Celebrate comics at the 20th annual Baltimore Comic-Con on October 18-20, 2019 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center. The Baltimore Comic-Con presents some of Marvel Comics‘ most venerable creators: John Beatty, Klaus Janson, Tom Palmer, John Workman, and Mike Zeck. Tickets can be purchased online now to avoid lines at the show!

John Beatty got his first break working for Marvel and DC Comics when he was 19. The year was 1980 and the decade that followed is now referred to as the “Bronze Age” of comic books! Beginning with short filler stories for DC Comics anthology books, Beatty soon found himself as the finisher on the JLA working over George Perez. However, the run was limited to 4 issues due to Marvel Comics offering him the inking duty over his favorite character, Captain America, with his long-time mentor and collaborator, Mike Zeck. Coming off of a 2.5 year run on Cap, Zeck and Beatty were tagged to do the art on the first major clash of heroes and villains, Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars! which saw the change of Spider-Man’s costume to black in issue #8 of the series, something that turned into a bigger deal as Venom. After Secret Wars, the team of Zeck and Beatty produced the hit limited mini-series and a graphic novel starring Marvel’s newest “A-List” character, The Punisher. The last major work the team produced was Captain America Annual 8. Covers for Captain America, G.I. Joe, and many other titles were a staple of work for the team during the ’80s. Beatty continued projects for Marvel, including Thanos Quest, Squadron Surpreme, Venom: The Madness, and others. At DC Comics, John was the inker for Batman: Year 3 and the first 5 issues on the new Batman title, Legends of the Dark Knight. Eight years of work on various Batman titles with writer Doug Moench and penciler Kelley Jones became well-known in the ’90s, including the last 2 installments on the Vampire/Batman GN series, other Batman graphic novels, and a 3-year run on the monthly Batman title, recently reprinted in two beautiful hardcover editions. Eventually turning his sights on DC Licensing, Beatty has produced vector ink and color for style guides, from movies to animated series to products such as toys, cards, packaging, and clothing, among other things. This is uncredited work, but is still being used. Traditional inking is still Beatty’s main love, and he continues to practice it and teach those around him who want to learn.

Klaus Janson‘s storied career begins back in the 1970s, when he got his first professional comics credit on Marvel’s Jungle Action, and he’s built a long line of comics work ever since, with noteworthy penciling or inking runs on titles such as Marvel’s Defenders and Daredevil, and DC’s Detective Comics and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. His artistic skills see him regularly as a penciller, inker, and colorist, and he regularly teaches courses, both publicly at venues such as the School of Visual Arts, and privately at comics publishing events and conventions. You can find examples of his recent work on DC Comics’ Superman, Convergence: Batman and Robin, and New Challengers, and Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man.

Tom Palmer is best known for his significant contributions as an inker to many noteworthy titles and runs. He worked over some of the largest artists in the industry on Marvel’s The Avengers, X-Men, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Tomb of Dracula, and X-Men: The Hidden Years.  His approach to inking changed the way the industry approached the task, working in a style closer to a painter than how the typical inker completed their jobs at the time. He is highly regarded by the artists whose pencils he inked, including luminaries such as Neal Adams, Gene Colan, John Buscema, and John Byrne.

John Workman managed to turn a love for the comics form into a career. During the past five decades, he has held the position of editor, writer, art director, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, production director, and book designer for various companies. He created (with some help from Bhob Stewart and Bob Smith) the offbeat stories in Wild Things (with much of that material having first appeared in Star*Reach and Heavy Metal) and both wrote and drew the comics series Sindy, Fallen Angels, and Roma. In 1991, he reflected on model Bettie Page in Betty Being Bad (Eros), and later produced the hardbounds Heavy Metal: 25 Years of Classic Covers and Innocent Images: The Sexy Fantasy Females of Viper and Kiss, as well as The Adventures of Roma, a reformatted graphic novel version of his earlier series. He continues to write and draw and to do a whole lot of lettering for a number of comics companies on an international level.

