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Rest in Peace Richard Herd

5/29/2020

Actor Richard Herd died on May 26, 2020. He was 87 years old. Herd was the ultimate character actor, having portrayed a number of science fiction related roles, including Supreme Commander John in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and its sequel a year later; the Klingon L'Kor on Star Trek: The Next Generation; Admiral William Noyce on seaQuest 2032; and Admiral Owen Paris on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Renegades.
Herd was a painter and a founding member of The Enterprise Blues Band, made up of castmembers from various Star Trek series. The group released the albums Enterprise Blues and Intergalactic Roots Music in 2004 and '05.
Herd died of cancer-related causes at his home in Los Angeles, his wife of 40 years, actress Patricia Crowder Herd, told The Hollywood Reporter. Survivors also include his daughter Erica, son Rick and stepdaughter Alicia.

Ruby Rose Leaving the Role of Batwoman

5/20/2020

Source: NewsaRama/ Batwoman actor Ruby Rose has announced her plans to leave the series, vacating the title role ahead of the currently in development second season, scheduled to premiere in 2021.
Rose issued a statement on her departure, though she did not spell out her reasons for leaving the show.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” reads Rose's statement, as reported in Variety. “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success – I am truly grateful.”

“Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best,” said Warner Bros. TV, the CW and Berlanti Productions in a joint statement (also via Variety). “The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”

No details on who might take the now vacant role have been reported. CW's Mark Pedowitz recently stated CW's DC crossover for 2020 would bring Superman and Batwoman together.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian the Child Chia Pet!

5/4/2020

Now you can own your very own Chia Pet in the form of The Child from Disney's The Mandalorian. Entertainment Earth is taking preorders now for a July release. Here's the link: www.entertainmentearth.com/product/NCJE00944?id=GE-204120447

DC to Start Publishing New Comics April 28

4/18/2020

Source: Newsarama
DC comics has announced plans to release a limited amount of titles starting April 28, 2020. Those same titles will also be offered on DC's usual digital platforms.
This new era kicks off with three new issues (Daphne Byrne #4, The Dreaming #20, and Batman Giant #4), along with planned reprints of Batman #89, Nightwing #70.

On May 5, the main DC superhero line returns with Batman & The Outsiders #12, The Flash #753, The Green Lantern Season Two #3, Hawkman #23, along with House of Whispers #20 and Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #4. A facsimile edition of DC Super Stars #17 will also be released on this date. And then on May 12, expect Harley Quinn #72, Justice League #44, Justice League Odyssey #20, Lois Lane #10, and Metal Men #6. Notice that the release dates have been changed from the traditional Wednesdays to Tuesdays.

Here is DC's statement regarding distribution: "To assist with the immediate distribution of DC titles during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we've secured the assistance of two distributors to help facilitate orders of and shipping of our revised publishing schedule," DC told retailers in an email Friday afternoon. "Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors have agreed to work with us to distribute these new comics."

Newsarama has confirmed that Lunar and UCS are in fact newly-created sister companies to long-time mail-order comics giants Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS) and Midtown Comics, respectively. These two retailers are among the biggest Direct Market comic sellers, and Midtown has for years handled DC's subscription sales.

Major comic distributor Diamond Publishing has its own plans to restart shipping comics in May. How this all works for the typical 'Mom & Pop' comic shops has yet to be determined.

DC Virtual Backgrounds for your Media Conferences

4/11/2020

DC comic fans can download free background pictures that can be used during Zoom and other online media conferences. The backgrounds include several pictures of the Batcave, as well as Superman's Fortress of Solitude, Wonder Woman's Themyscira, and even Atlantis. No Green Lantern backgrounds...yet.
Check out these downloads at:
www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/04/01/dial-in-from-the-dc-universe-with-these-virtual-backgrounds

DIAMOND COMICS DISTRIBUTORS Ceases Receiving Products for Distribution Due to Coronavirus

3/25/2020

Source: NewsaRama
Diamond's founder Steve Geppi has issued an official statement confirming and explaining the decision to cease receiving new product from printers for distribution starting in April, and outlining the current timeframe for its change in operation.
Geppi's full statement follows below:

