Long Live The Bat: DC Commemorates 80 Years of Batman with Worldwide Fan Celebration #Batman80 #LongLiveTheBat

DC Releases Landmark DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 Issue;
Iconic Bat-Signal to Light Up Across the Globe;
Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs Of America;
Exclusive Fan Festivities; and More

Yearlong Celebration Kicks Off at SXSW with 1.5 Million Bats Flying from Austin’s Congress Bridge

New Batman T-shirt Revealed to Fans, Available Exclusively at Hot Topic 

 

BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To mark the 80^th anniversary of Batman, DC today unveiled plans for a global commemoration of the World’s Greatest Detective. Kicking off this March at SXSW, the multifaceted campaign for DC’s Caped Crusader will feature exclusive celebrations, special theatrical engagements, the milestone release of DETECTIVE COMICS #1000, live events and first-ever Batman brand partnerships. As fans join together under the campaign’s tagline of #LongLiveTheBat, DC’s timeless character will be honored through Batman Day in September when the Bat-Signal lights up in major cities worldwide.

First appearing as socialite turned crime-fighter Bruce Wayne in DETECTIVE COMICS #27 on March 30, 1939, the Dark Knight has stood as a symbol of determination, bravery and justice to generations of fans for 80 years. He has influenced every area of modern entertainment, appearing in countless comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, multiple television series, video games, theme parks and experiences, toys, collectibles, apparel and lifestyle products, as well as, blockbuster animated and live-action films. There have been Batman trading cards, board games and newspaper cartoon strips, and the U.S. Postal Service has even honored Batman with his own postage stamps. Batman is a multi-billion dollar icon who continues to reign as the most popular single Super Hero ever created.

To commemorate this milestone, custom artwork was created that pays homage to Batman’s legacy in all forms of media. The Batman profile pencil design is by beloved longtime DC artist José Luis García-López, and digital paint design is by Admira Wijaya. This graphic will be featured throughout the celebration.

DC will honor #LongLiveTheBat throughout 2019, including Batman’s 80^th anniversary on March 30 and Batman Day on September 21. As part of this yearlong celebration, there are many ways fans can participate.

Read Batman:

• Paying homage to the Super Hero’s 80-year publishing history, DC will present two commemorative books: including the landmark collector’s issue of DETECTIVE COMICS #1000, on sale at comics shops March 27, and a special hardcover release, DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN THE DELUXE EDITION, available March 19.

Experience Batman:

• SXSW in Austin, Texas, will kick off the global celebration with multiple fan experiences, photo opportunities, limited-edition merchandise and Instagrammable mural by a local artist. SXSW will also set the stage for an incredible moment when more than 1.5 million bats fly into the night over Austin’s famous Congress Bridge on March 15.
• DC will celebrate Batman’s 80^th anniversary with panels at major conventions, including a dedicated “Happy Birthday, Batman!” panel at WonderCon in Anaheim on the actual anniversary, March 30.
• Generations of fans across the globe will gather together to honor the timeless hero on Batman Day, September 21. The Bat-Signal will light up in major cities worldwide, alongside a wide array of fan celebrations, including interactive photo opportunities, live music, food, games and more. Plus, fans will race across the finish line in their favorite Caped Crusader attire in a series of 5K and 10K runs in select cities.
• Families can celebrate #LongLiveTheBat at multiple Six Flags locations across North America in August with extended hours, exclusive Batman-themed experiences and special merchandise. Warner Bros. theme parks across the globe, including Warner Bros. Movie World Australia, Parque Warner Madrid and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, will host Batman 80^th anniversary events.

• Madame Tussauds locations in Orlando and Sydney will unveil interactive fan-friendly experiences, photo opportunities and special merchandise in September.

• In May, collectible art boutique MONDO will host a curated anniversary exhibit at its Austin gallery celebrating iconic Batman cover art throughout the years.
• The global touring exhibition THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC SUPER HEROES will celebrate the Dark Knight with a special Batman edition, beginning this September in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Romics—the comic book, animation and gaming convention in Rome, Italy—will host an immersive Batman 80^th anniversary exhibit in April.
• Designed for fans of all ages, visitors to Shanghai this summer will be treated to a first-of-its-kind special exhibit celebrating Batman.
• Otter Media brands Rooster Teeth, Crunchyroll, VRV and Fullscreen will celebrate Batman’s 80^th anniversary through a variety of programming and social campaigns designed to amplify DC’s global campaign.
• AT&T will activate across retail, digital and DIRECTV, which will celebrate the anniversary with a Batman-branded channel. Plus, AT&T customers will get insider access through AT&T THANKS to Batman content, comics, merchandise, exclusive fan experiences and more.

Watch Batman:

• Television broadcast partners worldwide will host Batman programming marathons in March and September.
• Cartoon Network in the U.S. and key territories will host exclusive Batman themed programming and stunts for kids in March and September.
• DC Universe—DC’s digital subscription service—will be celebrating in a big way with the promotion of Batman content in March and September.

