Eisner Award Nominee Julian Totino Tedesco's Variant Cover of Robert Kirkman's ‘‘The Walking Dead #1’’ Debuts at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY
-- May 17, 2013 -- Argentine artist Julian Totino Tedesco will draw the third in a
series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead #1 comic
for Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 - June 2, it was announced
today by Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics.
The covers proved to be extremely popular at Portland Comic Con in February and
St. Louis Comic Con in March, celebrating the groundbreaking, Eisner
Award-winning comic book series.
Tedesco
will be on hand at the Pennsylvania Convention Center throughout the event to
sign copies of the limited-edition comic, produced in extremely limited
quantities and available to fans only while supplies last. The first two
covers were illustrated by Michael Golden (Portland) and Arthur Suydam (St.
Louis). A different superstar artist will draw the variant cover art for
each of the five remaining scheduled Wizard World shows this year. Neal
Adams is drawing the cover for the NYC Experience (June 28-30), and more cover artists
will be announced shortly.
Independent third-party comic
book grading service CGC, a leader in the industry, will accept TWD #1 variant
and Signature Series (must have a CGC witness) submissions at its Wizard World
Philadelphia Comic Con exhibitor booth.
Norman Reedus ("Daryl
Dixon"), Michael Rooker ("Merle Dixon") and Jon Bernthal
("Shane Walsh"), stars of the AMC series based upon The Walking Dead, will
attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con. Comics legend Stan Lee,
"Firefly" and
Serenity headliners Gina Torres and Summer Glau, John Barrowman of
"Torchwood" and WWE® Superstar John Cena® are among the other top
celebrity guests scheduled to appear. They will be joined by a top-drawer
collection of well-known artists and a variety of activities, exhibitors and
special attractions in the third event on Wizard World's 2013 calendar and one
of its flagship shows.
The Walking Dead graphic
novels accounted for seven of the 10 bestselling titles of the year and were #1
overall for both 2011 and 2012.
Wizard World Philadelphia Comic
Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTC.BB: WIZD), will bring together
thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture,
movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming,
original art, collectibles, contests and more. Admission is free for kids 10
and under, and Sunday, June 2, is "Kids Day," an array of programming
specially designed for children. Event hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.;
Friday, May 31, noon - 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday,
June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
About Robert Kirkman:
Robert Kirkman's success and
passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person
invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception
twenty years ago. Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead,
long-running Invincible, all-ages Super
Dinosaur and Thief
of Thieves. In 2010, Kirkman formed his own Image imprint,
Skybound, which publishes his own work and Witch
Doctor, Invincible Universe and Clone.
Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities
and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and
2012. In April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and
paperback lists. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit
Emmy®-winning television show, AMC's The
Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in
the U.S, also an international success in 122 countries and 37 languages. Your
destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all
Skybound titles are www.Skybound.com
and www.TheWalkingDead.com.
About Skybound:
Skybound is the home of Robert
Kirkman's creator-owned work including his Eisner Award-winning comic book
series, The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur,
Thief of Thieves and Clone as well as Witch Doctor and Invincible Universe.
Since its inception, Skybound has created television shows, merchandise and a
wide spectrum of platforms, games (The Walking Dead: Assault iOS app), and
entertainment events (The Walking Dead Escape). Skybound's successes include
the comic behind the hit Emmy®-winning television show, AMC's The Walking Dead,
the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an
international success in 122 countries and 37 languages. Skybound/Kirkman
frequently top the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. Your destinations
for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all
Skybound titles are www.Skybound.com
and www.TheWalkingDead.com.
About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons
and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels,
comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking.
The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers,
and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.
***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES
*****
May 30 - June 2 - Wizard
World Philadelphia Comic Con
June 28-30 - Wizard World New
York City Experience
August 8-11 - Wizard World
Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 - Wizard World
Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 - Wizard World
Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 - Wizard World
Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 - Wizard
World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 - Wizard World
New Orleans Comic Con
April 4-6, 2014 - Wizard World
St. Louis Comic Con
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Media Contacts:
Jerry Milani, Wizard World,
646-380-2479, pr@wizardworld.com
Jim DeLorenzo (Philadelphia),
215-266-5843, jim@jhdenterprises.com
Brenda Feldman, Robert Kirkman and Skybound, FeldmanPR1@gmail.com