The Guide to Pop Conventions
Posts tagged Hero Initiative
John Romita Does DC?????
Apr 8th
John Romita drawing DC characters for the Hero Initiative. It is simultaneously a beautiful and terrible thing, a creature of both science and myth that should not exist and yet does. John Romita does not do DC characters. The closest I can think of in any form that will ever be published is his son did the Punisher/Batman book in the 90s.
OK, not technically immediately convention news, although I am sure it will make an appearance at a convention with the Hero Initiative at some point. But seriously, this is too awesome not to display.
Anthony Michael Hall and Other News Updates
Apr 6th
I don’t know why, but I love when seemingly incongruous guests are invited to conventions. Take Anthony Michael Hall here. He’s going to be at Spooky Empire’s May-Hem. Now granted, he was the guy from the TV version of “The Dead Zone,” so really, he does fit. But it’s hard not to hear the name and think of him more as the nerdy one from “The Breakfast Club.”
- Speaking of special guests, Richard Horvitz, the voice of “Invader Zim,” will be at Florida Supercon. See, that makes more sense to me for some reason. So is Shawn Crystal, frequent drawer of Deadpool in a wide variety of titles for Marvel. Man, Deadpool has a lot of books.
- Also, Stern Pinball head honcho Gary Stern will be at the NW Pinball Show. And that makes the most sense of all. If anything, it wouldn’t make any sense to have a pinball convention without the one guy still making new pinball games.
- Finally, if you didn’t make it to Gem City Comic Con this year, you can still buy their swag for charity on Ebay. The charity being the Hero Initiative, so yay!
Art Adams Art and other News Updates
Mar 24th
Art Adams is awesome. No one can draw a giant lizard, gorilla, or buxom lass quite like him. Draws a pretty nifty looking Wolverine as well, as you can see by the sketch on the left. What would you say to owning your very own personal Art Adams art? Impossible, you say? Nay! Not if you’re planning on attending Wondercon in San Francisco. Art is auctioning off his art, drawing a full body, 11″x17″ commission piece with the proceeds going to the Hero Initiative. How can you get in on this amazing action? Go to Ebay. Just remember, you have to actually be at Wondercon to get the art.
- The English language voice for “Neon Genesis Evangelion’s” Asuka, Tiffany Grant, is going to be at Comicpalooza in Houston.
- Did you go to C2E2? Take pictures? They want you to upload them to their Flickr group.
- Gallifrey One in Los Angeles’ website for their 2012 event has gone live. As it’s the 15th anniversary of the 1996 TV movie, Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, is the headlining guest. Plenty more news, guests, and other timey-wimey nonsense on the site.
- Great Caesar’s Ghost, Bob Wall is going to be at Spooky Empire’s May-Hem in Florida! I don’t know how spooky Bob is, but he’s the guy who killed Bruce Lee’s sister in “Enter the Dragon” and one hell of a martial artist in his own right.
- Joe Rubinstein is teaching an inking class at Long Beach Comic Con. The tickets are $35 more than the regular one-day door fee, but Joe is a legend. Really. He has the Guinness record for inking the most pencillers, due to his stint as the inker on the old Marvel handbooks.
- Speaking of legendary inkers, Dan Green is a guest at Albany Comic-Con.
- Speaking of Albany Comic-Con, their ticket website is live.
- Speaking of… absolutely nothing, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival has a bunch of British publishers showing up.
- Going to GameStorm in Washington? You shouldn’t be bored – they have 700 events lined up. That’s a lot of events.
Avenger Assemble and Other News
Mar 15th
Avengers Mansion at C2E2
Every once in a while, writing up convention news, I see an event where I’m honestly disappointed that I can’t attend. Don’t get me wrong, if I had a chance, I’d go to every con. But I’ve met Stan Lee a bunch of times, I’ve gotten drunk with Darwyn Cooke, Bruce Campbell has played with my lightsaber… and no that’s not a euphemism for anything. If I can find the picture later, I’ll post it. So if someone is attending a con across the country, there’s a good chance I’ve seen them before, or can see them at a more local one.
