MorrisonCon Con Report!

The Hard Rock casino in Las Vegas was home to the inaugural MorrisonCon on September 29-30, 2012. Going in, I had no idea what to expect from this show. I knew that 10 of the biggest names were special guests, including Grant Morrison, frequent collaborators Frank Quitely, Darick Robertson, and Chris Burnham, along with comic superstars Robert Kirkman, Jim Lee, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, and Gerard Way. Also invited were Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, Chronicle writer Max Landis, and musical guests Jimmy Urine and Akira the Don.

The energy of the crowd was palpable the minute I set foot in the main room. James Sime, the founder of Isotope Comics, stirred up the crowd with frenetic energy, setting up an introduction to Grant Morrison, who immediately proceeded to introduce Chris Burnham and Frank Quitely, and went straight into talking about upcoming artwork with their respective projects. It was fascinating to see the thought processes of the artists, and how they each interpreted Grant’s scripts and how it translated on to a page. Shortly after, Darick Robertson also joined the trio, and gave his take on working with Grant.

The next panel involved Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four), JH Williams (Batwoman), Jason Aaron (Wolverine and the X-Men, Avengers vs. X-Men), Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), and Grant Morrison talking about the comic book writing process. From talking about approach to plotting out storylines, to being aware of page turns for reader shock value, to working with different artists and how they might interact with different story tellers, it was a fantastic panel to gain insight from 5 of the biggest writers in comics today.

And since you can’t have comics without art, the following panel featured Chris Burnham, Frank Quitely, JH Williams III, Darick Robertson, and Jim Lee. The artists talked about influences, how they go about laying out pages, to new artists in comics that they personally enjoy. And of course, you can’t have an artist panel without art. Each artist chose a random guest’s sketchbook to draw in, and it was awesome to see them sketch away.

After an hour lunch break, the show continued with a musical based panel, featuring Akira the Don, Gerard Way, Darick Robertson, Grant Morrison, JH Williams III, and Jimmy Urine. It was awesome to see the panelists talk about how music was so intertwined in to their comics, from Gerard Way talking about listening to Tarantula by the Smashing Pumpkins while scripting an entire issue of Umbrella Academy, to the first concerts they’ve all attended, to an improptu performance of I Wanna Hold Your Hand by Darick, Grant and Akira which brought the crowd to their feet.

The last panel of the show for me was the movie panel, featuring Max Landis, James Gunn, Darick Robertson, and Grant Morrison. Although the panel did get sidetracked at times, it was awesome to see James Gunn and Max Landis debating whether Chronicle was a superhero film and what defines a super hero, as well as Landis arguing with Darick Robertson on what he felt was a huge flaw of The Boys.

On top of these amazing panels, there was also creator signings, where you actually had a reserved spot for a specific writer or artist, and you actually got to talk with them for more than the 10 seconds you’re usually alotted at usual cons. That to me was one THE highlight of the show, and I felt it was completely awesome that the artists and writers would embrace the idea, and enjoyed interacting with fans in a more intimate setting.

This show was definitely a one of a kind experience, and I believe is something all comic fans should definitely try attending once in their lifetime. If you ever wanted an comics show that was purely comics based, this is it. With rumors that this show could come back in the future, I’d definitely keep my eye out when tickets go on sale.

Image Comics Panel & Signing Schedule for NYCC 2012

Press Release:

Image Comics’ complete signing schedule for New York Comic Con is now available! The schedule includes signings by top creators every day of the convention, October 11-14 in New York City’s Javits Center. Signings will take place at the Image Comics booth, #1229.

Several creators will also be signing convention exclusives, which Image unveiled on September 19. Details on the exclusives, as well as the panel schedule, can be found at Image Comics’ website.

 

Thursday 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM

3:00-4:00   Haunt signing: Joe Casey and Nathan Fox

4:00-5:00   Not My Bag signing: Sina Grace

4:00-6:00   Think Tank signing/Talent Hunt: Matt Hawkins (Top Cow)

5:00-6:00   Mind The Gap signing: Jim McCann & Rodin Esquejo

5:00-6:00   Robert Kirkman signing (Skybound) (ticketed)*

6:00-7:00   Halloween Eve signing: Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder

6:00-7:00   The Darkness and The Bulletproof Coffin signing: David Hine

7:00-8:00   Comeback signing: Ed Brisson & Michael Walsh

8:00-9:00   Great Pacific signing: Joe Harris

 

