Orlando Toy and Comic Con for Charity

Mike’s Comics and Collectibles puts on a one day show to Benefit for Stars and Hope Foundation.

June 17, 10AM-5PM

Special Guest Ethan Van Sciver!

Frank Cho Plans for Big Wow 2012

Artist Frank Cho posted about his plans for Big Wow Comic Fest on his blog:

The great Big Wow Comic Fest in San Jose is just around the corner. Again this year, I’ll be holding one of my very rare art classes where I’ll teach drawing the female figure- veeeery sexy female figures. (This is a felony in some southern states, I believe.) Again this year, the lovely and culo-rrific Ivy Doomkitty will model for me at the live figure drawing class. She’ll be dressed as Dejah Thoris and belly dance for us. (She’s a professional belly-dancer. I kid you not.)

The wonderful thing about Big Wow Comic Fest is that it focuses on the art of drawing and painting comic books. There will be various free art workshops at the convention for the fans, including a costume making workshop for cos-players and acrylic/oil painting classes for fine art lovers. The fans can just watch or draw along with the artists, or just get your comic books autographed – because Big Wow Comic Fest is still a comic book convention.

Don’t forget, This year’s stellar guest list includes the great Jim Lee, Juanjo “Blacksad” Guarnido, Bernie Wrightson, Travis Charest, Kevin Nowlan, Joe Jusko, Bill Morrison, Tim Sale, Brandon Peterson, James O’Barr, Michael Golden, Mike Choi, Tim Vigil, and many many more.

www.bigwowcomicfest.com

CA – Any Similarity Signing

Drew Friedman speaks in conversation with Leonard Maltin at Book Soup on Saturday May 19, 2012 at 4:00pm.

Finally back in print, Any Similarity is a collection of Drew Friedman’s earliest comic strips and illustrations, featuring his most obsessively stippled black-and-white panels and his most hilarious wise-guy takes on the stars and demi-stars and never-quite-stars of that swamp we like to call showbiz.

In these strips, many of them written by his brother Josh Alan Friedman (both are sons of the legendary Bruce Jay Friedman: humor genes will tell!), the artist works out his obsession with such celebrities as Jim Nabors, Frank Sinatra Jr., Joe Franklin, Bob Hope, Andy Griffith, and Ed Wood, Jr. film star Tor Johnson, whom Friedman actually catapulted back into some sort of semi-fame when these strips were first published in the 1980s.

Friedman is the kind of pop-culture aficionado whose Three Stooges worship is focused not on Moe, Larry or Curly but on Shemp (whose unmistakable mug graces the new cover of this edition), and whose teasing adoration can often be mistaken for mockery or contempt. But who but a worshipful fan would lavish quite so many dots on the loving delineation of these greats’ every pimple and wrinkle?

About the Author
Drew Friedman’s work has appeared in Raw, Weirdo, SPY, The New York Times, MAD, The New Yorker, BLAB!, The New York Observer, Rolling Stone, Field & Stream, appears regularly in Entertainment Weekly and many other magazines. His collection of portraits Drew Friedman’s Sideshow Freaks was published by Blast books in 2011. He resides in Pennsylvania with his wife and collaborator, Kathy Bidus and their two beagles.

Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd, W. Hollywood, CA 90069

HeroesCon 2012 Welcomes Stan Lee

Press Release:

Shelton Drum is honored and excited to welcome comics legend Stan Lee back to Charlotte as a featured guest of Heroes Convention’s 30th anniversary. Stan last attended HeroesCon in 1984 and his return this summer will be the crown jewel in the show’s 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Stan will be on hand signing autographs and posing for photographs during HeroesCon. He will also be featured on a panel discussion. All attendees of the convention will be welcomed to Stan’s panel, photo opportunities and autograph sessions. Details of our VIP ticket packages will be announced next Friday, May 10th! Sign up for our mailing list to get the news first!

Stan Lee is known to millions as the man whose superheroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry, Stan’s co-creations include Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, as well as hundreds of others. He introduced Spider-Man as a syndicated newspaper strip that became the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips and has appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide.Stan currently remains Chairman Emeritus of Marvel, as well as a member ofthe Editorial Board of Marvel Comics. Stan is currently the Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of POW!

