Boston Comic Con 2012 Announces More Guests

Boston Comic Con is pleased to announce several new additions to the guest list for the 2012 convention! Joining an already stellar line up are Joe Sinnott, Kevin Eastman, Eric Canete, Keu Cha, Todd Dezago, Ian Glaubinger, Daniel Govar, Mark Morales, Sara Richard, Stephane Roux, Matteo Scalera, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Charles P. Wilson III, and Dexter Vines. This year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest in our five year history!

Silver Age legend Joe Sinnott’s inks have embellished the pages of innumerable titles including Thor, Silver Surfer, Captain America, and The Avengers. His favorite character to draw is The Thing of the Fantastic Four, the comic for which he is best known. Don’t miss this opportunity to shake hands with an industry giant!

Kevin Eastman is best known as the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a comic book phenomenon which was founded in Northampton, MA! For the past twenty years Eastman has owned, edited, and published the magazine Heavy Metal. Boston Comic Con is thrilled to bring this comic book icon back to the Bay State!

Eric Canete is an illustrator and designer working in the animation and comic book industries. As an animator he has worked on shows including Aeon Flux, Exo Squad, and X-Men. He has drawn many titles for Marvel and DC Comics such as Amazing Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Iron Man. Currently he is working on a creator-owned project for Image Comics.

Keu Cha is an artist who has worked extensively with Top Cow Productions on titles including The Darkness, Fathom, Rising Stars, and Witchblade.

Todd Dezago is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his collaborations with penciller Mike Wieringo on Sensational Spider-Man and their creator-owned fantasy series Tellos. Dezago is also know for co-creating Young Justice with artist Todd Nauck in the one-shot Young Justice: The Secret. His other Young Justice work includes the miniseries JLA: World Without Grown-ups.

Ian Glaubinger is an illustrator inspired by all things in pop culture: the cartoons of the 1950′s, Walt Disney, movies, comics, typography, vintage advertising, all things retro, his wife Kim, and his cat to name a few. He is a featured artist at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, a very popular pop-culture based art gallery.

Daniel Govar is the co-founder of ThereAndBackAgain.net, a Tolkien and Lord of the Rings website dedicated to illustrating all facets of the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. In 2010, Daniel’s sci-fi epic comic Azure was published by DC Comics, now available via DC and ComiXology’s digital apps.

Mark Morales is an inker best known for his works at Marvel Comics such as Secret Invasion, Siege, and Thor. Most recently he embellished the pages of Young Avengers over the pencils of fellow Boston Comic Con guest Jim Cheung.

Sara Richard’s work has appeared in Atomic Robo, Pre-Historic Times Magazine, several Marvel trading card sets, Zombie Bomb, and in her new children’s book Kitty and Dino. She has also worked as a toy designer for Hasbro.

Stephane Roux comes all the way from France as an illustrator of great renown. His sexy pinup-style art has graced the covers of Birds of Prey, Savage She-Hulk, and Countdown to Crisis. He has also illustrated Zatanna for DC Comics and is currently working on Star Wars: Agent of the Empire for Dark Horse.

Matteo Scalera is an Italian artist who was one of twelve discovered in Marvel’s worldwide talent search in 2005. He is best known for his work with the character Deadpool and has drawn the titles Deadpool Team-Up, Deadpool Corps, and Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth. Additionally he has worked on Hyperkinetic, Dynamo 5, and PopGun for Image Comics.

Thomas E. Sniegoski is the writer of the New York Times best-selling The Fallen: Vol. 1 & 2, as well as Remy Chandler. He is also the only writer ever invited to work on Jeff Smith’s award winning series Bone, working with Smith on Bone: Tall Tales. Sniegoski has just finished writing Bone: Quest for the Spark, and a new additions to The Fallen series, The Fallen: End of Days and The Fallen: Forsaken.

Charles Paul Wilson III is the acclaimed illustrator and co-creator of the New York Times Best-Selling Graphic Novel, The Stuff of Legend, published by Th3rd World Studios. His work has also graced the covers and pages of the comic industry’s top publishers such as IDW, DC, and Marvel Comics.

Dexter Vines is a comic book artist and inker best known for being one half of the “eDex” team, along with fellow Boston Comic Con guest Ed McGuiness. Dex has worked on titles for Marvel and DC including Civil War, Superman/Batman, JLA Classified, and Wolverine: Old Man Logan.

