1st Annual Ringo Awards Debut at Baltimore Comic Con 2017

Press Release:

Pro and Fan Comic Book Awards come to “America’s Greatest Comic Book Convention” and YOU GET A VOTE! The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards is an annual celebration of the creativity, skill and fun of comics.

The awards make their debut this year as part of the fan- and pro-favorite convention, the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nomination voting is now open for the inaugural 2017 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards. Nomination ballot voting is open to the public (fans and pros) from June 27, 2017 until midnight on July 18, 2017. We encourage everyone to participate. Creators and new works published during 2016 are eligible.

Unlike other professional industry awards, the Ringo Awards include fan participation in the nomination process along with an esteemed jury of comics professionals.

More than 20 categories will be celebrated with top honors being given at an awards ceremony Saturday, September 23, 2017.

About Mike Wieringo

Michael Lance “Mike” Wieringo was known to fans and friends as “Ringo”, which is how he signed his artwork. His comics artist graced the pages of DC Comics’ The Flash, Adventures of Superman, Batman, and Robin, Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Sensational Spider-Man, and Rogue, and his co-creation Tellos. He passed away on August 12, 2007 at the young age of 44 from an apparent heart attack.

“Mike loved comics,” said Todd Dezago, co-conspirator with Wieringo on their creator-owned title Tellos. “He loved the pure escapism of them. He loved the imagination that went into them and the inspiration he got out of them. He loved the talent and skill that went into them; the innate abilities of the artists and the writers as well as the learned and developed facility that came with study and experience. He loved the storytelling of comics, he appreciated when it was done well. Mike loved the diversity of comics; the incredible array of styles that ran the spectrum and gave each creation its own unique flavor. And he loved fun comics. Not that Mike didn’t appreciate the grim and the gritty, the deeper, more adult, more thought-provoking comics of the day. But he was drawn more to the more light-hearted, sometimes fanciful-and we called them ‘overly-coincidental’-stories that reminded you that comics were fun.

“Mike liked comics that were fun,” said Matt Wieringo, artist and brother to Mike. “That’s pretty subjective and covers a lot of ground, right? He liked art that was expressive. Some people think that means ‘cartoony’ but that’s not it. For instance, he loved Juanjo Guarnido’s Blacksad art, and that’s hardly cartoony, but it’s expressive as hell. He loved the artists that could build a believable world and could tell a compelling story in that world with characters that were gestural and fun to look at. He loved artists who made their characters act. He also loved discovering new artists that didn’t draw like anyone else because he loved learning from them. He had a huge collection of European comics that he couldn’t even read, but he could study the artwork. He got excited about new artists and wanted to know who their influences were and what they read and how they worked. He read a lot of indie comics to see what was going on outside the mainstream. He was on board with Hellboy and Love & Rockets and Hate before they were “cool.” Mike also loved Kirby before it was considered a badge of honor to proclaim it. He loved how innovative and energetic he was and that he was this Brooklyn bruiser with the heart of a hippy poet (a close approximation of how Mike once described him to me). And it wasn’t just the art. He liked reading stories by writers who could keep things moving and exciting. Nothing bored him more than page after page of talking heads with quippy dialogue. He wanted STORY. He wanted ADVENTURE. And CONSISTENT CHARACTERIZATION. He liked working with Mark Waid because he loved how Mark can always find a new way to spin a familiar story and write characters you care about, relate to, and have their own voice. He loved working with Todd because they shared similar sensibilities and Todd always finds a way to inject FUN into the story. For Mike, “fun” didn’t just mean light-hearted either. He enjoyed horror and noir and crime stories as much as anyone. As a kid, he devoured Miller’s Daredevil and Sin City because the stories were compelling and well told. He loved Starlin’s Warlock and Captain Marvel because they were epic and groundbreaking. He loved Wrightson and Ploog and Colan because they could set a mood. Most of all, Mike thought good comics were entertaining and innovative. If you could hold his attention and delight and intrigue his artistic sensibilities at the same time, he’d shout your name from the rooftops. And, if it turned out you were a decent, nice person to boot, he’d be your friend for life.”

“We really miss Mike Wieringo,” said Marc Nathan, Baltimore Comic-Con promoter. “Ringo was a great friend to the show, a great artist and creator, and a great person. It has been 10 years since his passing, and we wanted to do something to honor his spirit. These awards represent the creativity and positive attitude he brought to his work, and when we started floating the idea with his family and industry friends, everyone immediately loved it as much as we did. Having had some experience running a large industry awards show in the past, we had some great insights as to what the industry (and fans!) wanted, and we’re trying to give it to them. This has all come together very quickly, and we know we’re going to continue to adjust and adapt as we grow, but we are absolutely thrilled to have already heard from so many fans and pros alike, in addition to his family and friends, about how excited they are. Please spread the word. Please vote. And thank you for helping us celebrate Mike’s memory!”

