Anne Rice at New York Comic Con

ANNE RICE TO MAKE HER FIRST APPEARANCE AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Legendary Author Will Be Spotlight Guest

Author Panels, Author Signings and Book Publisher Participation to Figure Prominently at NYCC in 2012

Norwalk, CT, June 18, 2012: Anne Rice, the legendary author who has defined vampires for a generation of readers and writers, will be a Spotlight Guest at New York Comic Con (NYCC) in 2012. Show officials note that the announcement of Ms. Rice's participation at NYCC is just the first of several announcements about author appearances, author programs and book publisher participation at the show that organizers will be making in the coming months. Providing literary distinction at a pop culture event replete with major guests and artists from every part of the pop culture universe, Ms. Rice, who became an international phenomenon in 1976 with the publication of Interview with the Vampire, is certain to attract widespread attention at New York Comic Con among her many fans. Show officials note that other leading celebrity guests from the worlds of comics, entertainment and film will also be announced in the very near future.

New York Comic Con will take place October 11 - 14, 2012 at the Javits Center in New York City. The pop culture event, which attracted over 100,000 fans last year, features top talent and major artists from all areas of the pop culture universe including comics, film, television, music, books and gaming.

"New York Comic Con is in the book publishing capital of the world and so it is only right that we should announce a celebrated author as one of our Spotlight Guests right out the gate," notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President and Show Manager for New York Comic Con. "Anne Rice is a legendary writer who perfectly combines pop culture celebrity with literary credibility, and we are proud to have her leading the way for us in the literary community in 2012. We are looking forward to making many more announcements about authors, as well as many other celebrity guests from all corners of the pop culture universe, in the very near future."

Ms. Rice's Interview with the Vampire has become one of the best-selling novels of all time. She has written 31 books including The Vampire Chronicles, Lives of the Mayfair Witches and The Songs of the Seraphim, among many others. Her most recent book, The Wolf Gift, published by Alfred A. Knopf this past Spring, offers a whole new world - modern, sleek and high tech - and at its center, a story as old and compelling as history: the making of a werewolf, reimagined and reinvented as only Anne Rice could create. In an interview with NPR about The Wolf Gift, Ms. Rice noted: "You're writing about a vampire or you're writing about a werewolf, but you're really just writing about human beings."

Tickets for New York Comic Con in 2012 are currently available for purchase at http://www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Companies interested in exhibiting at New York Comic Con should contact Larry Settembrini, [email protected]. Other information about the show, as well as news about ReedPOP, which organizes a range of pop culture events, is available at Lance Fensterman's blog, http://www.mediumatlarge.net. Organizers note that many more guests will be announced over the next few weeks and months and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC's website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.

ABOUT ANNE RICE: Anne Rice was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in English and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. She is the author of 31 books, most recently The Wolf Gift. Her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time. She continued her saga of the Vampire Lestat in a series of books, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles, which have had both great mainstream and cult followings and are widely assigned in high school and collegiate English and philosophy classes. Anne Rice is also the author of The Witching Hour, Servant of the Bones, Merrick, Blackwood Farm, Blood Canticle, The Feast of All Saints, Cry to Heaven, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana, Called out of Darkness, Angel Time and Of Love and Evil. Anne Rice lives in Palm Springs, California.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration, The UFC Fan Expo and Fantasy Football Fest. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan-based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.