LOS ANGELES-BASED PUBLISHER HEADS NORTH TO MINGLE WITH BAY AREA FANS
Eager to start its 2010 Archaia All Access Convention Tour, Archaia Entertainment announced it is exhibiting at Comic-Con International’s WonderCon, Northern California's premiere comics and popular arts event, to be held at Moscone Center South in San Francisco April 2-4, 2010.
The publisher will set up shop at Booth #813 where it will offer for sale copies of its latest hardcover offerings, including The Killer Vol. 2, Days Missing Vol. 1, Gunnerkrigg Court Vol. 2 and Robotika Vol. 2: For a Few Rubles More. There will also be many free giveaways and the opportunity to meet with several Archaia creators, including Chandra Free (The God Machine), Patrick McEvoy (Starkweather), Tom Pinchuk (Hybrid Bastards!), Josh Finney and Kat Rocha (Titanium Rain), and a bevy of writers and artists who are working on the upcoming Fraggle Rock comic series, including Heather White, Jeff Stokely, Leigh Dragoon and Adrianne Ambrose.
“This is what we live for! It’s fantastic to be able to come out and meet our fans, reward them with some cool giveaways and tease them with some subtle hints of what exciting projects are coming next from Archaia,” said Archaia Marketing Manager Mel Caylo. “This is the first time at WonderCon for many of our staff, and we’re looking forward to the Comic-Con International group putting on a phenomenal show!”
The Archaia booth will be open on Friday, April 2 from 12-7 p.m.; Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 4 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. In addition, the publisher will present a panel in Room 236/238 on Sunday, April 4 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. to speak about some exciting new developments, including the announcement of several new titles. In addition to the creators listed above, on hand to speak about their projects will be Michael McMillian (Lucid) and Joshua Hale Fialkov (Tumor), plus there’s always the potential of a surprise “speaker”!
Archaia is always interested in publishing creator-owned comic books in the adventure, fantasy, horror, pulp noir and science fiction genres that contain idiosyncratic and atypical writing and art, so submissions will be accepted at the booth all weekend. If you would like to leave behind a submission, please consult the “Submissions” section on the Archaia website (www.Archaia.com) for criteria.
After WonderCon, the Archaia All Access Convention Tour will make stops at C2E2 (April 16-18 in Chicago, Ill.), The LA Times Festival of Books (April 24-25 in Los Angeles, Calif.), San Diego Comic-Con (July 21-25 in San Diego, Calif.), Baltimore Comic-Con (August 27-28 in Baltimore, Md.), New York Comic Con (Oct. 8-10 in New York, N.Y.) and Long Beach Comic Con (Oct. 29-31 in Long Beach, Calif.).
About Archaia
Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful material that perpetually transforms minds. With a slate including the popular Eisner Award-winning title Mouse Guard, as well as Gunnerkrigg Court, Roddenberry Productions’ Days Missing, Robotika, Awakening, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Artesia and the Publisher’s latest additions of Titanium Rain; Tumor; The God Machine; The Jim Henson Company library; and Mr. Murder Is Dead and Lucid with Before the Door Pictures, Archaia has become synonymous with quality content.
For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/archaiacomics), MySpace (myspace.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter (twitter.com/archaiacomics).
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Star Wars™ Fans will Feel the Force at C2E2
Carrie Fisher to Headline Star Wars Presence, Which Will Include Celebrity Appearances, Autographs,
Exclusives and More
Months before Star Wars Celebration V comes to Orlando, fans can feel the Force at Reed Exhibitions’ Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), at McCormick Place, April 16-18, 2010 in downtown Chicago. There’s a whole galaxy of fun on the exhibit hall floor, including celebrities, autographs and an exclusive collectible t-shirt that can only be found at the show – as well as a special appearance by Carrie Fisher, who portrayed Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy. In addition, Reed Exhibitions is producing Star Wars Celebration V – in cooperation with Lucasfilm – at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from August 12-15.
Special Star Wars C2E2 guests include:
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi (Scheduled for Saturday & Sunday only)
Ray Park (Darth Maul) The Phantom Menace
Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett) Attack of the Clones
Amy Allen (Jedi Aayla Secura) Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith
Orli Shoshan (Jedi Shaak Ti) Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith
“We are enormously excited to be making this announcement,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President of the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “I know that this will be a huge attraction for the thousands of Star Wars fans who will be participating in our show. This is an exclusive showcase that can only be found at C2E2 where fans will get a chance to share and participate in official Star Wars activity.”
Organizers note that in addition to the opportunity to meet stars, collectors will have the chance to get their hands on an exclusive Celebration V/C2E2 t-shirt that will only be available to those who purchase their tickets for Celebration V at C2E2. The t-shirt gives a nod to both shows. In addition to the celebration on the show floor, there will be activity on stage as well. Lucasfilm’s official presentation begins at 1:15pm on Saturday, April 17th in the IGN Theater, with Steve Sansweet exploring the past, present and future of Star Wars – from the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back to the exciting weekly animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V.
Sunday is Kids Day at C2E2.. Kids of all ages can learn to draw The Clone Wars characters at the Variant Stage at 1:00pm with Star Wars artists Katie Cook and Grant Gould. Drawing paper and pencils will be provided, or budding artists can bring their own sketchbooks.
Organizers for C2E2 note that tickets for the show continue to sell quickly, and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance! For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2. For further information about Star Wars Celebration V and to buy tickets, go to www.starwarscelebration.com.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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Get your Grove on at Wizard World’s Official Party at
The Social
Sponsored by Hero Initiative
Join Hero Initiative and thousands of fellow fans as they converge in Canada at Toronto Comic Con, March 26, 27 & 28 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. Hero Initiative, the non profit organization helping comic creators in hard times, will be celebrating the best in pop culture by bringing special guests for signatures and sketches.
In addition, we are proud to sponsor the Official Wizard World party! Saturday evening from 9pm to 2am at the Social, 1100 Queen Street West in Toronto. Come get your grove on with the folks from Wizard, your favorite comic creators and actor guests. Fifteen dollars at the door will get you to this most exclusive party of the weekend. The first lucky100 party-goers will receive a bag of exclusive goodies, and you can bid on art donated by many of the guests! You won’t want to miss out on this bash!
Our Wonderful guest line up is as follows:
FRI., 26 MAR, con hours 1200-800:
300-400: Marcus To
600-700: Gail Simone
SAT., 27 MAR, con hours 1000-700:
1030-1230: Ken Lashley
1230-230: Leonard Kirk
230-430: Richard Isanove
300-400: Marcus To
430-630: Phil Jiminez
FRI., 28 MAR, con hours 1000-500:
1230-230: Leonard Kirk
300-400: Marcus To
230-430: Richard Isanove
About The Hero Initiative:
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strict to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.
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The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce our first series of guests for the 2010 convention.
Major publishing houses Image Comics, Boom! Studios, and Top Cow Productions are the first announced exhibitors for our 11th annual show. In addition, we are pleased to announce the following guests: Mike and Laura Allred (Madman), Sergio Aragones (Groo), Ivan Brandon (Nemesis: The Imposters), Jim Calafiore (Secret Six), Eric Canete (New Avengers: Luke Cage), Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss), Cliff Chiang (Greendale), Frank Cho (Ultimate Comics New Ultimates), Steve Conley (Star Trek Omnibus: The Original Series), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Dan DiDio (The Outsiders, Co-Publisher, DC Comics), Al Feldstein (MAD Magazine), Ron Garney (Wolverine: Weapon X), Michael Golden (Marvel 1602: Spider-Man), Cully Hamner (Detective Comics), Dean Haspiel (ACT-I-VATE), Geoff Johns (Blackest Night, Chief Creative Officer, DC Comics), J.G. Jones (DC Universe Legacies), Rich Koslowski (BB Wolf and the 3 LPs), Michael Lark (Spider-Man: Return of the Hunter Saga), Laura Martin (Girl Comics), Mark McKenna (Banana Tail), Terry Moore (Echo, SiP), Phil Noto (Avengers: The Origin), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Khoi Pham (Mighty Avengers), Eric Powell (The Goon), James Robinson (Justice League of America), Stephane Roux (Zatanna), Louise Simonson (X-Factor Forever), Walter Simonson (Wednesday Comics), Jim Starlin (Dreadstar), Brian Stelfreeze (The Authority: The Lost Year), Karl Story (Zatanna), Mark Texeira (X-Men: Origins), Billy Tucci (Shi), Doug Wagner (World of Warcraft: Horde), Mark Waid (Irredeemable, Editor-in-Chief, Boom! Studios), Marv Wolfman (New Teen Titans), and John Workman (Heavy Metal).
