Baltimore 2010

My terribly vague recap of the Baltimore Comic-Con, complete with firefighting midget leg retrievers, is up at Broken Frontier.

Baltimore Comic-Con 2010 - The Year We Make Contact...with Desperadoes!

Baltimore Comic-Con Creator Profiles, Cont.

Below are more profiles for creators I'm looking for to meeting at next weekend's Baltimore Comic-Con


Francesco Francavilla - I first found out about Francesco Francavilla from my friend Evan Shaner, who is a member of the awesome Comic Twart blog with Francesco. I was immediately floored by the man's talent. His ability to perfectly capture the feel of old pulp pin-ups while still remaining wholly original is wildly impressive. While all the Twarters are unparalleled talents, its Francesco's additions each week that I look most forward to. Now it's come to our attention that he'll be pencilling the Commissioner Gordon co-feature in Detective Comics, which excites me to no end. I am looking forward to meeting the man and hopefully getting a sketch. What will I ask him to draw? Any damn thing he wants to.




Tony Harris - Tony Harris is one of the most popular and respected artists in the medium of comics. The regular artist on Brian K. Vaughan's Ex Machina and James Robinson's (maybe the best superhero series ever), Harris has cemented his place in history as one of the best. I'm hoping he'll have a little time to step away from the table and discuss the ending of Ex Machina, his time working with Robinson on Starman and where he sees his career going from here.

The day is almost upon us! Keep checking back with Surfing the Bleed for updates from the convention floor, the barroom floor and hopefully, NOT the bathroom floor.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Panel Preview!

I'm going to make this one pretty simple. Below are descriptions of the panels I'm most looking forward to seeing at next weekend's Baltimore Comic-Con.

SATURDAY

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1:00 - 2:00 PM - Spotlight on Thor

Marvel is giving the con-goers a Thor spotlight in anticipation of the blockbuster film set to drop next year. The panel features the creative talent behind the Thunder God's exploits both past and present, including, but not limited to, the great Walter Simonson. Simonson's Thor stories are some of my favorite comics ever. Last year at Baltimore I had the chance to meet Mr. Simonson and he was one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Having the chance to hear him discuss his addition to the Thor legacy will be a real treat for this longtime fan.

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11:00 - 12:00 PM - comiXology and the Future of Digital Comics

comiXology has positioned themselves as the industry's leading force in the growing world of digital comic distribution and collecting. In this panel, comiXology's CEO, David Steinberger, will be discussing the company's rise to success, their plans for future digital comics initiatives and his opinions on what the future of the industry might look like with the advances in digitial delivery. Digital distribution is here and it's here to stay, so it's important that those of us working in the industry and those of us covering the industry are as educated as we can be about where comics is headed in this new digital age. I, for one, am looking very forward to this discussion.

3:00 - 4:00 PM - Mondo Marvel

Marvel Comics' executive editor Tom Breevort joins Jonathan Hickman (yes) and Jeff Parker (oh hell yes) to discuss the current creative direction of Marvel Comics and to tease some things we can look forward to in the near future. I've really been digging Marvel lately and they've overtaken DC in number of pulls each week in my hold box, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. Add to it the fact that Hickman is rocking it these days and the chance we'll get some more Hulk info out of Jeff Parker and you've got a panel well worth spending an hour on.

SUNDAY

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1:00 - 2:00 PM - Comics Rewind: The 1980s

Last year this panel was a spotlight on the 1970s and it was the best time that my friends and I had the entire show. This year the panel shifts to the 1980s, but with a similar focus. Mark Waid moderates as Louise and Walter Simonson, Marv Wolfman, Timothy Truman, Matt Wagner and John Workman relate stories about working in the comics industry during the 1980s. This is one of the most entertaining, free-form panels of the weekend and if it's anything like last year's 70s version, the stories should be VERY entertaining.

3:00 - 4:00 PM - Paul Pope vs. Bob Schreck

Paul Pope sits down with his longtime editor, Bob Schreck, and talks about, well, about just how awesome he is. What more do you need?

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1:00 PM - Costume Contest

The panels close down for the con and the costume contest winners are announced. It should be a great time to watch all the various contestants in their geek finery competing for a bevy of prizes. I imagine we'll see more than a few Scott Pilgrims this year, probably some Kick Ass characters (oy vey) and more than a fair share of Predators. Whatever the turnout it should be a really great time and a good way to close out the show before we all grab up a bunch of 75% off back issues and make our way to the bars.

