Dark Horse Announces The Sakai Project

Press Release:

The most amazing artists in the world have come together to celebrate thirty years of Stan Sakai’s marvelous samurai rabbit saga, Usagi Yojimbo, in a new oversized hardcover benefit book: The Sakai Project: Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of “Usagi Yojimbo”!

“It has been an absolute pleasure publishing Stan’s work over the years, and recently collaborating with him directly on 47 Ronin,” said Dark Horse’s president and founder, Mike Richardson. “With the thirtieth anniversary of his most beloved creation, Usagi, and in a time of need for Stan and his family, we are honored to publish this tribute to Stan and his work. We are donating all of the proceeds to Stan and his wife, Sharon. We hope you will join us in honoring one of the comics industry’s shining lights.”

The participating artists bring their own interpretations and their own styles to the subject, making this book a one-of-a-kind treasure.

The Sakai Project is produced in association with the Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS). All proceeds from this book will go to Stan and Sharon Sakai.

ADAM HUGHES | ALAIN MAURICET | ALEX MALEEV | ALLISON SOHN | ANDY GRENEN | ARTHUR ADAMS | BATTON LASH | BILL MORRISON | BRIAN CHING & MICHAEL ATIYEH | BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS | CARLOS D’ANDA & GABE ELTAEB | CHRIS SCALF | DAN PANOSIAN | DAVE GIBBONS | DAVID MACK | DOUG WHEATLEY | EDGAR DELGADO | ERIC POWELL | GABRIEL HARDMAN | GEOF DARROW | HOWARD CHAYKIN | JAN DUURSEMA | JEFF SMITH | JOYCE CHIN | MARK CRILLEY | MATT GROENING | MATT WAGNER | MICHAEL ALLRED | MICHAEL AVON OEMING | MICHAEL GOLDEN | MIKE KUNKEL | MIKE MIGNOLA | OSCAR MARTIN | PAUL GULACY | PAUL RENAUD | PHIL YEH | RICHARD CORBEN | SCOTT SHAW | SERGIO ARAGONÉS | STEPHANIE GLADDEN | TIM SALE | TOM MANDRAKE | TOM RICHMOND | WALTER SIMONSON | WILLIAM STOUT | & MORE!

Industry professionals, Dark Horse encourages your participation! The deadline for art submissions is February 20, 2014. For technical specifications and other information, e-mail Dark Horse at sakaiproject@darkhorse.com.

The Sakai Project will be released on July 23. Pre-order with your local comics retailer.

About Dark Horse

Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

 

Boston Comic Con 2013 Rescheduled for August 3rd-4th

 

Essential Sequential at Emerald City Comicon 2013

The Essential Sequential crew of artists including Fiona Staples, Matteo Scalera, Dan Panosian, Dave Johnson, Eric Canete, Tim Sale, and Mike Choi appear at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, WA on March 1-3, 2013! They will be found at tables U1- U7 and have a few new pieces art, books, and prints for sale as well as taking on a few commissions.

Plus Fiona Staples’s new art book debuts that weekend. Orders will be accepted online on the site shortly after the show. They will also have signed TPBs and Saga prints.

OK – New World Comics Signing

Dave Johnson and Dan Panosian sign at New World Comics on Saturday, January 12, 2013 from 12:00pm until 3:00pm.

RSVP on Facebook!

New World Comics
6219 N Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

Hero Initiative Attending Long Beach Comic and Horror Con 2012

Press Release:

HERO INITIATIVE Attends Long Beach Comic and Horror con!

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 1, 2012) –Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that aids comic creators in need, will be attending Long Beach Comic and Horror Con this weekend, November 3^rd and 4^th at the Long Beach Convention Center, 300 East Ocean Boulevard.

 Calling all Fantastic Four lovers! Hero will be showing off selected Fantastic Four #600 original covers at Long Beach Comic Con at booth number #213. Check them out up close and personal, and look for the auctions starting on eBay.com on Nov. 6, under seller: HeroInitiative. Don’t miss it!

In honor of the 30th anniversary of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Storm King Productions has commissioned a limited edition print for the movie featuring NEW art by local artist Dan Panosian! This limited edition print is available for $20, autographed by Dan Panosian! Only 50 copies of the print are also available autographed by JOHN CARPENTER as well at $30! Go to the Storm King booth, #913, before they run out! ALL proceeds benefit Hero Initiative!

We are having $1 sale all weekend! Yes you heard that right—ALL WEEKEND! The Ultimate Spider-Man 100 Project softcover,
 The New Avengers 100 Project softcover,
 Archie: 50 Times an American Icon softcover, Salimba, and
Vision Machine

 are all just $1 each, limit one per item per customer while supplies last at the Hero booth!

 

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 $500,000 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.

For more information, please visit us at www.heroinitiative.org.

Las Vegas Comic Expo Relocates to the Riviera

Las Vegas Comic Expo, previously announced to be held at the Alexis Park All Suite Resort, will be relocating to a new venue, the Riviera Hotel and Casino, directly located on the Las Vegas Strip!!!

Due to the flash floods from the recent rain storms, the original hotel and halls located at the Alexis Park Resort were damaged beyond immediate repair to house Las Vegas Comic Expo. Drywall, carpet and a lack of power proved too much to repair in such a short window, thus making the shift to the Riviera necessary.

