start Crash Plan you have the option to storage online using "Crash Plan Central" this will cost around $50 a year for one computer and it's unlimited storage. If you need to store more data for more than one computer you have the family plan which is $120 a year, which is kind of pricey. The second option is backing up to a friend's computer. This can be done by sending a simple email to them and you can connect with them of the Crash Plan Network. However you can't share files with your friends over the network, which was disappointing. 


Backing Up & Restoring Files - Crash Plan does a good job of backing up and storing your files. However there is a flaw with this software, searching for backups you have done is non existent. You'll have to go through file to file, folder to folder to find a specific data, while other softwares like SOS Online Backup offer this feature, Crash Plan does not. However that small complaint doesn't truly hurt the software. Crash Plan when you start to backup files already knows which folders to backup from the start. Folders like "My Documents" will already be on the backup list. The program will then determine how much space the backup will take, and begin once you have all the files you have ready. You can also have multiple backup's, each with their own files and data. Another great thing about Crash Plan is that it sends email notification, but it has also a social network feature as well. Users can get info and updates on their backup's confirmation on their Twitter accounts, which is very impressive. The online storage doesn't take too long depending on connection. Files with 300 mb take like 15 to 20 mins to upload online, similar to a 10 minute Youtube video. Restoring files online is disappointing, it only allows you restore files that you have used on that specific machine. For example I can't restore a friend's file from the Cpu I use, it will have to be done with the one he uses. Restoring files offline is a breeze, you can do the most recent, or check by the date. I had no real problems getting my data back.


Final Grade B-/8.0 - Overall Crash Plan is another good backup software. It's user friendly, quick to understand and simple. It does have it's flaws but maybe future installments and add-ons it will be worked out. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Promise Part 2 Hits #1 On Charts

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AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER—THE PROMISE PART 2 HITS #1 ON THE CHARTS!
 
June 18, MILWAUKIE, OR—In an amazing show of demand for Dark Horse’s latest graphic novel, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 2 soared to the top of the BookScan charts and the New York Times bestseller list last week!
Written by Gene Luen Yang, author of the National Book Award–nominated American Born Chinese, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 2 follows the Airbender television series and ties directly to the brand-new smash-hit television series The Legend of Korra!
Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, millions of fans have been hungry for more—and it’s finally here! The Promise rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a face-off against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang’s powers and ingenuity! 
Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Parts 1 and 2 are must-have additions for any Airbender fan! This is the latest release in an ongoing partnership between Nickelodeon and Dark Horse to bring you the very best in Airbender books.
Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Parts 1 and 2 are on sale now!
Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 3 is on sale September 26, 2012!
About Dark Horse
Founded in1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, including The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.
 
About Nickelodeon Consumer Products
Nickelodeon Consumer Products manages the world’s number-one TV-based licensing business, representing leading properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and managing merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.
Nickelodeon is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer # 4

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The new and probably final trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises" was just released. Most of it is clips you have seen, but it gives you more insight on the plot and film. Trust me you haven't seen anything the film is 2 hours and 45 mins. Based on this trailer it seems Bane knows that Bruce is Batman, which would be wonderful since he does that in the comic "Knightfall", you'll also see some elements of "The Dark Knight Returns" and "No Man's Land" in here. This looks like Nolan will end with a bang.

A Retro Look Back At Yu Yu Hakusho (Sega Genesis)

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It's Tuesday so you know what that means. It's time to travel back into the past and take a look at another game from the 16 bit era. This time I take a look at one of my favorite Anime's "Yu Yu Hakusho" for the Sega Genesis.


Dearest Otakus & Geeks

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Dearest Otakus and Geeks,

It's been far tooooo long and I miss every last one of you cool ninjas & pirates! As always, I was away with good reason, since it IS any artists busiest time of year. But I'm not returning without goodies. As of late, I have been working on my brand, Indian Pussy Brand, complete with a new site, store, and tons of goodies. Though my last iPukeKAWAiI installation, was just a bit over a month ago now, there's still tons to do in the next month.

In short, I'll be back with goodies in art, fashion, and now ... MUSIC! Otakus and Geeks is also letting me grow here as an artist, so I'll also be a bit more visual in my sharing and some other future treats for the blog I love calling home. All of this will begin August 1, right in time for some of the East Coast's dopest anime & comic conventions!

Don't worry! I'll still be posting until then, but in the mean time, let's hear from you. If there's any fan art, music, news or cool what have you's that you'd like me to consider covering ... reach out! Let's build.

Sun, August 5 @ 1pm
(& every Sunday thereafter)
This Week in ... ! <3 IKB



Until then ... iPukeKAWAiI
~je t'adore!

Battlefield 3 Gamers Want A Dinosaur Mode -- Get #BF3Dinos Trending

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Battlefield 3 Gamers Want A Dinosaur Mode -- Get #BF3Dinos Trending
Battlefield 3 might get a Dinosaur mode, a mode which has been requested for the FPS even before it was released, and not just by me. The mode has been the topic of conversation for nearly a year now, but nothing has been confirmed by DICE. But thanks to Twitter, DICE might take a look at making Jurassic Warfare a reality. If you're confused, let me back up.