Baltimore Comic-Con Preview: Round Two

One of the best aspects of the Baltimore Comic-Con is the amount of facetime it offers attendees with the various guests. Unlike shows such as San Diego and New York, Baltimore has a more laid back, comics-centric vibe. Creators aren't dropped into a panel then sped away to the next major mutlimedia event faster than you can say BAMF! At Baltimore Comic-Con, the opportunity to engage your favorite creators in meaningful conversation or to get feedback about your portfolio is better than just about any other show in the business. With that in mind, I'm going to run down some of the guests I'm most excited about meeting this year.


Howard Chaykin - A 30+ year veteran of the industry, Chaykin is one of the most respected (and controversial) creators in the business. To this day, his art remains some of the most striking and visually interesting artwork in the industry. Chaykin's name alone is enough to get me to shell out my hard earned coin and his runs on G.I. Joe and his own American Flagg set the industry high watermark for bad ass storytelling.



Mark Chiarello - Painter, illustrator and editor extraordinaire Mark Chiarello has been the brain behind some of the most interesting projects in DC history. He created the incredible Batman: Black & White series, was the editor of the acclaimed series Solo and most recently he was the man behind the excellent Wednesday Comics. I know that writers and editors are, at times, the worst of enemies, but personally, I can't wait to meet Mark Chiarello. The first thing he'd probably say is, "Less commas!"



Amanda Conner - To dismiss Amanda Conner as just, "Jimmy Palmiotti's Wife," would be a serious mistake. Sure, being married to one of the industry's most respected creators doesn't hurt her profile, but Conner's success is all her own. Conner's artwork is some of my favorite in the business. Her style, full of fun, bright renditions of iconic heroes, is immediately resonant with a large audience. Amanda Conner's Power Girl is the kind of comic you could drop into a casual reader's hands if you were trying to get them interested in comics and her Supergirl strip in Wednesday Comics was perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire project. Maybe I'll try and steal an interview (or just geek out and get some books signed).

I'll be back tomorrow with more profiles of creators I'm looking forward to meeting this year. Thanks for reading!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Baltimore Comic-Con Edition

Over the next few days I'll be posting a collection of the panels, guests and exclusives I'm most excited about experiencing at this year's Baltimore Comic-Con. Baltimore was one of two cons I attended last year, the other being NYCC, and I had a blast. Not only did I meet a number of creators I've had a great deal of respect for over my years of comic fandom, I also made a handful of contacts that have turned out to be fruitful over the last ten months. I'm very excited about going into this year's BCC with a slightly higher profile in the industry and seeing just what I can accomplish this time around.

My first look at this year's Baltimore Comic-Con will start with a rundown of some of the exclusive events they've put together for fans this year. Exclusive workshops, contests and giveaways are a great way to drum up interest for a convention and the guys behind Baltimore have come up with some great ones this year.

Klaus Janson & Howard Chaykin's Artist Workshop - Industry mainstays Klaus Janson and Howard Chaykin have been giving an artist's seminar for Marvel Comics for years now. The workshop gives artists on the verge of breaking in a chance to pick the brains of two of the greats while learning valuable tools for surviving in the comics industry. Recently, Janson and Chaykin took their show on the road and were met with success at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design. This year, the two legends of the field will offer their seminar at the Baltimore Comic-Con. Entry into the event is $75 and will take place on Saturday 28th between the hours of 1 and 4 PM with a peer review session afterward. To apply for the seminar, call host store Cards, Comics & Collectibles at 410-526-7410.

Second Annual Costume Contest - The Baltimore Comic-Con will also be hosting their second annual costume contest this year. A follow-up to last year's inaugural contest, which saw a much larger turn out than promoters expected, this year's contest has some incredible prizes, including a $1000 grand prize for best overall costume. Are you intimidated by the skill and devotion of hardened cosplayers? Well, have no fear, because Baltimore Comic-Con is offering contests in both the Pro and Amateur categories. So throw on those trenchcoats and muss up that hair all you wannabe Constantines, pull on those fishnets and singlets all you saucy Black Canaries, it's time to party!

That's just a couple of the things I'm looking forward to at this year's Baltimore Comic-Con, but there's plenty more to come. Check back to Surfing the Bleed over the next few days for more about which guests I'm looking forward to seeing, which panels I'll be attending and which bars I'll be thrown out of!

