Mid-Ohio Comic Con - Columbus, Ohio - October 22-23, 2011

Features, News, and Updates

2011-11-06T00:01:00.004-04:00

Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 in Photos
Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 has come to a close, but we've got tons of photos of a fun and event-filled weekend to tide you over till next year.
View our MOCC 2011 photo gallery. »»

MOCC 2011 Costume Contest Gallery
Mid-Ohio's fourth annual costume contest featured more participants than ever before, and we've got all the pictures here!
Check out the costume contest gallery! »»

Media Guests at Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011!
Check out Adam West, Burt Ward, James Marsters, Billie Dee Williams, Walter Koenig and many many more media guests at MOCC 2011!
Click here to check out the MOCC Media Guest List! »»

Comics Guests at Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011!
Our incredible roster of guests from the world of comics includes David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeff Smith, Arthur Suydam and many more!
Click here to check out the MOCC Comics Guest List! »»

Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 Costume Contest Photos

2011-10-28T17:10:00.004-04:00

Saturday evening's costume contest on the mezzanine level of Battelle Hall was a high point of the weekend for participants and spectators alike. Whether walking the show floor or strutting their stuff for the contest judges, costumers made a colorful spectacle everywhere you turned. Congratulations to this year's winners and many thanks to everyone who donned the cape and tights (and fur, feathers, paint, and latex) to help make Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 such a fun-filled weekend.

Here's our costume contest photo gallery by MOCC friend and photographer Aimee Finley. Enjoy!

Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 in Photos

2011-10-28T17:09:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all the amazing comic book creators, film and TV stars, retailers and vendors, our loyal con crew volunteers, and the legion of fans who helped make this year's Mid-Ohio Comic Con such a terrific weekend. Kudos to the staff at Wizard for putting on a smoothly run show in an attractive new venue. The little convention that Roger Price founded 31 years ago is bigger and better than ever today, and we're already looking forward to seeing what good things MOC 2012 will bring.

Here for your viewing pleasure is a gallery of pictures from the weekend, with special thanks to returning MOCC friend and photographer Aimee Finley for tirelessly roaming the show floor and capturing the spirit of the con. Enjoy!

MOCC Launches 2010 Charity Auction

2010-12-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mid-Ohio Comic Con Launches 2010 Charity Auction on eBay

Columbus, OH – December 2, 2010 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con is pleased to announce the launch of its 2010 charity auction on eBay. The auction features original art and other creative work from the guests at this year’s 30th anniversary show, many of whom made incredibly generous contributions. Of particular note, the auction includes all the giant sketches (19" x 24") done by artists on the Main Stage easel during the show as well as other contributed work, including sketchbooks, posters, and comics.

Proceeds from the auction will go to benefit the Hero Initiative, a non-profit organization that creates a financial safety net for comic creators who need emergency medical aid, financial support for the essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. “We are big believers in the Hero Initiative and are very pleased to see such strong support of its cause from the comic creators who donated their work to this year’s auction,” said James Henry, Managing Director of Mid-Ohio Comic Con.

Creators whose work is featured in the auction include Sergio Aragonés (Groo), Art Baltazar (Tiny Titans), Andy Bennett (Phantom), Pat Block (Scrooge), George Broderick (Christmas Eve), David Finch (Green Lantern), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Michael Golden (Sketchbook), Lora Innes (Harley Quinn), Arvell Jones (Iron Fist), Todd Nauck (Impulse), Doug Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Steve Scott (Hulk), Arthur Suydam (Zombie King Kong), Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider), Billy Tucci (Wonder Woman), and Matt Wagner (Batman).

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 was held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH on the weekend of November 6-7, 2010 and featured a who's who of creators from the worlds of comics, film, literature, and television, including featured comic guests David Finch, Adam Hughes, Frank Cho and Barry Kitson as well as featured media guests Michael Berryman Lou Ferrigno and many more. Visit Mid-Ohio-Con on Blogger for a recap of the incredible 30th anniversary show and for further information on the 2010 charity auction.

Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011 will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH on the weekend of October 22-23, 2011. The event will showcase headline media guests Adam West and Burt Ward (Batman, natch!) along with featured comic guests Rob Liefeld (Deadpool, Youngblood, X-Force), Mike Grell (Warlord, Green Arrow), Greg Horn (Green Lantern, Emma Frost) and many more. Visit Wizard World’s Mid-Ohio Comic Con web site for more information on the 2011 show and stay tuned for regular announcements and updates.

Source: Mid-Ohio Comic Con

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Charity Auction

2010-11-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to provide a sneak preview of some of the items that will be featured in the Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 post-show charity auction on eBay. Proceeds from the auction will go to benefit the Hero Initiative, a nonprofit organization that creates a financial safety net for comic creators who need emergency medical aid, financial support for the essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.

The auction will feature original art and other work from our guests at Mid-Ohio-Con 2010, many of whom made incredibly generous contributions. Of particular note, the auction includes all the giant sketches (19" x 24") done by artists on the Main Stage easel during the 30th anniversary show. The auction will start on eBay on Black Friday, November 26th just in time for the holiday shopping season!

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Costume Contest Photo Gallery

2010-11-13T18:40:00.011-05:00

The third annual Mid-Ohio-Con costume contest was a high point of an event-filled weekend, with $1,000 in prize money attracting more contestants than ever before. Whether walking the show floor or battling it out on the main stage, costumers made a colorful spectacle everywhere you turned. Congratulations to this year's winnners and many thanks to everyone who donned the cape and tights (and fur, and feathers, and paint, and latex, and gas masks, and chainsaws) to help make MOC 2010 our best show yet.

Here's our costume contest photo gallery by MOC friend and photographer Aimee Finley. Enjoy!

Press the Play button to watch the slideshow here, or click here or on any image to view the pictures, at full size, in Gormuu's web gallery.

Wizard World Acquires Mid-Ohio-Con

2010-11-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con Set for October 22-23, 2011

Headline Guests Adam West, Burt Ward, Rob Liefeld Announced for 2011

New York, NY and Columbus, OH, November 13, 2010 – Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard Entertainment, today announced the acquisition of Mid-Ohio-Con. The show will make its inaugural appearance on the Wizard World Tour circuit on the weekend of October 22-23, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH.

“The acquisition of Mid-Ohio-Con gives us an even stronger presence in the key Midwest market,” said Shamus. “We are excited to have the opportunity to build from the great foundation of Mid-Ohio-Con, which has consistently delivered the best in comics, celebrity and pop culture entertainment for 30 years running.”

“We are thrilled to join the Wizard World Tour,” said James Henry, Managing Director of Mid-Ohio-Con. “We are excited to work with Gareb and the Wizard World team to produce Mid-Ohio Comic Con and we are confident that this partnership will result in a show that will delight fans, creators and exhibitors alike in 2011 and beyond.”

Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con announced its first slate of guests for 2011, which includes Batman stars Adam West and Burt Ward as well as fan-favorite Image Comics creator Rob Liefeld. “I'm in,” said Liefeld. “I've never been to Mid-Ohio before....make it a big deal!” Stay tuned for additional headline guest announcements in the coming months.

Mid-Ohio-Con is one of America’s longest-running and most successful comic book and pop-culture conventions, carrying on a fun and family-oriented tradition of bringing fans of all ages together with leading comic book writers and artists, film and television stars and creators, and publishers and retailers from across the nation.

2010 marked Mid-Ohio-Con’s 30th anniversary show which included guests of honor David Finch and Adam Hughes along with featured media guests Michael Berryman and Lou Ferrigno and more than 100 creators from the worlds of comics, film, gaming and television. The show had record attendance and has received acclaim from exhibitors, fans and guests as the best in its long history.

Visit the dedicated Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con page on the Wizard World site for more news about the show and for guest announcements and other key updates.

About Wizard Entertainment
Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment in 1991. Today, Shamus publishes consumer magazines Wizard, ToyFare, FunFare and numerous books about pop-culture’s top talent, comic books and toys. Shamus also produces the largest North American Comic Con tour. Wizard World Comic Con – The Pop-Culture Capital of the World!

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Lost & Found

2010-11-13T00:01:00.005-05:00

People seem to lose things on the show floor at Mid-Ohio-Con every year and fortunately many of them find their way to the Lost & Found in our main ticket booth. A lot of the lost items get returned during the show (The Black Cat's mobile phone, for example. Meow!) but a few always seem to get left behind. Check out the short video below to see what was left in our Lost & Found and email us at info@midohiocon.com if any of the items are yours or you know how we can track down the owners.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Recap

2010-11-10T12:46:00.013-05:00

The 30th Anniversary of Mid-Ohio-Con was an eventful and fun-filled weekend that we’ve heard many folks call our best show ever. Attendance was up 30% over 2009 and a fine time was had by all. We'd like to thank everyone involved—our amazing roster of guests, the fantastic array of exhibitors, our hardworking Con Crew, and, of course, all the fans—for making Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 such a memorable event.

For your viewing pleasure, we present here our first gallery of pictures from the weekend, with special thanks to new MOC friend and photographer Aimee Finley for tirelessly roaming the show floor and capturing the spirit of the con. Thanks also to Scott DM Simmons for sharing a few additional pictures of our creative guests. If you took pictures at the show and want to share them, please send us links to your galleries. Enjoy!

Press the Play button to watch the slideshow here, or click here or on any image to view the pictures, at full size, in Gormuu's web gallery.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Floor Plan

2010-11-06T12:04:00.001-04:00

The Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 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.

David Finch Green Lantern Exclusive

2010-11-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought we couldn't spring any more surprises for this year's 30th anniversary extravaganza, we're pleased to unveil an exclusive Green Lantern print by Mid-Ohio-con 2010 guest of Honor David Finch! Drawn by David Finch with colors and graphic design by Thom Zahler, this exclusive Green Lantern print will be limited to 500 pieces and given out free on the Mid-Ohio-Con SWAG table by the main entrance to Exhibit Hall E and at Finch's booth. Enjoy!

Special Guests: Patrick & Shelly Block

2010-11-05T00:03:00.001-04:00

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. Look for Pat Block's most recent work on the cover of Donald Duck & Friends #360 from Boom Studios and much more to come from him in 2011.

Arthur Suydam Zombie King Kong Exclusive

2010-11-05T00:02:00.000-04:00

From the mad genius of Arthur Suydam comes this zombie re-imagining of the iconic movie poster featuring King Kong atop the Empire State Building! This exclusive print will be limited to 100 pieces and given out to buyers of the Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 VIP Package. Any extra posters will be available for purchase from Arthur Suydam at Booth 428 during the course of the show. Enjoy!

The Toyetic Adventures of Coco Fiasco

2010-11-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

The Toyetic Adventures of Coco Fiasco
Written By James Moore
Illustrated By Joel Jackson
Packrat Comics Variant Edition Cover ($3.00)
Edition Limited to 50 Copies

Who do you call when the trouble gets hotter than Tabasco? Who else, but Coco Fiasco?! Alongside her pigesus Puerco Bueno, she's going to need every gadget and martial arts move in her arsenal to defeat a giant monster smashing up a near-future Tokyo (and get to school ontime) in this all ages adventure. It's magical girl vs. kaiju for the fate of a city in this fast-paced, awesome-stuffed one-shot! You can find this exclusive Mid-Ohio-Con variant edition at Packrat Comics at Booth 404.