Friday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

10:00-11:00   Pigs and Choker signing: Ben McCool & Ben Templesmith

11:00-12:00   Point of Impact signing: Jay Faerber

12:00-1:30   Mind the Gap signing: Jim McCann & Rodin Esquejo

1:00-2:00   Thief of Thieves signing: Nick Spencer, James Asmus, Shawn Martinbrough & Felix Serrano (Skybound)

1:30-3:00   Luther Strode signing: Justin Jordan & Tradd Moore (ticketed)*

3:00-4:00   Non-Humans signing: Glen Brunswick & Whilce Portacio

3:30-5:30   Think Tank signing/Talent Hunt: Matt Hawkins (Top Cow)

4:00-5:00   MacGyver signing: Lee David Zlotoff & Will Sliney

4:00-5:00   The Darkness and The Bulletproof Coffin signing: David Hine

4:00-5:30   Robert Kirkman signing (Skybound) (ticketed)*

5:00-6:00   D.O.G.s of Mars signing: Christian Weiser, Tony Trov & Johnny Zito

5:00-6:00   Artifacts signing: Ron Marz (Top Cow)

6:00-7:00   The Manhattan Projects signing: Jonathan Hickman & Jordie Bellaire (ticketed)*

 

Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

10:00-11:00   Point of Impact signing: Jay Faerber

11:00-12:00   Halloween Eve signing: Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder

11:00-12:30   Think Tank signing/Talent Hunt: Matt Hawkins (Top Cow)

12:15-2:00   Saga signing: Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (ticketed)*

1:00-2:00   Witch Doctor signing: Brandon Seifert & Lukas Ketner (Skybound)

2:00-3:00   Severed signing: Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, & Attilla Futaki (ticketed)*

3:00-4:00   Top Cow Universe signing: Jeremy Haun, Nelson Blake II, David Hine, Tim Seeley, & Ron Marz

4:00-5:00   Bedlam and Morning Glories signing: Nick Spencer & Rodin Esquejo (ticketed)*

4:00-5:30   Teen Wolf signing: Tyler Posey, Jeff Davis & David Tischman (ticketed)*

5:00-6:00   Great Pacific signing: Joe Harris

5:00-6:00   Thief of Thieves signing: Nick Spencer, James Asmus, Shawn Martinbrough & Felix Serrano (Skybound)

6:00-7:00   The Manhattan Projects signing: Jonathan Hickman & Jordie Bellaire (ticketed)*

 

Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

10:15-12:00   Happy! signing: Grant Morrison (ticketed)*

11:00-12:00   Super Dinosaur signing: Jason Howard (Skybound)

12:00-1:00   Black Kiss 2 signing: Howard Chaykin

1:00-3:00   Saga signing: Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (ticketed)*

3:00-4:00   Great Pacific signing: Joe Harris (writer/artist)

3:30-5:00   Robert Kirkman signing (Skybound) (ticketed)*

4:00-5:00   Valentine signing: Alex de Campi & Christine Larsen

*Tickets will be available at the Image Comics booth (#1229) on the day of the signing. One ticket per person will be available for each ticketed signing beginning at the start of the show each day and only while supplies last. No purchase necessary.

All signings are subject to change. Check at the Image Comics booth for up-to-date signing schedules. Keep up with what’s happening at the Image Comics booth by following us on Twitter (@ImageComics)!

Scene on the Web: MorrisonCon

A look back at MorrisonCon, featuring Grant Morrison and friends. More videos and reports to be added later so check back.

Scene on the Web: MorrisonCon

Storified by Convention Scene · Mon, Oct 01 2012 08:57:10

MorrisonCon Plans Emerge

MorrisonCon takes place on September 28-30, 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. MorrisonCon Packages go on sale to the public on May 9, 2012 at 3 PM ET / 12 Noon PT. The full details can be found on MorrisonCon.com. Follow MorrisonCon on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.

Special guests include:

Gerard Way
Gerard Way began his artistic career after graduating from New York’s School of Visual Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999. He is the front man and a founding member of the heralded rock band MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. Way is also the creator and author of the 2008 Eisner Award Winning graphic novel series, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, published by Dark Horse and recently optioned by Universal Pictures.

Jonathan Hickman
Comics futurist, author, artist and designer Jonathan Hickman detonated on the comics scene with THE NIGHTLY NEWS in 2006. Quickly becoming one of the most celebrated science fiction authors in the medium, Hickman followed with SECRET WARRIORS, TRANSHUMAN, PAX ROMANA and made history as an architect of the Marvel Universe on FANTASTIC FOUR and AVENGERS VS. X-MEN. Recently Hickman launched two new ongoing creator owned series, THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS and SECRET at Image Comics.

