Leading Entertainment Company Unveils FIVE Groundbreaking New Publishing Initiatives
New York, NY—February 7th, 2013—This March, Marvel Entertainment takes Austin, Texas by storm in its monumental second appearance at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival with the Marvel: House of Ideas panel at SXSW Gaming Expo! In this must-see event on Sunday, March 10th at 1pm (CST) on the GEEK stage at the Palmer Events Center, Axel Alonso (Editor in Chief, Marvel Entertainment) and Peter Phillips (SVP & GM, Marvel Digital Media Group) unveil Marvel’s new initiatives that will redefine the world of comics as you know it with not one, but FIVE innovative can’t-miss announcements. Best of all, this event is free and open to the public, so everyone can be on hand to see Marvel’s newest game-changing innovations featuring all your favorite Super Heroes—Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and more!
“We’re excited to return to SXSW as we take the Marvel ReEvolution to the next level with a quintet of announcements this year, leading us into the future of digital publishing,” said Dan Buckley, Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. “We’re big believers that we can combine the best of print and digital media to bring fans the ultimate comic book experience—that’s the heart of the Marvel ReEvolution. And if you’re at SXSW Interactive this year, you’ll be the first to find out just how Marvel’s changing everything you thought you knew possible about comics, forever.”
Since the launch of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited in 2007, the first major digital comics program in industry history, Marvel has been on the forefront of digital comics publishing. After becoming the first major publisher to offer single issue sales in 2009, Marvel has continued to expand its digital comics offerings to numerous platforms, with an unrivaled library of award-winning storytelling. Marvel also became the first comics company to offer free digital copies with select print issues and comic shop coupons with the purchase of a digital comic. In 2012, Marvel Entertainment became the first major comics publisher to attend SXSW, announcing such landmark initiatives as Marvel Infinite Comics and Marvel AR (Marvel’s augmented reality app).
“The strength of Marvel’s characters and their stories make for a perfect convergence with SXSW Gaming Expo’s gaming, geek and comic book culture. We’re looking forward to a bigger presence and more announcements from the GEEK stage this year,” said Matthew Crump, SXSW Gaming Expo Event Coordinator.
After the Marvel: House of Ideas panel concludes, fans in attendance will receive a limited edition Age of Ultron #1 SXSW Variant Cover (while supplies last) and a chance to have it signed by Alonso in a special Marvel signing session.
“Marvel’s fans are the best in the world—bar none—and we can wait to see them turn out in huge numbers once more at SXSW” said Alonso. “Last year Marvel brought you an all new digital format with Infinite Comics and a new way to experience comics with Marvel AR—and this year we’ve planned even bigger surprises!”
Stay tuned to www.marvel.com and www.sxswgaming.com for more details on the Marvel: House of Ideas panel and Marvel’s plans for SXSW. Join the conversation on Twitter using #MarvelSXSW!