The Evil Tree, one of our recent releases, was just revealed as a nominee for Best Original Graphic Novel of 2012 over at ComicMonsters.com!

To vote, head over to ComicMonsters.com, register (you can even link your FaceBook account), head into the Best Original Graphic Novels (Best OGN) Category, Click The Evil Tree’s radio button and then click “Vote”! That’s it!

COMIC MONSTERS AWARDS PAGE – http://www.comicmonsters.com/horror-comic-awards.html

We appreciate the nomination and our fans voting for The Evil Tree as Best OGN for 2012!

Interested in learning more about The Evil Tree? Head over to our Arcana page for the title!  http://arcana.com/view_issue.php?id=437

TITLE: The Evil Tree
DIAMOND CODE: JUL12 0743
ISBN: 978-1-926914-52-7
PRICE: $14.95
GENRE: Horror
ARCANA TITLE PAGE: http://www.arcana.com/view_issue.php?id=437
DESCRIPTION: In a colonial village outside of NYC, Misha and her fiance, Daren, seek an escape from the fast pace of the city. As they settle in, Misha becomes withdrawn, suffering from bad dreams and depression. When Daren brings his friends to the house to “shake out the cobwebs,” little does he know he is setting into motion events started hundreds of years ago with the original occupants of the house, the Willam Family. Not only did the ill-fated Willam family die in the house one cold winter, but the house has developed a history of female occupants committing suicide. The friends must solve the mystery of the house before the Willam Family ghosts pick them off one by one.

REVIEWS AND QUOTES

“The story is classic horror movie in graphic novel form, the way it should be done. Really creepy, moody and occasionally gut-wrenching horrific it does remind you of all the good stuff in Evil Dead movies – indeed the book could be a companion piece to the Evil Dead series. But there are somber moments too and chills that creep under you skin… Surprisingly the more tender moments, and the character interactions aren’t an afterthought. Relations and emotions are handled with equal aplomb and makes this book a must read and already a personal favorite of mine.” — Peter Bergting (The Portent, Crysis, Dark Sun, Strange Girl)

“A ghost story that will make your blood run cold.” — ComicMonsters.com – http://www.comicmonsters.com/reviews-314-The_Evil_Tree_GN.html

“Hendrix and Thollin sold me. Their tale of a young couple inadvertently awakening Something Very Evil may not be innovative, but I have a soft spot for classic tropes done well, and Mr. Hendrix rang enough changes on the formula that I was never bored. As a haunted house story, The Evil Tree is genuinely haunting… even scary… I was especially impressed with Mr. Thollin’s ability to craft and stage comics layouts that were actually frightening and surprising… In a way it’s almost more immersive– the jagged, simple style of the art helps put across the emotional part of the story. And when the art is that well-suited to the story, that’s my definition of good.” — Greg Hatcher, Comic Book Resources.com – http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/06/03/weekend-with-the-review-pile/

“The Evil Tree is exactly what a classic ghost story should be, Hendrix and Thollin capture all the elements of the genre with stunning execution. This is a perfect Halloween tale that’s bound to send shivers down your spine.” — Lonnie Nadler, Bloody-Disgusting.com – http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3146805/preview-arcana-set-to-release-the-evil-tree-in-time-for-halloween/

“If THE EVIL DEAD was a ghost story told as a beautifully illustrated graphic novel, it would be THE EVIL TREE. If you’re a fan of horror comics, you owe it to yourself to check out this book!” — Dirk Manning (writer of NIGHTMARE WORLD and TALES OF MR. RHEE)

“A stark, powerful ghost story told with real verve and conviction.” — Mike Carey (UNWRITTEN, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW)

“Horror comics are hard to pull off… A lot of them just aren’t scary. The Evil Tree, though, works because it’s more about getting invested in the stakes. Erik Hendrix invests a lot of time in making these characters distinct and grounded: these are all people you believe are friends through work, pitching in to help out, making fun of each other, in close relationships… It’s a great horror book… and worth checking out.” — Dan Seitz – GammaSquad.com –  http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2012/06/the-comic-you-need-to-read-this-week-the-evil-tree-1

“The Evil Tree stands shoulder to shoulder with the best out there. This is a comic about a group of friends surrounded by a living ghost story and it will scare the hell out of you.” — Geeks of Doom – http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/10/15/comic-review-the-evil-tree/

