NC – Free Comic Book Day 2013

Adam Hughes, Brian Stelfreeze, Tony Harris, Jason Latour, Cully Hamner, Francesco Francavilla, and many more sign at Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find on Saturday May 4, 2013 for Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day 2013 @ Heroes is going to be our biggest and best yet! Come out on May 4th to meet more great comic creators than we have ever had at this fun annual event! Also, it says it right there in the name but in case you missed it, there will be lots of FREE COMICS to choose from too! Check out our awesome guest list and save the date!

• CHRIS BRUNNER – Artist: Loose Ends, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, The Ride

• IAN FLYNN – Writer: Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man

• FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA – Writer/Artist: Black Beetle Artist: Captain America & Black Widow, Detective Comics

• SANFORD GREENE – Artist: Rotten Apple, Deadpool, Wonder Girl, Method Man GN

• CULLY HAMNER – Artist: Red, The Question, Detective Comics, Black Lightning

• JOHN HAIRSTON JR. – Painter

• DUSTIN HARBIN – Writer/Artist: DIARY COMICS, Nutted!, DHARBIN!

• TONY HARRIS – Artist: JSA: Whistling Skull, Ex Machina, Starman, War Heroes

• ADAM HUGHES – Artist: Before Watchmen: Doctor Manhattan, Fairest, Wonder Woman, Catwoman

• JUSTIN JORDAN – Writer: Legend of Luther Strode, Superboy, Deathstroke, Green Lantern: New Guardians

• JASON LATOUR – Writer: Winter Soldier, Loose Ends,Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted Artist: B.P.R.D., Django Unchained

• JACKIE LEWIS – Artist: Play Ball

• TRADD MOORE – Artist: Legend of Luther Strode, Legends of the Dark Knight

• ERAKLIS PETMEZAS – Writer/Artist: Last Cigarette

• JAY POTTS – Writer/Artist: World of Hurt

• RIDDLE – Cosplayer

• BUDD ROOT – Writer/Artist: Cavewoman

• ANDY SMITH – Artist: The First, Weapon X, Green Lantern, WWE Heroes, Flex and Tone

• BRIAN STELFREEZE – Artist: Domino, Matador, Batman: Shadow of the Bat

NOTE that free sketches are at the discretion of the artists, and are not guaranteed. So, mark that date on your calendar folks! Get here early on Saturday, May 4th at Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find will be a great time and you won’t want to miss it!

Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find 
1957 E. 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204

HeroesCon 2013 Tickets & Tables Available Now

HeroesCon 2013 tickets and artist alley tables are now available for the 2013 show which takes place on June 7-9th!

$30 Discount Passes available until January 1, 2013 / 3 Day Passes will be $40 after the 1st of the year. You can save $25 by ordering now! Click here for tickets!

Artist Alley tables are also available:

Heroes Convention is not only one of the most recognizable names on the comics convention circuit, but has a well-deserved reputation as a convention that puts comics first, meaning aisles packed with fans looking for new comics and comic-related merchandise to check out. Our 2013 HeroesCon will be one of our biggest yet, and booth space is fully expected to sell out well in advance of the show. No space is reserved without payment in full: act now to reserve your space!

TABLES:
ARTISTS ALLEY TABLE: $300 Includes 6′ table, 2 chairs, and 2 passes. Great for a solo venture or a two-man team. Or a two-woman team. Man/Woman teams are fine, too.
FOR ADDITIONAL SEATS above the allotment you receive with your purchased space(s), the cost is $50 per additional seat, up to a maximum of 1 additional person per Artists Alley Table, no exceptions–we want everyone to have the most pleasant and comfortable show they can, and overcrowded tables are the opposite of pleasant and comfortable show they can, and overcrowded tables are the opposite of pleasant and comfortable.

NOTE that paid spaces in Artists Alley are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Unless you have other specific preferences, we will place tables beginning in the center of the area, moving outward. There is a space on the Artists Alley registration page where you can put seating preferences if you have them. We try as hard as we can to honor these, but obviously we cannot honor all of them, so thanks for your understanding!