"We're months away from show-time, and already, we've lined up some of the biggest stars of the industry. We're excited to have the presence and support of Image, Boom!, and Top Cow - we have an excellent relationship with all three publishers, and can sense the fans lining up to see them already!" said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "We're also very proud to have Dan Didio and Geoff Johns from DC Comics joining us again this year. Both have been great friends for some time now, and they produce some of the most cutting edge comics on the market today. There are so many noteworthy guests coming to the show that represent a cross-section of the comics industry's genres, creative roles, eras, and publishing models, we think 2010 is shaping up to be one of our best yet!"
In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/baltimorecomics), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomiccon), MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/baltimorecomics), and ComicSpace (http://www.comicspace.com/baltimorecomicon) pages.
This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28th.
About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 11th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.
About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 5 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.
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Limited Tickets Available for Convention Attendees and Chicago Comic Fans, Event By Lionsgate, IGN, and C2E2
The eagerly anticipated movie Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Nicolas Cage, will receive a red carpet premiere in Chicago, IL on Thursday, April 15, 2010. The film, which opens nationwide on April 16, 2010, is based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr. The Chicago premiere of the movie occurs on the eve of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which takes place April 16-18 at the McCormick Place Convention Center. Selected cast members will participate in the Chicago red carpet premiere, and the screening will be a destination for press and professionals. Tickets will be made available on IGN.com and C2E2.com in the coming weeks for comics fans and C2E2 attendees wishing to attend.
Then, on April 16, the day after the premiere, C2E2 attendees will have an opportunity to meet cast members from Kick-Ass when they participate in an autographing session at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. Details as to the time and location of this signing are forthcoming on C2E2.com.
"We're very proud to announce this special premiere of Kick-Ass with our friends at Lionsgate and IGN," C2E2 Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "C2E2 is a celebration of the best of comics and popular entertainment, and Kick-Ass perfectly represents this convergence. The fact that both the film and C2E2 are debuting on the same day is nothing short of fantastic good fortune!"
Fans wanting to learn more about Chicago's Kick-Ass premiere and C2E2 in general are encouraged to visit the show's official site, www.C2E2.com, as well as its official blog, www.mediumatlarge.net. Tickets to C2E2 are available now on its official site, and fans are encouraged to purchase theirs early to guarantee admission.
About Kick-Ass:
“How come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” When Dave Lizewski – ordinary New York teenager and rabid comic-book geek dons a green-and-yellow internet-bought wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante, Kick-Ass, he soon finds an answer to his own question: because it hurts. But, overcoming all the odds, the eager yet inexperienced Dave quickly becomes a phenomenon, capturing the imagination of the public. However, he’s not the only superhero out there – the fearless and highly-trained father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy and Hit Girl have been slowly but surely taking down the criminal empire of local Mafioso, Frank D’Amico. And, as Kick-Ass gets drawn into their no-holds-barred world of bullets and bloodletting with Frank’s son, Chris, now reborn as Kick-Ass’s arch-nemesis, Red Mist - the stage is set for a final showdown between the forces of good and evil - in which the DIY hero will have to live up to his name. Or die trying…
Directed by Matthew Vaughn, from a screenplay by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, and based on the comic written by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr. Lionsgate and MARV present a MARV Films / Plan B production. www.kickass-themovie.com
About Lionsgate:
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is the leading next generation studio with a strong and diversified presence in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel platform assets, including TV Guide Network in partnership with JPMorgan's One Equity Partners, the Epix multiplatform channel with partners Viacom and MGM, the FEARnet branded horror channel with partners Comcast and Sony, and the KIX and Thrill branded action and horror channels in Asia. Its feature film business has generated more than $400 million at the North American box office in the past year, including such recent hits as PRECIOUS, which has grossed more than $45 million at the North American box office and earned six Academy Award nominations, DAYBREAKERS and BROTHERS. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in its box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 12,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, and quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com
About IGN Entertainment:
IGN Entertainment, a unit of News Corporation, is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 42.9 million unique users worldwide January 2010, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others) is one of the Web's leading videogame information destinations. IGN also owns the leading male lifestyle website AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
About The Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES C2E2
CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE!
COLLECTORS REJOICE OVER ALL-NEW DOMO QEE!
Dark Horse Deluxe, the product arm of Dark Horse Comics, has announced a special exclusive variant in their popular line of toys based on fashion and viral superstar Domo. The Domo Qee figure is unique to the Hong Kong–based toy company Toy2R and has been a massive hit since the line was launched in 2009.
The debut Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) will be held at McCormick Place, located at 2301 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Dates are April 16–18, 2010.
The convention exclusive features Domo covered with a Hawaiian-style print, setting it apart from previously released figures in the series. Only 1,200 of this special variant have been manufactured, and they will be made available to both casual fans and collectors at the Dark Horse Comics booth in the exhibit hall on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We made a Domo Qee exclusive for Comic-Con International in San Diego last summer,” Dark Horse’s vice president of product development, David Scroggy, recalled. “We were surprised to find it had sold out by the end of the first day of the show. We made even fewer of them this time around, and as this promises to be a very well-attended first-time event, we advise attendees to drop by early if they are interested in owning one.”
The release of the C2E2 variant closely follows the on-sale date of the second “mystery box” series of Domo Qee toys, which are scheduled for release on March 31, 2010. This “blind-box” assortment features figures individually packed at random. The only way to know which is inside is to purchase it! In the Domo blind-box assortment, figures are sold in counter displays of fifteen, and each display box of fifteen figures is packed into a master carton of four cases.
The special two-inch version of the lovable mascot turned iconic viral superstar from Japan’s NHK television network is growing in popularity in the United States. Dark Horse was an early licensee of Domo, under the auspices of licensing agency Big Tent Entertainment, and has already produced sold-out limited editions of Domo as various sizes and colors of flocked vinyl figures, stationery, journals, and sculpted magnets. Party lights, sticky note books, and other new Domo items are on tap for summer.
Starting from a very unusual place as an advertising icon, Domo’s unique look and personality have catapulted the character from four hundred television spots in Japan into one of the Internet’s biggest sensations, sparking worldwide recognition. As the poster child for personalized, user-generated content, Domo has been able to transition from popularity within Japan to a worldwide following, spawning countless fan-made images, websites, and videos, along with a first-ever licensed product line including plush, toys, fashion, and collectibles selling at major trend retailers nationwide.
About Qee
Qee (pronounced "key") is a collection of designer toys created by Hong Kong–based company Toy2R, which was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995. Qees are produced in limited numbers and are highly collectible. Many contemporary artists and designers from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America have designed figures. Domo is the mascot of NHK Television in Japan, and is breaking out worldwide as animation, toys, publishing, and apparel.
About Big Tent Entertainment, LLC
Big Tent Entertainment, LLC (bigtent.tv) is an entertainment company specializing in the integrated development and management of media brands. Formed in 2002, the company manages a portfolio across both traditional and new media while focusing on brand strategy, community building, viral marketing, licensing, and retail merchandising. Big Tent currently serves as the worldwide (ex-Asia) marketing and licensing company for fashion and viral sensation Domo as well as the North American agency of record for a number of properties including: Discovery Kids, the leader in educational content for children; Telemundo, a leading producer of high-quality content for Hispanics in the U.S. and audiences around the world; TOKYOPOP, the world-renowned manga publisher and global pop-culture brand; Crusty Demons, the masters of freestyle motocross; Purple Ronnie, U.K.’s most successful licensed character; and PixFusion, a global leader in personalization products.