“Stan Lee has been the face and the voice of Marvel Comics since the debut of The Fantastic Four in 1961 and has in recent years become the same for comics and superheroes in general to most fans. I’m very excited and proud that Stan will be helping Heroes celebrate HeroesCon’s 30th anniversary!” said convention organizer and comics retailer Shelton Drum.

This year’s Heroes Convention takes place June 22-24, 2012 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

PA – FCBD: Spider-Girl Signing

Artist Pat Olliffe signs and sketches at Big Bang Comics on Saturday 5, 2012 from 1-4pm for Free Comic Book Day!

RSVP on Facebook!

Big Bang Comics and Collectibles
437 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA 15143

Are You My Mother? Book Tour

Acclaimed cartoonist Alison Bechdel goes on a book tour of North America to promote her new graphic memoir, Are You My Mother?

Tuesday May 1, 2012
Barnes & Noble, 7pm
2289 Broadway @ 82nd Street, New York City, NY

Wednesday May 2, 2012 
The Brattle Theatre, 6pm
40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Sponsored by the Harvard Bookstore
SOLD OUT 

Thursday May 3, 2012 
Free Library of Philadelphia, 7:30
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA

Friday May 4, 2012 
Politics & Prose, 7pm
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC

Saturday May 5, 2012 Toronto
Toronto Comic Arts Festival

Sunday May 6, 2012 
Left Bank Books, 4pm
321 N. 10th Street, St Louis, MO

Monday May 7, 2012
Boswell Book Co., 7pm
2559 N. Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI

Tuesday May 8, 2012 
Books Inc, 7pm
1760 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA

Wednesday May 9, 2012
The Booksmith, 7:30
1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA

Thursday May 10, 2012 
Los Angeles Public Library, 7pm
Format: On-stage interview with Deborah Vankin
Mark Taper Auditorium—Central Library
630 W. Fifth Street, Los Angeles, CA

Friday May 11, 2012 
University Bookstore, 7pm
4326 University Way NE, Seattle, WA

Saturday May 12, 2012 
The Bagdad Theater, 5pm
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR
Sponsored by Powell’s

Wednesday May 16, 2012 
Swedish American Museum, 7:30pm
5211 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Sponsored by Women and Children First Bookstore

MoCCA Fest 2012 Programming Schedule

Press Release:

MoCCA Fest Programming!
We’re pleased to announce final times, guests, and agendas for our panels and programs at MoCCA Fest this year. We have two buzzing floors of activity, that include downstairs panel discussions as well as our main exhibitor floor upstairs. Whether you’re perusing the show floor for your favorite finds, catching up on the latest with Gary Panter, or learning to make your very own accordion book, there’s something for everyone.

-And Families!
Don’t forget about our Kids Programming on Sunday morning; four devoted programs in a row, designed to be entertaining and fun for the whole family.
-Sunday April 29th, Kids Programs start at 9:30am. Families arriving to the Fest at 9:30am get a special price; $5 for children 6-12 (under 6 free, over 12 normal) with a paying adult.

PRE-SALE TICKETS ARE ONLINE UNTIL APRIL 26!

Look below for a complete run of MoCCA Fest programming. Also, be sure to check out moccafest.org for news!

ROOM A
SATURDAY

11:15 Kids Comics Sarah Couri (NYPL), Jorge Aguirre, P. Craig Russell, Matt Forsythe,
Colleen AF Venable
You know that old cliche about comics not being just for kids anymore? Well, thankfully some of them still are. The New York Public Library’s Sarah Couri talks to cartoonists who have ventured into world of kids comics and books.

12:15 A History of Comics Censorship
Alex Cox (CBLDF)
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Alex Cox takes you on guided tour of censorship in comics, from Frederic Wertham to Friendly Franks.

1:15 The State of Small Publishing
Heidi MacDonald (The Comics Beat), Box Brown, Craig Yoe, Barry Matthews
What’s it like running a small publishing company in 2012? The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald talks to an array of publishers about the state of print.

2:15 Klein Award
Gary P anter, Bill Kartalopoulos
Gary Panter receives the 2012 Klein Award.

3:15 A Nordic Roundtable
Fredrik Strömberg (SE), Peter Madsen (DK), Kaisa Leka (FI), Bendik Kaltenborn (NO) and Mattias Elftorp (SE)
The comics culture of northern Europe is brimming with energy, talent and innovation, among other things visible in the new anthology Kolor Klimax from Fantagraphics. Come and meet some of the Nordic artists present at MoCCA.

