Fjord Noir Mystery ‘Draugen’ is Coming to PC May 29

First person puzzle mystery adventure?  Yes please!

Oslo, Norway – May 9, 2019 – Red Thread Games has announced that their upcoming title Draugen will release on Windows PC in a few short weeks! Currently available to be wishlisted on Steam and GOG, players are invited to unravel the mystery on May 29. To mark the announcement the studio has released character bios of our protagonist Edward Charles Harden and his young ward Lissie.

You can see how their relationship begins to play out in their story trailer on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/327100188

Draugen is a story of mystery and suspense shrouding an unusual friendship, a forsaken community, a family torn apart by secrets, and a man haunted by his own past.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Website: https://www.draugen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Draugengame/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/draugengame

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/770390/Draugen/

GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/draugen

Draugen is coming to Windows on Steam and GOG in May 29, 2019.

About Red Thread Games

Red Thread was founded in 2012, with a mission to create games with soul for players who love stories. The studio is located in downtown Oslo, Norway, and has 12 employees.

In 2014, Red Thread released the first episode of Dreamfall Chapters: a third-person adventure game set in the twin worlds of science and magic, where your choices have real and lasting consequences. The five-part series concluded in 2016, and was followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, and a ‘Final Cut’ re-release for Windows/Mac in 2017.

Red Thread is currently working on first-person adventure Draugen, and survival RPG Svalbard.

ICYMI-Story Trailer:

 

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on Fjord Noir Mystery ‘Draugen’ is Coming to PC May 29

TATTOOING Added to Five Points Festival

As if all the exclusive toys, specially brewed craft beers, and live art painting wasn’t enough, the press release came out today that Five Points Fest has added tattoos to the shindig. What next? Wrestling? (btw that’d be awesome and make a weekend in which BookCon also takes place a wild time indeed). Anyways, below is the official info sent out by the FPF PR.

 

Five Points Fest, America’s premiere Designer Toy festival, is proud to announce that an exciting new experience is coming to the festival in 2019: TATTOOING! That’s right, in addition to Designer Toys, Indie Comics, Craft Beer, Kaiju & Sofubi, Street Art and Live Painting, we will be adding live tattooing to the festivities.

As with everything Five Points Fest, the new tattoo experience is fully curated! Want a personalized tattoo of a sketch by Quiccs? How about Jeff Lamm monster? Or Czee canbot? We have them all!

Over the course of the Five Points Fest weekend (June 1 -2, 2019), you can get an original sketch created in-person by one of our iconic artists, then can get that design inked into your flesh by one of our amazing tattoo artists, Benjamin Scott [link] or Olivia Marie [link].

If that’s not enough (and how could it not be?) we will also have a sweet selection of original designs by the likes of Ron English, James Groman, Tara McPherson, Punk Drunkers & Skull Toys, all of which are artist approved to be inked at Five Points Fest!

To get a tattoo, you must be 18 years of age with a valid ID. So, if you’re looking for a super fun reminder of your awesome time at Five Points Fest, make sure you reserve your spot as soon as they become available as space is limited and walk-ups will not be guaranteed.

Next week we’ll begin revealing the original designs and details via our Instagram, so make sure to keep a close watch, otherwise, you’ll miss out on this totally badass opportunity!

Posted in Art & Streetart, Events | Comments Off on TATTOOING Added to Five Points Festival

Play NYC, New York’s Premier Game Convention, Returns With A New Home And Fresh Community-First Focus

The 3rd annual Play NYC game convention moves to the Metropolitan Pavilion

August 10-11, 2019 to celebrate the essence and power of the U.S. gaming community

NEW YORK,  (May 7, 2019) – Playcrafting announced today it’s bringing the 3rd annual Play NYC  – the biggest, two-day game convention in New York – back to the Big Apple in a new home – the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W 18th Street) – designed to harness, elevate and celebrate the true essence and impact of the U.S. gaming community on August 10th and 11th. Visit play-nyc.com for more detials. Tickets are now on sale here. Apply here to become an exhibitor. Click here to request press passes.

“In 2017, we gave NYC its first dedicated game convention. In year two, we took everything to the next level, doubling the number of exhibitors and games, expanding our live stream with the biggest names in the industry, and more,” said Dan Butchko, Founder and CEO of Playcrafting and the convention organizer. “Gaming keeps growing in the U.S. because of its talented community of creators and fans. This year, we’re going back to our roots, ensuring everything about Play NYC – from the look of the show to its hundreds of playable booths – reflects, celebrates and creates opportunities for creators and fans to unite through the power of games.”

This year, gamers and enthusiasts of all ages, backgrounds and interests will experience a weekend-long event that will pack Metropolitan Pavilion with games of all kinds, interactive installations created just for Play NYC, game debuts from some of the most established and rising studios, and much more.

Among this year’s many features will be the exclusive, traveling Bose AR-cade, which will reveal the latest set of games created by select, New York-based developers during the second “Bose AR Game Jam” that will take place June 28-30, 2019. The heads up, hands free audio AR games will be built on the Bose AR platform. The Bose AR-cade is part of a year-long alliance between Bose and Playcrafting to give developers from across the U.S. access to the latest Bose AR-enabled wearables and developer tools so they can bring innovative experiences to thousands of game players and Bose AR users.

