Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalypse to Launch on March 11 on Nintendo Switch and Steam

Posted on 02/25/2021 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalypse to Launch on March 11 on Nintendo Switch and Steam

Get ready to explore the Cyanide & Happiness universe for the first time ever through this hilarious and exciting point-and-click adventure

Boulder, Colorado, February 25, 2021—Today, Publisher Serenity Forge, alongside developers Skeleton Crew Studios and Explosm Games have announced that Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse — the first point-and-click-adventure game in a “tragilogy” (trilogy of tragedy) filled with dark comedy, drama, and weirdness — will launch on Nintendo Switch and Steam on March 11, 2021, for $19.99, with a 10% for the first week. Preorders will be available starting March 4, 2021, through Nintendo eShop.

In Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse, players follow the adventures of Cooper “Coop” McCarthy, as he does normal high school things, like trying to find a prom date and doing his best to avoid getting killed by bullies all while trying not to trigger an apocalyptic event.

First announced in 2017 and brought to life through Kickstarter, Freakpocalyse is the first chance for fans to experience and interact with the universe from the much-loved Cyanide & Happiness animated shorts, webcomics, and card games.

Key Features:

All the fun of a Cyanide & Happiness animated short, all packed into a video game!
Fully voiced dialogue featuring special guest voice actors including Arin Hanson (Game Grumps), Jessica Calvello, YMS Adum, Rice Pirate Mick, and more.
The first-ever chance to interact with fan favorites from the Cyanide & Happiness universe, including Ted Bear, Shark Dad, Señor Cleanfist, and more.
The first installment in the Freakpocalypse “tragilogy” – a trilogy of games telling the complete tragic & chaotic story.
An incredibly interactive world with more than 100 bizarre characters and countless objects to look at, touch, and talk to, along with unlockable costumes to find and wear.
No need to know the back story— Freakpocalyse gives long-time fans a lot to look forward to, but is also the perfect introduction for anyone new to the franchise.
Cinematic cutscenes and a completely original soundtrack.

Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse will be available in French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English on Nintendo eShop for Switch and on Steam for $19.99, with a 10% for the first week, and is rated M by ESRB. Learn more at http://www.freakpocalypse.com.

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Merge Games Announces Illicit Empire Building Sim Definitely Not Fried Chicken. Live Out All Your Breaking Bad Fantasies Later This Year!

Posted on 02/02/2021 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Live out your wildest Gus Fring desires as you serve chicken up front and party goods in the back in Merge Games’ Definitely NOT Fried Chicken

Manchester, UK – Feb. 2nd, 2021 — *psst* Hey man, you need any of the good stuff? What you need? I got it! Step into my -ahem- fried chicken restaurant! Publisher Merge Games and developer Dope Games are excited to reveal the Breaking Bad inspired simulator, Definitely Not Fried Chicken, coming to Steam later on this year. With its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, Definitely Not Fried Chicken is the ultimate in drug empire strategy and simulation.

WATCH THE DEFINITELY NOT FRIED CHICKEN REVEAL TRAILER:

A business management sim with a twist, players will grow their drug trade empire through ‘legitimate’ fronts by managing both sides of the business. One uses the front door, another uses the back! Acquire new ‘businesses’, meet new clientele, develop more potent narcotics, make lots of money, and leave a city in ruin!

Set in a sunshine soaked city in the glamorous ’80s, Definitely Not Fried Chicken is the ultimate test of your entrepreneurial business skills.

Build your drugs compound from the ground up, buy adjoining plots of land and expand. Design and lay out your complete production line and establish distribution routes. Fortify your compound’s defences and make sure any ‘overly-enthusiastic’ customers can’t break in. Research and develop better strains of narcotics like marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

But simply making a great product is not enough. You need somewhere to sell it from! This is where your legitimate businesses come in – you’ll need to build and manage these fronts, including selling legal goods to avoid detection. People gotta eat right? Run a chain of fried chicken stores or diversify your portfolio with other businesses. Different places have different people with different tastes.