We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused any of our guests, vendors and attendees. But oddly enough this unfortunate circumstance actually has led to an expansion for the show with a larger convention hall and plenty of space for attendees to browse and shop. The new location at the Riviera will be able to showcase and accommodate the entire guest list of over 50 of the top names in comics and entertainment all united with the exhibitors and artist alley in one grand exhibit hall. The gaming, panels and programs will be conveniently located adjacent to the main hall as well.

The dates of the convention hours remain the same for Las Vegas Comic Expo: Saturday, September 29 (10AM to 7PM) and Sunday, September 30 (10AM to 5PM).

All tickets previously issued will be honored and redirected to Las Vegas Comic Expo at the Riviera. Tickets are still available for sale in advance as well as at the door on the days of the event.

Located on the Las Vegas Strip, The Riviera Hotel and Casino is just a quick cab or shuttle ride from McCarran International Airport (LAS) and only minutes away from downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience.

The hotel offers guests amenities of many dining options including a buffet, food court and steakhouse as well as the Oasis Pool, a barber shop, beauty salon, tattoo parlor (What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas), gaming casino and other forms of entertainment and conveniences. The hotel has ample free public parking, and is also a short walk to the public monorail system.

The Riviera is located at 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109.

For more information about Las Vegas Comic Expo, including latest updates, please visit us at:

Website: http://www.LasVegasComicExpo.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LasVegasComicExpo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lvcomicexpo

HOTEL INFORMATION
RIVIERA HOTEL AND CASINO INFORMATION:

We are making arrangements with the Riviera Casino and Hotel to offer our guests of Las Vegas Comic Expo similar room rates as we had offered to our guests at the Alexis Park All Suite Resort.

We will have updated information to reserve hotel rooms within the next day.

Once we have that information, we will send it out to everyone.
FOR THOSE BOOKED THROUGH THE ALEXIS PARK ALL SUITE RESORT:

If you used the “Las Vegas Comic Expo” promotional rate, you have two options.

OPTION 1:

You can maintain your reservation at the Alexis Park Resort.

The Alexis Park All Suite Resort will run a 14 seat shuttle service, complimentary to and from the Riviera Casino and Hotel, taking our guests door to door. The shuttle service will run on Saturday and Sunday from the Alexis Park every 2 hours at 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm noon, 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, and 8:00pm.

They will also continue to have complimentary shuttle service for their guests between the airport and the Alexis Park All Suite Resort.
OPTION 2:

You can cancel your room at the Alexis Park All Suite Resort and opt to make a reservation at The Riviera Hotel and Casino. The deadline to cancel at The Alexis Park Resorts without penalty is 48 hours prior to the date of your reservation.
For those who made reservations at Alexis Park outside of the Las Vegas Comic Expo promotions, you will need to discuss with Alexis Park about your options.

THE CONFIRMED 100 OFFER:

If you took advantage of the “Confirmed 100 Offer”, your free admission to Las Vegas Comic Expo, as part of our free pass promotion will still of course be honored as long as the following applies:

If you keep your Alexis Park reservation, you will still receive the free admission pass(es).

If you transfer your reservation to the Riviera Hotel and Casino, you will still receive the free admission pass(es).

We will cross check all reservations made with Alexis Park and the Riviera.

With the current situation, the easiest way to claim your free admission is to bring a government issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc…) to the Will Call area during the pre-registration or show times.

CA – Free Comic Book Day 2012

Philip Tan, Sterling Gates, Bernard Chang, Dan Panosian, and many more sign on Saturday May 5, 2012 or Free Comic Book Day!

List of Talents and Events:

- PHILIP TAN (DC Comics: Savage Hawkman, He-Man & Masters of Universe)

- STERLING GATES (DC Comics: Hawk & Dove, Flashpoint Kid Flash)

- DAN PANOSIAN (DC Comics/Image: GI Combat, Conan)

- BERNARD CHANG (DC Comics: Demon Knights)

- VINCE HERNANDEZ (Aspen Comics: Fathom Kiani)

- DANNY MIKI (Marvel/Crimelab Syndicate: Avengers Assemble, Fearless, Incredible Hulk)

- ALLEN MARTINEZ (Marvel/Crimelab Syndicate: Hulk, X-Men Legacy, Iron Man Legacy)

- DEAN WHITE (Marvel: Kick Ass, Uncanny X-Force)

- RICHARD ISANOVE (Marvel: Dark Tower)

- MARCO GALLI (Marvel/Crimelab Syndicate: Venom, Artifacts, Forgotten Realms)

- MICHAEL ALAN NELSON (Boom Studios: Valen Outcast, 28 Days Later)

- CHRIS “DOC” WYATT (Arcana: Creepsville -coming soon)

- SHAWN DePASQUALE (Arcana: Space, MN graphic novel)

- ERIK HENDRIX (Arcana: SideShows Graphic Novel)

- JOHN NARCOMEY (Draw Hard Comics: Dust, Smart Bullets)

- JAMES NINNESS (Semantink: Dust, Mythoi, The Undergrounds)

- JOE PEZZULA (Semantink: Sim-I, The Undergrounds)

- MICHAEL FOUNTAIN (Semantink: Drace Grey, The Undergrounds)

- DANIEL TOUCHET (Semantink: Sim-I, The Undergrounds)

- MARCEL LOSADA (Semantink: The Undergrounds)

- JULIAN AGUILERA (Coat of Arms Comics: Blackbeard, Jurassic Strike Force)

- KI KIM (Crimelab Syndicate)

