At San Diego’s Comic-Con, the first insight to the movie was revealed by Marvel Studios, and remember to mark May 6, 2011 on your calendars as “Thor” storms into theaters!

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the epic adventure “Thor” spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

The screenplay for “Thor” was penned by Mark Protosevich as well as Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz, and Don Payne. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige will produce the film. Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, and Marvel Studio’s Co-President, Louis D’Esposito, will executive produce.

Second Life is a great case study in social media trends. First came the huge wave of hype in 2005-2006, when every marketer and his mother felt compelled to get into the pioneering virtual world created by Linden Labs, which was touted as the future of online virtual interaction. Then came the backlash, as self-identified “original” users bemoaned the influx of newbies and corporate brands, with some even engaging in acts of virtual terrorism. And then came the anticlimax: growth slowed dramatically, many newbies and marketers lost interest, and Second Life slipped from the headlines.

Last month it was back in the news, but for all the wrong reasons, when Linden laid off 30% of its workforce to consolidate operations in North America. This spurred speculation that the end of the (virtual) world was nigh, all firmly denied by the company’s bosses, who said Second Life is doing just fine, thanks. And while it’s hard to know what the future holds, Second Life does indeed appear to be surviving — even thriving. In fact, this may be the most instructive part of the social media story arc, because (like the World of Warcraft) it’s an example of an online social network reaching equilibrium, or “maturing.”

Social media watchers tend to focus obsessively on the number of users, and there’s no question that Second Life appears to have leveled off over the last year or so. From two million in 2005, the total number of members soared to 18 million this year, but only a small fraction of these are active users. Zooming in on active users, defined as those who log in several times a month to spend at least one hour on the site, the numbers increased from about 25,000 in 2005 to roughly 700,000 in 2009-2010. In 2010 there have been peaks and valleys (with the number of active users ranging from 680,000 in February to 820,000 in April) but that still puts it in the 700,000-750,000 range — stable, maybe even growing a little bit.

Long story short: after five years it’s clear that Second Life won’t be competing with Facebook, which recently crossed the 500 million mark. But I would argue that the number of active users is only half the story. The other half of the story is what those users are doing, how much time they spend doing it, and let’s not forget about money, money, money — how much are they spending online, and how much is Linden making?

Second Life’s relatively small user base logs an impressive number of hours on the site, and the total amount of time continues to increase. From 2008-2009 the number of active users increased 16% from 600,000 to 700,000, while the total number of hours logged increased 20% from 400 million to 480 million. In the second quarter of 2010 the total time spent increased 33% over the second quarter of 2009, to 126 million hours. Active users spend an average of 100 minutes on the site during each visit, and some of these people are crazy, with reports of hardcore users spending 12 hours a day or more in-world. According to the company, users create about 600 million words in text messages and other content every day.
Then there’s the money: Sales of virtual goods continue to increase at a remarkable pace, making Second Life one of the largest markets for virtual goods next to Zynga games like Farmville and Mafia Wars. Total dollars spent on virtual goods in Second Life increased steadily from $30 million in 2005 to $344 million in 2008, then jumped again to $567 million in 2009, and so far they are up about 30% year-over-year in 2010, putting the site on course for over $700 million. Not all of this goes into Linden’s pockets, of course: several analysts pegged Linden’s 2009 revenues at $80 million-$100 million, based on user fees, subscriptions, and land sales. I don’t know how much Linden spends on server costs for Second Life, so it’s hard to know if they’re turning a profit (maybe not, which would explain the layoffs).

But regardless of Linden’s profitability, all this is important because it suggests that the Second Life user base, while relatively small, is committed and heavily engaged with the site. Turning from Second Life to the larger marketplace, I think this is an important fact for marketers to bear in mind as they deal with the continuing — indeed, accelerating — proliferation of social media. Because reach and scale aren’t everything, especially online, where the audience is highly fragmented and likely to fragment further. In this arena a small, highly-engaged niche audience may be more valuable than a large, apparently indifferent one (Facebook, I’m looking in your direction).