Baltimore Comic-Con Recap: Day Two

Day Two (Sunday) - Sunday started off a little slower than Saturday had. We were all nursing a day of con funk and a night of drinking, so we all resigned ourselves to being a little late, Jon and I more than everyone else. Jay wanted to hit a couple of panels and get some shopping done in time to head out kind of early (he had a family obligation) so he took Jason and Dean down to the show and Jon and I hung back to have a hearty breakfast. By hearty breakfast I mean Bob Evans. This was my first trip to a Bob Evans and I must say, as far as hangover cures are concerned, it's pretty damn good.

After a breakfast the size of the greater D.C. area at the Bob Evans, Jon and I headed into the city. We were expecting traffic and parking problems due to the Ravens game at 1:00 o'clock that day, but it ended up not being a problem at all. Once inside the con I split up with Jon and found a quiet corner of a panel room to work on my questions for Jason Aaron. Once the questions were prepped I headed straight to the booth Jason was sharing with Matt Fraction and Jason Latour and sat down for our interview.

The interview went great, despite my technological failure. Jason's interview was the first one I'd done in person and I had to do it without a recorder. I tried using my phone's recorder, but the ambient noise was so overwhelming that there was no way to pick up his responses. It didn't occur to me till much later that I could have just videoed the entire thing. I soldiered on and the interview went great. Jason was a great guy and he had some great responses for my questions.

Once the interview was over I really only had one more thing I felt like I had to do; meet Mark Waid. Mark Waid is one of my top two favorite comic creators of all time. For me, Denny O'Neil and Mark Waid define superheroes. Getting the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for the effect he's had on me as a fan and a creator was a very important part of this trip for me. So I headed over to the BOOM! table and introduced myself. As brief as the meeting was, it was very successful. You never know what people with a fair amount of celebrity are going to be like. When you respect someone creatively, you have a tendency to build them up in your head, and unfortunately the reality of the person can sometimes be a disappointment. That is not the case with Mark Waid. I told him that Kingdom Come was the book that got me back into comics as a teenager, that I'd been a huge fan of everything he'd done as a creator, that I had a ton of respect for BOOM! Studios and most importantly, that he was my largest creative influence. Mark Waid is the reason I want to write comics. His reaction? Extremely positive. You can tell that the man really loves the medium and the fans. He was so happy, so excited to hear me say those things and he was genuinely happy to meet me. He even took my card and promised to give the blog a look. That would have been great in and of itself, but as I was leaving Chip Mosher made a point to stop what he was doing, come down to the end of the booth, shake my hand and tell me thanks for supporting the company.

Maybe the above reads like some fanboy having a thoroughly fanboy moment, but it was more than that to me. Sure, it was great to meet Mark Waid and even better to have my opinion of him justified, but that's not the best part. The best part was just how comfortable I felt in that position, standing there talking to him and feeling like he treated me as an equal. Even though all I've published so far is one strip of Dean's webcomic Butterfly, Mark treated me with the same reverence he would give an industry veteran. Mark Waid loves comics and he loves that young people still want to make comics. For me, that was extremely uplifting. Chip making a point to come down and tell me thanks was the icing on the positive energy cake. It may not seem like much, but for a guy trying to break into the industry as a writer (a notoriously hard thing to do) even that tiny gesture, that brief recognition was enough to fuel my creative will for a good long while. Seriously people, BOOM! Studios are the good guys.

At that point, my con weekend was over. At some point shortly before or shortly after my introduction to Mark Waid I stopped at that giant t-shirt retailer and bought a t-shirt with the Nightwing logo. I suppose I was feeling young, headstrong and heroic, just like Dick Grayson. With business cards in the hands of creators such as Mark Waid and Walter Simonson, some memorable feedback from Chip Mosher and Bernie Wrightson (they both thought Wendigo sounded like a cool idea) and a Nightwing t-shirt (blue is my color) I felt ready to put the convention hall behind me. So I left Jay to his panels and his shopping and went back across the street to The Nest, where Jon and I spent the rest of the day watching football. Jay stopped by to show off some goodies and say his goodbyes before he got out of town and Jon and I bellied up to the bar with one of the nicest and strangest sports bar crowds I'd ever encountered. Baltimore is wacky place, but I really did like it a lot.