“Playcrafting grew from 10 developers who got together to show each other their games in 2009 to one of the largest game communities in the U.S. that look forward to our 200+ conventions and classes for chances to show and fine-tune their work,” said Butchko. “Part of the way we create opportunities for the community to grow and thrive is by teaming up with other organizations committed to the same cause. Bose is a tremendous ally, and we’re excited to work with them and others to bring even more unique experiences to NYC developers and gamers alike.”

Play NYC will run on Saturday, August 10th and Sunday, August 11th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET. Tickets start at $25.00 per person. Visit play-nyc.com and follow us on Twitter @Playcrafting and #PlayNYC for more updates.

 

About Playcrafting

Playcrafting is the largest network of game developers in New York. Started as a small Meetup group in 2009, the organization has grown to 30,000 strong across the U.S. From design and programming to business and beyond, developers come to Playcrafting to sharpen their skills and partner with companies that help them succeed. The organization’s hands-on classes lower the barrier for entry for anyone to get started making games and to empower pros to level up their skills. Playcrafting hosts everything from local gatherings like Expos and Demo and Plays to industry-recognized annual events like Play NYC and the largest Global Game Jam site in the U.S. The organization offers over 100 courses and events annually. Partnerships like Bose unlock the power of game creators and generate brand new games that weren’t otherwise possible. Previous partners include Facebook, Verizon, IBM and more. Visit here to sign up and join us.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on Play NYC, New York’s Premier Game Convention, Returns With A New Home And Fresh Community-First Focus

A Boy Band Super Group made for a Cartoon

There’s a new super group for the second second season of Netflix series Harvey Girls Forever (formerly Harvey Street Kids); which in itself is  a super group cartoon which combines three of the famous characters of Harvey comics (of Richie Rich & Casper), Little Lulu, Little Audrey and Little Dot together into new modern tales.  The new group is  Nick Lachey, Joey Faton, Joey McIntyre, and Shawn Stockman. In the show they’re known Crush4U and are playing characters and not themselves. Still what a powerful group Got a Fever Kids now Men on a Block Singing Harmoniously… AKA 98°NewKidsIIMenonTheBlockiNsyc if you want to go crazy.  The new group actually recorded THREE songs which in many respects are more like songs out of the MTV turned real band 2Gether. You can download all the tracks at an official website even.  The full second season of Harvey Girls Forever hits Netflix on May 10th so that you can experience the boys in all their animated glory being fawned over and then fawn over them yourself.

Posted in Music, TV and Movies | Comments Off on A Boy Band Super Group made for a Cartoon

TWO Whedonverse Press Releases from BOOM showing a great future!

#1

Stunning Revelations in WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE From BOOM! Studios on Free Comic Book Day

Discover Hidden Origins and Shocking Reunions in Two All New Stories From The Hit Franchises On May 4, 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 3, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today revealed the final cover and first look at the WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL, an all-new comic book arriving exclusively in comic shops worldwide on Free Comic Book Day (May 4th, 2019), with brand new stories featuring three of the greatest creations from visionary Joss Whedon (writer/director Marvel’s The Avengers).

This FREE comic, released in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, is the perfect jumping-on point for the “Whedonverse” with all new stories from the worlds of BOOM! Studios’ hit series Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly.

First, dive into the secret origins of Boss Moon, the brand new character who made her first appearance in Greg Pak and Dan McDaid’s Firefly #2. This special origin story reveals how the relentless Unificator was recruited by the Alliance to hunt down Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Zoë Alleyne Washburne, written by Fireflyseries writer Greg Pak (Ronin Island, Mech Cadet Yu) and illustrated by Ethan Young (Ronin Island).

Created by Whedon and set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war, Firefly centers on the crew of Serenity, a small transport spaceship that doesn’t have a planet to call home. Mal Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian Alliance, will undertake any job — legal or not — to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Thrust together by necessity but staying together out of loyalty, these disparate men and women are seeking adventure and the good life, but face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as avoiding capture by the Alliance, and evading the dangers you find on the fringes of the universe.

In the second exclusive story, it’s the beginning of Buffy vs. Angel as the Slayer makes a surprise visit to Anya’s magical emporium in search of an extremely rare and dangerous item that might be the solution to fixing an impossible problem. But she’s got competition, and fans will have to pick up this special issue to find out what happens when the Slayer, vampires, and the magic of cursed souls all converge on the same place in this hit reimagining of the cult television sensations. Writer Jordie Bellaire (Redlands), with artists Dan Mora (Klaus, Once & Future) and Serg Acuña (WWE), continues the bold reimagining of the groundbreaking mythology that changed pop culture forever.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB Network on March 10th, 1997. The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series, which ran for seven seasons from 1997-2003, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as “Buffy Summers.” Chosen to battle vampires, demons and other forces of darkness, Buffy is aided by a Watcher who guides and teaches her as she surrounds herself with a circle of friends called the “Scooby Gang.”

WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL, featuring a cover by Greg Smallwood (Moon Knight), is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Planet of the Apes, Abbott, Mech Cadet Yu, Grass Kings, and Klaus.

“BOOM! Studios is excited to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2019 with all new stories from the hit comic book series based on Joss Whedon’s pop culture sensations! Fans of the series will find out just how Boss Moon became a Unificator, and how far Buffy is willing to go to save her friends. It’s also a great starting point for longtime Whedonverse fans.” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “There’s a first meeting in this that readers won’t want to miss, as well as a meeting of old friends that will change the way you see these characters!WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE is required reading for ANGELBUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and FIREFLY fans and new readers alike!”

Print copies of WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL will be available for FREE on May 4th, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (usecomicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one).

For continuing news on WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIALand more Free Comic Book Day news from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Buffy the Vampire Slayer on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram

 

#2

Shocking Sacrifices Made in Joss Whedon’s ANGEL #1 From BOOM! Studios

Discover Your First Look At The Red-Hot Reimagining of Joss Whedon’s Pop Culture Phenomenon

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 2, 2019) – BOOM! Studios, in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, along with visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel’s The Avengers), today revealed a first look at ANGEL #1, written by Bryan Hill (Detective Comics, Killmonger) with art from Gleb Melnikov  (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers), with the appearance of old faces from Angel’s past and new threats in his future, available in stores May 29, 2019.

Meet Angelus, leader of an army of brutal vampire warriors terrorizing the land, hungry for power and thirsty for blood as he invades villages and takes innocent people past the point of no return. Several centuries later, Angel spends his time protecting humanity from the monsters that lurk in the dark in an attempt to redeem himself for the crimes committed by the monster he was when he was first turned. It may be that he’s too late to save his humanity and his soul but he’s lost too many people in his ongoing fight against the forces of evil, and he’s finally ready to find a solution to his tortured existence as a vampire with a conscience. When his path leads him to an old friend in Sunnydale, sparks will fly and demons will clash as Angel’s search takes him ever closer to the person who could end his quest before it’s even begun—the Chosen One, Buffy Summers.

ANGEL #1 features a main cover by artist Dan Panosian (Slots, Batman: Arkham Knight) and variant covers by artists Scott Buoncristiano (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Boris Pelcer (Angel), and Jonathan Case (Firefly).

Created by visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers film franchise), Angel premiered on the WB Network on October 5th, 1999 and was a spin-off from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The series ran for five seasons from 1999-2004, starring David Boreanaz as “Angel,” the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul who moved to LA to set up shop as a supernatural private investigator. Despite Angel’s best efforts to deal with the sins of his past all by himself, Angel Investigations soon became home to other lost souls searching for redemption and willing to fight by his side.

“The centuries weigh heavy on Angel, especially after everything he’s done and all he’s endured. But is there any way for him to truly leave the past behind him? Does his fight against the forces of evil in the present make up for the horrible choices he made in the past and can saving a life now replace the lives he took then?” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Bryan and Gleb are really digging deep into Angel’s past and challenging what redemption can look like, especially now, when our actions are recorded and preserved forever.”

ANGEL is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott from Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede from Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; Grass Kings from Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins; and Klaus from Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Danielle Di Nicuolo.

Print copies of ANGEL #1 will be available for sale on May 29, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one). Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. Print copies of the surprise drop ANGEL #0 are available now everywhere comics are sold.

For continuing news on ANGEL and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Angel onFacebook

Posted in Comics | Comments Off on TWO Whedonverse Press Releases from BOOM showing a great future!

JAGGED LITTLE PILL TO OPEN ON BROADWAY THIS FALL AT THE BROADHURST THEATRE!

 

Performances Begin Sunday, November 3, 2019
Opening Night Thursday, December 5, 2019

TICKETS GO ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC THURSDAY, MAY 23 AT TELECHARGE.COM

Exclusive Pre-Sale Access
For Fan Club, American Express
®, and Audience Rewards Members

Inspired by the groundbreaking Grammy Award-winning album by Alanis Morissette 
Book by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody
Direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus
Movement Direction and Choreography by Olivier Award winner 
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui 
Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements by Pulitzer Prize winner 
Tom Kitt

(New York, NY – May 3, 2019) Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price are pleased to announce that the new Broadway musical JAGGED LITTLE PILL will begin preview performances at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 W 44th St., NYC) on Sunday, November 3, 2019, with an official opening night of Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Tickets for the musical will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 23, at 10:00AM at Telecharge.com. Special pre-sale access to tickets will be available to members of the Jagged Little Pill fan club from May 6–8 (sign up at jaggedlittlepill.com), American Express® Cardholders from May 8–16 (americanexpress.com/rewards), and Audience Rewards from May 16-23 (audiencerewards.com). Featuring lyrics by seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette and music by Morissette and six- time Grammy winner Glen BallardJAGGED LITTLE PILL is directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus(WaitressPippin) and features an original story by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully). Movement Direction & Choreography is by Olivier Award winner and frequent Beyoncé collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements are by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, American Idiot).