The Packrat Comics Pre-MOC Party!

2010-11-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Packrat Comics will host the annual Mid-Ohio-Con Kick Off party this Friday, November 5th from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Packrat will provide limo service to and from the Greater Columbus Convention Center along with food, drinks and some musical entertainment, which may or may not include the musical stylings of one Ethan Van Sciver! Packrat Comics strives to make this part a comfortable atmosphere where creators and fans without the lines or tables between them and there is no pressure for artwork or signatures.

Packrat Comics
3872 Lattimer Street
Hilliard, OH 43026
(614) 527-8450
packratcomics@sbcglobal.net
www.packratcomics.com

Hero Initiative to Sell Heroine at MOC!

2010-10-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

The Hero Initiative and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) have cooked up something new: Heroine! Heroine is the first fragrance created specifically for The Hero Initiative and features label art is by the fabulous Adam Hughes!

This new scent by BPAL features Nepalese amber, East African patchouli, dark musk, apple blossom, petitgrain, aged leather, skin musk, and rhubarb.

The Hero Initiative will be selling Heroine at Booth 203 at the Mid-Ohio Con. This will be the FIRST Midwest opportunity to get your hands on this great new BPAL scent—which won't be available to the general public until late November!

Heroine will be available for $25 at the Mid-Ohio-Con booth, and will be $26 when it goes live on the BPAL site in late November.

Why Columbus?

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Greater Columbus is a thriving metropolitan area of 1.75 million people, including 26 colleges and universities with a total enrollment of more than 115,000 students and 20,000 annual graduates, representing more than 15% of Ohio’s total population of 11.5 million. Columbus is the 15th largest city in the U.S. and centrally located at the heart of the largest concentration of population and economic activity in North America.

Already the second-fastest growing major metropolitan area in the Midwest, the entire community is seizing new opportunities to propel Greater Columbus into the ranks of the nation's most innovative, attractive and business-friendly communities.

Columbus Region Quick Facts:
- Eight-county region
- 28 cities and villages with 4,000+ population
- Metropolitan area spans 4,000 square miles
- 1.75 million people in the region
- Annual growth of 1.1%
- Second-fastest population growth in the Midwest
- 26 colleges and universities
- 115,000 college students
- Home to 14 Fortune 1,000 company headquarters

Located within a one-day drive or a one-hour flight of nearly half the population of the United States and Canada, the Columbus Region is perfectly situated. Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) offers many different daily flights to 26 different business and leisure markets throughout the U.S. Search Port Columbus Flight Schedule.

Crossed by eight major interstate highways, Central Ohio has easy southbound access through the Mid-Atlantic States to the Southeast. Central Ohio's east-west corridors traverse the country from coast to coast and into the Rockies. Interstate access also provides major benefits to in-state commerce with easy travel possible from any market in the state to another.

The Perhapanauts Poster Exclusive

2010-10-21T00:03:00.005-04:00

From Craig Rousseau and Todd Dezago comes this fantastic exclusive poster for Mid-Ohio-Con featuring featuring the Perhapanauts investigating a case with an Ohio cryptozoological bent... the Loveland Frog Creatures, which were last seen in the pages of Perhapanauts years ago in Loveland, Ohio. This super-exclusive poster will be limited to 50 pieces.

Night of the Living Dead #1

2010-10-21T00:02:00.002-04:00

Night of the Living Dead #1 Mid-Ohio-Con Exclusive Edition
Cover: Michael DiPascale
Writers: Mike Wolfer and John Russo
Art: Tomas Aira
Readership: MR
Format: Full Color, 32 pages, 1 of 5

Fans have demanded it, the most unprecedented and horrifying night in American history continues as the next chapter of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is revealed at last! Set on that fateful evening in 1968, shocking reports from rural areas continue to flood the airwaves with accounts of the recently deceased rising up to kill the living. Now government officials begin counter-measures to calm an increasingly panic-stricken public. Questioning whether or not the unbelievable stories are truth or simply an elaborate hoax perpetrated by militants opposed to the Vietnam War, the attention of the nation's Capitol is focused on a threat more believable, as thousands of protesters converge on Capitol Hill to voice their opposition to the War. But with National Guard forces spread impossibly-thin to deal with civil unrest, Washington D.C. is completely unprepared for an event that will forever change the course of the country, and perhaps the world, as an unstoppable army of the undead begins to flood the city, bringing their blood-thirsty reign of terror to the very steps of the White House! Written by the smash duo of Mike Wolfer and John Russo, the original film co-writer, this blood-drenched five-issue series features new artist Tomas Aira. Mid-Ohio-Con exclusive cover limited to only 850 copies!

Crossed: Family Values #4

2010-10-21T00:01:00.003-04:00

Crossed: Family Values #4 Mid-Ohio-Con Exclusive Cover
Cover: Michael DiPascale
Writer: David Lapham
Art: Javier Barreno
Readership: MR
Format: Full Color, 32 pages, 4 of 6

The biggest hit horror series of the year returns with an all-new seven-issue series written by David (Stray Bullets) Lapham! Adeline Pratt is a survivor. She is holding together what is left of her family while they are under constant siege. But as she has to face off against family members who have turned Crossed, can she bring herself to stay calm and in control? Or are the pressures of this horrific new World just too much for anyone to bare? What is the price of surviving in this new World, could it be that the only way to persevere is to be even more evil than the Crossed are? Imagine, for a moment, the worst crimes against humanity. Picture the cruelest affronts to decency. Conjure your darkest nightmares... and then realize it could all be so much worse. When civilization crumbles in one terrifying moment; when people are gleefully breaking into unthinkable acts of violence all around you; when everyone you love has died screaming in agony: What do you do? There is no help. There is no hope. There is no escape. There are only the Crossed. Mid-Ohio-Con exclusive cover limited to only 850 copies!

Lady Death: The Rapture #1 Savage Edition

2010-10-20T00:03:00.000-04:00

Lady Death: The Rapture #1 Savage Edition
Written by Brian Pulido
Mid-Ohio-Con Exclusive Cover painted by Mike Hoffman
Lmited to 113 serial numbered copies
Signed by creator Brian Pulido

Wonderland Annual 2010

2010-10-20T00:02:00.005-04:00

Wonderland Annual 2010
Written by Raven Gregory, Linda Ly, Mark Millar and Troy Brownfield
48 Pages FC
Mid-Ohio-Con Exclusive Cover by Mike Debalfo and Jason Embury
Limited to 500 copies

The Liddle home has been the scene of many horrible events over the years. Many innocent and not so innocent victims have fallen victim to the whim of the looking glass mirror. But now the curse of the house of Liddle has reached beyond the confines of the home...and no one is safe.

Special Guest: Trevor Mueller

2010-10-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

Born in Ann Arbor, MI, Trevor Mueller was shocked to discover his latent writing abilities. “Am I from another planet?” he used to ponder as a child, but alas he soon discovered that he was a mere mortal by crashing his bike into a tree. Trevor works at an advertising agency by day, and writes comics by night. He is the writer / artist / creator of several popular webcomic series including the fantasy epic The Temple of a Thousand Tears and the teen-rated gag strip @$$hole!, both of which are self-published and have been nominated for several web comic awards. His web comic work can be found on his website, www.trevoramueller.com, along with his daily updates of movie, video game, and comic reviews. He has also contributed stories to several anthologies, including Hope: Hero Initiative from Ronin Studios and Reading with Pictures from the non-profit of the same name that advocates the use of comics in the classroom to promote literacy and improve education for all students. In 2009 Trevor joined Reading With Pictures as their Marketing Director, combining his love of comics, education, and advertising. Trevor has also begun giving lectures and presentations throughout the Midwest at conventions and schools on the power of combining creativity and literacy. Trevor resides in the city of Chicago, with his cat Waffles.

Special Guest: Josh Medors

2010-10-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

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, 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 Medors has been in the process of finishing up the Willow Creek Series and has finished the Image Comics Frazetta title Sorcerer, along with doing some cover work with Top Cow on The Darkness. He has also worked with the Hero Initiative on a few benefit books; Wolverine 100 which is one being used by Marvel to promote the comic.

Special Guest: Arthur Suydam

2010-10-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Award-winning creator Arthur Suydam rose to super stardom with his work on the smash hit series Marvel Zombies, which broke graphic novel sales records and immediately established the artist as a comic legend. Suydam’s popular work has also graced the covers of Deadpool, Marvel Zombies Dead Days, Marvel Zombies 2, Marvel Zombies 3, Wolverine, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Ghost Rider, Thor, Spider Girl, Black Panther, Oz Chronicles, Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies, Batman, Batman vs. Predator, Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, Savage Tales, and House of Secrets.

Suydam has been lauded for his work with awards that include the Spike TV Scream Award (Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Comic of the Year) and the inclusion of his short story Christmas Carol in The Mammoth Book of Horror and Legends for Best Comic Horror Stories of All Time. Recently honored with inclusion in Spectrum 14: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, Suydam was also honored with the prestigious Gold Award in Spectrum 12, in 2006, the San Sebastian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and numerous awards across the globe.

As a world class musician Suydam has composed and performed numerous film soundtracks. A list of Suydam’s band members reads like a whos-who list of Rock’s legends including musicians from Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney’s Wings, Steely Dan, Paul Simon Group, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel and many more. Suydam’s current group The Gotham Playboys recorded 3 albums and won the Grammy for The Sessions with Bruce Springsteen.

Suydam will be doing a limited edition print for Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 that will be available exclusively to VIP Pass holders. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days!

Special Guest: Frank Cho

2010-09-29T00:02:00.002-04:00

Frank Cho is a fan-favorite creator best known for his comic strip Liberty Meadows as well as his stunning art on Marvel's New Ultimates, Hulk, The Mighty Avengers, and Shanna the She-Devil, and Dynamite Entertainment’s Jungle Girl. Remarkably, the award-winning creator never received any formal training as an artist. He got his start writing and drawing a comic strip called University2 for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park.

After graduation, Cho adapted elements of this work for use in a professionally syndicated strip, Liberty Meadows. Cho signed a fifteen-year contract with Creators Syndicate, which he later realized was unusually long and, perhaps jokingly, blamed on having a bad lawyer. Growing tired of newspaper censorship, Cho severed his contract with Creators Syndicate, and ultimately converted Liberty Meadows to a monthly publication.

Cho has won many awards for his comic strip work, including the prestigious National Cartoonists Society’s Awards for Best Comic Book and Book Illustration, the Eagle Award, the Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning, Scripps-Howard Award for Best College Cartoonist, College Media Association for Cartooning, and the Max & Moritz Prize, for Best International Comic Strip. He has also been nominated for the coveted Harvey and Eisner Awards for his work in comics.