At the end of the convention day, Jon and I hooked back up with Dean, Jason, Danielle and Jessi and coordinated a trip down to the harbor for some food. We found exorbitant parking and proceeded to march to our destination which turned out to be a monstrous walk from where we'd parked. By the time I got to the restaurant where we were meeting some other cartoonists, I'd decided that all I wanted for dinner was two glasses of bourbon. Oh, don't get all high and mighty. I'd eaten already at The Nest.



The dinner was casual, the night air brisk. I loaned Danielle my hoodie and that bought me hugs at the end of the night, which was doubly nice since it was largely unexpected. At the end of it all we said our goodbyes, sent Dean and Jason off with their friends and Jon and I went back toward the hotel. We wanted to keep drinking (since we knew the Colts were going to destroy our beloved Titans) so we stopped into a bar that also functioned as a package store. This was the same bar, Howard's, that Jon and Jay had discovered on our first night in town. Jay was so impressed with Howard's that he actually spent the majority of this time in Baltimore trying to convince Jon that he had to convince me to forgo all activities and drink at Howard's instead. That would have been career seppuku, but I can see now why he was so adamant about it. Howard's was the most amazing bar I'd ever seen in my life.

It was all red leather, wood paneling and neon signs, with women older than your mother pulling the taps and men that could have been your grandad bellied up to the bar. It was like something straight out of a 1970s crime film, the sort of place where poker games and shady deals get done in the back room. It was beautiful, it was glorious and it was custom built for guys like Jon Burr and I. I took one look at the place and decided we had to stay and watch the game there (which I'm sure Jon knew would happen).


The patrons were nice, the staff were great, the beer was cold and cheap, the game was...well, not everything could be perfect. Jon and I got a comfortable drunk, relaxed, had a heart to heart, made some new friends and even played this arcade bowling game that defies description. Of all the things I saw in Baltimore (including the bum eating leaves off a tree like a panda), Howard's is the thing I'll remember best. It was the bar from Heaven.




The Trip Back Home (Monday) - The next morning we all rose pretty early. Jon, Jason and I said our goodbyes to Dean then got on the road. The trip back home seemed to last so much longer than the trip up had, but I suppose that's almost always the case. I did most of the driving again, which tends to be for the best on long trips. I'm kind of a control freak in the car so I always feel a lot more comfortable behind the wheel. That's not to say Jon or Jason are bad drivers. Far from it. I just can't stand riding. So I drove us most of the way home, with Jason coming in for relief when I was just too tired to go on. The trip back was a lot of fun, as exhausted as we all were. I really felt like I got to know Jason a lot better, which was nice. I'd hung out with him a few times over the course of my friendship with Dean but I'd never had enough time alone with him to really get to know him. I liked him a lot in passing and liked him even more so after getting a chance to spend some real time with him. He's a good travel partner, as is Jon. By the end of the trip I felt like I knew them both a lot better and that I was better for it.



All in all, the trip to Baltimore was a rousing success. Sure I'm still unemployed and we're still struggling for money, but at least people are starting to take note of what I'm doing and who I am. I know more people in the industry this time than I did at the end of NYCC and I'm constantly making new friends and new contacts. I've got people offering me great insight into my work, great advice on what to expect in the future and great discussion about square jawed heroics (and maybe even a little sports). So for the guys who made this possible, thank you, for the excellent travel companions, you were awesome and for those of you coming to the blog for the first time, welcome to my world. It's nice to have you along for the ride.

Baltimore Comic-Con Recap: Day One

The Trip Up (Friday) - The trip up to Baltimore went a whole lot quicker than we expected it to. Jon, Jason and I piled into the car early on Friday morning and hit the road. There was some music listened to, a lot of comic book discussion and even a little bit of football talk (though Jason didn't have a ton to contribute to that). Jon was introduced to fruit leather, Jason mocked my love of bologna and I did (most of) the driving. When we got to town we (read Jon and I) were too hungry and too in need of beer to sit still at the luxurious Red Roof Inn, so we went to the only place out by the BWI that was open; The Ruby Tuesday.

I hadn't eaten at a Ruby Tuesday in at least a decade, probably more. They've got burgers, ya know? Like, a metric ton of burgers. So I ate one and it was alright, if only because I was so travel-hungry I was nearly delirious. Jon ate steak and shrimp and I don't know how many sides and this was at, I don't know, ten that night, maybe later? So we're eating and then Dean's plane gets in and he joins us, then Jay rolls into town and heads to the RT as well. Beers, food, even some cheesecake (we're a healthy lot) were had and then we headed back to the Red Roof to crash. Jon and me in one bed, Dean and Jason in the other and Jay on the floor. That's right, folks. Aspiring comics creators live pretty high on the hog. Don't forget it.


