Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Photo Gallery

By popular demand, we've assembled a gallery of fantastic and fun- filled photos taken by us and lots of other people during the course of Mid-Ohio-Con 2009. You can click on any of the images below to view them at a larger size in our Picasa gallery. If you have any photos you'd like us to post to the site, please email us at info@midohiocon.com. Enjoy!

1,000 Comic Books You Must Read

Tony Isabella's much-anticipated 1000 Comic Books You Must Read from Krause Publications is finally available! The 272-page wonder is a visual feast that includes a decade by decade look at comic books from 1938 to the present. For each issue featured in this tome, you'll see the fantastic cover, along with interesting details like publisher information, year of printing, series and issue numbers, story notes and other interesting facts. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just a casual fan of comics, this is the premiere book of this spectacular hobby. 1000 Comic Books You Must Read is available at comic shops and book stores nationwide and all Friends of Ol' Mid-Ohio-Con can also buy the book online for a limited time at a special discounted price of $19.79 with free shipping. Click here and enter the code MOHCON to receive your copy. Don't delay, this special deal ends October 30th and we don't want you to miss out!

Begun, These Con Wars Have!

The comic con world was rocked this week with news that Big Apple Comic Con will be going head-to-head and toe-to-toe with New York Comic Con on the weekend of October 7–10, 2010. The competitive juices were already flowing before this news, with Wizard Entertainment’s Gareb Shamus having previously scheduled his new Anaheim Comic-Con against the Reed Exhibitions C2E2 show in Chicago on the weekend of April 16–18, 2010. Given all the other slots available on the fall calendar, it’s truly hard to imagine what’s to be gained by lining up on the exact same dates in New York. It’s going to force creative guests, exhibitors, and fans to make a choice one way or the other, which isn't likely to lead to a great outcome for either side. On a purely objective basis, I’d bet on Reed Exhibitions with its $15 billion balance sheet, a clear leadership position with New York Comic Con, and a big head start in planning the 2010 show. But it would be a mistake to count out Wizard prematurely, since they have such strong advertising and distribution muscle from Wizard Magazine, ToyFare, and other publications, as well as a long history in the comic con business and longtime relationships with creators and exhibitors alike. While one player will inevitably blink in this contest, it’s certainly going to be interesting theater over the next year to watch the competition ensue between the two juggernauts. On a side note, I’m certainly happy that we made the decision to move Mid-Ohio-Con the weekend of November 6–7 for 2010. While the first weekend of October has been a great slot for us over the past two years, there was no sense going up against the competition of one New York show—much less two. A lot has been written about this feud, including a great write-up by Heidi MacDonald at Publishers Weekly's The Beat, so check it all out online.

2009 Harvey Award Winners

Congratulations from the entire Mid-Ohio-Con team to our special guests Mark Evanier and Bryan J.L. Glass and all their fellow winners of the 2009 Harvey Awards that were presented on Saturday, October 10th in a ceremony at Baltimore Comic-Con. The winners of the 2009 Harveys are:

Best writer: Grant Morrison, All-Star Superman (DC Comics)

Best artist: Gabriel Ba, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

Best cartoonist: Al Jaffee, Tall Tales (Abrams Books)

Best letterer: John Workman, Marvel 1985 (Marvel)

Best inker: Mark Morales, Thor (Marvel)

Best colorist: Dave Stewart, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

Best cover artist: James Jean, Fables (DC Comics/Vertigo)

Best new series: Echo (Abstract Studios)

Best continuing or limited series: All-Star Superman (DC Comics)

Best biographical, historical or journalistic presentation: Kirby: King of Comics, Mark Evanier (Abrams Books)

Best syndicated strip or panel: Mutts, Patrick McDonnell (King Features Syndicate)

Best anthology: Comic Book Tattoo, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image Comics)

Best original graphic album: Too Cool To Be Forgotten (Top Shelf)

Best graphic album-previously published: Nat Turner, Kyle Baker (Abrams Books)

Best single issue or story: Y: The Last Man #60 (DC Comics/Vertigo)

Best domestic reprint project: Complete Peanuts (Fantagraphics Books)

Best American edition of foreign material: Gus & His Gang (First Second)

Best online comics work: High Moon, David Gallaher, Steve Ellis and Scott O. Brown (DC Comics/Zuda)

Special award for humor in comics: Al Jaffee, Tall Tales (Abrams Books)

Special award for excellence in presentation: Kirby: King of Comics, Mark Evanier (Abrams Books)

Best new talent: Bryan J.L. Glass, The Mice Templar (Image Comics)

Click here for a full list of 2009 Harvey Award Nominees.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Wrap Up

Mid-Ohio-Con has officially come to a close after a fantastic and fun-filled weekend providing memories that will last a lifetime. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everybody involved—our amazing roster of guests, the fantastic array of exhibitors, our tireless Con Crew, and, of course, all the fans—for making this year's show such a great event.

Stay tuned in the coming days for details on the online auction we'll be holding to raise money for the Hero Initiative and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) by selling the sketches that were done by many of our creative guests during the show. There will also be a post-MOC wrap-up after we have the opportunity to distill a very busy weekend into its key parts.

Please save the date for our big 30th anniversary show on the weekend of November 6–7, 2010. We're going to continue to build on the great momentum we've developed in the past few years with the goal of making our 30th show the best Mid-Ohio-Con ever!

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Floor Plan

The Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 show floor will accommodate more than 100 Exhibitor booths for retailers, publishers, manufacturers, and service providers and more than 60 Creators' Common tables for artists, writers, actors, and other guests. Exhibitor booths are 10' wide and 10' deep with an 8' back drape and a 3' side drape. Each booth comes with one 8' table and two chairs. Creators' Common tables are 6' wide and come with two chairs. Click on the image below to view a high-resolution PDF version of the floorplan.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Creators' Common

We've assembled a fantastic array of artists, writers, editors, and other professionals for the Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Creators' Common. Check out the list of artists, writers and other creators below and stay tuned for updates as we finalize the floor plan.

Creator Name	Table Location
Adam Hicks	CC60
Adam Withers	CC48
Alan Evans	CC13
Alan Schell	CC15
Alex Buechel	CC66
Allen Freeman	CC39
Banshuwa Studio	CC31
Bill Pulkovski	CC65
Brad Guigar	CC52
Brian C. Miller	CC53
Bruce Gerlach	CC67
Chad Strohl	CC41
Clint Basinger	CC39
Coey Kuhn & Shy Custis	CC47
Comfort Love	CC48
Craig Bogart	CC46
Daniel Mann	CC56
Danny Cooper	CC23, CC24
Dean Stahl	CC11
Derek Stewart Art & Apparel	CC63
Drew Jones	CC34
Dustin Carson	CC40
Eric Adams	CC45
Eric Rampson	CC27
George Calloway	CC43
Jack Knifley	CC09
Jason Moody	CC06
Jay Brant	CC62
Jay Jacot	CC19
Jeremiah Whkowski	CC54
Jeremy Sorrell	CC34
Jonathan D. Gordon	CC25, CC26
Jonathan Riddle	CC42
Joseph Morris	CC36
Justin Castaneda	CC20
Justin Williams	CC35
Kevin Leen	CC57
Kevin Meinert	CC02
Kevin Wolf	CC17
Kira Keck	CC42
Lauren Chaikin	CC50
Leo Liebelman	CC49
Lou Graziani	CC07
Marc Lewis	CC33
Mason Easley	CC03
Matt Wyatt	CC42
Max Ink	CC29
Michael DiPascale	CC14
Michael J. Watson	CC58, CC59
Michael Neno	CC42
Mike Dauenhauer	CC64
Mike Indovina	CC12
Mike Maydak	CC16
Nate Lovett	CC51
Nick Nitro	CC05
RAK Graphics	CC22
Ray Tomczak	CC42
Ren McKinzie	CC08
Ringtail Café Productions	CC18
Russell Merritt	CC42
Ryan Claytor	CC21
Scott Beaderstadt	CC61
Shonen Hero Magazine	CC04
Sterling Clark	CC10
Studio Akumakaze	CC44
Sunday Comix	CC30
Suzanne M. Sabol	CC38
Terry Huddleston	CC01
Tim Fischer	CC32
Tony Miello	CC55
Trevor Mueller	CC13
William Grapes	CC28

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Exhibitor List

We have assembled an amazing roster of comic book, toy, and collectibles retailers, as well as indie publishers, manufacturers, and other exhibitors for Mid-Ohio-Con 2009. Check out the list exhibitors below and stay tuned for updates as we finalize the floor plan ahead of the show.