About Dark Horse
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Janet Evanovich, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as one of the world's leading publishers of licensed comics material.
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C2E2 ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR KIDS DAY ON SUNDAY, APRIL 18
Lance Briggs is Kids Day Guest of Honor
C2E2 to Sponsor Scholastic Book Fair at Local Elementary School
Organizers of the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have today revealed their plans for Kids Day which will take place on Sunday, April 18, 2010. C2E2, the new pop culture convention which is being launched by the organizers of New York Comic Con (NYCC), is set to debut April 16 – 18 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and the Kids Day festivities will closely resemble the enormously popular Kids Day at New York Comic Con (NYCC) which attracted 6000 kids and their parents last year. All children under twelve will get into C2E2 for free on Kids Day!
Lance Briggs, the 5-time Pro Bowl player and Co-Defensive Captain of the Chicago Bears, will be the Kids Day Guest of Honor and will participate in numerous events at C2E2 over the course of the weekend, including signing footballs, auctioning off signed Chicago Bears and C2E2 items, as well as moderating a panel on Saturday, April 17. Mr. Briggs is a comic book enthusiast and is also the founder of Briggz4Kids, a foundation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for at risk youth in the Chicago area. Proceeds from his auctioned items will go to benefit Briggs4Kidz. Organizers also note that C2E2 will be sponsoring a week long Scholastic Book Fair during the week of C2E2 at Pershing East elementary school in downtown Chicago.
“We want this to be our best Kids Day ever,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for Reed Pop Culture and Show Manager for C2E2. “Lance Briggs is an awesome personality to have as our Kids Day Guest of Honor and he has done so many great things for kids. We are incredibly grateful to him for bringing such a high level of recognition to C2E2 and especially to our Kids Day events. Our intent has been to link Kids Day to the wider Chicago community and I think Lance’s participation, along with our sponsorship of the Scholastic Book Fair at Pershing East elementary school, certainly does that. We will have a ton of kids’ activities at C2E2 and we encourage parents to bring the whole family to our show on Sunday, April 18!”
Pershing East elementary school is located approximately one mile from McCormick Place. The Scholastic Book Fair will run the week of C2E2 and as part of C2E2’s sponsorship, convention organizers are providing each student with $5 to purchase books at the fair. This $5 purchase will put one or two books in each student’s hand. In addition, C2E2 is providing 50 local schools with $5 coupons for all students who want to attend C2E2.
The types of activities that will be a part of Kids Day events at C2E2 include author readings, an opportunity to meet Spider Man and Stormtroopers, a Star Wars Drawing Workshop, and a Making Comics Workshop. Organizers note that all Kids Day programming and guest information is posted on the website at www.C2E2.com. Tickets for C2E2 may also be purchased via the website. Additional information about the convention is available via the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge, at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
About Lance Briggs: Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 3rd round in 2003, Lance Briggs has carried over his success from the college ranks where he was a 3-time All Pac-10 player at the University of Arizona into the NFL. Lance has established himself as one of the elite defensive players in the league and has been selected to play in 5 consecutive Pro Bowls (2005-2009), the highest honor for current NFL players. He was named Co-Defensive Captain in his 2009 season. He also helped his team earn a trip to Super Bowl XLI in 2007, the ultimate goal for all teams where he played an outstanding game leading his team with 13 tackles.
Lance started a comic book social network www.lancescomicworld.com to combine his love of comic books and football. He is also really active in his community through his Briggs4Kidz foundation.
About Briggs4Kids: Briggz4Kids is a foundation developed to provide emotional and financial support, by raising funds and awareness for at risk youth in the Chicago area. The organization has executed numerous charity efforts since it's launch. One project Briggs4Kiz is most proud of is it's annual Holiday Shopping Spree. Since 2006, the Briggs4Kidz foundation has taken a total of 100 local children from the Chicago land area who need it most on a holiday shopping spree, each child received $250. Eligibility was decided based on their performance in school. Today, Briggs4Kidz has plans to expand these philanthropic endeavors to Sacramento, CA and Phoenix, AZ.
About Scholastic: Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, has a corporate mission supported through all of its divisions of helping children around the world to read and learn. Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child's intellectual, personal and cultural growth, for nearly 90 years Scholastic has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children and are designed to help enlarge their understanding of the world around them.
About Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group: The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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Image Comics announces its lineup for Emerald City ComiCon 2010
You can join Image Comics at Emerald City ComiCon, March 13-14, 2010! Well have creators galore, convention exclusives and more at booth #306!
In addition to the abundance of artists and writers appearing at booth #306, Image is offering a convention exclusive version of the currently sold out CHOKER #1 by superstar Ben Templesmith and writer Ben McCool. On Saturday, Image will be making some big announcements during our ever-popular panel, THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW.
The following talented folks will be appearing at the Image Booth throughout the weekend: Nathan Edmondson (Olympus, The Light), Rob Liefeld (Image United, Youngblood), Jay Faerber (Dynamo 5), Kieron Gillen (Phonogram), Brandon Graham (King City), John Layman (Chew), Ben McCool (Choker), Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram), B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Nick Spencer (Forgetless,Shuddertown), Brett Weldele (The Light).
Other Image creators exhibiting at ECCC include: Mike & Laura Allred (Madman, Red Rocket 7), Eric Basaldua (The Darkness, Witchblade), Michael Broussard (The Darkness), Joe Casey (Godland), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants), Scott Kurtz (PVP), Moritat (Elephantmen), Ron Marz (Angelus, Magdalena, Witchblade), Mike Oeming (Mice Templar, God Complex), Whilce Portacio (Image United, Spawn), Duncan Rouleau (Great Unknown), Jim Rugg (One Model Nation), Steven T. Seagle (Soul Kiss), Tim Seeley (Loaded Bible), Richard Starkings (Elephantmen), Jim Valentino (ShadowHawk).
Saturday, at 2:00 PM in the Arcane Comics Panel Room (4C3-4):
THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW: The world's greatest creator-owned comics publisher returns to Seattle with a flurry of announcements and a discussion on creating creator owned comics with panelists Ben Templesmith (Choker, Fell), John Layman (Chew), Jim Valentino (Shadowhawk) and Brandon Graham (King City). PLUS: You cannot miss the huge announcement coming from Loaded Bible's Tim Seeley! Will this be your chance to win some free exclusive comics? Oh, yes; it will!
Don't miss Image Comics at Emerald City ComiCon, booth #306!
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin, and Max Brooks are Among Many Guests of Publisher!
“Avatar Friday Night” event to feature special presentations and mingling opportunity
Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) have announced that Avatar Press will play a huge role at the new pop culture convention where the renowned independent publisher will not only have a significant presence on the show floor but will be bringing many notable writers and creators including Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin and Max Brooks. Other leading Avatar guests who will be on hand at the convention will include: Jacen Burrows, William Christensen, Christos Gage, Matt Martin, Gianluca Pagliarani, Brian Pulido, and Mike Wolfer. All of these personalities will be at the Avatar Press booth, and will be participating in a variety of activities ranging from panel discussions to autographings.
Notably, Avatar Press will play host to the “Avatar Friday Night”, a special event from 8pm – 10pm, Friday April 16 which will feature Max Brooks and George R.R. Martin in their first ever joint appearance. Brooks, whose Zombie Survival lectures are a world-wide hit, will provide his own unique form of humor and entertainment while George R.R. Martin, one of the most acclaimed wordsmiths of the day, will provide a reading from one of his favorite works. Other Avatar Press guests and creators will be on hand to meet and greet fans.
“I am blown away by everything that Avatar Press is doing at our show,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “The quality of these guests is absolutely incredible and I am hugely grateful and pleased to see that Avatar finds such value in our event. Our show is going to be massive AND fun and it is in no small measure because of exhibitors like Avatar Press who build excitement and anticipation on our show floor and throughout the convention by making talented personalities and creators available to meet and greet the thousands of fans who will be on hand at C2E2. I am sure the ‘Avatar Friday Night’ event will be packed and I encourage people to buy their tickets fast!”