Mike Zeck began his storied career in comics with Charlton Comics with their animation-related line of titles before moving to Marvel Comics to leave an indelible mark. Zeck provided art to unforgettable characters and titles such as 1987’s “Kraven’s Last Hunt” in the Spider-Man titles, “Circle of Blood” in The Punisher, and the classic Secret Wars featuring Zeck’s design on the classic black costume for Spider-Man (and later adopted by Venom). Zeck’s work has graced the pages and covers of Aquaman, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Green Lantern, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Special Missions, Lobo, Deathstroke The Terminator, The Eliminator, and too many titles to mention here. His creator-owned project Damned, appeared from BOOM! Studios.

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In addition to on-site CGC grading, this year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Joel Adams (Savage Eve), Neal Adams (Detective Comics), Zeea Adams (Neal Adams Monsters), Scott Ethan Ambruson (Destiny, Queen of Thieves), Art Way Alliance, Brian Azzarello (Batman: Damned), Jeremy Bastian (Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Under The Spell), Marty Baumann (Disney/Pixar), John Beatty (Secret Wars), Carolyn Belefski (Curls), Ziggy Blumenthal (Operation Pajama Pants), Russ Braun (The Boys), Brett Breeding (Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Harold Buchholz (MST3K), Mark Buckingham (Justice League Dark), Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, courtesy of AfterShock Comics), Greg Burnham (Tuskegee Heirs), Buzz (Superman: Coming of the Supermen), Jim Calafiore (The Mike Wieringo Tellos Tribute), Chris Campana (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Joe Carabeo (The Legettes), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Christa Cassano (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force), Castillo Studios, Ally Cat (Death of Love), Jacob Chabot (Ziggy Pig – Silly Seal Comics), Howard Chaykin (Hey Kids! Comics!), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Amy Chu (KISS: The End), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Steve Conte (Action Figure Kingdom), Katie Cook (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), Jamie Cosley (Star Wars Insider), Clayton Crain (Absolute Carnage: Miles Morales, courtesy of Frankie’s Comics), Kristina Deak-Linsner (Vampirella: Roses for the Dead), The Deans Family (La Moo Du Chocolat: A Shakes Adventure), Vito Delsante (Midnight Tiger: Stronger), Christian DiBari (Magdalena), Steve Ellis (The Only Living Girl), Tod Emko and Piggy (A Piggy’s Tale), Steve Englehart (Doctor Strange, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Garth Ennis (The Boys, Friday and Saturday only), G.D. Falksen (Mine!), Rob Feldman (Cyko KO), Brenden Fletcher (Isola), Chris Flick (Capes & Babes), LJ and Kayla Fowlkes (The Adventures of CHIBIWONGTONG), Shea Fontana (DC SuperHero Girls), Francesco Francavilla (Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica), Franco (Superman of Smallville), Simon Fraser (Tales of the Night Watchman, courtesy of So What? Press), Julie Fujii Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden), John Gallagher (Max Meow), David Gallaher (The Only Living Girl), SL Gallant (Magic: The Gathering: Chandra – Tales of Alara), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Mitch Gerads (Mr. Miracle), Gerhard (Cerberus the Aardvark), Ransom Getty (Suicide Squad Special Edition), Chris Giarrusso (Hashtag: Danger), Mike Gold (The Whisper Campaign), Jimmy Gownley (Disney Zootopia: School Days), Garth Graham (Star Power), John Patrick Green (Kim Possible Adventures), Dawn Griffin (Zorphbert & Fred), Juanjo Guarnido (Blacksad),  Laura Lee Gulledge (Will & Whit), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Cully Hamner (Batman Beyond), N. Steven Harris (Michael Cray), Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Glenn Hauman (Mine!), Mark Hempel (Sandman), Greg Hildebrandt (Old Man Logan), Clinton Hobart (Disney fine artist), Javon and Tarik Holmes (The Adventuers of Waffle Boy), Adam Hughes (Superman), Jamal Igle (Wrong Earth), Chris Ivy (Venom: Tooth and Claw, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Klaus Janson (New Challengers), Justin