4:15 Harvey Pekar’s Final Projects
Jeff Newelt, Joy ce Brabner, Joseph Remnant , Rick Parker , Sean Pryor, Dean Haspiel, JD Waldman
Celebrating the life and work of comics pioneer Harvey Pekar with his widow, and writer in her own right, Joyce Brabner, joins a group of his artist collaborators.

5:15 Carousel
R. Sikoryak with Michael Kupperman, Domitille Collardey, Shannon Wheeler, Leslie Stein, and Lauren Weinstein. With voices by Julie Klausner, Dave Hill, Scott Adsit.
Live comics brought to life by cartoonists and a team of talented voice actors.

ROOM A
SUNDAY

11:15 Graphic Novels for Young Adults
Betsy Bird (NYPL), Raina Telgemeier, Kevin Pyle, MK Reed, Derek Kirk Kim
The New York Public Library’s Betsy Bird talks to some of the brightest talents in one of comics’ fastest growing demographics.

12:15 To Run a Comic Stop
Alex Cox (Rocket Ship), Tucker Stone (Bergen Street Comics), Thor Parker (Midtown Comics), Gabe Fowler (Desert Island)
Representatives from some of the area’s top comic stores discuss the trials and tribulations of running your own shop.

1:15 Digital Distribution and the Future of Comics
David Steinberger (Comixology), Evan Dahm, Leigh Walton, Brian Heater
A frank discussion about sequential art’s move into the digital age.

2:15 Memoir
Calvin Reid, Derf, Peter Kuper, Jennifer Hayden, Mike Dawson
Maker s of autobio comics discuss filter their lives through sequential art.

3:15 Daniel Johnston in Conversation
Daniel Johnston, Brian Heater
Join the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter for a discussion about his art, including his debut graphic novel, Space Ducks.

4:15 An Interview with Gary Hallgren
Gary Hallgren, Danny Fingeroth
Gary Hallgen, interviewed by Danny Fingeroth, discusses his career from his days as one of the creators of the notorious Air Pirates, through his illustration work for a zillion publications, from the NY Times and MAD through You: The Owners Manual.

5:15 Animation from Augenblick Studios and Ugly Americans
Aaron Augenblick, Devin Clark, R. Sikoryak
Aaron Augenblick (founder of Augenblick St udios), Devin Clark (creator of “Ugly Americans”), and more show animated clips and shorts from their television, film, and independent projects.

ROOM B
SATURDAY

12:15 With Nicolas Mahler and Tom Gauld
Nicolas Mahler, Tom Gauld, Brian Heater
Brian Heater interviews two artists; Tom Gauld of Scotland, and Nicolas Mahler of Austria.

1:15 Checklist for a New Comic: A Guide to Getting Started
Jess Abel, Matt Madden
In this brief seminar, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden will walk you through the many considerations you should keep in mind when you embark on a new comic of any kind. Abel and Madden will help you strategize and come up with a working plan for your next project, and will cover: creative block and coming up with ideas; choosing a format and platform that makes sense; setting goals and scheduling your time so that you can reach them; finding an audience and looking for collaborators and/or publishers. So bring some paper and be ready to take notes on your next big (or small) project!

3:15 Hans Rickheit in Conversation
Hans Rickheit, Brian Heater
Brian Heater takes on Hans Rickheit–musician, performance artist, cartoonist.

4:15 Big City Dare2Draw
Hosted by TJ Glenn & Charles D Chenet
Featuring dynamic figure drawing, with action poses, using props and, then, the signature “Quick Draw” Contests, with all art done on Blue Line Pro boards, for charity. Prizes provided by our sponsors. Dare2Draw is a non-profit, platform organization for artists, providing mentoring, networking and resources for artistic development, while encouraging goo d health and business practices for cartoonists and providing the opportunity to connect with each other, face-to-face.

ROOM B
SUNDAY

9:30 Kids Program: Comics Are Awesome!
John Green (Teen Boat!)
Learn how an idea in your head becomes a comic on a page. John Green and Colleen AF Venable will take you on a collaborative journey through the process of creating characters and stories for comics.

10:15 Kids Workshop: From Concept to Comic
John Green (Teen Boat!, Phineas and Ferb), Colleen AF Venable (Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye, First Second Books)
Kids Program continues!

