Hero Intitiative at WonderCon
April 1, 2010 by Brian Pate
Filed under California, Collectibles, Comic Books, Convention News, Top Stories
Press Release:
Hero Initiative at San Francisco’s Wonder-Con
Party at The Comic Art Museum benefiting Ed Hannigan Sponsored by Comic Outpost
(For Immediate Release): March 29, 2010: Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that helps comic creators in need, is hoppin’ up to San Francisco’s WonderCon at the Moscone Center South Easter weekend April 2-4. Original art from a variety of artists will be for sale at the booth, and a huge party benefitting Ed Hannigan will take place the Cartoon Art Museum, sponsored by San Francisco’s own Comic Outpost!
The Cartoon Art Museum, The Hero Initiative and The Comic Outpost proudly present the museum’s Annual Wonder-Con Weekend Party, which will be held on Friday, April 2, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from this special event will go to comic book artist Ed Hannigan, whose work is featured in the Cartoon Art Museum’s current exhibition Ed Hannigan: Covered.
Tickets for this event will be sold at the Cartoon Art Museum booth on the floor at WonderCon, and at the door at the museum, 655 Mission St., just three blocks from WonderCon. Ed Hannigan, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis, will receive a portion of the proceeds. Tickets are available for $20-$35, with those who donate $35 or more receiving a special gift bag courtesy of the Cartoon Art Museum. A silent auction will be held at the party, and all proceeds from the auction will go directly Hannigan.
Many of the top talents from DC Comics, Marvel Comics and more will be in attendance at the party as special guests of the Cartoon Art Museum and the Hero Initiative. Confirmed guests include Arthur Adams, Amanda Conner, Sergio Aragones, Joyce Chin, Jimmy Palmiotti, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Jen Van Meter, and more to be announced. Food and beverages will be provided. Please visit www.cartoonart.org for a list of additional sponsors as they are announced.
Hero Initiative president Jim McLauchlin and Cartoon Art Museum curator Andrew Farago preview the Gallery’s Ed Hannigan: Covered exhibit Friday, from 2p.m.-3p.m. at a WonderCon panel. See some of the great art that will be up for auction at the party, and catch the world debut of the Ed Hannigan video, celebrating the works of the great artist. Room 232/234.
Come by Hero’s booth, #637, and check out original art available for sale by Tim Sale, Darwyn Cooke and more. Adam Kubert will be at the booth and will draw four, only four sketches the whole weekend, exclusively for Hero! And last but not least, Hero is proud to offer an exclusive, limited edition print of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64, one of Ed Hannigan’s most famous covers. The print is a limited edition of only 150 pieces, and each one will be hand-signed by Ed. Prints are available at $25 each, and are sure to go quickly, go get to the booth fast!
Hero Initiative booth schedule as Follows:
Friday April 2:
1 p.m.-2 p.m.: Gail Simone
2 p.m.-3 p.m.: Ed Hannigan Panel room 233-234
2:30 p.m.-4 p.m: Bill Morrison
Saturday, April 3:
11 a.m.-12noon: Matt Wagner
1 p.m.-2 p.m.: Rev. Dave Johnson
Sunday April 4:
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Bill Morrison
1-2 Rev. Dave Johnson
About The Hero Initiative:
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strict to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.
CA – Hero Initiative Fundraiser
November 18, 2009 by Colin Solan
Filed under California, Comic Books, Signing and Appearance Profiles

Len Wein, Chris Moreno (art pictured), Joe Benitez and more sign on Dec 5th
Hero Initiative’s Wolverine: Weapon X 100 Project hits stores December 2nd!
Celebrate with Multi-creator Signing events all over the continent!
(Los Angeles, CA): If you can’t cough up tens of thousands for the Hero Initiative’s Wolverine: Weapon X 100 Project original covers, don’t fret! You can own the whole collection! On December 2nd, the massive 152-page collected book will be released, including artwork from legends such as Neal Adams, J. Scott Campbell, David Finch, Arthur Adams and Tim Sale. The Wolverine: Weapon X 100 Project is available in Limited edition hardcover for $25 and soft cover for $12.99.