Frank Quitely
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely have been called the Lennon and McCartney of comics and have metamorphized the modern comics era with their award-winning collaborations on ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, NEW X-MEN, the recently released lost classic FLEX MENTALLO, and the re-envisioning of two of America’s greatest pop culture icons with BATMAN & ROBIN. Quitely’s stunning visual overload has also graced album covers for indie rockers THE PHANTOM BAND and a promotional tarot card deck for singer/songwriter ROBBIE WILLIAMS. His future projects include the comic series MULTIVERSITY and JUPITER’S CHILDREN.

J.H. Williams III
Multi-award winning artist whose hypnotically gorgeous artwork graces the pages of BATWOMAN, DESOLATION JONES, SEVEN SOLDIERS, CHASE, one of the most celebrated runs on DETECTIVE COMICS in the last two decades, and the stunning comics tour-de-force PROMETHEA. Williams is also the future cover artist of the forthcoming album by new wave pop supergroup BLONDIE. The only thing more gorgeous than Williams’ printed work is witnessing his original art pages with your own eyes.

Chris Burnham
Up and coming superstar artist, Chris Burnham rose to popularity through his work on THE AMORY WARS with Claudio Sanchez of COHEED AND CAMBRIA. Partnering with Joe Casey, Burnham tore up the comic world with the graphic novels NIXON’S PALS and OFFICER DOWNE. Collaborating with Grant Morrison on the New York Times Bestselling BATMAN, INCORPORATED, Burnham returns to the Batcave with the launch of BATMAN INCORPORATED VOLUME 2.

About MorrisonCon:
MorrisonCon is a comic convention curated by Grant Morrison and Ignition Sequence, an intimate gathering featuring a hand-picked selection of some of the industry’s most exciting comic creators. Join us during this weekend long celebration of comics and their inspirational creators, get involved in a way unlike any other comic event, and shape treasured memories with us. MorrisonCon aims to change the way comics conventions are experienced.

Take part in innovative conversations with some of the most brilliant minds in sequential arts, informative comic workshops, personalized signing sessions, original art gallery showings, intimate mixers for fans and special guests alike, after hours parties with DJ Grant Morrison and featured guests in the Hard Rock Nightclub, and surprises around every corner.

Full mad details to be revealed.

“Expect maximum rock ‘n’ roll, chaos magic, mind-bending esoterica, sharp suits, surprise guests, and once-in-a-lifetime performances, all wrapped up in the glory that is comics, comics, and more comics.” – Grant Morrison

About Grant Morrison:
Rockstar author and cosmic visionary behind some of comics’ greatest works, including ALL- STAR SUPERMAN, THE INVISIBLES, SEVEN SOLDIERS, NEW X-MEN, ARKHAM ASLYLUM, FLEX MENTALLO, and BATMAN & ROBIN as well as the national bestseller SUPERGODS, a philosophical analysis of superhero comics and personal memoir. Grant’s up-coming works include his psychedelic revenge film SINATORO, the blockbuster DOMINION with Barry Sonnenfeld, and the forthcoming comic series BATMAN INCORPORATED, MULTIVERSITY and HAPPY!

 

Grant Morrison to Be Featured at His Own Con in Fall 2012?

Well, recently it was announced that Image Comics would be putting on their convention this year. Now  ”The people behind Isotope Comics and iFanboy, along with Grant Morrison are excited to announce an innovative new approach to comic conventions.”

According to their website, they will present in the fall “A once in a lifetime opportunity to see Grant Morrison and 9 hand picked comic creator superstars, all together for one weekend, one time only.”

More details to come.

SF – Supergods Signing

 

Grant Morrison signs on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 from 2:00PM – 5:00PM!

Press Release:

In celebration of Grant’s upcoming SUPERGODS: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human non-fiction hardcover from Spiegel & Grau, the man himself and we here at the Isotope will rocking San Francisco’s collective worlds with an event of truly mythological proportions!

SUPERGODS explores the history of fictionalized super-powered beings from their inception at the dawn of the 20th century to today, examining the quite profound affect these icons have had on worldwide cultural movements, the political climates that drove their emergence and evolution, what these spiritual touchstones mean for the modern age, and where (with their help) humanity goes from here. From the four ages of superheroic zeitgest and beyond, Grant anatomizes superhero history all the while synthesizing a memoir of his own personal journey, one of a writer’s dedication to this epic, near-century-long narrative and of a dimensional pioneer who found a way to penetrate the superworld… and to come back with its stories.