- AJ HERRERA (Forbidden Panel: ZKS)

- JUSTIN WHITE (Forbidden Panel: ZKS)

- DANIEL WHITFIELD (Forbidden Panel: The Plagued)

- CAMILLE ALARAS (Forbidden Panel: The Plagued)

- JR LOPEZ (Forbidden Panel: El Super Maximo)

- LOU GUEVARA (Forbidden Panel: Blackjack Slappers)

- APOSCAR CRUZ (W3RKSHOP) www.w3rkshop.com

- JIMMY PURCELL (Been Better Comic) www.beenbettercomic.com

- KIRK KUSHIN (Forcewerks: OZopolis)

- DAN MENDOZA (Toxiccandie) www.zombiegirl

- ZEN (HCMP) www.hiconmedia.com

- DANI DIXON (Tumbleweed Press: M.I.S.//ing)

- STEPHANIE LESNIAK (Scraps Pictures: Blazin Brandy)

- ROBERT ZAILO (Local Artist)

- ART LOPEZ (Arte Cabalturo: Mexican American Tribal Pop Art)

- GRIM KING (Local Artist: Fantasy and SciFi Art)

- AUBREY MIRANDA (Local Artist)

- GEO BRAWN (Brawn Graphix Designs: Everdance)

 

Charitable Event   FANBOYS vs ZOMBIES Dunk Booth benefitting CBLDF   Come fight back the zombie horde while donating to a worthy cause.. but wait you don’t throw softballs at zombies.. WE HAVE THE POWER OF THOR to conquer them!   Blood Drive for Lifestream (All donors get EVERY free comic available)       Main Event – Wrestling!!!   Join 4 Color Fantasies and NWA Wrestling for the fun and chaos of professional wrestling!!   Demos to be held all day       Costume characters from:

- Star Wars 501st Legion “Vader’s Fist”   – Cobra Nightwatch (GI Joe)   – Inland Empire Fan Force Star Wars fan club   – DC, Marvel Characters including Batman, Flash, Green Lantern

 

Community Partners   – Rancho Cucamonga Library   – Library cards and kids programs   – Mobeck Farmers Insurance   – M.I.L.K. Child Loss Prevention kits   – Edwards Ontario 22 Palace   – Raffle movie passes and posters       Activities   – FACE PAINTING   – SUPERHERO BOUNCER   – COLORING CONTEST   – RAFFLES   – FREE HOT DOGS   – FREE NACHOS   – FREE BALLONS   – FREE FUN FOR ALL!!!   – AND OF COURSE…. FREE COMICS!!!!!

4 Color Fantasies 7
172 Archibald Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701

CA – Heavy Metal Drink n’ Draw

Kevin Eastman, Dan Panosian, Jeff Johnson, Digger T. Mesch, Snakebite, Tone Rodriquez, and many more appear on Wednesday December 21, 2011 at 7pm for a Drink & Draw!

$10 and a six pack gets you an entry ticket, a Kevin Eastman hard cover book, be enrolled in a raffle to receive over $900 in HEAVY METAL hardcovers and an amazing gift bag from our sponsors. Join us at Meltdown to create, network or observe masters at work.

Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

HeroesCon 2011 Event Schedule

HeroesCon has released the full schedule for next week’s convention! HeroesCon takes place on June 3 – 5, 2011 at the Charlotte Convention Center (501 S. College St, Charlotte, NC 28202). For the full guest list and more details about the convention, please check out their website at the link!

Press Release:

THURSDAY, JUNE 2nd

PRE-REGISTRATION BOOTH OPENS
Attendees who have purchased advance 3-day passes may pick up their wristbands, badges, and other incentive materials at this time at the Pre-Registration booth located on the College St. Concourse in the convention center.

GUEST, SMALL PRESS, & EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION OPEN
Invited guests, persons who have purchased space in Artists Alley, and exhibitors may pick up their registration materials, including the badges they will need to get on the convention floor for setup, at the Pre-Registration booth located on the College St. Concourse in the convention center.

GUESTS, SMALL PRESS, & EXHIBITOR SETUP OPEN
The convention floor will be open until 8pm for SETUP ONLY. Only persons with the appropriate badges will be allowed onto the convention floor.

SETUP CLOSES
All persons must be done with their setup and OUT OF THE HALL by 8.00pm. NO EXCEPTIONS. All night security will be provided, but we strongly suggest that you make sure your booth is secure before you leave for the night.

REGISTRATION CLOSES
Registration for advance ticket holders, guests, exhibitors, etc., will reopen at 7.00am in the morning.

SETUP OPENS
Guests, Small Press, & Exhibitors will be allowed onto the floor for setup at this time. Only persons with the appropriate badges will be allowed onto the convention floor, and only once a member of the convention’s upper management is on-hand to open the doors, for security purposes. NOTE: All items MUST be out of the aisles before the hall opens to the public at 11.00 am. No exceptions!

HEROESCON DAY ONE OPENS TO ADVANCE 3-DAY PASS HOLDERS ONLY
Note this is ONLY for those who purchased a 3-day pass on or before May 31.

HEROESCON 2011 DAY ONE OPENS TO GENERAL PUBLIC
All ticket holders will be allowed onto the floor at this time.

SCAD-Visualizing Dynamic Anatomy
Room 201
SCAD Professor Dove McHargue and artist for the Oni Press book “All Saints Day” will be offering a workshop on Drawing Dynamic Anatomy. Dove will demonstrate how to use real world anatomy to make figures kinetic, and how to use anatomy to be able to create realistic figures that are unique and dynamic. Dove will also examine how to use those dynamic figures to effectively act in sequential art. Bring supplies to draw with and on and prepare to have fun!