11:15 Workshop: Drawing with Rick Parker
Rick Parker (Beavis & Butthead, and Papercutz)
Join cartoonist Rick Parker for an insightful, funny and hands-on workshop in cartooning! This workshop is great for cartoonists of all ages.

12:30 CCS Presents: The Expanding Comic Workshop
Robyn Chapman (Center for Cartoon Studies)
If you think that a comic book is just a bunch of pages between two covers, think again!  There is a wide variety of book making techniques that allow you to fold, flip, and turn your comics in unusual ways. Jon Chad, author of Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth, will team up with comics educator Robyn Chapman to introduce three unique book forms. Then the workshop participants will construct and illustrate their own expanding comic books!

2:00 A Discussion with Josh Neufeld and Shannon Wheeler
Josh Neufeld (A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge), Shannon Wheeler (Oil and Water, Too Much Coffee Man)
These two creators interview one another about their work in comics, especially as it relates to their approaches documenting tragedy on the Gulf Coast.

4:00 Coming to America
Emma Hayley (Publishing Director, SelfMadeHero)
Reporting on the flourishing UK and European comics scenes and the launch of a new graphic novel imprint in the US.

4:45 Euro comics: Kiki de Montparnasse and the French Comics Scene
Doug Wallace, Jose-Louis Bocquet
Jose-Louis Bocquet (Senior Editor, Dupuis – France / Author, Kiki de Monparnasse) and Doug Wallace (Marketing Director, SelfMadeHero)
discuss the European comics scene and Catel & Jose-Louis Bocquet’s first US graphic novel Kiki de Montparnasse.

DC – Are You My Mother? Signing

Alison Bechdel signs at Politics & Prose on May 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm!

In her acclaimed graphic memoir, Fun Home, Bechdel focused on her father, his secret life, and his death. Now she turns to her talented, emotionally repressed mother, exploring the family psychology and the tentative mother-daughter truce the two achieved via D.W. Winnicott , Dr. Seuss, and Bechdel’s own vivid memories.

Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Ron Lim & Mike Choi to Attend Big Wow 2012

Press Release:

With less than one month until the Show, Big WOW! ComicFest continues to expand their already amazing Guest List by adding comic artists Ron Lim and Mike Choi to Artist Alley. “We’re excited to have both Ron Lim and Mike Choi attend this year’s ComicFest,” said Convention Director Steve Wyatt. “We’re also trying to line up a few more surprise Guests so expect more special announcements in the next few weeks!”

Big Wow! ComicFest Returns to San Jose on May 19th & 20th, 2012, bringing two great days of Comic Book, Anime/Manga, Art, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming and Cosplay FUN! Many of the country’s best vendors of all things cool and collectible will tempt your wallets with the perfect gifts for Geek, Fans and True Collectors, everywhere!

As the Original Artist-Friendly Show, Big WOW! ComicFest has Fantastic Comic Book Creator Guests spanning all decades and genres! This year we are pleased to welcome as our Featured Guests: Jim Lee (X-Men, Batman & DC Comics VP), Toshio Madea (Urotsukidoji and La Blue Girl), Juanjo Guarnido (Blacksad), Legendary Illustrator Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing, Heavy Metal & Frankenstein), Vampire Horror Author Steve Niles, creator of 30 Days Of Night, Fan-Favorites Travis Charest (Weapons of the Metabarons), Kevin Nowlan (Superman Vs. Aliens), and more Special Guests including: Dan Brereton (Nocturnals), Bob Layton (Iron Man, Avengers), Tim Bradstreet (The Punisher), Joe Linsner (Dawn), Bill Morrison, Alex Nino, Sergio Aragones, Liam Sharp, Frank Cho, Joe Jusko, Michael Golden, Mark Texiera, Michael Lark, Tim Sale, Brandon Peterson and many more confirmed and added to our website!