Nickelodeon’s Panels & Events at SDCC 2017

Press Release:

Nickelodeon will immerse fans in three decades-worth of iconic characters and shows as it brings Rocko’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold!, SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2017. From a 23-foot-tall pineapple under the sea to O-Town, Hillwood and the sewers of NYC, Nick will showcase its fan-favorite characters and popular shows with one-of-a-kind activations, panels, talent signings and interactive experiences.

Every day of the convention, Nickelodeon’s booth (#4113) will feature: a 23-foot-tall pineapple, housing an interactive gaming experience, allowing fans to literally step inside the world of SpongeBob SquarePants; a life-size replica of Helga’s shrine from Hey Arnold!; a retail area featuring a custom t-shirt station and one-of-a-kind, exclusive collectibles; costumed-character appearances; and autograph signings with the voice casts and creators from Rocko’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold!, SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nick animation creators Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents), Chris Savino (The Loud House), and Billy Lopez (Welcome to the Wayne), and more.

Nickelodeon also will present four panels during the convention: Rocko’s Modern Life: Return to Earth!, a reunion with the original voice actors and sneak peek at the upcoming TV special; Hey Arnold!: From Hillwood to the Jungle!, celebrating the return of the beloved characters in the upcoming TV movie with past and present casts and a live musical performance; Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a dive into the thrilling story arcs in season five; and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom, a behind-the-scenes look at the new stop-motion Halloween special, along with a live table read of a classic episode picked by fans via social media.

The following is the full rundown of Nickelodeon’s activations:

PANELS

• Rocko’s Modern Life: Return to Earth!

Thursday, July 20: Fans will be shouting, “Oh my!” and “SPUNKYYY!,” when Nickelodeon’s beloved and wacky series Rocko’s Modern Life lands in San Diego. Original show creator Joe Murray, Cosmo Segurson (director) and the voice cast of O-Town’s popular residents — Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko), Tom Kenny (Heffer), Mr. Lawrence (Filburt), Charlie Adler (Mr. Big Head and Mrs. Big Head)–will dive deep into the lore of this animated classic and what to expect from Rocko’s return to the TV screen, including an exclusive sneak peek at the special.  The panel will be moderated by Marc Snetiker (Entertainment Weekly).

• Hey Arnold!: From Hillwood to the Jungle! 

Friday, July 21: Rejoice in the return of Arnold, Gerald, Helga and all of the Hillwood neighbors, with the series’ classic voice actors Lane Toran (Arnold), Jamil Walker Smith (Gerald), Francesca Marie Smith (Helga), and Anndi McAfee (Phoebe) and the new generation of talent featured in the upcoming TV movie — Mason Vale Cotton (Arnold) and Benjamin “Lil’ P-Nut” Flores, Jr. (Gerald). This panel will also feature a live musical performance by composer Jim Lang and an introduction to never-before-seen footage of the TV movie by show creator Craig Bartlett. The panel will be moderated by Marc Snetiker (Entertainment Weekly).

• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Friday, July 21: Executive producer Ciro Nieli will explore the thrilling story arcs and give fans an inside look at season five of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Joining the discussion are legendary creators and collaborators Kevin Eastman and Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), as well as the talented voice cast from the series: Sean Astin (Raphael), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), and Eric Bauza (Tiger Claw).  The panel will be moderated by Andre Meadows (Black Nerd Comedy).

• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom 

Saturday, July 22: Celebrate Halloween in July as Vincent Waller (supervising producer), Marc Ceccarelli (supervising producer) and Mr. Lawrence (story editor, voice of Plankton) are joined by Chris Finnegan, Seamus Walsh, and Mark Caballero (Screen Novelties) to share behind-the-scenes footage from the upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants stop-motion special. Plus, see panelists Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), and Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy) do a live table read of a fan-picked classic Halloween episode and also be on the lookout for a special appearance by one of Bikini Bottom’s spookiest citizens. The panel will be moderated by Claudia Spinelli (Executive in Charge, SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon).

DAILY BOOTH ACTIVITY

• SpongeBob Pineapple Experience: Attendees can step inside this 23-foot, larger-than-life pineapple straight from Bikini Bottom and immerse themselves inside the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or The Loud House for an interactive game and video capture experience.