Previously announced guests include Al Feldstein, Paul Coker Jr., Al Jaffee, Brian Azzarello, Jeremy Bastian, Joe Benitez, Simon Bisley, Mark Brooks, Stephanie Buscema, Jim Cheung, Cliff Chiang, Becky Cloonan, Amanda Conner, Katie Cook, Geof Darrow, Renae De Liz, Steve Epting, Jamal Igle, Phil Jimenez, Alex Maleev, Ed McGuinness, Phil Noto, Jimmy Palmiotti, David Petersen, Tom Raney, Ivan Reis, Paolo Rivera, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jill Thompson, Ben Templesmith, Joe Quinones, Bernie Wrightson, Skottie Young, Chrissie Zullo, and more!

Boston Comic Con is also happy to announce that we have SOLD OUT all artist alley tables. Anyone who submits a registration form from this point on will be added to a waiting list.

The Boston Comic Con is a 100% independently run comic book show committed to bringing the biggest and best comic creators to New England. Run by fans for fans, Boston Comic Con is not affiliated with any other convention tour or corporate interests. Hosting over 40,000 square feet of vendors selling comic books, toys, posters, trading cards, and other pop culture memorabilia, this is a destination event for geeks of any stripe. The convention will be held Saturday April 21st and Sunday April 22nd at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA from 10am to 5pm each day. For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and Facebook!

Hero Initiative Hits MegaCon 2012 with George Perez and More

Press Release:

HERO INITIATIVE HITS 2012 ORLANDO MEGACON

George Pérez, original covers and top costumers are among the highlights

Los Angeles, CA (February 7, 2012) Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that aids comic creators in medical and financial need, will be adding to the craziness at the Orlando MegaCon, February 17-19 at the Orange County Convention Center located at 9800 International Drive in Orlando, Fla.

When you purchase your tickets for this amazing weekend, make sure you “Become the Hero!” and make a small donation to our cause. Down at the bottom of the page where it mentions, “Please support the Hero Initiative,” you can add in $1, $5 or $10 as you buy your tickets. Please purchase your tickets at: http://megaconvention.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=57024

When you get to the convention, make sure you get your picture taken with the Hero Initiative costumers just inside the D1 lobby doors. These peeps know their stuff, and they’re some of the top costumers in the nation.

The one and only George Pérez will be at the Hero booth all weekend, located at #531. Make sure to get your sketches and signatures from George here! And while you’re waiting, you’ll have the first chance to see the NEW Fantastic Four #600 original covers, our newest “100 covers” project!

Art lovers will NOT want to miss the FINAL leg of Hero’s original JLA cover auctions! The last 34 covers go up on the block Friday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 PM in Room 240c. Be there!

And to top off your weekend, the Geeks of Comedy are there to tickle your funny bone. Check out their great comedy show Saturday, Feb. 18 at 10 PM in Room 221B&E.

Hero Initiative’s booth schedule, booth #531:

Friday, Feb. 17 (con hours 12-7)
All day: George Pérez
130-230: Nelson DeCastro

300-345: “100 JLA” book signing with Cully Hamner, Dan Jurgens, George Pérez, Mike Perkins, Alex Saviuk, Billy Tucci

 

Saturday, Feb. 18 (con hours 10-6)

All day: George Pérez

1030-1230: Allen Bellman

1240-130: Tim Sale

130-230: Phil Hester

 

Sunday, Feb. 19 (con hours 10-5)

All day: George Pérez

1130-1230: Darwyn Cooke

1230-130: Nelson DeCastro

130-230: Phil Hester

 

About The Hero Initiative

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book artists and craftsmen in need. Hero Initiative 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 comics 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 2012 Adds Stan Lee, Greg Capullo, David Finch, Etc.

Press Release:

ORLANDO MEGACON ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL GUESTS & EVENTS

MegaCon, the largest comic book, anime, gaming and multi media event in the Southeast, is pleased to announce the addition of guests and events to its February 17th – 19th, 2012 show. MegaCon will take place at the Orange County Convention Center at 9800 International Drive in Orlando, FL.

We are pleased to announce that Stan Lee will be returning for the 2012 show. We are also pleased to announce that Greg Capullo the popular Spawn artist will be joining MegaCon for the first time.

Other new comic book guests include: David Finch, Tim Sale, Karl Moline and Nathan Edmondson

New Media guests include: Charisma Carpenter from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Mark Meers the voice of Commander Shepard on Mass Effect 1-3

For the first time ever Megacon will host a Zombie Walk. Arthur Suydam the Zombie King will also be attending.