First, Battlefield 3's community manager, from the official @Battlefield account, recently tweeted,
"@zamielk No, at this time there is no word on a dinosaur DLC. Would you like one? And if so, would it be humans vs. dinosaurs? ^KB"
Dinosaurs were then brought up again thanks to a post on Reddit yesterday. The BF3 Community Manager posted these encouraging words.
"Glad to see the enthusiasm.
Really, though, if this is something you guys want the best way to go about it is to try to get #BF3Dinos off the ground on Twitter.
If that sh*t trends it's pretty hard to ignore."

Battlefield 3 Gamers Want A Dinosaur Mode -- Get #BF3Dinos Trending
To prove these dino-lovers meant business, word spread and sure enough, #BF3Dinos became a trending topic. DICE hasn't officially acknowledged the public outcry, but I think it's fair to say they're paying attention now.

What say you? Do you think DICE should add a Dinosaur Survival Mode to Battlefield 3? I kind of want that more than anything. I shall add my tweet as soon as I post this!
Source: Examiner

All The Walking Dead #100 Covers… Adlard, Silvestri, Quitely, McFarlane, Phillips, Hitch, Ottley…

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All the covers to Walking Dead #100 shipping on the same day that San Diego Comic Con starts.





Charlie Adlard…








Marc Silvestri…

Frank Quitely…



Todd McFarlane


Sean Phillips


Bryan Hitch…


Ryan Ottley


Charlie Adlard (wraparound)
 
Charlie Adlard (black and white wraparound 1:200)

Charlie Adlard (chromium wraparound)




Rosario + Vampire Review

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Tsukune Aono is a normal high school teenager, who is unable to get into any private school due to his poor grades. However, with the help from his parents, he gets enrolled to a private school called Yokai Academy. When he arrives at the school, he soon discovers that Yokai Academy is a secret private school for supernatural monsters and mythological creatures disguised as humans, and any human who finds out about its existence will eventually be killed without mercy.

The Devil & Her Love Song (Manga Review)

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Story- In "The Devil and Her Love Song" a girl named Kawai Maria transferred from her old all girls Catholic school to Touzuka High School. It is a public school that has horrible standards. Maria is very observant and is honest. I mean she is the personification of truth serum. She can actually sense your true feelings. She is very sharped of tongue and straightforward with everyone. This makes people call her the devil. However she sings like an angel! Only two boys at the school talk and associate with Maria. Will she drive them away with her devilish charm or win them with her angelic voice?


I love this manga. It is well written and the characters easy to connect to in a high school setting. People are misunderstood and sometimes it can lead to isolation and bullying. I for one commend Maria for being herself throughout the manga and seeing the people around her understand and come to like her. She is my favorite character. The themes of judgement, what people are truly thinking, being who you are, and most importantly learning about the truth, is what makes this manga a must read for everyone. I almost cried at one point of the story because it is so powerful and it really speaks out to me.


Art- The art in the manga (as you can see fro this picture) is gorgeous. It has its own unique style that I love. It really sets the groundwork for this type of story line.


Final Grade A+ 10/10- I love this manga so much and it goes to show to never "judge a book by it's cover." Manga Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WAR'S NO GAME IN THINK TANK

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New thriller from Top Cow's Minotaur Press

BERKELEY, CA - June 12, 2012 — Image Comics and Minotaur Press, an imprint of Top Cow Productions, proudly announce the newest addition to their critically acclaimed line: THINK TANK. From the creative minds of Matt Hawkins (LADY PENDRAGON, PILOT SEASON: THE TEST) and Rahsan Ekedal (ECHOES, Solomon Kane), THINK TANK #1 blends taut action with the actual science of today.

Child prodigy, inventor, genius, slacker… mass murderer. These are all ways to describe the brilliant Dr. David Loren. When a military think tank’s smartest scientist decides he can no longer stomach creating weapons of destruction, will he be able to think his way out of his dilemma or find himself subject to the machinations of smaller men?

Debuting in August, THINK TANK is a four-issue science action thriller that will appeal to fans of other hit Image series like MANHATTAN PROJECTS and THE ACTIVITY.

"Dr. Loren's life and situation are my commentary on American so-called exceptionalism in a modern day setting with real science and weapons that you've never heard of that do actually exist,"  said writer Matt Hawkins. "The drones you see on TV flying in Afghanistan are decades-old technology. We marvel at these but the stuff coming out of DARPA and actual think tanks today rivals some of the most creative stuff you see in the best science fiction."

Published under Top Cow Productions' Minotaur Press imprint, the 32-page, black-and-white THINK TANK #1 will be in stores on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 for $3.99. It is available for pre-order now in the June issue of Previews (order code JUN120435).

Tsumitsuki (Sin Dwellers) Manga Review

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Title: Tsumitsuki (Sin Dwellers)
Author: Hiro Kiyohara
Illustrator: Hiro Kiyohara
Pages: 183


Story - In the town that Takada Chinatsu moved to, there's a legend about demons called Tsumitsuki that possess the feelings of guilt a person has over their sins. Those who are possessed are slowly devoured, body and mind, as the demon manifests. As one of Takada's friends starts acting strangely, her classmate Kuroe steps in to help... but his true motives are hidden behind a mask.