Visit Cho online at apesandbabes.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Dara Naraghi

2010-09-29T00:01:00.005-04:00

As a writer, Dara Naraghi has worked on comic books 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 from the likes of award-winning novelist Cory Doctorow, and writer/artist Sam Kieth. Working with IDW Publishing, he wrote the Terminator Salvation official movie prequel, which spent 3 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Some of his other works include a contribution to the children's anthology Fractured Fables(Image Comics), the "bizarre noir" The Absurd Adventures of Archibald Aardvark (Image Comics), and the romance-themed Ghostbusters: Tainted Love (IDW). His latest projects includes Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland and Witch and Wizard: Operation Zero (IDW), original graphic novels based on characters and settings from the James Patterson series of YA novels. This December, his debut work for DC Comics appears in the form of a Spectre story for the DCU Holiday Special 2010 anthology.

Dara is also a founding member of the Columbus, Ohio-based comic book writers/artists collective known as PANEL. To date, he has contributed stories to - and helped produce - 15 volumes of their comics anthology, which he self-publishes under his Ferret Press imprint. For information on his latest project, check out ferretpress.com.

Media Guest: Robyn Griggs

2010-09-27T00:03:00.003-04:00

Robyn Griggs is as an actress, director and singer who started acting at the age of three and has been working in television and film ever since. Her first prominent TV role was playing Stephanie Hobart on ABC's soap opera One Life to Live and she later starred as Maggie Cory on NBC's Another World. Robyn's film work has focused on independent horror and thriller films, such as Abattoir, Ghost Tour, Minds of Terror, Zombiegeddon, Project 187, The Urn, Demon Hunters, Aberration Boulevard, Severe Injuries, Dead Clowns, The Absence of Light, Dead Planet, Murder is Like Sex, Hellweek, Slashers Gone Wild, and My Soul To Take. Robyn recently released her debut solo CD Scream and currently is directing her own film, The Squad.

Media Guest: Josie Lee

2010-09-27T00:02:00.003-04:00

Josie Lee is a successful pin-up, fashion model, actress and media host who is best known for her appearances in pin-up calendars, commercials, trading cards, including Fashion TV, Playboy TV, Playboy magazine, Forbidden Science and Organ Grinder. Josie Lee will be featured on upcoming cover of Arlo Guthrie's album, and in limited edition Star Wars art books and DVD's by famed Lucas Film Illustrator, Matt Busch. Visit Josie Lee online at Model Mayhem to learn more about her work.

Media Guest: Cathy St. George

2010-09-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Cathy St. George is a model and actress whose film credits include Star 80 with Eric Roberts, The Man Who Loved Women with Burt Reynolds and Julie Andrews, Brewster's Millions with Richard Pryor, Beverly Hills Brats with Martin Sheen, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind with George Clooney. Her television work includes The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Tonight Show, and Santa Barbara. As a model, she has appeared twice as a Playboy cover model among many major publications and served as the inspiration for comic title Saint 7 International Spy and Ken Kelley's striking cover to issue #33 of Red Sonja. St. George recently completed a new horror film called Grave Danger and a new filled called The Wishing Box, which is in post production.

Special Guest: Alan Evans

2010-09-24T00:03:00.003-04:00

Alan Evans is the creator and artist of the #1 wrestling web comic, Rival Angels. Rival Angels began in 2007 and has become a hit with critics, fans and professionals having been nominated for such awards as Best Comic, Best Long Form and Best Character. In addition, Alan has done spot illustration work for several wrestling companies and flatting work for The Dreamer, DC Comics, Hi-Fi Color Design, Digital Webbing and many other independent studios. He loves drawing backgrounds, likes riding his bike and is also a fan of characters with the name, “Alan.” Visit Alan online to check out his latest work, including Rival Angels at RivalAngels.com.

Special Guest: Darryl Banks

2010-09-24T00:02:00.002-04:00

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, G.I. 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.

Special Guest: Bob McLeod

2010-09-24T00:01:00.003-04:00

Bob McLeod is best known as the co-creator of Marvel's New Mutants along with legendary and writer Chris Claremont. McLeod has also had a long and prolific career beyond the New Mutants as a writer, penciler, inker, and letterer. Among his notable projects, McLeod inked Dave Cockrum's pencils in the seminal X-Men #94, the first issue of the series featuring the "All New, All Different X-Men." He also inked Mike Zeck's pencils on the six-part Kraven's Last Hunt storyline that ran through all three of the Spider-Man regular titles for two issues each during 1987. In addition to his extensive work in comics, McLeod wrote and illustrated a children's book, Superhero ABC, published by Harper Collins. Look for McLeod's work along side writer Chris Claremont and penciler Al Rio in Marvel's New Mutants Forever limited series in comics book stores now. Visit McLeod online at bobmcleod.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Media Guest: Michael Berryman

2010-09-17T00:02:00.007-04:00

Michael Berryman is a horror genre icon who is best known for his gripping performance as Pluto in the uncompromising Wes Craven horror film The Hills Have Eyes. Berryman, who suffers from Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, a rare condition leaving him with no sweat glands, hair, fingernails or teeth, reminds one of a latter-day Rondo Hatton, who also suffered from a rare medical condition that distorted his features, giving him a look just right for horror movies. Berryman successfully built upon the success of his breakout role in The Hills Have Eyes and has enjoyed an extraordinary run as a star of fantasy, horror and sci-fi movies such as My Science Project, Weird Science, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Armed Response, Evil Spirits and many more. The tall and lean Berryman has portrayed mutant bikers, evil undertakers, monsters and other frightening characters on camera, but in real life is one of the kindest most compassionate souls you will ever meet. Berryman will star alongside Edward Furlong in the soon-to-be released thriller Below Zero. Check out IMDB.com for a full list of Berryman’s film and television credentials.

Media Guest: Lou Ferrigno

2010-09-17T00:01:00.004-04:00

Lou Ferrigno is a tough act to follow: Even with a $150 million budget and state-of-the-art CGI special effects, Marvel and Universal still brought Ferrigno back for The Incredible Hulk movie to voice the character he defined in live action in the 1978–82 television series on CBS. That says a lot about what the 6'5", 275-pound Ferrigno brought to that unforgettable role and a lot about the love that fans have for him after all these years.

Ferrigno first received acclaim at the age of 21 as the youngest man to win the title of Mr. Universe, a record that still stands today. He went on to win the contest the following year as well, making him the only man to win back-to-back titles. Those extraordinary accomplishments led to a starring role in the body-building film Pumping Iron, which also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ferrigno first portrayed the jade giant in the 1977 TV movie The Incredible Hulk: Death in the Family, and went on to star in The Incredible Hulk TV series from 1978 to 1982. He reprised that role in four feature-length Incredible Hulk films over the next two decades. With proven results at the box office and on television, Ferrigno is more popular and sought after than ever. Check out IMDB.com for a full list of Ferrigno’s film and television credentials and look for him on September 27th on the second episode of this season’s fan-favorite NBC show Chuck.

Special Guest: Joe Benitez

2010-09-16T00:05:00.003-04:00

Joe Benitez is a comic book artist best known for his work on such titles as Justice League America (JLA), Superman/Batman, Detective Comics, Supergirl, and Titans for DC Comics and The Darkness for Image Comics. He also co-created and penciled the sci-fi series Weapon Zero and the dark fantasy mini-series Magdalena: Blood Divine for Image. In 2005, Joe published his first creator-owned mini-series Wraithborn through Wildstorm. In 2009, he stepped in to finish up Michael Turner's run on Soulfire. Joe is currently working on a new creator-owned book, Lady Mechanika, which will be published by Aspen Comics. Visit Joe online at wraithborn.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Daniel Leister

2010-09-16T00:04:00.001-04:00

Daniel Leister started drawing comics in his junior year of high school then attended Ohio State University and received his B.F.A. in 2000. After many years of submitting artwork to publishers and editors, he received his first published work, Celestial Alliance for After Hours Press, after coming in second place for the Marvel Talent search at the Chicago Comic Con. Daniel then picked up a run on the independent comic The Sire, also for After Hours Press and drew 4 issues of the series. From there he moved on to the acclaimed Wonderland series for Zenescope Entertainment. He is currently working on the ongoing series Hack/Slash for Image Comics with Tim Seeley. Daniel currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with his girlfriend and their two cats, Keller and Kattoo. Visit Daniel online at danielleiser.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Nei Ruffino

2010-09-16T00:03:00.003-04:00

Nei Ruffino is a professional colorist known for her dazzling and dynamic work for mainstream and indie publishers alike. For DC Comics, Nei has colored many best-selling titles including Birds of Prey, First Wave, Green Lantern Corps, Blackest Night: Batman, Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps, Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Superman and many more. For Zenescope Studios, she has colored 1001 Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad, Grimm Fairy Tales, and the Wonderland trilogy, including Return to Wonderland, Beyond Wonderland, and the Escape From Wonderland. Check out comicbookdb.com for a full list of Nei’s work and visit her Deviant Art site to see it in living color.

Special Guest: Eric Basaldua

2010-09-16T00:02:00.005-04:00

Eric Basaldua is a mainstay of the Top Cow universe who started working at Top Cow in 2000 under the direct tutelage of founder Marc Silvestri. Eric is probably best known for his depictions of beautiful women and sexy artwork. He has worked on many fan favorite comic series, including Hunter-Killer, Witchblade, Tomb Raider, Freshman, The Magdalena, Blood Legacy: The Young Ones, The Darkness, Battle of the Planets, the Darkness/Vampirella crossover, and the Witchblade/Wolverine crossover. In 2008, Eric did the artwork for the first ever Virgin Comics/Top Cow crossover, Devi/Witchblade #1. Recently, he has provided various covers for Top Cow and Zenescope, as well as contributing to the recently released Witchblade Annual #1. Visit Ebas online at his Deviant Art site to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Raven Gregory

2010-09-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

Raven Gregory is the writer/creator/co-creator of The Gift, The Waking, The Tide, Fly, Like a Machine, ImagiNation, Walking in the Ghost, and the one his most popular and well known series Zenescope's Grim Fairy Tales Presents: Return to Wonderland, the sequel Beyond Wonderland, and the final part of the wonderland trilogy Escape From Wonderland. In addition to his work for Zenescope, Raven has also written for Viper Comics, Heavy Metal and many other publishers. His upcoming works include a new spin off from the Grimm Fairy Tales series, as well as the brand new Charmed series based off the hit television show. Visit Raven online at zenescope.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Brian Pulido

2010-09-10T00:04:00.006-04:00

Brian Pulido is a multi-talented creator, writer and producer of pop cultural entertainment and merchandise. Pulido is the creator of Lady Death and over 100 other characters, including a new line of characters at Avatar Press. As the former President of Chaos! Comics, Pulido was the top selling independent comic publisher of the 1990s. Before comics publishing, Pulido worked as an assistant director in New York and Los Angeles, making music videos for brands as diverse as Kiss, Coca Cola and C&C Music Factory. Brian graduated New York University's School of Film and Television. He resides in the wilds of Arizona with his wife Francisca and his dogs Midnight and Raven, crafting a new vision to bring high quality, low budget film making to Arizona and the rest of the world. Find out more about Brian at his Eternal Entertainment website and check out what he's doing at Avatar on the Pulido at Avatar page.