“If you, like me, are a fan of horror movies, but horror comic books have left you wanting, The Evil Tree is the perfect remedy.” — Word of the Nerd – http://www.wordofthenerdonline.com/sneak-peek-the-evil-tree-from-arcana/

“Arcana’s tribute to the moodier slasher movies works because of a mixture of good writing that lets us get to know the characters before they start getting picked off and unique art by Daniel Thollin that can swing between the conventional and the disturbing in a heartbeat. It’s a fairly conventional haunted house story, but a very well told one, nonetheless.” — Dan Seitz – GammaSquad.com -  http://www.uproxx.com/gammasquad/2012/10/five-recent-and-great-horror-comics-for-halloween/

Champions of the Wild Weird West, a recent release from Arcana Comics, has made HorrorTalk’s Top Ten Horror Comics of 2012 list! You can read the entire list by CLICKING HERE, but below is what they had to say about Champions of the Wild Weird West. Champions came in at #8.

“Champions of the Wild Weird West (Arcana Studio)

Picture Samurai Jack teaming up with a few cowboys to kill a horde of zombies and you get the idea behind Champions of the Wild Weird West.  The original graphic novel could easily be turned into one of the coolest Saturday morning cartoons ever.  It blends the western with the supernatural in a seamless way.  This isn’t a comic where authors Michael David Nelson and Erik Hendrix just thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if cowboys fought the undead?”  There’s a lot more to the book as we’re introduced to each of the characters.  They’re not zombie food.  Each one has a backstory that you just scratch the surface of.  The book wraps up with a satisfying ending but it’s clear that there’s more to each member of the group and I want to see way more.

Champions of the Wild Weird West is a tale of revenge that includes a samurai and a load of zombies.  I’m not seeing a downside here.”

A special thank you to HorrorTalk for adding us to the list!

If you’d like to learn more about Champions of the Wild Weird West, you can go to its Arcana page here ~  http://arcana.com/view_issue.php?id=397 .

The Order, a graphic novel in development for the past several months behind the scenes for the ArcanaBenderspink line and written by Erik Hendrix (THE EVIL TREE, DEADLY HARVEST, THE BOOK, INTRINSIC) and Sean Patrick O’Reilly (KADE, CLOCKWORK GIRL, THE HOPE VIRUS, INTRINSIC) based on a story co-developed by Arcana and Benderspink, has been optioned by Bluegrass Films, and has set Brian Nathanson (The Many Deaths of Barnaby James) to write the script, reported Deadline.com yesterday. You can CLICK HERE to read the full article, but below is an excerpt.

The Order is a group of young men collared by the Vatican to join an elite team that travels the globe battling mysterious evil forces. Stuber will produce with Benderspink, and the project will be overseen by Michael Clear and Nick Nesbitt for Bluegrass Films and Jake Weiner and Christopher Cosmos for Benderspink. Sean O’Reilly of Arcana will serve as an executive producer.

Stuber’s coming off Ted and just wrapped the Seth Gordon-directed Identity Thief with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman starring, and he’s producing the Carl Rinsch-directed 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves starring. Benderspink is in post-production on the Steve Carell-Jim Carrey comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and is in production on We’re The Millers, The Hangover Part III and Ride Along. Nathanson is repped by CAA and Mosaic.

Arcana and Benderspink look forward to working with Bluegrass Films to bring The Order to the big screen and is also excited to share more details of the graphic novel as it approaches completion.

Geek Chocolate recently reviewed The Book, which comes out in December, and it looks appears they enjoyed it! Read an excerpt from the review below, and be sure to CLICK HERE to read the review in full.

“The dialogue especially is well written, and considering the number of characters involved each of their voices, as with their art, is distinct. Conversations feel believable and, despite the requirement at times for it to be expositional in nature exchanges never feel forced, which is of great credit to Hendrix’s script.

Once into its stride the story reads as a chase, like a superior teen slasher film with all the required elements present such as young lust, teenagers trespassing on creepy settings and very gory ends. These combine well and help make for a fun and bloody read.“

Thank you to Geek Chocolate for the review and, again, be sure to CLICK HERE to read it in full.

To learn more about The Book, read on below!