The backbone of every business is your workforce, the people who tirelessly carry out the tasks you assign them for minimum wage. A happy employee is a productive employee, so it’s important to make sure your staff has the basic necessities like washrooms and a place to eat. A well-furnished break room is great for staff morale!

And safety equipment will really help with staff turnover/mortality rates…

Key Features

Narcos ain’t got nothin’ on you – Build your drug empire from the ground up, distributing marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and other goods
Balance is a delicate job – Balance the demanding tasks of managing both your illegal drugs trade and your “legit” businesses.
Gotta stand out to do good business – Build and customize your drugs compound and business fronts.
Better workplace, better products – Upgrade your facilities and staff equipment for a better product and a bigger profit
Any place is a good place to see your wares – Design your empire, from fried chicken shops to laundromats to nightclubs
Happy workers are productive workers – Manage your workforce, hire & fire, accommodate for their wants and needs to do great work.

Wishlist the game via Steam here.

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BIO-Mutant to come out May 25, 2021

Posted on 01/27/2021 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Stockholm, Sweden / Vienna, Austria – January 26th, 2020: THQ Nordic today announced that Biomutant will be out for PC, PlayStation®4, and Xbox One on May 25th, 2021. More information on the game will be released in the next weeks and months.

Collector’s Editions available for pre-order:
The Atomic Edition is unique at it’s very core, and contains the following components:

High Detail Diorama – 60cm/23″ long, 25cm/10″ width, 30cm/12″ height
Game Biomutant
Steelbook
T-Shirt in L/XL
Oversized Mousepad 80cm/31″ x 35cm/14″
The artwork on Fabric A1 size
Soundtrack
Premium Box

The Biomutant Atomic Edition will be available at selected retailers for an SRP of € 399.99 | $ 399.99 | £ 349.99.

Biomutant Collector’s Edition
Mutate your living room! The Biomutant Collector’s Edition will be available for an SRP of € 109.99 | $ 109.99 | £ 99.99 for PC and € 119.99 | $ 119.99 | £ 109.99 for consoles. The genetic code of this edition has the following sequence:

Game Biomutant
Game hero figurine
The artwork on Fabric A1 size
Soundtrack
Premium Box

Pre-order here: https://biomutant.com/

Stay up to date with Biomutant and visit the game’s website or follow the social media channels.

Website: https://biomutant.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biomutantgame/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/biomutant

About Biomutant

BIOMUTANT® is an open-world, post-apocalyptic Kung-Fu fable RPG, with unique martial art styled combat system allowing you to mix melee, shooting, and mutant ability action.

A NEW TAKE ON 3rd PERSON COMBAT
The martial arts style combat system allows you maximum freedom of movement and agility while mixing shooting, melee, and powers from your mutations. Learning new Wung-Fu combat forms through progression and learning from masters you’ll meet, will constantly add to your choices and make sure combat never gets old.
EVOLVE YOUR GAME-PLAY
You’ll be able to re-code your genetic structure to change the way you look and play. This will of course affect your attributes and in addition to this, exposure to bio-contamination in the world will lead to mutations like the Turtleform and Mucus Bubble, while exposure to radioactivity found in bunkers from the old world will affect your mind and unlock psi-mutations like telekinesis, levitation and more.
NEXT LEVEL OF CRAFTING
You are totally free when crafting weapons. Mix and match parts to create your own unique 1H or 2H slash and crush weapons. Revolvers, rifles and shotguns and add modifications like cork-screws and battery-powered chainsaw modules to bio-contaminated sludge vials adding to your combat arsenal. There are even characters you’ll meet that’ll craft cool stuff for you, like bionic wings, a jump-pack and even let you modify your Automaton – the scrap-toy sidekick!
GEAR UP FOR ADVENTURE
You are totally free when equipping your character. Not only when it comes to choosing weapons you created, but what type of gear you wear. Equip a gas-mask and an oxygen tank for exploring the Dead Zones, thermos-resistant clothes for venturing into cryonic areas or protective gear for taking on bio-contaminated creatures, the choice is up to you.
SURVIVE IN A VIBRANT OPEN WORLD
You are free to explore the world and what lies beneath its surface, by foot, mech, jet-ski, air-balloon or area unique mounts. Explore the dying wildland, the tunnels and bunker networks of the underworld, and find your way up the mountains or out in the archipelago. There are lots of discoveries to be made, mysteries to unravel, creatures to confront, and weird characters to meet in this vibrant and colorful world.
AN UNUSUAL STORY WITH AN UNUSUAL END
Your actions play a major part in the unfolding of a story where End is coming to the New World. A plague is ruining the land and the Tree-of-Life is bleeding death from its roots. The Tribes stand divided, in need of someone strong enough to unite them or bring them all down…
You are guided through the world by a Storyteller that narrates every step of your journey, but it’s your actions and choices that’ll decide how your story of survival ends.