Special Guest: Gary Kwapisz

2010-09-10T00:03:00.002-04:00

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.

Special Guest: Arvell Jones

2010-09-10T00:02:00.004-04:00

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.

Special Guest: Brett Pinson

2010-09-10T00:01:00.003-04:00

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, 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. Brett also does Animation Style Art cells which he will have along with his other work at Mid-Ohio-Con. Visit Brett at boomtownpress.com to read more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Scott Simmons

2010-09-09T00:07:00.002-04:00

Scott D.M. Simmons is a comic book and sketch card artist, who also does work for Star Wars licensees with his art appearing on Topps sketch card sets, Celebration V mini-cereal giveaways, and Celebration V Store clothing. Scott is a comic book artist for the indie series Wannabez and his own series Knights of P.O.W.E.R., as well as the upcoming graphic novel called The Dead Cell. His inking work appears in over 40 pages of Image Comics' recent Hack/Slash Volume 8: Super Sidekick Sleepover Slaughter tradepaperback, and the origin story within the independently published Halloween Man: Superdeformed collection. He also enjoys working on various card sets from 5finity, Breygent, and SadLittles. He has contributed artwork for Moonstone's upcoming Voltron: United and Drawn hardcover book, the New Comic Day: 52 and Then Some tradepaperback, and the cover of Mr. Jigsaw #7. His other credits include Jenny Everywhere, as well as some CDs, magazines, and educational books. He is also a news and photo contributor for Comic Related. Visit Scott online at scottdmsimmons.com to see more of his work.

Special Guest: Beau Smith

2010-09-09T00:06:00.002-04:00

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. Visit Beau online at flyingfistranch.com to read more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Uko Smith

2010-09-09T00:05:00.003-04:00

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. Look for Uko's latest work on IDW Publishing's FX 2: Lost Land and visit Uko online at ukosmith.com to read more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Jamie Snell

2010-09-09T00:04:00.003-04:00

Since the age of five when Star Wars first hit the big screen, Jamie Snell knew he wanted to be a comic book artist. After years of drawing X-Wing Fighters, Wolverine and other comic favorites, Jamie studied illustration and graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design. Jamie has been working on and off as a freelance illustrator for over 10 years. Some of his credits include various sketch card sets from Topps (Star Wars: CW Movie and Seasons 1&2, Galaxy 4&5, ESB Widescreen, Terminator Salvation, Heroes Season 2, Indiana Jones Masterpieces & Crystal Skull, Lord of the Rings Masterpieces 2), 5finity: Voltron sketch cards, IDW Publishing: Beastwars Source book, Image Comics: Popgun Anthology Vol.1 , and various other inking projects. This year Jamie had the privilege of producing two exclusive Star Wars posters for Lucas Films, Ltd, and Acme Archives: Celebrations V (Official Star Wars Convention) official print and the upcoming release for the 30th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back on starwarshop.com. Visit Jamie on line at ragelion.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Marc Sumerak

2010-09-09T00:03:00.002-04:00

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. Visit Marc online at sumerak.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Chris Yambar

2010-09-09T00:02:00.004-04:00

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. Visit Chris online at yambar.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: George Broderick, Jr.

2010-09-09T00:01:00.004-04:00

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, and Popeye the Sailor from Premium Pop Comics/CLI 2.0. Visit George online at georgebroderick.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Thom Zahler

2010-09-08T00:08:00.003-04:00

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 collections of the title have been published by IDW Publishing. 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.

Special Guest: Mark Evanier

2010-09-08T00:07:00.002-04:00

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 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 Aragonés on Groo the Wanderer and his book Kirby: King of Comics, for which he won an Eisner Award in 2009. Visit Mark online at newsfromme.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Steve Scott

2010-09-08T00:06:00.002-04:00

Steve Scott is a renowned comic book artist known for his work on Indiana Jones for Dark Horse, X-Men for Marvel and most recently an exclusive Green Lantern special project for DC Comics. Steve 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, Hour Man 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. Steve is currently penciling Batman Confidential for DC Comics that will ship this October. Visit Scott's Deviant Art site to see more of the artist's fantastic work.

Special Guest: Renee Witterstaetter

2010-09-08T00:05:00.002-04:00

Writer, editor, producer and publisher Renee Witterstaetter began the comic phase of her career working on such titles as Superman at DC Comics and Silver Surfer, Conan The Barbarian and Conan Saga at Marvel, then going on to spearhead the reintroduction of She-Hulk at Marvel, among other titles. She then moved over to Topps Comics where she was the editor on X-Files, Jurassic Park, Xena and Hercules and the co-creator with artist Michael Golden of the successful series, Spartan X.

She is the author of numerous books, boxing articles and feature articles including the books Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan from Warner Publishing, The Fantastic Art from Vanguard Productions and The Art of the Barbarian from Image/Eva Ink/Heavy Metal, as well as the best-selling biography Excess: The Art of Michael Golden from Vanguard Productions, which sold out and just went into a second printing. Her newest books include a biography and retrospective on artist Mark Texeira entitled Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira, as well as the Michael Golden art books, Heroes and Villains and MORE Heroes and Villains, the sketchbook Mark Texeira Babes and Brawn, and the upcoming art book Joe Jusko: Savage Beauty.

A member of the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan, Renee is currently working on two new books on Mr. Golden entitled Dangerous Curves and Bad Dog as well as instructional books. Visit Renee at evainkpublishing.com to learn more about her and her work.

Special Guest: Sean Forney

2010-09-08T00:04:00.003-04:00

Sean Forney is a professional illustrator and comic book artist who recently completed color work on My Adventures with Spider-Man by Marvel and Identity Direct. His pinup work can be seen in Moonstone’s Voltron: United and Drawn and Image’s Hack Slash: My First Maniac. He created Star Wars promotional material including the official t-shirt and patch design for LucasFilm/Disney/Blue Planet Gear for the 2009 and 2010 Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios. Sean works with The Artifact Group coloring Bakugan illustrations for the national toy line. Sean co-created and illustrated Scarlet Huntress and a children’s book tie-in called Little Red Riding Hood: Origins of a Huntress. Sean’s early work was for Twisted Gate Entertainment which included drawing two short Scarlet Huntress stories for the anthology books The Portal #1 and #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. He illustrated When the Cops Come Knockin’: An Illustrated Guide to the Law, character dossiers in G.I. Joe versus Cobra Fall Special: Rise of the Headhunters through Fun Publications, colored covers for Arrow Comics’ Wild Planet, and worked on comic strips for the Microsoft Developers’ program. See more of Sean’s work on the web at smcomics.com.

Special Guest: Joshua Warner

2010-09-08T00:03:00.002-04:00

Joshua Warner is a professional cartoonist whose credits include such titles as penciling and inking on Sundragon Comics’ The Mighty 1, Arrow Comics’ Wild Planet, and Fun Publications’ GI Joe vs. Cobra. Josh has also served on inking duties for Fun Publications’ Transformers: Wings of Honor and SMComics’ Scarlet Huntress. Josh is also the creator, artist, and self-publisher of the critically acclaimed comic book, MOOS MIHT: The Adventures of Mighty Moose as well as his anthology series Incessant Yarns. The first trade paperback debuted at Wizard World Chicago 2009. Production has begun for an animated cartoon of Mighty Moose featuring the voice of Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) as the lead character. For more information about Joshua go to HangingChadEntertainment.com.

Special Guest: Andy Bennett

2010-09-08T00:02:00.004-04:00

Andy Bennett is comic artist whose recent releases include art for Moonstone Books' Kolchak the Night Stalker / Sherlock Holmes mini-series and The Avenger Chronicles, as well as IDW's Lifelike graphic novel. Andy is a long-standing member of Ohio's independent comics powerhouse, PANEL, which will launch its 16th critically-acclaimed anthology exclusively at this year's Mid-Ohio Con. Andy's newest work can be found in Moonstone's The Phantom: Generations #13. Visit Andy online at B3NN3TT.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Dave Aikins

2010-09-08T00:01:00.003-04:00

Dave Aikins is a Nickelodeon Publishing artist for books and DVD/Video game covers featuring SpongeBob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, Diego, The Backyardigans, and Ni Hao Kai-Lan. He is also the illustrator of Twilight Creations' popular Zombies!!! board game series. 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 2010 is the first volume of The Zombie Art of Dave Aikins, collecting 92 pages of Zombie art goodness!, as well as the newest Zombies!!! game expansion. Dave's new kids books for 2010 include Dora Super Babies' Dream Adventure, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Mom, and Kai-Lan and the Ladybug Festival. Released in August, Dave illustrated Dora's Birthday Surprise, the very first Dora the Explorer Little Golden Book celebrating Dora's tenth anniversary. Check out Dave on the web at daveaikins.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Billy Tan

2010-09-07T00:02:00.004-04:00

Superstar artist Billy Tan has been thrilling comic fans most recently with his art on Marvel's Shadowland, continuing his remarkable run on iconic titles that have included New Avengers, Daredevil, Thor, Spider-Man and the Uncanny X-Men. Starting his career at Top Cow with Code Name: Strike Force, Tomb Raider, and Witchblade, Billy joined Marvel in 2003 as the artist on the groundbreaking series X-23. He was inducted into Marvel's second lineup of "Young Guns" in 2006, a list of artists exclusive to Marvel Comics and featured on the publisher's most prominent projects and titles. Billy was in good company with Clayton Crain, Simone Bianchi, Pascal Ferry, Ariel Olivetti, and Leinil Yu, and he was soon was teamed with writer Ed Brubaker on Uncanny X-Men. Check out Billy's catalog of work at marvel.com.

Special Guest: Tony Moore

2010-09-07T00:01:00.003-04:00

Tony Moore is a comic book artist from a small town in Kentucky, known for his penchant for the gruesome and gritty, and a leaning toward genre works. Tony's career in comics began in 2000 when he and Robert Kirkman created the irreverent Battle Pope under their Funk-O-Tron publishing banner. Together Robert and Tony went on at Image Comics to do Brit and, most notably, The Walking Dead, which garnered Eisner Award nominations in 2004 for Best New Series and in 2005 for Best Cover Artist. The fan-favorite zombie title The Walking Dead is being produced for a live action TV series that will premier on AMC on Halloween 2010. Tony has co-created and illustrated Fear Agent for Dark Horse and The Exterminators for DC's Vertigo Comics imprint, and has recently worked on Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and The Punisher at Marvel Comics. Visit Tony online at tonymooreillustration.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Art Baltazar

2010-08-26T00:03:00.000-04:00

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. Visit Art online at artbaltazar.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Joe Rubinstein

2010-08-26T00:02:00.003-04:00

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.

Special Guest: Tony Isabella

2010-08-26T00:01:00.002-04:00

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-eight years, having worked for every major publisher in the comics business, he's still going strong. Tony’s latest book, One Thousand Comic Books You Must Read, is a must-read for any comic book fan!