TITLE: The Book
ARCANA LINK: http://arcana.com/view_issue.php?id=457
ISBN: 978-1-926914-68-8
DESCRIPTION: En route to Italy, a group of American tourists learn of a series of DIY travel guides, nicknamed “The Book”. These unofficial guides are collected and updated with first-hand experiences by the travelers themselves. Different “Books” scatter the continent, telling of the best lodging, deals, and “off the grid” adventures from sight seeing to local folklore for anyone clever enough to find them. A local cult, practitioners of Sanctus Letum, the Holy Death, disrupts the American’s plans for adventure when they hide pages from the Dark Book, Shaitan, in one of the travel guides. The friends are lead down a path of secret religion, death, resurrection, and demonology.

Greyman, which was recently released, has been reviewed by ComicBooked.com! CLICK HERE to read the review in full, but below is an excerpt from the review.

Greyman is certainly daring for a graphic novel. It goes places most stories wouldn’t dare to go, and it faces even the darkest of possibilities and brings them to light. For readers who want a thrill and don’t mind being a little horrified and disturbed at the turn of events, this is definitely a comic worth checking out. It’s also worth a read even if you just want to find out whether poor Adam and Sarah will ever be together again — an emotional thread that is surprisingly well maintained throughout the story and brought to a conclusion in the end (though I won’t spoil it by saying what conclusion that is).

Thank you to ComicBooked.com and, again, be sure to CLICK HERE to read the full review.

To pick up a copy of the book, see below!

TITLE: GREYMAN
ARCANA TITLE PAGE: http://arcana.com/view_issue.php?id=438
COMIXOLOGY LINK: http://www.comixology.com/Greyman/digital-comic/ICO002903
ISBN: 9781926914886
Diamond Code: MAR120742
Genre: Horror Horror
DESCRIPTION: Adam Grey, a young anthropology graduate student, becomes an unlikely and reluctant hero as he finds himself mentally linked to an arrogant and irreverent ethereal being and tasked with taking on the role of ‘gatekeeper’ on the Dead Highway – the ‘in-between’ zone separating the world of the living from the realm of the dead. Adam’s only source of guidance as he searches for the missing soul of his deceased fiancé comes in the form of Elijah, a powerful astral being (masquerading as a human homeless man) who has a strained relationship with ‘the entity’ with whom Adam now finds himself bonded. Discovering that the majority of human souls fall victim to the ravenous ‘Seekers’ – leather-clad, motorcycle-riding demons – and never successfully pass through to the afterlife, Adam is shocked to uncover an ongoing war between two very different species of incorporeal beings, with the life force/’soul’ material contained within our human bodies as the ultimate prize. Realizing that the fate of humanity itself is at risk as this spiritual war spills into the living world for the first time, Adam slowly comes to terms with his responsibility and must eventually face the fact that the only way to truly save the souls of the human race is to sacrifice his own humanity.

Deadly Harvest, which made its debut on ComiXology with issue 1 on July 18th, was recently reviewed by Bloody-Disgusting.com. You can read the entire review by CLICKING HERE, but see below for an excerpt from it.

“Deadly Harvest” is fairly fast paced with a healthy amount of characters but not an over load of information. As the reader I was able to absorb what was going on at a pace that didn’t overwhelm me with content. The story is pretty simple; harvest Klip = get rich. These folks will literally get rich or die trying. With addition of some cool scifi and of course some bad ass space pirates where could the plot go wrong? The end is especially awesome as we find out that this new asteroids has its own alien locals that seem to be hungry for death.

The art has a realistic look but with enough of a make-believe feel to it that works well with science fiction. The idea behind the different mining equipment is particularly interesting, who wouldn’t want a plasma pike or hammer? Colouring compliments the style of art used very well making the suits and weaponry looks even more awesome.

Thank you to Bloody-Disgusting.com for the review and, again, be sure to CLICK HERE to read it in full! You can start reading Deadly Harvest now on ComiXology, where it will be released by issues monthly until it’s official print release as a full graphic novel in November. Issue 1 is out now on ComiXology.

