Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Go From Dream to Dream in "Alice" from BOOM! Studios


BOOM! Studios is proud to announce ALICE: FROM DREAM TO DREAM, a powerful new original graphic novel (OGN) arriving in stores September 2018. Author & illustrator Giulio Macaione (Basilicò) presents the story of Alice, who’s moved back to Cincinnati and is stuck sharing a bedroom with her brother. But Alice has got an even bigger problem – she’s sharing his dreams, too! The bright spot in her life is her best friend, Jamie, but there's more history between their families than Alice realized, and there are secrets buried deep in their small town that only she’ll be able to explore...and only in her dreams!  

“I’ve always wanted to tell a story about dreams and what they mean for us,” said Giulio Macaione. “But what if we could see the dreams of others? Could we look at our family and friends as usual if we knew their intimate thoughts and what's inside their mind? I was thinking about this when I visited the wonderful Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati (where I lived for a couple of years), and it’s from there the story came. ALICE: FROM DREAM TO DREAM is a story about dreams, family and the power of friendship.”  

ALICE: FROM DREAM TO DREAM 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; Misfit City by Kiwi Smith, Kurt Lustgarten and Naomi Franquiz; Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad; and Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.   

“ALICE: FROM DREAM TO DREAM is a gorgeously drawn look into the dreams, good and bad, that drive us all forward,” said Shannon Watters, Editor, BOOM! Studios.  “Giulio is bringing an unforgettable supernatural flair to this journey of becoming and self-discovery.”  

Print copies of ALICE: FROM DREAM TO DREAM will be available for sale in September 2018 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore, with copies arriving October 2018 at book stores. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Interview: Daphne and Velma's Sarah Gilman

Thanks Warner Bros. Home Entertainment for the opportunity to talk with Daphne and Velma star Sarah Gilman!


Warner Bros. is bringing Scooby-Doo’s Daphne and Velma to blu-ray and digital with their very own live-action origin story. The film, produced by Ashley and Jennifer Tisdale’s Blondie Girl Productions, follows Daphne Blake (Sarah Jeffery) and Velma Dinkley’s (Sarah Gilman) first adventure before they joined Scooby and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang. The film sees Daphne transferring to Ridge Valley High, where her online bestie Velma Dinkley also attends. The two BFF's have to figure out why the school's top-performing students are disappearing, only to return in a zombie-like state. It's up Daphne and Velma to solve the mystery before they become the next victims.

Gilman had the tough task of tackling one of animation's iconic characters, Velma Dinkley, and has managed to put her own unique stamp on this version of the character. When offered the role, she was in the middle of attending USC for film and television. At that point she had to make the choice of accepting the role and dropping out, which would mean missing out on the rest of the semester and losing any progress she'd made. She eventually chose to take the role because of "the fact that it was playing Velma. A character that I know and love and I believed that I could represent, do some justice to. And I knew that if I said 'no' to this opportunity to play such an iconic character, to be able to say I played Velma, I would regret it a long time."

After being cast, Gilman had to get over "the fear that I had to portray such an iconic character. Because she is iconic and there are so many people that know Velma and love Velma and have their own perceptions of Velma. I was really worried about fleshing her out and working on her and making her a little different and how people would react to that and if it would alienate some people. I really didn't wanna do that."

To create this version of Velma, Gilman started with the hair. "When I flew out to film the movie, they cut it into the Velma hairstyle. Then going into wardrobe and trying on all of Velma's clothes, that stuff actually really does make a difference, at least for me, in terms of settling into the character and figuring out who they are and how they operate and how they feel."



When it came time to get into character, "a lot of the creativity and figuring out who Velma was came from talking to our director Suzi Yoonessi and our creative producers, Jennifer Tisdale and Ashley Tisdale. Kind of figuring out how this three-dimensional, fleshed-out Velma was gonna be. Because the cartoon is great and there's definitely parts where I wanna take from that, but it's also a very flat character. So to expand on that there was a lot of talks with the creative team on this film to figure out who she was gonna be."

When it comes to possible sequels, Gilman says, "If anyone had any plans to continue this, I would definitely be on board. It was so much fun doing this project that I would love the chance to play Velma again and see what shenanigans she and Daphne get into next for sure."

We can only hope that there will be sequels for this fun, family friendly film. We want to see an Avengers-style series where we get all of the origin stories for the Mystery Inc. gang and then a film where they all come together to form the crew that we all know and love. Daphne and Velma is out now on Blu-ray and digital from Warner Bros. home video. 



     

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Giveaway: Daphne & Velma on Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment!

