Arrow Publications, publishers of the online romance novel website MyRomanceStory.com, today announced the "Forever After" Romance Short Story Contest. The contest invites readers to continue one of the site's romance novellas to win cash and prizes.
"You know, something as simple as 'the end' should not get in the way of a good romance," said Patricia White, publisher. "So we thought, why not let our readers continue their favorite novella and let us know what happens during the 'they lived happily forever' after part?"
Contestants are invited to pick any of the MyRomanceStory.com's online romance novellas and write about what happens next in the character's lives. Did they encounter bumps along their road to romance? Did they truly spend the rest of their lives happily together or did the passion fizzle? Were the characters living secret lives we didn't know about in the original novella? Who knows? "We want our readers to tell us," said White.
"This is a wonderful way for someone who would like to become a romance novel writer to get their foot in the door and receive some valuable feedback," said White. "We'll be judging the stories on creativity, faithfulness to the original story and characters, strength and appeal of the romantic elements, and the overall writing."
Submissions are due August 31, 2008, and must be between 2,000-2,500 words. The story line should focus on the challenges the couple face after the novella ends, and what circumstances occur to fortify their love for each other. The writer of the winning story will receive $250 in cash, a $25 gift package, a two-year subscription to MyRomanceStory.com, and a written critique by one of the sites' editors on another of the writer's short stories or a sample chapter from a novel.
Cash prizes will also be awarded for the 2nd through 4th place winners and 10 honorable mentions. In addition, visitors to the site can read all qualified submissions and vote for their favorites. The top vote-getter will receive the Reader’s Pick prize valued at $25.
To enter visit www.MyRomanceStory.com/foreverAfter/. All qualifying submissions will be posted on the site.
About MyRomanceStory.com:
MyRomanceStory.com, the premier online romance graphic novella site, is published by Arrow Publications, LLC, a 24-year old Potomac, MD corporation. In addition to graphic novellas, MyRomanceStory.com features lifestyle columns, book reviews, online shopping, a reader blog and quarterly newsletters. The site is enjoyed by millions of readers worldwide.
Janet Hetherington's Eternal Romance comic stories have been serialized on MyRomanceStory.com as well as her novella, "Dangerous Seductions."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
2008 Comic Book Challenge chooses MONSTER LOVE by Janet Hetherington
MONSTER LOVE is on the loose!
Janet Hetherington's newest comics creation, MONSTER LOVE, has been selected as a Top 50 entry inPlatinum Studios' 2008 Comic Book Challenge.
The Top 50 entry winners were announced July 2, 2008 by Platinum Studios, Inc. Janet is very excited to have her supernatural comedy, MONSTER LOVE, tobe a contender in this year's competition.
MONSTER LOVE tells the story of telephone psychic hotline operators PORTENT,GO-GO THE GORGON and SYRENE THE SEA SIREN, a.k.a. THE PSYCHIC FIENDS, whosebusiness is facing bankruptcy. College student HILLARY SU – nicknamedQUILLARY because she breaks out in spiky quills whenever she thinks aboutboys – comes knocking at their door looking for help with her love life, andopportunity comes knocking too. THE PSYCHIC FIENDS decide to retool andrebrand as a dating service for real monsters, calling themselves MONSTER LOVE.
Janet is no stranger to comics about paranormal paramours and dating horrorstories. She is the creator of ETERNAL ROMANCE, a self-publishedsupernatural comic book series that parodied 1950s-70s love comics andearned a place in Trina Robbins' book, "The Great Women Cartoonists." Janet also wrote stories for ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK (Claypool Comics) for six years.
"The Comic Book Challenge is an excellent venue to showcase comics from awide variety of genres," Janet says. "I love writing and drawing humor, andobviously I love writing and drawing comics with a supernatural and romanceangle. However, MONSTER LOVE is quite different from ETERNAL ROMANCE,because those comics were presented as a collection of short tales with ahorror hostess, Destine. MONSTER LOVE has been designed, right from thebeginning, as a complete, engaging story with a beginning, middle and end –and the story really takes off after the three pages submitted to the ComicBook Challenge."
