A chilling vision of the future unveils a world where the police now patrol for crimes of the imagination. Religious beliefs, along with any tales of false heroes, idols or gods, are illegal. Called to duty to stop a murder spree, Detective Philip Khrome finds himself face to face with killers born of grim reality with old world superstition and everything is not what it seems.

While looking to develop a new titles outside of the Hercules and Caliber genres,Radical Publishing was approached by Steve Niles who wanted to bring to life a deftly mix of science fiction and horror in a thrilling new miniseries called, City of Dust. To promote Radical’s upcoming October release, Steve Niles will not only sign free promotional books of City of Dust, but will also take part in Radical Publishing’s Comic-Con panel on Friday, July 25th from 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. in Room 10. City of Dust #1 of 5 will be a 48 page prestige format comic retailing for $3.99. Subsequent issues will be 28 page comics retailing for $2.99

“CITY OF DUST blew me away,” exclaimed Barry Levine, Radical Publishing’s President and Publisher. “I love the concept behind Niles’ dark, desperate, dystopian world and the characters that inhabit it. Detective Philip Khrome is a conflicted soul as only Steve can deliver. Radical is going big with this, we’ve commissioned covers from artists like Arthur Suydam, Clint Langley and Lucio Parrillo to kick off the first issue and expect our fans to reap the benefits from our unique promotional events for this title. It all starts at Comic-Con with our preview book. I’m so happy to see Steve on board, not only for signing, but to join the names of Jim Steranko and Ian Edginton for our Comic-Con panel.”

In discussing Radical Publishing, Steve Niles states, “The artwork is what attracted me. Barry(Levine) sat me down and let me look at these artists and I was like ‘I can do a book that looks like this? — I’m in, and that’s what triggered the idea of CITY OF DUST. I’m really excited about this whole thing. I love the way they work. They’re REALLY accommodating. I’m so over committed, it’s not even funny, after years of rejection I can’t say no to anything, but Barry has been so accommodating to that, putting the project ahead of the schedule and I really appreciate that. Radical gives me breathing space and I think it’s panning out. The double-sized first issue is representative of that. They want perfection on every page with the art and I’m happy they do because the end result is beautiful.”

Steve Niles will be signing at the Radical Publishing booth at the following times below.

Radical Publishing booth #2806

Friday
1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Saturday
2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. along with Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies)

After illustrating covers with many of the best and brightest superheroes in comics, Mike Mayhew returns to interiors as 30 DAYS OF NIGHT writers Steve Niles and Dan Wickline craft a horrific tale of man’s primal nature unleashed in October’s SAVAGE.

“As a kid, I was always more drawn to horror comics, but I’ve never had the opportunity return to that as an adult,” said Mayhew. “SAVAGE is my chance to take everything I loved so much about the genre and run with it. The story Steve conceived with Dan hits every note I was hungry to hit and despite this being Jeff Frank’s debut, he knocks the script out of park with Dan’s help. Everyone involved knows and loves horror like nobody’s business.”

With SAVAGE, the creators aim to hit every aspect of the horror genre - from madmen, murderers and most of all, monsters - as the series culminates an all-out war between bigfoot and a clan of werewolves.

Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino added, “We’ve been looking for a good horror story for a while and Steve, Jeff and Dan have given us one we can (ahem!) sink our teeth into. And Mike’s artwork is nothing short of superlative! This is one to read under the covers…with a flashlight.”

SAVAGE #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will go on sale October 29th.

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.

Midtown Comics in New York City will host a comic book signing event with acclaimed comic book creator Steve Niles, famous for the comic book series 30 Days of Night. Mr. Niles, on a hot streak, is currently the author of two DC Comics titles, Batman: Gotham After Midnight and Simon Dark. Continuing the Hollywood trend adapting comic books to film, 30 Days of Night was released in movie theaters last year, directed by David Slade, starring Josh Hartnett. 30 Days of Night is now available as a series of graphic novels, which collect all of the comic books.

Steve Niles and special guests Gary Panter, Dr. Revolt, Kime Buzzelli and Morning Breath will sign their new graphic novel The Lost Ones, published by Zune Arts. Mr. Niles will also sign copies of 30 Days of Night as well as any of his other titles.