Other Avatar Press events that will take place during C2E2 are three panels, including a Max Brooks Q & A, as well as numerous autographings with all the Avatar guests at the Avatar Press booth. For ticket purchases and more information about the “Avatar Friday Night” event, fans should go to http://www.avatarpress.com/conventions/c2e2.
Organizers for C2E2 also note that tickets for the convention itself are selling fast and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
AVATAR GUESTS:
MAX BROOKS: New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks has become one of the world's leading authorities on zombies with his Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z titles. He has also written the graphic novel Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks which was produced in cooperation with Avatar Press. Brooks was a member of the Saturday Night Live writing team from 2001 to 2003, for which he won an Emmy. He also has a number of acting credits, including appearances on Roseanne and 7th Heaven, and voice work for Batman Beyond and Justice League. Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights for World War Z.
JACEN BURROWS: A 1996 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1996, Burrows has worked with several comic companies over the years including Caliber Press and London Night Studios, and is currently working under an exclusive contract with Avatar Press. Outside of comics, his work as included contributions to Rockstar Games's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and TSR's Dungeons & Dragons.
At Avatar, Burrows has worked with the best writers in the industry, praised for his detail and free-flowing story-telling, he has just finished CROSSED with writer Garth Ennis and is currently working on NEONOMICON with Alan Moore. Previously he has illustrated graphic novels by Warren Ellis (SCARS, BAD WORLD, DARK BLUE), Alan Moore (COURTYARD, YUGGOTH CULTURES) and Garth Ennis (303, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD).
WILLIAM CHRISTENSEN: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen's 20-year career in the comics has included contributions in publishing, writing, and comic industry journalism. Christensen was a prolific freelancer for Wizard during the magazine's formative years in the early 90's, and went on to work with 90's indy powerhouse Chaos! Comics in various capacities. His first comic book writing credit was in the 1995 series Chaos! Quarterly. After founding Avatar in 1996, Christensen became the architect of much of the early company line, including Pandora and The Ravening. As Editor-in-Chief of Avatar, he has become known for establishing Avatar's famous policy of creative freedom as well as his knack for working with the industry's best writers, including Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, and Garth Ennis.
GARTH ENNIS: Comic Book writer Garth Ennis is the creator of Crossed, Preacher, and the Boys. Among his numerous writing credits, he is also known for his work on Marvel's Punisher and DC's Hellblazer. Ennis has won Eisner and Eagle awards for his work on Preacher. After getting his start in comics in legendary UK anthology 2000AD in 1988, Ennis took on long-running DC/Vertigo title Hellblazer in 1991 and under his tenure the comic stood alongside Gaiman's Sandman as DC/Vertigo's best series. But his 1996 launch Preacher was to prove an even better showcase for Ennis' unique talent. A compelling cast of characters in an eyes-wide-open drama unafraid to explore any subject quickly made Preacher one of the most important and controversial titles of the 1990's. Ennis' work on The Punisher subsequently became a cornerstone of Marvel's direction in the Quesada era. At Avatar, Ennis has written 303, Dicks, Chronicles of Wormwood, and Crossed.
CHRISTOS GAGE: Christos Gage has written numerous screeplays and was a writer for the TV show Law & Order: SVU before he added comics to his impressive resume. He's done several top -selling series like World War Hulk: X-Men, Thunderbolts, Iron Man, Avengers: The Initiative for Marvel and co-wrote GI Joe: Cobra for IDW. He created a whole new universe for his acclaimed series Absolution at Avatar and he is current working on the sequel to that series.
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Award-winning author George R.R. Martin is the creator of the epic fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice and A Game of Thrones. Martin has written a number of other books and short stories in genres as diverse as horror, science fiction, and military fiction. As an editor, he was the creator and primary architect of the Wild Cards shared super-hero universe. Martin was active in early comics fandom and credits the attention he recieved from a letter to the editor in Fantastic Four #20 (1963) and fanzine activities with his interest in writing. His television writing credits include The New Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. His lengthy list of awards includes Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards. Martin's A Game of Thrones is now in production at HBO. His Fevre Dream is about to begin at Avatar Press and The Skin Trade is also in production at Avatar.
MATT MARTIN: Writer/Artist Matt Martin is best known for his creator-owned title Snowman, a supernatural tale of revenge in the form of a creature of ice and snow. Martin has also written and drawn The Coven: Dark Sister for Avatar and drew a story for the Yuggoth Creatures collection of Lovecraft-inspired tales. Martin is a prolific cover artist at Avatar, with work on titles such as Lady Death, Alan Moore's Glory, Warren Ellis' Anna Mercury, and much more. He is currently working on an upcoming title written by Garth Ennis.
GIANLUCA PAGLIARANI: An artist on several Warren Ellis titles, Gianluca Pagliarani's precise, detailed linework and retro sci-fi/fantasy influences have won him acclaim on Avatar books such as Ignition City, Aetheric Mechanics, and Wolfskin: Hundredth Dream.
BRIAN PULIDO: Brian Pulido has created and written hundreds of comic books including Lady Death and Evil Ernie, and licensed comic such as A Nightmare on Elm St. and Friday the 13th. As the founder and president of Chaos! Comics, Pulido was the leading independent comic publisher of the 1990's
He is on The Hero Initiative's fundraising board, has received the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's Defender of Liberty Award and is the Chief Creative Officer for Mischief Maker Studios. Pulido also wrote and directed the feature film "The Graves", starring Tony Todd (Candy Man) and Bill Mosley (The Devil's Rejects). He is the co-writer, with Mike Wolfer, of the upcoming Lady Death monthly series, slated to debut in fall 2010.
MIKE WOLFER: With the self-publication of DAIKAZU #1 in 1987, Mike Wolfer began a comic book career which has spanned over 20 years. After creating and publishing 14 issues of WIDOW for his own Ground Zero Comics, Wolfer moved on to work on various series such as Dark Horse Comics' GODZILLA, Chaos! Comics LADY DEATH, and many others. Wolfer's largest body of published work has been for Avatar Press, where his unique brand of graphically illustrated horror and violence has been on display in Warren Ellis' STRANGE KISS/STRANGE KILLINGS, Alan Moore's YUGGOTH CREATURES and Garth Ennis' STREETS OF GLORY. In addition, Wolfer has contributed to several licensed comic series, serving as both writer and illustrator on such well-known properties as George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, New Line Cinema's FRIDAY THE 13TH and John Russo's ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD. Wolfer is currently serving as co-writer with Warren Ellis on Avatar's GRAVEL and WOLFSKIN, and with Brian Pulido on the new LADY DEATH series.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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BOOM! STUDIOS @ ECCC '10
BOOM! STUDIOS BOOTH #402
& BOOM KIDS! BOOTH #502
DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE
AT GETTING BOOM!'S
EXCLUSIVE EMERALD CITY COMIC CON VARIANTS
"GET-A-SKETCH" VARIANT COVERS
FOR CARS AND TOY STORY
RECEIVE A UNIQUE SKETCH FROM THE SERIES ARTISTS
BOOM! STUDIOS GUESTS INCLUDE:
IRREDEEMABLE/INCORRUPTIBLES's Mark Waid
28 DAYS LATER/DINGO's Michael Alan Nelson
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?: DUST TO DUST's
Chris Roberson
THE ANCHOR's Phil Hester & Brian Churilla
FARSCAPE's Keith R.A. DeCandido
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK/MUPPET PETER PAN's
Amy Mebberson
MR. STUFFINS' Johanna Stokes
THE INCREDIBLES' Marcio Takara
CARS' Alan Gladfelter
TOY STORY 's Nathan Watson
SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Booth #402 & 502
All Day – Signing with Chris Roberson, Michael Alan Nelson, Phil Hester, Brian Churilla, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Amy Mebberson, Johanna Stokes, Alan Gladfelter, Nathan Watson.
12:00 – 1:00pm – Signing with Mark Waid & Marcio Takara.