Special Guest: Todd Nauck

2010-08-25T00:02:00.002-04:00

Todd Nauck is an Eisner Award-nominated artist who is best known for his work on Amazing Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Teen Titans Go, Superman, Young Justice, Teen Titans, 52, Supergirl, Legion of Super Heroes, and many other titles for DC and Marvel as well as 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. Todd’s most recent work has appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Digital, Amazing Spider-Man: American Son, Peter Parker, Spider-Man: The Clone Saga, and X-Campus. Visit Todd online at toddnauck.net to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Lora Innes

2010-08-25T00:01:00.002-04:00

Lora Innes is the Harvey Award-nominated creator of the IDW Publishing title The Dreamer. Lora graduated Suma Cum Laude in 2002 from the Columbus College of Art and Design with a Bachelors in Fine Art. She has worked at the Artifact Group, doing illustration for clients such as Fisher Price, Mattel, McGraw Hill, Nickelodeon, Scholastic and Simon & Schuster. The Dreamer began as a web comic 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. Lora's first published The Dreamer series was a six issue mini-series which was published by IDW in 2008-2009. The Dreamer was nominated as Best New Series and Lora herself was nominated as Best New Talent for the 2009 Harvey Awards. Visit Lora online at thedreamercomic.com to read the latest installments of The Dreamer and to learn more about the creator and her work.

Special Guest: Khoi Pham

2010-08-24T00:01:00.002-04:00

Khoi Pham is a comic artist best known for his work on Marvel’s Mighty Avengers: Secret Invasion with writer Brian Bendis and Mighty Avengers with writer Dan Slott. Other work by the Marvel Comics Young Gun includes X-Factor, Incredible Hercules, What If? Spider-Man, 1602 Fantastick Four, and Marvel Comics Presents. In October 2010, the former Incredible Hercules team of Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente and Khoi Pham will reunite for the star-spanning extravaganza Chaos War. Announced on G4TV’s Fresh Ink, Chaos War is five-issue limited series from Marvel Comics featuring an all-new God Squad, led by the newly returned Hercules. Visit tentonstudios.com to learn more about the artist and his work.

Guest of Honor: Adam Hughes

2010-08-19T00:01:00.007-04:00

Adam Hughes is one of the most influential and successful creators in comics today, with a body of work that has graced the covers and pages of comics, graphic novels, trading cards, and posters and provided the basis for two lines of sculptures. The Eisner Award–winning creator is most commonly known for his stylized renderings of women—super heroines, damsels in distress, and figures in fantasy—as seen in Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes, which debuted in July 2010 at the number two spot on the New York Times Bestseller List and promptly sold out its first print run.

Adam began working in comics in 1985 at the age of 19 and in 1989 started on his first mainstream comic title, DC’s Justice League. He stayed with the book for almost two years, doing both covers and interiors until 1990, then switching to just covers. In 1998 he began a highly successful five-year run as cover artist on DC’s Wonder Woman, bringing him critical acclaim and commercial success while solidifying his status as an all-star creator with legions of fans.

Adam has brought his unique style to a broad array of titles for indie and mainstream publishers alike, including Star Wars for Dark Horse, Catwoman, Justice League, Legion of Superheroes, Power Girl, and Wonder Woman for DC, Gen13, Savage Dragon and Tomb Raider for Image, and Sensational She-Hulk and X-Men for Marvel, among many other titles. With the highly successful release of Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes, Adam’s work is in high demand, and we look forward to seeing new projects from him in the future.

Special Guest: Billy Tucci

2010-08-17T00:02:00.000-04:00

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 to this day, the phenomenally successful character 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.

Special Guest: Herb Trimpe

2010-08-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

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 nos. 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 such an influential body of work in comics and blockbuster movies, including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and G.I. Joe, that all owe a debt of gratitude to his definitive work, we expect Trimpe to be once again be among the most popular guests at Mid-Ohio-Con.

Special Guest: Mark Texeira

2010-08-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

Best known for his work on Marvel titles such as Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Black Panther, and many more fan-favorite characters, 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.

Special Guest: David Mack

2010-08-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

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. Most recently, David has been thrilling readers with his writing and cover artwork on Marvel's adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Ant. Stay tuned for news on other new projects. Visit davidmackguide.com online for more information on David and his work.

Special Guest: Michael Golden

2010-08-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

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, Nightwing, Uncanny X-Men, Hulk Team-Up, and Wonder Woman among many other titles. Michael's new sketchbook MORE Heroes and Villains is due out in the fall and a massive all-encompassing coffee table book is also in the works!

San Diego Comic-Con 2010 Photo Gallery

2010-07-30T00:02:00.005-04:00

San Diego Comic-Con 2010 was a blast! Fun, productive, stimulating . . . and completely exhausting. For Mid-Ohio-Con business, it was a fantastic opportunity to recruit creative guests and exhibitors and to meet with prospective partners and sponsors for the show. More to come on all those fronts in the coming days and weeks. On a personal level, it was great fun, and I really enjoyed soaking in all the pop culture madness and indulging my inner fanboy. I snapped lots of photos along the way with my iPhone camera, so check out the gallery below or click here to view it directly on Picasa. Enjoy!

Special Guest: Sean McKeever

2010-07-30T00:01:00.003-04:00

Sean McKeever is an acclaimed creator best known for the introspective, character-driven writing style debuted in his 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. Most recently, Sean has been delighting readers in the Marvel Universe with his work on Young Allies, which features the girl without a world known as Nomad, who's been kicking her way through her own mini series and backup stories in the monthly Captain America comics. The Young Allies lineup also includes Firestar, the spider-swinging superheroine Araña, McKeever's own young hero Gravity and a new player named Toro. Check out seanmckeever.com to learn more about the writer and his work.

Special Guest: Bryan J.L. Glass

2010-07-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

Bryan Glass is the Harvey Award-winning writer best known as co-creator of the acclaimed comic series The Mice Templar alongside artist Michael Avon Oeming. Bryan’s creative, detailed and passionate writing on The Mice Templar has won him praise from critics, fans and fellow creators alike, leading to his 2009 Harvey Award as Best New Talent and subsequent nomination for the 2010 Harvey Awards in the category of Best Previously Published Graphic Album for Mice Templar: Volume 1 from Image Comics. 2010 promises to be a true breakout year for Bryan as he will make his Marvel Universe writing debut this September with Thor: First Thunder, a limited series from Marvel Comics re-exploring the origins of the God of Thunder ahead of the Thor film directed by Kenneth Branagh slated to hit theaters next year. In addition to his work on Thor, Bryan is writing a Valkyrie one-shot exploring the character's recent resurrection and return to the Marvel Universe. Check out Comic Book Resources for more on Bryan and his new projects.

Special Guest: Matt Wagner

2010-07-27T00:01:00.003-04:00

Matt Wagner’s work on indie and mainstream characters alike has received critical acclaim and cultivated a huge fan base for the virtuoso creator during his 20+ year career in comics. Perhaps best known for his two indie creations, Grendel and Mage, Matt has also worked for DC and Vertigo on their flagship characters, including his ground-breaking treatment of the Batman villain, Two-Face, in the graphic novel, Faces, as well as a five-year stint on the fan-favorite Vertigo title, Sandman Mystery Theatre. Matt has written and drawn several other high profile projects for DC, including Trinity, a three-issue prestige series starring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, and Dark Moon Rising, a year-long, project that chronicled some of the earliest aspects of Batman’s career. Matt’s more recent work in comics includes writing the Dr. Mid-Nite mini-series for DC Comics and serving as the regular cover artist on the Kevin Smith-penned relaunch of Green Arrow. Visit Matt online at mattwagnercomics.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

2010 Eisner Award Winners

2010-07-24T00:01:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to all the professionals who won big at the Eisner Awards Ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 23rd! There was a diverse group of incredible professionals, publications, and projects nominated for this year's Eisner Awards, so the selection process for the winners must have been tough. Check out the full list of winners below:

Best Short Story: "Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

Best Single Issue or One-Shot: Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best New Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

Best Publication for Kids: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens: Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

Best Humor Publication: Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology: Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)

Best Digital Comic: Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, http://www.sintitulocomic.com/

Best Reality-Based Work: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Adaptation from Another Work: Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album—New: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

Best Writer/Artist: David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction: Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)

Best Cover Artist: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Lettering: David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (http://www.comicsreporter.com/)

Best Comics-Related Book: The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Publication Design: Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Vault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Burne Hogarth
- Bob Montana
- Steve Gerber
- Dick Giordano
- Michael Kaluta
- Mort Weisinger

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Jeannie Schulz

Bill Finger Award for Achievement in Comic Book Writing: Otto Binder, Gary Friedrich

Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award: Marian Churchland (Beast)

Source: Comic-Con International

Special Guest: Chris Giarrusso

2010-07-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

Chris Giarrusso is a comic book artist best known for the all-ages series G-Man at Image Comics and Mini Marvels at Marvel Comics. Chris created the Mini Marvels comic strips, featuring Marvel superheroes as children, which have appeared as back up features in many Marvel titles. The various strips were collected into Rock, Paper, Scissors and then featured in Mini Marvels: Secret Invasion. Giarrusso also created G-Man and an all-new cast of kid superhero characters in the Comic Bits comic strip first published by Image Comics in the pages of the Savage Dragon comic series. The first G-Man digest collection, G-Man Vol. 1: Learning to Fly, was released in May 2009 and the first full G-Man mini-series, G-Man: Cape Crisis, was a five-issue monthly mini series that began publication in August 2009. In addition to his fan-favorite work for Image and Marvel, Chris has put his amazing artistic and design skills to work for Mid-Ohio-Con over the past three years with online and print art with fantastic results! Visit Chris online at chrisgcomics.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: David Petersen

2010-07-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

David Petersen is the Eisner and Russ Manning Award-winning creator of Mouse Guard, the hit series published by Archaia Studios Press that has been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper among all the harsh conditions and fierce predators. The Mouse Guard was formed to serve all mice – patrolling borders, finding safe paths through dangerous territories, and fighting back natural enemies to keep the mouse territories free of predators. David’s work on Mouse Guard won him the 2007 Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer and in 2008, David won the Eisner Awards for Best Publication for Kids and Best Graphic Album – Reprint. In 2010, David has been nominated for a Harvey Award as in the Best Artist category. David credits his steady diet of cartoons, comics, and tree climbing as a child for his inspiring his imagination—the driving force behind his work today. Visit David online at davidpetersen.net to learn more about the creator and his work.

Special Guest: Kevin Cannon

2010-07-13T00:02:00.004-04:00

Kevin Cannon is a cartoonist whose first graphic novel, Far Arden - a nautical adventure published by Top Shelf - has been nominated for a 2010 Eisner Award in the category Best Publication for Teens and Kevin himself has been named as a Harvey Award Nominee in the category of Best New Talent. By day Cannon runs Big Time Attic studio alongside not-brother Zander Cannon, where they produce nonfiction graphic novels. Recent books they've illustrated include The Stuff of Life, written by Mark Schultz, and T-Minus: The Race to the Moon, written by Jim Ottaviani. Graphic Novel Reporter has included Far Arden in its list of Core 25 graphic novels. The list is intended to help individuals who are building their personal or institutional libraries, and it's a huge honor to be among some truly fantastic titles! Also, Vietnam: A Graphic History - a book that Kevin lettered and helped design - is included in GNR's Core 100 list. Kevin is excited to be a guest at Mid-Ohio-Con's 30th birthday, especially since he and the convention are the same age. Visit kevincannon.org to learn more about Kevin and his work.

