January 2006 - ICv2 has added four high-profile panelists to its roster of graphic novel industry leaders for the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference on February 23rd. A closing cocktail event has also been added to the schedule, thanks to new sponsor Transcontinental Printing, a major North American Printer that has a special team dedicated to graphic novel and comic book printing.

Two panelists have been added to the "Buyers Panel-Graphic Novels, the Next Three Years," scheduled for 4 p.m.: Bill Schanes, VP-Purchasing of Diamond Comic Distributors; and Jeannine Wiese, Graphic Novel Category Manager at Ingram Book Company.

And two panelists have also been added to the "Graphic Novels, the New Literature?" panel: Dan Frank, Editorial Director of Pantheon Books; and Karen Berger, Vice President Executive Editor, Vertigo (DC Comics).

"We're very excited to add these great names to the panelists we've previously announced," said ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp. "We've still got a couple of slots to be filled, but it's already clear that we're going to have some of the best minds in the field at this Conference."

ICv2 also announced that Transcontinental Printing has signed on as a Co-sponsor of the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference, and will host a closing cocktail event, which has been added to the schedule at 5:00 pm. "We appreciate Transcontinental's sponsorship, which will support the Conference in a variety of ways," said Griepp. "And it will be great for the industry to have a chance to mingle and socialize at the cocktail event after the final panel."

The ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference is a half-day event planned for 1 to 6 p.m., on the afternoon of Thursday, February 23rd, at the Javits Center in New York City. The event is being held in conjunction with the New York Comic-Con, which starts on Friday, February 24th at the Javits.

Tickets for the new event are now on sale on the New York Comic-Con Website at:
http://www.nycomiccon.com
Click here to be taken directly to the registration page.

ICv2 is the undisputed expert in the graphic novel field and publishes news and information on pop culture products in the anime, comics, games, toys, and movie and TV merchandise categories daily on its Website, ICv2.com, and in its magazines, the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga, the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Graphic Novels, and the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Games. ICv2 also provides marketing, distribution, and general business consulting services to companies involved in the pop culture products industries.

For more information on the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference, go to:
http://www.ICv2.com/articles/news/7838.html

For a full list and more information on the panelists at the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference, go to:
http://www.ICv2.com/articles/news/7878.html

New York Comic-Con is a new three-day trade and consumer event planned for the Javits Center in New York City on Friday, February 24th through Sunday, February 26th. New York Comic-Con is managed by Reed Exhibitions (RX), the world's largest organizer of business-to-business events, a division of Reed Elsevier plc. Each year Reed events assemble over 90,000 suppliers and over 5 million buyers from around the world. BEA is one of many Reed Elsevier properties within the Reed Global Book Publishing Network, whose trade events include the Asia International Book Fair, London International Book Fair, Salon du Livre: Paris Book Fair, Tokyo International Book Fair and BookExpo Canada, and whose Reed Business Information (RBI) properties include Publishers Weekly, Variety Magazine, Playthings, Video Business, Library Journal, and School Library Journal.

Transcontinental is the largest printer in Canada and seventh in North America, Transcontinental is also the country's leading consumer magazine publisher and second largest community newspaper publisher. Transcontinental distinguishes itself by creating strategic partnerships that integrate the company into its customers' value chain, notably through its unique newspaper printing outsourcing model and its value-added services. From mass to highly personalized marketing, the company offers its clients integrated solutions which also include a diverse digital platform and a door-to-door distribution network of advertising material. Transcontinental is a company whose values, including respect, innovation and integrity, are central to its operation. Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.SV.A, TCL.MV.B) has more than 14,000 employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported revenues of C$2.2 billion (US $1.9 billion) in 2005.