So come, join us in welcoming Grant Morrison back to San Francisco in the highest of high style! We are truly honored to get to host him here at the Isotope once again.

As always, we want as many of you to get to know Grant as well as we do, so we’re hosting a daytime signing event for the under 21 crowd, and also an epic celebration that night for the folks who like our bring-your-ID after dark events. And yes, for that over 21 crowd, we will be rocking your worlds with another completely new ultra-limited edition commemorative glass (check out the Grant Morrison Pint Glass we made with the help of Cameron Stewart from our event in 2006)… take a peek and revel in the glory of the Grant Morrison SUPERGODS Commemorative Lowball with best-of-both-worlds artwork by Sonia Harris and Cameron Stewart! As per Grant’s publisher’s request, these events are for folks who purchase a copy of SUPERGODS, which posed a unique challenge for us to accommodate both our styles of events… and also the crowds that will no doubt be wanting to join us! With that in mind, we’re thrilled with the solution we’ve devised, simply bundling a copy of SUPERGODS with every pass and keeping that price at exactly the cost of the awesome items you get to take home with you. Nice!

ALL AGES SUPERGODS SIGNING w/ GRANT MORRISON
2pm – 5pm, Saturday August 6th
A daytime all-ages autographing session with Grant Morrison that is open to all! To attend this event, please select the Daytime Signing option. Your ticket will include a copy of the SUPERGODS hardcover ($28 cover price). As per his publisher’s request, you may also have Mr. Morrison sign up to 2 additional items.

SUPERGODS CELEBRATION w/ GRANT MORRISON
8pm – 12am, Saturday August 6th
Celebrating the release of Mr. Morrison’s latest and his return to SF with a 21+ event as only the Isotope can do! To attend this event, please select the SUPERGODS CELEBRATION option. Your ticket will include a copy of the SUPERGODS hardcover ($28 cover price) and also an exclusive Grant Morrison SUPERGODS Commemorative Lowball cocktail glass (priceless!).

Isotope Lounge
326 Fell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

CA – Supergods Signing

Grant Morrison signs at Book Passage on August 5, 2011 at 7pm!

Grant Morrison talks about Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human. Morrison explains why superheroes matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are. This book is an important guide to understanding the role comics play in our culture

Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, CA 94925

CA – Supergods Signing

Grant Morrison discusses and signs Supergods on July 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm!

Press Release:

For Grant Morrison, arguably the greatest of contemporary chroniclers of the “superworld,” superheroes are powerful archetypes whose ongoing, decades-spanning story arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence: Through them we tell the story of ourselves, our troubled history, and our starry aspirations. In this exhilarating work of a lifetime, Morrison draws on art, science, mythology, and his own astonishing journeys through this shadow universe to provide the first true history of the superhero: why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are . . . and what we may yet become.

Vroman’s Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

CA – Supergods Signing

Grant Morrison signs on July 28th, 2011 at 8pm!

Press Release:

On Thursday July 28th, you’re invited to spend an intimate evening with the legendary Grant Morrison for the release of his new book Supergods: What Masked Viglilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human. By just buying Supergods from Meltdown Comics, you’ll not only get a copy of this amazing book, but you’ll also get a night filled with Q&A with the man himself, a signing, perhaps some videos, and maybe even a song or two, as the festivities will be hosted by a very special, very chemical, romantic guest Musical CollaboratoR. Closed to the first 200 responders only, so act fast! If you’re not in Los Angeles, you can get a signed copy of Supergods shipped to your home and support indy stores. If you’re in LA, you get the book, the signature, plus the show! Just $25!

CLICK HERE to purchase a book.

Want to bring a guest with you? Additional ticket $7.00.

Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 900046

UK – Supergods Discussion

Grant Morrison discusses Supergods at Foyles on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 from 6:30PM - 7:30PM.
 
A major contributor to the revitalisation of comic-book storytelling, Grant Morrison is acclaimed for his bestselling reinventions of classic superheroes as well as his original work. In his new book Supergods, he draws on history, art and mythology to provide the first true chronicle of the superhero, presenting them as gods for the modern age whose narrative arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence. Join him in conversation with journalist and author Sam Leith to discover why superheroes matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about ourselves.

Venue: The Gallery at Foyles, Third Floor

Tickets: Free, but need to be reserved by adding the required number to the basket below. No physical tickets will be issued: the order confirmation you will receive after you add ticket/s to your basket is your proof of reservation. Please choose the Free UK Standard despatch option during checkout.

Foyles
113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, UK

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