Harvey Awards Nominees Announced

2010-07-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

The Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry's most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented August 28, 2010 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators - those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Thank you to all that have already participated by submitting a nomination ballot.

Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Friday, August 7, 2010. Full details for submission of completed ballots can be found on the final ballot. Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field. Final ballots are available for download atwww.harveyawards.org. Those without Internet access may request that paper ballots be sent to them via mail or fax by calling the Baltimore Comic-Con (410-526-7410) or e-mailingbaltimorecomicccon@yahoo.com.

This will be the fifth year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD. Our Master of Ceremonies this year for the second year in a row will be Scott Kurtz (www.pvponline.com). Look for more details soon on how you can attend the Harvey Awards dinner. This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. The ceremony and banquet for the 2009 Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28.

Without further delay, the 2009 Harvey Award Nominees:

BEST WRITER

____ Jason Aaron, “SCALPED", Vertigo/DC Comics
____ Geoff Johns, "BLACKEST NIGHT", DC Comics
____ Robert Kirkman, "THE WALKING DEAD", Image Comics
____ Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
____ Mark Waid, "IRREDEEMABLE", BOOM! Studios

BEST ARTIST

____ Robert Crumb, "BOOK OF GENESIS", W.W. Norton
____ Guy Davis, "BPRD: BLACK GODDESS", Dark Horse Comics
____ Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
____ David Petersen, "MOUSE GUARD : WINTER 1152", Archaia Studios Press
____ Frank Quitely, "BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
____ JH Williams III, "DETECTIVE COMICS", DC Comics

BEST CARTOONIST

____ Darwyn Cooke, "RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE HUNTER", IDW
____ Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
____ Roger Langridge, "THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
____ David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
____ Seth, "GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", Drawn and Quarterly

BEST LETTERER

____ Chris Eliopoulos, "FRANKLIN RICHARDS: SON OF A GENIUS” stories, Marvel Comics
____ Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
____ Thomas Mauer, “RAPTURE", Dark Horse Comics
____ David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
____ Richard Starkings, "ELEPHANTMEN", Image Comics

BEST INKER

____ Oclair Albert, "BLACKEST NIGHT", DC Comics
____ Steve Ellis, "HIGH MOON", Zuda/DC Comics
____ Klaus Janson, "AMAZING SPIDER-MAN", Marvel Comics
____ Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
____ Mark Morales, "THOR", Marvel Comics

BEST COLORIST

____ Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
____ Steve Hamaker, "BONE: CROWN OF HORNS”, Graphix
____ Laura Martin, "THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES", IDW
____ David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
____ Dave Stewart, "BPRD: BLACK GODDESS", Dark Horse Comics

BEST COVER ARTIST

____ Jenny Frison, "THE DREAMER", IDW
____ Mike Mignola, "HELLBOY: THE BRIDE OF HELL", Dark Horse Comics
____ Michael Avon Oeming, "MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY, PART I", Image Comics
____ Frank Quitely, "BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
____ JH Williams III, "DETECTIVE COMICS", DC Comics

BEST NEW TALENT

____ Kevin Cannon, "FAR ARDEN", Top Shelf
____ Rob Guillory, "CHEW", Image Comics
____ Reinhard Kleist,"JOHNNY CASH: I SEE A DARKNESS", Abrams ComicArts
____ Nathan Schreiber, "ACT-I-VATE: POWER OUT", http://act-i-vate.com
____ Matthew Weldon, "NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY", Image Comics

BEST NEW SERIES

____ "BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
____ "CHEW", Image Comics
____ "IRREDEEMABLE", BOOM! Studios
____ "SWEET TOOTH", Vertigo/DC Comics
____ "UNWRITTEN", Vertigo/DC Comics

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES

____ "BEASTS OF BURDEN", Dark Horse Comics
____ "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID", Amulet Books
____ "GANGES", Fantagraphics Books
____ "INVINCIBLE", Image Comics
____ "SCALPED", Vertigo/DC Comics
____ "THE WALKING DEAD", Image Comics

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS

____ "AMULET: THE STONEKEEPER'S CURSE", Graphix
____ "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
____ "GROWN-UPS ARE DUMB", Hyperion Books
____ "THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
____ "NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY", Image Comics
____ "3-2-3 DETECTIVE AGENCY", Amulet Books

BEST ANTHOLOGY

____ "ACT-I-VATE", http://act-i-vate.com
____ "FLIGHT # 6", Villard
____ "POPGUN # 3", Image Comics
____ "STRANGE TALES", Marvel Comics
____ "WEDNESDAY COMICS", DC Comics

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC ALBUM

____ "ASTERIOS POLYP", by David Mazucchelli, Pantheon
____ "BOOK OF GENESIS", by Robert Crumb, W.W. Norton
____ "GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
____ “FOOTNOTES IN GAZA”, by Joe Sacco, Metropolitan Books
____ "STITCHES", by David Small, W.W. Norton
____ "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", by Brian Fies, Abrams ComicArts

BEST PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED GRAPHIC ALBUM

____ "A.D.: NEW ORLEANS AFTER THE DELUGE”, by Josh Neufeld, Pantheon
____ "COLLECTED ESSEX COUNTY”, by Jeff Lemire, Top Shelf
____ "GRAVESLINGER", by Shannon Denton, Jeff Mariotte, John Cboins & Nina Sorat, IDW
____ "MASTERPIECE COMICS", by R. Sikoryak, Drawn and Quarterly
____ "MICE TEMPLAR VOLUME 1", by Bryan J.L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming, Image Comics

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL

____ "CUL-DE-SAC", by Richard Thompson, Universal Press Syndicate
____ "FOXTROT", by Bill Amend, Universal Press Syndicate
____ "GET FUZZY", by Darby Conley, United Feature Syndicate
____ "MUTTS", by Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
____ "PEARLS BEFORE SWINE", by Stephan Pastis, United Feature Syndicate

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT

____ "THE BEST OF SIMON AND KIRBY", by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel, Titan Books
____ "HUMBUG", conceived and edited by Harvey Kurtzman and created by Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth; edited by Gary Groth, Fantagraphics Books
____ "RIP KIRBY", by Alex Raymond; edited by Dean Mullaney, IDW
____ "THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES”, by Dave Stevens; edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW
____ "THE TOON TREASURY OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S COMICS", edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, Abrams ComicsArt

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL

____ "THE ART OF OSAMU TEZUKA: GOD OF MANGA", by Helen McCarthy, Abrams ComicArts
____ "MANGA KAMISHIBAI", by Eric P. Nash, Abrams ComicArts
____ “THE PHOTOGRAPHER”, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier LeFevre and Frederic Lemercier, First Second
____ "PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA", by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, Viz Media
____ “20TH CENTURY BOYS”, by Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK

____ "HARK! A VAGRANT", by Kate Beaton, http://harkavagrant.com
____ "HIGH MOON", by Steve Ellis, David Gallaher and Scott O. Brown, http://www.zudacomics.com/high moon
____ "POWER OUT", by Nathan Schreiber, http://act-i-vate.com
____ "PVP", by Scott Kurtz, http://www.pvponline.com
____ "SIN TITULO", by Cameron Stewart, http://www.sintitulocomic.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS

____ Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, “BEASTS OF BURDEN”, Dark Horse Books
____ Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
____ Roger Landridge, "THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
____ Bryan Lee O'Malley, "SCOTT PILGRIM #5", Oni Press
____ Andrew Pepoy, "THE ADVENTURES OF SIMONE & AJAX: A CHRISTMAS CAPER", ComicMix

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION

____ "ART OF HARVEY KURTZMAN: THE MAD GENIUS OF COMICS", by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle, Abrams ComicArts
____ "THE BRINKLEY GIRLS: THE BEST OF NELL BRINKLEY’S CARTOONS FROM 1913-1940", edited by Trina Robbins, Fantagraphics Books
____ "GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
____ "THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES", by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW
____ "SECRET IDENTITY: THE FETISH ART OF SUPERMAN’S CO-CREATOR JOE SHUSTER", edited by Craig Yoe, Abrams ComicArts
____ "WEDNESDAY COMICS", edited by Mark Chiarello, DC Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION

____ "ALTER-EGO", edited by Roy Thomas, TwoMorrows
____ "ART OF HARVEY KURTZMAN: THE MAD GENIUS OF COMICS", by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle, Abrams ComicArts
____ "THE BEST OF SIMON AND KIRBY", by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel, Titan Books
____ "THE COMICS JOURNAL", edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean and Kristy Valenti, Fantagraphics Books
____ "UNDERGROUND CLASSICS", by James Danky and Denis Kitchen, Abrams ComicArts

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY

____ “ALEC: THE YEARS HAVE PANTS”, by Eddie Campbell, Top Shelf
____ "ASTERIOS POLYP", by David Mazucchelli, Pantheon
____ "GANGES #3", by Kevin Huizenga, Fantagraphics Books
____ "GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
____ "JONAH HEX #50", written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, artwork by Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics
____ "RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE HUNTER", by Darwyn Cooke, IDW
____ "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", by Brian Fies, Abrams ComicArts

Congratulations to all of the 2010 Harvey Award Nominees!

Source: The Harvey Awards (Baltimore, MD - July 11, 2010)

Comic Book Writer Harvey Pekar Dies at 70

2010-07-12T14:28:00.002-04:00

By THOMAS J. SHEERAN and JAKE COYLE, Associated Press Writers Thomas J. Sheeran And Jake Coyle, Associated Press Writers – Mon July 12, 2:28 pm ET

CLEVELAND – Harvey Pekar, whose autobiographical comic book series "American Splendor" portrayed his unglamorous life with bone-dry honesty and wit, was found dead at home early Monday, authorities said. He was 70.

The cause of death was unclear, and an autopsy was planned, officials said. Pekar had prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, said Michael Cannon, a police captain in suburban Cleveland Heights.

Officers were called to Pekar's home by his wife about 1 a.m., Cannon said. His body was found on the floor between a bed and dresser. He had gone to bed around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in good spirits, his wife told police.

Pekar took a radically different track from the superhero-laden comics that had dominated the industry. He instead specialized in the lives of ordinary people, chronicling his life as a file clerk in Cleveland and his relationship with his third wife, Joyce Brabner. His 1994 graphic novel, "Our Cancer Year," detailed his battle with lymphoma.

The dreary cover scene shows him sprawled beside his wife on a snowy curbside with shopping bags on the ground. "Harvey, forget about the groceries, honey. Let's get you inside first," she says.

Pekar never drew himself but depended on collaborations with artists, most notably his friend R. Crumb, who helped illustrate the first issue of the ironically titled "American Splendor," published in 1976. It was made into an acclaimed 2003 film starring Paul Giamatti as Pekar. The most recent "American Splendor" was released in 2008.

"Harvey was one of the most compassionate and empathetic human beings I've ever met," Giamatti said in a statement. "He had a huge brain and an even bigger soul. And he was hilarious. He was a great artist, a true American poet, and there is no one to replace him."