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., (BUSINESS WIRE) — For more thanfive decades, Barbie(R) has inspired girls to dream, discover and explore a world without limits. Celebrating her 125th career this year, Barbie(R) kicks-off a global campaign to further inspire girls by partnering with The White House Project and Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation, as well as announcing today Barbie’s(R) “10 Women to Watch in 2010″ list. Additionally, for the first time, consumers can help select Barbie(R) doll’s 125th career by voting on www.Barbie.com/Vote and choosing from among Architect, Computer Engineer, Environmentalist, News Anchor or Surgeon. The winning 125th career will be unveiled on February 12th at New York Toy Fair.

“For more than 50 years Barbie has served as a reflection of fashion, culture and aspiration to girls of all ages. Barbie inspires girls to try on different careers, encouraging them to play out their dreams and explore the world and all of its possibilities,” said Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice President, Barbie Marketing. “We believe role-playing with Barbie leads to real life opportunities and are very proud to partner with organizations who continue to inspire girls and women with the belief and confidence that they can do anything.”

With more than 120 careers on her resume – spanning from registered nurse to rock star, veterinarian to aerobics instructor, pilot to police officer – Barbie(R) doll continues to take on aspirational and culturally relevant roles while also serving as a role model and agent of change for girls. She first broke the “plastic ceiling” in the 1960s when, as an astronaut, she went to space four years before man walked on the moon. In the ’80s she took to the boardroom as “Day to Night(TM)” CEO Barbie(R), just as women began to break into the C-suite. And in the ’90s, she ran for President, before any female candidate ever made it onto the presidential ballot. In 2010, Barbie(R) doll takes on several new careers, including snowboarder, ballroom dancer, pizza chef and race car driver.

“In creating Take Our Daughters to Work Day, I had the opportunity to take girls into workplaces that they might never have seen, and through these experiences, their aspirations changed and grew. When we started The White House Project, we had to show girls they could aspire to the top workplace of all: the Oval Office,” said Marie C. Wilson, Founder and President, The White House Project.

“Through Barbie, and its ‘I Can Be’ President Barbie, little girls have had the opportunity to lead the country from their living rooms and bedrooms, or get out their Barbie and Ken dolls and call a joint session of Congress. We at The White House Project are thrilled to be partnering with Barbie as she celebrates her 125th career and continues to inspire girls of all ages to follow their dreams.”

“I Can Be(TM)…” Signature Partners

Throughout the year, Barbie(R) will inspire girls by closely working with signature partners, including The White House Project, Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation, and a group of 10 highly accomplished, noteworthy women Barbie(TM) has named “The 10 Women to Watch in 2010.”

•The White House Project: Working to advance women in leadership with the project mission “add women, change everything,” The White House Project and Barbie(R) have partnered since Barbie(R) doll first ran for the Oval Office in 1992. This year, The White House Project, a non-profit/non-partisan organization, and Barbie(R) are partnering to ignite a national movement to encourage girls – the next generation of leaders – to dream and achieve through mentoring programs. Barbie(R) and The White House Project are co-authoring a declaration in support of girls to be presented to The White House. Focused on the importance of mentoring and a commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders, Barbie(R) and The White House Project will call upon 1 million girls to sign the Declaration once it is drafted.
•Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation: As the lead sponsor of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work(R) Day, a global event which activates millions of kids to visit workplaces on April 22nd, Barbie(R) and the Foundation are engaging girls through mentoring, experiential content and workplace events. By helping bring millions of girls to the workplace, Barbie(R) and the Foundation are allowing girls to envision the future and encouraging them to share their dreams with other girls.
•”10 Women to Watch in 2010″: In 2010, Barbie(R) honors 10 women who continue to serve as ambassadors of dreams and role models for women’s leadership. Barbie’s “10 Women to Watch in 2010″ salutes women who continue to innovate and forge paths to be followed by others. Each of the women on the list is a trailblazer in her respective field, has a legacy-making year ahead of her in 2010 and continues to dream big, both for herself and for a future generation of girls. As part of her role as one of the “10 Women to Watch in 2010,” each woman has committed to mentor a girl, through Barbie(R), in celebration of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work(R) Day.