Day One (Saturday) - We rolled out of bed early enough to grab a quick bite to eat from McGarbage before heading into the city. Jay was handling the driving (I opted out after having driven over ten hours the day before) which meant that he was handling the drive-thru at the restaurant. Jay had apparently never been to a drive-thru. Ever. IN HIS LIFE. So after a drive-thru trip worthy of the Keystone Cops, the five of us headed into Baltimore and promptly ran into a wall of traffic caused by the street closures for the Baltimore marathon. This caused even more confusion, which was eventually conquered after a near detour toward New York.

Once at the con, Jason and Dean broke off to try and find their way onto a table (they did, thanks to Kids Love Comics) and Jay, Jon and I set off to do our own thing. My first thing that morning was talking to Jason Aaron and trying to set up an interview for sometime during the weekend. He was a really nice guy and was more than willing to give me some time the next day to run some questions past him for the blog. After that, Jon, Jay and I decided to walk the floor. Their geek eyes lit up wide at the site of all the comic books for sale, but I hemmed them both in, reminding them that whatever they saw on sale on Saturday would be even cheaper at the end of the day on Sunday. Not long afterward we split up, agreeing to meet back up later for the George Perez panel.


I was really impressed with Baltimore right off the bat. It was obvious that Baltimore was a convention about comic books, not just a massive multimedia expo using the medium of comics as an excuse to launch video games and hype Twilight films. The floor was filled to capacity almost exclusively with retailers and creators. Baltimore is a con that's still devoted to comic books. There were so many great deals on comics (even though I didn't take advantage of them) and a ton of face time with creators (which I certainly did take advantage of). Aside from meeting Jason Aaron that day, I also met Chip Mosher, head of marketing at BOOM! Studios. If you've been reading this blog then you know I'm a huge fan of BOOM. They have a great mixture of horror, adventure, superhero and kids comics, they're run by a group of guys who really know and love comics and most recently they've had a real knack for hiring my friends (see Ming Doyle and Dean Trippe). I stopped by the table because I knew Mark Waid was supposed to be around. As I showed up, a young couple was asking Chip why Mark Waid wasn't there and when they could expect to find Mark Waid. Chip gave them the requested information and they went along their way. So I walked up and asked him how many people that morning had been annoyed that he wasn't Mark Waid.

"Oh, I could never be Mark Waid. Mark Waid has far too much char-as-ma." Char-as-ma? "What do you think, Mike?" Mike was Michael Alan Nelson, the creative mind behind Fall of Cthulhu, which rivals Hellboy for the best "inspired-by-Lovecraft" comic I've ever read.

"Definitely char-as-ma." This was an inside joke. I was privy to a BOOM inside joke. So far this was going well. Then Chip tried to read my badge. As you can see from the picture above, http://surfingthebleed.blogspot.com isn't that easy to read. Chip was having trouble. But that's okay, because I had these awesome new business cards.


So I gave Chip a business card and things were suddenly a lot clearer. "You're a writer? What do you write?" I explained to him the purpose of the blog and that I was trying to break in to the industry. That's when he informed me that they were on a new talent freeze till 2011, but I was undeterred. I wanted some feedback. So I ran a few concepts past him and got the feedback I wanted. Then he told me thanks for being interested in the company and that he'd check the site out and maybe we could set up some interviews with some of their talent. So, ya know, cross your fingers.

I also took this time to re-introduce myself to Danielle Corsetto, she of the Girls With Slingshots fame. She recalled lending me her couch back in February. It also allowed me the chance to finally meet Jessi (Awesome), one of the two members of Team Awesome that I hadn't met in person yet. I found her (as most people seem to) instantly charming and her official Baltimore Comic-Con sign was infinitely impressive. I tried to buy some prints from Danielle but they had a slight change crisis. All is well though, as I came back later for some awesomeness on the cheap.

