Marc Silvestri named Guest of Honor; Seth Green, Paul Dini and Joe Casey among special guests; Talent Search 2008 kicks off
LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 12, 2008 - Top Cow Productions Inc. announced its schedule today for this weekend’s Wizard World Los Angeles, a comics and pop culture extravaganza to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from March 14 - 16. Top Cow is excited to take part in what is considered their hometown show!
Top Cow will set up shop at Booth #201 and heads into the convention with an impressive array of guests, including Founder and CEO Marc Silvestri (who has also been named the show’s Guest of Honor), actor and producer Seth Green (Freshmen), animation guru Paul Dini (Madame Mirage), and critically acclaimed writer Joe Casey (Pilot Season: Velocity).
Joining them will be an amazing roster of Top Cow’s rising talent, including Michael Broussard (The Darkness), Kenneth Rocafort (Madame Mirage) and Sheldon Mitchell (X-Men: Messiah CompleX). Longtime Top Cow creators David Wohl (The Darkness), EBas (Hunter-Killer) and Rick Basaldua (The Darkness Level 3) will also be on hand for special signings, as well as writers Hugh Sterbakov (Freshmen) and Joshua Hale Fialkov (Pilot Season: Cyblade).
Top Cow will also put on two panels during Wizard World LA. On Friday, from 4 - 5 p.m., Top Cow President Matt Hawkins and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mel Caylo present “Comic Book Marketing 101,” in which they give the inside scoop on how to market your product to the comic book market. Get tips on advertising, working with the press and viral marketing techniques, plus take part in an informative question and answer session. As a bonus, every attendee receives a FREE exclusive gift!
Then, on Saturday from 2 - 3 p.m., come and check out “Top Cow 2008,” where you’ll hear some exciting new announcements about Top Cow’s upcoming publishing plans, including the full scoop on Pilot Season 2008, the follow-up to last year’s extremely successful event in which fans took control and voted on which two characters would get “picked up” for their own series. Sitting on the panel will be Top Cow Founder and acclaimed artist Marc Silvestri, Freshmen co-creators Seth Green and Hugh Sterbakov, the Madame Mirage creative team of Paul Dini and Kenneth Rocafort, and Pilot Season 2007 winner Joshua Hale Fialkov. All attendees receive a FREE exclusive gift, which also serves as a pass to a special signing with Seth Green and Hugh Sterbakov at the Top Cow Booth (#201) after the panel!
At Wizard World LA, Top Cow will also launch Talent Search 2008, its season-long campaign to find two, new artists for its in-house studio to study under the tutelage of Marc Silvestri. Aspiring artists are instructed to bring in their portfolios during review times (see schedule below) or drop off “leave-behind” packets containing copies of samples of their work.
At the Top Cow Booth (#201), there will be giveaways and heavily discounted Top Cow products; special lithographs, posters, and trade paperbacks for sale; and of course, comics, especially exclusives like the Fantastic Four #554 Marc Silvestri Top Cow Variant Cover and the Witchblade #116 Wizard World LA Exclusive Variant Cover. But best of all, fans will get the opportunity to meet and talk with their favorite Top Cow creators. The appearance schedule at the Top Cow Booth (#201) is as follows (please check the booth daily for updates):
Friday, March 14 (Show hours: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. TOP COW STUDIO CREW
Eric Basaldua, Rick Basaldua, Sheldon Mitchell
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. MADAME MIRAGE
Kenneth Rocafort, Paul Dini
1 – 2:30 p.m. Marc Silvestri (VIPs only; takes place in special Signing Area)
2 – 3 p.m. PORTFOLIO REVIEWS – Top Cow Talent Search 2008
2:30 – 4 p.m. PILOT SEASON
Joshua Hale Fialkov, Rick Mays
2:30 – 4 p.m. TOP COW STUDIO CREW
Rick Basaldua, Sheldon Mitchell
4 – 6:30 p.m. THE DARKNESS
Marc Silvestri, Michael Broussard, David Wohl, Ryan Winn
Saturday, March 15 (Show hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. TOP COW STUDIO CREW
Eric Basaldua, Rick Basaldua, Sheldon Mitchell
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PORTFOLIO REVIEWS – Top Cow Talent Search 2008
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. MADAME MIRAGE
Kenneth Rocafort, Paul Dini
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. PILOT SEASON
Joshua Fialkov, Rick Mays, Blond
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. THE DARKNESS
David Wohl, Michael Broussard, Ryan Winn
3:30 – 4: 30 p.m. FRESHMEN (Obtain special pass from Top Cow 2008 Panel)
Seth Green, Hugh Sterbakov, Sheldon Mitchell, Blond
4:30 – 7 p.m. TOP COW STUDIO CREW
Marc Silvestri, Michael Broussard
Sunday, March 16 (Show hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PORTFOLIO REVIEWS – Top Cow Talent Search 2008
12 – 2 p.m. MADAME MIRAGE
Paul Dini, Kenneth Rocafort
12 – 2 p.m. PILOT SEASON
Joshua Fialkov, Rick Mays, Joe Casey
2 – 4:30 p.m. THE DARKNESS
David Wohl, Michael Broussard, Ryan Winn
2 – 4:30 p.m. TOP COW STUDIO CREW
Rick Basaldua, Sheldon Mitchell
For more information on Wizard World LA and how to purchase tickets, visit http://www.wizardworld.com.