CORONAVIRUS EFFECTS ON DISTRIBUTION
As everyone knows, the world faces ever-increasing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its effects on the comics & collectibles and tabletop gaming industries have been felt far and wide. We are hearing from thousands of retailers that they can no longer service their customers as they have in the past, many of them forced to close by government action or resort to in-person or curbside delivery. Even those still open are seeing reduced foot traffic in most cases, a situation that seems likely to worsen with time.
Our publishing partners are also faced with numerous issues in their supply chain, working with creators, printers, and increasing uncertainty when it comes to the production and delivery of products for us to distribute. Our freight networks are feeling the strain and are already experiencing delays, while our distribution centers in New York, California, and Pennsylvania were all closed late last week. Our own home office in Maryland instituted a work from home policy, and experts say that we can expect further closures. Therefore, my only logical conclusion is to cease the distribution of new weekly product until there is greater clarity on the progress made toward stemming the spread of this disease.
EFFECTS ON DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS
Product distributed by Diamond and slated for an on-sale date of April 1st or later will not be shipped to retailers until further notice. For the time being, however, we have been able to develop procedures with our teams at the distribution center in Olive Branch, MS to safely continue fulfillment of direct ship reorders for the retailers who are able to receive new product and need it to service their customers. It’s unlikely that orders will be filled on the same day they are placed, and these plans are subject to change if at any point we no longer feel that we can safeguard our teams while fulfilling orders.
Product distributed by Diamond UK and slated for an on-sale date of March 25th or later will not be shipped to retailers until further notice. Further updates with regard to reorders and other Diamond UK-specific information will be communicated directly to their customers as information becomes available.
EFFECTS ON ALLIANCE GAME DISTRIBUTORS
Product distributed by Alliance has been shipping from our Fort Wayne, IN and Austin, TX warehouses. Both are closing at the end of the day on Tuesday, March 24th, in the interest of employee safety and to comply with direction from local governments. Any orders not shipped by that time will not be processed until further notice. Your dedicated sales team will still be working remotely and will help you with any orders you’d like to place today or questions you may have.
OUR SHARED PATH FORWARD
With these changes in our distribution strategy, we will work with our publishing partners to develop programs that will address product already in the pipeline and what will happen when we resume distribution. We know that during this time you will face many challenges, and we will direct our energies toward addressing them, rather than fighting on increasingly numerous fronts to get product out.
For those retailers who remain open in various forms, I encourage you let loose your own creativity. For the time being, you will be able to replenish your perennials from Diamond and/or Alliance, but you should also remember the stock you already have in your stores. If your doors remain open, it’s likely you will have customers who will continue to seek diversion from events of the world. Special sales, promotions, and even eBay can help you bring in cash during this trying time. Product for which you’ve already paid may well hold some of your answers. There have been many solid suggestions offered about how to help our retailers, and we will bring many of them together in future communications.
Besides the industry’s most immediate needs, we have been and will continue looking toward the future, when we see stores reopening, bringing staff back onboard, and getting customers in the door. We are looking at issues like debt accrued due to this crisis, what reduced ordering means for your discount tiers, and the availability of credit to help stores through and after this difficult time. We don’t have all those answers today, but we understand the many issues you are facing and look forward to addressing them as partners who all have an interest in the long-term health of the industry we love so much.
As I mentioned in my last update, this industry has been one of the greatest joys of my life, from my days as a collector to a retailer to today. I and my Leadership Team have made these decisions knowing full-well the effect they will have on all of you, as well as our publishing partners and our own team members around the world. At the end of the day, the safety and security of our teams and yours, along with the many customers we all serve, is paramount. I again thank you for your ongoing patience and support.
Thank You,
Steve Geppi
Chairman & CEO, Geppi Family Enterprises

Happy St. Patrick's Day From the RISFC!

3/17/2020

Trailer for Altered Carbon Anime Series on Netflix

3/11/2020

Vagrant Queen: New Series Premiering on SyFy

3/2/2020

The SyFy channel has a new show, 'Vagrant Queen', premiering Friday, March 27, 2020, at 10 pm. Based on the series by Vault Comics, it stars Adriyan Rae as Elida, Tim Rozon as Isaac, and Paul du Toit as the menacing Commander Lazaro.

Here's the official synopsis: Vagrant Queen follows Elida from child queen to orphaned outcast, as she scavenges the treacherous corners of the galaxy, always one step ahead of the Republic government out to extinguish her bloodline. When her old friend Isaac shows up claiming her mother Xevelyn is still alive, they head off with their new ally, Amae, to stage a rescue that will take her back into the perilous heart of her former kingdom and up against a deadly foe from her childhood, Commander Lazaro. Blue Ice Pictures is Producing the project.

Pics from SouthCoast Toy & Comic show in Swansea, MA

2/23/2020