The Barbie(R) “10 Women to Watch in 2010″ list includes the following nine women. The 10th woman will be announced in February timed to the unveiling of Barbie’s 125th career to spotlight a woman in that industry:

•Gretchen Bleiler, Olympic Snowboarder
•Tavi Gevinson, Fashion Blogger
•Cindi Lieve, Editor-in-Chief, Glamour Magazine
•Brittany Lincicome, LPGA Golfer
•Danica Patrick, Professional Race Car Driver
•J.K. Rowling, Author and Businesswoman
•Rachel Roy, Fashion Designer
•Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine, and Founder, National CARES Mentoring Movement
•Marie C. Wilson, Founder & President, TheWhite House Project

“The Barbie brand is recognizing women leaders who span different ages, ethnicities and industries. We are proud to honor these spectacular women, spotlight their contributions and reinforce to girls that anything is possible,” said Cota.

Barbie(R) “I Can Be(TM)…” Online

•Global Online Campaign to Select Barbie’s 125th Career: For the first time ever, girls around the world are able to help Barbie(R) doll select her next milestone career. Polls will be open from mid-January through February 10th, and the winning career will be unveiled at a special event at New York Toy Fair on February 12th, 2010. The new career doll will be on shelves in Fall 2010. Vote at www.barbie.com/vote.
•Barbie.com: Serving as a resource for both girls and parents, Barbie.comSM will feature a dedicated and content-rich “I Can Be(TM)…” micro site that will house mini-documentaries spotlighting fascinating women and careers girls can explore, along with various role-play, career games and activities. “Big girls” can also become fans of Barbie(R) on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and network with her on LinkedIn.

Barbie(R) “I Can Be(TM)…” Product:

•2010 I Can Be(TM)…Product: In 2010 Barbie(R) doll continues to take on aspirational and culturally relevant careers with the introduction of I Can Be(TM)… a Rock Star, Pet Vet, Newborn Baby Doctor, Dentist, Race Car Driver, Babysitter, Snowboarder, Ballroom Dancer, Preschool Teacher, Ballerina and Pizza Chef. Each of these dolls allows girls to “try on” and imagine themselves in different roles and careers. Girls can also extend their play online, as each toy comes with a special code that unlocks online games specific to that particular theme — allowing girls to further play out the career online.

Global Events

Celebrated around the world as a global campaign to inspire girls, “Barbie(R) I Can Be(TM)…” events will take place with localized events and executions, including highlights below:

Canada – Canada will launch the Barbie(R) “I Can Be(TM)…” academy, which will invite girls and moms to physically try on different roles and learn first-hand about a variety of careers. The event will also celebrate Barbie’s past careers for moms and girls to see where Barbie(R) has been and is headed.

Latin America – Throughout Latin America, “I Can Be(TM)…” camps will be hosted to allow girls to immerse themselves into different careers and professions, meet inspirational women and literally try on their futures.

Nuremberg – At Nuremberg Toy Fair in early February, three one-one-of-kind dolls will be unveiled honoring three well-known, accomplished and aspirational women.

United Kingdom – The United Kingdom will be partnering with the Women and Work Commission to reach out to girls and reinforce the message that “girls can be and do anything.”

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) (www.mattel.com), is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels(R), Matchbox(R), American Girl(R), Radica(R) and Tyco(R)R/C, as well as Fisher-Price(R) brands, including Little People(R), Power Wheels(R) and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2009, Mattel is recognized among the “100 Best Corporate Citizens,” as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” and as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel’s vision is to be the world’s premier toy brands — today and tomorrow.

About The White House Project

The White House Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors — up to the U.S. presidency — by filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women

About Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation

After its creation in 1993, the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work(R) Day quickly became the largest public awareness campaign in the United States because of its advocacy for girls’ issues through girls being seen and heard and fully participating in all segments of society.

The public was enthusiastic about and aware of the need for the program which has grown to be celebrated by millions of youth and adults in over 3 million U.S. workplaces yearly and in over nine countries globally. By bringing millions of girls to the workplace, the Foundation and Barbie(R) are enabling girls to envision their futures and encouraging them to share their dreams about work, home and community life.

This year the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation begins the revamping and enlargement of its website www.DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org and encourages hosting organizations to visit the site to download planning materials and activities which can be used by youth ages 8-18 during the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work(R) Day and throughout the year.

BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc. © 2010 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please visit WWW.BARBIEMEDIA.COM for more information

SOURCE: Mattel, Inc.

Whale (origin Old English hƿæl) is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea.
The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it wrongly excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales). This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga whale.

