Hero Initiative Blows Into C2E2 2017
April 13, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Illinois, Other, Video Games, Webcomics
Press Release:
Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that aids comic book creators in medical and financial need, breezes into Chicago for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, also known as C2E2, located at McCormick Place April 21-23.
And we have an amazing crew anchoring our booth, #1459! Writer/artist Bill Willingham, the man behind Fables and a NEW First Comics series to be announced at C2E2, will be EXCLUSIVELY at the Hero booth all weekend! He’ll be joined by Punisher and Batman artist Bill Reinhold, and Incredible Hulk writer Sean McKeever. Check them all out at booth #1459!
While at the booth, make sure you get in on our raffle for an amazing helicopter trip for two over downtown Chicago from Chicago Helicopter Experience, a $456 value! Raffle tickets will be on sale at the Hero booth all weekend, just $2 each!
And you can now DRINK your comics! Hero is hosting the WORLD PREMIERE of Ten Pin Creep, a Revival mystery story told across six beer labels! The party is Friday, April 21 from 7-10 pm at the Motor Row Gallery and Lofts 2345 S. Michigan Ave. (mere STEPS from the convention center!). Price is $4 per beer or $20 for the whole 6-pack! Non-alcoholic drinks will also be served, and creators Mike Norton and Tim Seeley WILL be in attendance autographing bottles! Many of your other fave creators such as Franco Aureliani, Amy Chu, Jenny Frison, Jody Houser, Ken Lashley, Sean McKeever, Dustin Nguyen, Steve Orlando, Mike Perkins, Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, and James Tynion IV will also be there, so don’t miss out on the party!
And as always Hero Initiative’s creative ambassadors are on the floor collecting for Hero at their own tables. Please swing by and say “hi” to Jason Aaron, Chris Burnham, Stephan Franck, Eric Gapstur, Patrick Gleason, Jonathan Hickman, Phil Hester, Jody Houser, Ken Lashley, Mike Norton, Steve Orlando, Ande Parks, Tim Seeley, Liam Sharp, Ryan Stegman, Jill Thompson, James Tynion IV, and Chip Zdarsky.
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 $950,000 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.
BoroughCon 2017 Announced for Memorial Day Weekend
April 13, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Collectibles, Comic Books, Convention News, Cosplay, Movies, New York, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Television, Top Stories, Video Games
Press Release:
Superhero, animation and gaming fans will soon converge on Utopia Parkway for a four-day celebration in a park-like setting.
St. John’s University will host BoroughCon, a new pop culture convention, over Memorial Day Weekend 2017, May 26-May 29. The event, which is expected to draw up to 20,000 attendees, will appeal to enthusiasts of heroic stories in film, television, gaming and graphic formats, as well as to those who enjoy anime and manga –animation and comics, respectively, in the Japanese tradition.
BoroughCon programming will include panels and autograph sessions with celebrities, gaming tournaments, screenings of both classic and as-yet unreleased films and TV shows, a vendors’ room and an artists’ alley. In addition to special programming for youth and children as well as their parents and grandparents, there will also be a cosplay competition.
“Cosplay is the performance art of creating costumes based on your favorite media characters, then embodying those characters for the audience,” BoroughCon CEO Matthew Goodison-Orr explains. “It has become a staple of these conventions, and cosplay is always one of the most popular draws.”
Media guests are currently being announced on BoroughCon.com and Goodison-Orr says, “BoroughCon will be able to deliver at least a couple of household names, as well as several actors well-known to everyone from all walks of life within the nerd community.”
Current guests include:
• Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, The Goonies)
• Khary Payton (The Walking Dead, Young Justice, Teen Titans)
• Dante Basco (Hook, American Dragon: Jake Long)
• Steven Blum (animated voice of Wolverine, record holder for most video game credits)
• Cree Summer (Codename: Kids Next Door, Inspector Gadget)
• Jess Harnell (Crash Bandicoot, Animaniacs)
• Grey DeLisle (Scooby-Doo, Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Star Wars: Rebels, Ghost in the Shell)
• Chester Rushing (Stranger Things)
• Johnny Brennan (Jerky Boys, Family Guy)
• Grizz Chapman (30 Rock, The Lair)
The nerd community, he said, includes fans of comic books, manga, gaming, and science fiction/fantasy movies and television shows—and a great many self-professed nerds live in underserved neighborhoods of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island. Comic creators appearing include Marv Wolfman (Teen Titans), Mike Grell (Green Arrow, Jon Sable), Tony Bedard (Supergirl, Birds of Prey) Mark McKenna (Combat Jacks, Exiles).
“Surprisingly, New York City and the surrounding area runs short of adequate event space despite the world-class sports and concert venues,” says Goodison-Orr, who, when he served three years as CEO of Orlando’s KnightroKon, catered to up to 40,000 fans a year. “None of the hotels have anywhere enough meeting space for a convention of BoroughCon’s size, and the Javits Center is already home to New York Comic Con, with which we have no desire to invite comparison. So my partners and I chose to focus on the Four Boroughs, and St. John’s became the clear choice.”