Midtown Comics opened its first store in 1997, and is now the industry’s leading retailer of comic books, graphic novels and Manga, with its online store as well as two landmark NYC locations in Times Square and Grand Central.

Thursday, July 17 from 4:00 to 6:00PM
Midtown Comics Times Square location
200 W. 40th Street, Corner 7th Avenue, NYC

MIDTOWNCOMICS.COM
NYC Store Locations:
Times Square: 200 W. 40th Street, corner 7th Avenue.
Grand Central: 459 Lexington Avenue, corner 45th Street.

More information available online at: http://www.midtowncomics.com

Official Press Release

FEARnet, the world’s premiere horror and thriller website and on-demand service, and IDW Publishing, the publishers of the acclaimed, best-selling 30 Days of Night graphic novels, have teamed up to create a 16-page, limited-edition comic book adaptation of FEARnet’s upcoming web series 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust. The special, limited edition collectible comic book will be distributed exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26th at FEARnet’s booth #4313. Only 10 thousand issues are being created for distribution.

The comic book provides an entry into FEARnet’s all-new 30 Days of Night inspired web series - 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust — that will debut July 17th on FEARnet.com. Produced for FEARnet by Ghost House Pictures, the joint-venture between Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Mandate Pictures, 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust will once again unleash the terror of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s ground-breaking 30 Days of Night graphic novels. The new six episode web series will be bolstered by the star power of one of today’s hottest femme fatales: the stunning Shawnee Smith of the blockbuster horror franchise Saw as well as The Island, Armageddon and Leaving Las Vegas. The series will also feature appearances by horror cult favorites Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead) and Ted Raimi (Evil Dead Series).

Last fall, FEARnet launched its first 30 Days of Night web series — 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails — timed to Sony Pictures/Ghost House Pictures 30 Days of Night feature film. The series became an instant hit, generating more than 5 million views.

Dust to Dust is a direct sequel to Blood Trails and will take viewers even deeper into the terrifying vampire-infested world. The Dust to Dust series will be carried on FEARnet.com as well as the FEARnet On Demand network, available on participating digital cable systems.

Dust to Dust continues the New Orleans storyline from Blood Trails where fans first met George, an ex-junkie who, while trying to expose the vampires, got captured by the authorities and blamed for the trail of bodies. Our new series begins as Detective Nick Maguire learns that his sister Sara, a nurse at the local penitentiary, disappeared during a mysterious prison break in which George escaped. Nick ignores the wishes of his former partner, Gina, and begins to search for Sara himself. While scouring the gritty streets of New Orleans, Nick finds George and learns that there was more to the prison break than anyone thought, and that the wounds inflicted upon Sara may be changing her into a blood-thirsty vampire. Now, in order to save his sister, Nick will have to learn to trust George, and become a believer in the evil that stalks his streets at night.

The 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust comic book was written by IDW writer-editor Tom Waltz, and based on the original screenplay by Ed Fowler. Artist Justin Randall, who previously worked with legendary 30 Days of Night creator Steve Niles on 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella, provided illustration. Steve Niles himself served as producer (and creative consultant) along with 30 Days of Night co-creator Ben Templesmith. Aside from producing, Mr. Templesmith provided art direction and designed and illustrated the cover for the book. The book was edited by FEARnet’s Joseph McCabe and IDW’s publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Ryall and Eisner Award winning Robbie Robbins provided letters.

About FEARnet
FEARnet, the world’s premier horror and thriller destination on demand, online and on mobile devices is a cutting-edge, multi-platform horror network with an unrivaled modern horror library bringing together the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services with the two top studios producing and distributing horror and movies to deliver horror fans uninterrupted fear 24/7. FEARnet.com is the number one horror website and PC Magazine recently named FEARnet.com among “The 15 Best Websites for Movie Fans.” FEARnet On Demand is one of the top five VOD networks. The advertising supported network is a joint venture between Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), Sony Pictures Television (SPT: US) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF).

FEARnet On Demand, available on Comcast, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS and Insight Communications and includes the biggest stash of thriller, killer and chiller horror titles from Sony Pictures and Lionsgate’s vast film libraries. www.fearnet.com users can explore the world of the macabre on a visually arresting video-rich environment packed with movies, interactive community features and fresh original content. The site features free streaming movies, download to own movies, social networks features including a “victim” profiles and chat capabilities, news and reviews and more.

