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Newsarama bought by Imaginova.com

Moneybags.Just as a bit of ancillary info following the post I wrote this weekend about comics journalism, Newsarama.com announced today that it has been acquired by Imaginova.com, a science and technology reporting company. “Newsarama will serve as Imaginova’s eyes and ears in the world of genre entertainment,” according to the official press release at http://www.newsarama.com/Imaginova/announcement.html. My favourite part of the PR is where Doran and Brady recount the seven previous different iterations of the website, providing a nice bit of continuity to the announcement.

I don’t really have much else to add other than to observe that it happened. It seems Brady and Doran are quite happy, and so I am happy for them. I’m also kind of tickled that the pre-complaints about a lesser quality of service have started in the comments section related to the Press Release; it’s a very Newsarama-esque response to the news.

– Christopher

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COMICS FESTIVAL 2007 – Final Line Up!

Darwyn and Mal's Covers for Comics Festival

Comics Festival Covers. Left by Darwyn Cooke. Right by Bryan Lee O’Malley. 

cf-rich.jpgHey there folks! We just put the finishing touches on the line-up and layout for our contribution to Free Comic Book Day, Comics Festival 2007! I’m so excited that I just wanted to share it with all of you, and give you a sneak peak at some of the material in the book.

All of these creators have contributed BRAND! NEW! comic stories and comic strips to the book, that will only be available in Comics Festival! Also! This book features 16 pages of full colour material! It’s gonna be awesome!

So, here’s the line-up:

Flip Covers by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Darwyn Cooke

ch-dino.jpgJ. Bone, “Jett Vector”
Michael Cho, Brian McLachlan, and Darwyn Cooke, “True Romance”
Darwyn Cooke, “The Alex”
Rob Coughler and Ramon Perez, “Butternutsquash”
Ray Fawkes and Cameron Stewart, “The Apocalipstix”
Eric Kim, “Battle Academy”
Hope Larson, “S is for Salamander, S is for Snow”
Steve Manale, “Superslackers”
John Martz, “The Time Machine”
Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam, “Therefore Repent!”
Ryan North, “Dinosaur Comics!”
Bryan Lee O’Malley, “The Wonderful World of Kim Pine” & “Scott Pilgrim”
Steve Rolston, “Good For Nothing”
Howie Shia, “The Century of Love”
Kean Soo, “Jellaby”
R. Stevens, “Diesel Sweeties”
Zach Worton, “George Washington Carmack”
Doug Wright, “Nipper”
Chip Zdarsky, “Monster Cops”
Jim Zubkavich, “The Makeshift Miracle”

COMICS FESTIVAL 2007! will be available at great comic stores everywhere on Saturday, May 5th, 2007: Free Comic Book Day. If you want copies for you and all of your non-comics-reading friends, make sure to ask your local comic distributor to see if they’ll be carrying copies of the book. Let them know that the order code is:

FEB070041 – COMICS FESTIVAL 2007 FCBD ED – FREE!

For more information, visit http://freecomicbookday.com/, and look for the official Comics Festival 2007 website soon.

– Christopher

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Real blogging later, but…

Two quick things.

We’re giving out guestlist spots to the Toronto MySpace Black Curtain Screening of 300, which I think is in IMAX, on The Beguiling’s Mailing List right now. Go subscribe in the little box at http://www.beguiling.com. Contest details are being sent out every 4-6 hours until tomorrow at Noon.

2. The Scott Pilgrim @ The Library event tomorrow? They ran the press release in a bunch of Toronto media this morning, which is pretty darned cool. Looks like it’s going to be a fun event. Make sure you show up. Details here.

– Christopher, busy like a bee.

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Bryan Lee O’Malley at The Toronto Public Library

Kind of a Big Deal…

keeptorontoreading.jpg

Scott Pilgrim Volume 1 CoverScott Pilgrim @ the Library
Presented in partnership with Toronto Public Library
Part of Keep Toronto Reading 2007
http://www.keeptorontoreading.ca

Sit down with critically acclaimed graphic novel creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, the man behind the witty and hilarious Scott Pilgrim series, selected as the Independent Comic of the Year by Entertainment Weekly (2006). Bryan chats with The Beguiling’s Peter Birkemoe and you never know, he might just give away a few exciting teasers about the highly anticipated new volume of Scott Pilgrim.

North York Central Library (Concourse)
Tues. Feb. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
http://keeptorontoreading.com/anime.php#scott_pilgrim

Also: Live chat with Bryan Lee O’Malley!

Can’t wait until the 20th? Chat online with Bryan a day before the event on Book Buzz: Toronto Public Library’s Online Book Club. It’s the perfect appetizer to what will be a highly memorable event.

Mon. Feb. 19, 4-5 p.m. FREE.

—

I have to say it’s pretty cool seeing the store logo up there with the LCBO and STARBUCKS, sort of the perfect triumverate of vice… At any rate, Keep Toronto Reading is a pretty big deal in the city, a publically-funded month-long literacy initiative by the Toronto Public Library, and the mayor even gets involved and declares it “Keep Toronto Reading Month”. Having a graphic novel event as part of the proceedings is very chic, and says good things about the library’s commitment to “graphic fiction”. All in all? The Beguiling couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of the event, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun.

– Christopher