Exhibitor Name	Booth Location
A Life of Science	605
Alienated Productions	705
Anime Gift	306
Art Toons	211
Avatar Press	423, 522
Back Porch Comics	702
Bad Place Productions	737
Bags Unlimited	402
Bargain Box	411, 413, 510, 512
B-c@t x Shigi	714
Bell, Book & Comic	406
Bert's Figures	312
Beyond Good-N-Evil	613
Bill's Bricks & Toys	602, 604
Brett's Comic Pile	403, 405
Bryan Schemine	706
C+C Comics	607
Capital City Comics	400
Cared4comics	323, 422
Cartoon Books	207
Cavalier Comics	213
Charles Bond Comics	215, 217
Comic Book World	601, 700
Comic Related	438
Cunningham's Comics	239, 338
David M. Bancroft	336
David Silvieus	704
DINO THORE'S COMICS	407
Dude's Comics	417, 516
Elyria Comic Book Initiative	707
False Gods	614
Famous Funnies	501, 600
Fearless Readers Comics	517, 616
FRACKIN' COMIX!	404
Graham Crackers Collectibles	511, 610
Hero Initiative	203, 205
Heroes Aren't Hard To Find	311, 410
JB Comics	701
John Haines Rare Comics	301, 303
Jon Sen Comics	739
k/e toys	623, 722
Kayfabe Productions	313, 315
KIF'S	606
Krypton Comics	439, 538
Leroy Harper Comics	412, 414, 416
M&T Comics and Cards	615
Mandalorian Mercs	711
Mark Scott Comics	223, 322
Melissa Mitchell	514
Mid-Ohio-Con Info Booth	415
Monsters & Things	507
New Planet  Toys	302
North Coast Nostalgia	317
OGO Publications	715
Ohio 501st Legion	709
Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club	723
Packrat Comics	305, 307
Pegasus Publishing	523, 622
Penny Dreadful Press	339
Pirate's Treasure	719, 721
PKD Media	310
PKXL Cards, Inc.	201, 300
Poetic License Printing	639
Pop Culture Trading Pins	716
Pride Wrestling Alliance	713
Reel Art	314, 316
Rivertown Entertainment	617
Runn AMC Productions	712
Steve Stephens	505
Stormcrow Comics	502, 504, 506
SUMOGORILLA.COM	515
Super-Fly Comics & Games	503
The D20 Girls Project	717
Tom's Things	304
Victory Comics	611, 710
Warp 9 Comics	401, 500
White Wolf Toys	603

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Program Schedule

Panel Programming. Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 panel programming will take place in Panel Rooms 1 and 2 located accros the hall from the main entrance of Exhibit Hall E and the show floor.

The Hero Initiative. Featured guests will be appearing throughout the weekend at the Hero Initiative Booth on the show floor. The Hero Initiative is a federally chartered nonprofit corporation providing financial, medical, and professional support for comic book creators in need.

Main Stage Sketch Jam. Artists will also be participating in a weekend-long sketch jam on the Main Stage. Their sketches will be offered at the MOC charity auction to benefit CBLDF and the Hero Initiative. This year's auction will be held online after the convention.

Saturday, October 3

Panel Room 1

10:30 a.m. Good Morning, Mid-Ohio-Con!
Mid-Ohio-Con Founder and Publicity Director Roger Price will give you the full scoop on what’s happening at the show on Saturday. Whether you’re a first-timer or a Mid-Ohio-Con veteran, this is the right way to start your day.

11:00 a.m. The Creation of Wolverine
Writer Len Wein and artist Herb Trimpe debuted Wolverine in the final page of The Incredible Hulk #180 in October 1974. Get the scoop on the birth of one of the most iconic and successful characters in the history of comics from the creators themselves. Moderated by James Henry, Managing Director of Mid-Ohio-Con.

12:00 p.m. MOC Presents: James Kyson Lee
Join us as we spotlight featured media guest James Kyson Lee, a multi-talented actor who is best known for his starring role as Ando Masahashi, a quiet Tokyo executive who embarks on wild adventures with his time-traveling friend Hiro Nakamura in the hit TV show Heroes. Moderated by PJ Hruschak, Contributing Editor for Geek Monthly magazine and Editor for Gamertell.com.

1:00 p.m. Sketch Card Panel
Sketch cards based on comics, film, gaming, and television properties are a hot market that has opened up new opportunities for artists. Sketch card artists George Calloway, Jonathan Gordon and Scott Simmons talk about how they broke into the business and what the major card companies are doing now.

2:00 p.m. MOC Presents: Bernie Wrightson
Join us for a panel discussion moderated by Brian Kane as we highlight the life and work of guest of honor Bernie Wrightson, a legendary creator who has been chilling, thrilling, and horrifying fans for more than four decades. Moderated by writer Brian Kane.

3:00 p.m. 1,000 Comics You Must Read
Comics Buyer’s Guide Senior Editor Maggie Thompson will lead a discussion with author Tony Isabella about his much-anticipated new book 1,000 Comics You Must Read, available fall 2009 from retailers nationwide.

4:00 p.m. DC versus Marvel
Dark Reign? Blackest Night? Who's deader: Batman or Captain America? Explore who’s winning, who’s losing, and why in this creative and financial clash of the titans in the comic industry. Comics Buyer's Guide contributing writer George Nelson leads a panel of including Wesley Smith from the Columbus Examiner and John Wilson from Comic Related for this lively debate

Panel Room 2

11:00 a.m. MOC Presents: Michael Golden
Comics Buyer’s Guide Senior Editor Maggie Thompson moderates a discussion with guest of honor Michael Golden, whose groundbreaking work on titles such as The 'Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe Yearbook, The Avengers, Batman, and Dr. Strange has dazzled generations of fans and established him as one of the most influential creators in comics.

12:00 p.m. Prince Valiant Panel
Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant strip is among the more powerful creative influences for creators in comics, film, literature, and film over the past 50 years. Join Foster’s biographer Brian Kane along with Mike Grell and P. Craig Russell in this celebration of Hal Foster and his creation Prince Valiant.

1:00 p.m. Men of Bronze III
Join moderator Mark Evanier along with Ron Frenz, Gary Friedrich, Tony Isabella, Herb Trimpe, and Marv Wolfman in this celebration of the spectacular 70’s and awesome 80’s, a period of incredible creative change and development for the comics industry.

2:00 p.m. All-Ages Comics Panel
Who says comics aren’t for kids anymore? Join moderator Marc Sumerak along with Art Baltazar, Jacob Chabot, Chris Giarrusso in this discussion about the successful push by DC and Marvel to create a broad array of titles that truly are entertaining for readers of all ages.

4:00 p.m. Jack Kirby Tribute Panel
Join biographer Mark Evanier along with Scott Kolins, and Marv Wolfman in this celebration of the life and work of the King of Comics, Jack Kirby, whose contribution to comics and inspiration for generations of comics creators is truly unrivaled.

Sunday, October 4

Panel Room 1

10:30 a.m. Good Morning, Mid-Ohio-Con!
Mid-Ohio-Con Founder and Publicity Director Roger Price will give you the full scoop on what’s happening at the show on Sunday.

11:00 a.m. Tony’s Tips Live
Tony Isabella presents a live version of his Tony’s Tips column, which has become a fan favorite for readers of Comics Buyer’s Guide and World Famous Comics Network. Enjoy his wit, wisdom, and even a dose of Tony’s Trivia in this session.

