Top Cow Productions, Inc announced today their plan to make a digital copy of the special anniversary issue of their flagship title Witchblade FREE with every copy sold through participating retailers.
Witchblade #144 marks the fifteenth anniversary of Top Cow’s premiere title about a new kind of comic heroine. To celebrate this landmark and usher Witchblade into a new age of comics, Top Cow and Wowio (www.wowio.com) have teamed up to offer a free digital copy of this issue with each physical copy sold. Participating retailers will receive download codes to distribute with each copy they sold which can then be downloaded.
“An anniversary like this one was something that we wanted to throw the kitchen sink at,” exclaimed the Director of Sales and Marketing Atom! Freeman. “So, not only have we put together a special anniversary issue with origin story, pinups and more, but we wanted to make sure that our digital readers also got a crack at it during the first 4 weeks.”
For the full press release, check behind the cut
“Our partners in comics retail make this and the previous 15 years of Witchblade possible. So, not only will they be the exclusive place to receive one of these download codes, but we are then going to give participating retailers a credit toward future Top Cow inventory for every download credited to them by the fan.”
All fans need to do to receive their digital copy of Witchblade #144 on the same day as they purchase the physical copy is to log on to http://www.wowio.com with a code available exclusively at participating retailers. The digital version of Witchblade #144 will be available for sale from digital distribution sources one month later.
Top Cow will be releasing details for retailers wishing to participate in this landmark event later this month.
“”Top Cow is a leading-edge player for the comics/GN space. This looks like a brilliant blend of digital delivery with bricks and mortar support.” says Wowio CEO Brian Altounian.
Witchblade #144 is currently available for preorder at fine comic shops worldwide.
About Top Cow Productions Inc.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.