Green Lantern Panel
Room 207BCD
Green Lantern has been around since 1940 and after thousands of comic books, Hollywood has finally come calling. Please join Joe Staton, Joe Quinones, Shane Davis, and Neal Adams as they discuss their various takes on the character and how he has remained popular over the years. NOTE: Anyone wearing yellow or wooden clothing will not be allowed to enter the auditorium for obvious security reasons. Nice try Sinestro.

Teaching Comics
Room 203A
In the past decade or so, Graphic Novels have invaded the syllabi of many colleges and Universities throughout the country. Join moderator Shawn Daughhetee and Professors Craig Fisher, Mike Kobre and Alan Rauch as they discuss what is involved in teaching comics at the college level. We will be taking attendance

Art of Akira
Room 209
Join Joe Peacock as he presents some exciting pieces from his massive collection of still art, storyboards and animation cells from the ground-breaking Anime masterpiece Akira.

Comic Twart
Room 206
Every monday one of the members of Comictwart picks a subject for the group to draw over the course of the week.  In the last year and and a half, using that very simple formula, Comictwart.com has become one of comics’ most popular art blogs.  Join “twartists” Dan Panosian, Francesco Francavilla, Ron Salas, Tom Fowler, Declan Shalvey, and Dave Johnson, with moderator Chris Sims of Comics Alliance, for an entertaining Q&A while the group sketches a subject taken from you the audience! All sketches to be donated to the HeroesCon Annual Art Auction!

Storytelling with Michael Golden
Room 208AB
Plan to spend an hour with one of the best storytellers in the business Michael Golden as he is interviewed by his biographer Renee Witterstaetter (Excess: The Art of Michael Golden)

QuickDraw
Room 203B
A HeroesCon tradition. We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and your feverish inspiration. Then we have an Art Instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the following age categories 0-10, 11-15 and 16 to 99. Any participant over the age of 100 is an automatic winner! The Quickdraw is held on all three days, so we need those pencils back!! Be there!

Nick Cardy- A Golden Artist in a Silver Age
Room 207BCD
Come celebrate with us as we look back on the fabulous 60 plus year career of one of the great comic artist as we delve into an hour of all things Nick Cardy. Please join us as we say thanks and examine why his fabulous art endures! Join Moderator John Coates along with Nick himself, Todd Dezago, Tony Harris, Adam Hughes, Cully Hamner and others.

Taking over the Property- The Comic Books
Room 203A
Well, we can’t take a topic this juicy and just leave it for the comic strippers. So we are going to discuss the challenges involved in taking over and re-imagining existing comic book characters. Our list of creators is so exciting this panel requires no other descriptions : Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Tony Harris (Starman) and Jim Starlin (Warlock, Captain Marvel)

Everything ARCHIE
Room 206
HeroesCon All Ages Celebration continues on as Comic News Insider’s Jimmy Aquino brings together Paul Kaminski, Jon Gray, Ian Flynn and Jim Amash to discuss the creative process from the folks who bring us all things Riverdale as well as all things SONIC!!!!

Comics Goes to Movies: Working for the Movies and Television
Room 209
Hoo-ray for Hollywood! What’s it like working for the movies? Find out by joining The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald as she talks Tinseltown with Tommy Lee Edwards (Batman Begins) Nick Derington (Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly), Peter Krause (storyboarding) and Geof Darrow (The MATRIX)

SCAD-Composition & Clarity
Room 201
For a comic to succeed, artistically or commercially, it needs to read clearly, and at the heart of clarity in comics is strong composition. Chris Schweizer will teach you about clarity in composition, from using value to define planes and visually invest your reader in a scene, to identifying and avoiding any of the six types of compositional tangents that can pop up in even the best artist’s work to ruin a panel

Project: Rooftop –Superhero Fashion
Room 203B
Project: Rooftop is where cartoonists and illustrators bring their costume design skills to task in tribute to the superheroes and villains we’ve grown up with. P:R is intended to promote the idea of superhero costume redesigning as a skill, specific to superhero media.  Join Dean Trippe, Joel Carroll and Ming Doyle as they discuss why there’s more to looking super than wearing your underwear on the outside of your pants.
ALSO: Look to 4:00 PM for a special Project: Rooftop feature!

COVER ART: The ART of the First Impressions
Room 207BCD
What sells a comic? How do you incorporate 22 pages of story
and art into one single illustration? Dollar Bin’s Adam Daughhetee will ask a group of masters: Adam Hughes, Cliff Chiang, Chrissie Zullo, Skottie Young and Frank Cho. Looking at the HeroesCon Guest list, this particular panel topic became top priority for all. Be there.

Project: Rooftop-QUICKDRAW SPECIAL
Room 203B
Plan on joining us for a first time ever Project: Rooftop/Quickdraw where we civilians can try our hand at redesigning specific character. The winner will get their drawing posted on the Project: Rooftop web site.