Things have changed a lot since Janet self-published ETERNAL ROMANCE inblack-and-white in 1997.
"Color! The advance of digital comics andtechnology has given me the ability to produce MONSTER LOVE in color, and tooffer image uploads to various websites," Janet says. Janet intends topromote her MONSTER LOVE submission on various sites including her own (http://www.best-destiny.com/), as well here on as JanetinBloggerland, http://www.popcultureaddict.com/, Facebook, YouTube and other sites.
In fact, Janet has created a dedicated website, http://www.monsterlovebuzz.com/, to showcase MONSTER LOVE.
Being chosen as a Top 50 entrant is just the first step in the process. Next, Janet must create a three-minute video pitch to submit online forjudging. The panel of celebrity judges will then review the video pitch andoriginal entry, and choose the Top 10 entrants based on the submissions. TheTop 50 entrants have until July 31 to create their own, unique video pitch.Complete contest information is available at http://www.comicbookchallenge.com/.
Janet also plans to create a separate MONSTER LOVE short promotional video, featuring music by Ottawa composer Derek Audette, to show on YouTube.
If MONSTER LOVE is selected as a Top 10 entrant, the competition then movesto online voting in August. "This is why it's so important that I promote mycreation straight out of the gate – so people will be psyched up to see MONSTER LOVE as a comic book – and when the time comes, to vote, vote vote!" Janet enthuses.
Janet will be attending both Comic-Con International in San Diego andFanExpo in Toronto.
Janet Hetherington's newest comics creation, MONSTER LOVE, has been selected as a Top 50 entry inPlatinum Studios' 2008 Comic Book Challenge.
The Top 50 entry winners were announced July 2, 2008 by Platinum Studios, Inc. Janet is very excited to have her supernatural comedy, MONSTER LOVE, tobe a contender in this year's competition.
MONSTER LOVE tells the story of telephone psychic hotline operators PORTENT,GO-GO THE GORGON and SYRENE THE SEA SIREN, a.k.a. THE PSYCHIC FIENDS, whosebusiness is facing bankruptcy. College student HILLARY SU – nicknamedQUILLARY because she breaks out in spiky quills whenever she thinks aboutboys – comes knocking at their door looking for help with her love life, andopportunity comes knocking too. THE PSYCHIC FIENDS decide to retool andrebrand as a dating service for real monsters, calling themselves MONSTER LOVE.
Janet is no stranger to comics about paranormal paramours and dating horrorstories. She is the creator of ETERNAL ROMANCE, a self-publishedsupernatural comic book series that parodied 1950s-70s love comics andearned a place in Trina Robbins' book, "The Great Women Cartoonists." Janet also wrote stories for ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK (Claypool Comics) for six years.
"The Comic Book Challenge is an excellent venue to showcase comics from awide variety of genres," Janet says. "I love writing and drawing humor, andobviously I love writing and drawing comics with a supernatural and romanceangle. However, MONSTER LOVE is quite different from ETERNAL ROMANCE,because those comics were presented as a collection of short tales with ahorror hostess, Destine. MONSTER LOVE has been designed, right from thebeginning, as a complete, engaging story with a beginning, middle and end –and the story really takes off after the three pages submitted to the ComicBook Challenge."
Things have changed a lot since Janet self-published ETERNAL ROMANCE inblack-and-white in 1997.
"Color! The advance of digital comics andtechnology has given me the ability to produce MONSTER LOVE in color, and tooffer image uploads to various websites," Janet says. Janet intends topromote her MONSTER LOVE submission on various sites including her own (http://www.best-destiny.com/), as well here on as JanetinBloggerland, http://www.popcultureaddict.com/, Facebook, YouTube and other sites.
In fact, Janet has created a dedicated website, http://www.monsterlovebuzz.com/, to showcase MONSTER LOVE.
