Marvel Entertainment and NECA Draft “All-Winners Squad”

NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 29, 2012) – With the surge in popularity among Marvel Super Heroes this summer, a group of lesser-known heroes, villains (and some all-out odd balls) petitioned Marvel Entertainment to grant them a team of their own.  A common name they could share and make legendary.  A battle cry for evil to fear, and a group name that would out live them all.

The “All-Winners Squad” is an ensemble of Marvel cult favorites. Together these previously overlooked characters are destined to make an impact in their own irreverent way. At long last, the All-Winners Squad will break free from comic book pages and obscure corners of the Internet, spreading their unbridled awesomeness to fans everywhere.

The National Entertainment Collectibles Association, Inc. (NECA), in partnership with Marvel Consumer Products, will bring their notoriously hip creative to a full line of offbeat All-Winners Squad merchandise launching this fall.  Toys, apparel and collectibles will celebrate the solidarity of these newly revived characters.  The line casts the spotlight on each member of the All-Winners Squad, giving each a chance to shine individually as well as with their squad comrades.

Members of the All-Winners Squad were busy preparing for their first official press conference, with the exception of Doop, who was reachable, but unable to communicate in any intelligible mode. Squirrel Girl, however, was tracked down in Central Park.  When approached, she was hopeful and insightful.

She commented, “Speaking to squirrels may not be the flashiest power, but it’s a valuable skill, and we all make a difference. Maybe now people will finally appreciate our talents and see how special we really are!”

She then climbed back up her tree.

Other members of the All-Winners-Squad will address the public during an exclusive San Diego Comic Con press conference scheduled for Friday, July 13th at 5:30pm.

For more information visit www.marvel.com/allwinners

About National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) NECA INC. operates as a media and entertainment company in the US and internationally, with divisions dedicated to Consumer Products, Filmed Entertainment, and Online Retailing / Digital Distribution. The Consumer Products division is a leading manufacturer and distributor of entertainment related products, dominating the specialty market. The Filmed Entertainment division is investing in the production and distribution of content that will benefit from NECA’s unique and proprietary distribution and marketing model. The online division leverages NECA’s properties to provide an immersive, platform-agnostic entertainment experience through subscription and transactional models.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com

Image Comics Programming for SDCC

Berkeley, CA – June 28, 2012 — Image Comics is gearing up for Comic-Con International in San Diego with seven panels lined up on the programming schedule for biggest comics event of the year! Ranging from introductions to new Image creators and craft-oriented conversations about comics writing to room-busters like THE WALKING DEAD panel and the Image Comics 20th Anniversary panel featuring Image’s founders and partners, the Image Comics programming has something for every kind of fan.

Comic-Con International takes place on July 12-15 in the San Diego Convention Center. The Image Comics booth (#2729) will be the destination for Skybound, Shadowline, and Image central titles, while the Top Cow booth (#2629) will have all the latest in the WITCHBLADE- and THE DARKNESS-helmed universe.

Here is the schedule for the panels. Full listings, including descriptions, panelists, and room numbers follow.

Thursday, July 12 2-3 p.m. — Image Comics Presents 3:45-4:45 p.m. — The Walking Dead

Friday, July 13 4:45-5:45 p.m. — The Writers’ Room with Jonathan Ross

Saturday, July 14 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Top Cow: We Create… Innovation! 2:00-3:00 p.m. — The Image Comics Experience 3:00-4:00 p.m. — Take to the Sky: Skybound and the Next Generation of Independence

Sunday, July 15 1:00-2:00 p.m. — Image Comics’ 20th Anniversary

Image Comics Presents Some of Image Comics’ most exciting new creators assemble to talk about their new work and life as independent comics creators. Join these rising star creators for a lively conversation, and discover your favorite new creators and titles! Panelists include: Tim Daniel (Enormous), Jim McCann (Mind the Gap), Sina Grace (Li’l Depressed Boy, Not My Bag), Ales Kot (Wild Children), Michael Moreci (Hoax Hunters), and Kurtis Wiebe (Green Wake, Peter Panzerfaust, Debris). Moderator: Sarah deLaine Thursday, 7/12/12, 2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. Room: 23ABC

The Walking Dead The best-selling, award-winning comic The Walking Dead has been a critical and commercial success– and its TV adaptation on AMC holds its own weight as a record-setting juggernaut.  Join creator/ writer Robert Kirkman and series artist Charlie Adlard for a rare sit-down, where they will discuss the past, present, and future of the decade’s most talked about zombie phenomenon.  A Q&A will follow the conversation between the visionary collaborators. Moderator: Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard Thursday, 7/12/12, 3:45p.m. – 4:45p.m. Room: 6A

The Writers’ Room with Jonathan Ross Some of comics’ best writers will talk to the UK’s famed radio/television presenter and comic book writer Jonathan Ross (Turf, America’s Got Powers) about the challenges, triumphs, and idiosyncrasies of the comics creative process. Find out how Image Comics titles like Fatale, Chew, Morning Glories, and The Walking Dead are conceived, written, and brought to the printed page from the writers who knew them from “PAGE ONE, PANEL ONE.” Panelists: Ed Brubaker, John Layman, and Robert Kirkman. Moderator: Jonathan Ross Friday, 7/13/12, 4:45p.m. – 5:45p.m. Room: 6A

Top Cow: We Create… Innovation! Top Cow’s Comic-Con panels are known for being wall-to-wall jam-packed with exciting announcements, but this year’s panel promises to put all other years to shame. Join Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri and Top Cow President Matt Hawkins as they announce the biggest, most ground-breaking initiative in their 20-year history and the return of a fan favorite series. Plus special guest Mark Waid (Daredevil, Irredeemable) joins Top Cow to announce an exciting new project. Get the scoop on a big Top Cow film announcement and if you are an aspiring creator, you won’t want to miss this panel! Be the first to hear the announcements that will drive Top Cow through the rest of 2012 and beyond, alongside surprise guests, and every attendee will get an exclusive ashcan that is sure to be a collectible! Moderators: Marc Silvestri & Matt Hawkins Saturday, 11:30p.m. – 12:30p.m. Room: 8

The Image Comics Experience Join Publisher Eric Stephenson and a panel of surprise guests for an exclusive look at what’s coming up for Image in 2013! An absolutely don’t miss event for anyone wanting to be among the first to hear some of the biggest comics announcements of the year! Moderator: Eric Stephenson Saturday, 7/14/12, 2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. Room: 25ABC

Take to the Sky: Skybound and the Next Generation of Independence Things continue to look up for Skybound, Robert Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics. The premiere original Witch Doctor has sold out nationwide, the all-ages hit Super Dinosaur continues to soar, and Kirkman’s first-ever writer’s room-driven crime drama, Thief of Thieves, is a critical success… what’s next? Join Robert Kirkman as he discusses the future of the imprint with his stable of creators, including the creative teams behind Witch Doctor, Thief of Thieves, and more! Expect only AWESOMENESS. Moderator: Sina Grace Saturday, 7/14/12, 3:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. Room: 25ABC

Image Comics’ 20th Anniversary Twenty years ago, a group of young artists left their work-for-hire jobs to create Image Comics, a publisher dedicated to creators’ individual visions and a champion of creative ownership. Image Comics partners and some of the original founders now come together to talk about what Image Comics has meant for the present and future of comics. Panelists: Marc Silvestri, Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, Whilce Portacio, Erik Larsen, and Robert Kirkman. Moderator: Eric Stephenson Sunday, 7/15/12, 1:00p.m. – 2:00p.m. Room: 6A