Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
DEC'09 UPDATE « Result #1 on Dec 23, 2009, 8:21pm »
SEASONS GREETINGS
I wanted to wish all our fans,friends and fellow creators a very Merry Christmas! As you may have noticed there was no update for November, in light of our taking a break for the holidays. This of course has all projects on hold at the moment and in various stages. But be assured, once we're back from holiday break, those projects will be on the fast track. In other news, we have some pretty big announcements coming for 2010. And I think you'll like what's coming up in the new year. More on that in our January update;) In parting, I'd like to say thank you for your continued support. It is truly appreciated and one of the things that keeps us going strong. So, once again, Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the new year!!! Roberto A.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
OCT'09 Update « Result #2 on Oct 4, 2009, 2:36pm »
In celebration of the fall season and the spirit of Halloween, we're giving everyone a treat or two! A look at one of the upcoming Night Predators prints being released next year. And first up is the cold and deadly Eve from the Night Predators preview drawn by Terrell Culbert,inked by Roberto Armstrong and colors by Nepo!
There will be more to come next year as we gear up for the release of the Night Predators one shot. And next up, we intended to give fans a look at some pages from the upcoming Bushi:Warrior Caste#3, but decided to take it a step further. And unveil one of the variant covers for Bushi:Warrior Caste#4 by co-creator Tony Davis! As you can see this is just the tip of the iceberg, there'll be lots more cool art to come and special announcements over the next couple of months,so stay tuned and be safe out there this Halloween! Best,Roberto A.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
SEPT'09 « Result #3 on Sept 26, 2009, 2:57pm »
This months update is serving more as a plug for a very good close friend of mine Terrell Culbert of Breathe Again Entertainment. I recently had the opportunity to work with and be involved with his short film sEVE, for his graphic novel due out next year. If anyones farmiliar with fan made films ie Star Wars,Batman,Star Trek,BSG and so on. Then you have an idea of what I'm talking about. I've always wanted to be a part of something like that, especialy after seeing a few Star Wars fan films where you get to see the parts of the dvds where they do a making of. It shows you just how much the fans really care and enjoy what they do. And having had this chance was just a dream come true. I served as the fight choregrapher for the film and also got to play one of the villians, which was really cool It was a lot of work, so I can truly appreciate what the real actors/actresses go thru on a regular basis. But at the same time it's also definetly a whole lot of fun. Terrell has just posted the official trailer for Seve which you can view below. Please leave comments so he can know what you think. I might be a lil bias but it's defiently HOT! And Rell, if you are reading this, you are the man! Thanks for giving me an opportunity to get in on the action! Much respect
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
Disney catches comics giant Marvel in a $4B web « Result #4 on Aug 31, 2009, 4:55pm »
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. is punching its way into the universe of superheroes and their male fans with a deal announced Monday to acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, bringing characters such as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and "Toy Story."
The surprise cash-and-stock deal sent Spidey senses tingling in the comic book world. It could lead to new rides, movies, action figures and other outlets for Marvel's 5,000 characters, although Marvel already was aggressively licensing its properties for such uses.
The deal won't have benefits right away, and Disney stock sank on the news. Disney expects a short-term profit hit, and Marvel characters from X-Men to Daredevil are locked up in deals with other movie studios and theme parks. But Disney's CEO, Robert Iger, promised an action-packed future.
"`Sparks will fly' is the expression that comes to mind," Iger told analysts.
Stan Lee, the 86-year-old co-creator of "Spider-Man" and many more of Marvel's most famous characters, said he was thrilled to be informed of the marriage Monday morning.
"I love both companies," he said. "From every point of view, this is a great match."
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and marks Disney's biggest acquisition since it purchased Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the maker of "Up" and "Cars," for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.
Marvel would follow another storied comic book publisher into the arms of a media conglomerate. DC Comics, the home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, was bought by Warner Bros. -- now part of Time Warner Inc. -- in 1969.