Being chosen as a Top 50 entrant is just the first step in the process. Next, Janet must create a three-minute video pitch to submit online forjudging. The panel of celebrity judges will then review the video pitch andoriginal entry, and choose the Top 10 entrants based on the submissions. TheTop 50 entrants have until July 31 to create their own, unique video pitch.Complete contest information is available at http://www.comicbookchallenge.com/.
Janet also plans to create a separate MONSTER LOVE short promotional video, featuring music by Ottawa composer Derek Audette, to show on YouTube.
If MONSTER LOVE is selected as a Top 10 entrant, the competition then movesto online voting in August. "This is why it's so important that I promote mycreation straight out of the gate – so people will be psyched up to see MONSTER LOVE as a comic book – and when the time comes, to vote, vote vote!" Janet enthuses.
Janet will be attending both Comic-Con International in San Diego andFanExpo in Toronto.
Comic Creators Set to Win Big in Platinum Studios’ The Comic Book Challenge 2008
Top 50 Announced Along with Prizes from Fandango, Genius Products, MashOn, Corel & Wacom
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Platinum Studios, Inc. (OTCBB:PDOS), an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 5,600 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, today announced the Top 50 contestants, as well as the first wave of prizes, for this year’s The Comic Book Challenge™ (www.comicbookchallenge.com), Platinum Studios’ international contest for aspiring comic book writers and artists. Prizes from Fandango, Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB:GNPI), Planetwide Media’s MashOn.com, Corel and Wacom will be awarded to the Top 50 entrants selected in this year’s contest. The complete list of the Top 50 can be found on The Comic Book Challenge website.
The Top 50 entrants, who include people from as far away as India, Singapore and Argentina, will now submit video pitches which will be judged by a celebrity panel of industry and Hollywood insiders at a secret location in early August. Platinum Studios will sign the winner to a publishing deal, which will include print, online and mobile. In addition, the company will seek opportunities both to develop the property for film and television as well as to create a licensing and merchandising program.
“Moving the contest completely online this year opened it up to many more people, truly making this a worldwide event in which anyone can participate,” said Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Studios. “And the wide geographic diversity of the Top 50 is a testament to that.”
“It’s well-known that comic fans are among the most passionate moviegoers – so Fandango is excited to be a part of The Comic Book Challenge™,” says Fandango Vice President of Marketing Ted Hong. “Fans have told us that the summer’s most anticipated films have comic book origins - IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, HELLBOY 2, WANTED and THE DARK KNIGHT. We hope that we are contributing to discovering the next great comic book talent.”
"We're very excited and proud, once again, to be sponsors of Platinum Studios' The Comic Book Challenge™ 2008," said Philippe Benoliel, CEO of MashON.com. "The Comic Book Challenge™ brings together the best and brightest comic artists and gives them an opportunity to become the next generation's comic book stars. With our MashON Comic Book Creator, we hope to attract more talent to the vibrant world of comic books by making the creation process accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds and helping them to share their creation."
“Wacom is excited to be a sponsor of this year’s The Comic Book Challenge™,” said Don Varga, Senior Product Manager for Wacom. “Our Intuos pen tablets and Cintiq interactive pen displays are the tools of choice for many of today’s top comic artists and animators, allowing them to creatively sketch, ink and color in a digital format.”
The winning entry from last year’s The Comic Book Challenge™, Gunplay by Jorge Vega, was released by Platinum Studios Comics as a graphic novel in April 2008 to critical review and fanfare.
Please visit www.ComicBookChallenge.com for full details on the Top 50 entrants, the prize packages and all of the updates on The Comic Book Challenge™ 2008.
About Platinum Studios, Inc. (http://www.platinumstudios.com)
Platinum Studios (OTCBB:PDOS) is an entertainment company that controls an international library of comic book characters from all over the world, which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media including print, film, online, mobile/wireless, gaming, and merchandising. Platinum Studios' library contains more than 5,600 characters spanning a full range of genres and styles, and also includes properties such as www.DrunkDuck.com, the industry's preeminent webcomics community. Working with leading companies in the entertainment and new media sectors, Platinum believes it is well positioned to emerge as one of the front-runners in the creation of new content across all media platforms.