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Sal Abbinanti’s Graphic Novel THE HOSTAGE is Now on Kickstarter

Posted on 01/25/2021 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Sal Abbinanti’s Graphic Novel THE HOSTAGE is Now on Kickstarter

THE HOSTAGE Campaign Includes Limited Edition Lithographs from Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanjulián, Geof Darrow, and Eric Powell

January 25, 2021—Chicago, IL— By day, Sal Abbinanti is the art rep for comic book superstars Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz, but by night he, too, is an artist. For more than two decades, the Chicago native has been obsessed with creating a graphic novel inspired by a visit he made to Brazil when he was in his early 20’s. Now, Abbinanti is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his dream project, a 115-page full-color original graphic novel set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro titled THE HOSTAGE.

“When I was 25, I spent six months living in Rio de Janeiro,” said Abbinanti. “I was a starry eyed, full of shit college kid who went there for a Brazilian vacation of samba, nightlife, and beaches. To see the level of poverty, suffering, and death in Rio de Janeiro was eye opening. I will never forget it. THE HOSTAGE is my tribute to the amazing country and especially to the kids living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.”

Loosely inspired by the culture and religions of Brazil like the Umbanda and the Candomblé, Abbinanti has been building the world of THE HOSTAGE in his studio for over 10 years—sketching characters, panels, and scripting pages. Abbinanti’s unique art style and vibrant color choices create a spellbinding effect. THE HOSTAGE tells the story of a group of street kids who are abandoned by society. Dying every day from poverty and gang violence, the kids join together and summon a mystical spirit—THE HOSTAGE—who will protect them and avenge the deaths of their friends.

THE HOSTAGE Kickstarter campaign includes limited edition lithographs from Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanjulián, Geof Darrow, and Eric Powell, as well as tiers with original sketch cards, postcards, and bookmarks by Abbinanti.

“One of the most exciting parts of bringing my project to Kickstarter is the opportunity to connect with so many amazing artists from around the world and bring their work to you,” said Abbinanti. “I’ve been working in the comics business for a long time and I’m really lucky to know so many talented artists who have been willing to make contributions to this project. It’s an honor to see their visions for THE HOSTAGE and have them be part of this.”

The crowdfunding campaign is live now and concludes on February 25th, with pledge tiers ranging from a digital edition available in both English and Portuguese (translated by Kelsey Trotta), to The Complete HOSTAGE Package, which includes an 11×17 original drawing by Sal Abbinanti and a complete set of lithographs by all guest artists.

For updates, follow @SalAbbinanti and @comics_mercury.

To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/420812560/the-hostage-a-graphic-novel-by-sal-abbinanti

About The Creator

Sal Abbinanti was educated at the University of Southern California and the Art Institute of Chicago. Sal began his indie comics career in 2005 with the launch of Mercury Comics and the publication of Atomika-God is Red, and now, The Hostage. By day he is the art rep for Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz and lives on the North Side of Chicago.