12:00 p.m. Swamp Thing: Panel of Secrets
Legendary creative team Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson will discuss the creation and legacy of Swamp Thing, which originally appeared in the pages of House of Secrets #92 in July 1971 and remains incredibly popular to this day.

1:00 p.m. Tales from the Marvel Bullpen
Join moderator Mark Evanier along with Gary Friedrich, Fred Hembeck, Tony Isabella, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman as they take a walk down memory lane to share amusing anecdotes and fond recollections from the Marvel Comics Bullpen.

2:00 p.m. Voice Animation Panel
Writer Mark Evanier, whose cartoon animation work ranges from Garfield to Thundarr the Barbarian, and Gregg Berger, perhaps best known as the voice of Grimlock in the Transformers cartoon, discuss voice work for animation, film, and video games.

3:00 p.m. Implications of Disney + Marvel
The acquisition of Marvel by Disney is sure to have ripple effects across comics, film, gaming, and television for many years to come. Join Comics Buyer’s Guide Senior Editor Maggie Thompson along with our panel of experts including CBG contributing writer George Nelson, Wesley Smith from the Columbus Examiner and John Wilson from Comic Related as they discuss the far-reaching implications of this historic transaction.

Panel Room 2

11:00 a.m. MOC Presents: Dick Ayers
Join us in celebrating the remarkable career of living legend Dick Ayers, who has spend over six decades working in comics and was one of the founding members of the Marvel Bullpen along with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Moderated by Mid-Ohio-Con Managing Director James Henry.

12:00 p.m. Web Comics Panel
Web comics are a dynamic medium that have opened new ways for creators and publishers to get their work in front of fans. Join moderator Steve Horton along with Lora Innes, Wes Molebash, Trevor Mueller, and Thom Zahler as they discuss the creative and financial aspects of web comics.

1:00 p.m. Investment Grade Collectibles Panel
Join Brett Carreras of Brett’s Comics Pile and VA Comicon along John Haines of John Haines Rare Comics to talk about what’s hot and what’s not in the investment-grade collectibles market. This session will focus primarily on high-grade comics from the Gold, Silver, and Bronze ages and is sure to be informative for pros and novices alike.

2:00 p.m. MOC Presents: Ray Park
Join us as we talk with featured media guest Ray Park, the fan-favorite action movie star who has played an incredible array of characters during his remarkable career, including his recent appearance as Snake Eyes in the summer blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Moderated by filmographer Mike Olszewski.

3:00 p.m. Indie and Small Press Comics Panel
Indie and Small Press comics have always offered a way for creators to launch their work but have recently been recognized as one of the most fertile grounds for new ideas and breakout titles. Join Bob Corby, Lora Innes, and Chuck Moore for this panel discussion.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Guest List

Guests of Honor

Michael Golden. Michael Golden’s groundbreaking work on titles such as The 'Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe Yearbook, The Avengers, Batman, and Dr. Strange has dazzled generations of fans and established him as one of the most influential creators in comics, with a body of work that inspired countless artists over the years. During his career, Golden has been an editor at DC Comics as well as senior art director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on numerous movie production projects, including some currently in development. His art has been the focus of gallery shows in places as diverse as New York, Gijon and Barcelona, Antwerp and Brussels, and his class on storytelling has been conducted in Spain, Brussels, Canada, and the United States. Golden’s recent work can be seen on the covers of Heroes for Hire, Exiles, Demon's Regret, and Uncanny X-Men, among others. Vanguard Production's recently released top-selling art retrospective Excess: The Art of Michael Golden, written by Renee Witterstaetter, has gone into a second printing with a new Vampirella cover. This year will also see the release of Golden’s new sketchbook, Dangerous Curves, from Eva Ink Publishing—a perfect match for last year’s Heroes and Villains sketchbook. (Booth 429)

Bernie Wrightson. Legendary artist Bernie Wrightson has been chilling, thrilling, and horrifying fans for more than four decades. His first professional comics work appeared in House of Mystery #179 in 1968. In 1971, with writer Len Wein, Wrightson co-created the Swamp Thing for DC. Wrightson spent seven years drawing around 50 detailed pen-and-ink illustrations to accompany an edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which the artist considers among his most personal work. Wrightson drew the poster for the Stephen King-penned horror film Creepshow, as well as illustrating the comic book adaptation of the film. This led to further collaborations with King, including illustrations for the novella "Cycle of the Werewolf," the restored edition of King's apocalyptic horror epic, The Stand, and art for the hardcover editions of From a Buick 8 and Dark Tower V. Wrightson has contributed album covers for a number of bands, including Meat Loaf. As a conceptual artist, Bernie has worked on many movies, particularly in the horror genre. His well-known films include Ghostbusters, The Faculty, Galaxy Quest, Spider-Man, George Romero's Land of the Dead, and Frank Darabont's latest Stephen King film, The Mist. (Booth 227)

Featured Media Guests

James Kyson Lee. James Kyson Lee is best known for his starring role as Ando Masahashi, a quiet Tokyo executive who embarks on wild adventures with his time-traveling friend Hiro Nakamura in the hit TV show Heroes, which will return for its fourth season this fall. Born in Seoul, South Korea, James moved with his family to New York City at the age of ten. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and continued his education at Boston University and the New England Institute of the Arts, where he studied communications and broadcasting. After trying out improv and inspired by his newly discovered passion for performing, James sold his used car and purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, where he began his training in music, dance, and acting. At his first television audition, he landed a guest-starring role on J.A.G. He has since appeared on many hit shows, including NBC's Las Vegas, The West Wing, CSI, and Heist, as well as Threat Matrix and All About the Andersons. James will be starring in four upcoming feature films: Termination Shock (2009) and How to Make Love to a Woman, Hard Breakers, and Necrosis (2010). (Booth 237)

Ray Park. Action star Ray Park began his martial arts training at the age of seven and became a fixture at exhibitions and tournaments throughout his native Great Britain, where he topped martial arts championships before later traveling to Malaysia to refine his skills. Conquering numerous championships worldwide and winning multiple medals, Park realized a personal dream when he competed in the Martial Arts World Championships in 1995. In 1997 he made his big-screen debut as the stunt double for James Remar's character Rayden in Mortal Kombat: The Annihilation, the film based on the popular video fighting game. Park then donned red-and-black face paint and horns to play the coveted role of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, following that up with Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow as the Fighting Headless Horseman. In 2000, Park played the role of the villainous Toad, lackey to the wicked mastermind Magneto in the X-Men motion picture. Ray will next star as Snake Eyes in the much-anticipated blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, opening on August 7. It was also recently announced that he will join the cast of Heroes in its fourth season this fall. (Appearing Sunday, October 4th only at Booth 233)

Special Guests

Dave Aikins. Dave Aikins is a Nickelodeon Publishing artist for books and DVD covers featuring Dora the Explorer, Diego, The Backyardigans, SpongeBob Squarepants, and Ni Hao Kai-Lan. He is also the illustrator of Twilight Creations' popular Zombies!!! board game series, as well as the new Martians!!! game and the deluxe edition of MidEvil. In the world of comics, Dave was cover artist for Moonstone's Kolchak- Night Stalker of the Living Dead mini-series and did interior art in Moonstone's The Avenger Chronicles. New for 2009 is the first volume of The Zombie Art of Dave Aikins, collecting 92 pages of Zombie art goodness! Dave's new kids books for 2009 include Dora Saves Crystal Kingdom, SpongeBob RoundPants, and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Safari Pals. (Booth 533)

Dick Ayers. An Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductee, Dick Ayers is a veteran artist with over six decades in comics who was one of the founding members of the Marvel bullpen along with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Best known for his work during the Silver Age on The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, The Rawhide Kid, and Strange Tales, Ayers began his comic career in earnest at Marvel’s predecessor Atlas Comics in the 1950s, where he drew horror stories in such titles as Adventures into Terror, Astonishing, Journey into Mystery, Journey into Unknown Worlds, Menace, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Strange Tales, and Uncanny Tales. (Booth 539)