A few more laps around the building and it was time for some panel watching. Jon, Jay and I sat in on the George Perez panel which might have been good if we could hear it, but unfortunately the panel set-up at Baltimore left something to be desired. I guess maybe the economy limited the amount of money they could spend on conference space, but for whatever reason the panel rooms were set up at the front of the convention floor with only temporary dividers to separate them from themselves and from the floor itself. So as you can imagine there was quite a lot of ambient noise. Add to that the fact that the sound system in the room with the Perez panel was constantly on the fritz and things were almost impossible to hear. So we bailed long enough to do a little more walking, window shopping and creator greeting then reconvened for the Comics in the 70s panel that followed Perez.

Luckily for us they managed to fix the sound system enough to hear things and boy were there things to hear. The panel consisted of some of mine, Jon and Jay's favorite creators. The 1970s is possibly my favorite period of comics creation ever, so this was a particular joy for me. The panel consisted of my favorite creator, Mark Waid, moderating a discussion about the era with Bernie Wrightson, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Steve Englehart and Walt Simonson. There was honesty, reverence, bitterness and humor abound. Each creator told their stories of breaking in and related some of their favorite moments from working during that exciting leap forward in comics. There were dead stewardesses, art crawls, Stan Lee wackiness and werewolves so good that upped the ante. I could explain all that, but trust me when I say you had to be there.

After that was done the three of us headed to The Nest, a sports bar across the street from the convention. Jon and I camped out, made friends with the bartender and watched some football till it was time to meet back up with Dean, Jason, Danielle and Jessi. The day wrapped up and they went off to the Harvey Awards dinner while Jon, Jay and I went pub crawling.

We ended up down the road a bit in a nice little area full of pubs and restaurants. The first place we stopped into was called Illusions. It was a 50s style lounge with a magic theme that had a big bar, lots of red, floor to ceiling illusionist posters and a nightly magic performance. There was supposed to be comic shop grand opening party there that night, but it started later than we'd arrived and the place was still pretty dead. So we decided to head across the street to a little dive that looked nice from the street, but it was misleading. The front looked like a simple, down to Earth pub but the back was a mewling throng of no-neck fratboys listening to the loudest music one could possibly listen to. Seriously, it was like a theme restaurant whose theme was Frat House. So we had a beer and got out, which was fine because by then it was time to head down to the Marriott for the Harvey Awards.

It was a fun experience to go to the Harveys but I had more fun hanging with Jay, Dean and the guys in the back of the room, acting as something of a peanut gallery than I had actually watching the awards. It was nice to see some great books getting the recognition they deserved though. Jon bailed early and went down to the hotel's bar to hang out. We joined him after the Harveys and had a blast, despite the exorbitantly priced booze and the overwhelmed bar staff. I got to spend some more time chewing the fat with Jason Aaron, met and had a great conversation with John Siuntres of the podcast Word Balloon, shared a great (if brief) conversation with Walt Simonson, cracked a few jokes with Jason Latour and made friends with a fellow Titan fan from Colorado. It was a very productive day and a great night. Day Two would be even better.

Baltimore Comic-Con: The Panels

In anticipation of the trip to Baltimore next weekend for the Baltimore Comic-Con, I thought I'd give a preview of a few of the panels I'm looking forward to.

Saturday, Oct. 10th
Avengers Mansion

11:00 - 12:00 Kids Love Comics Presents: Comic Book Carnival for Kids - If you're not familiar with Kids Love Comics, you should be. They're an organization devoted to helping build the next generation of comics fans in an industry that has been downright woeful at gaining new readership over the last decade. In a nutshell, they fight the good fight. At this particular panel event, they'll have some of the industry's best kids book talent (John Gallagher [Buzzboy], Join Franco [Tiny Titans], Andy Runton [Owly]) on hand offering a workshop to children interested in learning to draw for comics. The folks at KLC take this job very seriously and they always present a lot of fun activities for kids and parents alike, so if you've got a little one with you next weekend in Baltimore, I highly suggest stopping by the Mansion for a little fun.

The Batcave

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on George Perez - An hour long retrospective and Q & A with one of the industry's most prolific illustrators? Sounds like a blast to me. Perez, the undisputed king of fitting an obscene amount of characters onto one page, will be discussing his years working for both Marvel and DC. That work includes iconic runs on The Avengers, Crisis On Infinite Earths and Wonder Woman. Most recently, Perez teamed up with Geoff Johns for the critical darling, Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. This should be an hour well spent for any lifelong comics fan.