JAGGED LITTLE PILL is an exhilarating new musical inspired by the themes and raw emotions laid bare in Alanis Morissette’s seminal album of the same name. The Healys appear to be a picture-perfect suburban family — but looks can be deceiving. When the cracks beneath the surface begin to show, they must choose between maintaining the status quo or facing harsh truths about themselves, their community, and the world around them. “Urgent, wildly entertaining, and wickedly funny in all the right places” (The Boston Globe), this original story is ignited by Morissette’s groundbreaking music – including such hits as “You Oughta Know,” “Head Over Feet,” “Hand In My Pocket,” and “Ironic” – plus brand-new songs written for the show. Hailed by The New York Times as “a big-hearted musical that breaks the mold,”JAGGED LITTLE PILL “takes on the good work we are always asking new musicals to do: the work of singing about real things.”

Atlantic Records has partnered with JAGGED LITTLE PILL for the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, adding the production to the label’s elite roster of Grammy Award-winning artists and cast albums.

The world premiere production of JAGGED LITTLE PILL ran for 79 sold-out performances, from May 5 – July 15, 2018, at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. The 10-week engagement marked the longest- running and highest-grossing production in the theater’s history. Variety declared the musical“Triumphant! Not since Rent has a musical invested so many bravura roles with so much individual life.” BuzzFeed described the show as “stirring, breathtaking and exceptionally relevant…work this ambitious broadens our perspective of what theater can do.” NPR declared, “Morissette’s anthems are now for the ages. Visually interpreted in Jagged Little Pill with an absorbing intimacy and ingenuity, they reach down to our deepest raw selves, regardless of who we are.”

Released on June 13, 1995, the tremendous success of Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill skyrocketed her to become the bestselling international debut artist in history; a title she still holds, with the record’s sales reaching 33 million copies worldwide. Nearly 25 years after its release, Jagged Little Pill continues to be one of the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums of All Time. With nine eclectic and acclaimed albums released over the subsequent twenty years, Morissette’s music has garnered 7 Grammy Awards (with 14 nominations), a Golden Globe nomination, and total sales of over 60 million albums.

The JAGGED LITTLE PILL creative team includes Tony-nominated Scenic DesignerRiccardo Hernandez (Parade); Costume Designer Emily Rebholz (Dear Evan Hansen); Tony-nominated Lighting Designer Justin Townsend (Moulin Rouge!); Tony-nominated Sound Designer Jonathan Deans (Waitress); and Tony-winning Video & Projection Designer Finn Ross (Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time). The production features additional music by Michael Farrell & Guy Sigsworth. Production Stage Management is by Ira Mont (The Producers).

Lead Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price, are joined by Caiola Productions, Level Forward & Abigail Disney, Geffen Playhouse-Tenebaum-Feinberg, James L. Nederlander, Dean Borell Moravis Silver, Stephen G. Johnson, Concord Theatricals, Bard Theatricals, M. Kilburg Reedy, 42nd.club, Betsey Bernstein, Sundowners, Araca Productions, Len Blavatnik, Burnt Umber Productions, Darren DeVerna & Jeremiah Harris, Daryl Roth Productions, Susan Edelstein, FG Productions, Fourth Wall Theatricals, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Harmonia, John Gore Theatrical Group, Melissa M. Jones & Barbara H. Freitag, Jujamcyn, Stephanie Kramer, Lamplighter Projects, Christina Isaly Liceaga, David Mirvish, The Road Company, Spencer B. Ross, Bellanca Smigel Rutter, Iris Smith, Jason Taylor & Sydney Suiter, Rachel Weinstein, W.I.T. Productions & Work Light Productions, and Consulting Producer Tamar Climan, in presenting the American Repertory Theater production of Jagged Little Pill.

TICKETS & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The regular performance schedule for JAGGED LITTLE PILL will be: Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays at 2pm & 7:30pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. For performances November 5th through November 26th, Tuesday and Thursday shows begin at 8pm. The performance on Sunday, November 3 is at 8pm. Schedule is subject to change.

Members of the JAGGED LITTLE PILL fan club who sign up at jaggedlittlepill.com will receive first access to pre-sale tickets on May 6 at 10:00am, through May 8 at 9:59AM. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, May 8 at 10AM (EST) through Thursday, May 16 at 9:59AM (EST) by visiting www.Telecharge.com or calling 212-239-6200. Presale tickets for JAGGED LITTLE PILL are available exclusively to Audience Rewards® members from Thursday, May 16 at 10AM (EST) through Thursday, May 23 at 9:59AM (EST). It’s free and fast to join at www.AudienceRewards.com.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 23 at 10AM (EST) via Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200 (outside NY metro area: 800-432-7250).

Audience Rewards® is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway & the ArtsTM. It’s a standing ovation for ticket buyers across the nation. Earn valuable ShowPoints every time you buy tickets to participating theatrical productions, live entertainment, and more. Save money by redeeming ShowPoints for free tickets to the events you love or, even better, securing unique experiences and merchandise exclusively curated for Audience Rewards® members.

