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- Wuxia Puppetry Shows
Besides being where Shiao Yi started his career as a Wuxia novelist, Taiwan is home to a specific medium that is tied to the Wuxia genre. This medium is an on-going TV series franchise of glove puppetry belonging to the brand known as Pili (which translates to Thunderbolt in Mandarin). These productions involve special effects, wirework, and voiceovers in addition to the complex puppetry designs. Since 1984, this franchise has expanded to feature length movies, co-productions with Japan, and English translations on Cartoon Network and Crunchyroll. With this franchise going on for nearly 40 years and having many different titles, we will focus on the titles that are available with English translations. Legend of the Sacred Stone is a feature-length film from 2000 that is a spinoff of the main series. The plot involves a particular Lord Jian who loses his martial abilities and seeks the sacred stones to regain it. This is the first known Pili production to be officially translated in English, with the Japanese language dub DVD including English subtitles of poor quality. Unfortunately, this version of the film is cut by nearly 30 minutes and the only version available with English subtitles. While there is a Taiwanese DVD with Taiwanese Hokkien audio (the original language), there are no English subtitles on this. The DVDs are now long out of print, however second hand DVDs are still available on eBay. In 2006, Cartoon Network aired the first US-focused export of Pili known as Wulin Warriors. This was critically panned due to heavy storyline alterations, name changes, and characters’ personalities being changed completely (in one case, an originally mute character was suddenly talkative in the new adaption). What was supposed to be a serious story was ruined by a humorous dub and a theme song that did not fit the original tone. Fans of hip-hop music and the English dub of Dragon Ball Z may be amused to discover that the theme song they used is akin to a knock-off of The Wu-Tang Clan’s music, and that Goku’s voice actor (Sean Schemmel) voices one of the characters! But ultimately the series was canceled after two episodes aired, with the remaining completed 11 episodes made available online for free. All 13 episodes are now available on YouTube. In 2016, a co-production between Pili International Multimedia with Japanese companies Nitroplus and Good Smile Company resulted in Thunderbolt Fantasy (an obvious reference to the meaning of Pili). Being a Japanese co-production, this series stood out from previous Pili productions as it was written by Gen Urobuchi (head writer of the 2013 Japanese superhero series Kamen Rider Gaim) and its theme song was performed by T.M. Revolution (singer of the theme songs for 2002’s Mobile Suit Gundam Seed). While the original Pili series is produced in the Taiwanese Hokkien language, this series was produced simultaneously in two separate audio tracks of Taiwanese Hokkien (for the Taiwanese market) and Japanese (for markets outside of Taiwan). This series is available on Crunchyroll for US audiences. The Pili series is a prime example of combining modern filmmaking with traditional glove puppetry set against an ancient backdrop. Despite being relatively unknown in the west, that may change once Pili Fantasy: War of Dragons releases on Netflix in the West. Until then, let us know if you came across any of these aforementioned titles or plan to watch any of these! Wulin Warriors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcXQreVesSs&list=PL6CJyn713rCdSpTEVdLOwOjYXIpk8pyst Thunderbolt Fantasy on Crunchyroll: https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GY75KE906/thunderbolt-fantasy If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff
- Inner Peace in Wuxia
When the phrase “inner peace” comes to my mind, one of the first things I can imagine is a scene in Kung Fu Panda, where Master Shifu is sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and legs crossed while calmly chanting “inner peace” to himself. Or, I’d visualize an image of the Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gautama) as a popular depiction of this universal concept. Oftentimes, inner peace has been associated with Zen Buddhism - the practice of self-healing through meditation and stillness. Inner peace can be understood as a mind, body and soul that is free from any worries, desires, and/or anxieties mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a psychological state of being in touch with the present moment (the here and now), through “acceptance, forgiveness, love and compassion.” This can simply mean letting people, places and situations exist as they are without the need for control. As humans, it can be challenging for us to just “let things be,” when we all have goals, ambitions and desires that we want to achieve. However, sometimes we need to re-evaluate our circumstances to see if we’re capable of taking on more responsibilities than we already have in our