Kickstarter: A New Way To Fund Personal Projects
Room 206
Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of comics, music, film, art, design and other creative fields. Join Dustin Harbin, Tony Harris, Jay Potts, and Jeremy Bastian as they discuss their experiences using this new resource to publish comic projects.  www.kickstarter.com

Taking over the Property-The Comic Strips
Room 203A
The Comic Strips—As always, this is another great year for the classic comic strips at HeroesCon. How do you follow a cartooning legend and take those already established characters and work to make them your own? Mike Rhode will ask veteran cartoonists Jim Scancarelli (Gasoline Alley), Marcus Hamilton (Dennis the Menace), Alex Saviuk (Spider-man) and we will be joined by welcome veteran newbie: Joe Staton (Dick Tracy)

Heroes Discussion Group #30 Superman Earth One
Room 209
This was one of the best selling graphic novels of the past twelve months. Join the Heroes Discussion Group as we take the opportunity to pose as many questions as we can to the GN’s super-star artist Shane Davis! Copies of the book will be available after the discusion for brief signing.

SCAD-Mini-Comics: The Whole Package
Room 201
David Allan Duncan, cartoonist and professor of Sequential Art at SCAD-Savannah, offers insight, tips and instruction in the creation of one of the most popular stepping stones into the comics industry: mini-comics. David’s workshop focuses on the medium, production and distribution of mini-comics as well as the planning, storytelling, and drawing that goes into their creation. Materials will be provided, so come join the fun!

A Tribute to Joe Simon
Room 208AB
Join Titan Books Editor and special friend of HeroesCon Steve Saffel (Spiderman: The Icon, The Best of Simon & Kirby, Simon & Kirby Superheroes) as he discusses the career of Joe Simon. In addition to a ton of fun stories about Mr. Simon, Steve will present three short films about the life of this pioneer comic artist.

Drink & Draw Social Club Preview
Room 203B
The Drink and Draw Social Club will convene tonight at 7:30 PM at FUEL Pizza (right across the street from the convention center). Meet D.D.S.C. founders Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian and Jeff Johnson as they give a brief history of the club. Nobody is going to be driving, however drawing is a different thing altogether! Please draw responsibly.

HEROESCON DAY ONE CLOSES TO PUBLIC
At this time all ticket-holders must leave the hall for the evening. Hall will reopen to the public Saturday at 10.00 am.

HALL A LOCKED DOWN
All persons, including exhibitors, guests, and staff, must be off the hall floor at this time. Please be sure your booth is secured. We cannot be held responsible for your items, although we will provide overnight security for the hall.

DRINK AND DRAW SOCIAL CLUB
@ Fuel Pizza
Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian, and Jeff Johnson, the founders of D.D.S.C. invite everyone to join us across the street at Fuel Pizza for a night of drinking, drawing and who knows what else!

SCAD-Visualizing Writing
Room 201
There is a lot of information on how to structure story, but how do you get a reader to invest in your story? Good storytelling in sequential art starts with a written story that utilizes visualization and pacing, and results in writing to draw. Anthony Fisher will walk you through the steps of visualizing story in writing by using emotion, action and design of characters, as well as scene staging to visually pace story.

Richard Thompson: A Celebration
Room 209
Is Cul-De Sac the best comic strip being published today? Perhaps, but one thing is for certain, it is the best drawn and the funniest. Okay, that’s two things. Please join Mike Rhode and some fellow strip creators as we sit down and examine the art of Mr. Thompson. In addition to discussing craft and daily deadlines, we will see if Richard can provide any insight as to whether poor Petey will make it through the entire soccer season without having a psychotic breakdown. Ahhh, total Bliss (haven).

Heroes Discussion Group #31: Wednesday Comics
Room 208
The break-away hit from last year is being featured at HeroesCon 2011. Plan to join guest moderator Swain Hunt and creators Joe Quinones, Ryan Sook, Shawn “Cheeks” Galloway, John Arcudi and Brian Stelfreeze as they discuss the challenges of a unique page size, the pressure of a weekly deadline and how they approached their particular characters. Don’t miss this! Copies of the book will be available after the discusion for brief signing.

C’mon People: There’s a War Comic On
Room 203A
Pull up a bunk us and join the platoon as we examine War Comics in their myriad of forms. Joining moderator extraordinaire John Coates will be Nick Cardy (The Artist at War), Michael Golden (the NAM), Matt Kindt (Superspy) and Becky Cloonan (Northlanders)

Approaches to Humor
Room 209
Sure the convention is HeroesCon, but let’s never forget the funny side of the comic book world. Join The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald as she sits down with three of the very best cartoonists in the business. They are able to me us smile and even laugh out loud: Richard Thompson (Cul De Sac), Roger Langridge (The Muppets, Fred the Clown) and Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese, Yo Gabba Gabba!) are three of the wizards who put the comic in comic.

Matt Fraction: FEAR Itself
Room 207BCD
Join us for a scintillating conversation between HeroesCon’s very own Doug Merkle and the master-mind behind Marvel’s summer Magnum Opus Fear Itself, Matt Fraction. This will be a panel you’ll look back upon often as the summer wears on.

Color Me Talented
Room 203A
Join Dollar Bin’s Adam Daughhetee as he sits down with Laura Martin (Planetary, Astonishing X-Men), Rachelle Rosenberg (Captain America), Charlie Kirchoff (Hellraiser, Doctor Who), Matt Wilson (Thor), Brian Reber (X-Men) discuss this integral aspect of comic art—the coloring.