To learn more about the company and to sign up for our newsletter, visit www.platinumstudios.com.
Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement
Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Although expected, actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectation of Platinum Studios and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting Platinum Studios and its operations; its markets, products, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently, and other factors detailed in reports filed by Platinum Studios with the SEC.
About Corel Corporation (www.corel.com)
Corel is at heart a creative company. We believe in the power of choice, the freedom of self-expression. By offering a comprehensive choice of Photo, Video & DVD, Illustration & Design and Office & Utilities software, we put the tools at your fingertips to help you creatively express yourself. Corel market leading product for illustrators is Corel Painter™ X, which mimics traditional painting and illustration better than any other software. Its unique digital brushes, art materials and textures help artists achieve the perfect composition, color palette and brush stroke. Ideal for professional artists, designers and photographers, it's a complete digital art studio.
About Planetwide Media’s MashOn (www.mashon.com)
MashOn.com is an exciting and unique web based suite of tools which allows users of all ages to combine their own photos, videos and sounds with premium licensed content, to easily create engaging, multimedia comic strips and animated novels. The resulting mashup can be shared with friends via email or posted to popular social networks using the MashON widgets, thereby maximizing brand awareness through exposure of the content and creating an immersive advertising environment.
About Wacom (www.wacom.com)
Founded in 1983, Wacom® revolutionized the nature of digital creativity when it introduced the world’s first cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen. Today, Wacom’s Cintiq® 21UX interactive pen display and its Intuos®3 family of pen tablets provide photographers, designers, and artists with the ultimate platforms to enhance creative control, comfort, and productivity.
About Genius Products
Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB:GNPI - News), along with The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC, together owns Genius Products, LLC, a leading independent home-entertainment distribution company that produces, licenses and distributes a valuable library of motion pictures, television programming, family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on DVD and other emerging platforms through its expansive network of retailers throughout the U.S. Genius handles the distribution, marketing and sales for such brands as Animal Planet, Asia Extreme™, Discovery Kids, Dragon Dynasty™, Dimension Films™, Entertainment Rights group companies (Entertainment Rights, Classic Media and Big Idea), ESPN®, IFC®, RHI Entertainment™, Sesame Workshop®, TLC, The Weinstein Company® and WWE®. Genius Products, Inc. is the managing member of Genius Products, LLC, in which it holds a 30% equity interest.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Platinum Studios, Inc. (OTCBB:PDOS), an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 5,600 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, today announced the Top 50 contestants, as well as the first wave of prizes, for this year’s The Comic Book Challenge™ (www.comicbookchallenge.com), Platinum Studios’ international contest for aspiring comic book writers and artists. Prizes from Fandango, Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB:GNPI), Planetwide Media’s MashOn.com, Corel and Wacom will be awarded to the Top 50 entrants selected in this year’s contest. The complete list of the Top 50 can be found on The Comic Book Challenge website.
The Top 50 entrants, who include people from as far away as India, Singapore and Argentina, will now submit video pitches which will be judged by a celebrity panel of industry and Hollywood insiders at a secret location in early August. Platinum Studios will sign the winner to a publishing deal, which will include print, online and mobile. In addition, the company will seek opportunities both to develop the property for film and television as well as to create a licensing and merchandising program.
“Moving the contest completely online this year opened it up to many more people, truly making this a worldwide event in which anyone can participate,” said Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Studios. “And the wide geographic diversity of the Top 50 is a testament to that.”
“It’s well-known that comic fans are among the most passionate moviegoers – so Fandango is excited to be a part of The Comic Book Challenge™,” says Fandango Vice President of Marketing Ted Hong. “Fans have told us that the summer’s most anticipated films have comic book origins - IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, HELLBOY 2, WANTED and THE DARK KNIGHT. We hope that we are contributing to discovering the next great comic book talent.”
