Geekscape's pick for Best Comics of 2010!

Geekscape (www.geekscape.net) picked Night & Fog Volume 1 as one of the Best Comics for 2010!

Read about it here:

http://www.geekscape.net/geekscape-s-best-comics-of-2010.html

I was so delighted when I was notified that we were picked. However, my jaw dropped when I saw that we were listed along with Green Lantern, Batman, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour! 

I'm super excited because as you saw last week, we have a new title every month, meaning, we're just upping our chances to outdo ourselves. Perhaps like DC, we can get more than one title picked!

HAPPY 2011!!!

HAPPY 2011!!!

As I type this, the new year has just begun and I'm super excited.

I don't know how well your 2010 went. For some of us, it was an amazing year and one that leaves us with hope that 2011 will be better. The rest of us had a pretty  neutral or crappy 2010 and are looking forward to a brand new start.

Don't ever lose hope for a great new year, and even when circumstances seem down, have faith that it will be better and nothing is stronger than the human spirit. Sometimes, even when outside influences get us down, we can make the best of it. A great day, week, month and year can come from our own doing.

Much like how comic stories can be good or a bad, a new year springs joy from me due to the fact that I look forward for brand new stories, new writers taking on different titles, new characters being introduced, new plot twists, and new comic book films. Whether all of the said above will be good or bad, it will be something of a change.

Stay tuned next week on this blog for what's new and upcoming from Studio-407 and I leave with you a brand spanking new wallpaper from us that will brighten your new year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM STUDIO-407!

and with that, here is a free gift from us!

Last Minute Comic Rush of 2010

How many of you guys are rushing around still buying presents at the last minute? I know that I am, and like many of you, I struggle with what to get my friends and relatives.

No matter how well you know them, you still would like to get them a gift that not only delights them but also surprises them. Most people don't expect graphic novels and comic books in a genre that they like, so why not do that?

I know that sometimes we don't always order things on time and due to the weather lately around world being particularly bad (did you hear about the million travelers stranded in Europe?) we can't expect the items we ordered to arrive on time.

But no worries, I'm here to save you!


If you live in the Southern California area, Studio-407 is conveniently located here so that you won't have the agonizing wait by your door for the UPS/FEDEX/USPS man, when you can just  get some of our wonderful original graphic novels straight from us!

And for those that are a little farther away, many retailers and comic shops that carry our title will be open special hours to accomadate the season. One in praticular near my house is even having a holiday sale and I'm sure that this isn't limited to just this one store!

Not really into graphic novels but a fan of us anyways? Or have that extra Christmas bonus to do rush deliveries?

We have an online store at Zazzle .

Here is a quick reminder of some of our great titles and with that I wish you all

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

Stuff a stocking full of COMICS!

It's December 1st!!! Do you know what that means?

Here we are: the first of December. It pretty much much means two things:

The year is ending and a new year is coming. That can either make you very happy or very depressed. 

The holidays are coming sooner than you think. 



As Studio-407 tweeted towards the end of last week, Black Friday is usually when people make a mad dash to reward themselves for waiting an entire year to get that thingy-ma-bob that they wanted on a steep discount and/or start to stack up presents for the people that you love. Afterall, you can never plan too early for gifts. 




I don't know what you want for the holidays, but for me, all I ask for is geeky/nerdy stuff. I'd be happy with anything, but if I had to narrow it down to a single genre, I'd say comics. Graphic novels. Tradepaperbacks. Sequential art. Whatever term you wanna use.

And what would I want to get for others? Unless it's something that I know that they absolutely love or relentlessly hinted to you for almost 11 months, I usually go with a comic book. 

Why? Regardless of whether they "like" the comic art medium or not, they cannot deny that they come in all kinds of genre's, themes, motifs and what not. You are bound to find something that your friend or family member will like. 


As you scour the internet for these such comics, Studio-407 is here to present some of those genres!





Sensitive about those being oppressed and seeking justice?