The decision to embrace the outer boroughs required very little persuasion.
“Queens has roughly the same population as Houston, and Brooklyn is almost the size of Chicago. Both those middle-American cities host multiple ‘cons’ annually. So why would we want to be the second-biggest-by-a-mile in Manhattan when we can build something new and different here?”
What will set BoroughCon apart, according to Goodison-Orr, is the degree to which fans will enjoy direct access to well-known guests.
“If you come to BoroughCon, you’ll get a chance to meet, shake hands with or get an autograph from someone whose work you admire,” he said. “BoroughCon will be for regular fans – the con for the rest of us.”
For up-to-date information, visit boroughcon.com.
WI – Powers Comics 10th Anniversary
March 21, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Webcomics, Wisconsin
Special guests Mike Norton, Michael Moreci, and Ahman Green appear at Powers Comics on Saturday, April 1st to celebrate the shop’s tenth anniversary.
Powers Comics & Collectibles
2180 S Ridge Road, Green Bay, WI 54304
(920) 884-8483
CA – Goodnight Numbers Signing
March 15, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Other, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television
Danica McKellar signs at Barnes & Noble on Wednesday March 22, 2017 at 6:00 PM.
About this Author
Best known for her roles on The Wonder Years and The West Wing, Danica McKellar graduated summa cum laude in mathematics from UCLA, went on to co-write a published math theorem, and continues to be an outspoken role model for young women to excel in math. She also voices Miss Martian on the cartoon Young Justice.
Barnes & Noble
160 S. Westlake Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-446-2820
CA – Extreme Studios 25th Anniversary Signing
March 14, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Comic Books, Movies, Other, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Video Games
Rob Liefeld (Youngblood, Deadpool, X-Force) celebrates the 25th anniversary of Extreme Studios at Big Red Comics on Thursday March 30, 2017 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM! Details at the link…
Artists Scheduled to Appear include:
- Jeff Matsuda – Extreme’s New Men/Kaboom – Producer and director of The Batman animated series, Jackie Chan Adventures and Wolverine for Marvel animation.
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Dan Fraga – Extreme’s Brigade, Bloodstrike – Senior Producer/Director for Mattel’s Max Steele, Monster High, Ricky Gervais Show
- Andy Park – Extreme’s Avengelyne – Marvel Studios Visual Development Supervisor Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Civil War, Ant–Man, Doctor Strange, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
- Shannon Denton – Extreme’s Youngblood, Brigade – Producer of Con Man, writer on Justice League Action, Ben 10, Avengers animated series.
- Chap Yaep – Extreme’s Youngblood, Warchild – Producer/director on Ben 10
- Todd Nauck – Extreme’s New Men– Marvel’s X-Men, Deadpool, DC’s Young Justice
- Marat Mychaels – Extreme’s Brigade– Marvel’s Deadpool Corps.
- Norm Rapmund – Extreme’s Brigade – DC Comics Teen Titans, Flash
- Art Thibert – Extreme’s Brigade – DC Comics Superman, Batman
- Danny Miki – Extreme’s Youngblood, Bloodstrike, – DC Comics Batman.
- Matt Hawkins – Extreme’s Avengelyne – Top Cow’s Think Tank, Postal
- Dan Panosian – Extreme’s Prophet – Marvel’s X-Men, Logan
- Karl Altstaetter – Extreme’s Bloodstrike, – Senior Designer Mattel Toys, Mirror
Big Red Comics
162 N Glassell Street, Orange, CA 92866
(714) 650-0813
CA – Spider-Man/Deadpool #14 Signing
March 1, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under California, Comic Books, Signing and Appearance Profiles
Artist Todd Nauck signs at Alakazam Comics and Games on Saturday, March 4th at 1:00 PM to promote his most recent variant release – Spider-Man/Deadpool #14 c2c Nauck Variant. This rare variant will only be available at 300 stores nationwide on March 4th – during the Coast to Coast Comic-Con Event.
Todd will sign up to 2 Coast to Coast Variants for free; anything above 2 autographs will be charged $5 per signature.
Todd will also draw a limited number of in-store head-shot commissions. (First Come/First Serve)
Head shot black and white on 7″x10″ (roughly) art board, on person’s sketch cover comic, or personal sketchbook: $50
Head shot color Copic markers on 7″x10″ (roughly) art board, on person’s sketch cover comic, or personal sketchbook: $80
Todd Nauck works regularly for Marvel and DC Comics, with credits including Amazing Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Teen Titans Go, and Young Justice, Nightcrawler, Deadpool: Too Soon? as well as countless others.
Coast to Coast Comic-Con is being held on March 4th, 2017 simultaenously at 300 different comic book stores. Interviews with comic professionals will be streamed live in each of the stores. Special commerative/variant comics will be available for sale.