Pekar's quirky commentary developed a following, and his insights and humor were often a bit on the dark side.

Lucy Shelton Caswell, curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University, said it was inaccurate to describe Pekar's work as "cult."

"His work was accepted by the mainstream," Caswell said. "It was bought by public libraries and read widely." The cartoon library has all of Pekar's works in its collection, she said.

"He will be remembered as an innovator who wrote stories about ordinary things that were then illustrated by some of the most notable cartoonists of the late 20th century," Caswell said. "People identified with what he was writing about and the stories that these people were drawing because it was so ordinary."

In 2003, the New York Film Critics Circle honored "American Splendor" as best first film for the directing-writing team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Part feature and part documentary, and with occasional animated elements, the film's tearing down of the fourth wall — with Giamatti, as Pekar, often appearing alongside the real Pekar — paralleled his comic's realism.

Pekar, himself, introduces the film and the character based on him: "This guy here, he's our man, all grown up and going nowhere. Although he's a pretty scholarly cat, he never got much of a formal education. For the most part, he's lived in ... neighborhoods, held ... jobs and he's now knee-deep into a disastrous second marriage. So if you're the kind of person looking for romance or escapism or some fantasy figure to save the day, guess what? You've got the wrong movie."

Pekar, who was a repeat TV guest of David Letterman, told The Associated Press in a 1997 interview that he was determined to keep writing his "American Splendor" series.

"There's no end in sight for me. I want to continue to do it," Pekar said. "It's a continuing autobiography, a life's work."

Coyle reported from New York. Associated Press writer Doug Whiteman in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Special Guest:Craig Rousseau

2010-07-12T00:02:00.004-04:00

Craig Rousseau is an acclaimed artist who has worked for every major publisher in comics while also cultivating a strong body of independent work. Craig started his career at DC Comics with regular penciling stints on Impulse and Batman Beyond and has done work on many of the publisher’s other titles, including Catwoman, Detective Comics, Flash, Gotham Adventures, Harley Quinn, JLA Adventures, Superman Adventures, and Young Justice. In independent comics, Craig has worked on a number of projects for Beckett Comics, including Kiss and Tell, The Cobbler's Monster, and Ronin Hood and the 47 Samurai, and The Perhapanauts, an Image Comics series created by Craig and Todd Dezago, which follows a team of supernatural investigators working for a top-secret government agency. Craig has recently been doing all ages books for Marvel, including Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: Season 2, Iron Man and the Armor Wars, X-Men: First Class, and most recently Marvel Her-oes. Visit Craig online at craigrousseau.com to learn more the artist and his work.

Special Guest: Todd Dezago

2010-07-12T00:01:00.002-04:00

Todd Dezago is a writer best known for his runs on Marvel’s Sensational Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Marvel Adventures Spider-Man. For DC Comics, Todd co-created Young Justice with artist Todd Nauck in the 1998 one-shot Young Justice: The Secret. His other Young Justice work includes the 1998 miniseries JLA: World Without Grown-Ups and from 1999 to 2002 Todd wrote Impulse nos. 50-89. In addition to his work for the comic industry’s largest publishers, Todd is well known for his creator-owned books, which include Tellos, an Image Comics fantasy series created by Todd and the late Mike Wieringo, and The Perhapanauts, an Image Comics series created by Todd and Craig Rousseau, which follows a team of supernatural investigators - they investigate the supernatural, and they are supernatural beings who investigate - working for a top-secret government agency. Todd is currently injecting Marvel's Super Hero Squad! with superhero silliness each month, so check it out! Visit Todd online at http://www.perhapanauts.com/ to learn more about the writer and his work.

Independence Day: Bicentennial Battles

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

No comic book character says “Independence Day” to me more clearly than does Captain America and no single issue says it more eloquently than Jack Kirby’s masterpiece Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles. Originally published as an oversize Marvel Treasury Edition, Bicentennial Battles was released during the summer of 1976 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of America’s declaration of Independence. The story was written and penciled by Jack Kirby and features an all-star cast of inkers, including Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 special guest Herb Trimpe along with John Romita, Sr. and Barry Windsor Smith.

Bicentennial Battles takes Captain America on a journey though time and space to visit key moments and poignant vignettes in America’s history. From the dawn of the American Revolution though two world wars and far into an uncertain future, Captain America experiences America at its best and worst and comes away with a renewed conviction in the American Dream. “Two hundred years of old thoughts in young minds—two hundred years of seeing it through. It is the way of a great country and a great people, who stand together against the slings and arrows of a threatening tomorrow,” Kirby concludes.

This story is particularly special for me as one of the first comics I remember from my childhood. I was five years old when it was first published, and I can imagine being entranced when my older brother Bill first showed it to me. That original copy of the Marvel Treasury Edition didn’t survive our childhood, but Bicentennial Battles was one of the first things I bought after I discovered the miracle of eBay way back in 2001. The story was re-released in 2008 by Marvel as a trade paperback along with Captain America issues 201–205, but it’s truly impossible to beat the Marvel Treasury Special-size original edition if you can find it.

Special Guest: Chris Sprouse

2010-06-01T00:01:00.002-04:00

Recently described by Atomic Comics as one of today’s artistic juggernauts, Chris Sprouse is an Eisner Award-winning creator who has produced fan-favorite work alongside some of the most prominent writers in the world of comics today. He was most recently paired with writer Grant Morrison for the first issue of DC’s most anticipated series of 2010, The Return of Bruce Wayne. Chris is probably best known as the artist and co-creator of Alan Moore's Tom Strong for Wildstorm's ABC Comics imprint, which returns in June 2010 with the six-issue series, Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom. With writer Warren Ellis, Chris designed and drew Wildstorm's science fiction miniseries Ocean. Chris has worked on projects including Human Target, Number of the Beast, Midnighter, Legionnaires, Batman, Justice League, Wild C.AT.S., Star Wars, Grendel, Supreme, and X-Men. With such a fantastic body of work, it’s no wonder why Chris was the subject of Modern Masters Volume 21 from TwoMorrows Publishing. Visit Chris online at http://sprousenet.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the creator and his work.

Tracking The Trades: Prince Valiant Vol. 2

2010-05-30T00:01:00.002-04:00

A staple of my Sunday Funnies reading when I was growing up, I don’t think I truly appreciated the genius of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant, nor did I have an understanding of the strip’s long history and its powerful impact on multiple generations of comic artists and writers. My fond recollections of Prince Valiant were rekindled in 2009 when I happened across Prince Valiant Vol. 1: 1937-1938 at my local comic shop. Measuring in at a whopping 10.5" x 14.25", it was too large for the shelves, so it was just sitting awkwardly on the tables normally reserved for Magic: The Gathering play as if awaiting final judgment. Yes, that’s pretty much how I found DC’s Wednesday Comics hardcover last week, but that’s a story for another day. In any case, I was spellbound by Prince Valiant’s origin story and early adventures, reading the book cover-to-cover that day and many more times since. Whether you love the swords and sorcery genre, high adventure, romance, or any or all of the above, Hal Foster’s early work on Prince Valiant is well worth reading.

In Prince Valiant Vol. 2: 1939-1940, Prince Valiant helps his father reclaim his throne in the kingdom of Thule, fights alongside King Arthur, and is made a knight of the Round Table in recompense for his bravery and wit. Bored by the peace he helped to create, Val decides to independently pull together the forces to battle the Huns’ descent on Southern Europe. When Val’s army breaches the Huns’ stronghold, however, he discovers that corruption reigns still further west in Rome. Thus Val sets off with Sir Gawain and Tristam of Arthurian legend fame, and the familial kinship of the trio sees them through chivalrous escapades, false imprisonment and daring escapes. By the end of this volume, they go their separate ways, and Val boards a ship to Sicily—yet a storm approaches, throwing him off-course, as adventure follows him everywhere. Fantagraphics has done a remarkable job remastering these strips, which, thanks to the use of original proof sheets and advances in printing technology, are even brighter and crisper than when they were first published 70 years ago. This second volume from Fantagaphics is due to ship in June 2010.

Special Guest: Ethan Van Sciver

2010-05-24T00:01:00.006-04:00

Ethan Van Sciver is one of the most popular artists working in comics today, with a body of work that includes definitive treatments of some of the most prominent characters in mainstream comics. His first major work was on the DC Comics series Impulse with writer Todd Dezago in 1999. During writer Grant Morrison’s run on Marvel’s New X-Men in 2002, Van Sciver’s strikingly detailed and kinetic work elevated his profile in the eyes of critics, fans and publishers alike. In 2004, writer Geoff Johns and Van Sciver brought Hal Jordan back to the DC Universe as Earth's main Green Lantern in the six-issue miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth, before the duo re-launched the Green Lantern title itself with a new volume. In 2007, Johns, Van Sciver, Dave Gibbons and Ivan Reis produced the eleven-issue Sinestro Corps War across the two Green Lantern monthly titles. This story launched the Sinestro Corps, the antithesis of the Green Lantern Corps, led by rogue Green Lantern Sinestro and his Qwardian yellow power ring. Van Sciver's most recent work includes the six-issue mini-series The Flash: Rebirth, and variant covers for the massive DC Comics event, Blackest Night.

Geek Fetish: Super Shogun Stormtrooper

2010-05-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 12th will be a happy day for fans of Star Wars and Jumbo Machinders alike when Super7 releases their Super Shogun Stormtrooper. We’re not sure how the pop culture taste makers came up with this genius mash-up of two beloved genres, but kudos to them for not just having the inspiration, but somehow figuring out all the licensing, manufacturing and other logistic hurdles. The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you would expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist! Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster. The blaster even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. The one downside? The Super Shogun Stormtrooper costs a whopping $299! U.S. dollars. Seriously. But, for hardcore collectors and fans, we imagine that will be a small price to pay to satisfy the love they feel when they lay eyes on this creation. Check it out online at Super7’s Super Shogun Stormrooper site: http://starwars.super7store.com Excelsior!

Special Guest: Sergio Aragonés

2010-05-13T00:01:00.003-04:00

Sergio Aragonés is said to be the fastest cartoonist in the world today. He is certainly the most honored, having won every major award in the field, including the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award and the Will Eisner Hall of Fame Award. Sergio is perhaps best known as one of Mad magazine's longest-running cartoonists, having debuted with A Mad Look at the U.S. Space Effort in Mad #76 in January 1963. His work has since appeared in every issue of Mad except for one—when the post office screwed up and didn’t deliver his pencils in time! He also produced 16 best-selling original Mad paperback books. Sergio is equally renowned as the co-creator of the fan-favorite comic Groo the Wanderer. After its launch in the early 1980s, Groo went on to become one of the most popular and longest-running creator-owned comic book properties, outlasting many of the companies that published it. Sergio helped revive DC Comics' Western hero Bat Lash in a new miniseries and co-wrote Will Eisner's The Spirit with frequent collaborator Mark Evanier. Most recently, he ventured into the popular world of The Simpsons, becoming a regular featured writer and artist for Bart Simpson Comics.