The other Cetacean suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales), are filter feeders that eat small organisms caught by straining seawater through a comblike structure found in the mouth called baleen. This suborder includes the blue whale, the humpback whale, the bowhead whale and the minke whale. All Cetaceahave forelimbs modified as fins, a tail with horizontal flukes, and nasal openings (blowholes) on top of the head.

Whales range in size from the blue whale, the largest animal known to have ever existed[4] at 35 m (115 ft) and 150 tonnes (150 LT; 170 ST), to various pygmy species, such as the pygmy sperm whale at 3.5 m (11 ft).

Whales collectively inhabit all the world’s oceans and number in the millions, with annual population growth rate estimates for various species ranging from 3-13%.[5] For centuries, whales have been hunted for meat and as a source of raw materials. By the middle of the 20th century, however, industrial whaling had left many species seriously endangered, leading to the end of whaling in all but a few countries.

Why do you think saving whales is important?

It’s GAME ON For Generation Y!

“Farmville now outpaces Twitter.” “One in four people plays social games online.” “More than $1.8 billion worth of virtual goods has been sold in virtual worlds.” These are just some of the headlines we see today about the popularity of online gaming, but what does this all mean for Gen Y and for brands?
Studies show that half of Gen Y plays online games, with women ages 18-34 being the most-active players and purchasers of goods in virtual worlds. In full disclosure, we have recently launched a game targeted at Gen Y women, with seven brand partners. It is easy to add more brands and is attractive for the players. It’s a win-win for both.

The eight months we spent developing this game has been a period of great learning and discovery. We have absolute certainty that there is a rabid, growing audience of Gen Y gamers that are willing to play with various brands. Here’s what we learned and how your brand can participate in the online gaming phenomenon:

You’ve got to give to get: We all want a deal and most times we will go out of our way to get one. Ever been to a warehouse sale at Barneys? The thrill of getting a deal is key and if brands can deliver an offering that either accelerates game play or adds value in virtual goods or other, they will be welcomed.
Limited edition: Create demand around your brand offering by either limiting the offer to a certain number of players, giving away a limited-edition product or providing them a way to show off to their friends. The same psychology here applies to that of people’s shopping habits. Employ some form of exclusivity in your offering and you will be more apt to get a quick response coupled with the engagement and word-of-mouth you seek.
It’s not all about you: Really, it’s not. For Gen Y, it’s all about them and their beliefs — regardless of what vehicle you market with. Specifically with gaming, it’s critical to be cognizant of why the user is there and recognize that this is not the time to disrupt them. Online advertisers have become adept at loud, in-your-face experiences. The gaming space is not the platform to do this with. Instead, be clever. The game player cares about exploration and winning. Tactfully insert yourself in their world by being thoughtful of their experience and you, too, will win.
Deliver a consistent and ongoing message: We’ve done significant research over the last few months on how brands have been integrated into games. What fascinates me most is the lack of consistent and constant messaging — I have yet to see any brand deliver an ongoing campaign on the same game with continuity.
While this space is new and it’s hard to determine what success looks like, it is the same as any medium — success will not be found in a one-off test. Let’s not forget what many years of marketing education has taught us. Although the platforms have changed, the basic fundamentals have not. Maintaining a constant, consistent and on-going message is a critical component for any long-term marketing success.

The online social gaming industry is still emerging and brands are still experimenting with how they can get involved. Although this is a relatively new phenomenon, playing games is not and the psychology of the gamer is the same as the offline game players of generations past — challenge and entertainment.

As marketers, we must take the time to understand and respect what motivates an individual to participate in game-play and then construct our campaigns to live harmoniously within this setting.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The site will remain under the management of founders Jim and Emily Greer following the closing on Aug. 1.

GameStop chief executive J. Paul Raines said, “”Kongregate advances GameStop’s digital strategy by providing a gaming platform for casual, mobile and browser games that can be promoted and played by our existing gamers.”

Kongregate joins GameStop’s own Jolt, an online game service whose first game includes the free-to-play Legends of Zork browser game. GameStop’s strategy is to promote its online games to the millions of people who come through the doors of its retail stores every day. Now it can also promote Kongregate’s games the same way. Kongregate has grown to 10 million users a month on the strength of its Flash-based games produced by independent game developers. Those users spend about 23 million hours a month playing free-to-play games, where users can play for free and spend real money on virtual goods as they go. Kongregate’s backers include Greylock Partners, Bezos Expeditions, and an angel group led by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.