Buying Marvel is meant to improve Disney's following among men and boys. Disney acknowledges it lost some of its footing with guys as it poured resources into female favorites such as "Hannah Montana" and the Jonas Brothers.
"Disney will have something guys grew up with and can experience with their kids, especially their sons," said Gareb Shamus, whose company Wizard Entertainment Group runs several of the Comic-Con conventions around the nation.
Marvel TV shows already account for 20 hours per week of programming on Disney's recently rebranded, boy-focused cable network, Disney XD, and that looks likely to increase, Iger said. The shows are "right in the wheelhouse for boys," he said.
There will be some lag before Marvel's trove of characters are fully developed at Disney, because of licensing deals Marvel has with other studios.
For example, Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures is developing the next three "Spider-Man" sequels, starting with "Spider-Man 4" set for a May 2011 release. News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox has the long-term movie rights to the "X-Men," "Fantastic Four," "Silver Surfer" and "Daredevil" franchises.
Both studios maintain those rights in perpetuity unless they fail to make more movies.
Separately, Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures has a five-picture distribution deal for Marvel-made movies, the first of which will be "Iron Man 2," set for release next May. Paramount said it expects to continue working with Marvel and Disney.
General Electric Co.'s Universal Studios has an attraction called Marvel Super Hero Island in Orlando, Florida, that will stay in existence as long as Universal wants to keep it there and follows the contract terms, Universal said.
Disney said it will honor and re-examine Marvel's licensing deals upon expiration and may extend the profitable ones. Iger noted that when it bought Pixar, that company also had third-party licensing agreements that eventually expired, allowing the companies to move forward together.
Despite beginning to make its own movies, starting with "Iron Man" last year, licensing remained a key driver of Marvel's $206 million and in profit and $676 million in revenue last year. Iger said Disney could give Marvel broader global distribution and better relationships with retailers to sell Marvel products.
However, analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. noted that the $4 billion offer was at "full price."
Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50, a 29 percent premium over Friday's closing stock price. The final ratio of cash and stock will be adjusted to ensure Disney stock makes up at least 40 percent of the final offer.
Marvel shares shot up $9.72, or 25 percent, to close at $48.37 on Monday. Disney shares fell 80 cents, or 3 percent, to $26.04.
Disney investors were probably unhappy that the deal will reduce earnings per share in the short term and might not turn positive until its 2012 fiscal year. Disney's earnings per share will drop partly because the company will issue 59 million new shares, and partly because Marvel plans to release two costly blockbusters, "Thor" and "The First Avenger: Captain America" in 2011. DVD sales of those films likely won't roll in until fiscal 2012.
Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.
If it works out, Marvel's chief executive, Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, will pocket a hefty payday. He snatched Marvel assets out of bankruptcy in 1998, outmaneuvering investors Carl Icahn and Ronald Perelman. His 37 percent stake in Marvel is now worth about $1.5 billion.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
AUG'09 UPDATE « Result #5 on Aug 1, 2009, 7:16pm »
This month I'll be starting out with some important announcements. As some may or may not know, we won't be attending Wizard World Chicago this month due to unforseen circumstances. However, we do have plans to attend the 2010 Wizard World Chicago show. We'll definetly miss seeing some of our friends this year but hope they all have a great and successful time there. We'll catch you all next year. On other fronts, the Night Predators one shot originaly scheduled for release this fall to coincide with Xcape Con 3 has been rescheduled for spring 2010. Yes, you'll have to wait a little longer,but it'll definetly be worth it. As for Bushi, the production schedule is in full swing, and we'll have some preview pages available soon. And for our fans, I'd like to announce that the final issue of Bushi will be double sized and have four variant covers. Cover A by Tony Davis,Cover B by Roberto Armstrong,Cover C by Darryl Anderson and Cover D by Terrell Culbert of Breathe Again Entertainment. With talent like this you've got some serious eye candy coming your way! Until next time Roberto A.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
