One Division Pro is heating up again and I am in the heat of it as a producer and director of talent relations.
Here are three recent videos promoting our next event and current happenings. In each I had a part from facilitating, writing, and/or being on camera.
Discover Brand New Adventures with New Faces and Familiar Figures From
Christine Larsen in June 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA (May 10, 2022) – BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at ORCS!: THE CURSE #1, the premier issue of an all-new original four-issue comic book series by cartoonist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time, By Night), spinning a new adventure in the world of the beloved misfit ORCS!, with some familiar faces and a brand new set of characters who could turn out to be the greatest friends—or foes—you’ll ever encounter, available in June 2022.
The fun and fantastical ORCS! return with a brand new adventure that’s darker and more rambunctious than ever! After returning from their travels and celebrating with a dance party, a prank gone wrong inadvertently unleashes something ancient and evil. Even worse, in a tower in the middle of a dark forest, a wizard with grand, sinister plans needs a real army, and his sight turns toward the Orcish tribe…
ORCS!: THE CURSE #1 features main cover art by Larsen and variant cover by artist Eric Powell (The Goon).
ORCS! is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including original series Just Beyond by R.L. Stine, The Princess Who Saved Herself by Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton, and Takeshi Miyazawa, Forever Home by Jenna Ayoub, Jo & Rus by Audra Winslow, Hex Vet by Sam Davies, Drew and Jot by Art Baltazar, Hotel Dare by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre, RuinWorld by Derek Laufman, and Pandora’s Legacy by Bones Leopard and Kelly & Nichole Matthews.
Print copies of ORCS!: THE CURSE #1 will be available for sale on June 8, 2022 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.
For more on ORCS! and other projects from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
Christine Larsen
First in the series, SWEET VALLEY TWINS: BEST FRIENDS, to publish on November 1, 2022
New York NY (April 27, 2022)—Francine Pascal’s bestselling series SWEET VALLEY TWINS will be published in graphic novel format by Random House Graphic, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), it was announced today by Barbara Marcus, RHCB President and Publisher. Senior Editor Whitney Leopard will edit the series and acquired world rights from Amy Berkower, President, Writers House, and Kate McKean, VP, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. SWEET VALLEY TWINS #1: BEST FRIENDS is scheduled to release on November 1, 2022.
Writer Nicole Andelfinger and acclaimed artist Claudia Aguirre (Lost on Planet Earth) will launch the graphic novel line with an adaptation of SWEET VALLEY TWINS #1: BEST FRIENDS, the first novel in the series, which was originally published in 1986. Fans of ’80s and ’90s pop culture will fondly remember twins Elizabeth and Jessica from Sweet Valley, California, and their navigation of friendship, school, crushes, and more.
The graphic novels will be available simultaneously in hardcover and trade paperback formats. The second book in the series, Teacher’s Pet, will be published in 2023.
Francine Pascal said: “I have such great love for Sweet Valley and all the amazing adventures I’ve been able to take Jessica and Elizabeth on. And now graphic novels are our newest adventure,” said Sweet Valley Twins creator Francine Pascal. “It is so much fun seeing my characters practically alive! Nicole and Claudia have done an amazing job, and I’m very excited to work with them.”
In SWEET VALLEY TWINS #1: BEST FRIENDS, Jessica and Elizabeth are ready to take on middle school . . . but are they ready to take on each other? Jessica and Elizabeth have always been inseparable, but starting middle school means a chance for new beginnings. Elizabeth is excited to organize a school newspaper, but Jessica is more interested in joining the exclusive Unicorn Club. Middle school is hard enough, but with these twins each dealing with becoming their own person, will they be able to stay friends?
“The Sweet Valley series from Francine Pascal has resonated with readers across generations, and we are thrilled to bring the Wakefield twins to life in an all-new format with the SWEET VALLEY TWINS graphic novels,” said Whitney Leopard. “Francine and our adaptors, Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre, are a dream team, visualizing these laugh-out-loud and heartfelt stories for the modern audience. These graphic novels are going to resonate with new and returning readers alike, and we can’t wait to see them out in the world.”
“I remember absolutely devouring Sweet Valley Twins as a preteen and felt like I couldn’t get enough of the drama, the shenanigans, and of course the sisters ultimately having each other’s backs,” said writer Nicole Andelfinger. “Being able to take the twins into the modern age has been an absolute joy. I can’t wait for a new generation of preteens to fall in love with Jessica, Elizabeth, and their friends!”