Frank Cho Draws Sexy Women
Room 208AB
Don’t be misled by the Title! This presentation is all about Frank Cho drawing sexy women. The audience selects a character for Frank to draw. Then Frank spends the hour drawing it and you the lucky audience gets to watch the creative process unfold through the miracle of A/V technology. The session ends with a live auction of the finished piece. Frank has done this in several other cities and it has always been a big hit. Charlotte will be no exception

Designing Comics
Room 203A
What is it that draws your wandering eye to one particular book on a shelf that is brimming with loud, look-at-me, multi-colored covers? It is the design of the book that makes that first impression count. Join cartoonist Rich Barrett (Nathan Sorry) as he dissects the art and function of Design with some of the most important and innovative names in the business: Jonathan Hickman (FF, The Nightly News), Chris Pitzer (all things Adhouse) Matt Kindt (Superspy) Drew Weing (Set to Sea) and Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac)

4th Annual Inkwell Awards        1st live awards ceremony
Room 209
Host: Bob Almond presents this year’s winners of the coveted Inkwell Awards. After the live presentation, there will be a special Q & A with the winners. Ethan Van Sciver will be our auctioneer for the previously mentioned small, live auction following the ceremony.

Heroes Discussion Group #32—Cinderella-From Fabletown with Love
Room 207BCD
Please schedule your weekend properly
so you will have time to join writer Chris Roberson and cover artist, Charlotte’s own Chrissie Zullo as they discuss everyone’s favorite secret agent and shoe provocateur. At last year’s HeroesCon we discussed Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall. This will be the perfect follow-up.
Copies of the book will be available after the discusion for brief signing.

SCAD-Creating Maquettes
Room 201
Maquettes are a large part of the entertainment industry in film, animation, video games, sequential art, toys, and toy design for all of these markets. Professor John Larison will talk about and show you the different media applicable to sculpting maquettes, and go over the basics of maquette building during his workshop. Sculpting is not easy, but it is definitely fun. John will let those who come to his workshop play with the material and tools and learn about the cost involved for each material.

Comics Alliance
Room 206
Comics Alliance is a comic website owned by AOL. If you’re not familiar with us, we’re currently the #1 most visited comics site in America and were awesomely nominated for an Eisner this year! Come see why this is one of the most popular site on the web.

The Master of Screaming Metal: A Tribute to Moebius
Room 209
He’s one of the greatest comics’ artists of all time, a man who’s given us vistas of the Old West and of science-fiction planets unsurpassed in their beauty and elegance. He’s Jean Giraud—pseudonym “Moebius”—and for this year’s Heroes Con, cartoonist Ben Towle and blogger Craig Fischer have teamed up to celebrate Moebius’ art and 50-year career. This “mega-panel” will include a number of events. First is a screening of Moebius Redux (Hasko Baumann, 2007, 70 minutes), a documentary chronicle of Moebius’ life that covers his role in Les Humanoïdes Associés and the radical revitalization of French comics in the 1970s and his contributions to such films as Alien (1979), Tron (1982), and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unproduced adaptation of Dune. The panel will continue with Craig’s playful analysis of a scene from Moebius and Jean-Michel Charlier’s Blueberry—simply the best comic-book Western ever—and conclude with Ben interviewing stellar writer and artist Geof Darrow (Hard Boiled, Shaolin Cowboy), himself a friend and admirer of Moebius. Join us for a wild ride on an alien pterodactyl, won’t you?

FF: Retooling the Flagship
Room 208AB
Pull up a pew and join Heroes’ own Doug Merkle as he sits down with the dynamic creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting and they describe the challenges of retooling a legend: The Marvel Universe flagship the Fantastic Four or should we say, the Future Foundation? (Yes, yes we should)

Comics Goes to Movies–Adapted Work
Room 203A
Big Budget movies developed from comic properties is a cottage industry unto itself. But what do the comic creators really think about the adaptations of their concepts? Please join The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald as she questions Cully Hamner (Red), Roy Thomas (Conan), Jeff Parker (X-Men: First Class) and John Arcudi (The Mask) during this exciting hour.

QuickDraw
Room 203 B
A HeroesCon tradition. We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and your feverish inspiration. Then we have an art instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the following age categories 0-10, 11-15 and 16 to 99. Any participant over the age of 100 is an automatic winner! The Quickdraw is held on all three days, so we need those pencils back!! Be there!

SCAD-Manga Studio
Room 201
From panel layout to finished inks, Manga Studio is the most powerful software there is that specifically caters to the needs of comic book artists. It has amazing tools to layout panels, its drawing and inking tools are extremely natural using a tablet or Cintiq, and you can create and manage entire projects with astounding ease. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Follow along with SCAD professor, Pat Bollin, as he demos his digital drawing techniques using Manga Studio, and discusses the pros and cons of using digital techniques vs. good old-fashioned ink on paper.

Costuming: How To Make It Work
Room 208AB
Open discussion about costuming; from character selection to reference to supplies to fabric choices to construction, and now that you have the costumes: storage, cleaning and maintenance. Chris Donio and Riki Riddle LeCotey will give a general  overview on how they approach costuming.

Portfolio Review
Room 203B
Bob Scheck is the Editor-in-Chief of Legendary Pictures’ new line of comics & graphic novels, Legendary Comics. Bob and Greg Tumbarello his Assistant Editor will sit down and take the time to look at your art
portfolios.

Taking on the Property—ICONOGRAPHY
Room 207BCD
Comic News Insider’s Jimmy Aquino sits down with Tim Sale, Ed McGuinness, Darwyn Cooke and Don Rosa as they discuss the challenges of taking a comics icon and putting their own original stamp on the characters yet still remaining true to the original vision. What a way to end HeroesCon Day Two!

