San Diego, CA  (July 18, 2006) &ndash  The International Comic-Con kicks off this Thursday in San Diego, CA expecting increased attendance over the 104,000 individual attendees, pros and exhibitors in 2005, and the Christian Comic Arts Society (CCAS) along with many Christian companies are poised to make an impact on the event.
The Christian Comic Arts Society (CCAS) will once again host the annual &ldquoSunday Meeting&rdquo on July 23, 10:30am-12:00pm, Room 4. The meeting will be kicked off with a message by Mr. Clint deRon Johnson (Faithwalker, CVQ Quarterly Magazine) to be followed by a Sunday Panel discussion on the topic of "Christian Biographical Subject Matter in Comics". Panelists include: Don Ensign (Tell Your Story business), Robert Flores (Broken), Christine Kerrick (Diary of Hope), and Robert Leudke (Acts of the Apostles), and moderated by Scott A. Shuford (FrontGate Media) to be followed by a Q&A session.
4   CCAS will be present on the San Diego Comic Con exhibit floor again this year for the 10th year in a row.  The booth will feature new books by Alec Stevens, Christine Kerrick, Buzz Dixon, Don Ensign, Robert Flores, and Robert Leudke. CCAS will be conducting a daily contest giveaway for each of the 4 days, as well as giving away evangelistic tracts and booklets.  CCAS will be located in the Small Press area at booth R7.
4   ALIAS COMICS, a leader with the all-ages comic series audience, is making its second appearance at the 2006 San Diego Comic Con.  Alias will be featuring the creators and art teams from Atomik Mike, Chrono Mechanics, and Lullaby.  Kevin Grevioux, creator and star of the Underworld motion picture series, will be in attendance as well with his new titles ALIVS REX and TOY BOX.  ALIAS will be announcing plans to begin work on a new Angel Wars series, based upon the popular Christian children&rsquos video series of the same name.  There will be a giveaway poster of the Angel Wars concept available at the ALIAS booth, #1115.
4   SERENITY, the world’s first inspirational manga series from a major publisher, is catching on and outselling its general market counterparts. Created by Realbuzz Studios, Inc., co-founded by Buzz Dixon (G.I. Joe, Transformers, Tiny Toons), SERENITY is the story of an unhappy girl who finds a happy ending. Sales of SERENITY, nearly triple that of the current bestselling manga titles, have enjoyed success due, in part, to the crossover appeal of the books. "Even in the secular manga community, the sales of SERENITY have been very significant," said Buzz Dixon.  Stan Lee (Spiderman, X-Men, the Hulk) called SERENITY "a clean, inspiring Christian comic done in a hip, contemporary way." Barbour Publishing has recently signed Realbuzz Studios to the creation of twelve more inspirational manga titles for girls. The Hits & Misses series, Goofyfoot Gurl series and Life! Camera! Action! Starring Serenity series will release Early 2007.   For more information, see www.serenitybuzz.com.
4   WESTBOW PRESS, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, recently collaborated with ALIAS COMICS to produce a graphic novel version of the first few chapters of Ted Dekker&rsquos new novel, Saint, which is scheduled for a Fall 2006 release.  Over 200,000 copies of the promotional comic were produced for nationwide distribution.  WESTBOW and ALIAS are distributing 4,000 copies at the San Diego Comic Con, available at booth #1115.
4   INFUZE ONLINE MAGAZINE is debuting its new comics portal (http://comics.infuzemag.com.) Created by Infuze Magazine online as a one-stop homepage for everything you ever want to know about comic books, the site features all the latest news, press releases from every major publisher, previews of upcoming issues, monthly solicits, reviews, and much more. Infuze Comics also has great relations with every Christian Comics publisher and includes their news releases and previews – many of which you won’t find anywhere else — in its daily, up-to-the-minute news blog created by Editor In Chief Robin Parrish.
4   UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc), the largest independent African American media firm and the leader in independent (non-affiliated) urban Christian and positive media content for over 35 years, announces the launch of The Guardian Line. This faith-based comic book series includes a multi-cultural cast and is the superbly styled result of the combined resources of UMI and creator of The Guardian Line Michael Davis.  Visit Comic Con booth #2145. For more information: www.TheGuardianLine.com.    
4   HOLLYWOODJESUS.COM is sending its editor-in-chief to this year’s Comic-Con in order to expand the site’s existing coverage. "We’re excited about the spiritual conversation comics has with our culture," said Rick Bonn, editor-in-chief. "So we’ll be looking for new talent, new product, and renewing our decade-long commitment to showcasing the spiritual nature of comics." HJ’s latest comic reviews can be found at  http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/comix.cfm. 