BIOGRAPHIES

ALANIS MORISSETTE (Music & Lyrics) Since 1995, Alanis Morissette has been one of the most influential singer- songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise, 14 Canadian Juno Awards, 7 Grammy® Awards (with an additional 14 nominations), a Golden Globe nomination and sales of over 60 million albums worldwide. Morissette’s 1995 debut, Jagged Little Pill, was followed by such eclectic and acclaimed albums as Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie(1998), MTV Unplugged (1999), Under Rug Swept (2002), So-Called Chaos (2004), Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (2005), her greatest hits album The Collection (2005), Flavors of Entanglement(2008), Havoc and Bright Lights (2012), and Jagged Little Pill: Collector’s Edition (2015). She also contributed musically to theatrical releases, some of which include The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince of Persia, and City of Angels. In 2015, Alanis was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Alanis has also donated her time to a number of causes that help raise awareness and funding on a number of issues including Equality Now, Music for Relief, UN Global Tolerance, “Every Mother Counts” (a CD to which she contributed her song “Magical Child” to help prevent needless maternal deaths), and P.S. Arts. In 2016, Alanis launched “Conversation with Alanis Morissette,” a monthly podcast that features conversations with a variety of revered authors, doctors, educators and therapists. www.alanis.com

DIABLO CODY (Book) is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter of films including Juno, Young Adult, Jennifer’s Body, Ricki and the Flash, and Tully. She also created the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series “United States of Tara” alongside Steven Spielberg, and the WGA-nominated series “One Mississippi” with Tig Notaro. Through her company, Vita Vera Films, she continues to develop shows for both cable and broadcast television with Warner Brothers Studios. Jagged Little Pill marks her Broadway debut as playwright, following the musical’s sold-out world premiere engagement at American Repertory Theater in Boston.

DIANE PAULUS (Director) is the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, where Jagged Little Pill premiered in May 2018. Broadway: Waitress (Broadway and US national tour), Pippin (Tony Award, Best Revival and Best Director); The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Tony Award, Best Revival; NAACP Award, Best Direction); HAIR (Tony Award, Best Revival). West End: Waitress (begins February 8). Off-Broadway: Gloria: A LifeIn the Body of the World (Drama League nomination) at Manhattan Theatre Club; Invisible Thread at Second Stage. At A.R.T.:ExtraOrdinary, The White Card by Claudia Rankine, CrossingWitness UgandaPrometheus BoundDeath and the Powers: The Robots’ OperaBest of Both WorldsThe Donkey Show. Upcoming: Hair Live! on NBC. Other recent work includes Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna, currently on tour in the US. Paulus is Professor of the Practice of Theater in Harvard University’s English Department. She was selected for the 2014 Time 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world; as one of Variety’s “Trailblazing Women in Entertainment for 2014”; Boston magazine’s “50 Thought Leaders of 2014”; and Boston magazine’s 2018 “100 Most Influential People in Boston.”

SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI (Movement Direction & Choreography). Honored with a Fred & Adele Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreographer in a Feature Film in 2013 (Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina) and a UK Music Video Award for Best Choreography in 2013 (Sigur Rós’ Valtari), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui choreographs for companies and artists including Beyoncé (“Apesh*t” By The Carter’s, Tidal X Charity Concert, Grammy Awards 2017), Cirque du Soleil (Michael Jackson ONE, Kurios), Joe Wright (A Season in the Congo), Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (Orbo Novo), Pilobolus

(Automaton), Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project (Harbor Me), and Martha Graham Dance Company (Mosaic). He has received ballet commissions from Paris Opera Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and The Royal Ballet in London (upcoming). Cherkaoui is artistic director of Royal Ballet Flanders and his own company, Eastman.

TOM KITT (Music Supervisor, Orchestrator & Arranger) Broadway (composer): Next to Normal(Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award), If/Then (Tony nomination), High Fidelity, Bring It On: The Musical.Off-Broadway: Superhero, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater. Broadway (Music Supervisor, Arranger, Orchestrator): Head Over Heels, American Idiot, SpongeBob Squarepants: The Musical, Everyday Rapture. TV/Film: “Rise,” NBC; the Pitch Perfect films.

GLEN BALLARD (Music) Six-time Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard is one of popular music’s most accomplished producers and songwriters, whose records have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. Ballard’s production company Augury is currently developing original, music-driven content for television, film, and stage. During his diverse career, Ballard has worked with the biggest names in music, from Barbra Streisand and Aerosmith to Dave Matthews and Katy Perry. He produced and co-wrote Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill (33 million worldwide, four Grammys, and named Best Album of the Decade by Billboard Magazine), wrote and arranged “Man in the Mirror” for Michael Jackson, and co-wrote and produced the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated song “Believe” (Josh Groban) for the feature film The Polar Express. He has written and produced songs for Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Shakira, Idina Menzel, George Benson, George Straight, Wilson Phillips, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau, Andrea Bocelli, and many others. His production credits include producing and arranging records for Annie Lennox, No Doubt, and POD. His work in film includes composing original songs for Charlotte’s Web, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol, The Croods, The Mummy Returns, and Valentine’s Day. Ballard also wrote the lyrics and music for Ghost the Musical, which was based on the Academy Award-winning film Ghost starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. After a successful run on the West End and Broadway, Ghost the Musical is currently touring worldwide.