 

A best friend who adores Jeepers Creepers and other like horror? Yes, yes and yes.

 

The vampire craze is on. But not Twilight style. This one comes with a unique plot and great twist!

 

Know a Sin City and/or Hellboy nut? Well surprise, surprise....we have something in store for you!

 

A sister who has a love for the Walking Dead and/or Aliens the movie? Check.

 

 Go to our site and take a look around first. We even have previews of the comics before you spend your hard earned on money them! See? Aren't we nice? Other than the ones listed above there are many more great titles that we have on our Studio-407 site! Maybe you'll find something like you, or something you know, would like that was not pictured above.

There really IS something for everyone! No? Don't want comics and just great merchandise? You are in luck, here is our nifty site for that! Click here! 



So what do you want this holiday? Leave a comment below because I would love to know what you guys are thinking! 

 

Things that I am thankful for

Early Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (at least people who live in America. To all those that live outside of the U.S.,  Happy Thursday then!)


Tomorrow here in the United States is known as Thanksgiving. Many people have many different views on this holiday due to history, but to me, regardless of whatever the interpretations may be, it is a day that I take the extra time to remind myself how thankful I truly am with all the wonderful "little things" that are often over looked and taken for granted. 




Other than being thankful to be working, having a warm home with people who care and love me, I have come to realize that the biggest thing that I take for granted everyday is reading comics. 




Reading. Comics. Those two words together sound a bit ridiculous for this grand gesture that I'm making. But given some time and thought it's not just about reading comics. 


I have the ability and eyesight (although I wear glasses) to see the pages. I can see color. I live in a country where certain comics genre and plotlines can be published. This same country also belongs in a world where illteracy is a huge problem and I blessed enough to have free public education where being able to read at least at a highschool level is enforced. 


It is not just about what I can see and understand but also what I can feel. There is nothing like holding a comic book in my hand and feeling the soft wind ripple through my hair at each turn of the page. There is a certain disease out there (whose compliated scientific name escapes me at the moment) where select people cannot feel. It is sad that they cannot experience a touch from a loved one, the warmth of holding a cuddly animal that loves you, or the gentle roughness of a page in your favorite book. 


Many publishers have found ways around people with disabilities such as audio-comic books. But even with that, there is nothing like experiencing another world with all the intended senses hard working comic book companies originally wanted for us. 




Reading comics seems like such an simple thing that I do everyday that it has completely slipped my mind of what the bigger picture it represents. All that I should be thankful for. 




I know that with our busy schedules and the bustle of everyday life, it hardly occurs to us to stop and remember all the wonderful things in our lives however big or small.  When one stops to really count all the small things even, they really do add up!


So to make up for all those lost times that slipped by, take some time tomorrow (or right now) and make a mental (or even written list) of all that is good in our lives, review it in our brain and go about the rest of your week with a smile. 


Feel free to leave a comment below of some of things that you guys are thankful for! Let's share!


Cheers! And Happy Thanksgiving! (For those that live in the U.S.!) 

Studio-407 and EPICNESS

With nearly a day left (or less) until the midnight release of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part  it got me thinking of epics (in the film industry. Not poems.) 

The Harry Potter movie franchise is coming to an end with this new movie being part 1 of the last book. Harry Potter will be known as not only an award winning billion dollar novel franchise but also an epic story divided into 8 movies. 

One of dictionary.com's definitions of the word epic is : heroic; majestic; impressively great. 

Usually when someone says " oh it was an epic movie" or " The entire series of movies made an great epic" the first couple of film titles that come to mind would be the Lord of the Ring trilogy, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or even for a single film not in a series: Lawrence of Arabia. 

A great as Inception was, it was amazing film but it is not as an "epic". Many films have epic moments, but few can really call themselves epics. 

Everyone's favorite reliable source is wikipedia. When looking up the article of Epic Film, we find that 

"An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film. They typically entail high production values, a sweeping musical score (often by an acclaimed film composer), and an ensemble of bankable stars placing them among the most expensive of films to produce."  