And to kick things off, we’re celebrating with multi-creator signing events in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Phoenix! Check out a store and date near you, and visit the wonderful talent we have lined up! As a special bonus, limited edition hardcover copies of The Wolverine: Weapon X 100 Project will be available ONLY at the following stores or online at http://www.atomiccomicsstore.com/wolv100hcpp.html .
December 5, 7:00pm-10:00pm
*Special guest Wolverine Creator Len Wein
*Joe Benitez,
*David Bullock
*Christian Gossett
*Danny Miki
*Bill Morrison
*Scott Koblish
*Chris Moreno
*Aaron Sowd
Collectors Paradise Comics and Gallery, 7131 Winnetka Ave, Winnetka, CA 91306
818.999.9455
Animation Supercon Announces Final Guests and Events
September 25, 2009 by Brian Pate
Filed under Anime, Comic Books, Convention News, Florida, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Top Stories
ANIMATION SUPERCON 2009 announced for Oct. 2-4, 2009
Featuring cast reunions from Futurama & Pinky & The Brain
Plus, stars of Ren and Stimpy, Looney Tunes, Gears of War, Final Fantasy, Transformers, Family Guy, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons and more!
FINAL GUEST LIST & EVENTS ANNOUNCED
Miami, FL – Animation Supercon replaces Anime Supercon as it returns for a 4th year to an all new, bigger & better location; the Doubletree Miami Airport Hotel and Convention Center. Animation Supercon will replace Anime Supercon as the shows focus shifts to encompass the entire animation world, and not just Japanese anime. Set for October 2-4, Animation Supercon is a three day festival and convention dedicated to Animation, Cartoons, Anime, Comic Books and Video Games.
Animation Supercon will feature celebrity guests, artists, animators, writers, vendors, Q&A’s, parties, costume contests, anime programming, cosplay, panels, photo shoots, live music, video games and more as it takes over 100,000+ square feet of the Doubletree Miami Airport Hotel and Convention Center. The event kicks off at 3:30PM, Friday, October 2 and the fun continues almost around the clock until 6:00PM, Sunday, October 4.
Over the weekend-long event, attendees will have a chance to meet and converse with celebrity guests and artists from all corners of the industry. Our guest list includes two very special cast reunions from Futurama and Pinky & The Brain. The line up for this years event includes:
Billy West: Star of Futurama (Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan, Dr. Zoidberg), Ren and Stimpy (Ren and Stimpy), Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd), Doug (Doug) and TheWoody Woodpecker Show (Woody Woodpecker).
David X. Cohen: Co-Creator, Head Writer and Executive Producer of Futurama. Writer, Editor and Producer of the Simpsons and Writer for Beevis and Butthead.
John DiMaggio: Star of Futurama (Bender, Flexo, Elzar), Gears of War (Marcus Fenix), Chowder (Shnitzel), Final Fantasy XII (Gilgamesh, Migelo), Samurai Jack (The Scotsman) and Princess Mononoke (Gonza).
Phil LaMarr: Star of Futurama (Hermes Conrad, Rev. Lionel Preacherbot), Samurai Jack (Samurai Jack), Family Guy (Ollie Williams, The Judge), Transformers: Animated (Jazz, Omega Supreme, Jetstorm), Mad TV, Justice League (Green Lantern), Static Shock (Static) and Final Fantasy XII (Reddas).
Maurice LaMarche: Star of Futurama (Kif, Morbo, Calculon, Lrr, Donbot, Hedonist Bot), Pinky and The Brain (The Brain), Tripping the Rift (Gus), Xiaolin Showdown (Master Fung), Inspector Gadget(Inspector Gadget), Tiny Toon Adventures (Dizzy Devil), Transformers (Six Gun) and The Critic (Jeremy Hawke).
Rob Paulsen: Star of Pinky and The Brain (Pinky), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Raphael), The Tick (Arthur), Animaniacs (Yakko), Transformers (Air Raid, Slingshot), GI Joe (Snowjob, Tripwire) andFraggle Rock (Boober, Sprocket).