HEROESCON DAY TWO CLOSES TO PUBLIC
At this time all ticket-holders must leave the hall for the evening. Hall will reopen to the public Sunday at 11:00 AM.

HALL A LOCKED DOWN
All persons, including exhibitors, guests, and staff, must be off the hall floor at this time. Please be sure your booth is secured. We cannot be held responsible for your items, although we will provide overnight security for the hall.

HEROESCON ANNUAL ART AUCTION
Westin Ballroom
The HeroesCon Annual Art Auction is one of the most well-known and enduring traditions on the convention circuit. Fans come from all over the country for the chance to bid pieces of original art not available anywhere else, donated by our guests to help defray the incredible cost of putting on the convention!
And best of all, the Art Auction is a great chance to hobnob with pros in a relaxed, fun environment–it’s just one of the things that have made us so popular with fans and pros alike! Event scheduled to begin close to 8.00–seriously!

The number of donations we get is so immense, this year we’re going to try and pick a representative group of pieces to take to the “live” Art Auction. But if you can’t make it to the Art Auction, you can bid on the other pieces in our new Silent Auction all weekend long! Check at the Info Booth or at the Art Auction stage for more details!

SETUP OPENS
Guests, Small Press, & Exhibitors will be allowed onto the floor for setup at this time. Only persons with the appropriate badges will be allowed onto the convention floor, and only once a member of the convention’s upper management is on-hand to open the doors, for security purposes. NOTE: All items MUST be out of the aisles before the hall opens to the public at 11.00 am. No exceptions!

HEROESCON DAY ONE OPENS TO ADVANCE 3-DAY PASS HOLDERS ONLY
Note this is ONLY for those who purchased 3-day passes on or before May 31.

HEROESCON DAY THREE OPENS TO PUBLIC
All ticket holders will be allowed onto the floor at this time.

Historical Comics
Room 203A
Blending real historical facts and humor based comics into something provocative and highly entertaining is no feat. Join Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s )as he leads the discussion with Ben Towle (Amelia Earhart), Matt Kindt (Superspy) and Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge) as they explain the intricacies of the creative juggling act.

SCAD–Story-Driven Character Design
Room 201
Well thought out character creation is essential to the comic making process. In this workshop SCAD Community Education Instructor, Rashad Doucet, will examine a variety of popular characters and show just how much strong, original story concepts are visually expressed in our favorite heroes and villains. Participants will also be given the fundamental processes needed to form and/or enhance their own creations.

WEB COMICS–Group Effort
Room 206
Meet the Small Press groups who have developed their own multi-strip brand: Curt Franklin, Chris Haley, Mike Maihack, Kevin Church, and Benjamin Birdie will sit down and talk to Comic News Insider’s Jimmy Aquino about creativity in the Small Press World.

HAMMER TIME (or more specifically it’s Mjolnir Time)
Room 207BCD
Did you hear there is a mega budget movie about The Mighty Thor featuring Oscar-winners Hannibal Lecter, Padme Amidala and directed by Professor Lockhart (on Amnesia leave from Hogwarts). Well, let’s remember that Thor started as a comic book long before the Nordic folk were offering tithes to the Nordic Thunder God. So plan to join Dollar Bin’s Adam Daughhetee as he sits down with Matt Fraction, Roger Langridge, and Jonathan Hickman to discuss their various takes on the superhero that is so popular they named Thursday after him.

Heroes Discussion #29–The Outfit
Room 209
A few years ago, the Heroes Discussion group covered Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter and we had so much fun, we thought we should discuss The Outfit next. Join us as we discuss this fabulous graphic novel with its creator Darwyn Cooke! Copies of the book will be available after the discusion for brief signing.

Inking Panel
Room 208AB
The inker is the true MVP of any comic book creative team. They make the finished product look finished and professional. They need to add their own individual touch to the art but still maintain the flavor of the original pencil work. How do they accomplish this? Join Big Dog Studio’s Brandon Padgett along with Tim Townsend, Art Thibert, Mark Morales, Bob McLeod and Bob Almond as they discuss the fine art of the fine line; the tools they use, the challenges they encounter; the variety of penciling styles they need to negotiate. This panel will be a must see before…

Portfolio Review Portfolio Review
Room 203A
Bob Scheck is the Editor-in-Chief of Legendary Pictures’ new line of comics & graphic novels, Legendary Comics. Bob and Greg Tumbarello his Assistant Editor will sit down and take the time to look at your art portfolios.

Adam Hughes & Kevin Nowlan: One on One
Room 208AB
Let’s take two great artists, both known for their draftsmanship, their design and their pure drawing talent, put them in the same room and talk for an hour about their art. This will be one enlightening and entertaining conversation.

Family Friendly Comics
Room 209
This panel has become a yearly tradition at HeroesCon. We take pride in this convention being for the entire family and what better way to celebrate Shelton Drum’s vision than by spotlighting comics the entire family can read. Comic News Insider’s Jimmy Aquino will interview Andy Runton (Owly), Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Vengeance), Chris Giarusso (Mini Marvels), Jamie Cosely (Cody the Cavalier) and come see what all the
buzz is about

Horror Comics
Room 207BCD
Horror comics are more popular today than practically any other genre (okay besides the spandex crowd). We are having a group of specialists sit down and explain to us why horror endures and what makes a great horror product. Join Dollar Bin’s Adam Daughhetee as he discusses with Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) what is under the bed and why we should fear it.

