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Skybound and Wizard World’s Third Limited Edition Cover in the Wizard World Series Free to Full-Price Attendees

Argentine artist Julian Totino Tedesco will draw the third in a series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #1 comic for Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2, it was announced today by Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics. The covers proved to be extremely popular at Portland Comic Con in February and St. Louis Comic Con in March, celebrating the groundbreaking, Eisner Award-winning comic book series.

Tedesco will be on hand at the Pennsylvania Convention Center throughout the event to sign copies of the limited-edition comic, produced in extremely limited quantities and available to fans only while supplies last. The first two covers were illustrated by Michael Golden (Portland) and Arthur Suydam (St. Louis). A different superstar artist will draw the variant cover art for each of the five remaining scheduled Wizard World shows this year. Neal Adams is drawing the cover for the NYC Experience (June 28-30), and more cover artists will be announced shortly.

Independent third-party comic book grading service CGC, a leader in the industry, will accept TWD #1 variant and Signature Series (must have a CGC witness) submissions at its Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con exhibitor booth.

Norman Reedus (“Daryl Dixon”), Michael Rooker (“Merle Dixon”) and Jon Bernthal (“Shane Walsh”), stars of the AMC series based upon The Walking Dead, will attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con. Comics legend Stan Lee, “Firefly” and Serenity headliners Gina Torres and Summer Glau, John Barrowman of “Torchwood” and WWE® Superstar John Cena® are among the other top celebrity guests scheduled to appear. They will be joined by a top-drawer collection of well-known artists and a variety of activities, exhibitors and special attractions in the third event on Wizard World’s 2013 calendar and one of its flagship shows.

The Walking Dead graphic novels accounted for seven of the 10 bestselling titles of the year and were #1 overall for both 2011 and 2012.

Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTC.BB: WIZD), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Admission is free for kids 10 and under, and Sunday, June 2, is “Kids Day,” an array of programming specially designed for children. Event hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon – 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m