• Customized T-Shirt Station: Set against a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New York cityscape, fans can purchase a t-shirt from the retail shop and customize it on the spot with characters and art from their choice of seven fan-favorite Nick shows: SpongeBob SquarePants, TMNT, Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Loud House, Rugrats and Danny Phantom. 

• Hey Arnold! Photo Opp. featuring Helga’s Shrine: Fans can take photos with Arnold and Gerald, plus visit a replica of Helga’s shrine and have the opportunity to see their Hey Arnold! social media content appear in the shrine’s real-time feed.  

• Autograph Signings: Signing opportunities with Nickelodeon talent include: SpongeBob SquarePants voice talent; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesvoice talent and executive producers; Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie voice talent and creator; Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling voice talent and creator; and Nick’s current series creators and executive producers Butch Hartman (Bunsen is a Beast), Chris Savino (The Loud House) and Billy Lopez (Welcome to the Wayne).

• Costumed-Character Appearances: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; SpongeBob SquarePants and friends Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward Tentacles; and Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Power Rangers Ninja Steel will make appearances at Nick’s booth at select times during the convention.  

• Retail: Attendees can purchase Comic-Con exclusive figures and collectibles, the summer edition of the Nick Box, t-shirts and more.

• Giveaways:  Enter for a chance to win special prizes over the course of the convention.

Dine with Walt Simonson at SDCC 2017

Press Release:

IDW Publishing is hosting a very special evening with Walter Simonson during Comic-Con. Limited to just 25 attendees, the event will take place in a private room at a swank restaurant in the San Diego Gaslamp district, a short walk from the convention center on Thursday, July 20^th from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Each guest will receive the following:

• A COPY OF WALTER SIMONSON’S THOR  THE RETURN OF BETA RAY BILL ARTIST’S EDITION VARIANT EDITION (limited to 125 copies)
• A SKETCH OF YOUR CHOICE BY SIMONSON (SEE ACCOMPANYING EXAMPLE)
• A COPY OF THE RAGNAROK BOOK TWO RETAILER INCENTIVE HARDCOVER, COMPLETE WITH BOUND IN SKETCH BY SIMONSON (limited to 100 copies)
• THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BOTH BOOKS INSCRIBED TO YOU BY WALTER
• BOTH BOOKS EMBOSSED WITH A UNIQUE SEAL CREATED FOR THIS EVENT ONLY
• A WONDERFUL DINNER WITH WALTER SIMONSON
• MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME

“Looking forward to having dinner with old friends,” said Simonson, “and making new ones at San Diego. Should be a fun night for all!”

Featuring fine dining in an intimate atmosphere, this very special evening is available on a first come first served basis. Space is extremely limited. Tickets are $500 per person and can be purchased here.

Don’t delay in reserving your spot for this one-of-a-kind event!

CA – Monstress Signing

Writer Marjorie Liu (Han Solo, Astonishing X-Men) and artist Sana Takeda (Ms. Marvel, X-23) appear at Dr. Comics & Mr. Games on Sunday July 16, 2017 at 1:00 PM to sign the second volume of MONSTRESS from Image Comics!

RSVP on Facebook!

Dr. Comics & Mr. Games
4014 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 601-7800

IL – Terms and Conditions Signing

Cartoonist R. Sikoryak signs at Quimby’s Bookstore on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 7:00 PM.

For his newest project, R. Sikoryak tackles the monstrously and infamously dense legal document, iTunes Terms and Conditions, the contract everyone agrees to but no one reads. In a word for word 94-page adaptation, Sikoryak hilariously turns the agreement on its head. Adapting the legalese of the iTunes Terms and Conditions into another medium seems like an unfathomable undertaking, yet Sikoryak creates a surprisingly readable document, far different from its original, purely textual incarnation and thus proving the accessibility and flexibility of comics.

AUTHOR BIO
Cartoonist R. Sikoryak is the author of Masterpiece Comics (Drawn & Quarterly). His comics and illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker, The Onion, GQ, MAD, SpongeBob Comics, and Nickelodeon Magazine, as well as on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Sikoryak is in the speakers program of the New York Council of the Humanities, and he teaches in the illustration department at Parsons The New School for Design and at The Center for Cartoon Studies. Since 1997, he’s presented his live cartoon slide show series, Carousel, around the United States and Canada. He lives in New York City with his wife, Kriota Willberg.

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Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622
773-342-0910

CA – Food Wars Signing

Yuto Tsukuda signs at the Grove’s Barnes & Noble on Monday, July 3rd at 5:30 PM!