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.



Daphne and Velma is out on Blu-ray from Warner Bros Home Entertainment as well as Digital and DVD on May 22, 2018!  

Jinkies! The smart and resourceful women of the iconic Scooby-Doo franchise, come to life in an all-new mystery with the release of "Daphne & Velma" from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film stars Sarah Jeffery (Disney's "Descendants: Wicked World") and Sarah Gilman (ABC's "Last Man Standing"), and follows the first mystery-solving adventures of Scooby-Doo's leading ladies. 

State of the art robots and high-tech gadgets are common sights at Ridge Valley High, an innovative center of learning for some of the brightest minds in the country, including new transfer student, the bright & optimistic Daphne Blake (Sarah Jeffery) who is excited to finally go to school with her online bestie, the whip-smart & analytical Velma Dinkley (Sarah Gilman). But not everything is as innocent as it seems as mysterious disappearances begin to plague the top-performing students on campus. Once cheery and full of life, kids now appear in a "zombiefied" state - lifeless and shells of themselves. Can Daphne and Velma learn to work together and save the students or will they become the next victims? Get ready for thrills and laughs as we follow the first adventures of Mystery Inc.'s fierce female duo. 

 The film stars Sarah Jeffery (Disney's "Descendants: Wicked World") and Sarah Gilman (ABC's "Last Man Standing"), and is produced by Ashley Tisdale and Jennifer Tisdale's Blondie Girl Productions. 

It's an adorable film that the whole family will love!

We're giving away one copy of Daphne and Velma to one lucky reader! 

There are three ways to enter:

1- Check out the Mystery Video Decryptor below and help Daphne and Velma crack their case! Let us know how you did via Twitter (@monkeyjedi), Instagram (@popgeekery), email (geekhashblog@gmail.com), or in the comments section below.

2- Watch the Daphne and Velma Slime Lab video and make your own! Comment to let us know how it turned out or tag us in any pics of the results via social media!

3- Follow us here on the blog, Twitter, or Instagram and let us know when you do!









Contest starts Sunday, May 20th and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday June 3rd.

Winner will be contacted and will then have 24 hours to respond with an mailing address (No P.O. boxes) or an alternate winner will be chosen. 

*Each household is eligible to win one prize via blog reviews and giveaways. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

**Warner Bros. is sponsoring this giveaway and will be shipping prize to winner. Giveaway open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

McFarlane Toys Welcomes tinyBuild to the Neighborhood with New Hello Neighbor Construction Sets and Action Figures


There's no sneaking around the newly announced partnership between McFarlane Toys and tinyBuild, the agreement was brokered by Evolution USA, the global licensing agent for Hello Neighbor, to create action figures and construction sets of the hit video game "Hello Neighbor" that will be available at retailers this fall.   

The amazing new video game Hello Neighbor is a stealth horror game about sneaking into your neighbor's house to figure out what horrible secrets he's hiding in the basement. But the game isn't as simple as that. It features devilishly complex puzzles and an advanced artificial intelligence that will challenge players in ways only imaginable by tinyBuild.  The new game is not only popular amongst its players, but has also become a YouTube juggernaut amassing over 1 billion views for content creators.   
McFarlane Toys will stay true to the animated style of the upstart indie game with meticulous attention to detail. The highly lauded style of Hello Neighbor is phenomenal on screen, and the translation from game to plastic will look amazing. McFarlane Toys will roll out construction sets based on the iconic scenery seen in the game, as well as four fully-posable action figures. The figures will retail for $11.99 MSRP and the construction sets will range from $8.99 to $29.99 MSRP.   

"As an artist, right away you can see how special the look of this game is," said Todd McFarlane, Owner and CEO of McFarlane Toys. "Add that with mystery and the element of horror, and it's no surprise how popular this game has become."   

The Hello Neighbor action figures are available at major retail locations beginning this Fall.  Fans of both McFarlane Toys and Hello Neighbor can check www.mcfarlane.com and the McFarlane Toys social media channels for updates and news. 

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Clueless Returns For A Final Summer Vacation!


Cher, Dionne and Tai return this Fall in CLUELESS: ONE LAST SUMMER from BOOM! Studios.  As a follow up to the 2017 smash hit Clueless: Senior Year, BOOM! has reunited the writing duo of actress, filmmaker, and author Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Witches of Echo Park, Death’s Daughter) and author Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex, Barbie) with artist Siobhan Keenan (Adventure Time) for another comic book based on Paramount Picture’s hit film.    