With new takes on She-Ra, Carmen Sandiego, Goosebumps, and The Babysitters Club, the ’80s and ’90s are on our screens and bookshelves. The Sweet Valley Twins adaptations promise to introduce these classic characters to a new generation of readers in the ever-growing middle-grade graphic novel category.
“Sweet Valley Twins is a series that has meant a lot to so many people,” said GLAAD Media Award nominee and Eisner Award nominee Claudia Aguirre. “I loved bringing Jessica and Elizabeth to life in these graphic novels for new and old fans alike, and I hope everyone loves them as much as I do!”
Empyre: Dukes of the Far Frontier features a city designed in consultation with firm Architects of Invention. Architects of Invention (AI) is an international partnership practicing contemporary architecture, urbanism, and design. Since its establishment in 2010 AI has completed 10 buildings in 10 years and produced more than 100 projects and collaborations. It has contributed to projects in Chile, Switzerland, Germany, Canary Islands, Seychelles, India, Russia, China, Czech Republic, France, UK, and Georgia. AI has received numerous international awards, has contributed to publications online and in print, organized workshops and exhibitions. AI thrives to establish itself as a design-led, contemporary experimental practice to test many new technologies and engage with new cultures and geographies.
“Videogames are a fascinating space to work in. The space is unbridled and unlimited allowing us to explore and experiment with architectural themes in completely new dimensions.”
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About Coin Operated Games
Headquartered in New Hampshire with development partners located internationally, Coin Operated Games is an independent developer whose mission is to create an original and unique series of games set in a Neo-Victorian era that spans multiple, unique locations. The core team is made up of industry veterans with a combined 60 years of experience from iconic organizations like Crytek, Codemasters, Creative Assembly, Stormregion, and Digital Reality. Empyre: Dukes of the Far Frontier will be the second project for Coin Operated Games, and is scheduled for release on June 3, 2022. |
Discover a Brand New Original Graphic Novel from an All-Star Creative Team in September 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 28, 2022) – BOOM! Studios revealed today a first look at the brand new original graphic novel, HOLLOW. From Shannon Watters, the co-creator of the bestselling worldwide phenomenon Lumberjanes, and co-writer debut author Branden Boyer-White, rising star artist Berenice Nelle (Wanderlicht), and colorists Kaitlyn Musto, Kieran Quigley, and Gonçalo Lopes, comes a supernatural queer romance and adventure set in the infamous town of Sleepy Hollow, available in September 2022.
Isabel “Izzy” Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by—and obsessed with—Washington Irving’s legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, new friends. Ghost stories aren’t real, after all….
Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town’s teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky’s weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it—meaning it’s a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky.
Can Izzy’s practical nature help her face the unknown—or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow—before it’s too late.
HOLLOW features cover art by acclaimed artist Naomi Franquiz (Proctor Valley Road).
HOLLOW is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning BOOM! Box imprint, home to groundbreaking original series such as Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen, and ND Stevenson; Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote; Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin; Buckhead by Shobo and George Kambadais; Mamo by Sas Milledge; Save Yourself! by Bones Leopard and Kelly and Nichole Matthews; Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy and Kaitlyn Musto; The Last Witch by Conor McCreery and V.V. Glass; Ghosted in LA by Sina Grace and Siobhan Keenan; The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes; Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad; Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams; Misfit City by Kirsten Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, and Naomi Franquiz; and educational series Seen: True Stories of Marginalized Trailblazers.
Print copies of HOLLOW will be available for sale on September 28, 2022 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), October 4, 2022 at bookstores everywhere or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle. Print copies of HOLLOW 2022 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SPECIAL will be available for FREE on May 7, 2022 exclusively at participating local comic book shops.
For continuing news on HOLLOW and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
Released April 25, 2022, the Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space demo pits the Freelance Police against the greatest enemy they’ve ever faced, a bloated, hairy, pagan god: Santa Claus!
Set right at the beginning of the five-episode story arc, this demo addresses all the burning questions you didn’t know you needed to ask, including:
The answers will surprise you!
Grab the Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space demo from your Nintendo eShop of choice:
After sampling that delicious free demo, why not check out the full game on sale, hmm? This week, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space is 20% off on Nintendo Switch and Steam.
What’s that? You want even MORE Sam & Max for cheap? We’ve got you covered, because the first game in the series, Sam & Max Save the World, is 30% off on Nintendo Switch and Steam.
(Note: These sales start today on Steam and the North American eShop. The discount will kick in on the European eShop on Thursday.)
Xbox players, we didn’t forget about you. Watch for a similar discount in May.
For those who prefer a game you can display on your shelf and cradle in your arms (no judgment), we’ve partnered with Limited Run Games to release a Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Collector’s Edition on PC ($69.99) and Nintendo Switch ($79.99). Preorders will start on May 6 and stay open for 30 days.