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In Memoriam Musical Artists lost in 2020 (A Personal List)

Posted on 12/31/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

This is not a comprehensive list of artists we lost in 2020. It is a list that I compiled for my own tributes of musicians and their music that has touched me in my life who left this plane of existence in 2020.
Here is a list of who is featured either as performer or songwriter on the following playlist:
Neil Peart (drummer from RUSH)
Bill Withers
Adam Schlesinger
Little Richard
Kenny Rogers
Sweet Pea Atkinson of Was (Not Was)
Nikki McKibbin
Spencer Davis
David Roback (Mazzy Star)
Derek Jones (Falling in Reverse)
Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk)
Chris Trousdale (Broadway and boy band Dream Street)
Johnny Nash
Eddie Van Halen
Frankie Banali
Ronald Bell, tenor sax in Kool & The Gang
Alan Merrill of ARROWS
Helen Reddy
Andrew Brough (Straitjacket Fits)
Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac

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BETTY WHITE’S PET SET The Complete Series coming in 2021~!

Posted on 12/16/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

A TV ICON’S LONG-LOST SHOW RETURNS AFTER 50 YEARS

BETTY WHITE’S PET SET

The Complete Series

Arrives on Digital Platforms

and MPI DVD on February 23, 2021

A TV ICON’S LONG-LOST SHOW RETURNS AFTER 50 YEARS

BETTY WHITE’S PET SET

The Complete Series

The Legendary Actress Releases Her Most Personal Project For The First Time On Digital Platforms and DVD on February 23, 2021

New York, NY– December 16, 2020 – BETTY WHITE’S PET SET, a long-unseen series created by and starring the sitcom legend, will make its debut on digital platforms and DVD on February 23, 2021. Celebrating the show’s 50^th anniversary, BETTY WHITE’S PET SET will be released by MPI Media Group in partnership with Darren Wadyko Media and Albets Enterprises. The three entities have come together to make this series available to fans, marking the first time it will be seen in decades. “If I haven’t told you already, I will now. The Pet Set is one of my favorite shows. I’m thrilled it’s going to be seen again after all these years,” says Betty White.

In an unparalleled television career spanning over 70 years, the beloved Betty White has brought laughter and joy to millions of fans of all ages via such hit series as The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Hot in Cleveland, as well as countless game show appearances. In 1971, just prior to Betty’s sitcom superstardom, she created and hosted a weekly program celebrating her lifelong love of animals. Produced with her husband Allen Ludden (Password), BETTY WHITE’S PET SET featured Betty welcoming celebrity friends with their dogs, cats and horses – in addition to a wide range of wild animals including tigers, bears, elephants, lions, wolves, gorillas, chimps, cougars, cheetahs, seals, kangaroos, zebras, eagles, snakes and penguins – both in the studio and on location.

The 39 episodes of BETTY WHITE’S PET SET – unseen for decades – feature such entertainment greats as Carol Burnett, Doris Day, Jimmy Stewart, Mary Tyler Moore, Burt Reynolds, Shirley Jones, Michael Landon, Barbara Eden, James Brolin, Della Reese, Vincent Price, Rod Serling and many more.

Betty White has received eight Emmy Awards in various categories, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award, among many others. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a 1985 Television Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2009 Disney Legend. Dubbed “the first lady of game shows,” she was the first woman to receive a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host.

A television pioneer, she was one of the first women to exert control in front of and behind the camera and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, which led to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955.

Special features on the BETTY WHITE’S PET SET DVD include a look behind the scenes of the series, original promotional spots, the featurettes “Betty White: Game Show Goddess” and “Daytime Hostess: The Betty White Show,” Betty’s Photo Album and her public service ads.