own hands. Or else, it could all lead to total burn-out! Now, that isn’t to say we shouldn’t continue to push through challenges or step into untapped opportunities for further growth and improvement. But, there needs to be an equal balance between our everyday lives (ex: work, family, society) and our spirituality (ex: mind, body, and soul) so we can live freely and overcome worry, self-doubt or stress. Well, how can we do this? Let’s start by taking a look at how wuxia depicts inner peace, and how we can adapt it in our everyday lives. Stillness in Motion: The Wuxia Way While there are many wuxia stories (ex: Chu Liuxiang, The Wanderer Chronicles, to name a few) that emphasizes chivalrous martial arts heroes and warriors, behind these physical aspects of the wuxia hero lie a certain degree of stillness and serenity. While these heroes are equipped with strong fighting abilities and superpowers that can be used to defeat enemies and those perceived to cause harm to the community, inner peace in wuxia is like tranquility in motion. This is typically demonstrated with martial arts and meditation being used as a form of self-expression, and a method of balancing one’s mind, body, and soul. It also becomes a driving force for deep spiritual development and empowerment for characters in the wuxia world. Martial arts styles and practices are commonly practiced by characters in the wuxia world as a spiritual way of finding inner peace among the chaos they may experience outside of their control. Such martial arts styles are unique in a sense that they can encourage practitioners to focus more on the internal practice of breathing techniques to generate a solid flow of “qi” throughout all parts of the body, while also calming the senses so they feel more relaxed and controlled. These practices demonstrated in wuxia are cultivated in a sanctuary-like setting that is considered “sacred or holy” for worship like a temple, or expressed in open and closed environments (i.e., an open-forest or private training room) where individuals can find their peace and quiet alone. For me, during the summer I like to take a yoga mat outside my backyard and sit somewhere under the shades and practice meditative breathing techniques. It not only makes me feel more relaxed, but it certainly helps ground my energy with nature and the smell of fresh air! Finding Inner Peace in our Everyday Lives Wuxia stories and their attention to themes like inner peace shows us how we can settle down our busy and hectic lives. Although we may not all be martial artists with specialized skills, we can learn to channel the inner peace that can be found within martial arts philosophy and practice through movement of the body, meditation or engaging in self-care / feel-good activities. In today’s world, what inner peace means and where it takes place is going to differ for every person. Although it may sound like a broad and abstract concept, I think each and every one of us has our own ways of defining inner peace and cultivating it differently according to our needs and abilities. Because of our rich personalities and our need for deep emotional connections with other living beings, we can’t always shut ourselves out from the world and neglect social interactions! Inner peace is an experience that can definitely go beyond a person just being by themselves in a quiet room, to a person being surrounded by supportive friends and family members who bring out the best in them. In other words: where do you find yourself most at ease? Who would you also want to share those moments with? Some may find inner peace by surrounding themselves in environments where they need physical activity or the company of people (i.e., the gym, catching up with friends at a restaurant). Others may prefer more closed and private spaces for deeper reflection and introspection like the library or at home. As long as the activity can help detach us from our usual routines and give ourselves time to recharge (alone or with others), we can create a more balanced lifestyle that helps us reflect and appreciate every moment in life each day. What does inner peace mean to you? We'd love to hear more in the comments below this article! C. Hong - shout out on Instagram! Guest Writer/Immortal Fan
- Wuxia Adaptions: Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils
Think only Hollywood shows big movies during the holiday season? The Lunar New Year season is when big movies are shown in the East. Among these is Donnie Yen’s Sakra, the first of a cinematic multiverse based on the classic Wuxia novel The Demi-Gods & The Semi-Devils by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). This is a noteworthy adaptation, as it has been nearly 30 years since the previous movie adaptation! While there are also six different television drama adaptations of this novel since the 1980’s, there are only three previous movie adaptations due to the complexities, involving multiple characters and subplots spread over five volumes. In anticipation of Sakra, we will go over the three previous movie adaptations that had different attempts to adapt this classic novel. With the novel being so complicated, each movie has a different plot from one another that is still complicated! While the Shaw Bros. studio is famous in the West for Kung Fu films such as The 36 Chambers of Shaolin and Five Venoms, they are famous for their Wuxia films in the East. Given the popularity of Jin Yong novels, it is no surprise that they adapted several of his novels into movies, including The Demi-Gods & The Semi-Devils. Released in 1977, The Battle Wizard focuses solely on the early adventures of Duan Yu, one of the three main characters of the original novel. Portrayed by Danny Lee of 1989’s The Killer (directed by John Woo and starring Chow Yun Fat) Duan Yu is a prince of the Dali Kingdom who encounters various beauties, eccentric characters, and learns a powerful martial art despite wanting otherwise. If the original novel is famous for featuring many powerful fighters with powerful martial arts skills, this movie is infamous for having many over-the-top (albeit low budget) special effects and even creature designs to highlight the more fantastical elements of the novel. Examples include fights involving a giant snake (made of rubber) and a gorilla (clearly a man in a suit). Even more surprising is that the movie is only 70 minutes long, in contrast to the usual 80-90 minutes duration of typical Shaw Bros. movies. The director clearly was not aiming for faithfulness to the novel, but the fun factors make up for it. Released in the same year as the 1982 Hong Kong TVB series adaptation, Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils (AKA Dragon Story) features mostly the same cast as the aforementioned TVB series. Unlike Wizard, this movie attempts to fit all five volumes into one movie with a runtime of 90 minutes! Norman Tsui (of 1983’s Duel to the Death and The Bastard Swordsman fame) portrays Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen’s character in Sakra) here, who ironically was in Wizard as one of the emperor’s henchmen! While Hong Kong films of the golden era (1970’s-1990’s) are known for being fast paced, this movie takes it to a new level. Characters come and go, major events and fights happen without reason, and the film even ends abruptly. Despite being more faithful to the novel with a more recognizable cast, this one is only recommended for fans of the novel. Released during the wire-fu craze of early 1990’s Hong Kong cinema, 1994’s The Dragon Chronicles - The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain focuses on three female leads who are noteworthy for Wuxia roles: Brigitte Lin (1992’s Swordsman II), Sharla Cheung (1993’s The Kung Fu Cult Master, and Gong Li (2006’s Curse of the Golden Flower). This is a much more loose adaptation of the novel, with only one main character from the novel (Xu Zhu) appearing here. Xu Zhu is a Buddhist monk whose interaction with the three leads is the focus of this movie. The irony of this movie is that he is not even the main character here! This movie attempts to explore the complicated Buddhist symbolisms from the novel, but many things get lost in the transition to the big screen. Not only is this the third movie adaptation of the novel; this is the third time that Norman Tsui appears in an adaptation! This time, he appears as the antagonist of the movie. While featuring an all star cast, this movie is not well regarded by fans of the novel or even Wuxia fans in general. With Sakra featuring Donnie Yen, it was only a matter of time until a Western release was announced (as of writing this, we have a tentative Western release for April). While there were multiple movie adaptations of this novel, those came during the Golden Age of Hong Kong Cinema and the Wire-Fu boom. With release of The New Kung Fu Cult Master in 2022 (based on Jin Yong’s Heaven Sword & Dragon Saber) and this new movie, perhaps now is the time for the revival of Wuxia films to redefine the genre. Donnie Yen has high hopes for this turning into a multimedia franchise, and we all have high hopes for it as well. Let us know in the comments if you have seen any of the previous adaptations or plan to watch Sakra! If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff
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- Immortal Studios | The Home for Essential Wuxia