Also Appearing as Special Celebrity Guests will be: Actor, writer, and producer Thomas Jane, star of “The Punisher” film and the HBO favorite series “Hung”, is also the author of the comic book series Bad Planet!. Jane Wiedlin, the charismatic guitar player for The GoGos! Jane is back at work, having just wrote a new story for the 2011 Simpsons Tree House of Horror comic book, and her own series (starring Jane herself) Lady Robotika. Olivia d’Abo. Star of “The Wonder Years”, “Conan the Destroyer” and voice actress for “Star Wars: Clone Wars”, “Green Lantern”, “Justice League Doom” and “The Avengers”. She is best known on TV for her role in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” as Nicole Wallace. Terrance Zdunich, co-creator and star of the Cult Classic … “Repo: the Genetic Opera”. We will also be showing a Free viewing of the film with a live Shadow Cast on Sat. night for the 1st 500 fans, with a Q/A afterward with Terrance. Also appearing will be Sandahl Bergman (Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, All That Jazz, Airplane ll and “Chicago” on Broadway), C. Andrew Nelson (Darth Vader), Kathy Garver (Cissy on “Family Affair”), Jon Provost (Timmy on TV’s “Lassie” show) and more.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see professional comic artists at work as well! There will also be a Live Art demonstration going on all weekend, on stage by James O’Barr (Creator of “The Crow”), and many of our invited Guests.

In conjunction with San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum, Big Wow! ComicFest proudly presents “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Art Show!” Featuring Five Decades of Original Art and Memorabilia from the Marvel Comics world-famous group of greatest superheroes and latest movie stars.

- BUY TICKETS EARLY FOR A DISCOUNTED PRICE -

Hero Initiative Brings John Romita Jr. to Baltimore Comic-Con 2012

Press Release:

The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of comic super-star John Romita, Jr. to the growing line-up for this year’s show, taking place September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Romita, Jr. will be appearing at the Hero Initiative booth both Saturday and Sunday.

Romita, Jr., the son of comic legend John Romita, began his illustrious career in comics in 1977 penciling a 6-page story in Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #11. Throughout his 35-year career, he has drawn such characters as Spider-Man, Daredevil, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, the Punisher, and Thor.

Most recently, Romita, Jr. finished working on the follow-up to Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass and is the current series artist for Marvel’s Avengers, which relaunched in 2010.

The Hero Initiative is a federally charted not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping comic book creators in their hour on need. By providing financial safety nets for medical aid, financial support for the necessities of life, and an avenue back to paying work, the Hero Initiative, through the support of its donors, has been able to grant more than $500,000 to over 50 comic veterans.

For more information about how to help support the Hero Initiative, please visit www.heroinitiative.org. For more information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, please visit baltimorecomiccom.com.

Other confirmed guests for the show include:

Laura & Michael Allred (Madman, iZombie), Greg Capullo (Batman, Spawn), Tommy Castillo (Grimm Fairy Tales), Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman), Frank Cho (Avengers vs. X-Men, Liberty Meadows), Steve Conley (Bloop), Amanda Conner (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre), Lar deSouza (Looking For Group, Least I Could Do), Dan Didio (O.M.A.C.), Garth Ennis (The Shadow, Hellblazer, Preacher, The Boys), Rich Faber (Roboy Red), David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), John Gallagher (Buzzboy), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman), Keith Giffen (Superman, OMAC, Green Arrow), Gene Ha (Justice League), Larry Hama (G.I. Joe, Wolverine, The ‘Nam), Cully Hamner (Action Comics), Dean Haspiel (Billy Dogma, ACT-I-VATE, Trip City), Jamal Igle (KISS, Supergirl, The Ray), J.G. Jones (Wanted, Doc Savage), Barry Kitson (Captain America, Iron Man, Fantastic Four), Scott Kurtz (PvPonline.com), David Mack (Kabuki), Ron Marz (Artifacts, Voodoo), Bob McLeod (DC Comics Presents: Wonder Woman), Mark Morales (Avengers vs. X-Men), Jimmy Palmiotti (All-Star Western), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Brian Pulido (Lady Death), Frank Quitely (All Star Superman, Batman & Robin), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Stuart Sayger (Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night One-Shot), Walter Simonson (Thor, Legion of Super-Heroes, Avengers), Scott Snyder (Batman , Severed, Swamp Thing), Ryan Sohmer (Looking For Group, Least I Could Do), Brian Stelfreeze (ICE), Karl Story (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9), Peter Tomasi (Batman and Robin), Billy Tucci (A Child Is Born, Shi), Matt Wagner (Tower Chronicles, Mage, Grendel), Mark Waid (Daredevil, Incorruptible, Irredemable), and Bernie Wrightson (Frankenstein).

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 13th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 7 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

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