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MasterClass Announces Salman Rushdie to Teach Storytelling and Writing

Posted on 12/15/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Award–winning author shares the importance of drawing from experience to build and tell stories

Embed & View Trailer | Download Stills

Credit: Courtesy of MasterClass

SAN FRANCISCO, DEC. 15, 2020 — MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that Booker Prize–winning author Salman Rushdie will teach a class on storytelling and writing. Drawing from his celebrated career as a novelist and essayist, Rushdie will help members explore their innate storytelling ability to write and tell the stories they are meant to tell. Rushdie’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 100+ instructors with an annual membership.

“Salman’s prose is magical; his storytelling, worldly,” said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. “In his MasterClass, Salman discusses the seminal works that have influenced him, providing all writers—even those just starting to put pen to paper—lessons in how to harness the power of words.”

In his MasterClass, Rushdie will share his storytelling framework, which is equal parts discipline and freedom, from how to build rich and complex story structures to crafting characters, researching and editing, providing a wealth of examples and insights from the global literature that has influenced his work. In addition to offering big-picture advice and his seven useful tips to becoming a better reader and writer, Rushdie will offer valuable insights on the psychological aspects of writing, including navigating writer’s block, negotiating feedback with editors and more. Through intimate stories of the struggle and learnings from Rushdie’s early career, members will get an insider’s look into his journey, leaving the class inspired by his wisdom and eager to write their own unique stories.

“I’ve always been fascinated with the universality of storytelling and how shared human experiences unite us all, no matter where we are in the world,” Rushdie said. “In my MasterClass, I hope I can help members transition to the other side of the page and reach new heights creatively with their writing.”

Rushdie is an award-winning novelist, essayist, fiction and nonfiction writer known for his humorous and often-surrealist style. Rushdie’s work examines themes of movement across cultures, modernity and the influence of world events on individuals’ lives. His second novel, Midnight’s Children, was a commercial and critical success, earning the esteemed Booker Prize in 1981, as well as the “Best of the Booker” prize twice in the years following. In 1983, his third novel, Shame, won the French literary prize Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, cementing Rushdie’s place among the literary elite.

Over the course of his career, Rushdie has published 14 novels that have been translated into more than 40 languages. He has been internationally recognized with many of literature’s highest honors, and in 2007, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the literary world. Some of his top accolades include the European Union’s Aristeion Prize for Literature, the Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy), the Writer of the Year Award in Germany, PEN Pinter Prize (U.K.), Golden PEN Award, Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award, and Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism.

# # #

Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling and Writing | Official Trailer |

ABOUT MASTERCLASS:

Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming, Writing and more. Step into Anna Wintour’s office, Ron Finley’s garden and Neil Gaiman’s writing retreat. Get inspired by RuPaul, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes and discover your inner negotiator with Chris Voss. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own terms—in bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you’re one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable instructor guides help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™ TV, Amazon Fire TV® and Roku® players and devices.

Follow MasterClass:

Twitter @masterclass

Instagram @masterclass

Facebook @masterclassofficial

Follow Salman Rushdie:

Twitter: @salmanrushdie

Facebook: @salmanrushdieauthor

Posted in Books, TV and Movies | Comments Off

LUCIFER SHOWRUNNER JOE HENDERSON RETEAMS WITH CAPTAIN MARVEL ARTIST LEE GARBETT FOR UPCOMING TEEN HORROR SHADECRAFT

Posted on 12/14/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

PORTLAND, Ore. 12/10/2020 — Bestselling writer and Lucifer showrunner

Joe Henderson reteams with popular Captain Marvel artist Lee Garbett for the upcoming teen horror series, Shadecraft. Their sophomore collaboration at Image Comics—after the Eisner nominated and universally beloved Skyward concluded in 2019—this new series will send fans on a hair-raising journey beginning in March.