Bill Morrison: Concept Artist of Futurama and Co-Founder / Creative Director for Bongo Comics. Bill’s artist credits, as artist/writer/editor for Bongo Comics include Futurama Comics, Bartman Comics, Bongo Comics, Radioactive Man, Itchy and Scratchy, Simpsons Comics, Bart Simpson and Treehouse of Horror. In addition, Bill was the writer/artist for Captain Carrot and The Final Ark (DC Comics) and poster artist for Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Mike Kazaleh: Animator and Comic Book Artist. Animation credits include: The Simpsons, Cool World, Mighty Mouse, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Tiny Toon Adv., Filmmation and Bashki Animation. Comic Book credits include: Futurama Comics, The Simpsons, Ren and Stimpy, Usagi Yojimbo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Mouse and Superfriends.
Allen Bellman: Golden Age Comic Book artist for Timely / Marvel and Lev Gleason. Mr. Bellman’s credits include Captain America, The Patriot, Let’s Play Detective, The Human Torch, The Sub-Mariner, All Select Comics, Marvel Mystery Comics and All Winners Comics.
Richard Green: Richard is and artist and animator, who has extensive animation credits with Disney Studios. His work can be seen in Beauty and the Beast (asst. animator for Lumiere), Rescuers Down Under, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Goofy and Mickey Mouse.
Pat Broderick: Animator and Comic Book Artist. Artist for Green Lantern, Batman, Captain Marvel, Firestorm, Spider-Man and Superman. Animation designer and concept artist on Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
Select Start: Musical guests, Select Start is the fusion of six musicians who combine their mutual love for video games, music and their instruments (two violins, a cello, guitar, piano and flute) to create a musical experience and sound unique to the video game music world.
Terry Cronin and Pat Martin: Representing 3Boys Productions, Terry and Pat are the creators of independent comic book Students of The Unusual.
Goatslacker: Musical guest Goatslacker is a chip music composer armed with dual 1989 Nintendo Game Boys and and his custom keyboard.
Austin Janowsky: Austin is a veteran artist and inker, whose credits include Iron Man: The End, Stanley The Snowman, Judo Girl, Cracked Magazine, X-Men Unlimited, Witch Girl Tales, Tomb Raiderand Bubba The Redneck Werewolf.
Nakia Mann: Comic Book Artist of Zoom Suit and Codename: Power.
Additional guests can be found at on the Animation Supercon website at www.animationsupercon.com
Some of the featured events at Animation Supercon include:
The Futurama Cast Reunion Q&A: Meet the cast of Futurama, together on one stage. All our celebrity guests will have individual 1 hour Q&A sessions over the course of the weekend, but the main event is on Sunday, when Billy West, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, David X. Cohen and Maurice LaMarche take the stage to speak with fans about all things Futurama. (Sunday 2pm-3:15pm)
The Pinky and the Brain Cast Reunion Q&A: Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche are Pinky and the Brain… and on Saturday afternoon, they’ll be together again on stage to speak with fans about one of the most popular cartoons of all time. (Saturday 12pm-1pm)
Supercon Mania Revenge!: Supercon Championship Wrestling returns! It’s been 4 months since Supercon Mania 1 and Carl still retains the SCW World Heavyweight Championship…. but how long can he hang on to it? Supercon Mania is back for 2 nights at ASC as Carl, Cobra Commander, The Joker, Luigi, Wolverine, The Baroness, The Monopoly Man, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Elektra, Jason Vorhees, Afro Samurai, The Geico Caveman, Harley Quinn, The Ghostbusters and more descend on Miami in search of glory and gold. It’s day two of Supercon Mania: Revenge! What happened on Friday night? Did Carl hold on to the title or lose to the #1 contender? Will he be back to defend??? And will Cobra Commander ever get his REVENGE? (Friday 10pm-11:30pm and Saturday 9:45pm-11:15pm)
Animation Supercon Costume Competition: Cosplayers from around the state will compete in South Florida’s premiere costume competition, where they will battle it out for over $3,000 in cash and prizes. (Saturday 8:30pm – 9:45pm)
Select Start in Concert: One of the most unique bands around, Select Start will perform many video game favorites via classical music instruments. (Saturday 5:15pm-6:15pm and Sunday 12pm-1pm)
Animation Supercon Cosplay Contest: Supercon’s famous Cosplay Contest is back, where cosplayers of all ages get a chance to compete and show off their acting skills as they perform skits as their favorite animation or anime character. (Sunday 12pm-1pm)
The Bongo Comics Q&A: The creators and editors of Futurama and Simpsons comics will be on hand to meet with fans and discuss the world of comics and how they relate to Futurama and The Simpsons. Bill Morrison (Creative Director, Writer, Artist and Editor) and Mike Kazaleh (Artist) will be hosting the panel. (Saturday 5:45pm-6:45pm)
Video Gaming: Animation Supercon will have around the clock video gaming events, tournaments and free play hosted by Infinite Bits Gaming, Noobie Games and VG Party Games.