Special Guest: Barry Kitson

2010-05-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

We are thrilled to announce that artist Barry Kitson will join us as our special guest Mid-Ohio-Con 2010. Best known for his work on Marvel's flagship title, The Amazing Spider-Man, Kitson's first professional work was Spider-Man for Marvel UK and he rapidly developed a fan following based on his art in 2000 AD on the popular Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson strips. His first work for DC Comics was the Batgirl Special Edition followed long tenures on L.E.G.I.ON. and Azrael. He went to draw DC's cornerstone characters Superman and Batman on a regular basis. With Mark Waid he worked on the maxi-series JLA Year One and The Brave & The Bold before co-creating the series Empire for Gorilla comics. In 2004, Kitson helped re-launch Legion of Superheroes for DC and continued on it for two and a half years ending with issue #31. In 2007, Kitson signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics where he has wowed fans with his work on titles including The Order, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four, and most recently The Amazing Spider-Man. Barry will be sketching up a storm for fans at Mid-Ohio-Con and may even be working up an exclusive promotional piece for the 30th anniversary show.

Special Guest: Kurt Busiek

2010-05-05T00:01:00.003-04:00

Fan-favorite scribe Kurt Busiek began writing comics in a 1982 with a Tales of the Green Lantern Corps backup story that appeared in Green Lantern #162. He experienced breakout success alongside artist Alex Ross in 1993 with the acclaimed title Marvels, a 4-issue limited-series looking at the superheroic history of the Marvel Universe through the eyes of an ordinary man. Marvels was a commercial and critical success that has served as the foundation for Busiek's subsequent career. Kurt has divided his time in the intervening years between the industry’s leading publishers for which he has written mainstream titles, including Avengers, Iron Man, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Conan, Superman, JLA and Trinity, and his own projects, which include Thunderbolts, The Power Company, Jonny Demon, The Wizard’s Tale, Shockrockets, Arrowsmith and the multiple-award-winning Astro City. Busiek has won over two dozen industry awards for his work, including multiple Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards for Best Series, Best Single Issue and Best Writer. Visit Kurt Busiek online at www.busiek.com to learn more about the creator and his work.

Let the Announcements Begin!

2010-05-03T00:02:00.008-04:00

In years past we’ve typically started releasing guest announcements and other important news just a few months before the show, but 2010 marks Mid-Ohio-Con’s 30th anniversary, and we just can’t keep all the excitement under our hats any longer. Okay, you may ask, so what does all this hyperbole mean to me? Well, we started guest announcements today with guest of honor David Finch, and we plan to keep the good news coming over the next couple of weeks. Beyond that, we’ll be opening up registration for Creators' Common tables as well as Exhibitor and Indie Publisher booths on Monday, May 17, and advance hotel bookings at the special Mid-Ohio-Con rate and event tickets will go on sale on Monday, June 28. Along the way, we expect to have some other tidbits to share, including the artwork for posters and other items that we’re producing to promote Mid-Ohio-Con 2010. We’re committed to making our 30th anniversary show one to remember for creators, exhibitors, and all the fans who have made Mid-Ohio-Con a true institution in the annals of comic conventiondom. Excelsior!

Guest of Honor: David Finch

2010-05-03T00:01:00.006-04:00

We’re thrilled to name superstar artist David Finch as guest of honor at MOC 2010, our very first guest announcement for the 30th anniversary show. Finch has been dazzling comic fans for more than 15 years since he debuted his unique style in the pages of Image’s hit title Cyberforce. Finch is perhaps best known for his lengthy run at Marvel, during which he captivated audiences with his riveting work on Avengers: Disassembled, Moon Knight, New Avengers, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimatum, and many other titles. Finch made headlines in January 2010 with the announcement of his exclusive contract with DC Comics, which Comic Book Resources (CBR) described as a “truly seismic shift in the marquee creator's career path.” "I've been a DC fan for a really long time, and I always knew that I'd love the opportunity to work in the DCU at some point," Finch told CBR in his first interview on his new deal. Finch is slated to illustrate all 26 of DC's biweekly Brightest Day covers, and fans are eagerly awaiting news of his other projects within the DC universe and beyond. To learn more about David Finch, visit his blog at davefinchart.blogspot.com.

Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art Festival

2010-04-18T00:01:00.005-04:00

The Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art (MoCCA) held its annual spring arts fest on the weekend of April 10-11 in New York City. I attended this show for the first time last year and was very impressed with both the quantity and quality of the independent creators and publishers that MoCCA had assembled. In fact, I picked up three graphic novels at that show that turned out to be three of my favorite books for the entire year: Kevin Cannon’s Far Arden (Top Shelf), Matt Kindt’s Super Spy (yes, also Top Shelf) and David Mazzuchelli’s Asterios Polyp (Pantheon). With such a great experience the first time around, it was a no-brainer to go back again this year.

I again had a great time at the show and picked up a bunch of books while I was there, including Matt Kindt’s Super Spy: Lost Dossiers (Top Shelf), Jane Yolen’s Foiled (First Second), Richard Sala’s Cat Burglar Black (yes, also First Second) and Brittney Sabo and Anna Bratton’s self-published Francis Sharp in the Grip of the Uncanny. I’ve always found the indie comic world to be somewhat inaccessible since most comic book stores tend to carry a very limited supply of indie titles – if any at all – so events like the MoCCA Festival, Small Press Expo (SPX), Alternative Press Expo (APE), and S.P.A.C.E. really present fantastic opportunities for comic readers to dive deep into that world.

In addition to the great roster of indie creators and publishers at MoCCA, I was psyched to find a few of our good friends from mainstream comics in attendance. Chris Giarrusso and Jacob Chabot were sketching up a storm for fans when I visited their table. I picked up a great Mini Marvels piece from Chris featuring the Silver Age X-Men and I also discussed a couple of promotional pieces that he’s going to do for Mid-Ohio-Con 2010. I also got to spend some time with David Mack, who gave my iPad Adobe Ideas sketch application a try with his autograph and also reminded me that his new title, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Ant had just hit the stands that week.

After lunch on Sunday, I headed south from the 69th Regiment Armory where the MoCCA Festival was held toward Union Square and the fabled Forbidden Planet. I never pass up an opportunity to visit Forbidden Planet, since it’s easily one of the best comic and collectible stores in the world. I also wanted to pick up a copy of Electric Ant because my local comic store apparently didn’t have any in stock. I made it to Forbidden Planet and worked my way through what seemed to be an unusually large crowed out front for a Sunday afternoon and set to shopping, finding Electric Ant #1, the Kick-Ass hardcover that I’ve been chasing for a while, and a few other goodies.

After settling up at the register and walking toward the front door, I discovered the source of the unusually large crowd: G4’s Olivia Munn had just arrived at the store for a signing as part of her OMFG tour. (For the record, OMFG stands for Olivia Munn Fan Group, not what you first thought…..) There was no way that I was going to wait in the around-the-block line to get her autograph, but I certainly did gawk as I walked ever so slowly out of the store. I did some Googling and found a great set of photos from the OMFG NYC visit on fe505’s Flickr page, a few of which I’ve included my gallery below. Thanks, dude! Ok, that’s it for my MoCCA Festival report. Excelsior!

2010 Eisner Award Nominations

2010-04-13T00:01:00.009-04:00

Comic-Con International announced the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2010. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from multivolume deluxe hardcovers to online stories to traditional comic book format.

The 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees

Best Short Story
"Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)
"Gentleman John," by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)
"How and Why to Bale Hay," by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
"Hurricane," interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)
"Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Brave & the Bold #28: "Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
The Unwritten #5: "How the Whale Became," by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
Usagi Yojimbo #123: "The Death of Lord Hikiji" by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series
Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC) Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc
Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Wolverine #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: "Old Man Logan," by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best New Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)
Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens
Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)
Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)

Best Humor Publication
Drinky Crow's Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
Little Lulu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (BOOM Kids!)
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O'Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology
Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)

Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc
Bayou, by Jeremy Love, http://zudacomics.com/bayou
The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark, www.gunsofshadowvalley.com
Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber, www.act-i-vate.com/67.comic
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com/

Best Reality-Based Work
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
The Impostor's Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Stitches, by David Small (Norton)

Best Adaptation from Another Work
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album-New
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second) Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996-2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Bruce Canwell (IDW)
The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937-1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W. W. Denslow, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books
The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second) Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia
The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)

Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction
Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
David Small, Stitches (Norton)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: "Exodus Noir" (Vertigo/DC)
Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
É Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Cover Artist
John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)
Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project Superpowers (Dynamite)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Coloring
Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)
Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Lettering
Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)
Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson www.comicsalliance.com
Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon

Best Comics-Related Book
Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)
Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)
Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US)

Best Publication Design
Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)

Source: Comic-Con International

Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Charity Auction

2010-01-17T00:01:00.008-05:00

We are pleased to announce the start of the Mid-Ohio-Con 2010 Charity Auction on eBay. Proceeds from the auction will go to benefit the Hero Initiative, a nonprofit organization that creates a financial safety net for comic creators who need emergency medical aid, financial support for the essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.

The auction features original art and other work from our creative guests at Mid-Ohio-Con 2009, many of whom made incredibly generous contributions. Of particular note, the auction includes all the giant sketches (19" x 24") done by artists on the Main Stage easel during last October's show. The main-stage sketches were a big hit at our inaugural charity auction in 2008, so we're looking forward to an enthusiastic response to this year's batch.

Check out a slide show of all 40 auction lots below, and make sure you bid early and often on eBay. Click here to visit the eBay listing page for the auction, or search on eBay under seller ID 1407graymalkin. Excelsior!

Happy Birthday, Stan!

2009-12-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Please join us in wishing Stan Lee a very happy 87th birthday. Born in 1922, Stan's first published work was a text filler story in Timely's Captain America Comics #3 (May, 1941) at the age of 19. While he was prolific in the intervening time, it was 20 years later that Stan's career in comics really shifted into high gear with the release of Fantastic Four #1 (November, 1961) -- the book that truly launched the Marvel Age of Comics. Along with a cast of creative legends that included Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, Sr. and many others, Stan revolutionized the industry, creating characters and titles that have seen incredible success in comics, television and film over the past 48 years. It would really be hard to imagine any individual who has had such a powerful impact on the medium as Stan Lee.

If you find yourself needing a refresher on Stan's creative genius, pick up practically any of the early Marvel Masterworks books. Between Volume 1 of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Thor, Dr. Strange or the X-Men, it's really hard to go wrong. I originally read most of those Marvel origin stories in the Fireside reprint collections like Origins of Marvel Comics, Sons of Origins, and Bring on the Bad Guys, and I was absolutely captivated by the storytelling when I was a kid. Stan's unforgettable introductions in those books also left an indelible impression on me and made me feel that there was a true personality behind all this magic. Also, a good primer on Stan's wit and wisdom is the recently released Stan's Soapbox: The Collection, which collects all of the famous Stan's Soapbox columns from 1967 to 1980. Excelsior!

Happy Holidays from Mid-Ohio-Con

2009-12-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a joyous New Year to you and yours from all of us at Mid-Ohio-Con. Click on the image below to see our holiday card in its full splendor.