VIVEK J. TIWARY is a producer of live entertainment from Tony-winning Broadway shows to groundbreaking immersive experiences, a media financier/investor, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder of Tiwary Entertainment Group (TiwaryEnt.com). His graphic novel The Fifth Beatle won numerous literary awards including the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award and two Harvey Awards. It’s a Lambda Literary Finalist for Best LGBT Graphic Novel and has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives. It is being adapted into a TV series that has secured unprecedented access to Beatles music; Vivek is writing and serving as Executive Producer. On Broadway, Vivek’s productions have won a combined 25 Tony Awards over 44 Tony nominations and include Green Day’s American IdiotA Raisin In The Sun, and Mel Brooks’ The Producers. Vivek is also a pioneering producer in the world of site-specific, tech-based, and immersive theatre. He consulted on the creation and development of The Walking Dead Escape and The Walking Dead Experience. He served on the Board of Directors for New York’s seminal GAle GAtes—widely considered to be the founders of immersive theatre. He also produced experiential shows and installations for boundary-pushing companies such as The Wooster Group, Fischerspooner, and the São Paulo Art Biennial. Among many charitable pursuits, Vivek is the Co-Founder of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization that uses music and entertainment to complement the healing process. Follow him on Twitter @VivekJTiwary.

ARVIND ETHAN DAVID is a producer and writer who works across film, television, comics and theatre. Born in Malaysia of Indian descent, Arvind has lived and worked extensively in the UK, Asia and the US. In television, he most recently was Executive Producer of the acclaimed BBC America/Netflix series “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” starring Elijah Wood, which quickly became a cult favorite over its two seasons. David has produced eight feature films, including the British hit comedy The Infidel, and is currently in post-production on The Garden of Evening Mists for HBO. Arvind is also a comic book writer, whose credits include the Stoker Award-nominated Darkness Visible, which he is currently adapting for television for Intrepid Pictures and IDW Entertainment In addition to Jagged Little Pill,Arvind’s theatrical work includes British comedian David Baddiel and Erran Baron Cohen’s The Infidel Musical, based on their film of the same name, which is currently prepping for a West End run in 2020 and his LA Weekly award winning stage adaptation of Dirk Gently is published by Samuel French and has been performed hundreds of times in multiple languages around the world. Arvind is based in Los Angeles, where he serves as the head of producing and financing company Prodigal, and where he lives with his wife, Janine Berridge and their daughter Odetta and a collection of warring cats. Jagged Little Pill represents Arvind’s Broadway debut.

EVA PRICE is a two-time Tony Award-winning producer of over 15 Broadway plays, musicals, and concerts; a member of The Broadway League’s Board of Governors, one of Crain’s NY 40 Under Forty Rising Business Stars, and on the producing team of Killer Content and Abigail Disney’s entertainment venture, Level Forward.
Credits: Oklahoma! (Broadway); Jagged Little Pill (A.R.T.); Angels in America (Tony-winning revival starring Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield); Dear Evan Hansen (6 Tony Awards including Best Musical); On Your Feet!Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards); Colin Quinn Long Story Short (directed by Jerry Seinfeld);Annie (Tony-Nominated Musical Revival); The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino (Tony-Nominated Play Revival); Carrie Fisher’s Wishful DrinkingThe Addams Family; Off-Bway: Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical; Drama

Desk-nominated FoundThe Lion (Drama Desk-winner, Off-West End-winner); Small Mouth Sounds. Touring: The Hip Hop Nutcracker with Rap Icon Kurtis Blow; The Magic School Bus Live!: The Climate ChallengeElla, a bio musical about the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald. For five years Eva worked as an assignment editor and coordinating producer for special projects at ABC News, spending her last year producing and reporting on stories relating to Broadway for abcnews.com.

AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director in 2008. Under the leadership of Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by producing transformative theatrical experiences, always including the audience as a central partner. A.R.T. developed and premiered JAGGED LITTLE PILL in 2018, where it played a ten-week record-breaking engagement. Throughout its history, A.R.T. has transferred numerous productions to New York, including Waitress (dir. Paulus), The Glass Menagerie, Crossing, and Sleep No More. The theater has been honored with many distinguished awards including the Tony Award for Best New Play for All the Way (2014); consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed, and sixteen other Tony Awards since 2012; a Pulitzer Prize; a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent; the Regional Theater Tony Award; and more than 100 Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards.

www.jaggedlittlepill.com
@jaggedmusical #jaggedlittlebroadway
###

 

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MADDIE ROSS SHARES NEW VIDEO “LIV TYLER”

P-CS absolutely loved this song and video. Worth your time!