ABOUT HEROESCON:

HEROES CONVENTION was founded in 1982 by Shelton Drum, owner of Charlotte’s Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find comics shop. Since then the convention has become famous for its comics-first and family-friendly atmosphere, where fans can mingle directly with professionals and exhibitors. Boasting an incredible guest list built mainly on reputation and goodwill, HeroesCon is known nationwide as a “must” on the summer schedule, drawing fans, exhibitors, and creators from all over the world to the Charlotte Convention Center.

2013 Guests include:

JASON AARON
PETER BAGGE
ELIZABETH BREITWEISER
MITCH BREITWEISER
FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
ROB GUILLORY
CULLY HAMNER
JAMES HARREN
TONY HARRIS
ADAM HUGHES
DAVE JOHNSON
JASON LATOUR
JOHN LAYMAN
BRANDON PETERSON
ERIC POWELL
JOE QUINONES
PAOLO RIVERA
GREG RUCKA
CHRIS SAMNEE
BRIAN STELFREEZE
BEN TEMPLESMITH
MARIS WICKS
& MANY MORE!

For the most up-to-date information, check our blog, or sign up for the weekly Heroes Hotline newsletter. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

BUYING AN ADVANCE PASS MEANS YOU’LL GET ANY ADVANCE INCENTIVES WE OFFER FREE!  NUMBERED INCENTIVES, INCLUDING PRINTS, ETC., WILL BE AWARDED IN THE ORDER THE PASSES ARE PURCHASED, SO THE EARLIER YOU BUY, THE BETTER!

ENTRY WILL BE $20:FRI $20:SAT $15: SUN / AT THE SHOW ITSELF, SO YOU SAVE AS MUCH AS $25 BY PURCHASING ADVANCE PASSES TODAY!

GA – FCBD: Ex Machina Signing

Tony Harris signs on Saturday May 5, 2012 from noon to 5:00pm for Free Comic Book Day!!

Tony Harris – Illustrator of such works as Starman, Ex Machina and Obergeist, and winner of multiple Eisner awards for best cover artist will be on hand to sign and mingle with fans.

Titan Games & Comics – Duluth
2103 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth, GA 30096

Awesome Artists Added to Baltimore Comic-Con 2011

Press Release:

The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of Adam Hughes, Tony Harris, Josh Middleton, and Francesco Francavilla to the line-up of creators appearing at this year’s show. The show will be taking place the weekend of August 20-21, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

As far as cover artists working in comics today, Adam Hughes is among the very best. A 12-year veteran of Gaijin Studios, Hughes is most widely recognized for his pin-up style renditions of female characters, especially over the course of his long runs as cover artist on Wonder Woman and Catwoman. His most recent work includes a 2-page spread featuring Supergirl and Batgirl for Superman/Batman #75 in 2010 and covers for Zatanna (#13-16) in 2011, and he will be providing covers for DC’s relaunch of Batgirl which begins in September. Hughes won the Harvey Award for Best Cover Artist in 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Breaking into comics in 1989, Tony Harris made a name for himself as the artist and co-creator of DC Comics’ Starman. Also a member of Gaijin Studios, Harris left the Atlanta-based collective to form Jolly Roger Studios. His recent work includes wrapping up a 50-issue run on Vertigo’s Ex Machina in 2010 and he is currently working on a project called The Further Adventures of the Whistling Skull.

Josh Middleton broke into the comics industry in 2000 with his work on one of CrossGen’s original fours series, Meridian, where he penciled the first six-issue story arc. In 2003, after contributing to Marvel’s X-Men Unlimited series, Middleton signed an exclusive with the publisher and helped create the series NYX along with Joe Quesada. Moving on to DC Comics, he served as artist for the mini-series Superman/Shazam: First Thunder, and provided cover art for Vertigo’s American Virgin and DC’s Supergirl. Middleton’s most recent work includes art direction for Warner Brothers Animation’s Green Lantern: The Animated Series.