Join Batman:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America will join Batman in a first-ever partnership to celebrate kids, teens and youth development professionals who stand up for positive change in their communities. The campaign kicks off in April during National Boys & Girls Clubs Week.
• In honor of military appreciation month this May, DC will partner with the USO, the iconic military support nonprofit, on a special Batman-themed USO2GO kit featuring comics, movies, TV shows, games and more. The kit will offer a fun diversion for service members stationed in remote locations around the globe, connecting them to home and all things Dark Knight.

• Fans in the UK can join in raising awareness of Genetic Disorders UK by wearing an exclusively designed Batman T-shirt on Jeans for Genes Day in September.

Shop Batman:

• WB and DC are also joining forces with an extensive list of retail partners, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, iTunes, Walmart, GameStop and Google Play, among others.
• Global partners such as LEGO, Mattel and Funko will release exclusive Batman 80^th anniversary products throughout the year.

Conceived by artist Bob Kane with writer Bill Finger, Batman is humanity’s timeless hero. And he’s just getting started. More details on the global celebration will be released in the coming months.

Fans can join in on social media using the hashtag #Batman80 and #LongLiveTheBat. Visit www.Batman80.com for the latest news and updates.

PRESS:
Please tag your coverage: #Batman80 #LongLiveTheBat #Detective1000 @DCComics
For assets, visit www.DCPressPortal.com

About DC
Home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), DC Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, DC is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia. DC works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

 

ON SOCIAL: #LongLiveTheBat | #Batman80

 

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Daniel Pickett

BC Toy Spotting: Transformers, Funko, WWE, Star Wars, Captain Marvel, and More!

Welcome to the latest edition of BC Toy Spotting! We are in and out of stores pretty much every day, and we figure (ha!) why not show all of our fellow collectors what we are coming across on pegs and shelves. As collectors, we know that staying on top of what is in stores can be almost a full time job, so we are here to help you with your toy hunts and outings. This week we found new Transformers: War for Cybertron Siege figures, Funko of course, new Marvel Legends, WWE, Harry Potter, and more! Let’s take a look.

First, there is a really cool Star Wars endcap at target right now that includes new vintage style lunch boxes, LEGO sets, shirts, and new Return of the Jedi Funko Pops. The 10 inch Wicket is amazing, I picked one of those up as soon as I saw it.

New Marvel Legends hitting stores this week include restocks of the newest Spider-Man wave with the Kingpin BAF, and Walgreens is getting a ton of their Mystique exclusive. Check out our look at that one here.

New Transformers Studio Series figures showed up this week, including Scrapmetal, which will combine with other Constructicons to form Devestator when all collected. Those will release throughout the year.

New WWE Monster Trucks hit the pegs from Hot Wheels.

The WWE RetroFest Ric Flair Gamestop exclusive figure popped up in stores.

Funko in sotres this week include restocks on the chrome MCU Iron Spider and Doctor Strange, a Lion King Pop and shirt combo at Target, Red Wing Robin and Diamond Edition Minnie Mouse at Hot Topic, The Shape of Water Pops, Winnie the Pooh vinyl figures, and the first Day With Pikachu figure celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at Gamestop.

Captain marvel is now in theaters, and a plush Goose the Cat can be found at Target and Build a Bear. You can also outfit your bear with Captain Marvel specific clothing right now.

Transformers TCG: Rise of the Combiners booster packs are hitting Walmarts really hard right now.

Mattel has basic Shazam! figures on the pegs at Target, along with restocks on their popular Batman basic figures.

Figuarts collectors can fin the three Harry Potter kids right now at Gamestop, along with Mr. Satan from Dragon Ball Z.

And finally, new Transformers: War for Cybertron Siege figures are starting to hit Walmarts. I just found Starscream, Soundwave, and Sixgun last night. Start looking bot fans!

 

What are YOU finding in stores right now? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter using the #BC_ToySpotting

The post BC Toy Spotting: Transformers, Funko, WWE, Star Wars, Captain Marvel, and More! appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.

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Jeremy Konrad

Funko Launches New Wetmore Forest Series of Books

Funko is getting into the book business. They will launch a new series of books and merchandise based on their own popular Wetmore Forest characters online and exclusively at Barnes and Noble on June 15th. Sterling Publishing will handle the publication of the books, which will bring the characters and world of Wetmore Forest to life. Personally the more Tumblebee I can have in my life, the better. Check out the teaser image and press release below.

Funko, Inc. (“Funko,” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company, today announced it will be releasing a series of books based on its own designs and characters from Wetmore Forest.

The books will be sold online and in-store exclusively at Barnes & Noble along with accompanying Funko merchandise beginning June 15^th, 2019.

“We’re excited to expand the storylines of our beloved Wetmore family through a book series available at the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States,” said Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Johanna Gepford. “Children will be delighted to follow the adventures of characters created by the same creative geniuses that produce highly sought after Funko products.”

In partnership with Sterling Publishing, Funko will be showcasing the books at both the London Book Fair and Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Wetmore Forest was created to depict an enchanting forest and encourage exploration and discovery among Funko fans. Funko’s loveable lighthearted Pop! Monsters include Bugsy Wingnut, Tumblebee, Butterhorn, Snuggletooth and others.