1:30 - 2:30 Comic Rewind: The 70s - Oh man, oh man, oh man! I am so excited about this panel I can hardly contain myself. In my opinion, the 1970s is a real high water mark for superhero comics. The decade that gave us the brilliance that was Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams must always be mentioned as one of (if not the) best decades in comics history. The 1970s gave us a better Bat, a roadtrip of epic (and very green) proportions, a new class of mutant and a shambling verdant mass that would become one of the most acclaimed characters in comics history. This panel will feature some of the creators responsible for this great shift forward, including Chris Claremont (X-Men), Len Wein (Swamp Thing) and Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor). To cap it off, the panel is moderated by comic historian, editor and writer extraordinaire, Mark Waid. I'll see you there!

3:30 - 4:30 Spotlight on Wednesday Comics - Wednesday Comics was an ambitious project that met with a great deal of critical, as well as fanboy, acclaim. This panel will feature some of the creators from editor Mark Chiarello's latest success, including Andy Kubert (Sgt. Rock) and Mike Allred (Metamorpho). What I find most exciting about this panel though is the inclusion of editor Mark Chiarello as the moderator. Chiarello is one of the most exciting and talented people in comics. The projects he takes on are some of the most innovative in the business and I am fairly in awe of his talent. I might, just possibly, be considering approaching him with my The Question pitch. Am I crazy?

Sunday, Oct. 11th
Avengers Mansion

12:00 - 1:00 Marvel: Your Universe - Tom Breevort puts his own head on the chopping block and turns the microphone over to the fans for a bit of lively discussion. In an interesting twist on the big company panel, the Your Universe panel is meant to act as a soapbox for fans to express their own opinions about the direction that Marvel is taking. Do you think Agents of Atlas deserves more attention? Let 'em know. Do you think that bringing Steve Rogers back was an awful idea (it was)? Let 'em have it! This hour of opinion slinging could be the most entertaining hour you'll spend all weekend. Better bring your gloves! Fanboys are a rowdy bunch.

The Batcave

11:30 - 12:30 DC Conversation w/ Ian Sattler - Do you prefer DC to Marvel? If so, maybe you'll want to wait till 11:30 and hit up the DC Conversation with Ian Sattler. The DC equivalent of the Your Universe panel from Marvel, Sattler will be on hand to field all your questions (and attempt to deflect your ire) about the current state of DC comics. I'm sorry, DC Entertainment. Unimpressed with Blackest Night? Think that Barry Allen should have stayed dead? Not digging Batman: Reborn? Well, here's your chance to let 'em know. On a related note, these discussions can also be used as a vehicle to express your positive opinions. Just putting that out there.

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on Jo Chen - This spotlight panel would be exciting enough if it were just Jo Chen. Add to it the fact that Jose Villarubia is the moderator and you've got a can't miss event. If you're a fan of either of these creators (and you should be a fan of both) then make sure you clear your lunchtime schedule. After all, that hot dog cart will still be there at 1:30.

Baltimore looks to be a great con. From what I can tell, it appears to be more about celebrating the people who make comics and the people who read them than creating a giant pop culture circus. As much as I loved NYCC this year, I'm more excited about Baltimore. Perhaps it's that my comics acumen (and my resume) is better now than it was back in February, and that's making me more confident about being thrust back into this environment. Whatever the reason, I'm very excited. This will be my first con ever where I'm trying to pitch things on the floor (or over beers) and (hopefully) getting editorial feedback in the process. Wish me luck, true believers! It's going to be a blast!

Baltimore Comic-Con Creator Profiles

LEN WEIN - When you take a look back at the last forty years of comic books, you'd be hard pressed to find a guy who's had more lasting impact than Len Wein. A comic fan from an early age, Wein began working for various publications in the late 60s. But his first real splash came in 1971, when he and collaborator Bernie Wrightson created the Swamp Thing for DC. Certainly more than just a one-hit wonder, Wein also contributed to the Phantom Stranger and Justice League of America and created the surprisingly enduring Human Target before moving to Marvel. At the House of Ideas he contributed to some of Marvel's most popular titles, including Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor and The Incredible Hulk, where he created arguably the most popular comic character of all time, Wolverine. But his biggest contribution has to be the revival of the X-Men after a five year hiatus, where he and artist Dave Cockrum shook up the line-up and created such fan favorites as Nightcrawler, Storm and this writer's personal favorite, Colossus. Wein eventually moved back to DC where he had a prominent career as an editor, working on successful titles like New Teen Titans, Crisis On Infinite Earths and a little book you may have heard of, Watchmen. Most recently, Wein's lent his talents as a writer to Justice League of America for DC. Bring along your old Swamp Thing comics and see if you can't get Wein and Wrightson both to add their John Hancocks to them!