Art Baltazar. Art Baltazar is the super-cartoonist machine behind the DC Comics all-ages hit Tiny Titans. He's all about the peace, love, and joy. He defines cartoons and comics not only as an art form but as a way of life. Art started his funky secret art studio Electric Milk Creations in 1994 with his self-published comic book The Cray-Baby Adventures. Since then, he has created other comics such as Gyro-Man, Captain Camel & the Space Chicken, Jimmy Dydo, Lunar Lizard, Meteor Mite, and the famous Patrick the Wolf Boy. This guy shows no signs of stopping! Art has also had a few gigs with Warner Bros. and has a monthly comic strip in Disney Adventures Magazine called Gorilla Gorilla. He has some cool character design skills and has recently completed the Big Amoeba graphic novel for Platinum Studios. (Booth 528)

Darryl Banks. Darryl Banks is a graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design who began his comics career in 1989. In 1993, he started working with DC Comics on Legion of Superheroes and later on Green Lantern. Co-creating the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, Parallax, and other characters was a great honor and challenge for Darryl's costume design skills. In addition to various other projects for DC, his work includes Tomb Raider: Epiphany from Top Cow, GI Joe Reloaded for Devil's Due, Johnnie Zombie for Midgard Comics, covers to Moonstone's Phantom, and many more. Currently, Darryl does concept art and toy design for clients that include Hawthorne Village collectibles, Hasbro, Mattel, Filsinger Games, Cartoon Craft LLC and many others. (Booth 728)

Andy Bennett. Andy Bennett has been working professionally as an illustrator since he graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1995 with a BFA in illustration. He is best known as the artist for Moonstone Books' Vampire: The Masquerade-Tremere and Venture graphic novels. His newest releases include Moonstone's Kolchak the Night Stalker / Sherlock Holmes mini-series, Moonstone's The Avenger Chronicles, and IDW's Lifelike graphic novel. Andy will be contributing to the 14th volume of Ferret Press' critically-acclaimed PANEL anthology, which will be premiering at Mid-Ohio-Con this year, with contributions from several central-Ohio comic creators. (Booth 535)

Gregg Berger. As an animation voice-over talent, Gregg Berger has brought to life an amazing array of characters in film, television and video games during the course of his illustrious career. Gregg has repeatedly saved the universe as the fan-favorite Dinobot Grimlock in Transformers (Generation 1) and recently returned from Transformers fan convention Auto Assembly in London where he appeared as a guest of honor. Gregg is also well known as the voice of Odie the dog on all episodes, specials, and animated feature films of the cartoon Garfield. He has voiced characters for Duckman, Nickelodeon's Ahhh!!! Real Monsters!, Men in Black, Eeyore, and many many more memorable roles. Keep an ear out for Gregg’s most recent work in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Halo Wars, Batman: The Brave & The Bold, and Spiderman Web of Shadows. (Booth 328)

Patrick & Shelly Block. Pat and Shelly Block are a popular writing and drawing team behind stories for various Walt Disney comic books around the globe. They have received a pair of Harvey Award nominations in 2008 for Best Story and Best Original Graphic Album for their Donald Duck mystery The Case of the Missing Mummy. Working out of their studio and art school, Art Quest, in Pennsylvania, the ducky duo has produced thousands of pages of story art for fans of every age. Look for their short stories currently running in the Gemstone titles Walt Disney's Comics and Uncle Scrooge, as well as special one-shots featuring their newer longer tales. In addition to comics, the Blocks paint oil paintings, some of which were recently featured in a Carl Barks retrospective exhibit at Geppi's Entertainment Museum. (Booth 526)

George Broderick, Jr. George Broderick, Jr. began cartooning at age five when he peddled drawings of Mighty Mouse, Woody Woodpecker and Popeye from the back of his little red wagon to the unsuspecting neighborhood moms for a nickel a sketch, which George still considers one of the highlights of his freelance career. George has worked as a professional in comics since 1982. Since then, he has written stories for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, among many others. George's most recent art work includes Courageous Man Adventures, Stardust & Thor, Suicide Blonde, El Mucho Grande, and Christmas Eve for Comic Library International, the Simpson’s Radioactive Man for Bongo Comics, Mummies, Ghosts, Kolchak, The Night Stalker and Suckulina for Moonstone Books. Check out his work in Popeye The Sailor from Premium Pop Comics/CLI 2.0 at Mid-Ohio-Con. (Booth 736)

Jacob Chabot. Jacob Chabot is best known for his Eisner Award-nominated indie title The Mighty Skullboy Army, which has been published in a series of digest-sized comics as well as its own collection from Dark Horse Comics. In addition to his creator-owned work, Jacob’s art has been published in Marvel Comics, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Mad Magazine. His upcoming projects include a story in Marvel's Strange Tales Anthology, and the recently-announced X-Babies limited series with writer Gregg Schiegel. Slated for an October launch, the X-Babies series will bring back the X-Babies of the Mojoverse alongside Royal Roy, Top Dog, Planet Terry, and Wally Wizard from Marvel’s defunct kid imprint, Star Comics. (Booth 527)

Robin Dale. Robin Dale is a comic book writer, researcher and documentarian, creating The Creator Chronicles line of comic documentaries with co-producer Renee Witterstaetter of Eva Ink, featuring interviews and tutorials with such comic luminaries as George Perez, Michael Golden, Joe Jusko, Bill Sienkiewicz and many more. Future releases included DVD's and tutorials with Matt Wagner, Mark Texeira and Joe Sinnott. Rob is also the creator of the Dale’s Price Guide to Comic Fanzines and Comic Related Publications. In addition, he has contributed work to Excess: The Art of Michael Golden, and Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira --two lush retrospective art books available from Vanguard Productions. (Booth 424)

Mark Evanier. Mark Evanier is an acclaimed writer whose work in comics and television has been at the forefront of pop culture for forty years and counting. In television, Mark has written for animated cartoons, including Scooby Doo, Plastic Man, Thundarr the Barbarian, Richie Rich, The Wuzzles, Dungeons & Dragons, and Garfield and Friends, a seven-season series for which Evanier wrote or co-wrote every episode and acted as voice recording director. He has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for animation by the Writers Guild of America. In comics, Mark is probably best known for his collaboration with Sergio Aragones on Groo the Wanderer and his book Kirby: King of Comics, for which he won an Eisner Award in 2009. (Booth 326)

Jay Fife. Jay Fife is a portrait and pin-up artist known for realistic pencil drawings of beautiful women and fantastic creatures. Jay was featured in the September issue of Hustler Magazine in a two page gallery and spotlight and the October issue of Hustler where his pin-up of model Lola Lynn can be seen. Jay has work featured in the Victorian horror literary collection, The Willows and the cover for an issue of the horror anthology Cold Blooded Chillers from Heske Horror. Jay's work can also be seen in several publications from Bad Place Productions, Pickle Press, Arcana Comics and PKD Media. At Mid-Ohio-Con 2009, Jay will be displaying the first of a series of mini-comics about his original story and creation, Mary Monster. (Booth 733)

Sean Forney. Sean Forney is a professional illustrator and comic book artist whose early work was for Twisted Gate Entertainment which included drawing two short Scarlet Huntress stories for the anthology books The Portal nos. 1 2, and covers for various titles. He has worked for various comic book companies including Sundragon Comics, Funky Ninja Comics, Stormchaser Comics, Camp Comics, Paper Dragon Ink, Fusion Studios, and more. Recently he created Star Wars promotional material including the official t-shirt and patch design in conjunction with LucasFilm/Disney/ Blue Planet Gear for the 2009 Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios. He also works with The Artifact Group coloring Bakugan illustrations for the national toy line. (Booth 724)

