NYC – Stan Lee Universe Signing

Danny Fingeroth and Dennis O’Neil sign the new book, The Stan Lee Universe on Thursday, December 22, 2011 from 6-7pm!

RSVP on Facebook!

*Stan Lee will not be at this event.

Face front, true believers! The Stan Lee Universe is the ultimate repository of interviews with and mementos about Marvel Comics’ fearless leader! From his Soapbox to the box office, the Smilin’ One literally changed the face of comic books and pop culture, and this tome presents in his own words – and those of the illustrious folks he’s worked with – the co-creation of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Silver Surfer, and so many other super-characters! Presented are numerous rare and unpublished interviews with Stan, discussing how he made Marvel Comics the household name it is today. Also featured are interviews with top luminaries of the comics industry, including John Romita Sr. & Jr., Tod McFarlane, Dennis O’Neil, Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Al Jaffee, Larry Lieber, Jerry Robinson, and Michael Uslan discussing his vital importance to the field he helped shape. Plus, this book contains the essential-to-every-writer Stan Lee’s Top Ten Tips for Writers! And as a bonus for this special edition, and direct from Stan’s personal archives (housed at the University of Wyoming), you’ll see rare photos, sample scripts and plots, personal correspondences, and other tidbits from the entire span of his career, some unseen for decades!

Midtown Comics
64 Fulton Street, New York, NY

NYC – Eisner Retrospective Panel

Denny O’Neil, David Hajdu, and N.C. Christopher Couch speak at a discussion moderated by Danny Fingeroth on Thursday, August 4th from 7-9 pm.

Admission: $7/Free for MoCCA members

Why and how did the guy who invented and conquered entertainment comics and then spent 25 successful years creating educational comics reinvent himself, the medium of sequential art, and the comics industry itself through his innovation in the literary and autobiographical graphic novel and his endless advocacy for comics as an art form?

About the panelists:

DENNY O’NEIL, one of comics’ most acclaimed writers, worked briefly in journalism, then moved to New York and comics. Denny brought social consciousness to the medium with the groundbreaking Green Lantern/Green Arrow series. His work on Batman— as writer and editor—returned that character to its dark, gothic roots. Denny knew Will Eisner and considered him both a friend and a major influence.

DAVID HAJDU is a critic for The New Republic and a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He interviewed Will Eisner extensively and wrote about him at length for The New York Review of Books and other publications. He is the author of four books: Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America, and Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture. His articles and essays have been selected for a number of anthologies, including Best Music Writing, Best American Magazine Writing, The New York Times Arts & Culture Reader, and Best American Comics Writing.

N. C. CHRISTOPHER COUCH holds a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Latin American art and on graphic novels and comic art, including The Will Eisner Companion: The Pioneering Spirit of the Father of the Graphic Novel (with Stephen Weiner), Will Eisner: A Retrospective (with Peter Myer), Faces of Eternity: Masks of the Pre-Columbian Americas, and The Festival Cycle of the Aztec Codex Borbonicus. He teaches comics as art and literature at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the School of Visual Arts, New York, and Trinity College, Hartford. He has curated exhibitions at the American Museum of Natural History, the Americas Society, the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum and the Smith College Museum of Art. His most recent book, Jerry Robinson, Ambassador of Comics (Abrams 2010) has been nominated for a Harvey Award.

DANNY FINGEROTH is MoCCA’s Sr VP of Education and co-curator, with Denis Kitchen, of the Will Eisner’s New York andIn The Spirit of Will Eisner exhibitions. With Arie Kaplan, he co-curated the 2010 Is This the Al Jaffee Art Exhibit? at the museum. For Write Now! magazine, Fingeroth interviewed Will Eisner in depth in 2003. The interview is available in The Best of Write Now! Danny Fingeroth was a longtime editor and writer at Marvel Comics, and is the author of Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell us About Ourselves and Society; Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comic, and the Creation of the Superhero; and The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels. He has spoken on comics at The Smithsonian Institution, Columbia University (where he lectured about Eisner), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With Roy Thomas, Fingeroth is co-editor of The Stan Lee Universe, a compendium of rarities from Lee’s career, including unseen Will Eisner material, which will be released in fall 2011 by TwoMorrows Publishing. You can contact him at: dfingeroth@moccany.org.