WALT SIMONSON - A veteran of the comics industry for over thirty years, Simonson is best known for his time on Marvel's The Mighty Thor. Though he contributed to a number of titles over the years, including nearly three years on X-Factor that influences much of the X-Books today, most fanboys remember Simonson for what he did during his time with Marvel's Thunder God. With a style nothing short of epic, Simonson took what Kirby had done with the character and built something new and dynamic on top of it. His storytelling was cinematic, his pacing sharp and crisp, and what he did on the book influenced artists for years to come. Oh, and let's not forget that he gave us Beta Ray Bill as well. A winner of multiple awards and a well respected elder in the industry, Simonson is truly one of the greats.


MARK WAID - Mark Waid is, in a word, great. Over the years he's contributed to almost every major character in both the DC and Marvel universes and has never missed a beat. Let's just run down the list. Captain America, Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Ka-Zar, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Metamorpho, Impulse, The Flash, the JLA, and Superman. His epic commentary on the future of superheores, Kingdom Come, is considered one of the best superhero stories ever told and is often mentioned in the same breath as similar works such as Watchmen and Miracleman. Most recently, Waid has lent his talent as editor and writer to upstart BOOM! Studios where he's teaching an old dog some new tricks in his series Irredeemable. A consummate professional and one of the nicest guys in the business, you'd be hard pressed to find a better creator.

Baltimore Comic-Con Creator Profiles

BERNIE WRIGHTSON - This hometown boy is probably the most famous name in horror comics. While Wrightson has worked for various publications over the years, including Marvel, DC and famous horror publisher Warren Publishing, his best known creation is still the Swamp Thing, who he created along with writer Len Wein in 1971. But to remember Wrightson only for his shambling superhero would be a mistake. A prolific artist to say the least, Wrightson has brought the works of such horror luminaries as Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Alan Poe to skittering, slithering life. In 1975 he joined The Studio, a group of creators looking to break out of the confines of comic books and produce art in various other mediums. Wrightson certainly had success at this, as his non-comic career led him to various work designing posters, prints, calendars, etc. A venerable industry elder, Wrightson has inspired (and worked alongside) a new generation of creators that includes heavy hitters such as Joss Whedon and Ben Templesmith.



NEAL ADAMS - If you were holding a contest to determine the most influential comic book artist of all time, Neal Adams would certainly be one of the finalists. An industry veteran of over forty-five years, Adams is best known for revolutionizing Batman in the 1970s. But it's not only Batman that Adams lent his expert's pencil to. Over the years, he's had the honor of creating some of the most memorable moments in the history of the X-Men, Green Lantern and Green Arrow. Along with writer and longtime collaborator Denny O'Neil, Adams helped revolutionize some of DC's major characters in the 1970s. The 1960s had offered campy, colorful and whimsical interpretations of many of DC's characters, but that candy-coated Silver Age wasn't the world O'Neil and Adams saw when they looked outside their windows. Together, they brought the dangers, controversies, tragedies and triumphs of the real world to the pages of Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow. Today, Adams's influence can be felt all around the industry, specifically in the work of creators such as Ivan Reis, Bryan Hitch and John Cassaday. Now it's come to light that Adams has some (less than secret) Batman project in the works with divisive creator Frank Miller. When you see him in Baltimore, see if you can't get him to spill the beans.



ROBERT KIRKMAN - Robert Kirkman is the fan favorite creator of such successful series as Invincible, Marvel Zombies and the Walking Dead. An outspoken defender of the medium, Kirkman made waves with his mission statement for comics last year, where he challenged the major publishers to give new talent a chance and the old dogs to try a few new tricks. It's hard to argue with Kirkman's experience in the matter, considering he's more than put his money where his mouth is. His most famous works, Invincible and The Walking Dead are two of the most successful creator-owned properties in comics. And 2009 has been a big year for both series, as Walking Dead is veering off into unexplored territory and Invincible saw the publication of its 65th issue. Recently, it was announced that AMC, the network behind successful dramas Breaking Bad and Mad Men, have bought the rights to produce a Walking Dead television series. It's been a good year for Robert Kirkman and things are only getting better.