"Tsumitsuki" is one enjoyable read from start to finish. It's broken down into five different chapters. Each chapter centers around a character that feels guilty of a sin they have committed. Enters the protagonist Kuroe who is truly a guy who will give you the chills. Without spoiling it, Kuroe is not your usual guy, he is a son of a priest who happens to have an awareness of demons and the spiritual realm. He is the main character of this Manga, however he is not the focal point of the story. Author Hiro Kiyohara focuses the story on the those possessed by the Tsumitsuki. The concept is scary, anyone with a high level of guilt over something they feel was wrong can be possessed. Hiro Kiyohara does a swell job of making you feel sorry for the people possessed. With each page turned, you see the character's mind and body slowly being devoured and you can't help but feel sympathy regardless of what they did. "Tsumitsuki" has a some great themes of revenge, redemption and fate, I love how "Tsumitsuki" is symbolic of how guilt that we consume in ourselves can end up destroying us. Overall the story is amazing! It's dark, gritty and intense.


Art - I love the art style of "Tsumitsuki." One of my favorite things about this art style is "Kuroe." Kuroe has these cold, haunting eyes, that you usually don't see from someone suppose to be the hero. The environments and action are all drawn out well, this is one good looking Manga.


Final Grade A-/9.0 - "Tsumistsuki" is a Manga you should check out. Great characters, chilling theme and concept, and it has heart and emotion. 


Cool Geeky Music Covers & Remixes

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It's Monday and you know that means O & G readers. It's time for Music and today I wanted to share some awesome music covers of some of your favorite geeky tunes. These tunes come from almost every genre of music. Check out these awesome covers from Youtubers. Post some cool themes you find in the comment section. 


TRON Legacy End Titles (Rock Cover)


Shedder Theme (TMNT) Cover/Instrumental


Batman Theme (Rock Cover)


Spiderman 60's Theme Cover


Final Fantasy Techno Remix


Star Wars Theme (Acapella Cover)


Pokemon Theme (Jazz Cover)



Venom Movie May Tie Into The Amazing Spider-Man

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Earlier today, Matt Patches over at Hollywood.com had a chance to talk with The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, and during the inteview, he took the opportunity to ask them about Sony's planned Venom movie, which Chronicle director Josh Trank is rumored to be directing.

With the success of The Avengers, it makes perfect sense for Sony to want the part of the Marvel Universe they acquired during the '90s to work together as a whole, so one can expect that they'll take a similar real-life science approach with Venom's origin story as they do with Spider-Man and The Lizard in the upcoming reboot.

Arad explained the bigger picture plans for the Venom movie:

"It's an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock's story. But again, pseudo-science is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie."

"He was a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired," Tolmach continued, going on to explain how they're approaching characters like Venom. "The whole essence to us for the Marvel characters is stay close to the bible, stay close to the emotional story, and the rest is fun. Look for the worlds to make sense with one another."

"Hopefully,all these worlds will live together in peace someday," he added, which gives us the biggest possible hint of what they might have planned

While there's nothing in The Amazing Spider-Man that even hints at Eddie Brock or his alien symbiote alter ego, that doesn't means that the already-planned 2014 sequel won't try to set something up or that they're eventually building to having Spider-Man fight Venom in a third installment.

Oh, wait. They already tried that.

Regardless, you can look for a lot more on Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man, including our own interviews with director Marc Webb and the cast, in the weeks leading up to its North American release on July 3.


June 9, 2012

Book Review by Lenni - “Now A Terrifying Motion Picture: Twenty-Five Classic Works of Horror Adapted From Book to Film” by James F. Broderick

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Ever have this argument while walking out of a movie theatre?
“The book is better!”
“No, it’s not! The movie was way better!”
Then the conversation degrades into a series of grunts and clicks unrecognizable to any but the purest book or movie geek.
With so many books being adapted to film; “Harry Potter,” “Hunger Games,” and (may the literary gods help us) “Twilight” – not to mention the recent hemorrhage of comic movies – I’d wager you all have had or overheard this argument at least a dozen times in the last few months alone. This book takes you through 25 classic horror movies and their book counterparts in order to reconcile the two.
From Amityville Horror to Village of the Damned, Broderick takes you through the history of the book and its impact on the horror genre to the movie and the differences in the imagery in the movie as compared to the film.
For all of these titles, if you haven’t read or seen the source material, you’re getting full summary of each one. This can be tedious if you’ve already seen the movie or read the book but there are always cool little factoids about the authors, actors, or directors you may not have known before.
From a scholarly perspective, this is an interesting read. The discussion of the transformation of a printed story to film is fascinating; especially when you get into the mind of a man like Alfred Hitchcock or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Learning about the author’s style versus the director’s style and how the tension in the book is placed on the screen is fascinating, though it may drag in some parts of the book.
I would best recommend this book for very rabid fans of horror in any form. If you see a movie and not care about anything but what’s on the screen in front of you for 120 minutes, this book will bore you. However, if you want a detailed discussion of your favorite horror films and books, Broderick’s book is not a bad place to start.