1/1 OUR COMICS & MERCH Digital Quick View The Adept #2 -Digital Price $6.00 Digital Quick View Assassin G #1 - Digital Price $6.00 Digital Quick View Fa Sheng: Origins #1 - Digital Price $3.00 Digital Quick View The Adept #2 -Digital Price $6.00 Digital Quick View Assassin G #1 - Digital Price $6.00 Digital Quick View Fa Sheng: Origins #1 - Digital Price $3.00 Digital Quick View The Adept #2 -Digital Price $6.00 New Arrival! Quick View Assassin G #1 - Print - Gene Ha Cover Price $25.00 New Arrival! Quick View Assassin G #1 - Print Price $17.00 New Arrival! Quick View Assassin G #1 - Print - Jim Cheung Cover Price $25.00 New Arrival! Quick View Assassin G #1 - Print - Gian Galang Cover Price $25.00 New Arrival! Quick View Assassin G #1 - Print - Joyce Chin Cover Price $25.00 NEWS 7 days ago Wuxia Puppetry Shows 21 Mar 1 Inner Peace in Wuxia 101 Feb 23 Wuxia Adaptions: Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils 69 Jan 25 Lunar New Year: Chinese Lion Dancing 90 Dec 21, 2022 Wuxia Games: Where Winds Meet 99 Nov 15, 2022 The King's Avatar 98 Nov 9, 2022 Brotherhood in Wuxia 76 Oct 14, 2022 Zhong Kui: King of Ghosts 57 1 2 3 4 5 INSIDE Immortal is dedicated to creating stories in the martial arts fantasy genre known as Wuxia & bringing it to the global pop culture stage. We are bringing this beloved classic genre into the 21st century & introducing it to mainstream audiences by creating an interconnected storyverse of heroes, fantasy action, kung fu & empowerment. Artwork - Immortal Storyverse Artwork - Immortal Storyverse Artwork - Immortal Storyverse Artwork - Immortal Storyverse 1/7 INVEST in IMMORTAL Why Investors Invested in Immortal Studios INSIDE IMMORTAL STUDIOS The Adept Kickstarter Campaign Video The Adept Co-Creator Q&A: Tasha Huo Drawing The Adept Yishan Li Draws Sasha True Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen Kickstarter Campaign Video Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen Animated Cover Drawing Immortal Swordsmen Bernard Chang Draws Variant Cover more videos OUR COMMUNITY Our Fans - Read their Reviews Our Squad - Premier Martial Artists Who Support Immortal's Mission Our Events - Fan Engagement Amplifying AAPI Representation in Entertainment & Media Summit - May 26, 2021 Live Reading of The Adept Immortal and Shaolin Masters discuss the Shaolin Temple's Mysticism & Legends
- COMMUNITY | Immortal Studios
Community Immortal Studios is founded on principles of radical fan engagement. We believe community is critical to process of creating stories and the power of the communities to take these stories to the world. Thus our goal is to cultivate a community of fans that embody the ideals of Wuxia , inspire them to seek their own stories and even take part in the Immortal Storyverse . Here are some of our community programs. AWAKEN YOUR HERO CHALLENGE JOIN US IN BEING A HERO The concept for this TikTok challenge comes from our first comic book title, The Adept , in which the main character, Amy, undergoes years of Shaolin training from a kung fu master – this all happens in her dreams in a place called The Dreamscape. The training empow ers her, inspires her to find her purpose, and…awakens the hero inside of her. Our idea for the campaign is a series of videos in which various people “awaken” from a dream and then demonstrate spectacular talent – as if they too were trained in the Dreamscape with a Shaolin Master. Read NextShark's Article ‘Awaken Your Hero Challenge’ on TikTok Has Everyone Bringing Back Kung Fu Culture Watch Awaken Your Hero Videos on TikTok Through our Wuxia stories of heroism,self-cultivation, transformation and sacrifice, and the community programs that we organize, we hope to awaken the hero within each of us, ... by inspiring and igniting noble actions that are of benefit to oneself, and the world at large. Read more stories about how Immortal Team Members are helping their communities by Awakening Their Hero . THE IMMORTAL SQUAD The Immortal Squad is comprised of premier martial artists who support Immortal's mission . Meet these amazing practioners and inspiring figures through our in-depth interviews with them, stylized photos that reflect their unique characters and their video tutorials teach amazing martial arts techniques. Gemma Nguyen 7-Time World Champion in Sport Karate, Forms, Weapons and Team Forms Stunt Performer Action Actress Sarah Chang US National Wushu Champion 5-Time USA National Wushu Team Member #5 in the World in the Spear Category Actor and Producer Philip Sahagun 7-time National Level Weapons Champion 3-Time International Level Martial Arts Champion. Founder of K-Star Training Academy Martial Arts Coach & Choreographer for Cirque Du Soleil Tarell Bullock 3rd Degree Black Belt First Place and Grand Champion Awards Cirque Du Soleil as a Martial Artist & Tricker Actor and Stuntman Gene Ching 32nd Gen Layman Disciple of Shaolin Temple Publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine Author of Shaolin Trips Starred in Man at Arms: Art of War. Megan Le 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do Actress Stunt Woman DY Sao U.S. National Wushu Kung Fu Team Member representing America at World Games China Actor Stuntman and Martial Arts Expert (coaching Simu Liu for Marvel's Shang Chi film) Wes Scarpias Gonzales Rachel Berube Wushu and Shaolin Martial Arts
- Team | Immortal Studios