"We're very excited and proud, once again, to be sponsors of Platinum Studios' The Comic Book Challenge™ 2008," said Philippe Benoliel, CEO of MashON.com. "The Comic Book Challenge™ brings together the best and brightest comic artists and gives them an opportunity to become the next generation's comic book stars. With our MashON Comic Book Creator, we hope to attract more talent to the vibrant world of comic books by making the creation process accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds and helping them to share their creation."
“Wacom is excited to be a sponsor of this year’s The Comic Book Challenge™,” said Don Varga, Senior Product Manager for Wacom. “Our Intuos pen tablets and Cintiq interactive pen displays are the tools of choice for many of today’s top comic artists and animators, allowing them to creatively sketch, ink and color in a digital format.”
The winning entry from last year’s The Comic Book Challenge™, Gunplay by Jorge Vega, was released by Platinum Studios Comics as a graphic novel in April 2008 to critical review and fanfare.
Please visit www.ComicBookChallenge.com for full details on the Top 50 entrants, the prize packages and all of the updates on The Comic Book Challenge™ 2008.
About Platinum Studios, Inc. (http://www.platinumstudios.com)
Platinum Studios (OTCBB:PDOS) is an entertainment company that controls an international library of comic book characters from all over the world, which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media including print, film, online, mobile/wireless, gaming, and merchandising. Platinum Studios' library contains more than 5,600 characters spanning a full range of genres and styles, and also includes properties such as www.DrunkDuck.com, the industry's preeminent webcomics community. Working with leading companies in the entertainment and new media sectors, Platinum believes it is well positioned to emerge as one of the front-runners in the creation of new content across all media platforms.
To learn more about the company and to sign up for our newsletter, visit www.platinumstudios.com.
Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement
Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Although expected, actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectation of Platinum Studios and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting Platinum Studios and its operations; its markets, products, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently, and other factors detailed in reports filed by Platinum Studios with the SEC.
About Corel Corporation (www.corel.com)
Corel is at heart a creative company. We believe in the power of choice, the freedom of self-expression. By offering a comprehensive choice of Photo, Video & DVD, Illustration & Design and Office & Utilities software, we put the tools at your fingertips to help you creatively express yourself. Corel market leading product for illustrators is Corel Painter™ X, which mimics traditional painting and illustration better than any other software. Its unique digital brushes, art materials and textures help artists achieve the perfect composition, color palette and brush stroke. Ideal for professional artists, designers and photographers, it's a complete digital art studio.
About Planetwide Media’s MashOn (www.mashon.com)
MashOn.com is an exciting and unique web based suite of tools which allows users of all ages to combine their own photos, videos and sounds with premium licensed content, to easily create engaging, multimedia comic strips and animated novels. The resulting mashup can be shared with friends via email or posted to popular social networks using the MashON widgets, thereby maximizing brand awareness through exposure of the content and creating an immersive advertising environment.
About Wacom (www.wacom.com)
Founded in 1983, Wacom® revolutionized the nature of digital creativity when it introduced the world’s first cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen. Today, Wacom’s Cintiq® 21UX interactive pen display and its Intuos®3 family of pen tablets provide photographers, designers, and artists with the ultimate platforms to enhance creative control, comfort, and productivity.
About Genius Products
Genius Products, Inc. (OTCBB:GNPI - News), along with The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC, together owns Genius Products, LLC, a leading independent home-entertainment distribution company that produces, licenses and distributes a valuable library of motion pictures, television programming, family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on DVD and other emerging platforms through its expansive network of retailers throughout the U.S. Genius handles the distribution, marketing and sales for such brands as Animal Planet, Asia Extreme™, Discovery Kids, Dragon Dynasty™, Dimension Films™, Entertainment Rights group companies (Entertainment Rights, Classic Media and Big Idea), ESPN®, IFC®, RHI Entertainment™, Sesame Workshop®, TLC, The Weinstein Company® and WWE®. Genius Products, Inc. is the managing member of Genius Products, LLC, in which it holds a 30% equity interest.
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