4   Covering the Christian Comics Explosion, The 2006 Guide to Christian Comics is the third annual survey of the burgeoning field of Christian comics, manga, graphic novels, web comics and books. The Guide is an easy-to-use, one stop resource for information about comics, web sites, publishers and creators as well as key events. The resource is a Christian Comic Arts Society publication produced by Don Ensign and Steve MacDonald. For further details go to www.christiancomicarts.com or www.christiancomicbooks.net. This information-packed publication is available exclusively at the Christian Comic Arts Society table (Small Press R7). Hear Don at the Panel Discussion on Sunday.
4   Following the success of the ministry&rsquos first International Christian Comics Competition in 2005, COMlX35 has launched three new competitions: the Animations for Web & Mobile Devices Competition (deadline: 13 September 2006), el Concurso de historietas Cristianas en español (plazo
4   BUBBLEMAG, the Christian lifestyle magazine for youth ages 13-20+, features a seven page sampling of David: The Shepherd&rsquos Song, by Royden Lepp from Community Comics.  The publication has decided to regularly feature some of the best in Christian comics, and presents stories to youth from a straight Biblical perspective.  &ldquoOur goal was to take Christian artists and athletes and remove them from the pedestals they are usually placed upon.  We want to know about their ministry and what it is like to serve Jesus in their unique way.&rdquo according to Editor Nino Camilo. More pages and the complete articles can be found on www.bubblemag.com. Issues of Bubblemag will be distributed at the Alias Booth, #1115.
4   Capitalizing on the success of Eye Witness Book One: A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth, Head Press Publishing announces the release of the second book in the series which is helping to pioneer a new genre in publishing: the Christian-themed graphic novel.  Eye Witness Book Two: Acts of the Spirit interweaves a modern action-adventure story with events from the Bible.  With this release, the Eye Witness trilogy is now the first nationally distributed Christian-themed graphic novel series.  Having spent nearly 40 years as a skeptic of Christianity and the Church, author/illustrator Robert Luedke sees this new genre as a powerful tool for sharing the message of the Bible with young readers in an entertaining and culturally relevant format.  For more information, please contact
4   New Autobiographical Book by Robert Flores Broken, The Rebellion and Redemption of a Discontented Artist is the story of a young artist’s search to find the meaning of life. In this testimony, Robert Flores tells of the events and circumstances that led him to the person of Jesus Christ. Beginning at age 15, Robert began a journey that would transform his art, his relationships and the rest of his life.  Recommended for teen readers and up. This book will be available at the San Diego Comic Con at CCAS’ table at R7. 96 pages. Includes sketchbook. See www.bibleartbooks.com for more info. Hear Robert at the Panel Discussion on Sunday.
4   From Christine Kerrick’s Empire comic book series, Diary of Hope, comes the story of the end of the world-straight from someone who has a front row seat. Page by illustrated page, Hope tells her diary of her search for the truth that could save her amidst the worsening world situation. But is she too late? There are only two sides. There is no middle ground. There is nowhere to hide. For more information, see www.christinekerrick.com.  Hear Christine at the Panel Discussion on Sunday.
4   WOWIO, a new, free ebook download site, has just announced it will be including comics in its offerings. WOWIOCOMICS.COM features a brief comic, press release, and sign-up for WOWIO.COM, which will be launching in August 2006.  WOWIO will offer full PDF downloads of books and comics, which will contain targeted advertising to registered users.  More will be announced at the San Diego Comic Con at the WOWIO booth, #1115. There will be demonstrations and free WOWIO T-Shirts, and a free comic book will be given away to anyone who signs up for the WOWIO mailing list.          
"I don’t say this very often, but God is clearly moving aggressively into this area of entertainment," states Scott A. Shuford, Founder/CEO of FrontGate® Media. "I’ve been watching this area for three years. It feels like the beginning of a Passion-like student movement but within the comics world."
ABOUT CCAS:
The Christian Comic Arts Society (CCAS) was formed in 1984 to locate and link Christians who are interested or active in the comic book/strip medium. It sponsors Alpha Omega, the APA of Christian comics and Christian comic displays at various comic conventions across the country.  The Goal and Purpose of CCAS is to support Christian professionals, hopefuls and enthusiasts within the Comic Book and related industries, accomplishing that by providing opportunities for the following: 1. The sharing of the Christian message and our Christian and our Christian faith, primarily within and through the comic book industry and art form. 2. Mentoring, training, friendship and networking. 3. The collaboration on and creation of visual storytelling.
For more information on the Christian Comic Arts Society, go to: www.christiancomicarts.com.  For more information on the San Diego Comic Con, go to: www.comic-con.org.
# # #
About FrontGate® Media:
FrontGate® Media creates customized campaigns connecting organizations directly with their desired target audiences, saving time and money for companies with a desire to reach the Christian consumer through an exclusive family of market-leading emedia, print media and events in which every vehicle is a leader in reaching their audience.  FrontGate® Media serves as &ldquoYour Gateway to the Christian AudienceSM.&rdquo
Additional information about FrontGate® Media and services the company provides, as well as information about promotion through Alias, Bubblemag, and Infuze can be found online at www.frontgatemedia.com or by calling 949.206.9806.