Brant Fowler. Brant Fowler is a professional comic book editor, writer, letterer and logo designer. He has also worked with graphic design, writing and many other area of skills for several years honing his talents. Brant is primarily self taught in almost every discipline he practices. While he does hold a college degree in Business Administration with an option in Computer Science, he did not take classes for graphic design or web design. Everything you see on this site, including the site itself, was born out of a love for what he does, and much, much practice! He writes and letters a series called WANNABEZ and letters for various companies including Image Comics. He is also involved with Comic Related, Comics XP and Haven Distributors. (Booth 434)

Ron Frenz. Ron Frenz is best-known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man and for Spider-Girl, which he co-created with writer Tom DeFalco. Ron’s remarkable body of work also includes such titles as The Mighty Thor, Ka-Zar the Savage, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Marvel Saga, Thunderstrike, and Superman. With the recent conclusion of the critically acclaimed Amazing Spider-Girl series with issue #30, Ron is currently working on Outdoor Life's one page comic strip It happened to Me, the Spectacular Spider-Girl Marvel Digital comic, and will be soon be working on the Black Knight 4-chapter serial. In June 2009 Ron Frenz was honored by the Toonseum of Pittsburgh with The Nemo Award for Excellence in the Cartoon Arts. (Booth 327)

Gary Friedrich. Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich was initially hired as assistant editor under Stan Lee and Roy Thomas in 1966 and was soon assigned to script some of Marvel’s most popular superhero titles, including Hulk, Daredevil, Captain America, X-Men, and Marvel Team-Up. Friedrich’s most famous creation, Ghost Rider, was introduced in Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972. The title was drawn by Mike Ploog, who later worked with Friedrich on a very popular Frankenstein adaptation. The character of Ghost Rider has enjoyed enduring popularity over the years, culminating in a hit movie released in early 2007. Friedrich has recently formed Gary Friedrich Enterprises LLC to market himself, his Ghost Rider characters and copyrights, and his other characters. (Booth 333)

Chris Giarrusso. In addition to his awesome promotional artwork for Mid-Ohio-Con, Chris Giarrusso is best known for his creation Mini Marvels, which originally appeared as "Bullpen Bits" in the Marvel comics letters pages in the late 1990s and later blossomed into one-shot comics of their own. His Mini Marvels work has been collected in two digest-sized trade paperbacks, Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors and Mini Marvels: Secret Invasion, both of which have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Chris also created G-Man and several other mini-sized superheroes in the strip Comic Bits, which began running as a backup feature in Savage Dragon in 2002. The digest G-Man: Learning to Fly was released in May 2009, and Giarrusso recently announced the new five-issue miniseries G-Man: Cape Crisis, which will debut on August 1. (Booth 529)

Bryan J. L. Glass. Bryan Glass is the co-creator and writer of the acclaimed comic series The Mice Templar with artist Michael Avon Oeming. Bryan's first Mice Templar short story was published in 2003 in the More Fund Comics charity book, and then again in 2005 with Quixote: A Novel and 86 Voltz: The Dead Girl. The Mice Templar is currently in development at Cartoon Network, with Bryan serving as producer. Quixote is also under consideration by competing production companies. Bryan is also developing a new sci-fi horror series with artist Robert Hack. Look for Bryan’s work in June in the Mice Templar trade paperback and a Marvel adaptation of Raymond E. Feist's fantasy epic Magician, which picks up directly where Magician: Apprentice left off, and the new monthly Mice Templar: Destiny, which launches in July. (Booth 626)

Mike Grell. Mike Grell started his career in comics in 1973 with DC Comics, working on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, The Phantom Stranger, and most notably Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. He cemented his status as a fan favorite with his best-known creation Warlord, one of the first sword-and-sorcery comics and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late 1970s. Through the 1980s, Grell developed grittier, down-to-earth titles such as the groundbreaking Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters at DC Comics and his creator-owned Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer at First Comics. Grell returned to DC with a new Warlord title launched 2009 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the celebrated comic and his current work can also be seen in The Pilgrim online comic from ComicMix. (Booth 329)

Robyn Griggs. Robyn started acting at the age of three and has been working in television and film ever since. Her first prominent TV role was on ABC's soap opera One Life to Live, and she later starred in ABC's Another World. Since 2001 Robin has appeared in independent horror and thriller films, such as Abattoir and Ghost Tour for Deepkut productions. She has also appeared in Minds of Terror, Zombiegeddon, Project 187, The Urn, Demon Hunters, Aberration Boulevard, Severe Injuries, Dead Clowns, The Absence of Light, and Dead Planet. Robyn currently tours with various horror film conventions and produces and promotes indie horror films. (Booth 729)

Fred Hembeck. Fred Hembeck has been entertaining comic book fans for more than 30 years with his unique artistic style and keen sense of humor in his parodies of characters from the comic book worlds of DC, Marvel and beyond. His cartooning style relies on a simple yet sophisticated economy of lines, resulting in an immediately recognizable signature look to his characters, which includes curlicues at their elbows and knees. Fred often portrays himself as a character in his own work, in the role of "interviewer" of various comic book characters. Fred recently published The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus, featuring 912(!) pages of material written and drawn by the cartoonist. (Booth 638)

Lora Innes. For several years after graduating from Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), Lora Innes worked as a commercial illustrator and dabbled in comics on the side. Now she works full time as a comic book illustrator who dabbles in commercial illustration. (She likes it better this way.) Lora's first solo publication, The Dreamer, is a collection a six issue mini-series which was published by IDW Publishing in 2008-2009. The Dreamer began as a webcomic in 2007 and quickly gathered a large, cult-like following online. After collecting multiple web awards, IDW noticed the title and decided to put it into print. It turned out to be a good decision since this year The Dreamer was nominated for two Harvey Awards: Best New Series, and Best New Talent for Innes herself. She has also done works for DC Comics/Vertigo's American Splendor. (Booth 627)

Tony Isabella. Tony Isabella is best known for his work in as a contributing editor and lead reviewer for Comics Buyer's Guide. His humorous and thoughtful Tony's Tips! is a favorite among fans and industry professionals alike. Tony began his career in comics as an assistant to Stan Lee and Roy Thomas at Marvel Comics in 1972. Tony created the character Black Lightning for DC Comics, co-created Tigra for Marvel Comics, and developed Jack Kirby's Satan's Six at Topps Comics. His diverse body of work includes Captain America, Daredevil, Doc Savage, Dracula, Elvira, Ghost Rider, Hawkman, Luke Cage, Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Superman. After thirty-seven years, having worked for every major publisher in the comics business, he's still going strong. Tony’s new book, One Thousand Comic Books You Must Read, is scheduled for release in November. (Booth 332)

Arvell Jones.Arvell Jones is part of an amazing group of comic book industry talent that came from the Detroit area in the mid-1970s. The group also included Rich Buckler, Al Milgrom, Keith Pollard, and Jim Starlin. Arvell first began working at Marvel on titles such as Iron Man, Thor, and Iron Fist with his early appearances in Marvel Premiere. In the early 1980s, Arvell also did some work for DC Comics, including its Super Team Family and Superman Family titles. The comic book that Arvell is most associated with is DC's All-Star Squadron, which he worked on with his friend Roy Thomas. Arvell is now a successful television producer, but he still does comic book commissions and attends conventions to meet his fans when his schedule allows. (Booth 432)

Joe Jusko. Joe Jusko is one of the best-known fantasy genre artists in the world, having worked for almost every major comic book publisher, producing hundreds of images for covers and interiors. His recent work includes a fully painted graphic novel based on Lara Croft, the heroine from the Tomb Raider video game series, cover paintings for The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles, Vampirella, and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, among others. His new book The Art of Joe Jusko was recently released by Desperado Publishing. Joe's work has earned him numerous awards and honors, including two "Favorite Painter" Wizard Fan Awards, multiple trading card awards, a Golden Lion Award from the Burroughs Bibliophiles, and a Chesley Award nomination for best cover in 2001. Joe's original paintings are held in collections worldwide. (Booth 428)

