Baltimore Comic-Con 2017 Kids Love Comics Pavilion Announces Guests

Press Release:

Family fun returns to the 2017 Baltimore Comic-Con this September 22-24 at the Baltimore Convention Center in the beautiful Inner Harbor. The Baltimore Comic-Con presents the Kids Love Comics Pavilion, where kids and parents can venture towards comics fun with the biggest and best kids section at any comic convention – so big, you might need a road map! For 2017, the Kids Love Comics Pavilion welcomes #1 New York Times best-selling author Kazu Kibuishi, whose Amulet graphic novels have been read by millions across the US and beyond. Kibuishi was also chosen as cover illustrator for new editions of the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling.

There will be something for every member of your family at this year’s KLC area in Baltimore, as attendees walk through four kid-friendly “avenues,” featuring some of the best kids and young adult comic creators, as well as a fun-filled comics activity area to rev up the imagination. Families will also enjoy the Kids Love Comics Workshop, where hourly presentations will be given in character creation, drawing imaginary creatures, making comics, and young sidekicks can even attend and graduate from “Super Hero University!”

A diverse group of writers and artists will be on hand at Amulet Avenue, Amelia Rules Road, Aw Yeah Avenue, and Leon Lane – each of these streets centered around some of the beloved creators in the Kids Love Comics Pavilion and Baltimore Comic-Con veterans. Besides Kazu’s Amulet Avenue, Jimmy Gownley’s adored Amelia Rules! series gets it’s own designated row, as well as Tiny Titans and Aw Yeah Comics by writer/artist Franco. One special addition is Leon Lane, in which cult comics favorite Jamar Nicholas gets the spotlight, as he premieres the long-awaited Leon, Protector of the Playground graphic novel.

Parents, bring your kids to the Baltimore Comic-Con the weekend of September 22-24 at the Baltimore Convention Center! Tickets are now available, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult admission. (Please note: does not apply to early VIP admission or Special Event tickets.)

For more info on Kids Love Comics, please visit kidslovecomics.net.

Creators appearing at the 2017 Baltimore Comic-Con Kids Love Comics Pavilion include:

• Carolyn Belefski (Curls)
• Harold Buchholz (Wild Lion, MST3K)
• Joe Carabeo (French Fry Club)
• J. Robert Deans & Elinda Deans (Shakes the Cow)
• Charles C. Dowd (A to Z Guide to Jobs For Girls)
• Emily Drouin (Eplis)
• Tod Emko & Piggy (A Piggy’s Tale)
• Tim Fielder (Matty’s Rocket)
• Chris Flick (Capes & Babes)
• Franco (Tiny Titans, Aw Yeah Comics)
• John Gallagher w/ Katie, Jack & Will Gallagher (Buzzboy, EPIC Bros., Zoey & Ketchup)
• Shannon Gallant (GI Joe, Pink Panther)
• Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!, The Dumbest Idea Ever)
• John Green (Hippopotamister)
• Dawn Griffin (Zorphbert & Fred)
• Kata Kane (Altar Girls)
• Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet, Harry Potter cover artist)
• David Landis (Papercuttables)
• Mike Lopez (Life’s A Beach, Kids Comic Con)
• Mike Maihack (Cleopatra In Space)
• Mark Mariano (Claire Lost Her Bear at the World’s Fair, Flabbergast)
• Jamar Nicholas (Leon, Protector of the Playground)
• Chris O>Matic (KLC Workshop host)
• Dan Parent (Archie)
• Mark Poulton (A Cat Named Haiku and Pizza Tree)
• Kyle Puttkamer (Hero Cats)
• Andy Runton (Owly)
• Gregg Schigiel (Pix)
• Jeff Shultz (Archie)
• Alex Simmons (Archie, Kids ComicCon)
• Ted Tucker (Caricatures)
• Emilio Velez Jr. (Dodgeball Teens)
• Todd Webb (Mr. Toast Comics, NerdFest Game Artist)
• Marcus Williams & Greg Burnham (Tuskegee Heirs)

Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets!

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.

RSVP on Facebook!