“To me, shadows are the perfect mixture of horror and fun. One minute, they seem to come to dangerous life out of the corner of my eye. The next, I’m making silly shadow puppets with my son,” Henderson told Comic Book Resources in an exclusive scoop of the announcement. “I love that cocktail of genuine scares and playful adventure, and we’ve infused it into this book. I’ve been wanting to tell a story with shadows coming to life for years, but it took finding the right emotional heart—finding Zadie’s story—for it to finally come together. Welcome to Shadecraft—let’s hope Zadie Lu survives the experience…”

In Shadecraft, readers meet Zadie Lu. She’s afraid of her own shadow. She’s also a teenager, so she really should have grown out of it by now… But something weird is happening in her small town—it’s as if the shadows are actually coming to life. Watching her. Maybe even trying to kill her. But how do you fight something you can’t even touch? And why is she the target they’re after?

Garbett told Comic Book Resources: “With Shadecraft we get to play with a darker, more ominous tone than Skyward without losing that vital heart and warmth that’s so important to us. This book presented a whole new set of artistic challenges in bringing the shadows to life. I tried to keep things as organic as possible, letting the ink move and grow on the paper to find its own form. I can’t wait for everyone to check it out.”

Join Zadie Lu as she ventures into the shadows to face her fears and discovers a legacy she never knew she had in a new series perfect for fans of the Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer, James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Something Is Killing The Children and Veronica Fish and Kelly Thompson’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Shadecraft #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, March 31.

Shadecraft #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

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Grant Morrison, Alex Child & Naomi Franquiz Debut PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD at BOOM! Studios

Posted on 12/14/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Discover The Brand New Original Horror Series in March 2021

UCP, a Division of Universal Studio Group, To Adapt Graphic Novel Series for Television

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 14, 2020) – BOOM! Studios today announced PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD #1, kicking off a star-studded new horror limited series from visionary writer Grant Morrison (Klaus), Alex Child (BBC’s Holby City), Naomi Franquiz (Tales from Harrow County) and Tamra Bonvillain (Once & Future) about the mysterious monsters that haunt Proctor Valley Road – and the four misfit teenagers who must stop them. PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD, developed in partnership with NBCUniversal, debuts in comic shops on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. NBCUniversal’s UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, will also adapt the series for television and will shop the adaptation to networks and streaming platforms.

August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams. But when their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students…before the town tears them limb from limb. Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road…along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America.

Grant Morrison has written best-selling stories for Marvel and DC Comics, creating definitive runs for iconic characters including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League of America, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. Seminal titles in comics include Batman: Arkham Asylum, All-Star Superman, Animal Man, The Invisibles, WE3, Joe the Barbarian, and Doom Patrol.

In television, Morrison developed and co-wrote a number of shows under a development deal for UCP at NBCUniversal. These include the hit show Happy! for SYFY in 2017, based on the comic book, and an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World for Peacock in 2020. A long-anticipated adaptation of the epic ‘90s series The Invisibles is currently in development. In film, Morrison recently co-wrote The Flash for Warner Bros. with Ezra Miller.

“I fell in love with these characters when I read Alex’s original series proposal and I’ve had an amazing time working with him and with Naomi to bring them to life for a spooky rollercoaster ride that feels like Nancy Drew on ‘shrooms!” said Grant Morrison. “Get your kicks…on Proctor Valley Road!”

Alex Child is a British screenwriter from Oxfordshire known for his work on BBC’s Holby City and Sky One’s Temple. Child’s upcoming debut short film Small World, which he wrote and directed, stars Dr. Who‘s David Troughton and Peter Wight of Hot Fuzz fame.

“I’m thrilled to be teaming up with the mighty Grant Morrison and the insanely talented Naomi Franquiz on my debut comic book, PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD!” said Alex Child. “With the hangover of the 1960s in the rearview, the Vietnam War dragging on, and the Space Race hotting up, we’re in small town supernatural America to tell the story of four best friends, three missing jocks, and a real life stretch of road steeped in legends that will ice your spine and leave the blood thumping in your ears. The girls’ reputations, friendship, and lives are all on the line in this white-knuckle adventure series as they try to unravel the mysteries and survive the nightmarish terrors of Proctor Valley Road, a place that makes Hell look like Honolulu!”

