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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Baden Kirgan, Publisher, Black House Comics

Phone: +61 2 9792 1377 Mobile: + 413 114 003 Fax: + 61 2 9773 6803

Email: info@blackhousecomics.com

25 October 2011

Comic Book Publisher Turns Judge on Beauty and the Geek TV Show

Australian comics publisher Baden Kirgan from Black House Comics has added television judge to his repertoire after he was recently asked to guest judge a superhero challenge on Channel 7’s Beauty and the Geek (Australia).

Baden got the gig after a producer spotted his wry “On taking submissions – a sort of policy” post on the Black House Comics blog, which discussed why the company was removing its submission guidelines from its website. Ultimately, the producers chose Kirgan because of his ability to assess the artistic and commercial viability of comics projects.

The Beauty and the Geek challenge involved the Beauties inventing a superhero name, special powers, and a back-story that included an arch villain, while the Geeks had one hour to prepare a costume for their respective partners. The judging panel, which also consisted of celebrated Australian comic book artist Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey, Teen Titans) and comics retailer and stalwart Jim Papagrigoriou from Kings Comics in Sydney, then made their decision based on the Beauties’ presentation and a catwalk parade.

“The irony of the challenge,” says Kirgan, “was that the Geeks had been dreaming of being superheroes since they were five years old and had mapped everything out in their imaginations. The problem was they weren’t allowed to perform the task and, in fact, had to suppress their desire to make recommendations to their Beauties. Their frustration was palpable because we could see they desperately wanted to speak up and advise their partners. Having said that, when things went wrong they all laughed good-humouredly and really represented the spirit of the show, which has a sweetness and a gentle humour about it. I had a lot of fun and it was an absolute pleasure to participate in the production.”

Kirgan now returns to the helm of Black House Comics which specialises in comic books, graphic novels and pulp magazines with a specific focus on the horror, action, supernatural and gothic Victoriana genres, as well as some literary graphic novels, aimed at mature readers. The company has launched several titles including The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes, a gothic but faithful interpretation of the world’s greatest detective and much loved literary character, the Aussie soldier superhero property The Soldier Legacy, as well as a collection of post-apocalyptic zombie pulp novellas in the After the World series.

Comic book readers can find the range of Black House Comics comic books, graphic novels and pulp magazines on the website http://www.blackhousecomics.com, at their local comics store, or by going online at Black Boox: http://blackboox.net/

The Beauty and the Geek superhero episode screens on Australian television on Thursday 27 October 2011 at 7.30pm.