Limited Run Games store page: https://limitedrungames.com/
Limited Run’s Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Collector’s Edition includes:
And there you have it: three ways to get your hands on Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space, amenable to any budget. If you’re curious about what’s been updated in this new version of Telltale’s 2007-2008 episodic series, check out this recent Steam post.
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The digital narrative games festival returns for its fourth year from May 5th – 9th with panels from leading and emerging developers, 42 exhibiting games, and a massive story-rich games sale
April 26, 2022 – Today indie games publisher Fellow Traveller announced their full lineup for LudoNarracon 2022 with 42 exhibiting games, 12 live panels, over 100 hours of video content and 33 demos, all taking place on Steam from May 5th – 9th.
Running for its fourth year, LudoNarraCon has become the leading narrative-focused games festival. This year will see 12 live panels streamed on the main ‘theater’ stage including:
You can find a list of exhibitors here and a list of panelists and panels here.
During the digital festival, the 42 exhibiting narrative games will give behind-the-scenes insights via livestreams on their store pages, with 33 developers providing playable demos. The lineup includes Goodbye World’s BAFTA-winning emotional first person narrative adventure Before Your Eyes and Toge Production’s much anticipated Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly. Fellow Traveller will launch Citizen Sleeper on the first day of the festival, with developer Jump Over the Age on exhibit and providing a Citizen Sleeper dev commentary stream, a fireside chat, and a radio stream featuring the in-game soundtrack.
About LudoNarraCon
An initiative of Fellow Traveller, a narrative games label known for Paradise Killer, Genesis Noir, and Suzerain, LudoNarraCon 2022 continues to pioneer the digital game festival, replicating the community-led atmosphere and engagement of physical events through a global online format hosted on Steam.
Discover Brand New Drama, Action, and Romance in the
GLAAD Award-Nominated Series in August 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 26, 2022) – BOOM! Studios is proud to announce a new original graphic novel, FENCE: RISE, from the GLAAD Award-nominated series and best-selling novelist C.S. Pacat (Captive Prince), fan favorite artist Johanna the Mad, colorist Joana LaFuente (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), and letterer Jim Campbell (Giant Days), presenting the next all-new thrilling chapter in the story of the Kings Row fencing team, available in August 2022.
Excitement is in the air as Nicholas and his friends celebrate their coveted invitation to the Halverton Training Camp. They immediately come face-to-face with the best fencing teams in the country, and Nicholas struggles as he suffers defeat after defeat by an old enemy. Will a new addition to a rival team bring Nicholas closer to the rest of the Kings Row team and awaken the resilience within that he needs to prevail?
But Seiji, in contrast to Nicholas, remains unchallenged and let down by the camp. With Seiji’s goal to learn (instead of win) stuck in his head, will Nicholas step up to pose a real challenge to Seiji, maybe even growing their friendship as a result?
FENCE: RISE is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning BOOM! Box imprint, home to groundbreaking original series such as Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen, and ND Stevenson; Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote; Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin; Mamo by Sas Milledge; Save Yourself! by Bones Leopard and Kelly and Nichole Matthews; Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy and Kaitlyn Musto; The Last Witch by Conor McCreery and V.V. Glass; Ghosted in LA by Sina Grace and Siobhan Keenan; The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes; Buckhead by Shobo and George Kambadais; Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams; educational series Seen: True Stories of Marginalized Trailblazers, Getting Dizzy by Shea Fontana and Celia Moscote, and the upcoming Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle.
Print copies of the FENCE: RISE will be available in August 2022 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) and at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.
For continuing news on FENCE and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
More than 2,000 librarians are expected to attend the virtual trade show’s Libraries Are Essential program, an all-day series of panels and conversations dedicated to issues facing the library community. This year’s program will tackle a range of issues, including the alarming rise of book bans and other legislative efforts targeting public and school libraries. Congressman Raskin’s keynote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 4 p.m. ET.
Rep. Raskin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy (HarperCollins) about the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. A tireless advocate for free speech, Congressman Raskin, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, held a hearing on April 7, 2022 that explored the ongoing efforts across the country to ban books from schools and public libraries.
The hearing came during National Library Week, and after the American Library Association announced it had tracked 729 challenges to remove nearly 1,600 books from school and public libraries in 2021—a dramatic surge and the highest number of attempted book bans in the 20 years that the ALA has tracked this data. The vast majority of the challenged books involved race and LGBTQ+ issues.