Scott Kolins. Scott Kolins was raised in Central Wisconsin, studied at the Joe Kubert School and began his professional career as a comic book artist in 1991. Scott has been an artist on Flash, The Avengers, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Flash: Rogue’s Revenge, Omega Flight, Annihilation Prologue, Hulk-Wolverine, Superman-Batman, Marvel Team-Up, Countdown, Thor: Blood Oath, Green Lantern, The Brave & The Bold -- and many many others! His influences include Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Golden, Jack Kirby, Mike Mignola, and Frank Miller. Scott is wrapping up his first writer/artist project Solomon Grundy and look for the his new Blackest Night: Flash series with writer Geoff Johns later this year. (Booth 632)

Gary Kwapisz. Gary Kwapisz was one of the first wave of Fantagraphics trouble-makers, and there he helped to cause much mayhem in the comics business. He left them with his reputation at such a low ebb that he was forced to trick Larry Hama into giving him work on Crazy magazine. There to help it in its demise and cancellation, he rode Larry's coattails to the Conan books, where he spent eight happy years working on the big barbarian's books, mostly Savage Sword. From there he went on to work on characters such as Airboy, the Punisher, and Harvey Pekar. After 15 years in the comic biz, he decided to look into the wider world of illustration to see what it had to offer, and in ten years he worked on many projects, as diverse as Sesame Street and the Jurassic Park movies. After many years, his love of history and comics has brought him back to the comics biz, partnered with his old partner Chuck Dixon. Gary and Chuck have formed their own publishing company, History Graphics Press. Their first graphic novel, Civil War Adventure, should be out soon. (Booth 624)

Daniel Logan. Daniel Logan started acting when he was 10 years old. He got his break when local children's rugby teams were being scouted for a TV commercial. Daniel was proclaimed a natural by the director of the commercial. Daniel was noticed by other casting agents, including advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, which led to more commercials and eventually TV appearances. Among these include a recurring role in the medical/ drama series Shortland Street, a guest appearance in the international television hit Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, as well as the lead & supporting voices in 2 animated series Tamota and Takapu. At the top of this young actor's growing resume sits Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones, in which he played the coveted role of the young Boba Fett. (Booth 235)

David Mack. David Mack is best known as the author and artist of the New York Times best-selling graphic novel Kabuki, published originally by Image Comics and now by the Marvel Comics Icon imprint. He also gained widespread acclaim as the writer and artist of Marvel's Daredevil series and as the cover artist for Alias. Mack's work has garnered nominations for two International Eagle Awards in the categories of Favorite Comic Artist (Painted) and Best Cover Art of the Year (Painted), the Eisner Award in the category of Best Painter, and both the Harvey and Kirby Awards in the category of Best New Talent. Mack has also designed toys and packaging, created ad campaigns for Sakura art materials, and illustrated rock and jazz album covers for Japanese and American labels and musicians such as Tori Amos and Paul McCartney. Look for David’s work on an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Ant this October. (Booth 524)

Sean McKeever. Sean McKeever is a writer best known for his introspective, character-driven tales, as seen in the breakthrough teen-drama series The Waiting Place. The Eisner Award winner has written for indie and major publishers alike, with a body of fan-favorite work that includes Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, The Incredible Hulk, Sentinel, Mystique, Inhumans, Gravity, Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, and X-Men Origins: Jean Grey for Marvel and Countdown to Final Crisis, Birds of Prey, Teen Titans and Terror Titans for DC Comics. Look for Sean’s work in the Ravager co-feature in the pages of Teen Titans this Summer, and the Nomad: Girl Without A World limited series this Fall, which picks up on the story of Rikki Barnes, the teen girl from Heroes Reborn who appeared in Captain America #600. (Booth 534)

Josh Medors. Josh Medors is a professional illustrator whose comic career took off after working with writer Steve Niles on various projects, including Fused Think Like a Machine, 30 Days of Night Annual, Dial M For Monster a Cal Macdonald mystery, Horrorcide, and In The Blood. Josh penciled Runes of Ragnan and The Gift for Image Comics, and G.I. Joe: America’s Elite and Chucky among other titles for Devil’s Due Publishing. Recently he has been working on the creator owned series Willow Creek and Image comics Frank Frazetta's Swamp Demon. While working on both of these titles Josh was diagnosed with cancer. The discovery of a tumor growing in his spinal cord slowed the artist down, but did not stop him. Since the start of treatment Josh has already begun to finish up the Willow Creek Series and has started on his next Image Frazetta title. (Booth 731)

Wes Molebash. Wes Molebash has been drawing comics ever since his mom bought him a Bruce Blitz How to Draw Comic Strips VHS tape in the fourth grade. The cartoonist’s long-running web comic strip You'll Have That became an instant fan favorite as a slice-of-life comic following the lives of Andy and Katie, a newlywed couple in their twenties, as they tried to figure out life together. While You’ll Have That came to an end in January 2009, the strip has been collected in printed editions and a third and final volume is going to be published by Th3rdWorld Studios. Wes began a new comic strip called Myron and Charlie in March 2009 and he’s also working on a number of new concepts for comic strips and graphic novels. (Booth 536)

Dara Naraghi. Dara Naraghi is a writer who has worked on comics on all ends of the spectrum, from self-published titles to books based on multi-million dollar movie franchises. His debut graphic novel collection of slice of life stories, Lifelike, garnered many positive reviews. Working with IDW Publishing, he has written the prequel for the animated movie Igor, as well as the Terminator: Salvation official movie prequel, which spent 3 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. His most recent graphic novel is The Absurd Adventures of Archibald Aardvark: Bullets, Booze, and Beelzebub from Image Comics. Dara is also a founding member of the Columbus, OH-based comic book writers/artists collective known as PANEL. To date, he has contributed stories to and helped produce 14 volumes of their comics anthology, which he self-publishes under his Ferret Press imprint. (Booth 537)

Todd Nauck. Todd Nauck is an Eisner Award-nominated artist who has worked for DC and Marvel on titles such as Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Teen Titans Go, Superman, Young Justice, Teen Titans, 52, Supergirl, Legion of Super Heroes, and others. He also writes and draws his own title, WildGuard, published by Image Comics, which has been featured in TV Guide and Wizard Magazine. As an artist, he is known for his unique ability to portray the teenage superhero and for the detail in his pages and expression of the characters. Todd has been recognized by fans and industry members for his consistently reliable quality work. As a writer, the first issue of his creator-owned miniseries WildGuard: Casting Call sold out, and thousands flocked to the website to vote their favorite superhero into the team. (Booth 225)

Wayne Osborne. Wayne Osborne burst onto the comics scene in 2008 with the launch of his creator-owned title FX from IDW Publishing, featuring cover and interior pencils and inks by the legendary artist John Byrne. FX initially started as a one-issue commission by Byrne and developed into a six-part limited series by Osborne and Byrne. FX tells the tale of Tom Talbot, a boy struck down by a mysterious accident, who awakens to find that childhood play has suddenly become all too real, as he now has power limited only by his imagination. This superheroic coming-of-age series offers action, adventure, drama, intrigue, and romance as Tom comes to grips with his new powers and enters an amazing world of heroes, villains, and more. Look for FX Vol. 2 from IDW Publishing with art by Uko Smith in 2010. (Booth 437)

Brett Pinson. Brett Pinson is a professional comic book writer who got his start with the self published title Boomtown Scabs. Brett has continued writing, coloring, lettering and publishing with new titles The Expendables and the Adventures of Carl. Brett’s work also appeared in Incessant Yarns with two comic stories about Socrates Papadopoulos, Gunslinger, which will be published in 2010 with 2 new stories. Brett is also a part of the Detroit Iron Circle with Kevin Leen and Tony Miello publishing comics for Wolfman Mac’s Chiller Drive-In. Comics in 2009 from Boomtown Press and Brett Pinson are issue 4 of Boomtown Scabs. Brett also does Animation Style Art cells which he will have along with his other work at Mid-Ohio-Con 2009. (Booth 634)