TITLE: DEADLY HARVEST
ISBN: 978-1-926914-53-4
COMIXOLOGY LINK: http://www.comixology.com/Deadly-Harvest/comics-series/8642
DESCRIPTION: Core mining, the deadliest job in the galaxy, draws only the bravest, or craziest, workers around. Bumping up to asteroids, typically propelling at astronomical speeds towards distant stars, the miners harvest minerals essential to interstellar travel and commerce. Close quarters, dangerous conditions, and less than a half inch of polymer sheath stand between them and swift oblivion. When the Harvest Moon stumbles upon a goldmine dangerously close to a star, the last thing they expect to find is an ancient alien race preparing to hatch an infestation throughout the system. Armed with mining tools and sour attitudes, Captain Cyrus Layne and his crew must survive the horrors of space and an unfamiliar enemy to escape with their lives.

This official press release from Gene Simmons has been making the rounds to various sites, including CBR (CLICK HERE) and Yahoo News (CLICK HERE):

Legendary rock god and multi-media mogul, Gene Simmons, has partnered with Arcana Comics to debut the all new “Simmons Comics Anthology” at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The Anthology brings together the legendary comics originally created by Simmons Comics, which includes the first issue of ZipperTM, DominatrixTM and Gene Simmons House of HorrorsTM PLUS the first chapter of the all-new crossover event, “The Slave Trade”, where ZipperTM and DominatrixTM will face off against each other.

“We intend on using the finest artists and writers in the comic book medium,” says Simmons. “ZipperTM, DominatrixTM, and Gene Simmons House of HorrorsTM will be published throughout the year. For Comic-Con we thought we would do something special and give the fans a jam-packed ‘Simmons Comics Anthology’ featuring all of our comic book titles. This is just the beginning.”

Creator Gene Simmons himself will be doing a book signing on Friday, July 13th at 2:00 pm at Arcana Comics Booth #2415.  Only 200 copies of the Anthology will be made available at Comic-Con. Fans will get the chance to meet Gene and get their photo taken with real life versions of DominatrixTM and ZipperTM – two of the star characters from Gene’s comic.

“Sean Patrick O’Reilly has been completely supportive and a great partner in our re-launch of Simmons Comics Group. As a lifelong fan boy, I’ve been madly in love with the medium ever since I was in my early teens and have continued to ravenously devour comics through the decades,” adds Simmons. “Along the way, I created our three comics – ZipperTM, DominatrixTM and Gene Simmons House of HorrorsTM. ZipperTM is an alien among us. DominatrixTM deals pleasure and pain, CIA meet T & A. Gene Simmons House of HorrorsTM consists of stories by some of the best talents in comics today.”

Fans will get the chance to see the debut of exclusive art from the Anthology and be the first to get their hands on a copy, which has art done by rising star Yannis Roumboulias and is written by Arcana writer, Erik Hendrix. To stay up to date on all news regarding Gene at San Diego Comic-Con and Arcana comics, as well as get a sneak peek at what’s in store, fans should make sure to like Arcana’s Facebook Page and follow on Twitter: @arcanastudio

About Arcana Studios
Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, with over 250 original intellectual properties, hundreds of graphic novels, thousands of comic issues and a massive ever-growing library of characters. Taking a transmedia approach to brand building and storytelling, Arcana publishes graphic novels monthly in print and digitally distributes as well. Arcana has begun to extend their worlds and intellectual properties into live action feature films, animated features and episodic television series. Arcana Studio Inc. remains independent of major entertainment studio affiliation.

About Gene Simmons
Rock legend, TV star, multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, writer, lecturer, and guest of financial and newsprograms, Gene Simmons is one of the world’s most recognized personalities.  With millions of fans on Twitter and Facebook and speaking five languages including, English, Hebrew, Hungarian, German, some Japanese and intending to learn Mandarin, Gene Simmons is the personification of today’s globally connected citizen and the ideal spokesperson for Ortsbo.

Simmons co-founded the legendary KISS over 38 years ago.  The band has sold over 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide, and continues to sell out stadiums and arenas around the world, breaking box-office records set by Elvis and the Beatles, and boasting over 3,000 licensed / merchandise items.

In addition to performing, Mr. Simmons has his own record company, Simmons / Universal Music, a joint venture between Universal Music and Belinda Stronach.  He also discovered, signed, and produced the demo for Van Halen, and has managed the music career of Liza Minnelli, among others.

