Tournament of Heroes - Day One

We begin in the Krypton Bracket, with four first round match-ups. Remember, your votes determine who will move on.

Luke Skywalker vs. Arya Stark

A light saber-wielding Jedi from a galaxy far, far away takes on a young and nimble sword fighter in her own right, from George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones. Let the duel begin!

 


Winner: Luke


Odysseus vs. Captain Kirk

This match-up pits two great travelers, one who journeyed across the Mediterranean fighting monsters, the other warp speeding around the galaxy bringing peace and bedding alien women.

  


Winner: Odyesseus





Frodo vs. Simba

When danger comes to the Shire or the Pridelands, these undersized heroes would surely come to the rescue. And bravery is not all they share... both have hairy feet.

  

Winner: Frodo


Thor vs. Jack Ryan

Does Tom Clancy's CIA operative stand a chance against a Norse God? That depends on your vote.

  

Winner: Thor

Tournament of Heroes

To kick off our Familiars - Circle of Heroes release countdown, we're bringing you the first annual Tournament of Heroes. 64 of the greatest fictional heroes of all time face off and your votes will determine who is the ultimate hero.

Below you will find the match-ups and beginning tomorrow voting will begin in the Krypton Bracket. Be sure to come back and cast your vote!

KRYPTON BRACKET



Luke Skywalker
Arya Stark

Odysseus
Captain Kirk

Frodo
Simba

Thor
Jack Ryan

Percy Jackson
Ellen Ripley

Robin Hood
Lara Croft

Wolverine
Commander Shepherd

Katniss Everdeen
Jack Bauer

GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY BRACKET



Superman
Mace Windu

Mario
Jason of the Argonauts

Obi-Wan Kenobi
Aquaman

Captain America
Snake Eyes

Gandalf
Starbuck

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Link

Aragorn
Scooby Doo

Han Solo
d'Artagnan

MIDDLE EARTH BRACKET



Harry Potter
Scully

Iron Man
Duke (GI Joe)

Princess Leia
Tarzan

Hercules
Spock

John McClane
Doctor Who

Optimus Prime
Sarah Connor

Wonder Woman
Buck Rogers

James Bond
Blade

HOGWARTS BRACKET



Batman
Lassie

Hermione Granger
Sawyer

Neo
He-Man

King Arthur
Ben-Hur

Zorro
Rocky Balboa

Lisbeth Salander
Daredevil

Jack Sparrow
MacGuyver

Indiana Jones
Eowyn

Circle of Heroes

In advance of the release of THE FAMILIARS #3 - CIRCLE OF HEROES (due out September 4, 2012) we are celebrating the heroes in our lives, those who have played an important role in making us who we are today.

In the weeks leading up to the 4th, we will also be hosting a tournament pitting the greatest fictional heroes of all time against one another. And by tallying your votes, only the ultimate hero will be left standing in the end.

Finally, we'll be inviting you to send in stories about your own heroes, the real people who have had an impact on your life. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends. We'll be featuring them here, on our Twitter feeds, and on our Facebook page. We want to know who's in your Circle of Heroes. The ones voted the most inspirational will win a signed copy of book #3.

Sony Animation - Upcoming Slate

Sony Pictures Animation celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012 with a robust slate of upcoming films. Following box office hits and award-winning favorites like Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, The Smurfs and Open Season, Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania is next up in September, after which Sony Pictures Animation will welcome the July 2013 release of The Smurfs 2, the follow-up to the 2011 global sensation. Cloudy 2: Revenge Of The Leftovers, a sequel to Sony Pictures Animation’s popular comedy, will reach theatres worldwide in February 2014. Also now in development are Popeye; The Familiars, directed by Doug Sweetland (who previously helmed the Academy Award ® nominated Pixar short Presto) and co-directed by Fergal Reilly; Kazorn And The Unicorn, with Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo & Juliet) at the helm and co-directed by Troy Quane; and Pooch Cafe, based on Paul Gilligan’s popular, long-running comic strip.

Starbounders - Publishers Weekly Announcement

Exciting news! Here is the Publishers Weekly Announcement for our brand new book series, STARBOUNDERS, coming in March 2013. See the full story here. In the second deal, which was for two books, Hoffmann sold North American rights to a tween sci-fi series called Starbounders by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. Barbara Lalicki at HarperCollins Children’s Books is the acquiring editor. Epstein and Jacobson are the authors of the successful middle-grade fantasy series The Familiars (which is also published by Harper and is currently in development at Sony Animation); Starbounders is about a boy who leaves his quiet suburban home to train at a secret academy called Indigo 8, which produces "starfighters." The first book in the series is scheduled for March 2013.

The Familiars Illustrations: Germany and the U.S.

So interesting to see the differences between the artwork in the U.S. version of The Familiars and the foreign translations. Here take a look at the very different interpretations of the scene from Book One when the familiars battle Agdaleen and her Octopot. The first illustration is in the US copy. The second one is in the German version.

German Cover Reveal - Secrets of the Crown

These foreign book covers are always so much fun... especially the German ones! Here's Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert front and center for Animal Wizards: Das Geheimnis der Krone.