Francesco Francavilla, who is currently wrapping up his run on Detective Comics, will be working alongside Scott Snyder on the upcoming Swamp Thing title (one of DC Comics’ “New 52″) starting this September. In additon, Francavilla is also the artist on Marvel’s Black Panther: The Man Without Fear and is working on several short stories/anthologies at Archaia Entertainment.

“We are all very excited to add these four artist to the growing list of creators attending this year’s Con,” said Marc Nathan, show promotor of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “These guys helped to shape the look and feel of many modern comics and redefined those characters for a new audience.”

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!

Boston Comic Con 2011 – THIS COMING WEEKEND!

Stop on by the Hynes Convention Center in Boston this weekend, April 30 – May 1! Stop and chat with me, Convention Scene’s News Editor Joe Fauvel, in Artist Alley 415. I’ll also be selling Knightshift Entertainment’s titles CRY and Assassins’ Guild.

Press Release:

Boston Comic Con 2011 – THIS COMING WEEKEND!

It’s here! The wait is over! The Boston Comic Con is back – bigger and better than ever. The convention will be held this weekend: Saturday April 30th and Sunday May 1st at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA from 10am to 7pm Saturday and 10am to 5pm Sunday.

Tickets are available at the door or online through the convention website. Prices are $20 for a single day pass and $35 for a weekend pass. Kids 10 and under get in free with paid adult admission!

The BCC guest list is best and most talked about guest list in the country this year. This is the largest and most talented collection of comic creators in New England ever! Check it out:

Neal Adams, Frank Quitely, Joe Kubert, Adam Hughes, J Scott Campbell, Darwyn Cooke, Arthur Adams, Frank Cho, Tim Sale, Dave Johnson, J.G. Jones, Mark Brooks, Mark Chiarello, Matt Wagner, Ryan Ottley, Sean Galloway, Stan Sakai, Stephane Roux, Terry Moore, Tony Harris, Khoi Pham, Howard Chaykin, David Mack, Greg Capullo, Gahan Wilson, Ryan Benjamin, Stephanie Buscema, Daixong Guo, Mark McKenna, and many more!

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.

For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and Facebook!

GA – Free Comic Book Day 2011

Tony Harris, JD Metler, and Tony Shasteen sign on Saturday May 7, 2011 for Free Comic Book Day!!

Tony Harris – Illustrator of such works as Starman, Ex Machina and Obergeist, and winner of multiple Eisner awards for best cover artist will be on hand to sign and mingle with fans.

JD Metler – Colorist of Jolly Rogers Studios, who has worked Ex Machina, H-E-R-O, Justice League: Generation Lost, and many others will be on hand to sign and mingle with fans.

Tony Shasteen – Illustrator of Talisman: Road of Trials, Occult Crimes Taskforce, and 25 to Life will be on hand to sign and mingle with fans.

Titan Games & Comics – Duluth
2103 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth, GA 30096

Albuquerque Comic Expo (June 2011)

Event Details:

• Category: Comic Book Convention
• Location: New Mexico
• Date: Friday, June 24th 2011 - Sunday, June 26th 2011
• City: Comic Book Convention in Albuquerque
• Event: Albuquerque Comic Expo
• Address: Albuquerque Convention Center
• Country: US
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Convention Name
	Albuquerque Comic Expo
Convention Website Address
	http://www.abqcomicexpo.com
This convention will take place:
	over multiple days.
Start Date
	06/24/2011
End Date
	04/26/2011
About This Convention
	The Albuquerque Comic Expo is the southwest’s newest and most exciting comic book, pop culture, and entertainment convention! Taking place June 24th-26th, 2011, ACE features an impressive guest list of over 40 comic book, celebrity, and media guests. Featuring a special appearance by comic book legend Stan Lee!
Venue Name and Address
	Albuquerque Convention Center 401 2nd Street NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 United States Map It
Number of Dealer/Exhibitor Tables
	200
Projected Attendance
	10000
Please select the Category that best describes the convention
	Comic Books
Additional Categories
	Anime Gaming Science Fiction and Fantasy
Guests
	Stan Lee, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, Ben Templesmith, Doug Jones, Ernie Hudson, Michael Golden, Lloyd Kaufman, Jeremy Bulloch, Peter Mayhew, Jim Kelly, Richard Hatch, Arthur Suydam, Aaron Campbell, Ale Garza, Gene Ha, Andy Kuhn,James O’Barr, Joe Jusko, Mitch Brietweiser, Whilce Portacio, Tony Harris, Jill Thompson, Tim Seeley