1:00 – 2:00pm – BOOM! Studios/BOOM Kids! Panel (Room A 4C1-2)
4:00 – 5:00pm – BOOM! IRREDEEMABLE 1-Year Anniversary Panel w/ Mark Waid (Room 4C3-4)
5:00 – 6:00pm – Signing with Mark Waid & INCREDIBLES artist Marcio Takara
Sunday, March 14, 2010 - Booth #402 & 502
All Day – Signing with Chris Roberson, Michael Alan Nelson, Phil Hester, Brian Churilla, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Amy Mebberson, Johanna Stokes, Alan Gladfelter, Nathan Watson.
11:00am – 12:00pm – Signing with Mark Waid & INCREDIBLES artist Marcio Takara.
3:00 – 4:00pm – Signing with Mark Waid & INCREDIBLES artist Marcio Takara.
ECCC'10 marks the first stop on BOOM! Studios' LIGHT THE FUSE convention tour for 2010. Here are the full tour dates:
BOOM! STUDIOS
LIGHT THE FUSE TOUR 2010
Keep an eye out for us, we might be coming to a town near you!
March 25-27 - ComicsPro Meeting - Memphis, Tennessee
April 2-4 - WonderCon - San Francisico, California
April 14-15 - Diamond Retailer Summit - Chicago, Illinois
April 16-18 - C2E2 - Chicago, Illinois
April 24-25 - Calgary Entertainment Expo - Calgary Canada
April 24-25 - L.A. Times Festival of Books - L.A, California
May 22 - Summit City Comic Con - Fort Wayne, IN
May 27-30 - Phoenix Comicon - Phoenix, Arizona
May 25-27 - Book Expo America - New York, New York
June 4-6 - HeroesCon - Charlotte, North Carolina
June 25-28 - ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition - Washington DC
July 21-25 - Comic-Con International - San Diego, California
August 27-29 - Fan Expo Canada - Toronto,Canada
August 28-29 - Baltimore Comic-Con - Baltimore, MD
October 8-10 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York
October 29-31 - Long Beach Comic Con - L.A., California
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry’s biggest talents, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM!’s children publishing imprint BOOM Kids! publishes titles such as Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES.
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PUBLISHER RETURNS TO THE EMERALD CITY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS, EXCLUSIVES AND GIVEAWAYS
Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced its plans today for this weekend’s Emerald City ComiCon, the Pacific Northwest's premier comic book and pop culture convention. This year’s Emerald City ComiCon will be held at the Washington State Convention Center on March 13-14, 2010. Fans are encouraged to stop by the Top Cow booth (#304) to meet their favorite creators, pick up the Emerald City ComiCon convention variant as well as their favorite Top Cow comics.
Top Cow creators who will be exhibiting at Emerald City ComiCon include Ron Marz (Witchblade), Phil Hester (The Darkness), Michael Broussard (The Darkness), William Harms (Impaler), Eric Basaldua (Witchblade Annual) and Joshua Ortega (Necromancer).
This year, Emerald City ComiCon will have available four Top Cow exclusives: an ECCC 2010 limited edition wrap-around variant of Angelus #2 (by Marz and Stjepan Sejic), an ECCC 2010 limited edition variant cover of The Darkness #83 by Whilce Portacio (with interior story by Hester and Broussard), a limited edition Witchblade ECCC print by Broussard and Sunny Gho, and the official ECCC 2010 t-shirt featuring the art of Broussard. The latter two exclusives will be available at the official Emerald City ComiCon booth.
Also available at the Top Cow booth (#304) are free preview books, prizes and other giveaways. Fans interested in sketches from the artists should stop by at the beginning of each day to acquire a sketch ticket.
For more information on the show, please visit www.emeraldcitycomicon.com. You can also receive up-to-date information including an Emerald City ComiCon signing schedule by following Top Cow on Twitter: @TopCow (www.twitter.com/topcow).
About Top Cow Productions Inc.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. A feature film, co-produced by Platinum Studios, Inc. and Arclight Films, is slated to begin production in Australia with director Michael Rymer. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.
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Membership party featuring
Tim Sale Three-Minute sketches!
Hero Initiative will be at the 8th annual Emerald City Comic Con, March 13-14 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Wash. Hero will have a star-studded guest list throughout the weekend, and a membership party at Ruth’s Chris Steak House at the Grand Hyatt Downtown Saturday night featuring artist Tim Sale. All proceeds will benefit Hero Initiative, a non-profit organization helping comic creators in need.
Fans who become new members of Hero Initiative on Saturday at the con will receive tickets to our Member Appreciation party. The party will be held from 10-11 pm at Ruth’s Chris Bar and Grill located at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Existing members, bring your membership cards for entry! At the party Tim Sale will be drawing “Colorful Characters of Marvel,” three-minute sketches at only $20 each, one per customer! There are only 10 slots available, so get to the Hero booth early on Saturday to reserve yours. They are sold on a first come, first served basis.
And the mayor of Seattle has put together a proclamation for the Seattle born-and-bred Tim Sale in recognition of his success in the comic book industry and his dedication in helping Hero Initiative. The presentation will be made at the party, so become a member so you can help celebrate!
"Wow, how cool is this? Even though I live in Los Angeles now, in many ways Seattle will always be my home town, and it's very thrilling to be honored by the city in this way,” said Sale. “I hope I can be worthy, and that everyone comes to the Emerald City Comic Con and enjoys themselves!"
Hero Initiative booth schedule:
Saturday, March 13:
1000-1130: Phil Hester
1130-100: Barry Kitson + Tim Sale
100-230: Whilce Portacio
230-400: Jeff Parker
Sunday, March 14:
1000-1200: Matt Haley
1200-100: Steve Lieber
100-200: Alan Porter
About The Hero Initiative:
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strict to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354
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C2E2 ANNOUNCES “AN EVENING WITH NEIL GAIMAN”
Celebrated Author and Industry Icon to Appear on Behalf of
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at
Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo
Neil Gaiman, the award winning author of novels, film, and comics including the epoch changing graphic novel series The Sandman will take the stage for a benefit appearance on behalf of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). An “Evening with Neil Gaiman”, a paid ticketed event, will happen on Saturday night, April 17, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
The last time Gaiman performed theatrical readings was ten years ago when he did the "Last Angel Tour." On that tour, he criss-crossed the country doing sold-out evenings reading stories and poems, new material and beloved tales in order to draw attention to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The "Last Angel Tour" was meant to have been the last ever such tour, and it produced the long-since sold out LIVE AT THE ALADDIN film. Even the posters from that tour now sell for hundreds of dollars.
That was ten years ago. A generation has grown up who have not seen an evening with Neil Gaiman. In these ten years he's published such books as American Gods, Coraline and The Graveyard Book. He's made movies and operas. He even started keeping a blog.
"Neil Gaiman is an enormous personality and it is a genuine privilege to have him perform at the inaugural C2E2 to bring attention to the important work that is carried out by the CBLDF,” states Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2.
"The Reed Pop Culture Group's commitment to the CBLDF is tremendous, and we're honored to work with them to create this unforgettable evening of storytelling to raise funds for the CBLDF's important work," says Charles Brownstein, the CBLDF's Executive Director.
An “Evening with Neil Gaiman" will be Mr. Gaiman's only public appearance at C2E2. Tickets for the event will be available at www.C2E2.com beginning Monday, March 8th at 12pm Central Time. You do not need a ticket to C2E2 to attend. Tickets for the general public start at $30 and C2E2 VIP Ticket Holders can attend for as low as $12. Ticket prices will increase at the door. Visit www.C2E2.com now for full details and ticket pricing.
For One Night Only. On the 17th of April 2010, at 7pm in the Arie Crown / IGN Theater at McCormick Place in Chicago. In support of the First Amendment. Neil Gaiman. You don't want to miss this.
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Artists Get One-on-One Mentoring and Portfolio Reviews with Top Comic Book Editors
Five comic book illustrators with super hero-like artistic abilities have teamed up to use their powers for good–helping others realize their dream projects. Dave Dorman, Scott Hampton, Christopher Moeller, Durwin Talon, and John Van Fleet will be teaching Comix Academy, six days of intense instruction dedicated to helping illustrators break into the comics market. Joining them as Comix Academy’s very first special guest presenter will be Mike Mignola.