Official Press Release

Zune Arts, a creative collective curated by Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s integrated digital entertainment brand, today released “The Lost Ones,” a graphic novel written by celebrated writer Steve Niles. For the Zune-commissioned novel, Niles was paired up with visual artists Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Kime Buzzelli and Morning Breath to take the reader on an epic journey through time and space. Each artist illustrated a different chapter of the novel, resulting in a blend of artistic styles that is emblematic of the unique creative collaborations for which Zune Arts has become widely known.

A preview of the novel is currently available at http://zune-arts.net/lost. Two digital formats of the novel (PDF and RAR) are available free for download today, and visitors can watch the graphic novel trailer and previously released behind-the-scenes podcasts documenting the artists in action. In early July, 42,000 paperback editions of the novel will be available free at select comic book and retail boutiques nationwide. In addition, 1,250 signed limited-edition collector’s copies with silk-screened covers packaged with artwork from the novel will be produced for select distribution.

“Working with these four talented artists on this project was a delight,” Niles said. “Zune Arts was the gateway that allowed us to show what’s possible when artists of different backgrounds and unique styles collaborate to create something larger than the sum of its parts.”

“The Lost Ones” chronicles the adventures of four friends — Duncan, Roxy, Rasheed and Cynthia — whose seemingly harmless day of extreme planet jumping turns into a mind-blowing, white-knuckle race for their lives to get back home. They find that home is no longer where they left it and the alien race, hell-bent on destroying them, isn’t getting any friendlier.

The graphic novel merges five distinct creative points of view to bring the story to life:

· Dr. Revolt, an original member of the historic New York City graffiti crew the Rolling Thunder Writers
· Gary Panter, an illustrator known for his surreal and raw style
· Kime Buzzelli, an emerging painter and fashion designer
· Morning Breath, a Brooklyn-based art and design duo blending a graffiti style reminiscent of early ’80s street art
· Steve Niles, celebrated author of “30 Days of Night”

“We are excited to bring together a collective of like-minded individuals who are innovators in the artistic community and come from a diverse set of backgrounds,” said Robert Schaltenbrand, brand manager for Zune at Microsoft. “The unique result of this collaboration is a genre-bending concept that transcends traditional graphic novels and delivers something new and exciting to readers and fans.”

Continuing its tradition of connecting artists and their fans, Zune Arts will also be hosting several book signings throughout the United States during the summer. Tour dates and featured artists are outlined below.

From a program that started more than a year and a half ago with a simple animated sketch of a man and a bunny, Zune Arts (http://www.zune-arts.net/) has grown to spearhead dozens of collaborations with world-renowned and emerging artists such as M. Ward, Lily Allen, Bitstate, PandaPanther and FriendsWithYou to blur the lines between art, technology, commerce, marketing and entertainment. On two separate occasions, films from the program have been inducted into the permanent film collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which speaks to the talented artists and high-quality work being curated for the program.

In addition, Zune Arts offers weekly podcast feeds through Zune Marketplace, providing customers with access to some of today’s most cutting-edge cultural artists expressing themselves through film, music, design, illustration and everything in between. The podcasts are available for free download, and fans can subscribe to automated feeds so the series is synced with their Zune devices.

Book Signing Tour Dates

· July 16, Boston, Bodega: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter

· July 17, New York, Midtown Comics: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Kime Buzzelli, Morning Breath, Steve Niles

· July 18, Philadelphia, Brave New Worlds: Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 19, Baltimore, Atomic Books: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 20, Washington, D.C., Big Planet Comics: Gary Panter, Steve Niles

· July 31, Los Angeles, Meltdown: Kime Buzzelli, Steve Niles

· Aug. 2, Chicago, Chicago Comics and Quimby’s Bookstore: Dr. Revolt, Gary Panter

· Two dates and locations to be determined, San Francisco: Gary Panter

About Zune Arts
Zune Arts is a program that values emerging artists and art in all forms and provides a platform for artists of all kinds to share their work. At the heart of Zune Arts are ideas about friendship, discovery, connecting and sharing, which will serve as both a guide for artists’ work and an ethic for all Zune Arts does.

About Zune
Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of wireless digital media players, the Zune Marketplace online store, and Zune Social online music community. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.