Boston Comic Con 2011 – 30 Days and Counting!

Press Release:

J SCOTT CAMPBELL Added to BCC Guest List!

March 1, 2011 (Boston, MA) – J. Scott Campbell, one of the most popular artists in comics, has graciously accepted an invitation to Boston Comic Con 2011! One of the most requested guests for any convention, we are ecstatic to have the opportunity to bring him to meet his New England fans. Campbell first exploded on the scene in the 90s with his first book, Gen 13. His dynamic storytelling and reputation for illustrating some of the most attractive women in the industry continued wth his follow-up project, Danger Girl. His covers currently grace titles including Spider-Man, Wolverine, GI Joe, and many more! Be sure to catch his panel with fellow cover artists JG Jones, Adam Hughes and Dave Johnson!

Also joining Campbell at Boston Comic Con as recently announced guests are local writers Christos Gage, Christopher Golden, and Tom Sniegoski, The Walking Dead’s Cliff Rathburn, pencillers Sanford Greene, Keu Cha, Leo Leibelman, Mike Lilly, and a legion of inkers including Dexter Vines, Jack Purcell, and Mark Morales. Finally we are happy to welcome back stalwart supporters Craig Rousseau, Scott Wegener, Norman Lee, and Sara Richard.

Previously announced guests include Neal Adams, Frank Quitely, Joe Kubert, Adam Hughes, Darwyn Cooke, Arthur Adams, Frank Cho, Tim Sale, Dave Johnson, J.G. Jones, Mark Chiarello, Matt Wagner, Ryan Ottley, Sean Galloway, Stan Sakai, Stephane Roux, Terry Moore, Tony Harris, Khoi Pham, Howard Chaykin, David Mack, Greg Capullo, Gahan Wilson, Stephanie Buscema, Daixong Guo, Mark McKenna, and many more! Be sure to tell your friends! This is the largest and most talented collection of comic creators in New England ever!

Tickets are currently available online through the convention website. Prices are $20 for a single day pass and $35 for a weekend pass. Kids 10 and under get in free with paid adult admission!

Finally, don’t forget to pick up your tickets in advance on our website.

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 30th and Sunday May 1st at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA from 10am to 7pm Saturday and 10am to 5pm Sunday. For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Only 30 Days Left Until Boston Comic Con 2011!

Get your advanced tickets now on line at www.bostoncomiccon.com. $20 for a one day pass and $35 for a two day pass. Kids 10 and under are free.

The guest list is mind blowing and includes some of the biggest names in the comic book industry…Neal Adams, Frank Quitely, Joe Kubert, J Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes, Darwyn Cooke, Arthur Adams, Frank Cho, Tim Sale, Dave Johnson, J.G. Jones, Matt Wagner, Ryan Ottley, Sean Galloway, Stan Sakai, Stephane Roux, Terry Moore, Tony Harris, Khoi Pham, Howard Chaykin, David Mack, Greg Capullo, Gahan Wilson, and many many more! Be sure to tell your friends! This is the largest and most talented collection of comic creators in New England ever!

Also this year we have an amazing panel program for the fans. This year’s featured speakers include Neal Adams, Joe Kubert, Frank Quitely, J Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, Matt Wagner, JG Jones, Frank Cho, Stan Sakai, Terry Moore, Dave Johnson, and Howard Chaykin!

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