About the Will Eisner’s New York: From The Spirit to the Modern Graphic Novel exhibition:
From the Golden Age of Comics through the creation of the modern graphic novel (a form he was instrumental in popularizing), you will find New York City at the heart of Will Eisner’s work. Whether thinly disguised as “Central City” in the pages of his legendary creation, The Spirit, or more directly presented in his autobiographical graphic novels, New York was portrayed by Eisner as only a native of the city could know it.

Like the legendary metropolis itself, there are infinite perspectives from which to look at and appreciate Eisner’s work. Will Eisner’s New York: From the Spirit to the Modern Graphic Novel provides surprising insights and moving revelations about the artist, his work, and his city.
 
MoCCA Education
For More information on MoCCA Education please email info@moccany.org

Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art
594 Broadway, Suite 401, (btwn. Houston and Prince), New York, NY 10012

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.

MegaCon 2011 Announces More Comic Guests

Press Release:

ORLANDO MEGACON ANNOUNCES 2011 GUEST UPDATES

MegaCon, the largest comic book, anime, gaming and multi media event in the Southeast, will take place March 25th – 27th, 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

MegaCon Guests of Honor

Comic Book Legend Stan Lee and Star Trek Icon William Shatner

Comic book guests just added: Jimmy Cheung (Young Avengers, Iron Man), Howard Chaykin (American Flagg, Star Wars), Phil Noto (Batgirl, Superman/Supergirl), Denny O’Neil (Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Batman) and Brandon Peterson (X-Force, Uncanny X-Men)

Advance guaranteed autograph tickets and VIP tickets for Stan Lee now available

Stan Lee advance autograph tickets: These tickets guarantee an autograph with Stan Lee. (Autographs will also be available at a first come first serve basis at the show but these autographs will be limited.)

VIP ticket includes: an advance autograph, professional photo op that includes 8 X 10 photo with Stan, Stan Lee VIP badge and lanyard, preferred seating at Stan’s panel, and an exclusive commemorative item TBA

William Shatner Captain’s Reception VIP special evening event

Meet William Shatner personally at a small limited attendance reception, signed 18 X 24 limited edition (timeless) print, professional photo op that includes 8 X 10 photo with William Shatner, (one additional person may join you for the photo op and reception) Light refreshments will be served

Other events include: children events provided by the Skiffytown Heroes, paint and take room, RPG & LARP gaming events, anime events, speed dating, LAN room, belly dancing, Indy Film Festival, movie trailers screening room, Saturday evening dance, and professional panel rooms.

MegaCon is happy to announce it has moved its host hotel to the Doubletree International. This beautiful hotel not only has provided us with a low $119 rate but is also located within walking distance of the Orange County Convention Center.

The MegaCon guest list is constantly growing. Check www.MegaConvention.com frequently for more updates.

MegaCon 2011

Orange County Convention Center

Orlando, Florida

March 25th – 27th, 2010

Contact Info: info@megaconvention.com or www.megaconvention.com

OH – 7th Annual Comics Symposium

Denny O’Neil, Marc Sumerak, and more speak at Lakeland Community College’s 7th Annual Comics Symposium on April 1-3, 2010.

Master of Ceremonies:

Dr. Peter M. Coogan is the director of the St. Louis-based Institute for Comics Studies. He is cofounder and co-chair of the Comic Arts Conference, held during the San Diego Comic-Con International and the San Francisco WonderCon.

Special Guests:

Brooke Keesling is an award-winning filmmaker, animator, educator, and overall lover of life. She has worked in visual effects for nearly a decade and is currently the Director of Development at New Deal Studios, a full-service visual effects commercial and film production studio, located in Los Angeles, CA, best known for their work on feature films such as The Dark Knight, The Aviator, Iron Man, I Am Legend, The Departed, Watchmen, Alice in Wonderland, and Shutter Island. 

Dennis O’Neil began as Stan Lee’s editorial assistant in the mid-1960s. He wrote comic stories for Batman starting in the 1970s, and was one of the guiding forces behind returning the Batman character to its dark roots from the campiness of the 60s. O’Neil has also written several novels, comics, short stories, reviews and teleplays, including the novelization of the movie Batman Begins.

Some of his best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Mike Kaluta, and The Question with Denys Cowan, all of which were hailed for their sophisticated stories that expanded the artistic potential of the mainstream portion of the medium. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. Today, he sits on the board of directors of the charity, The Hero Initiative.