Naomi Franquiz is a Latina freelance illustrator and comic book artist currently based in delightfully dank Florida. She focuses on diverse and inclusive character-driven narratives that explore concepts such as found family, identity, and independence. Previous works include Tales From Harrow County: Death’s Choir (Dark Horse), Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Marvel), and Bountiful, a short story in the ELEMENTS: Earth comics anthology. She is perhaps best known for her expressive character work, and perhaps less known for her inability to ride a standard bicycle.

“PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD is a big slice of Americana laced with uneasy cryptid horror, a side of rebel youth, and a killer soundtrack,” said Naomi Franquiz.

Print copies of PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD #1, for mature readers, will be available on March 3, 2021 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the one nearest you) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire. The issue also features main cover art by Franquiz, along with variant covers from superstars Chris Wildgoose (Alienated), Christian Ward (Invisible Kingdom), and Peach Momoko (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

“Grant, Alex, and Naomi have created a kind of horror in PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD that is both beyond imagination and terrifyingly real,” said Eric Harburn, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Coming of age during the death of ‘peace & love,’ our heroines must not only conquer the evils spawned from this cursed desert highway, but the demons we all see when we look in the mirror and stare up at the ceiling at night.”

For continuing news on the PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

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THE EMPTY MAN WILL FIND YOU

Posted on 12/03/2020 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Film Available for Digital Ownership on January 12

Cullen Bunn & Vanesa R. Del Rey’s The Empty Man Comics Return with All-New Movie Edition Softcover Collection from BOOM! Studios

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 3, 2020) – 20th Century Studios and BOOM! Studios announced today that The Empty Man, based off the acclaimed graphic novels, will be available to own digitally and on Movies Anywhere beginning January 12, 2021 along with an all-new softcover collection set to arrive in comic stores, bookstores, and online in January, 2021.

The Empty Man Movie Edition softcover collection comes from the superstar team of writer Cullen Bunn (Magneto, Bone Parish), artist Vanesa R. Del Rey (Redlands, Hit), colorist Michael Garland, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. As the inspiration for the motion picture, The Empty Man Movie Edition will feature the haunting film poster as its new cover. To celebrate the film’s digital release, BOOM! Studios has made the entire debut issue of The Empty Man Movie Edition available to read for free on its website. Please visit https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/archives/empty-man-will-find-you/.

“20th Century Studios’ adaptation of The Empty Man has allowed new audiences to discover this horrifying story and we are thrilled that it’ll be available for consumers to watch at home come January,” said Filip Sablik, President of Publishing & Marketing, BOOM! Studios. “By releasing The Empty Man Movie Edition softcover collection, we hope new fans will discover comics and enjoy all three volumes of the hit series.”

Directed by David Prior, this supernatural horror film centers on shocking events originating in a small Midwestern town. After the mysterious disappearance of a group of teenagers, James Lasombra (James Badge Dale), a troubled retired cop, is thrust into action to investigate. Following leads that may tie a secretive occult-minded group to a terrifying local legend, he soon realizes that his life — and the lives of those close to him — are in terrible danger. The screen story and screenplay is by David Prior.

In the world of The Empty Man comics, it’s been one year since the first reported case of the titular disease, and no drug has been able to slow its progress. The cause is unknown, and the symptoms include fits of rage, hideous hallucinations, and suicidal dementia, followed by death or a near lifeless, “empty” state of catatonia. As cults rise nationwide, the FBI and CDC enter a joint investigation of the Empty Man, racing against the clock to piece together clues to stop the cult and uncover a cure.

Add The Empty Man to your digital collection January 12 and grab a print copy of The Empty Man Movie Edition later that month at your local comic book shop (visit comicshoplocator.com to find the one nearest you), local bookstore or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies of The Empty Man Movie Edition will be available from content providers such as comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

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