EARLY ’00s POPULAR MEDIA REINCARNATED WITH INCLUSIVITY 

DEBUT ALBUM NEVER HAVE I EVER OUT MAY 10 ON SENTIMENTAL RECORDS

New York, NY (May 3, 2019) – Maddie Ross understands the importance of creating authentic music, and the necessity of visible, queer role models. Today, she releases new video “Liv Tyler” – enjoy and share via Youtube – a pop anthem off her debut, full-length album, Never Have I Ever, out May 10 via Sentimental Records. FLOOD Magazine declares, “With radio-ready production values that mirror bubblegum pop rock, ‘Liv Tyler’ does the titular actress—not to mention her Empire Records character, Corey Mason—proud.”

The “Liv Tyler” video sees Maddie flipping through channels of MTV/VH1/Rom-Com content from her youth, but in her fantasy, all of the clips are queer, diverse, and inclusive. Throughout Maddie’s channel surfing, she comes across an alternate version of the movie She’s All That, only it’s a reverse-makeover into a nerd, and the love interest is a woman. She also flips past an episode of MTV’s Room Raiders (only the host is gender-queer and the contestants are all bisexual), a gay Coca-Cola commercial on the beach, and an interracial lesbian Polly Pocket advertisement. Maddie even sees herself being interviewed on VH1 Behind The Music, and getting Nickelodeon-slimed

The video concept came from director Zach Siegel, after he and Maddie each reflected on their coming out experiences, the internalized homophobia they had to overcome, and the way media influenced these perceptions by telling them they weren’t normal. The lyrics to “Liv Tyler” depict a female fantasizing about being the girl from the movies, but also struggling to see herself in them. It is 2000s popular media reincarnated in the body of late 2010’s inclusivity. 

Never Have I Ever bursts at the seams with energy, humor, infectious melodies, confessional lyrics, and abundant references to some of the best hits and movie synchs of the ’90s and ’00s. Yet, while each song is heavily inspired by specific movie scenes, the lyrical content is much more personal. Most of the movies referenced are devoid of the anguish, self-discovery, and eventual pride embedded in the adolescent queer love experience. As Ross puts it, “Never Have I Ever is inspired by a variety of movies, but the story it tells follows a plot of its own. In our wildest fantasies, someone would write an adorable girl-meets-girl rom com, and use the entire album as a score.”

Never Have I Ever was made entirely by women, produced by Maddie’s longtime girlfriend Wolfy and co-written between the couple. It follows Ross’ most recent release, the Touch Hands, Touch Bodies EP, which debuted atBlackBook and was #25 on Billboard staff’s 25 Best Rock Albums of 2018, earning Maddie their title of, “The Best DIY Rock Star You’ve Never Heard Of”. Ross will tour in support of Never Have I Ever in May of 2019, once again opening for KT Tunstall on a run of East Coast dates, listed below.

Tour Dates:
May 08 – Detroit, MI @ El Club*
May 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom*
May 11 – Washington, D.C. @ Union Stage*
May 12 – Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Iron Works*
May 13 – Toronto, CA @ Horseshoe Tavern*
May 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live*
May 18 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom*
May 19 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair*
* w/ KT Tunstall

Never Have I Ever Track Listing:
01. Tell Your Friends
02. Get My Picture
03. My House Is Bigger Than Your House
04. Miracle
05. Liv Tyler
06. First Date
07. The Riddle
08. It Was All A Bet
09. Next To Me
10. Take Me Home
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Karin Slaughter’s Pieces of Her Hype

If you have Netflix, you can check the preview page confirming the upcoming series here.  Here is also a Hollywood Reporter article from April.  Yet don’t forget the book or Karin’s next.
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Your First Look at LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1 from BOOM! Studios

The Lumberjanes series from BOOM has continued to allow different writers and artists to use the franchise to tell interesting and compelling stories about his group of girls and their magical world. Pop-Culture Spectrum is excited to see it expand more and more.

Discover a New Tale in the The New York Times Best-Selling Series About Adventure and the Power of Friendship

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 1, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today revealed an exclusive first look at LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1, a special oversized one-shot comic book about the power of friendship, from New York Times best-selling author Seanan McGuire (Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider) and artist Alexa Bosy, that includes an additional story by cartoonist Mariana Costa (Peritale), available in stores May 29, 2019.

It’s a rainy day at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types, and cabin fever has Ripley literally climbing the walls… and ceiling.. and Jo, while April is hard at work earning indoor badges and the rest of the ‘Janes try to fight the rainy day blues. Everyone’s ready to call it a day when they hear something outside and set out into the storm on an epic quest to reunite what look like lost kittens with their mother, and instead stumble upon a mysterious and fiercely guarded secret garden in the middle of the forest. Discover a new corner of the Lumberjanes universe you’ve never seen before, a green haven full of magical and wondrous plants that would be the perfect  place for the Lumberjanes to earn their Cryptobotany badges…but only if the creatures they find there will let them leave.

In Mariana Costas’ short story, the Yetis are back! Only this time, they need help from Jo and the rest of the Lumberjanes when a storm knocks out the power to their treehouse and plunges the entire Camp into darkness. It’ll take brains, guts, and the power of teamwork to fix this problem, but the Lumberjanes have yet to meet a challenge they can’t handle when they work together.