JUL'09 Update « Result #6 on Jul 1, 2009, 5:36pm »
First off, Happy 4th of July to all! And for those that may not know, we'll be attending the Mid Summers Expo in Detroit next weekend. Darryl Anderson and I will be on hand for commissions,portfolio reviews and signing autographs for copies of Bushi: Warrior Caste # 1-2. We'll also have copies of The Koto Files on hand, a special supplement to the first issue. We look forward to seeing you there! Have a safe and happy 4th everyone, Roberto A
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
Revised JUN'09 UPDATE « Result #8 on May 31, 2009, 5:24pm »
Summer is here and the convention season is in full swing, however there have been some changes to our summer plans. Due to some circumstances beyond the control of Dark Elf Designs they will not be attending Wizard World Chicago. Which in turns means we won't either, but we are planning on appearing for sure in 2010. On a positive note, we will be attending the Midsummers Expo in Detroit this coming July and possibly one or two other conventions this summer. Speaking of conventions, the Motor City Comic Con was one of the funnest ones I've been to in awhile. Some of the high points of the weekend were being able to meet Taimak and Yancy Butler aka Sara Pezzini The Witchblade. And seeing and hanging out with several of our good friends as well as meeting loyal Bushi fans too. Shout out to my peeps, Tony Davis,Darryl Anderson Eddy Newell,Terrell Culbert,Stacy Stone,Brian Germain, Jawan Jordan,Gemma Keech,Randy Zimmerman,Derek Bailie,Norm Williams,Terry Huddleston. In other news, Darryl Anderson and myself will be doing a book signing at BC Comix & Games in Fenton,MI this coming June 13th with fellow Dark Elf Design creators Brian Germain,Larry Lonsby,Gemma Keech,Randy Zimmerman;Brock Mizikow. We'll also have copies of Bushi:Warrior Caste#1-2 on hand as well as The Koto Files and the Night Predators preview. So if you happen to be in the area feel free to drop in and check us all out. Until next time,Roberto A.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
MAY'09 UPDATE « Result #9 on May 2, 2009, 4:46pm »
It's Free Comic Book Day!!! And what that means is that you can go to your local comic book shop and get some free comics. And possibly meet local creators or even characters from some of your favorite comic books. I myself went down to my local shop, Just 4 Fun and grabbed a few freebies, unfortunately I missed catching Darth Vader. Rumor has it, he was reading a few comic books too. Due to preparation for the Motor City Con, I didn't have the time to make plans to participate in FCBD at my local shop. Although some of my friends did in their respective communities. Dark Elfs' Brian Germain can be found at Comic Relief in Flint and Terrell Culbert ( Breathe Again Entertainment) is on hand at one of the local shops in the Detroit area today. I'll definetly have to try and make plans for next year. Now, as you all know the Motor City Comic Con is a mere 12 days away. And the entire Core Studios crew will be on hand for Saturdays show. Be sure to get your autographed copies of Bushi and the Night Predators Novi preview edition featuring variant covers by Roberto Armstrong and Tony Davis. We'll have some other goodies on hand as well as art work from some upcoming projects. You definetly do not want to miss this show, so come on down and check us out! Best,Roberto A
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 203 Location: Lansing,MI
APR '09 UPDATE « Result #10 on Apr 5, 2009, 3:05pm »
Spring is nearly here and so is the Motor City Comic Con, which is celebrating it's 20th anniversary. We are looking forward to this show as we'll have lots of new stuff on hand and a special gift for the fans for their ongoing patience and support;) Currently Bushi:Warrior Caste#3 is still in production and we'll be re-releasing Bushi:Warrior Caste#2 for the Motor City Con in it's place. And for those who missed a chance to pick it up at the last convention we attended. Be sure to pick up the Koto Files as it's a nice tie in to that very issue. On other fronts, we'll be debuting a Night Predators Novi preview edtion featuring two variant covers. A lilttle something for those that missed the X-cape Con preview. That said, it's time to get back to work. I'll see you all in 30! Roberto A
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