Alakazam Comics and Games
17777 Main St., Ste E, Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 854-3744
Alan Tudyk Joins Great Philadelphia Comic Con 2017
February 17, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, Comic Books, Convention News, Movies, Other, Pennsylvania, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Television, Top Stories, Video Games
Press Release:
The Great Philadelphia Comic Con adds Alan Tudyk to their guest roster for the convention on Saturday April 8th and Sunday April 9, 2017.
Tudyk’s credits cross film, TV, voice acting, and stage work. He is the creator and star of the webseries Con Man for which he also co-wrote the accompanying comic book Spectrum. In the early 2000s, he starred in the short-lived, though passionately loved, TV show Firefly. Created by Joss Whedon, the show combined elements of sci-fi in space with cowboys in the Old West. Most recently he played the scene stealing security droid K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He also voices characters in several Disney animated films, including Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana.
Tudyk currently stars as Van Wayne, head of Wayne Security, in NBC’s new workplace comedy “Powerless,” opposite Vanessa Hudgens. “Powerless” is the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, where the story follows the reality of working life for a normal, powerless person in a world of superheroes and villains
He’s joining fellow media stars Angus Macinnes (Judge Dredd), David Ankrum (voice A New Hope), Alan Harris (Empire Strikes Back), Sean Schemmel and Mike McFarland (voice Dragonball Z), Veronica Taylor (Sailor Moon), Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Bruce Boxleitner (Tron), John Wesley Shipp (The Flash), and Karan Ashley and Walter Jones (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).
Comics guests include Neal Adams (Superman), Mike Zeck (The Amazing Spider-Man), Jim Shooter (Secret Wars), Michael Golden (Doctor Strange), Ty Templeton (Batman ’66), Chriscross (Unity), and Graham Nolan (Detective Comics).
Visit www.philadelphiacomiccon.c
IL – Revival Wake
January 31, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Horror, Illinois, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Webcomics
Press Release:
REVIVAL is coming to the end of its 5-year journey, and we want to send it off in style. Join Revival creators Tim Seeley, Mike Norton, and Jenny Frison on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 5:00 PM as we all come together to celebrate 47 issues of one of the best creator-owned series Chicago has ever seen. And yes, that means there will be beer. Revival beer. So bring a hankey and prepare to shed a tear as we lay this comic to rest. Funeral dress optional.
Challengers Comics
1845 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-0155
CA – Odyssey of the Amazons #1 Signing
January 23, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under California, Comic Books, Signing and Appearance Profiles
Writer Kevin Grevioux, penciler Ryan Benjamin, and inker Richard Friend appear at Comickaze on Saturday January 28, 2017 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM to sign the first issue of The Odyssey of the Amazons which follow a group of Amazons embarking on a far-reaching quest to find more of their kind. The 6-part miniseries takes place years before the birth of Princess Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman, who celebrates her 75th anniversary this year.
Comickaze
2750 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego, CA 92106
(619) 363-0004
CA – World of Warcraft: Traveler Signing
January 6, 2017 by Colin Solan
Filed under Animation, California, Comic Books, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Television, Video Games
Greg Weisman (Young Justice, Star Wars Rebels, Gargoyles) appears at Chevalier’s Books in Los Angeles on Wednesday January 11th at 7:00 PM.
Press Release:
Celebrated comic book author and animation writer Greg Weisman – Disney’s Gargoyles is one of his creations! – will entice our younger readers by reading and signing this first book in a new series based on the bestselling game franchise. World of Warcraft®: Traveler starts the epic adventure by introducing the youthful characters as they discover the mysteries and majesty of the land of Azeroth. Step inside this richly layered world with Greg and join us for his reading, q&a and signing.
It’s been years since twelve-year-old Aramar Thorne, a clever boy who is never without his precious sketch book, has seen his father. So when Captain Greydon Thorne comes ashore and asks his son to join him at sea, it feels as if someone has redrawn Aram’s entire world. Before he knows it, Aram is aboard the Wavestrider with Lakeshire fading to a distant dot on the horizon. But the thrill of adventure quickly fades, as Greydon relentlessly schools Aram on how to handle his cutlass and how to relate with the strange and diverse creatures of Azeroth. In addition, Aram struggles to get along with the Wavestrider’s crew—especially second mate Makasa, a tough teenaged girl. Just as Aram starts to get his head above water, a band of vicious pirates attack the Wavestrider, turning his world upside down once again. As Aram tries to find his way home with his father’s compass in hand, he’ll travel across Azeroth’s beautiful and hostile terrain, encountering creatures both terrible and wondrous. But the journey is hindered by Greydon’s compass, which never points north. If the compass isn’t leading Aram and Makasa home–to safety–to what destiny is it leading them?
Greg Weisman has been a storyteller all his life. He’s best known as the creator of Disney’s Gargoyles and as a writer-producer on multiple animated series, including Young Justice, Star Wars Rebels, and W.I.T.C.H., and Marvel’s The Spectacular Spider-Man. He’s written multiple comic book series and two young adult novels, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam.
Chevalier’s Books
126 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 465-1334