Keith Pollard. Keith Pollard is a comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics. Pollard had the distinction of working on three of Marvel's best-selling titles simultaneously when he was penciling Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and Thor during the late 1970s and early 1980s. During his stint with Marvel, Pollard co-created the Black Cat with writer Marv Wolfman. He is also widely remembered for his work on the original Deathlok stories in Astonishing Tales. In the early 1990s, he drew all the character profiles for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition. Pollard also worked extensively for DC Comics, including pencils on Green Lantern and Vigilante. (Booth 433)

Josef Rubinstein. Perhaps best known for his work alongside Frank Miller on Wolverine, John Byrne on Captain America, and Dave Cockrum on Uncanny X-Men, Josef Rubinstein started his career at the age of 13 as an assistant to Neal Adams at Continuity Associates in 1972. Rubinstein became a freelance artist four years later and over the span of his career has worked for every major comics company. Rubinstein holds the Guinness record for having inked more pencilers than any other inker, due in large part to his work on The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe on and off for 20 years. His most recent work can be found on Green Arrow/Black Canary from DC, covers for Bane of the Werewolf from Silver Phoenix Entertainment, and The 99 from Teshkeel Comics. (Booth 337)

P. Craig Russell Harvey and Eisner Award–winning artist and writer P. Craig Russell is a true virtuoso whose diverse body of work includes pioneering adaptations of literary and operatic classics as well as mainstream collaborations with creators such as Roy Thomas, Neil Gaiman, and Mike Mignola for DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, and Eclipse. Russell broke into comics in 1972 with his 11-issue run on Amazing Adventures, followed by his Marvel graphic novel Killraven. In 1984 Russell began work on his adaptations of literary and operatic works by Rudyard Kipling, Maurice Maeterlinck, Oscar Wilde, Mozart, and Wagner. Russell has been a frequent collaborator with Neil Gaiman, working on Sandman and adapting into comics form Gaiman's Murder Mysteries and Coraline, for which he won an Eisner Award in 2009. (Booth 325)

Steve Scott. Smallville artist Steve Scott first made his mark on the comics industry with his work at Malibu Comics, his wildly popular stint on Razor for London Nights, as well as New Warriors, Hourman, and Justice League of America. Recent projects at Marvel and DC include working with industry legends Louise Simonson and Chris Claremont on Magik and Exiles, as well as work on Fantastic Four, Avengers, She-Hulk, and The Hulk. Steve also recently finished a Kyle XY one-shot for Disney/ABC with writer Jeff Parker, Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods for Dark Horse, and a Batman Dark Knight adaptation, featuring the only artwork of Heath Ledger's unforgettable turn as the Joker, which appeared as a special feature on the Blu-ray disc of the film. (Booth 426)

Joe Shover. Joe Shover is the creator and owner of Zonetrooper.com, independent publisher of Zonetrooper Magazine, and designer of the Strike Zone role playing game. Joe is the writer of Cronac: The Temporal Enforcer and Major Tom’s Journal, which is being serialized in Zonetrooper Magazine. Joe has had the honor of having his artwork shown and appreciated on-line, and selected for printing on T-shirts at Metalink.com. Aside from his writing and artistic endeavors, Joe also hosts the Zonecast, an entertaining yet informative podcast focusing on a wide range of interests and genres. (Booth 637)

Scott Simmons. Scott Simmons is an artist for the comic series Wannabez, the webcomic Jenny Everywhere Chronicles, and the Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club (OSWCC). He is an inker for Halloween Man, having worked on stories including the retelling of the origin story Zombie in a Black Leather Jacket and the crossover with Devil’s Due’s hit Hack/Slash in a two-part tale called Hackoween. Scott is an occasional news contributor and columnist for Comic Related. He was also an editor and one of the artists on the Global Comic Jam website. His first published sketchbook Lines of Lead, Ink…and Steel will be available at Mid Ohio Con 2009, and will tie in with his upcoming creator-owned projects in the Angelwolf Comics universe. (Booth 436)

Beau Smith. Beau Smith has been writing comic books since 1985, and they haven't found a way to stop him yet. He has worked for all of the major publishers including DC, Image, Marvel, Chaos, Dark Horse, Knight Press, AC Comics, Wildstorm, Top Cow, and Axis on many of the leading characters and titles in the world of comics. In addition to writing comics, Beau has also done significant video game and film work. In the late 1970s, Beau was personally deemed president for life of the Sgt. Rock fan club by Sgt. Rock creator Robert Kanigher. Basically, if it's manly, Beau has had a hand or two in it, and his passion for writing rivals that of his lust for cold beer and pretty women. (Booth 625)

Uko Smith. Uko Smith first gained recognition after graduating from the Columbus College of Art and Design for his distinctive use of line work and stylized realization as well as his erotic pin-up work and sensual style. Uko has appeared in Heavy Metal magazine as the Featured Artist of the Month and his work as been featured in Julie Strain's Nightmare on Pin-Up Street, Jade Magazine, Marquis, Aphrodisia, and many others. Other work of Uko's can be found in the world of sketchcards from DC Legacy, Marvel Masterpieces, The Complete Avengers, and The Women of Marvel. He also produces self-published works such as sketchbooks, prints, original works, and T-shirts, along with a steady load of freelance work for various companies such as Green Ronin. (Booth 435)

Jamie Snell. Jamie Snell has been making his mark in comic book and entertainment as a freelance illustrator for over ten years since he graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design, and earned himself a B.F.A. Snell has worked with top properties with the likes of Transformers, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Heroes, and Terminator among many others. His recent projects include Lord of the Rings Masterpieces II sketch cards from Topps and New Line Cinema, various Beast Wars Source Book profiles from IDW Publishing and Hasbro, Pop Gun Anthology from Image Comics, Cereal and Pajamas from Ape Entertainment. Jamie also inked the 2008 Harvey Award winning Image Comics anthology Popgun Vol. 1. (Booth 636)

Chris Sprouse. Eisner Award-winning artist Chris Sprouse has been working in comics since the early 1990s and is best known as the artist and co-creator of Alan Moore's Tom Strong for Wildstorm's ABC Comics imprint. With writer Warren Ellis, Chris designed and drew Wildstorm's science fiction miniseries Ocean, which is being turned into a motion picture by Warner Brothers. Chris has worked on projects including Number of the Beast, Midnighter, Legionnaires, Batman, Justice League, Wild C.AT.S., Star Wars, Grendel, Supreme, and X-Men. With this fantastic body of work, it’s no wonder why Chris is the subject of the next Modern Masters volume from TwoMorrows Publishing due in stores on July 10th. Also look for his work in the much-anticipated return of Tom Strong in Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom this fall. (Booth 633)

Paul Storrie. Paul Storrie has been writing comics professionally since 1998, starting with Robyn of Sherwood, a series about the daughter of Robin and Marian taking up the cause 15 years after the death of her parents. He has written extensively for Moonstone Books, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics, including his noted collaboration with David Lloyd in the 60th Anniversary anthology Captain America: Red, White & Blue. Paul authored the Shi-Tenth Muse crossover for Blue Water Productions and penned an installment of IDW Publishing's Star Trek: Alien Spotlight series. Storrie has also contributed extensively to the Graphic Myths & Legends line of graphic novels from children's book publisher Lerner Books. Currently, he is working on a remastered edition of Robyn of Sherwood with original series artists Rob Davis and Michael Larson, finishing off a mini-series for Bluewater Productions, penning a prose story for a Moonstone horror anthology, and just started writing a cross-genre action/comedy graphic novel aimed at Tween girls. (Booth 732)

Marc Sumerak. Marc Sumerak has worked as a writer and editor with Marvel Comics for the past decade. Some of his recent writing work includes Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, Hulk: Broken Worlds, Weapon X: First Class, and the highly publicized backup story in Models Inc. #1 starring fashion icon Tim Gunn. Sumerak is perhaps best known for his work on Power Pack and Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, which was nominated for both an Eisner and a Harvey Award and is a fan favorite title loved by children of all ages. A Cleveland-based writer, Sumerak has worked with a number of clients including DC Comics, American Greetings, the Elks, SAMHSA, PBS Kids, Pepperidge Farm, Tyson Foods, Triple-A Baseball, SEGA, the U.S. Army, and more. (Booth 525)