The workshops will be held in San Diego July 15 through July 20th, dovetailing with the start date of San Diego Comic-Con. The mission of the Comix Academy is to "provide guidance to students in a way that wasn't available to me when I was trying to find my way in the comics industry," explained co-founder and #1 Star Wars Artist Dave Dorman.
"We’ve assembled some of the best storytellers in the business to share their talents from visual storytelling and concept work to painting and 3D art. It’s going to be an exciting week!" said co-founder Durwin Talon, educator and author of “Panel Discussions” a book exploring the design of sequential art storytelling by Two Morrows Publishing. Added co-founder Scott Hampton, "The Comix Academy is about focusing on specifics. We have six days and we want them to count, so we're concentrating on where the attendees are right now with their art. We'll show students what we're doing, but just as importantly, we'll see what they're doing, what their goals are. I look forward to helping our students polish and improve the art they bring with them.”
To that end, the Comix Academy team will help students prepare their work for the comics and illustration industry, and culminate the course with a final day receiving one-on-one portfolio reviews with world-class comic book editors.
The early registration fee for the course is $950 before April 30th, 2010 and $1,150 after May 1, 2010. Discounts on lodging are also available to students. For more information or media inquiries, please contact 630.845.4694, email denise@writebrainmedia.com or visit http://www.comixacademy.com .
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ARTIST ALLEY AT C2E2 TO INCLUDE OVER 250 ARTISTS!
Debut of New Chicago Pop Culture Event is “Enormous”, Notes Show Manager
Mayor Richard M. Daley Commends Organizers
Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), which is set to debut April 16 – 18, 2010 at McCormick Place in Chicago, have announced that over 250 artists have now been confirmed to appear in its Artist Alley. Convention organizers also note that there will be a total of 175 panels and screenings at C2E2 featuring top guests from every field of creative endeavor in the pop culture world. Additionally, there will be 200 exhibitors at the convention, creating an unparalleled business opportunity for all participants. In a recent announcement (December 4, 2009), Diamond Comic Distributors announced that they will hold their Diamond Retailer Summit in Chicago in conjunction with C2E2.
“We are working furiously on all fronts and our debut in Chicago will be enormous,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “Our Artist Alley now looks like it will be almost as big as New York Comic Con and the guests who we have already announced are among the top names in the pop culture universe. In addition, we are creating a first class business environment where our most important customers will be meeting with their most important customers. From the moment we first started thinking about building a massive pop culture event in Chicago, we knew we had to combine business with entertainment, and this is exactly what we have done.”
Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago states: "Comic books, with their innovative art work and creative storytelling, are reaching larger and larger audiences every year. Some of the most compelling new art in America is being made by the people represented here at C2E2. I commend the organizers for bringing this exciting Expo to our city and wish you all a memorable event.”
Show officials note that top exhibitors will be participating in C2E2 including: Aspen, Dark Horse, Image, Nintendo, Oni Press, Quirk Books, Random House, and Tonner. Both DC and Marvel will have 2500 square foot booths. “We are generating enthusiasm and attention for pop culture in the Midwest,” Fensterman concludes. “We are hearing about ancillary events that will be taking place in Chicago during C2E2 which are building on our own major show and presence. This is exactly what we had hoped for … a huge celebration that satisfies the fans and brings attention to our customers as well as their artists and creators.”
As noted, the C2E2 Artist Alley will boast more than 250 artists. Among some of the top artists who will be appearing in the C2E2 Artist Alley are Mark Bagley, Art Baltazar, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Jim Valentino. These artists join many other creators participating in C2E2 including Keystone Guest of Honor Alex Ross as well as 75 other Guests of Honor and Featured Guests.
Organizers for C2E2 note that tickets for the show are selling fast and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance! For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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C2E2 ANNOUNCES LINE UP OF WRITERS!
Massive Guest List Keeps Growing as Pop Culture Event Focuses on All Areas of Artistic and Creative Talent
Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), which is set to debut in April 2010, have announced another round of guest appearances, further adding to a burgeoning guest list that now includes top talent from all areas of artistic and creative expression in the pop culture world. The most recent guest announcement focuses on preeminent writers including Peter David, Dan DiDio, Michael Easton, Seth Grahame-Smith, Paul Levitz, Greg Pak, and Daniel Way. Many of these notable writers have had stellar careers which have extended well beyond their talent as writers and which have impacted all areas of the comic and pop culture world. C2E2 will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 – 18, 2010.
“This latest announcement includes guests who are in a class by themselves,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “These are people who have enormous talent, they are great writers, and they have made a huge contribution to defining our pop culture world. Of course, they are joining other incredible creators and artists who have already been announced and there is still much more to come. I am incredibly impressed by the strength, depth and scope of the talent that is coming to C2E2 and – as always – I am hugely grateful to all our guests for making a commitment to our show.”
Some of the other guests who have already been announced for C2E2 include Alex Ross, who will be a Keystone Guest of Honor, Jackson Guice, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Gail Simone, Jeff Smith, Ben Templesmith and Ethan Van Sciver, among many, many others. Convention officials note that they will be announcing Artist Alley appearances at C2E2 in the next few days.
The new guests include:
Peter David: Peter David, self-proclaimed "writer of stuff," is probably best known for his award-winning twelve year run on "The Incredible Hulk." He currently writes "X-Factor" and "Stephen King's The Dark Tower."
Dan DiDio: Dan DiDio is the Senior VP-Executive Editor, DC Universe for DC Comics. Since 2003, he has spearheaded such bestselling titles as Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, 52, and Final Crisis. Prior to joining DC, Dan worked in television for CBS on creative affairs and development and at ABC on publicity, development and programming. His writing can also be seen in The Outsiders.
Michael Easton: Michael Easton is the author of the critically acclaimed Soul Stealer trilogy. Featuring the art of Christopher Shy, the final chapter in the series will be released in April. Bestselling author Peter Straub collaborated with Michael on the graphic novel The Green Woman for Vertigo. Easton's face is perhaps best known for his role as John McBain on the daytime drama One Life to Live, as well as Ally McBeal, VR5, and the Philip K. Dick inspired Total Recall 2070. He lives in New York City.
Seth Grahame-Smith: Seth Grahame-Smith is a film and television writer/producer, semi-frequent blogger, and New York Times bestselling author. He grew up in the wilds of Connecticut, eschewing the outdoors in favor of Stephen King novels and a worn-out VHS copy of Aliens. After college, he moved to California, where he wrote everything from narration scripts for History Channel documentaries to lyrics for Flava Flav. No, really. He also wrote several non-fiction humor books, including How to Survive a Horror Movie and the much-funnier-than-it-sounds Big Book of Porn. In 2007, he produced the innovative CBS internet series Clark and Michael, starring Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno). In 2009, his Jane Austen-meets-the-undead mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list. It has sold over half a million copies to date. Seth is also the Co-Creator/Executive Producer of the MTV comedy series, The Hard Times of RJ Berger. He received a B.S. in Film from Emerson College. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Paul Levitz: Paul Levitz was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1956 and entered the comics industry in 1971 as editor/publisher of The Comic Reader, the first mass-circulation fanzine devoted to comics news. He continued to publish TCR for three years, winning two consecutive annual Comic Art Fan Awards for Best Fanzine. His other fan activities included editing the program books for several of Phil Seuling's legendary New York Comic Art Conventions, running the dealers' room of the first Creation Cons, and organizing the programming for DC's one and only comic convention, in 1976. He received Comic-Con International's Inkpot Award in 2002 and the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award in 2008. Levitz also serves on the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Levitz is primarily known for his work for DC Comics, where he has written most of their classic characters including the Justice Society, Superman, and The Legion of Super-Heroes, a series he's recently returned to write. Readers of The Buyers' Guide voted his Legion: The Great Darkness Saga one of the 20 best comic stories of the last century. As a staffer from 1973, Levitz was an assistant editor, the company’s youngest editor ever, and in a series of business capacities, became Executive Vice President & Publisher in 1989 and then served as President & Publisher from 2002-2009. He is now concentrating on his writing, including a new run on Legion.