Meet the Immortal Leadership team and our Advisors and Partners . LEADERSHIP TEAM Peter "Payhuan" Shiao Founder, Creator, CEO Peter is our Founder and Chief Executive Officer, leading Immortal Studios in creating a new story universe to awaken the hero within everyone and defining a new business model centered around direct user engagement. Peter has a decades long career leading innovative entertainment and media ventures between the East and West, and has been active in empowering underserved communities. Peter’s favorite past time as a boy was reading Chinese Wuxia novels (many of them written by his father Shiao Yi who is an accomplished author in the genre), and drawing these martial heroes he read about. Because of these stories, he aspired to be a modern day Xia, the transcendent martial Knight who mastered themselves, and stood for righteousness and justice in a world of great stakes, poetry, romance and consequence. Peter pivoted from politics to a new career in media as a means of expressing his mission for social transformation through stories. He feels incredibly blessed to come full circle back to his original love with Immortal. In his own words. Hank Kanalz Head of Publishing Hank Kanalz has over 35 years of experience in the comics and entertainment industry. He’s worked at WarnerMedia and DC for 25 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Publishing Strategy & Support Services for DC. Hank developed comprehensive content plans for both print and digital publishing across DC’s imprints, and oversaw DC’s talent services, marketing, sales, publicity, and creative services departments. Hank was first approached to join Immortal’s Advisory Board. After immersing himself in the team’s vision and goals, he signed on to lead their publishing efforts, aligning with the mission to unlock the hero inside everyone. Bob Harras Editor-at-Large Bob Harras is the only individual who has been editor-in-chief of both DC and Marvel Comics. At Marvel, Bob spearheaded best-selling titles such as X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, Hulk , and Deadpool , and his writing credits include the Avengers, Namor , and the limited series Nick Fury vs S.H.I.E.L.D. For over a decade at DC he oversaw editorial for all comics including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman . He also headed MAD Magazine , Black Label, and Vertigo publications, as well as spearheading DC's first YA and Middle Grade line of publications. Bob currently resides in New Jersey. Tomas Jegeus Immortal Motion Picture Group Tomas is a film and entertainment executive with experience in marketing, distributing, and producing content worldwide. A native Swede, he has lived and worked in Stockholm, London, and Hong Kong, and is currently based in Los Angeles. As Co-President of Global Marketing and Distribution at 20th Century Fox, he was in charge of the release of Avatar, Titanic, X-Men, Ice Age, Life of Pi , and more; most recently, he served as President of Fox International Productions. He was immediately drawn to Payhuan's vision for Immortal, and believes it will change the world. Tomas' hobby is composing, recording, and producing ambient electronic music, and he has released three albums on Spotify. Dominik Foldi Web3 Product Dominik Foldi is an entrepreneur and product leader who has always been at the cutting edge of technology. Trained as a software engineer and developer, he co-founded two startups in real estate, and health and fitness. He is currently the CEO of Bloxa Studio, an international Web3 and Metaverse development agency, and joined Immortal Studios in his role of Web3 Product Advisor. Dominik is deeply enthusiastic about how these technologies can make our digital interactions more immersive, and his goal is to help the team create a product that is engaging, fun, community centric, and sustainable long-term. Brian Chansy Community Ambassador Brian "Wuxiaman" Chansy has been in love with the wuxia genre nearly all his life, having been introduced to the genre at 3 years old. As he grew up, he moved from wuxia movies to wuxia novels, video games, and comic books, and was drawn to how wuxia stories featured powerful martial arts, complex characters, and chivalry. His favorite novelist is Gu Long, and his favorite stories include Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang . Upon seeing an opening at Immortal Studios, his family and friends encouraged him to take on the role and show the world the power of Wuxiaman. Gene Ching Martial Arts Editor & Action Choreographer Gene Ching is a 32nd generation layman disciple of the Shaolin Temple, a certified Provost at Arms in fencing through ROTC and SJSU Human Performance, and is part of the Programs Committee for the Chinese Historical Society of America. He is also the publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi , the largest newsstand magazine dedicated exclusively to Chinese martial arts, as well as a staff writer for YMAA Publication Center, and a regular contributor to Den of Geek and UNESCO IM. He joined Immortal Studios after meeting Payhuan at the Shaolin Summit, and sees Immortal Studios as the perfect vehicle to help him bring Shaolin to the west. In his spare time, Gene does volunteer work in drug harm prevention, both in crises situations and as a speaker at schools. Skip Kelly Company Storyteller Skip's whole life