SCAD-Comics in PaintTool SAI
Room 201
Sarah ‘Pickles’ Dill, a sequential art graduate student at SCAD, will be demonstrating the advantages of PaintTool SAI, a comprehensive and affordable alternative for beginning comic artists. Using SAI, an artist can create comics of all sizes, styles, and colors. Coloring, sketching, inking, vector demos and instruction will be included.

QuickDraw
Room 203B
A HeroesCon tradition. We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and your feverish inspiration. Then we have an Art Instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the following age categories 0-10, 11-15 and 16 to 99. Any participant over the age of 100 is an automatic winner! Last day—but we still need those pencils back!

THE WEB COMICS: Solo Shocker
Room 207BCD
Join Rich Barrett, Tom Scioli, Jay Potts and Drew Weing as they tell Dollar Bin’s Adam Daughhetee what it’s like go it alone making some of the most exciting Web comics out there in the ether.

ANIMATION NATION
Room 209
We have an unusually large amount of professional animators lurking in our artist alley. It is only fitting we ask them to join us to discuss the Animation Industry and what it’s like to earn a living in this fast paced exciting world. Plan to join Eric Canete, Sean Galloway, Jeff Johnson and Dave Johnson for a spirited (and animated—sorry) hour of conversation

SKETCH CHARLOTTE
Room 203B
Who are SKETCH Charlotte and what are they doing loitering in Showmars every Thursday evening? Find out as we wind down on Sunday afternoon as we are invited to eaves drop on a special meeting of the Queen City artists as they discuss Comics in general and HeroesCon 2011 in the specific. What a great way to end a memorable weekend.

SCAD: Breaking down Breakdowns
Room 201
The most important stage in the creation of sequential art is the development of breakdowns, where the visual planning of sequential art originates. To have successful breakdowns, a structured philosophical approach is necessary. Through this approach, Doug Dabbs wills show you how to create sequential art that is successful in telling a clear story that emotionally engages the reader.

Adapting Licensed Properties to Comics
Room 209
Since the era when the great EC Segar produced the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Capers comic strip for the Chicago Herald, licensed properties have been joined at the hip with comic books. Working with already existing characters and concepts create their own set of artistic challenges. Please join Roger Langridge (The Muppets), Amy Mebberson (Disney) and James Silvani (Darkwing Duck) Georges Jeanty (Buffy) as they enlighten us on the internal workings of this important comic niche. Moderated by Heroes’ in-house counsel Heather McKinney, we may have saved the best for last!

HEROESCON CLOSES TO PUBLIC
At this time all ticket-holders must leave the hall. Thanks for attending HeroesCon 2010. Before you leave, please be sure to pick up your advance tickets for Heroes Convention 2012 (Our 30th Anniversary Extravaganza!). You will be first in line for any incentives or other special offers we feature throughout the year!

LOADING DOCK OPENS
At this time the door to the Loading Dock (located on Stonewall between Brevard and College) will open for persons possessing dock passes. ACCESS TO THE DOCK WILL NOT BE ALLOWED DURING THE DAY! We strongly suggest that you begin queuing for the dock well before this time.

Hero Initiative Announces MegaCon 2011 Schedule

Press Release:

Hero Initiative travels to MegaCon!
Special Iron Man screening
And several famous friends hanging at the booth!

March 21, 2011: Hero Initiative will be traveling to MegaCon, the southeast’s largest comic book, science fiction/fantasy, anime, toys and gaming convention. The event will take place March 25 thru 27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. You can purchase tickets directly by logging onto: You can purchase your tickets to Megacon using Hero Initiative’s special link online at: https://www.megaconvention.com/shop/partner/hero/

Use this link, and MegaCon will donate a portion of each ticket purchase to Hero at NO extra cost to you—a true win/win!

In the evening after your MegaCon day is through on Friday, March 25, we heartily encourage you to truck on over to the Regal Pointe Orlando Stadium Cinema Regal Point Orlando Stadium Cinema, 9101 International Drive, and check out a comics classic—Iron Man! You can get in to a special MegaCon-sponsored 9 PM showing for a mere $5, and your ticket stub will even get you 20% off at Hooter’s, and free cover at the Ice Bar. The Regal Pointe Orlando Stadium Cinema is RIGHT down the street from the convention center. You don’t even have to turn off International Drive! Hope to see you there to support Hero’s great cause!

Make sure you stop by our booth, #624, and pick up our newest release, Archie: 50 Times an American Icon, and get it signed by Joe Jusko, Dan Parent, Mike Perkins, George Perez and Jim Valentino! Saturday only, Rachael Carr, the hostess of Love101TV.com

Talent line up as follows!

Friday, March 25 (hours 12-7)
1200-200: George Pérez
1230-130: Khoi Pham
130-230: Tim Sale
130-230: Mark Waid
230-330: Roy Thomas
300-400: Jim Valentino
400-600: George Pérez

Saturday, March 26 (hours 10-6)
1030-1230: George Pérez
1100-1200: Rachael Carr
1230-200: Denny O’Neil
230-330: Dan Panosian, Dave Johnson
230-330: Mark Waid
330-430: Rachael Carr
330-530: George Pérez

Sunday, March 27 (hours 10-5)
1030-1130: George Pérez
1145-1230: Jim Valentino
100-300: George Pérez

 

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.

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