FOOD WARS! has captivated manga fans with a tasty mix of comedy and over-the-top culinary battles. Yuto Tsukuda is the co-creator of the bestselling Weekly Shonen Jump Manga series FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA. This action-packed, saucy food comedy is Tsukuda Sensei’s first work to be released in English and is published digitally and in print by VIZ Media. Writer Yuto Tsukuda won the 34th Jump Juniketsu Newcomers’ Manga Award for his one-shot story Kiba ni Naru. He made his Weekly Shonen Jump debut in 2010 with the series, Shonen Shikku. His follow-up series, FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, is his first title with an English-language release.

Any volume of FOOD WARS! needs to be purchased from Barnes & Noble at The Grove to receive a wristband.

A wristband will be issued on a first come, first serve basis to customers who purchase Food Wars from Barnes & Noble at The Grove beginning July 3rd at 9am
• Limit 1 wristband per book
• NO PHOTOGRAPHY OF ANY KIND
• No memorabilia please
• Check Back for more Details as they Become Available

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Barnes & Noble – The Grove
189 The Grove Dr, Ste K 30, Los Angeles, California 90036
(323) 525-0270

CO – Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body Signing

Author Roxane Gay appears to present her latest book at Tattered Cover on Friday, July 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM.

Free numbered tickets for the signing line are available NOW with the purchase of HUNGER at any TC location (excluding the airport stores). Everyone in the signing line must have a copy of the new book with a ticket. Seating for the presentation prior to the signing will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket and signing restrictions may apply, so stay tuned.

Roxane Gay is the author of the novel An Untamed State, which was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction; the essay collection Bad Feminist; and Ayiti, a multi-genre collection. She is at work on a memoir, Hunger, and a comic book in Marvel’s Black Panther series. Her writing has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2012, the New York Times, the Guardian, and many others. She is a recipient of the PEN Center USA Freedom to Write Award, among other honors. She splits her time between Indiana and Los Angeles. She can be found online at www.roxanegay.com and on Twitter @rgay.

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Tattered Cover
2526 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-7727

Iron Fist Cast Punches Into TerrifiCon 2017

TERRIFICON welcomes actor Finn Jones, star of Marvel’s Iron Fist, Game of Thrones, and soon Marvel’s The Defenders to Connecticut’s Terrific Comic Con at Mohegan Sun on August 18-21, 2017! Finn will appear all three days alongside his Iron Fist co-star Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Other celebrity guests include:

• Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gilmore Girls)
• Benedict Samuel (The Walking Dead, Gotham)
• Violet Beane (The Flash)
• Shannon Purser (Stranger Things)
• Echo Kellum (Arrow)
• Dean Cain (TV’s Superman from Lois and Clark, who is now a recurring character on Supergirl)

More than celebrities TERRIFICON is the home for fans of comic books as we bring you over 50 artists and writers from Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, IDW Comics, Dynamite Comics and more including Iron Fist and Defenders creator Roy Thomas!

Tickets are on sale NOW Mohegan Sun Box Office, Comic Book Shops in Connecticut like A Timeless Journey, Legends of Superheros, Sarge’s Comics and Games and Omni Comics and Cards CT. You can also order them any time at Ticketmaster! Kids 10 and under get in FREE and there is always plenty of FREE parking! Don’t miss all the exclusive and unique features of this year’s TERRIFICON – three full days of fun for the whole family featuring more than 60 artists and 300 dealers of comic books, costume contests, cosplay, artwork and collectibles, video games, interactive workshops, after parties and so much more. See more information on our website www.terrificon.com

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CA – Amelia Cole Omnibus Signing

DJ Kirkbride will be signing Amelia Cole Omnibus at The Comic Bug’s Manhattan Beach store on Wednesday July 19, 2017 at 5:00 PM.

Amelia Cole travels between a world of science and a world of magic–until she’s trapped in a blended world where the mages reign over non-mages. She’ll take on social injustice as well as the occasional giant corgi and demon mugger, while an ancient darkness encroaches–one that threatens all three worlds! It’ll be up to Amelia, her magic pipe wrench, eight foot techno-golem Lemmy, and their strange and wonderful friends to protect everyone, save everything, and give hope to mage and non-mage alike! For the first time, every single issue of the critically acclaimed Amelia Cole series in one volume!

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The Comic Bug
1807 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 372-6704

KS – Curse Words Van Tour Signing

Writer Charles Soule (Daredevil, Letter 44, Poe Dameron) and artist Ryan Browne (God Hates Astronauts) appear at Elite Comics on Wednesday, July 26th from 4:00 till 10:00 PM signing and selling the Curse Words Van Tour EXCLUSIVE hardcover from Image Comics! 

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Elite Comics
11842 Quivira Road, Overland Park, KS 66210
(913) 345-9910

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