Cleveland-based writer Marc Sumerak has worked professionally in the comic book industry for over a decade. What started as an editorial internship during his Junior year at Bowling Green State University soon transformed into an Assistant Editor position at Marvel Comics in NYC. Four years and five hundred publications later, Sumerak left Marvel’s editorial staff to pursue a freelance writing career. As both an editor and a writer, Sumerak has helped chart the course for a number of today’s most popular characters, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and many more.

Some of Sumerak’s recent writing work includes Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, Hulk Team-Up, Weapon X: First Class, and a highly-publicized story starring Iron Man and fashion icon Tim Gunn. In 2005, Sumerak helmed the successful relaunch of Marvel’s Power Pack franchise. His work as co-writer on Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius earned him an Eisner Award nomination (2006) and two Harvey Award nominations (2006 & 2008). Sumerak has also written material for DC Comics, American Greetings, the Elks, SAMHSA, PBS Kids, Pepperidge Farm, Tyson Foods, Triple-A Baseball, SEGA, and the U.S. Army.

Discussion Session Facilitators:

Matthew J. Smith teaches courses in media studies at Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH, including “Graphic Storytelling: Comic Books as Culture,” “The Graphic Novels of Alan Moore,” and a week-long field study at Comic-Con International each summer (details of the latter may be found at www.powerofcomics.com/fieldstudy). In 2009, Wittenberg University’s Alumni Association recognized him with its Distinguished Teaching Award. Along with Randy Duncan, he is co-author of The Power of Comics: History, Form & Culture (Continuum, 2009), a textbook for college-level comics arts studies courses (www.powerofcomics.com). The two are also editing the forthcoming Comics Criticism: Methods and Applications. 

Mervi Miettinen is a Ph.D. student at the University of Tampere, Finland. Her dissertation focuses on superhero comics and their political and ideological dimensions, especially the status of the superhero as a liminal character existing both outside and inside the juridical order. Watchmen remains one of her all-time favorite comic books, and the movie isn’t that bad, either.

She is currently working on her dissertation as an ASLA/Fulbright Scholar at Bowling Green State University.

Mark Bernard is a Ph.D. Candidate in the American Culture Studies program at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. He is currently working on his dissertation, tentatively titled, “Selling the Splat Pack: The DVD Revolution and the American Horror Film.” His work has appeared in Scope: An Online Journal of Film and TV Studies, The Projector: Film and Media Journal, and Contemporary Literary Criticism. 

Charles Coletta earned both his BA and MA in Literature from John Carroll University and his doctorate in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University.  He has taught in the Department of Popular Culture at BGSU since 2000. In 2008 he co-chaired the “Comic Books in Popular Culture” conference at BGSU.  In 2006, he assisted Eva Marie Saint in her preparing for her role as “Ma Kent” in Superman Returns.  He most recently served as a contributing writer for the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Comic Books & Graphic Novels.

NYC – MoCCA Comics Writing Series

CLAREMONT, O’NEIL AND DeFALCO MASTER WRITING CLASSES

 The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art – MoCCA is proud to announce the spring offerings from its Education Department. Organized and headed by Senior Vice-President of Education, DANNY FINGEROTH, the season’s initial offering will be: 

MASTER CLASS SERIES IN COMICS WRITING 

3 sessions, TUESDAYS, March 16 & 23; April 13, 6:30-8:30 pm 

March 16: CHRIS CLAREMONT 

March 23: TOM DeFALCO 

April 13: DENNIS O’NEIL 

Series Cost: $100 | $90 for MoCCA members

Individual sessions: $40 | $35 for MoCCA members 

CHRIS CLAREMONT, TOM DeFALCO, and DENNIS O’NEIL will each hold a master class session in comics writing. These three extraordinarily accomplished writers have written some of the highest profile and most acclaimed comics of all time, with bodies of work that have played significant parts in defining the modern versions of The X-Men (Claremont), Spider-Man (DeFalco), and Batman (O’Neil). Each of them will condense the most important things they know about writing into highly-concentrated (and entertaining!) lecture form. This is a rare opportunity to hear these top names in the field speak about what makes for great comics writing. 

CHRIS CLAREMONT has encountered more success than most writers ever dream of. Best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ X-Men, he has written other seminal characters such as Batman and Superman, originated several creator-owned series, is published throughout the world in many languages, and has authored nine novels. His unbroken 17-year run on Uncanny X-Men is the stuff of industry legend. The story arc “Dark Phoenix,” with its radical treatment of its central character, paved the way for the reinterpretation of superhero mythos. Current projects include the ongoing Marvel series X-Men Forever, X-Women, drawn by renowned Italian artist Milo Manara, the young adult novel Wild Blood, a contemporary urban dark fantasy, and the screen play Hunter’s Moon. 

