ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT COMICS IN STORES THIS WEEK 2/26/14

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT COMICS IN STORES THIS WEEK New Releases for the week of February 26, 2014    FRACTURE VOL.2 #3 (of 4) Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Chad Cicconi (p/i), Bill Blankenship (c) Cover Artist(s): Chad Cicconi (p/i), Bill Blankenship (c)  In this penultimate issue of FRACTURE volume 2, the path of Virtue takes unexpected turns, and the troubles of Jeff and his alter-egos ensnare unintended victims. Jeff seeks help yet again from the dubious Doctor Atomic, and an electrifying secret is revealed! Variant covers by Bill Blankenship and John “Super Ugly” Williams celebrating Ugly Love month! FC/ 32 pgs / $2.99         JACK HAMMER #2 (of 4) Writer(s): Brandon Barrows Artist Name(s): Ionic Cover Artist(s): Ionic Private investigator Jack McGriskin is a magnet for trouble--and this time it’s a doozy. Businessman Eddie Newman is dead and Jack has suspects, but can he make the charges stick? And more importantly, can be live long enough to? Stalked by a super-powered killer, Jack’s time is running out! Variant covers by New York Times best selling author Brett Weldele (The Surrogates) and John “Super Ugly” Williams! FC/ 32 pgs / $2.99       PIRATE EYE TPB Writer(s): Josiah Grahn Artist Name(s): Carl Yonder Cover Artist(s): Carl Yonder Synopsis: Once a pirate with a keen eye for finding wealth in unlikely places, Smitty now lives exiled from the sea. Landlocked, he has carved out a new niche as a "finder," a man who, for a price, will utilize the same skills that served him as a treasure-hunting scoundrel to unearth any item, person, or secret. As his reputation and caseload swell, Smitty must contend with the gangster who all but rules his new hometown, a dangerous collection of local brigands and politicians, and the pall of threats from old enemies. Through it all his focus on what he values most-his own success-never wavers. Though his circumstances have changed, in his chest still beats the heart of a pirate! Collects the first four issues of the smash hit Pirate Eye comic and sports an all-new cover by series artist, Carl Yonder! FC/ 128 pgs / $11.99        PRINCELESS ENCORE #4 (of 4) Writer(s): Jeremy Whitley Artist Name(s): M. Goodwin Cover Artist(s): M. Goodwin Synopsis: Be there for the epic conclusion of the first Princeless story! Adrienne and Bedelia are in deep trouble with the city guards, but they're not about to back down! Fisticuffs will be had!  Hijinks will ensue! Stereotypes will be challenged! Princeless! Features a variant “Ugly Love” cover by John “Super Ugly” Williams! FC/ 32 pgs / $2.99