 

 

DC – Kids Comics Signing

Cartoonists Jimmy Gownley, Dave Roman, and Raina Telgemeier sign at Politics & Prose on Saturday September 6, 2014 at 3:30 PM!

Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
202-364-1919

MeCAF 2014 Announces Programming Schedule

The Maine Comics Arts Festival (MeCAF) has released their programming schedule for the 2014 show to be held on Sunday May 18th:

10:00 – 1:00: Book signing with Big Nate creator Lincoln Peirce (in the main hall)

10:30 – Unusual comics! Choose your own adventure! with Jon Chad
How does your comic become a book? If you thought that a book is just made up of a cover, back cover, and all the business in-between, think again! Explore a variety of folding and book construction techniques and make your own unfolding, choose-your-own-adventure minicomic!

11:30 – DRAW ON YOUR CREATIVITY:
Comic book artist Jay Piscopo invites students to try their hand at cartoon art and demonstrates how anyone can learn to draw and create comics. Using simple geometric shapes, Jay teaches kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Stand by for adventure with this interactive workshop! Watch a short video clip at the link…

12:30 – Ben Hatke: The Three Secrets of Comics:
Discussing images in a narrative, gesture, and drawing from life, Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl) talks about three secrets behind making amazing comics.

1:30 – Iron Cartoonist:
This competition will determine the MeCAF Iron Cartoonist Champion! Watch as three talented cartoonists draw against the clock, with suggestions from the audience. Special guest judges will determine the winner.

2:30 – A conversation with Jimmy Gownley and Kazu Kibuishi:
Join us as we discuss comics with Jimmy Gownley (The Dumbest Idea Ever, Amelia Rules) and Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet, Flight).

3:30 – Panel discussion about gender and race issues in current comics, with artists Melanie Gillman, Kori Handwerker and others.

RSVP on Facebook!

The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held in Portland, ME on Sunday, May 18, 2014. Featuring over 100 comics writers, artists and publishers, this will be a celebration of the comics art form. This year’s show will be at the Portland Company Complex (58 Fore Street, Portland, Maine 04101)! There will be everyone from mini comics publishers to seasoned professionals. There will be comic book writers and artists, gag cartoonists, newspaper cartoonists, web comics creators and more. The guests will have their own work available for sale. Some people will be doing sketches and selling original artwork. Others will have t-shirts, buttons and posters. All of them have one thing in common… a love of comics. Featured guests include: Kazu Kibuishi, Sean Murphy, Jimmy Gownley, Ben Hatke, James Sturm, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, Joe Quinones, Zack Giallongo, Maris Wicks, and many more!

Maine Comics Arts Festival 2014 Announces Guests

The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held in Portland, ME on Sunday, May 18, 2014. Featuring over 100 comics writers, artists and publishers, this will be a celebration of the comics art form. There will be everyone from mini comics publishers to seasoned professionals. There will be comic book writers and artists, gag cartoonists, newspaper cartoonists, web comics creators and more. The guests will have their own work available for sale. Some people will be doing sketches and selling original artwork. Others will have t-shirts, buttons and posters. All of them have one thing in common… a love of comics.

For our 2014 show MeCAF is moving to a new venue: The Portland Company Complex located at 58 Fore Street in downtown Portland, ME. This wonderful waterfront facility offers more exhibition space, free WiFi, as well as attached panel and workshop areas to accommodate our growing festival. The festival opens to the public at 10:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm. Admission is only $5.00. Children 12 and under get in free.

Guests include Kazu Kibushi (Amulet, Harry Potter), Sean Murphy (The Wake, Punk Rock Jesus), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules), Colleen AF Venable (Guinea PIg: Pet Shop Private Eye), Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl), James Sturm (Adventures in Cartooning), Joe Quinones (Marvel and DC Comics artist), Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb (Adventure Time), Zack Giallongo (Broxo, Star Wars: Ewoks), Maris Wicks (Primates), and over 100 other comics creators! More to be announced soon!

RSVP on Facebook!

PA – The Dumbest Idea Ever Release Party

Press Release:

Award winning author/cartoonist of the hit graphic novel series “Amelia Rules!”, Jimmy Gownley, will be making a special appearance at the ToonSeum on March 8th, 2014.