TOM DeFALCO, a former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics with over thirty books currently in print, has written comic books, graphic novels, short stories, prose novels and books like Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide and Comic Creators on Fantastic Four. He was also a major contributor to The Marvel Encyclopedia and The Marvel Chronology. DeFalco has recently worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars for Titan Comics, The Man From RIVERDALE for Archie Comics, Flash Gordon for Ardden Entertainment, The Flying Fool for Moonstone Books, The Super Seven for Stan Lee Comics and, of course, Amazing Spider-Girl for Marvel Comics. 

DENNIS O’NEIL is an award-winning comics writer and editor (best known for his landmark work on characters such as Batman and Green Lantern), and an educator at institutions including New York University and The School of Visual Arts. He has also been a journalist, critic, television writer, best-selling novelist (novelizations of The Dark Knight film and the epic Batman: Knightfall comics storyline, and the original novel Green Lantern: Hero’s Quest), and has published dozens of short stories. He lives in Nyack, N.Y. with his wife, Marifran.

And starting in April, MoCCA Education will present two more incredible courses: 

ANATOMY FOR ILLUSTRATORS WORKSHOP 

Instructors: R. SIKORYAK AND KRIOTA WILLBERG 

4 sessions, Mondays April 19 & 26, May 3 & 10.

HOW TO WRITE COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS 

Instructor: DANNY FINGEROTH 

4 sessions, Tuesdays April 20 & 27, May 4 & 11 

Details on these two courses will be announced soon. 

For more information and to register, call 212-254-3511 or go to www.moccany.org.

Press Contact: Ellen Abramowitz | eabramowitz@moccany.org 

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art – MoCCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization dedicated to the preservation, study and display of all forms of comic and cartoon art. The museum promotes greater understanding and appreciation of the artistic, cultural and historical significance of comic and cartoon art through a variety of events, exhibitions, and educational programs. The museum is located at 594 Broadway (between Houston and Prince Streets) in New York City. MoCCA is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 12:00-5:00 pm. Suggested donation to the museum is $5 but free for MoCCA Members as well as for children 12 and under (when accompanied by a paying adult). For more information about the museum and MoCCA events, exhibitions and programs, visit the museum’s Website (www.moccany.org).

NYCC Adds to Brooklyn Book Festival Programming

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL AND NEW YORK COMIC CON: A DYNAMIC DUO!

Pop Culture Convention Joins NYC’s Hippest Literary Event, Sunday, September 13, 2009
Norwalk, CT / Brooklyn, NY, August 12, 2009: The renowned Brooklyn Book Festival and New York Comic Con (NYCC) announce that the premiere pop culture convention and its stars will have a powerful presence at this year’s Brooklyn Book Festival, which the L.A. Times has called “the center of the literary universe.” NYCC will have its own colorful and exciting programming area at the free Festival, which draws nearly 30,000 visitors to experience readings and panels featuring international literary superstars, buzzworthy newcomers and more than 150 booksellers, publishers, independent presses and literary organizations in a bustling literary marketplace.

“The Brooklyn Book Festival is an awesome gathering and I have had tremendous respect for the festival from the moment it started,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President and Show Manager for New York Comic Con. “We are proud to bring an intense graphic lit and pop culture presence to such a great festival. I am sure this will provide our customers with the opportunity to connect directly with lots of new fans. Plus, it’s all for free! This is a win-win in every respect.”

“These days, Brooklyn is a hotbed of pop culture, high-tech culture, literary and blog culture, ethnic culture, indie culture, and has basically become an international hub for in-your-face creativity,” says Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “It’s only fitting that the Brooklyn Book Festival would form a dynamic duo with New York Comic Con!”