ACTION LABS December 2013 Solicitations

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT’S DECEMBER 2013 RELEASES The full slate of books appearing this month in comic shops nationwide. EHMM THEORY #4 (of 4) Writer(s): Brockton McKinney Artist Name(s): Larkin Ford, (colors - Jason Strutz) Cover Artist(s): Larkin Ford The conclusion to the first hit Ehmm Theory arc, Cat, Quantum and Contrition is here! Questions are answered, allegiances are altered, and the series begins its first steps in a bold new direction. PLUS, the debut of Pecker Frank’s latest and most freakish creature: RoBearToPus!  The book AINT COOL NEWS called “Fun, easy to read and crafted for fans who love comics.”You can’t afford to miss this one, folks! FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 4 FRACTURE #1 Volume 1 ENCORE EDITION Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Chad Cicconi Cover Artist(s): Chad Cicconi Just in time for FRACTURE Volume 2, see where the story began with this encore edition of FRACTURE Volume 1 #1! In the metropolis of Lower Triton, the city’s greatest hero, Virtue, its nastiest villain, Malice, and an everyman named Jeff have something very important in common. They’re all the same guy — and none of them knows it…until now! FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 4 FRACTURE #1 VOLUME 2 Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Chad Cicconi (p/i), Bill Blankenship (c) Cover Artist(s): Chad Cicconi (p/i), Bill Blankenship (c) Life has been good in Lower Triton since the events of FRACTURE Volume 1. Jeff has suppressed his fractures, taking both the villainous Malice and the heroic Virtue off the table. But the city still has a hero in…Virtue?! Which villain is looking to fill Malice's shoes? Newheroes! New villains! New Fractures! Variant cover by Jamal Igle! FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 18 NFL RUSH ZONE SUPERBOWL SPECIAL TPB Writer(s): Kevin Freeman and David Dwonch Artist Name(s): Various Cover Artist(s): Jeremy Dale Collecting the first story arc of the hit NickToons television series! See Ish Taylor and the NFL Guardians as they battle villains and robots of all sorts in an effort to protect the NFL and its fans. Packed with appearances from a number of NFL superstars, including Roddy White, Philip Rivers, and Calvin Johnson! FC/ 80 pgs./19.95 US        On sale DEC. 4 PRINCELESS SHORT STORIES Volume 1 TPB Writer(s): Jeremy Whitley Artist Name(s): Various Cover Artist(s): Emily Martin The first ever collected edition of Princeless short stories is finally available from Action Lab!Want to know more about Bedelia Smith? Curious about what happens to Prince Wilcome after King Ashe throws him in jail? Want to spend more time with the Princesses Ashe? Get all this and more from a variety of hot young artists as we collect the first four issues of short stories from the Eisner-nominated world of Princeless! FC/ 128 pgs./11.99 US        On sale DEC. 18 PRINCELESS#1 ENCORE EDITION Writer(s): Jeremy Whitley Artist Name(s): M. Goodwin Cover Artist(s): M. Goodwin  Now's your chance to experience Adrienne's Eisner-nominated first adventure again or for the first time. Adrienne is determined to save her youngest sister Appalonia, but to do so she's going to have to raid her own family's castle and face the scariest guardian of all -- her father! FC/ 32 pgs./1.00 US        On sale DEC. 11 SKYWARD #5 (ONGOING) Writer(s): Jeremy Dale Artist Name(s): Jeremy Dale (p/i)  Steve Downer and Laura Martin (c) Cover Artist(s): Jeremy Dale NOW AN ONGOING SERIES!   Skerrigan is on the prowl, leaving bodies in his wake as he chases down Quinn--but will he discover the Rabite camp? The highly-acclaimed, all-ages action-fantasy ups the ante as our heroes scramble to escape their fates. Skyward is making waves! Alternate cover by Khary Randolph (Charismagic, TMNT) and Laura Martin (Thor, Authority)! FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 18 NIGHT OF THE 80’S UNDEAD #3 (0f 3) Writer(s): Jason Martin Artist Name(s): Bill McKay Cover Artist(s): Bill McKay This is it! Our gang of Hollywood teens make their last-ditch effort at escaping the escalating commie zombie cocaine virus that is rapidly spreading to engulf their fellow tinsel-town residents! Can a superstar celebrity's outlandish home offer respite from the pending cold war meltdown? Can anyone survive the Night of the Cokeheads? FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 11 PIRATE EYE: IRON BARS WRETCHED TALES ONE-SHOT Writer(s): Josiah Grahn Artist Name(s): Carl Yonder Cover Artist(s): Carl Yonder The most hard-boiled pirate detective around finds himself in a jail cell with three criminals and an agenda, but what is it he wants? Only the ensuing battle of wits will reveal his cellmates' secrets - and his own. One thing is certain: not everyone gets a happy ending!  FC/ 32 pgs./2.99 US        On sale DEC. 4

Comic News: Action Lab's Grows Leaps & Bounds For 2013 and Beyond

Press Release

July 26, 2013

Action Lab Outlines Continued Growth for 2013 and Beyond!

At its first ever panel at Comic-Con International, cutting-edge independent publisher Action Lab Entertainment announced not only a number of its upcoming new releases for late 2013 and into 2014, but also its launching of the “Return of the Hero”—a number of titles intended at pushing the boundaries of what a superhero story can be.

At the Saturday evening panel, the Action Lab’s top staff showed the audience a presentation featuring highlights of its future projects. The publisher also brought out many creators from its growing stable of creator-owned talent, including name talent from comics, toys, and other media, to share about their exciting new works!