But it remains to be seen if GameStop, the world biggest game retailer with more than 6,000 stores can deal with life in the era of digital distribution, where retailers are sometimes viewed as unnecessary middlemen.

Cognito Executive Producer Daniel Burwen gave me a demonstration of the first few pages of his graphic novel Operation Ajax, which is an adaptation of Stephen Kinzer’s nonfiction book All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror. Animated transitions give the comic a cinematic feel, and also give the artist more control over how the page unfolds. The format provides an opportunity to make supplementary material such as photos and documents available within the relevant comics panel.

It’s different from anything I’ve seen in digital comics. Technologies like ComiXology’s “guided view” create a smooth experience by moving the reader from panel to panel, but you’re still reading your basic, old-fashioned comics page. (Comics critic Douglas Wolk wrote a persuasive essay about why the transition from printed page to iPad or iPhone can be a bit awkward.) Another startup is Graphic.ly, which has built its own reader for tablets and includes social features. Meanwhile, Marvel has also created “motion comics,” which use comics art as the foundation for an animated movie.

Operation Ajax lies somewhere in between, where you still feel like you’re reading rather than watching a movie — instead of being forced along at a movie’s pace, you can stare at a page or panel for as long as you like — but with content that you couldn’t include in print. And it has the benefit of being drawn for the iPad screen, which is smaller than most comic pages, so there’s no struggle to make the art fit.

The graphic novel is the launch project for a comics creation and reading technology developed by Tall Chair, called Active Reader. Again, the idea is to create comics specifically for the iPad, rather than to optimize existing material for the device. (Although at the end the process, artists should have pages that they can turn into a printed book as well.) Chief executive Dan Brazelton said it’s hard to compare the process of creating an Active Reader graphic novel with a print graphic novel, but he estimated that the interactive iPad version probably takes about 20 percent more work than normal.

On Operation Ajax, that work is being done by Burwen and Art Director Mike De Seve. They wrote the script together in consultation with Kinzer, De Seve is creating most of the initial art, then Burwen is translating that art into an animated iPad page. Brazelton said that some comics artists will be able to handle the iPad-ization on their own, while others will want to bring on an additional team member — he compared it to traditional comics creation, where some people are good at writing and drawing, while other form a team with a writer and an artist (and an inker and a colorist and a letterer).

The companies plan to release Operation Ajax and Active Reader sometime this fall. The book will be released in chunks, with a free preview followed by eight chapters costing about $1.99 each. That means the finished product should cost about as much as a print graphic novel.

Outside comics, Tall Chair has also created mobile games like Cowboys vs. Zombies and Warner Bros.’ Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. It has raised angel funding from the Venture Development Group and Jung Soo Kang.

Warner Bros will lead the way promoting its intellectual properties on and in the official comic-con bag that will be received by attendee.

Warner Bros. Entertainment and Comic-Con Team Up On Official Bag for Comic-Con International: San Diego 2010

One of 11 Unique Collectibles Will Be Distributed to Each Comic-Con Attendee During Official Check-In, Featuring “The Big Bang Theory,” “Chuck,” “Fringe,” “Human Target,” “Nikita,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” “The Looney Tunes Show,”"Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated,” “Clash of the Titans”or “Brightest Day”
BURBANK, Calif. (July 2010) — For the past four years, Warner Bros. Entertainment’s limited-edition, signature oversize canvas tote bags have been a must-have at Comic-Con, with tens of thousands of fans flocking to the Warner Bros. booth on the convention floor to snag one, and Entertainment Weekly once dubbing them the Con’s “ubiquitous accessory.” This year, Warner Bros. Entertainment (WBE) and Comic-Con are teaming up to put one directly in the hands of every attendee, with the Studio signing on as sponsor of the Comic-Con International: San Diego 2010 Official Bag.