Greg Pak: Greg Pak is a filmmaker and comic book writer best known for directing the award-winning feature film Robot Stories, writing the epic Planet Hulk and World War Hulk comic book storylines, and co-writing (with Fred Van Lente) the fan favorite Incredible Hercules series for Marvel Comics. He was named one of 25 Filmmakers to Watch by Filmmaker Magazine and described as "a talent with a future" by the New York Times. Pak's numerous Marvel mini-series include Magneto Testament, which IGN named the Best Mini-Series of 2008. Pak's feature film, Robot Stories, won 35 awards, played in 75 film festivals, and is now available on DVD from Kino.com. Pak's latest short film is Mister Green, a science fiction tale starring Tim Kang and funded by ITVS as part of its FutureStates series. Pak studied political science at Yale University, history at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and film production at the NYU graduate film program. For the latest about Greg Pak's work, visit PakBuzz.com.
Daniel Way: After being hired immediately following publication of his Xeric award-winning miniseries, Violent Lifestyle, in 2000, Daniel Way has gone on to write some of Marvel's most well-known characters. Known for re-inventing characters for a new generation, he has launched such successful series as Ghost Rider, Wolverine: Origins, Dark Wolverine and the current sales juggernaut, Deadpool.
For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2 or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
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Gail Simone, Amanda Conner and Colleen Doran Join High Profile Personalities
Women creators form a significant part of the powerful programming that is being put together by officials at C2E2. The new pop culture show is set to launch at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 -18, 2010 and the women who will be participating in various appearances and activities are the best in their field and they represent the convention’s overall goal to focus on top notch talent. The new guests who will be appearing at C2E2 include award-winning and critically acclaimed writer Gail Simone, and renowned illustrators Amanda Conner and Colleen Doran. These creators join previously announced female creator Jill Thompson. All the women who will be featured guests at C2E2 are accomplished artists who have wide and loyal audiences.
Other guests who have already been announced for C2E2 include: Chuck Dixon, Steve Epting, Jackson Guice, Gene Ha, Bob Layton, David Lloyd, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Mark Morales, Mike Norton, Joshua Ortega, Mike Perkins, Khoi Pham, Alex Ross, Jeff Smith, Ben Templesmith, David Uslan, and Ethan Van Sciver.
"We are wowed with the amazing line up of talented artists appearing at C2E2,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “Every single creator and artist brings their own sensibility to the show and we want to embrace each individual and give them their own platform to speak and to meet their own individual audience. I couldn't be happier that we have such a diverse group of talent already lined up for C2E2. And we still have so much more to come!"
The women artists joining the pop blowout at C2E2 include:
Amanda Conner: Amanda Conner started out working as an illustrator for New York ad agencies Kornhauser and Calene and Kidvertisers. She worked on a number of launches and campaigns including Arm and Hammer, PlaySchool and Nickelodeon; however, loving comic books and cartooning the most, Amanda found herself working with Marvel on their Barbie and Disney lines. At the same time, she was illustrating Soul Searchers & Co. for Claypool Comics and was soon working on other Marvel projects, such as Excalibur and Suburban Jersey Ninja She-Devils. Amanda then moved on to do what is probably her best known work -- several years as penciler on the hit series Vampirella for Harris Comics. While illustrating Vampirella, Amanda worked with the top writers in the field, Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Warren Ellis. Continuing to expand her horizons, Amanda illustrated the best-selling Event Comic Painkiller Jane vs. The Darkness and went on to work on Painkiller Jane #0. She also wrote and illustrated a story for Kid Death and Fluffy. Since then, Amanda has moved on and has worked on many of the top titles in comics such as Lois Lane, Codename: Knockout, Terra and Birds of Prey for DC, X-Men Unlimited for Marvel, co-created Gatecrasher for BlackBull Comics, and The Pro, a creator-owned book for Image with Jimmy Palmiotti and Garth Ennis. Amanda's work can also be seen outside the comic book world in such places as ABC's Nightline, The New York Times, and Mad Magazine. Amanda’s current work can be seen in Powergirl monthly for DC Comics as well as the Supergirl series for Wednesday Comics.
Katie Cook: Katie Cook is a popular artist among Star Wars fans. Her work can be seen in many Topps Star Wars Trading Card sets, Star Wars how-to-draw tutorials, and webcomics for The Clone Wars on starwars.com. She's also done licensed work for The Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Heroes, and -- soon -- Fraggle Rock! A fan favorite and a huge nerd, her work can be found at www.katiecandraw.com.
Colleen Doran: Colleen Doran is an illustrator with hundreds of credits for clients including Lucasfilm, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, DC Comics, Reader’s Digest, Scholastic, and many more. She was artist in residence at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC where she lectured on Hokusai and ukiyo-e prints and their relation to pop culture and manga. She has also lectured on graphic novels in arenas as diverse as the Singapore Writers Festival and the American Library Association. Further, she has illustrated the work of Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker. Currently, she is working on two original graphic novels for Vertigo, one by Warren Ellis called Stealth Tribes, and another by the Eisner-nominee Derek McCulloch entitled Gone to Amerikay. She is also artist for an upcoming original graphic novel for publisher Houghton Mifflin with best-selling novelist Barry Lyga. Other credits include Wonder Woman, Amazing Spider-Man, X-Factor, Captain America, Teen Titans, and officially licensed illustrations for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings. Her graphic novel series A Distant Soil, published by Image Comics, was listed among the 101 best graphic novels of all time and has tens of thousands of readers online.
Lora Innes: Lora Innes's first solo work, The Dreamer, was published by IDW Publishing as a six issue mini-series, then collected as a graphic novel. The Dreamer began as a webcomic in 2007 and quickly gathered a large, cult-like following online. This year, The Dreamer collected two Harvey Award nominations: Best New Series and Best New Talent for Innes herself. The Dreamer is currently a finalist in the 2009 Cybils in the Graphic Novel for Young Adults category. Lora has also done work for Vertigo's American Splendor. Read The Dreamer online at www.thedreamercomic.com.
Sherrilyn Kenyon: The #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a life of extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets, and a collection of swords that all of the above have a major fixation with. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she's found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than twenty million copies of her books in print, in over thirty countries, she certainly has a lot of friends to play with, too. In the past two years, her books have claimed the coveted #1 best-selling spot ten times, and this extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre she writes in. Her current series include The Dark-Hunters, The League, Lords of Avalon, BAD Agency, and the forthcoming Nevermore and Chronicles of Nick. Her Lords of Avalon novels have been adapted by Marvel and her Dark-Hunter novels are now a New York Times bestselling manga published by St. Martins.
Gail Simone: Gail Simone is an award-winning, critically acclaimed writer of comic books and animation. She has had classic runs on titles including Action Comics, Deadpool, Agent X, The All-New Atom, The Simpsons, and The Secret Six, as well as her creator-owned works, Killer Princesses (with co-creator Lea Hernandez) and Welcome to Tranquility. She is currently resuming her definitive run on DC's Birds of Prey. In animation, she's written for Justice League Unlimited and The Brave and The Bold and was co-writer of The Wonder Woman animated film. Gail lives with her family on the Oregon coast.
Allison Sohn: Allison Sohn is an illustrator working primarily in the trading card industry. Allison has worked on such licensed card sets as The Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Heroes, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Red Sonja to name but a few. Drawing for both sketch cards as well as printed cards, Allison has been featured in more than a dozen different trading card sets in the last several years. Visit www.justsayah.com and www.allisonsohnart.com for more.
For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2 or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
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Pop Culture Event Continues to Reveal Presence of Major Creators; New Guests Include Chris Ware, Adam Hughes, David Finch and Others
Much More News to Come in Next Two Months
In their first announcement of 2010, C2E2 officials have divulged the names of ten top artists to add to the line up of major guests who have already been announced for the new pop culture event which is set to debut at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 -18, 2010. The creators, who are among the leading and most progressive artists working in the graphic arts field today, will make themselves available to meet and greet the thousands of fans expected to swarm the McCormick Center as Reed Exhibitions launches the Midwest incarnation of New York Comic Con, which itself has quickly grown to be second largest pop culture event in America, and the largest pop culture event on the East Coast.