Exhibition Room: Animation Supercon will have a 50,000 square feet exhibition room with over 150 vendor, guest and artist booths and tables. (Friday 3:30pm-10pm, Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 11am-5pm)
Complete information on these and dozens of more events taking place all weekend can be found at www.animationsupercon.com
The convention hours of operation are:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2: 3:30PM – 2:00AM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3: 11:00AM – 2:00AM
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4: 11:00AM – 6:00PM
Tickets are currently available online and at select vendors.
General Admission (3) Day Weekend Pass:
$35 if reserved in advance online
General Admission at the door is $40 for a weekend pass. Single day passes will be $20 for Friday or Sunday and $25 for Saturday. Children under 10 receive free admission. Parents, Police officers, Fire Fighters and Military receive a $10 discount.
Special V.I.P. tickets are available as well.
The Double Tree Miami Airport Hotel & convention center is located at 711 NW 72nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126. The Double Tree has over 100,000 square feet of total convention space to accommodate the growing attendance of Animation Supercon. Discounted room rates for convention are available. See our website www.animationsupercon.com for details.
CA – Free Donut Day
June 25, 2009 by Colin Solan
Filed under California, Comic Books, Other, Signing and Appearance Profiles

Bill Morrison, Tone Rodriguez & Batton Lash sign at Metropolis.
Wednesday, July 1 (that’s next week, y’all), it’s Free Donut Day at Metropolis – we’re celebrating in style with Bongo Comics’ Bill Morrison, Tone Rodriguez, and Batton Lash in to sign and sketch Simpsons books for you from 5pm till 8pm! Be with us – oh, and did we mention… free donut with purchase of any Simpsons comic book! Not cheap ones, either – Krispy Kremes! Mmmmmm!
Metropolis Comics
16509 Bellflower Blvd.
Bellflower, CA 90706
562.263.0277
www.metrohero.com
Golden Inking Kirby, Ross, and More for Super-Con
May 14, 2009 by Brian Pate
Filed under California, Comic Books, Convention News
Press Release:
San Jose– The San Jose SuperCon returns to the San Jose Convention Center May 16-17 2009 with their most extensive guest list ever: Michael Golden, Adam Hughes, Frank Cho, Arthur Suydam, Travis Charest, Eduardo Risso, Joe Jusko, Howard Chaykin, Jim Silke, Bruce Dern, Bill Morrison, Marina Sirtis, Joe Benitez, Talent Caldwell, Mike Mayhew, Craig Hamilton, and many more!
Panels, Panels and more Panels mark the event, not to mention the much anticipated costume contest, RoboTech Tour Stop, and Annual Art Auction in which the shows world-class line up of artists will once again provide thousands of dollars worth of one-of-a-kind collectibles up for bid!
One of the shows most anticipated events in conjunction with the art auction is the “Inking Panel,” where the various artist guests try their hand inking over others. Last year featured the pencils of Adam Hughes and Michael Golden. This year, the pencils have been provided by Alex Ross, Bill Morrison and Mark Schultz with an added pencil piece by Jack Kirby!
Michael Golden has provided inked renditions over ALL FOUR artists, and all four Golden turns will be available in the Annual Art Auction on Sunday. When else do you get to see Golden inking Kirby?!
But then, this whole show is not to be missed for any fan of comics and sequential art! So find your way to San Jose!