“Freedom, truth and democracy are under siege all over the world today by tyrants, dictators, war criminals, fascist mobs and vigilante censors,” said Congressman Raskin. “But the democratic societies, movements and peoples are fighting back to defend the freedom to read and write, the freedom to seek and speak the truth against lies and disinformation, and the sovereign rights of democratic self-government against violence. Libraries and books have never been more essential—or more controversial—in our lifetimes, and writers and illustrators have a critical role to play in upholding everything precious in our civilization. I am honored to appear alongside them at the Libraries Are Essential program at the U.S. Book Show.”
“Raskin’s focus on the health of our democracy, the perils of misinformation, and his concern over the rise of book bans and the state of free speech make him the ideal speaker for librarians and publishing professionals at this year’s Libraries Are Essential program,” said Publishers Weekly senior writer Andrew Albanese, who oversees the Libraries Are Essential program at the U.S. Book Show.
The U.S. Book Show (#USBookShow) will run online from May 23 – 26, 2022. The show focuses on Fall 2022 books and will feature an array of speakers; editor, book and author panels; international publishing roundtables; topical library and bookseller panels; professional programming geared to publishers; networking opportunities and awards celebrations; and a robust virtual exhibit hall with galley giveaways and more.
Booksellers, librarians and members of the media are invited to register for the virtual trade fair at no charge. Members of the media may apply for virtual press passes on the show’s press page.
For more information about the show and registration, visit https://www.usbookshow.com.
For more about Libraries Are Essential: “PW’s 2022 U.S. Book Show To Open with Full-Day Library Track” by Lisa Peet, Library Journal.
RETROACTIVE is the Second of a Three-Book Deal with Iconic Publisher Humanoids
(April 25, 2022) Humanoids, the Los Angeles-based publisher of some of the world’s most iconic and groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy graphic novels, will publish Eisner-nominated writer/artist Ibrahim Moustafa’s graphic novel RETROACTIVE, a sci-fi tale about an agent working for the U.S. Bureau of Temporal Affairs who sets out to discover the source of several anomalies in the timeline—only to become imprisoned in an inescapable time loop. The book is being published on April 26, 2022 as part of a three-book deal between Moustafa and Humanoids, the first of which was the critically acclaimed graphic novel COUNT, which re-imagined the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.
In RETROACTIVE, the discovery of time travel is unknown to the general public, but a new Cold War rages between global intelligence agencies as they attempt to alter historical events in favor of their respective futures. When new intel points the U.S. Bureau of Temporal Affairs (BTA) toward a hostile anomaly in the past, veteran field agent Tarik Abdelnasser and his new partner, Lucia Olmos, are dispatched to investigate. They discover a radical adversary wielding a new technology that could unravel everything the BTA fights to maintain. As Tarik gets closer to the truth, he finds himself trapped in a time loop where an imminent terrorist attack, and his own death, trigger the day to restart. He must keep his sanity intact and find a way to prevent the attack, escape the loop, and return to his own timeline to thwart the destruction of the BTA and everyone inside of it.
“I’m so thrilled to bring another book to life with Humanoids,” said Ibrahim Moustafa. “They’ve given me the creative autonomy to tell the kinds of stories that I’m most passionate about, and I’m very excited to share this work that the rest of the creative team and I are so proud of. Brad Simpson (colors) and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (letters) are at their very best on RETROACTIVE, and I can’t wait for people to see what we made together under the stewardship of Rob Levin, one of the best editors in the industry.”
PRAISE FOR RETROACTIVE:
“A rock-solid time-travel thriller with impeccable action sequences and real human emotions.”—Steve Lieber (Whiteout, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen)
“RetroActive is a mile a minute thrill ride by a cartoonist at the top of their game. Clear, concise and action-packed storytelling make this a great read with some serious depth. Ibrahim keeps the reader guessing up until the very end. I couldn’t put it down.”—Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin, Comeback)
“Tackling the morality and responsibility involved with time-traveling, RetroActive is a fast-paced time travel story that will have you guessing at every time jump. I devoured this story in one sitting. Ibrahim Moustafa and the team have craft ed a suspenseful story with gorgeous artwork that you won’t be able to put down.”—Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, The Butcher of Paris)
“Breathlessly cinematic. Forget three-dimensional: this is a four-dimensional sci-fi spy epic the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades—if ever.”—Phil Nobile, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria)
“Tightly wound MI6-style espionage with mind-bendingly dangerous time travel. Auteur Ibrahim Moustafa is quickly carving out his own comics niche with one slick, sci-fi action gem after another. RetroActive is a rush. I wish I could travel back in time and experience it fresh all over again.”—Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs, Time Shopper)
For more updates on Humanoids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