But at C2E2 next week in Chicago, the only time The New Avengers 100 will ever be shown as a single collection will happen, and I can’t go. Even more frustrating, members of the Hero Initiative Charity get an early look at the books – and for free! Of course, if you aren’t a member yet, you can sign up at the Hero Initiative booth at the show. And as if to rub it in my face, just to prove that this is the only time the collection will ever be shown as a whole, the first bunch of New Avengers 100 books will go on sale on eBay March 29. So go join the Hero Initiative, contribute to a great cause supporting the creators who built the comics industry, and get in to see Avengers Mansion at C2E2 for free. And while you’re doing that, go bug Jim McLauchlin and tell him Jeremy sent you.
And for the record, I had luchador mask hair that day.
- And now for a mess of Megacon news. First, the deadline for pre-reg for the Florida show is Saturday, so don’t dawdle.
- Second, the con’s schedule is now online.
- Third, Howard Chaykin has cancelled his appearance. Which I guess means it is safe for me to attend Megacon. Don’t ask why.
- Scott Pilgrim Party at Anime Conji in San Diego!
- Speaking of anime, Wondercon in San Francisco published their anime schedule.
Looks like Godzilla is giving Tokyo a break and smashing Albuquerque in the Albuquerque Comics Expo exclusive cover of IDW’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1.” Pre-reg to get you one.- Anime Detour in MN rocks – they’re donating the proceeds of their auction this year to disaster relief in Japan. Which makes the above news item feel a little tacky, but oh well.
- PAX East just ended, so top bugging the Penny Arcade guys when PAX Prime tickets go on sale. Although it’s some time in April.
- Heroescon in Charlotte signed a bunch of indie artist guests - Paul Conrad, Joseph Carroll, Maris Wicks and Ron Salas.
- You like to go to sci fi conventions. Apparently, so does the Riverdale gang from Archie. Check out Sabrina the Teenage Slave Girl. Although Josie from the Pussycats as Catwoman might be a little too on the nose.
Avengers Assemble at C2E2
Feb 18th
C2E2 attendees, don’t pass this one up. On March 19, from 6-8pm, Room 185bc will be transformed into Avengers Mansion, with every cover from the Hero Initiative’s “New Avengers 100 Project” on display. Top artists from around the industry were given blank covers of “New Avengers #1″ and told to sketch whatever they want. Take it from someone who has gotten to play with original covers from the Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine and Archie projects, they must be seen in person to truly be appreciated. $5 gets you in the door, mingling with some of the artists who drew the covers, and a raffle ticket to win a special New Avengers bottle of wine with sketches from the artists on it, with all the proceeds going to the Hero Initiative charity.
John McCrea Makes First North American Appearance in Eight Years at C2E2
Feb 16th
John McCrea, acclaimed artist and frequent Garth Ennis collaborator, will be making his first North American appearance in eight years at Chicago’s C2E2, March 18-20. The Irish born penciller, best know for co-creating DC’s Hitman, as well as runs on Judge Dredd, Spider-Man, Hulk and “The Boys: Herogasm,” will be appearing at the Hero Initiative booth, #457, throughout the convention. Unless you have a habit of attending comic book conventions overseas, this may be your first chance to talk to John about his 23 years in the comic book industry in almost a decade. Don’t miss the chance!
Pre-Order for a Con, Support the Hero Initiative
Feb 11th
Are you planning on going to C2E2 or Orlando Megacon this year? Just by pre-ordering your tickets, a portion of your payment can be donated to the Hero Initiative, the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need.
All you need to do is order your tickets through the specific links below, and a portion of your ticket money will be donated to the charity at no cost to you. You’ll get all the fun of a comic con, plus the knowledge that you are helping out creators in need, some of whom are the very reason you are at that comic con. So go be a hero!