For all-ages readers, the Eisner-nominated Princeless returns, beginning with an encore release of the original mini-series followed immediately by two new four-issue story arcs.  The first issue of the Princeless Encore Edition will be priced at an introductory-friendly $1.00, and will release in November, with future releases arriving in stores monthly.

Previewed next was Vamplets, based on the toy line created by Gayle Middleton, who played a large role in the redesign of My Little Pony and The Littlest Pet Shop.  These oversized 48-page hardcovers, released two or three times a year, tell the story of a human girl who gets talked into running the Nightmare Nursery for little monsters.  The first hardcover launches in October.

Eisner Award-winner Lea Hernandez’s The Garlicks, also an all-ages “little monster” tale, gets a similar oversized hardcover treatment.  The Garlicks is about a non-traditional vampire family and the daughter who wants to draw graphic novels, and debuts in January.

Action Lab also announced the launching of a number of superhero-related books, and used the theme “Return of the Hero” to connect them.  “The idea behind the ‘return of the hero’ is that we want to put a new spin on the superhero title—we want to give readers the genre in a way they have never seen before,” said Action Lab President Kevin Freeman.  “We know readers will like what they see.”

The Return of the Hero begins with the launch of Jamal Igle’s (Supergirl) Molly Danger, a 48-page oversized hardcover graphic novel that tells the tale of a ten-year old girl with amazing powers including, apparently, the ability to stay ten years old forever.  Other titles include: Jack Hammer, a superhero who doesn’t quite cut the mustard and thus becomes a private investigator who deals with superhero crimes; The First Hero, morality tale where a man becomes a hero in a world filled with villains; and the launch, in December, of volume 2 of Fracture, about a hero with multiple identities, some of which he can’t control. 

"With the Return of the Hero lineup we wanted to bring superhero comics back to the core of what we love about the genre by providing fun, accessible heroes that aren't bogged down with unnecessary, convoluted continuity,” says Action Lab Creative Director Dave Dwonch. “These aren't your father's superheroes. They're yours."

Action Lab also previewed plans for its mature readers line, Danger Zone.  Phase Two of the Danger Zone line begins with a new volume of the popular Zombie Tramp by Dan Mendoza.  Zombie Tramp moved to Action Lab from its prior life at Super Real Graphics when SRG’s Jason Martin joined Action Lab to lead its Danger Zone brand.  Zombie Tramp V2 #1 releases in October.

Danger Zone also showed off Bo Plushy Gangta, a tale of a gang boss who becomes the victim of a voodoo curse and is turned into a cuddly teddy bear, but retains his lethal personality. Created by a Russian video game artist, Bo’s wild concept is equally matched by its amazing visuals, and will hit shelves starting in January 2014.

One title that the panel audience seemed to embrace instantly was the quirky Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land, by Australian cartoonist Dean Rankine (Simpsons, Mad), touted by Action Lab as “the foulest comic you will ever read.” Danger Zone president Jason Martin explained, “It’s basically Adventure Time by way of Freak Brothers!” It is scheduled for early 2014 release.

Other 2014 Danger Zone titles include Scum of the Earth, advertised as “southern-friend grindhouse with a twist”, and Crimson Society, featuring a man, infected with lycanthropy, in a near-future world that puts a new spin on monster archetypes.

"From the all-ages adventures of Molly Danger, to the genre blending noir of Pirate Eye, and the absurdly awesome Itty Bitty Bunnies and Bo Plushy Gangsta, the Action Lab and Danger Zone lines promise something for everyone, exclaims Dwonch.   “The roster of books is incredible, incredibly diverse, and the creators passion for the medium shines brightly on every page of every book. I am so proud of what we're building here at Action Lab."

ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

Action Lab Entertainment was founded in 2010 by a group of independent comic creators with the sole intent to bring the world the most action packed, thought-provoking, entertaining comics available, thereby ushering in a new age of world peace under the dominating, yet benign control of the Action Lab. Action Lab Entertainment is the public front for all the activities of the Action Lab and its members. Although most of the Action Lab’s activities remain classified, Action Lab Entertainment can disclose that two of its many functions are the marketing of comic books through various sales outlets, and the expansion of their domination into other mediums.

