Continuing their mastery of mustering mighty media hype, Marvel has announced an event-packed day (in NYC, natch) to celebrate their newest motion comic, Astonishing X-Men. Dubbed MarvelFest 2009, things kick off with a signing (with Neal Adams, Chris Claremont & Dan Slott), then a costume contest with prizes & giveaways, and culminating in the live, outdoor premiere of the AXM Motion Comic in Union Square.

The AXM Motion Comic debuts on iTunes on October 28th and is based on the award-winning story by superstars Joss Whedon and John Cassaday.

From the press release:

“MarvelFest NYC 2009 is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone who loves Marvel’s great characters” said Mike Pasciullo, Vice President of Merchandising and Communications. “This is something that’s never been done in the comic industry and we can’t wait to see how New York turns out to celebrate the premiere of Astonishing X-Men. Not only do you get a front row seat for a piece of entertainment history, but you can meet your favorite comic creators and dress up like your favorite heroes or villains for awesome prizes. And who doesn’t like Mighty Marvel Giveaways?”

Click here for full-size poster
Click here to read the full release

Visit www.marvel.com/fest for more information.