Jordan (Reaver), Kata Kane (G.F.F.s Ghost Friends Forever), Chris Kemple (The Mike Wieringo Tellos Tribute), Matt Kindt (X-O Manowar), Sharlene Kindt (Dept. H), Tom King (Batman), Evelyn Kriete (Hullabaloo), Greg Land (Hulkverines, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Jeehyung Lee (The Batman’s Grave, courtesy of Frankie’s Comics), Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Saturday only), Jeff Lemire (Black Hammer), Joseph Michael Linsner (Red Sonja), Nate Lovett (Marvel Comics Presents), Howard Mackie (Ghost Rider), Mike Manley (Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic), Chris Mariano (Claire Lost Her Bear at the World’s Fair), Mark Mariano (Puddleton Farm: Ewing! What Are You Doing?), Ron Marz (Turok), Xavier McLaren (The Bubbler), John McCrea (Hitman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Twisted Romance), Pop Mhan (Raven, Daughter of Darkness), David Michelinie (Amazing Spider-Man, Saturday and Sunday only, courtesy of The Living Corpse), Matt Miner (All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World), Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez (Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico), Mark Morales (Justice League), Jamar Nicholas (Leon: Protector of the Playground), Kevin Nowlan (Black Widow, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Jerry Ordway (Archie Meets Batman ’66), Rachel Ordway (FTL, Y’all!), Greg Pak (Star Wars), Tom Palmer (Doctor Strange), Dan Parent (Archie: The Married Life – 10th Anniversary), Paul Pelletier (Aquaman/Jabberjaw Special), Andrew Pepoy (Archie: The Married Life – 10th Anniversary), Mike Perkins (Swamp Thing), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Kasey Pierce (Seeress, Book One: The Reckless), Mark Poulton (Koni Waves), Andy Price (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), Dave Proch (Mango Lizard), Livio Ramondelli (Transformers), Ron Randall (Trekker), Tom Raney (Dog Days of Summer), Mark Redfield (Vampire Hunters Incorporated), Afua Richardson (Run), Rafer Roberts (Grumble), Don Rosa (The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck), Peter Rostovsky (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force), Jennifer Rouse (The Death of Poe), Craig Rousseau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X), Mike Royer (New Gods), Arsia Rozegar (Man Plus), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Stuart Sayger (KISS: The End), Bob Schreck (Batman: Hush), Greg Schigiel (Pix: One Weirdest Weekend), Erica Schultz (Xena: Warrior Princess), Bart Sears (Turok), Jeff Shultz (Archie Jumbo Comics Digest), Louise Simonson (Death of Superman), Walter Simonson (Ragnarok), Matt Slay (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Andy Smith (Demi-God), Brian “Smitty” Smith (The Stuff of Legend), John K. Snyder III (Killers), Allison Sohn (The Art of Red Sonja, Volume 2), Charles Soule (Curse Words), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Rise of the Black Panther), Jim Steranko (Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Paul D. Storrie (The Viking Queen), Karl Story (Star Wars: Age of Rebellion – Han Solo), William Stout (Fantastic Worlds – The Art of William Stout), Nathan Szerdy (Vampirella), Ty Templeton (Marvel Super-Hero Adventures, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Michael Terracciano (Star Power), David and Sarah Trustman (The Memory Arts), Timothy Truman (Grimjack), Billy Tucci (Shi), Ted Tucker (Caricatures), Mike Vasquez (Rick & Morty, courtesy of Frankie’s Comics), Brian K. Vaughan (Paper Girls), Gus Vazquez (Big Hero 6), Emilio Velez Jr. (The Dodgeball Teens), Robert Venditti (Hawkman), Doug Wagner (The Hard Place), Mark Waid (Avengers: No Road Home), Adam Wallenta (Punk Taco), Adam Warren (Empowered And Sistah Spooky’s High School Hell), Todd Webb (Mr. Toast Comics), Lee Weeks (Batman), Mark Wheatley (Songs of Giants: The Poetry of Pulp), Emily Whitten (The Underfoot), Bob Wiacek (Iron Man), Marcus Williams (Tuskegee Heirs), Javier Cruz Winnik (Puerto Rico Strong), Marv Wolfman (Raven: Daughter of Darkness, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Rich Woodall (Electric Black), John Workman (Riverdale), Kelly Yates (Torchwood), Thom Zahler (Star Trek: Waypoint Special 2019), and Mike Zeck (The Punisher).