I look forward to seeing an Studio-407 film in theater sometime in the near future and  know that we have it takes to make an epic film, or even, a series of films that becomes one epic. But what title exactly? 

Upon further inspection, I find that Heroes Unlimited would be amazing as a series of films.  To further convince myself, I was taken to the Heroes Unlimited online comic preview and went to page 13 where instantly. I could picture this live action movie to feature this scene on an IMAX screen shown internationally around the world.

What do you guys think? And if not, what kind of films do you want to see Studio-407 produce? Leave you comments below! I want to read them! =) 

Alright, off to get a good nights rest, after all, I dunno about you, but I'll be at the midnight showing of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1 and experience film history as this series come to a close. 

Digital Comics and CBD!

It's Wednesday aka Comic Book Day! 

What titles did you guys pick up after eagerly rushing off of work to your friendly local comic book retailer? Leave comments below because I want to know!


Everywhere I go, I see billboard ads for the iPad. And it gets me thinking about digital comics. Or at least, comics being read digitally. 

Whether you torrent them or purchase them online to be read, how do you feel about the move that all comic book publishers are making towards making them digital? The move is initiated by several factors such as price, all the space that comic books take up and the simplicity of being able to download them and carry them wherever you go. (plus, it is the age of technology afterall)


I breath comics, so I take them in any form that they come, yes, even audio book style. However, there is nothing like walking into a comic bookstore, breathing in the new book smell, picking up a 32 page issue in my hand, and flipping through them. The sensation of being able to hold something material in my hand is devoided when iIm scrolling up and down, pushing keyboard buttons, and zooming in and out on my monitor. Of course I can look at 2 page spreads and flip back to an earlier scene on my computer or iPad/iPhone, but I miss having an actual book in my hand. Plus, I'm super worried if I were to drop my iPad or the battery runs out. Won't have that problem when I have the "real" thing.






Whether you are old school or embracing the modern age of technology, I'm just grateful that comics are still around. The move towards the digital medium is inevitable, but do you guys think that paper comics will still be around 10 years from now? Let me know what you think! 


Studio-407 is no stranger to publishing comics in the hard copy format and having them online all ready for you! 

So pull out your iPad/iTouch/iPhone and get ready to download and read!

LBCC and Halloween!

So how was your weekend guys? Please comment below and let me know! 

So this weekend for us here at Studio-407 was crazy due to all that would be happening. The Long Beach Comic Con (next to the gorgeous ocean) took place at the same time as a ZomBcon (sadly, we have no time-turner and could only be at one place at once). But if you guys can go the next year, please do!  A shout out to Brian Walton and Jonathan London of Geekscape who started the first real big ZomBcon. 

There was also a fundraiser for Hero Initiative (a non-profit organization that supports comic book artists and writers.) and also Sunday night (Halloween!) was the highly anticipated Walking Dead series premiere on AMC. (Support comic book turns films and tv shows!) 

Zombies and vampires are extremely popular with obvious reasons. Zombies (not just for their gore and horrific faces) can symbolize any sort of negative element in our life. While vampires, long before their sparkly days,  was the reflection of the human soul, the part of us that was fascinated with darkness, lust, mystery, immortality, and mythology. 




You can find zombie and vampire themed books, t shirts, mugs, merchandise anywhere, including here, at the lovely Studio-407 website! 

The main problem that many of us find is that any sort of vampire or zombie story has already "been done before". But Studio-407 was commended by various readers and review sites as having to have written a vampire and zombie story that is unique and not been touched upon by other publishers. 

Check them out for yourself and tell us what you think! 



Night Projectionist 

Night & Fog 

 Like what you guys have seen so far? 


Night Projectionist is available by asking your friendly local retailer or going to comixology


Night & Fog is available at your local comic shop, comixology, and Amazon!