In his latest book, “THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER!”, published by Scholastic, Gownley reflects about his experiences as a teenage cartoonist. Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, Gownley began publishing his own comics “Shades of Gray” while he was still in high school.

On March 8th, 2014 as part of Will Eisner Week, the ToonSeum invites parents and children for a special presentation with Jimmy Gownley. Gownley will explain the creative process through drawing and personal anecdotes, and how simple events from everyday life can lead to exciting and creative ideas for stories and art.

In addition, students will learn the five simple places they can look to unlock their own creativity and even create their own comic book character out of their shared experiences.

Gownley has been a guest lecturer at The School at Columbia University, Fordham University, The Pennsylvania Library Association Conference, The Novello Conference and many others. He has been Artist in Residence at The Charles M. Shulz Museum and Research Center, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, and his work is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art in New York City.

Gownely has also received several major awards including the 2007 Cybil award for best graphic novel, Junior Library Guild selection four times and nominated for 13 Eisner Awards and 6 Harvey Nominations. Copies of “THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER!” will be available for purchase.

The presentation begins on March 8th at 1pm.

The ToonSeum
945 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222

The Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway

Press Release:

New York, NY — Author and illustrator Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules) has teamed up with Brodart, Diamond Book Distributors, and GraphicNovelReporter.com to donate his talent and his time to create the promotional artwork for The $20,000+ Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans taking place June 24 to June 27.

The Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway awards one library a collection of over 700 hand-selected graphic novels for adults, teens, and children as well as fixtures and furniture. The entire prize will be displayed in Booth #1760 at ALA in a library setting with shelving, spinner racks, lounge seating, reading tables and chairs, accent tables and more. The contest is open to public, school and academic librarians in the continental United States. Eligible librarians can enter to win during ALA Exhibit Hours on Friday June 24 through Sunday June 26, with the Grand Prize Drawing on Monday, June 27.

“Libraries were among the first and biggest supporters of me and Amelia Rules! It was an honor for me to provide the artwork for this incredible giveaway,” said Jimmy Gownley.

“The sponsors appreciate Jimmy contributing these eye-catching graphics, which will give us the opportunity to draw attention to this prize that celebrates graphic novels and their popularity in libraries,” said Carol Fitzgerald from GraphicNovelReporter.com on behalf of all the sponsors.

Participating publisher sponsors, beyond the title sponsors include:
Abrams, Ape Entertainment, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Creative Arts Unlimited Inc., Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, First Second Books, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Lerner Publishing Group, Marvel, Oni Press, Penguin Young Readers Group, Random House, Rosen Publishing, Round Table Comics, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Toon Books, Top Cow Productions, Top Shelf Productions, Unshelved, Viper Comics, VIZ Media, W.W. Norton, and Zenescope Entertainment.

The first $20,000 Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway (at Texas Library Association’s Annual Conference in April) was a huge success, with libraries from all over the state of Texas entering to win hundreds of graphic novels as well as library shelving and furniture. The winner was Weslaco Public Library, represented by Eduardo Zepeda.

For more information please visit: http://www.shopbrodart.com/ala#giveaway

About Brodart Co.
Since 1939 libraries have been able to turn to Brodart for everything from shelf-ready books to electronic ordering systems, high quality furniture, and supplies. Brodart serves libraries from the Northwest Territories to the Pacific Rim, with facilities in the United States and Canada.

About Diamond Book Distributors
Diamond Book Distributors is a division of Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and related merchandise. Diamond Book Distributors is dedicated to making a wide selection of graphic novels and other pop culture collectibles available to the book market.

About GraphicNovelReporter.com
GraphicNovelReporter.com is the newest website from TheBookReportNetwork.com (TBRN), which includes a group of six Internet sites featuring original content about books and authors. Since 1996, these sites — led by flagship site Bookreporter.com — have become the gathering places for a large and devoted audience of readers and book buyers. Monthly more than 1.6 million unique visitors come to the sites in the Network, making it the largest non-commercial group of book websites on the Internet. In addition, the company offers Internet design/development, marketing/publicity and resource services.