Friday night DJ reception at the Doubletree International open for MegaCon hotel guests at all of our participating hotels

Lightning Fast Speed Dating will return with more seats available.

Live Music on all three days by popular Celtic Band: Emerald Rose, Frenchy and the Punk, and a Friday night performance by anime favorite Vic Mignogna

MegaCon sponsors: I AM 3D, Funimation, Comics Guaranty Corporation and Students of the Unusual

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

MegaCon 2012
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida
February 17th – 19th, 2012
Contact Info: info@megaconvention.com or www.megaconvention.com

MA – Kiss Miss Carol Signing

Writer Brian Mulcahy signs at Friendly Neighborhood Comics on Wednesday December 21, 2011 from 3:30-6:30pm! They will have special postcards signed by both Brian and artist Tim Sale (while supplies last)!

RSVP on Facebook!

Kiss Miss Carol is set in the early 1950s and tells the story of what Private Detective Nick Coffin believes will be his worst Christmas ever.

It’s 8:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and Nick is sitting in his office, his only company a half-empty bottle of Johnny Walker. Then Mary walks through his door, a woman from his past who needs him to find her kidnapped baby boy.

The story features four new full-page interior illustrations and six vignettes by Tim Sale.

Friendly Neighborhood Comics
191 Mechanic Street (Route 140), Bellingham, MA 02019

Boston Comic Con Returns in 2012 with Reis, Chiang, McGuinness, and More

BOSTON COMIC CON 2012 – TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

BCC 2012: April 21st & 22nd. Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

Featuring the Legends of Mad Magazine Reunion starring Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee, Al Feldstein, and Paul Coker.

And a rock star guest list that includes (among others)…

Simon Bisley, Ivan Reis, Skottie Young, Ed McGuinness, Tim Sale, Steve Epting, David Petersen, Clay Mann, Greg Horn, Joe Prado, Jill Thompson, Jim Cheung, Phil Noto, Cliff Chiang, Joe Benitez, Ken Kelly, Alex Maleev, Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott, Geof Darrow, Bob Layton, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ben Templesmith, Herb Trimpe, Paolo Rivera, Bernie Wrightson and…

That’s just the beginning. More guests to follow!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for information coming at ya at a later date about panels, the costume contest, gaming, and our first annual art auction!! Follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and RSVP on Facebook!

Tickets are on sale now at www.bostoncomiccon.com or eventbrite.com or at the door the days of the show. $20 for a single day pass and $35 for a weekend pass. Children 10 and under free.

Thanks to all the BCC fans who have made Boston a national comic con hot spot!

‘Nuff Said.

Marvel Signing, Panel, and Booth Schedules for NYCC 2011 Announced

Via Marvel.com, we get our first look at Marvel’s signing schedule for New York Comic Con 2011, including signings by Stan Lee and Joe Quesada as well as Chris Evans (Captain America), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and more from The Avengers.

In addition, Marvel has made their Panel and Booth Schedule available:

 

Hero Initiative Booth Schedule for NYCC 2011

Hero Initiative announces its signing schedule for New York Comic Con with appearances by Tim Sale, Walt Simonson, Steve Dillon, Tom Raney, and many more!

A quick note for you autograph collectors out there—and we know you’re out there! Convention appearances by Ralph Reese, Chris Ivy or Robert Washington are exceedingly rare! So this is an outstanding opportunity to crack out those old back issues and get them signed.

And over at The Artist’s Choice in Artist Alley at the con, a whole DIFFERENT bountiful bevy of creators will sign autographs for Hero. Please check them out as well.

And we also STRONGLY encourage you to hit Hero’s panel on Friday morning. Full details below!

Friday, Oct. 14
11 AM-12 noon
Room 1A02

HERO INITIATIVE: WE CHANGE LIVES

Find out all about the Hero Initiative, the only federally chartered charity dedicated to helping comic creators in medical or financial need. Hero has paid back rent when creators are literally 24 hours from eviction, paid to keep the heat on in the winter, and covered the cost of crucial medication and treatment that frequently meant the difference between life and death.

Hero Initiative President Jim McLauchlin is joined by Hero beneficiaries Ralph Reese (House of Secrets), Chris Ivy (Moon Knight), and Robert Washington (Static), who will tell their own personal stories about how Hero has changed THEIR lives…for the better.