The post Funko Launches New Wetmore Forest Series of Books appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.

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Jeremy Konrad

Scaremy K’s Horror Round-Up: ‘Happy Death Day 3’? ‘Three From Hell’, Trailers, and More!

Welcome goblins and ghouls to the BC Horror Round-Up! This will be a weekly look at some little fiendish news stories, horrifying new trailers, and more. I am your host Scaremy K., and in this edition we will bring you news on if there will be a Happy Death Day 3, some new info on Rob Zombie‘s Three From Hell, scary cool film announcements, trailers, and more! So enter…if you dare!

Your Horror Host here love him some good atmospheric chills, and it looks like Emma Tammi‘s The Wind will deliver just that. A western vibe in a horror film? That send wonderful chills down my spine!

Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman) dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events. Masterfully blending haunting visuals with pulse-pounding sound design, director Emma Tammi evokes a godforsaken world in which the forces of nature come alive with quivering menace.

In the complete OPPOSITE direction of atmospheric horror is the bluntness of the new Danny Trejo fright Bullets of Justice where he fights a race of pig people.

During the Third World War, the American government initiates a secret project named ‘Army Bacon’ in order to create super soldiers by breeding human beings with pigs. 25 years later a breed called “Muzzles” have occupied the top of the food chain, eating and farming humans like animals. Rob Justice is an ex-bounty hunter working for the last line of human resistance – a group of survivors hiding in a nuclear bunker deep underground. His mission is to find out how muzzles came to power and destroy them.

Sounds like a real squeal to me!

Hideo Nakata is returning to the franchise he scarred so many with, as he returns with a new film in The Ring series! Sadako will bring back the franchise, and we can’t wait to shake hands with Sadako again, it has been too long!

Robert Rodriguez has a new small-budget film titled Red 11 that will debut at this months SXSW in Texas. Collider debuted the poster and it sounds like a devilishly good time:

Red 11 is a horror-thriller set in a dark, twisted version of the Legal Drug Research world and is inspired by Rodriguez’s experiences at a research lab where he earned the money to make El Mariachi. He co-wrote the script with his son Racer Max, who also appears in the film alongside Rodriguez’s other son Rebel.

After the sub-par box office numbers for Happy Death Day 2U, it doesn’t sound like our favorite horror producer Jason Blum is too keen on another installment. Answering a question from a ghoul on Twitter about a third film, he said this:

Not very but not impossible

— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) March 6, 2019

I hope he is just picking at scabs, as I still enjoyed the sequel. We shall see!

Three From Hell, Rob Zombie’s sequel to much much-loved gore-fest The Devil’s Rejects is adding even more people to its cast, as Jossara Jinaro has joined Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Emilio Rivera, Danny Trejo, Kevin Jackson, Wade Williams, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Pancho Moler, Daniel Roebuck, David Ury, Sean Whalen, Austin Stoker, Dee Wallace, Richard Brake, Bill Oberst Jr., Dot-Marie Jones, and Tom Papa in the film. She will play the maid from the original film. No release date, or trailer, have been released yet.

Eli Roth‘s The Green Inferno is getting a huge new Blu-ray from Scream Factory on April 23. Below you will find all of the spooktacular bonus features:

• Two disc set – includes the exclusive original CD soundtrack by Manuel Riverio with bonus tracks not included in the film
• NEW Into the Green Inferno – an interview with co-writer/producer/director Eli Roth
• NEW Uncivilized Behavior: Method Acting in The Green Inferno – featuringinterviews with actors Lorenza Izzo, Daryl Sabara and Kirby Bliss Blanton
• NEW Behind the Scenes footage – includes nearly an hour of never-before-seen footage
• Audio Commentary with co-writer/producer/director Eli Roth, producer Nicolás López and cast members Lorenza Izzo, Aaron Burns, Kirby Bliss Blanton and Daryl Sabara
• Original Publicity Featurettes including The Making of The Green Inferno
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Still Galleries – Storyboards and Makeup Tests, Behind-the-Scenes photos, Village Construction, and movie stills

Funko is releasing Ghostbusters cereal with my good friend Slimer appearing in mini-Pop form inside as a prize! Normally he likes hot dogs, but he thinks that it is about time he got his due! Boo Berry was furious when he found out however. Such fragile egos on these ghosts. Look for the cereal in June.

The Worst Planet on Earth from Holomax on Vimeo.

Finally this week is a look at a new short film produced by Keeper of the Necronomicon himself, Sam Raimi. The Worst Planet on Earth is directed by Joe and Lloyd Stas and stars Olivia Newton and Michael Muyunda.

Trapped in the future after humanity has become extinct, Penny the astronaut attempts to find a way home alongside her new best friend, a useless wizard named Cola.

What a hellacious riot! Everyone, give them a hand!

That is it for this edition my fiendish friends. Until we meet again, may your days be short and your nights hellish!

The post Scaremy K’s Horror Round-Up: ‘Happy Death Day 3’? ‘Three From Hell’, Trailers, and More! appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.

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Jeremy Konrad