Mark Texeira. Best known for his work on Marvel titles such as Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Black Panther, and more, Mark Texeira has a knack of bringing a striking reality, powerful mood, and visceral feeling to any story he tackles. His fine-art style has also graced numerous album covers, magazine covers, paperback books, movie tie-ins, and gaming merchandise. His clients include Def Jam Records, Marvel Entertainment, Dynamite, Harris, DC Comics, and pretty much every publisher we could name. His brush has brought to life characters such as Vampirella, Conan, and Batman, as well as Tex's creator-owned character Pscythe. (Booth 425)

Herb Trimpe. Best known for his work on Transformers, G.I. Joe, Shogun Warriors, and The Incredible Hulk, Herb Trimpe was a staff artist for Marvel comics for nearly 40 years from the 1960s to the 1990s, working alongside greats such as Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., and many others. Trimpe is famously credited for the co-creation of the character Wolverine along with writer Len Wein in Incredible Hulk #180 and 181 during his 8-year run on the title, which established the foundation for one of the most beloved and commercially successful characters in the history of comics. With blockbuster movies that all owe a debt of gratitude to his definitive work slated for 2009, including Wolverine, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and G.I. Joe, we expect Trimpe to be among the most popular guests at Mid-Ohio-Con 2009. (Booth 628)

Billy Tucci. Billy Tucci took the comics world by storm when he launched his self-published series Shi in 1994 while working from his one-bedroom apartment. Still a fan-favorite title to this day, the phenomenally successful character has sold more than 4 million comics worldwide in her own title and in cross-over projects with some of the most well-known characters in the industry, including Daredevil, Witchblade, and Wolverine. In addition to his creator-owned titles, Tucci has worked for for all of the major comic publishers during the course of his career. In 2006, Tucci drew Marvel's new Heroes for Hire title that spun out of the Civil War saga. In November 2008, Tucci took a new creative direction with his DC miniseries Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion, which was set in October 1944 after D-Day. The six-issue story about the rescue of a lost battalion featured many of Sgt. Rock's long-standing cast of characters and was acclaimed by critics and fans alike. (Booth 629)

Joshua Warner. Joshua Warner is a professional illustrator whose credits include such titles as penciling and inking on Sundragon comics’ The Mighty 1, Arrow Comics’ Wild Planet, Fun Publications’ GI Joe vs. Cobra, and Transformers: Wings of Honor. Joshua is also the creator, artist, and self-publisher of MOOS MIHT: The Adventures of Mighty Moose as well as his anthology series Incessant Yarns. MOOS MIHT: The Adventures of Mighty Moose #6, now continued through issue 8, has been critically acclaimed with 3 ½ out of 4 stars by The Comics Buyers Guide. The first trade paperback debuted at Wizard World Chicago and issue #9 will debut this fall, along with new animations featuring the voice of Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) and new original art from the book. (Booth 726)

Len Wein. An enduring fan-favorite and legend in the industry, Len Wein is best known as the creative genius responsible for enduring fan favorites such as Wolverine, the All-New, All Different X-Men, Swamp Thing, and many others. Wein's first professional comics story was Eye of the Beholder in DC's Teen Titans no. 18, where he teamed up with co-writer Marv Wolfman. At DC, Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson created the horror character Swamp Thing in The House of Secrets no. 92. Wein began writing regularly for Marvel Comics in the early 1970s. Wein had lengthy runs on Marvel Team-Up, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Mighty Thor, Fantastic Four, and The Incredible Hulk, during which he created Wolverine with artists John Romita Sr. and Herb Trimpe. In 1975 Wein and artist Dave Cockrum relaunched the X-Men with Giant-Size X-Men no. 1. Wein is more active in comics, animation, TV and film projects today than ever. (Booth 324)

Ken Wheaton. Ken Wheaton has been a contributing artist to Simpsons Winter Wing Ding, Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror and Futurama. Other notable comic book work includes Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, I Dream of Jeannie, The Phantom, Buckaroo Banzai, Kolchak The Night Stalker, Moonstone Monsters: Demons, El Mucho Grande: Wrestler For Hire, his creator-owned Burger Bomb and now Popeye The Sailor. In addition to comics, Ken has most recently completed artwork and designs for a series of television ads for Toyota and McDonald's and Douglas The Fir Tree Wants Leaves, a children's book written by the late Kenneth "Tiny" Glover. Ken conducts art demonstrations and teaches workshops that introduce students to the fundamentals of comic book writing, layout, and illustration through the process of creating original comic book stories. Check out his work in Popeye The Sailor from Premium Pop Comics/CLI 2.0 at Mid-Ohio-Con. (Booth 734)

Renee Witterstaetter. Writer, editor, color artist, and publisher, Renee Witterstaetter began her career working for DC, Marvel, and Topps. After a storytelling immersion in comics, film work was a natural progression for her, and she worked on dozens of commercials and music videos for the likes of Madonna, Seal, and Usher, as well as the feature films Police Story III, Crime Story, Rush Hour Two, and Red Dragon, among others. She is the author of numerous books, including Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan, The Fantastic Art of Arthur Suydam, and The Art of the Barbarian, vols. 1 and 2, the top-selling Excess: The Art of Michael Golden and Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira, as well as her new mystery novel Made in Hong Kong. (Booth 427)

Marv Wolfman. Legendary writer Marv Wolfman is best known as the co-creator of The New Teen Titans, including its characters Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Deathstroke the Terminator, in combination with George Perez. That dynamic duo’s rendering of The New Teen Titans transformed the title into a fan favorite of the 1980s that is still going strong today, as evidenced by the great success of the Teen Titans series on Cartoon Network. Wolfman also partnered with Perez on the groundbreaking Crisis on Infinite Earths. He created the ever-popular Blade: The Vampire Hunter, helping to break racial barriers in the comic-book industry at the time. Some of Marv's other characters include Daredevil’s arch-nemesis Bullseye, Phantasm, Nova, Terrax, Black Cat, and Nightwing. (Booth 335)

Chris Yambar. Award-winning creator Chris Yambar is best known for his work on such titles as Bart Simpson Comics, Radioactive Man, I Dream of Jeannie, Mister Magoo, and Elfquest. He has also received acclaim for his own over-the-top characters such as Mr. Beat, the Fire-Breathing Pope, El Mucho Grande—Wrestler for Hire, Suicide Blonde, Spells, Meow Wow!, Twerp and the Blue Baboon, Faith: Warrior Princess, Bambeano Boy, Misfits, McBride—the Faerie King, Suckulina: Vampire Temp, Life Maxx, Edison's Frankenstein 1910, and Buttler—Everyone's Favorite Impacted Pup. In late 2007 Chris signed an animation development deal with Cinemanix which is now working on test animation for several of his creator- and co-creator-owned properties. Check out his work in Popeye The Sailor from Premium Pop Comics/CLI 2.0 at Mid-Ohio-Con. (Booth 738)

Thom Zahler. Thom Zahler is the writer and artist of the indie fan-favorite Love and Capes which chronicles the adventures in love of an ordinary bookstore owner and her accountant boyfriend….who also happens to be a superhero The Crusader. Love and Capes has been hailed by critics, fans and professionals alike, including Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Gail Simone, Alan Davis and Tony Isabella. Love and Capes has been a three-time participant in Free Comic Book Day and a collection of the first six issues was released by IDW Publishing last year. Thom is a graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. His client list includes companies such as Marvel Comics, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Prilosec, and Toon Tumblers. He is also the writer and artist of the Cleveland Indians' Slider comic strip. He has written and drawn three graphic novels: Raider: From the Shadows, Raider: A Cold Day in Heaven, and Raider: Dead Men's Tales. (Booth 532)

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