For more information on SuperCon the Inking Panel and other programming go to: www.super-con.com
- Schultz – Golden
- Kirby – Golden
- Morrison – Golden
- Ross – Golden
Hero Initiative at Super-Con in San Jose
May 12, 2009 by Brian Pate
Filed under California, Comic Books, Convention News
Press Release:
Hero Initiative at Super-Con in San Jose California
Saturday, May 16th, 10:00am- 6:00pm
Sunday, May 17th 10:00am-5:00pm
Los Angeles, CA (May 11, 2009): Hero Initiative will be travelling to the Super-Con in San Jose California in the south hall of the San Jose Convention Center. The con is proud to announce the biggest line up ever!! Check out the website at http://www.super-con.com. Stop by the Hero Initiative booth for signings or art from Eduardo Risso, Mike Mayhew, Bill Morrison and Dan Brereton. The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 16
10:30-12:00 – Mike Mayhew
3:30-5:00 – Edwardo Risso
Sunday, May 17
11:30-12:30 – Bill Morrison
1:30-2:30 – Dan Brereton
About The Hero Initiative
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.
4th Annual Super-Con Set for Downtown San Jose in May
April 21, 2009 by Brian Pate
Filed under Anime, California, Collectibles, Comic Books, Convention News, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Press Release:
SUPER-CON IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE MAY 16 & 17!
Strong Guest List and Size Place Super-Con Among Top U.S. Comics Conventions
THE EVENT:
On Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, the fourth annual Super-Con will bring the biggest and brightest stars of comics, sci-fi, and pop culture to the San Jose Convention Center’s South Hall.
SUPER GUESTS (Visit www.super-con.com for a complete, up-to-the-minute list):
Super-Con’s impressive guest list of comics professionals places it among the top fan-friendly conventions in the U.S.:
Anime Guests, voice artists for anime’s popular Full Metal Alchemist and Hellsing.
Travis Charest, cover artist; WildC.A.T.s, Metabarons, Star Wars art.
Frank Cho, Liberty Meadows, Avengers, Shanna the She-Devil.
Bruce Dern, Oscar-nominated actor, star of film and TV, including Silent Running, Great Gatsby, and Big Love. First comic book convention appearance.
Michael Golden, Doctor Strange, Micronauts, Nightwing.
Adam Hughes, cover artist; Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Tomb Raider.
Joe Jusko, painter of Tomb Raider, Tarzan, Vampirella, numerous trading cards series.
Bill Morrison, co-founder of Bongo Comics, publisher of The Simpsons comic books.
Eduardo Risso, 100 Bullets, Batman: Broken City.
John Wesley Shipp, The Flash, Emmy-winning actor.
Marina Sirtis, Star Trek’s Deanna Troi.
Arthur Suydam, Marvel Zombies, Conan, Batman, Death Dealer.
Jane Weidlin, the Go-Go’s, VH1′s The Surreal Life.
And many, many more!
HIGHLIGHTS:
Super-Con 2009 features panels, Q&A discussions with special guests, displays, and presentations by icons and industry leaders. The 4th annual Super-Con Cosplay Contest allows those daring souls to roam the convention hall in costume (providing photo opportunities galore) before the formal costume contest pits hero vs. hero. The Art Auction allows conventioneers to bid on one-of-a-kind pieces of art created especially for the auction by our super guests. In all, Super-Con has over 80,000 square feet of space to play with this year, so expect more excitement than ever, plus a great array of comic book, anime, and specialty toy vendors! Full convention programming info is at www.super-con.com.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 16: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 17: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE:
San Jose Convention Center, South Hall, 435 S. Market St., San Jose.
I-880 and I-101 are less than a five-minute drive from the Center, which also has free weekend parking in the rear and nearby underground lots. Special rates at the San Jose Marriott are available to Super-Con guests (a limited block of rooms have been set aside for Super-Con).
ADMISSION:
Tickets for Super-Con are $20 for a one-day pass or $30 for a two-day pass. Tickets may be purchased three ways: 1) at the door on event day; 2) online at www.super-con.com; and 3) in advance at your local comic book retailer. Advance tickets purchased online or from your local comic book retailer will receive a $5 discount. Additionally, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform, and other attendees in costume are eligible for a discount.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit www.super-con.com, or email supercon@super-con.com.
ABOUT US:
The fourth annual Super-Con is brought to Bay Area fans by a group of local comics professionals and fans.














