was transformed through watching Naruto once a week for the entirety of his childhood. It has always been a dream of his to create the next generation's stories that could inspire humanity, so contributing to Immortal Studios is a dream come true. Skip is a master storyteller, media and marketing strategist, and a super-fan of Fa Sheng. Sarah Sifton Social Media Sarah is the resident nerd and is impressed you read this far down the page. Her background is in archival research and data collection, and her forte is knowing obscure history/lore facts, whether it's real life or in-game; she cross-classed into writing so she could type long rants and research papers. She crusades against the misguided followers of MLA and APA and preaches the one true path of Chicago Style wherever she can. Robert Wu Senior Financial Advisor Robert advises the company on its fund raising and other financial and corporate matters. He has extensive finance experience including investment banking, private equity, and corporate advisory with major institutions like Chase, Prudential, Oppenheimer, and UBS. He has also been CFO of several media start-ups including Orb Media Group, Inc. As a modern Taoist teacher and author of the book “So Now So Tao: A Taoist Approach to Harmonic Wealth”, he is an advocate of the underlying Wuxia philosophy. He strongly believes that there is a hero in everyone—it just needs to be brought out. Advisors ADVISORY BOARD Immortal is proud to have an amazing group of advisors and appreciative of their expertise and support. Sam Ades - Award-winning digital strategist and brand building executive with experience at Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Adam Breivis - Digital Producer for Disney and NBC. Transmedia marketer. ARG and mobile game content developer. Arthur Chan - Award winning brand builder and marketer - co-founder of FC&A, clients include all major Hollywood studios and indies. Benjamin Chang - Serial entrepreneur, technologist, CEO of Skale Education. Bernard Chang - Leading Marvel & DC artist and former Disney Imagineer. Sandy Climan – President of Entertainment Media Ventures, founding Head of CAA’s corporate representation practice. Lindsay Conner - Attorney and chair of the entertainment practice at Manatt, Phelps and Philipps. Mike Corrigan - Corporate strategist, former head of entertainment and media at Pricewaterhouse and CFO of MGM Pictures. Dan Dingh – Co-Founder and CEO of TSM. Andre Fonseca - Digital marketer/co-founder of FC&A. As former VP, Digital for Disney oversaw major Disney titles including Marvel and Pixar. Rafe Fogel - Media and content investor. Investor/board members in Legendary Pictures. Village Roadshow. and Studio Canal. Jack Gao - CEO of Smart Cinema, past International CEO of Wanda, Head of News Corp and Microsoft in China. Jeff Gomez – CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment. Jeff Gordon Ho - Former Chief Marketing Officer of Princes Cruises and Executive Vice President at Walt Disney Studios. - Matt Leaf – Former Co-Head of Motion Pictures Business Affairs at CAA. Lilly Lee - Master calligrapher, lettering designer, uber connector. Patrick Lee - Founder and former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes. Stu Levy - Founder of TokyoPop, vanguard content company that established the market for Japanese manga in North America. Justin KJ Lin - General manager of Tencent's Fanbyte, Chief Strategy Officer of Firefly Web Games. Benny Luo - Founder/CEO of Next Shark, largest Asian and Asian American news & information portal in market today. Rachel McAllister - Head of MPRM Communications, whose clients have included Disney, Netflix, and Skybound. Andrew Ooi - Global Asian talent manager and producer. CEO of Echelon management. Jack Pan - Leading theatrical and direct to consumer marketing executive at Disney, Summit, STX, and Global Road. Rick Porras - Co-Producer for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy; New media storytelling consultant for Video for Sony. Steven Ray - Music, film, connected technologies executive and executive producer. Charlie Stickney - Independent comics maven, co-publisher of Scout Comics, creator of White Ash. Mike Tankel - Leading marketing and engagement strategist, who works with brands to deliver memorable and sticky brand solutions. Rizwan Virk – Head of MIT Game Lab and Author of the Simulation Hypothesis. Michael Vorhaus - Digital, gaming, and new media expert with 25 years experience building a consulting and research practice at Magid before starting Vorhaus Advisors. Thomas Vu – Head of Franchise Development at Riot Games. Andrew Walters - CSO for RSVD, Former Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at MGM. Bill Wong – Principal, Bill Wong LLC. Former Chief of Staff to California State Legislature and California State Assembly. Brian Wong – Chairman of Radii and former Group VP of Alibaba. PARTNERS Partners Immortal Studios is proud to have strategic partnerships with industry leaders that support our Storyverse and our Mission !