In CLUELESS: ONE LAST SUMMER, Cher, Dionne and Tai journey out for their final summer vacation before they head off to college and the world of adulthood.  However when life threatens to topple their elaborate plans for the summer to remember, they’ll be challenged to stay true to their best selves amidst the chaos. Luckily they’ve got each other to lean on, because that’s what best friends are for...and because no one stops Cher when she makes up her mind!  

“I am so excited to jump back into a second ‘totes excellent’ Clueless collaboration with Sarah  Kuhn and Siobhan Keenan,” said Amber Benson. “I feel like when the three of us work together there is a real synergy that makes Cher, Dionne, and Tai’s world come alive. This next installment of the Clueless comic is all about what happens in the summer before the ladies head off to college - and it will be chock full of the good stuff: friendship, romance, and mystery…with a heavy dose of that ’90s Clueless nostalgia that makes the comic so much fun.”  

“I’m so excited to take these girls on some ridiculous summer adventures—as long-time Angelenos, Amber and I are entertaining each other way too much coming up with what, exactly, a Clueless summer vacation looks like and which ’90s songs pair perfectly with every page” said Sarah Kuhn. “And we can’t wait to see what fabulous summer ensembles Siobhan puts the girls in! I am also really loving getting the chance to explore a character who I adore, but hasn’t gotten much of a spotlight yet in the Clueless-verse: Summer, who was played in the movie by the great Nicole Bilderback. Summer’s presence as an amazingly-dressed Asian girl who got to be part of Cher’s cool crowd was always super important to me and I am thrilled to say she has a big part in this book.”  

“I'm so ready to draw the Clueless gang again!” said Siobhan Keenan. “With both Amber and Sarah at the writing helm again, I know I'm going to have a great time drawing Cher, Dionne, and Tai's summer adventures—and I'm so excited to draw and explore new characters, too! Summer vacation is always a memorable time, so it'll be a dream to dress up everyone in memorable outfits, too.”  

CLUELESS: ONE LAST SUMMER, featuring a cover illustrated by Natacha Bustos (Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy), 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; Misfit City by Kiwi Smith, Kurt Lustgarten and Naomi Franquiz; Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad; and Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.   

“Clueless: Senior Year was a charming, witty and heartfelt story—all the same elements that made the film an instant classic,” says Shannon Watters, Editor, BOOM! Studios. “I’m thrilled that we get to reunite the amazing women, both on the page and behind the story, to explore even more stories with Cher, Dionne and Tai at BOOM! Box.”  

Print copies of CLUELESS: ONE LAST SUMMER will be available for sale in Fall 2018 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), book stores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Jeopardy! Comes In The “Form Of A Question” At BOOM! Studios


BOOM! Studios is proud to announce FORM OF A QUESTION, an all-new graphic novel memoir from the acclaimed creative team of writer Andrew J. Rostan and artist Kate Kasenow (An Elegy for Amelia Johnson) arriving in stores November 2018. FORM OF A QUESTION is a moving memoir revisiting one of the most formative events in Andrew Rostan’s life. You see, Rostan is excellent at remembering facts and recalling the memories he associates with those facts—memories of deaths in the family and extraordinary people. But at the age of twenty-two and suddenly a contestant on the very game show he associates with the happiest moments in his life, Rostan’s about to realize that existence is like JEOPARDY! and all the answers are staring you in the face if only you ask the right questions.  

“When BOOM! Studios asked me to tell my story, it was because they were sure they had an important message: that what makes you feel different from others can help you accomplish what you never imagined you could,” said Andrew J. Rostan. “ I’m proud to have written this book; however, what excites me is that FORM OF A QUESTION is more Kate’s achievement than mine. She combines non-fiction and magical realism to create a vivid, sensual art with emotion filling every panel. Everyone who cares about our medium will be astonished by what Kate has done.”  

“There is, quite literally, something for everyone in this book and I should know because I got to draw new and fantastic things with every page!” said artist Kate Kasenow.  

FORM OF A QUESTION is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ ambitious Archaia imprint, home to graphic novels such as Mouse Guard by David Petersen; Rust by Royden Lepp; Bolivar by Sean Rubin; Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón K. Pérez; and licensed series like Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation.  

“The greatest story in life we can tell is our own – and that’s what makes FORM OF A QUESTION so unforgettable,” said Sierra Hahn, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Andrew and Kate beautifully capture the complex relationships we have with entertainment, our family and, most of all, with ourselves.”  

Print copies of FORM OF A QUESTION will be available for sale in November 2018 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), book stores 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 FORM OF A QUESTION and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.