Launched in 2014 under BOOM! Studios’ YA-focused BOOM! Box imprint by series co-creators Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooklyn Allen, and Noelle Stevenson,Lumberjanes was originally solicited as a limited series, but the overwhelming response from fans transformed it into an ongoing series that has become a New York Times best-seller, earned numerous nominations for prestigious awards including the GLAAD Media Award and the Eisner Award (which it has won twice), and has even crossed over with heroes from the DC Comics Universe (inLumberjanes/Gotham Academy). The Lumberjanes have expanded to middle-grade novels at Abrams Books, a diverse array of merchandise from pins to patches, and a feature film in development at 20th Century Fox.

LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1 features a main cover by artist Alexa Bosy and a variant cover by artist Veronica Fish (Sabrina the Teenage Witch).

“The Lumberjanes are on a mission to reunite several lost and mysteriously verdant kittens with their mother somewhere in the vast, unknown reaches of the forest, without getting lost in the green forever.” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “The ‘Janes have gotten into quite a few scrapes before and encountered a lot of supernatural creatures and magical beings, but each time they’ve managed to find surprisingly creative ways of resolving their problems using patience, kindness, understanding, and the power of friendship. All of those qualities will come in very handy when exploring SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN in this issue!”

LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1 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, Brooklyn Allen, and Noelle Stevenson; Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin; The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes, Smooth Criminals by Kiwi Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, and Leisha Riddell, Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad, and Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.

Print copies of LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1 will be available May 29, 2019 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 the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on LUMBERJANES: SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN #1 and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow@boomstudios on Twitter.

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IDW Publishing Honored with Twelve Eisner Award Nominations in 2019

A congrats to IDW and their various imprints as well from PCS

SAN DIEGO, CA (April 26, 2019) – The 2019 Eisner Award judges recognized IDW Publishing and its imprints, Top ShelfLibrary of American ComicsBlack Crown, and Artist’s Editions, with a combined twelve nods this year (ten nominations and two shared nominations). The prestigious award ceremony, held annually at Comic-Con International, honors exemplary work from the previous year in comics publishing.

IDW’s 2019 Eisner Nominees include:

  • Best Publication for Early Readers: Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Best Publication for Teens: Gumballs, by Erin Nations (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Best Anthology: Femme Magnifique: 50 Magnificent Women Who Changed the World, edited by Shelly Bond (Black Crown/IDW)
  • Best Graphic Album — New: Come Again, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Best Graphic Album — Reprint: Girl Town, by Carolyn Nowak (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Best Archival Collection/Project — Strips: Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, Vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)
  • Best Archival Collection/Project — Comic Books: Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
  • Best Archival Collection/Project — Comic Books: Madman Quarter Century Shindig, by Mike Allred, edited by Chris Ryall, designed by Shawn Lee (IDW)
  • Best Writer/Artist: David Lapham, Lodger (Black Crown/IDW)
  • Best Writer/Artist: Nate Powell, Come Again (Top Shelf/IDW)
  • Best Academic/Scholarly Work: The Goat Getters: Jack Johnson, the Fight of the Century, and How a Bunch of Raucous Cartoonists Reinvented Comics, by Eddie Campbell (Library of American Comics/IDW/Ohio State University Press)
  • Best Lettering: Todd Klein, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

“It’s such an honor to see the Eisner judges celebrate the diverse range of graphic novels that Top Shelf has published lately — with James Kochalka celebrating the whimsical anarchy of young boys, Erin Nations introducing teens to a wide spectrum of queer and trans experience, Carolyn Nowak animating millennial womanhood with comedy and pathos, and Nate Powell exploring the dark terrors of parenting. These nominations (and these books) demonstrate the persistent truth that ‘weird personal comics’ can in fact be universal, because they let us see inside each other’s hearts,” says Leigh Walton, Top Shelf marketing director and editor.

“As we approach the landmark 200th release in the Library of American Comics, we’re proud to help preserve the history of comics one book at a time,” says creative director Dean Mullaney. “The Goat Getters especially breaks new ground in comics scholarship.”

“On behalf of my Femme Magnifique co-curators, Brian and Kristy Miller, over 100 of your favorite writers and artists, and IDW, I’m honored to be in such magnificent company,” says Black Crown curator/editor Shelly Bond. “Congrats to all the Eisner nominees, especially the Laphams, who continue to crush our expectations of crime noir.”

Scott Dunbier, IDW’s Director of Special Projects, says, “Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knightscharts Bill’s evolution through different stages of his career. Watching him progress from a talented new artist to a true innovator is fascinating to behold — it was an honor to work on this book, and to be nominated for an Eisner Award.”

Chris Ryall, IDW’s Publisher & President/CCO and editor on the nominated Madman Quarter Century Shindig book, added, “To directly quote Madman creator Michael Allred when notified about the nomination, this is Super Ginchy! It’s a thrill to see such diverse nominations for IDW’s equally wide-ranging output.”

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