•For Comic-Con 2010, the Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing (WWTVM) unit has created 11 unique designs for the bags, with one side featuring the official Comic-Con 2010 artwork designed by WWTVM and the other side representing titles from across a number of WBE divisions, including Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment
•More than 125,000 collectible bags (24″X29″) have been produced and will be distributed to attendees when they check in at Comic-Con throughout the five days of the convention, including Preview Night
WBE and Comic-Con are unveiling artwork for four of the WBE bags, as well as artwork for the official Comic-Con side of the bags:
◦Warner Bros. Animation series “The Looney Tunes Show,” coming soon to Cartoon Network
◦Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s “Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame,” inspired by Warner Bros. Animation’s hit animated series based upon characters from DC Comics. The Videogame is available on Wii and Nintendo DS September 7. New episodes of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” air Fridays at 7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network, and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” Season 1, Part 1 is available on DVD August 17.
◦DC Comics’ best-selling “Brightest Day” comic book series
◦Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray™, DVD and digital download release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Clash of the Titans,” available July 27
•To download images of “The Looney Tunes Show,” “Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame,” “Brightest Day” and “Clash of the Titans” bag sides, as well as the official Comic-Con 2010 artwork side of the bags, please click here:
www.thewb.com/comiccon/officialbags2010
•To download images of the creative fashions that fans have put together utilizing the Warner Bros. bags in the past, please click here:
www.thewb.com/comiccon/bagswardrobe
•Other sponsored bags will feature the following titles:
◦Warner Bros. Television series “The Big Bang Theory,” “Chuck,” “Fringe,” “Human Target,” “Nikita” and “The Vampire Diaries”
◦Warner Bros. Animation series “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”
•For additional information about Warner Bros. Television activities at Comic-Con, follow us on Twitter @TheWBdotcom and use hashtag #WBSDCC, log on to www.thewb.com/comiccon, and read news at www.thewb.com/blog.
Created annually since 2006 by the Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing unit specifically for Comic-Con, the highly sought-after totes provide devoted fans with a handy carrying case for all the merchandise they take away from the Con and serve as mobile billboards for a selection of the Studio’s key Comic-Con titles.

My story is about me and a girlhood friend who were separated, but miraculously reconnected 23 years later.

The magazine’s program is designed to give celebrity women a chance to direct subject matter about real women stories, and bring it to the masses.   They choose 3 stories a year.  Go to glamour.com for more details.

Cartoon Network Enterprises and licensee Jazwares will reveal the first action figure for animated TV series “Robot Chicken,” which will lead up to the launch of a toy line. The 5-inch figure will be available this week, as well as an Adult Swim swag bag and an exclusive 2010 Comic-Con T-shirt. “Robot Chicken” co-creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich will also be on hand to sign autographs.

Toynami, which recently became the master licensee for UNKL, will also have a presence on the show floor. At Comic-Con, they will debut three toy lines with characters that include Gastro-Normous (the introductory character in the Dad Gummit Blobs line, which will be exclusively for sale at the show), SearchR and Viking. In addition, Fifth Sun has also recently partnered with UNKL for an apparel line (tees and hoodies), which will premiere in February at MAGIC. Licensing Street represents UNKL.

USA Network also returns to promote its original series “Burn Notice,” “Psych” and “White Collar” with cast- and producer-led panels.

Archaia, a graphic novel publisher, will be showcasing various properties and Archaia will host over 40 writers and artists for autograph sessions and meet-and-greet opportunities at its booth at Comic-Con …
GrapevineStar Entertainment will be at Comic-Con highlighting its MeMe and My World, Tex DunRight, World’s Favorite Cowboy and London Manga properties. Comic-Con has become one of the centers for new content and intellectual properties for film and TV… says Jacob R. Miles III, CEO of GrapevineStar

Meanwhile at this past weekend’s London Comic-Con, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Comics featured an exhibition of cover art and an original prop display, including the Tumbler Batmobile from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. WBCP worked with London Film and Comic-Con to celebrate the 75th anniversary of DC Comics. The collaboration formed part of a yearlong slate of activities taking place around the world to mark the anniversary. The exhibition of DC Comics cover art from the golden age of comics through to the current day, featuring popular DC super heroes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern, were exhibited in a dedicated DC gallery that will be branded with DC wall murals from new WBCP licensee Coolerwalls. The DC Comics exhibition featured original movie props from DC movies Batman (1989), Supergirl (1984) and Superman (1978). Visiting fans also had the opportunity to pose for pictures with life-size models of Batman and Superman, and there was an on-site shop selling a range of DC-branded products, including wall murals from Coolerwalls, posters from Pyramid and mugs and bags from Half Moon Bay. London Film and Comic-Con was held at Earls Court