Kiss Miss Carol Debuts at NYCC 2011

 

Press Release:

Tim Sale and Brian Mulcahy are pleased to announce the publication of “Kiss Miss Carol: A Crime Story of Christmas.” Set in the early 1950s, “Kiss Miss Carol” tells the story of what private detective Nick Coffin believes will be his worst holiday ever.  It’s 8:00 PM on Christmas Eve and Nick is sitting in his office, his only company a half-empty bottle of Johnny Walker. Then Mary walks through his door, a woman from his past who needs him to find her kidnapped baby boy.

“Kiss Miss Carol” is written by Brian Mulcahy with a cover, frontispiece, four full-page interior illustrations, and six vignettes by Tim Sale, the Eisner Award-winning artist of Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray, Spider-Man: Blue, and the upcoming Captain America: White.

“Kiss Miss Carol” is available as a trade paperback and an eBook from Lulu.com and on iTunes. The trade paperback version is 9″ wide by 7″ high and 56 pages long with a color cover and black and white interior illustrations. The trade paperback retails for $9.99 and the eBook retails for $5.99.

An Artist’s Sketchbook Edition, limited to 50 numbered copies, will be available for sale at Tim Sale’s table at the New York Comic Con starting on Friday, October 14, 2011.

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.

Boston Comic Con 2011 Report

Boston Comic Con 2011 was an unparalleled success!! With an enormous guest list and a new location it was a sink-or-swim moment for the growing convention. Thankfully, they came through and saw a 50% increase in attendance from the previous year and have received rave reviews from guests, fans, and retailers alike. The move to the Hynes Convention Center proved to be an invaluable decision as the venue is far more suited to the convention’s needs than previous sites and its central location in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay made access to food, drink, lodgings, and public transportation much easier.

A flurry of activity went on inside the Hynes that weekend between sketches drawn, comics signed, cosplay photographed, and panel questions asked. Highlights include:

Word is the “Women in Comics” panel held a fiesty debate about gender issues in the comics industry between panelists Stephanie Buscema, Allison Sohn, Ming Doyle (pictured at left), Sara Richard, and Marsha Cooke.

Another fun panel was Frank Cho’s “How to Draw Like a Bad-Ass” in which he solicited ideas from the audience and then raffled off tickets to win the piece drawn. Ultimately he drew a picture of the Avengers’ Tigra fighting off a horde of ninja on a subway train.

The biggest announcement of the convention was the unveiling of Teenage Satan, a multimedia enterprise created by Stephanie Buscema, Marsha Cooke, and Candis Cooke. It’s a webcomic, app, and video game all in one. They also held a swanky after-hours party with burlesque performances provided by the Boston Babydolls which were both titillating and haunting. Check out TeenageSatan.com for more information!

This year’s costume contest was big hit with cosplayers breaking out their best capes and masks. The winner was a B.A. Baracus who pitied the fool who broke character. Another standout was the giant, working mecha suit built by a team of MIT students.

Tim Sale’s birthday was on the Sunday of the convention and he was surprised at his panel with a cake provided by the Riot Grrls.

DC Comics Editorial Director Mark Chiarello and Legendary Comics Editor-in-Chief Bob Schreck were both on-hand to review artists portfolio and give advice and tips to the aspiring comic book creators of tomorrow.

Golden Age legend Joe Kubert was only scheduled to appear Sunday but decided to make a surprise appearance on Saturday to the delight of fans and organizers alike. He represented the Kubert School which is the finest institution teaching the craft of creating comics.

Several of the big name artists were much in demand for sketches and signatures including J. Scott Campbell, Frank Quitely, Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson, Matt Wagner, Tony Harris, and more. Sadly, this convention marked the last that superstar artist Adam Hughes will take a sketch request list as he found one of the three he finished in Boston already being sold on ebay mere hours after the show ended. In the future he will auction off sketch requests on ebay beforehand, one per each day of the convention he’s attending.

Finally Boston Comic Con has announced the dates of next year’s show will be April 21-22, 2012! After such a phenomenal convention this year they are also happy to say that they will be returning once again to the Hynes Convention Center! Some big name guests are already lined up and will be announced in the months to come. Follow their website (www.bostoncomiccon.com) as well as the Facebook page and Twitter feed to stay up-to-date on the latest information as it is released! RSVP on Facebook!

 

 

 

Photos marked with an asterisk (*) are property of Andy Ihnatko. Check more of his photos from Boston Comic Con 2011 at the link!

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