Outside of his music business endeavors, Mr. Simmons expanded his artistic explorations in the areas of TV and film.  He has his own realty show on A&E, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, now in its seventh year of production, making it the longest running celebrity reality show of all time. He has also completed two seasons of his other show, Gene Simmons’ Rock School, for VH-1.  In addition he created the show Mr. Romance for Oxygen, as well as his own cartoon, My Dad the Rock Star, for Nickelodeon’s NickToons.

As an actor, Simmons has co-starred in several motion pictures, among them Runaway (TriStar), Wanted: Dead or Alive (New World), and Extract (Miramax).  He also served as co-producer of New Line Films’ Detroit Rock City.

Mr. Simmons is a Co-Founding Partner in CoolSpringsLife.com, a venture that provides estate planning for high net worth individuals exceeding $20 Million.

Other entrepreneurial accomplishments include his own book imprint, Simmons / Phoenix books, which published his NY Times Best Seller, SEX MONEY KISS, the LA Times Best Seller, LADIES OF THE NIGHT and the upcoming new book, GENE SIMMONS ART OF WAR and Mr. Simmons tours internationally on the lecture circuit.

Intrinsic was recently featured on ComicBooked.com, where they discuss many of the FCBD books for this year and have high hopes for Arcana’s Intrinsic! Read the entire run-down by CLICKING HERE.

“This is certainly one that fans of the Arcana line should jump on, as well as those of us who have had a passing interest in them. It’s your chance to see what they have and what they have coming up… If you are looking for something different than the regular stuff then I think this is a book you should check out. Even taking into consideration what I’ve just said, this book could easily be the doorway to a whole new universe of possibilities that any reader burnt out on the same old, same old could easily latch on to!”

Pick up a FREE copy of Intrinsic Issue 1 at your local comic book shop THIS SATURDAY, May 5th!

Also, be sure to pre-order a copy of Issue 2 now, which is available in Diamond Previews, order code MAY120836.

You can also print out THIS FLYER, had it to your local comic shop, and ask them to pre-order a copy.

Omnicomic.com recently got a hold of an advance preview of Intrinsic and liked what they saw! You can read the entire review by CLICKING HERE, but below is an excerpt from the review.

“The story by O’Reilly, Jones and Hendrix is interesting and galactic. They’re working to bring together a lot of characters in the Arcana universe and they do so pretty well. The issue will definitely be a who’s who for fans of Arcana who are familiar with their work. It’s also accessible to those who aren’t so familiar, as the main players are presented very cleanly and the issue clearly defines the good guys and bad guys…

The art and coloring by Otero and Chandran is very superhero oriented. That is, the characters very much have a comic book feel to them. There are a few panels that are essentially brawls that are done quite well and the comic overall has a bombastic color tone to it. It works for the story.

The Intrinsic #1 is a legitimate full issue, despite being released on Free Comic Book Day. That’s to say, it’s not a six-issue prequel or anything. It’s a solid first issue that really lays the groundwork for a potentially action-packed series that will bring plenty of Arcana favorites into play. It’s definitely worth checking out, both because of the story and because it’s free.”

Pick up a FREE copy of Intrinsic Issue 1 at your local comic book shop THIS SATURDAY, May 5th!

Also, be sure to pre-order a copy of Issue 2 now, which is available in Diamond Previews, order code MAY120836.

You can also print out THIS FLYER, had it to your local comic shop, and ask them to pre-order a copy.

Can’t wait for Free Comic Book Day to get your Arcana fix? Want to brush up on some of your favorite characters before you see them put through their paces in Intrinsic? Head over to ComiXology and buy some of your favorite graphic novels for half-off!

CLICK HERE FOR THE MAIN SALE PAGE.

ComiXology is having a three day sale, from today through May 3rd, and offering half-off of select Arcana Collected Editions.

We’re talking full graphic novels you can download for $2.99! KADE, CANDICE CROW, PHILOSOPHER REX, and KORE feature six of the main characters from this Saturday’s INTRINSIC!

EZRA: EGYPTIAN EXCHANGE
KORE
PHILOSOPHER REX
KADE: ORIGINAL SUN
KADE: PRODIGAL SUN
KADE: RED SUN
KADE: RISING SUN
KADE: SHIVA’S SUN
KADE: SUN OF PERDITION
CANDICE CROW
ARCANA TEAM-UP