Pirate Eye: Pirate's Life One Shot Review

PIRATE EYE: PIRATE'S LIFE
(One-Shot)
Written by John Grahn
Art by Carl Yonder
Action Labs Entertainment


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            We get a former pirate who left the life in order to become a private investigator. We get his backstory while the back drop of him finishing up one job to take another. Smithy gets ‘drafted’ to find a thief who stole a copy of a map, working with both the Pirate Ship and the man who seems to run the town he lives in.

            The deal gets more twisted as Smithy figures out that his prey could have left in only 2 ships which then leads to an interesting twist at the end.


ART:

            Yonder draws and colors a dark tale full of intrigue. Many of the tones are dark. Yet, it fits the overall story. Being a private detective is gritty business much of the time. And with the time frame and fact that pirates are involved, it fits the world and story very well. Smithy looks like a man who knows a lot but is haggard because of his past.

            And while normally, I would say that the books tones are a little too dark, it actually complements the story even more. Dark tones giving the story the right atmosphere. The characters, with the rough pencils and dark inks, look distinct and interesting. Pirates and criminals and swindlers fill the pages with a colonial background and Yonder renders these beautifully. A wonderful job by Yonder.


WRITING:

            Grahn writes an intriguing premise; a former pirate who left the pirate’s life to be a private detective to use his abilities to find out people’s secrets. Smithy was shunned for his skills but are putting them to go use. Yet, it seems he still has his share of “interesting” people on land and sea. Grahn makes a strong lead in Smithy with an interesting history.

            The Story itself worked at a wonderful pace. Nothing dragged. The story seemed to move along flawlessly. And the twist … ah, the glorious twist at the end. Smithy is very smart but you start realizing how smart at the end of the book. The other characters give a great view of the world that Smithy lives in.

            This story really made use of the tropes of pirates, the setting and the tone which Grahn masterfully played with. A brilliantly written one shot by Grahn.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

            Grahn and Yonder give us a peak inside a very authentic yet intriguing world of Pirate Eye. The concept is fresh. The characters feel very real. The story was paced to near perfection. The dialogue was real and not campy. The art was superb. A very, very strong showing. I want more of Smithy’s adventures after this one. Pirate Eye is one of the best high concept comics I have read in years!


RATING:

            I give Pirate Eye as 9 out of 10.  Read it now then demand for more!

Comic News: Pirate Eye Returns

Last year, Joe Grahn and Carl Yonder's unique take on the noir genre, "Pirate Eye" caught a lot of folks by surprise.  One thing is for certain though, as soon as it came out people were clamoring for more "pirate noir".  Well, Joe and Carl are back and they are delivering another new adventure from Smitty, the pirate turned private eye with "Pirate Eye:  A Pirate's Life is Not for Me"

Pirate Eye returns for another Pirate Noir packed story in Pirate Eye: A Pirates Life Is Not For Me.

The ex-pirate and now high-seas detective known as Smitty gets a rude reminder of his past when a pirate ship comes to town. With the pirates seeing Smitty as their best chance at recovering a valuable map stolen by a defector, he gets pulled into a deeper, darker world of deceit and debauchery.

Cannon fire meets hard-boiled introspection in the latest chapter of ‘buccanoir’ adventure written by Joe Grahn and featuring the exquisite are of Carl Yonder.

Pirate Eye: A Pirates Life Is Not For Me is a one-shot that is listed in the this months issue of Previews (Diamond Order Code FEB130670) and is currently available for pre-order at your local comic retailer, or various online vendors such as DCBService.com and TFAW.com.

ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

Action Lab Entertainment was founded in 2010 by a group of independent comic creators with the sole intent to bring the world the most action packed, thought-provoking, entertaining comics available, thereby ushering in a new age of world peace under the dominating, yet benign control of the Action Lab. Action Lab Entertainment is the public front for all the activities of the Action Lab and its members. Although most of the Action Lab’s activities remain classified, Action Lab Entertainment can disclose that two of its many functions are the marketing of comic books through various sales outlets, and the expansion of their domination into other mediums.

Action Lab also received two Eisner nominations in 2012 for its critically-acclaimed comic Princeless, and has been praised for its diverse library of titles, including Double Jumpers, Fracture, Pirate Eye, and The Order of Dagonet.

Their website is http://www.actionlabcomics.com.