"We are kicking off 2010 welcoming 10 major artists to C2E2, but this is merely the beginning of a 2 month cavalcade of guest announcements that we promise will wow fans in Chicagoland and all over the Midwest," states Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. "Next week, we will be announcing 'Women Creators at C2E2' and each week after we'll have bigger and bigger announcements to share with you. With about two and a half months until C2E2 storms the shores of Lake Michigan we are fully prepared to wow the fans of the Midwest with the caliber of show they deserve and have told us they want. New York Comic Con has grown exponentially over the past four years and we are using all our knowledge and expertise to make C2E2 the largest event in the Midwest, just as NYCC is the largest event on the East Coast. Of course, none of this would be possible without the willing participation of our guests, to whom we are deeply grateful."
Some of the other guests who have already been announced for C2E2 include Alex Ross, who will be a Keystone Guest of Honor, Jackson Guice, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Jeff Smith, Ben Templesmith and Ethan Van Sciver, among many others.
The ten new artists joining the guest line up at C2E2 include:
Franco Aureliani: Franco was born in 1492 aboard the cruise ship Santa Maria and currently resides in Nueva York in a warm ranch-style house with a white picket fence and a very lovely lady who said "yes" to his marriage proposal and their wonderful son. Franco spends most of his time in his Bat Cave-like studio and emerges occasionally to yell at people and stuff. He is the creator of Weirdsville, co-creator and writer of the acclaimed indie title Patrick the Wolf Boy, and co-creator and writer of DC's all-ages, New York Times Best-Selling, Eisner Award-winning hit Tiny Titans. He has also been known to write, paint, or draw for companies big and small from DC to Devil's Due on titles such as Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, I Dream of Jeannie, Ninjatown and many others. Not wanting any free time in his life, Franco teaches High School Art and gains immense satisfaction in seeing new generations of artist coming into their own. Franco is adamant that he is a genius, but he usually defers to his wife who tells him he isn't and keeps him grounded in the real world.
Jimmy Cheung: Originally hailing from the UK, Jimmy now resides in Florida, pencilling exclusively for Marvel Comics. He is currently working on a new Young Avengers project with Allan Heinberg as well as providing covers for the Secret Warriors series. His past projects for Marvel have included Iron Man, X-Force, Uncanny X-Men, Illuminati and New Avengers, and he Is responsible for co-creating the Young Avengers and Scion for CrossGen Comics.
Frank Cho: Frank Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, and at the age of six, he and his family came to the United States. Cho never had any formal training in art and taught himself to draw and write by reading art books and comics. At the University of Maryland, he created the award winning college strip, University 2 (University Squared), which ran in the campus newspaper, The Diamondback. Upon graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor degree in Nursing, he signed with Creators Syndicate Inc. His Liberty Meadows was distributed worldwide and was also published as a comic book from Insight Studios Group. In an unprecedented move in comics history, Cho voluntarily discontinued the newspaper strip in favor of comic book distribution only. In 2002, Cho has moved the hugely successful Liberty Meadows comic from Insight Studios Group to Image Comics. He has number of projects scheduled, including upcoming exclusive Hulk and New Ultimates with Jeph Loeb for Marvel Comics and Dragon Line and Zombie King for Image Comics.
Geof Darrow: Geof Darrow began his professional career in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as a snow shoveler, lawn mower, and occasional altar boy. He moved up from there (or down depending on your taste) to design character models for Hanna Barbera. Due to the French-American trade imbalance during the 80's, he was sent to Paris, where he nearly ruined Jean "Moebius" Giraud's career by working with him at the French publishing house Aedena on the project City of Fire. From there, he bedeviled Frank Miller, making his life miserable, in turn, by working with him on the comics Hard Boiled and The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot for Dark Horse. Not content with ruining his reputation in print, Darrow moved into celluloid and was the concept artist on the Matrix Trilogy and Speed Racer films for the Wachowski Brothers. He is currently writing and drawing the Shaolin Cowboy for Burlyman Entertainment as well as writing and co-directing an animated version of the Shaolin Cowboy for Madhouse Animation Studios, produced by the aforementioned Wachowskis. He is still available for lawn mowing and snow shoveling but has laid down his hassock much to the consternation of the church. Mea Culpa.
David Finch: David Finch began his comic book career at the age of 22 at Top Cow. There, he created Ascension and Aphrodite IX, both of which were top sellers in the business. In 2001, he made the move to Marvel. His 15 issue run on Ultimate X-Men saw sales of the comic jump 40%. On Avengers, David's presence doubled sales with starting with his first issue. Eventually feeling the need for a change, David took on the monumental task of bringing a perennially low-selling, cancelled Moon Knight into the mainstream. His run on Moon Knight skyrocketed this title into the main Marvel universe and saw it sell over five times the all the title's previous releases. Now, David is working with Jeph Loeb on Ultimatum. In addition to his comic career, David has also worked on video games, music, and film. He has worked with Zack Snyder, Guillermo del Toro, Clive Barker, and Michael J. Straczynski, among others. His artwork can currently be seen in stores nationwide on the CD cover for the band Disturbed.
Ron Garney: Ron Garney has been a professional comics illustrator since 1989. Over the course of his career, he's built a large fan following, tackling some of the industry's greatest characters including the Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, X-Men, JLA, Captain America, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, and G.I. Joe. He's been nominated twice for the industry's coveted Eisner award, for best penciler and best serialized story for Captain America with Mark Waid. Ron has also worked in the film industry, notably on I Am Legend as costume illustrator, and he currently illustrates Wolverine: Weapon X alongside Jason Aaron. Ron lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.
Adam Hughes: Born Cinco de Mayo during the Summer of Love in Riverside, NJ, Adam escaped to Atlanta in the early 90s, when such things were possible. Starting his comics career in 1987, Adam has drawn for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and many other companies. He has also done work for Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., and Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions. He's drawn everything from Star Wars to Star Trek and Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider. His run of covers on Wonder Woman won multiple Harvey Awards and an Eisner. He's also won both the Gold and Silver Spectrum Awards for Comics. Adam is currently working on many projects, including a hard-cover collection of his work for DC Comics over that last 20 years. He also enjoys designing statues for Sideshow Collectibles.
Greg Land: Greg has been illustrating comics as a freelance artist since 1994. He broke into the business with Sky Comics, on a title called Storm Quest. This work led to projects with DC Comics that included Nightwing and the Birds of Prey. In 2001, Greg started with CrossGen Comics and helped develop their top selling adventure book, Sojourn. His next step was illustrating several covers for Marvel, Top Cow, and DC. His relationship with Marvel Comics led to an exclusive contract that has featured work on titles such as Phoenix: End Song, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and Ultimate Power. Currently, he's at work on The Uncanny X-Men. Greg resides in Florida with his wife of almost 25 years, Trish, and their daughter, Shelbi.
Paul Pelletier: Paul has been drawing comics professionally since 1992. Over the last 18 years, he's penciled books including Ex-Mutants, Flash, Green Lantern, Negation, Fantastic Four, and She-Hulk and worked for companies including Malibu, DC, CrossGen and Marvel. He is now under exclusive contract with Marvel and is drawing the Incredible Hulk. Paul lives in Tampa with his wonderful wife, Danette, and their two cats, Moxie and Marino.
Chris Ware: Chris Ware lives in Oak Park, IL, and is the author of Jimmy Corrigan – the Smartest Kid on Earth. He is currently serializing two new graphic novels in his ongoing periodical The ACME Novelty Library, the 20th issue of which will be released in 2010. He has guest-edited McSweeney's Quarterly Concern and Houghton-Mifflin's Best American Comics and was the first cartoonist chosen to regularly serialize an ongoing story in The New York Times Magazine. A contributor to the New Yorker and The Virginia Quarterly Review, his work was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial, was favored with an exhibit of its own at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2006, and will be exhibited at the Gävle Konstcent.
For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2 or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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