NYCC’s programming area at the Brooklyn Book Festival will include a performance tent, guest presentations, guest autographing sessions and a dedicated marketplace area. NYCC’s participation will be a positive way to spread further awareness of comics and graphic literature while providing free interaction and entertainment for thousands of NYCC fans. The next NYCC will take place October 8 – 10, 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Center. Ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC, it has grown from a convention that attracted 33,000 visitors when it was launched in 2006 to a show that will occupy the entire Javits Center and will attract well over 75,000 fans in 2010. For comics exhibitors and vendors, the NYCC programming area will provide a unique opportunity for them to not only have a home that attracts like-minded customers and fans, but to have a central location where new fans and readers can check out the latest in comics and pop culture entertainment. Comic book writer and editor Denny O’Neil, creator Phil Jimenez, and writer and editor Tom DeFalco are just a few of the many popular guests who will appear in the NYCC programming area. In addition to guest speakers, NYCC’s diverse Brooklyn Book Festival programming includes Hip Hop Hearts Anime, a live-performance featuring local DJs which focuses on the intermixing of American hip hop culture and Japanese anime. Some of the companies who will be participating include Captain Action, Midtown Comics, Moonstone Publishing, and Disney Publishing. An additional announcement with more guest names and participating companies will be made in the near future.

This year’s Brooklyn Book Festival will again feature a literary marketplace with more than 150 booksellers, publishers and literary organizations in Borough Hall Plaza as well as panel discussions and readings, a children’s authors stage and special programming for teens and exhibitors that will include bookstores, publishers and literary organizations. Readings are held at Brooklyn Borough Hall, in Borough Hall Plaza and Columbus Park, at St. Francis College and the Brooklyn Historical Society.

Confirmed authors include Jonathan Ames, Paul Auster, Staceyann Chin, Guy Delisle, Lupe Fiasco, Edwidge Danticat, Rawi Hage, Tao Lin, Jonathan Lethem, Colson Whitehead, David Lida, Matt Madden, Thurston Moore, Gary Shteyngart, Melvin Van Peebles, Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Naomi Klein, Danica Novgorodoff, Esmeralda Santiago, George O’Connor, Raina Telgemeier, Jessica Abel, Nick Bruel, Peter and Randall de Seve, Christopher Myers, Tom Tomorrow, Mo Willems, Russell Banks, Kate DiCamillo, Cynthia Ozick, Anne Carson, A.M. Homes, David Cross, Mary Gaitskill, Oliver Sacks, Nelson George, Amy Sohn, Jeffrey Rotter, Keith Gessen, Greg Milner, Francine Prose, and more.

Programming will include fiction, nonfiction and poetry panels on hot topics such as: “The International Graphic Novel,” featuring Guy Delisle (The Burma Chronicles), Peter Kuper (Diario de Oaxaca: A Sketchbook Journal of Two Years in Mexico), and Sarah Glidden (How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less), moderated by Matt Madden; “The Great Recession” (featuring Justin Fox, Naomi Klein, Kai Wright and moderator Errol Louis of the New York Daily News); “The Naked City: Urban Realism and the Global City in Fiction & Non-Fiction” (featuring David Lida, Meera Nair, Hirsh Sawhney and moderator Cheryl Harris Sharman; “Literature in a Digital Age” (John Freeman, Dwight Garner, Sarah Schmelling); “Poetry, Pop and Hip-Hop” (Lupe Fiasco, Thurston Moore, Tracie Morris, Matthew Zapruder and moderator Touré); and “PSA Presents” (a reading by the nation’s oldest poetry organization, featuring some of the country’s best bards, including Anne Carson, Sonia Sanchez, Philip Schultz, Arthur Sze and Alice Quinn).

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL

The 2009 Brooklyn Book Festival is presented by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council, initiatives of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Sponsors include the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; the NYC & Company Foundation; New York Comic Con; Astoria Federal Savings; Citi; Boar’s Head Provisions; the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge; and Time Out New York, media sponsor again this year. Cultural partners are BAM; the Brooklyn Historical Society; Brooklyn Public Library; and the National Book Foundation. Programming partners include Housing Works Bookstore Café; PEN American Center; Poetry Society of America; The New York Review of Books; St. Francis College; and The Nation. For more information about the Brooklyn Book Festival, visit www.visitbrooklyn.org or check out the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Book-Festival-Official-Site/20650359836. On Twitter, follow the Brooklyn Book Festival at bkbf.

NEW YORK COMIC CON

The next New York Comic Con will take place October 8 – 10, 2010, at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. The show was launched in 2006 and was an immediate success. It has grown from a convention attracting 33,000 fans in its first year to one that will occupy the entire Javits Center and will attract well over 75,000 fans in 2010. It has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. For more information on New York Comic Con, visit www.nycomiccon.com.

REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently launched UFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC – the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization – and it formed a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.