Category Archives: Conventions

Jason Aaron, David Baron, Dan Goldman, Stuart Sayger, John Stanisci, and Joe Staton are coming to Baltimore Comic Con

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The Baltimore Comic-Con makes its triumphant return to the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on September 25-27, 2026. The Baltimore Comic-Con has announced that Jason Aaron, David Baron, Dan Goldman, Stuart Sayger, John Stanisci, and Joe Staton as guests of the 2026 event! Purchase your tickets now!

Jason Aaron is an award-winning writer who has created some of the most celebrated comic books of the last twenty years. Best known for his work with Marvel Comics, including Star Wars, Wolverine & The X-Men, Doctor Strange, The Avengers, and a landmark seven-year run on Thor, Aaron is currently spearheading the red-hot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for IDW and Absolute Superman for DC Comics. His critically acclaimed creator-owned work includes the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Southern Bastards from Image Comics and the New York Times best-selling Scalped from DC/Vertigo, plus the brand new hit series Bug Wars for Image. Aaron was born and raised in Alabama and currently resides in Kansas.

David Baron’s first time in Baltimore! A celebrated comic book colorist and writer with over three decades in the industry, David has brought his vivid, cinematic style to some of comics’ biggest titles, including Batman, The Batman Who Laughs, Superman: Last Days of Lex Luthor, The Authority, Justice League, Green Arrow, and the new Heavy Metal. His creator-owned sci-fi hit STAINED showcases his talents not just as a colorist, but as a writer and world-builder. Known for bold palettes and storytelling through color, David’s work turns every page into an unforgettable visual experience. Don’t miss your chance to meet him, get your books signed, and hear behind-the-scenes stories from one of the most dynamic talents in comics today!

Dan Goldman is a writer-artist working in prose, comics, and video games. He is the creator of Red Light Properties, a tropical horror comic series about haunted Miami real estate. He is also co-creator of the graphic novels Chasing Echoes (Humanoids), the Priya’s Shakti series, the non-fiction political docu-comic 08: A Graphic Novel of the Campaign Trail (Three Rivers), and the Eisner-nominated Shooting War (Grand Central). Dan has also worked in game narrative, including the Emmy-winning Silent Hill: Ascension (Genvid) and The Division: Resurgence (Ubisoft). He currently lives in South Florida where he’s producing all-new RLP stories.

Stuart Sayger is known for his dynamic cover art for Red Sonja, Conan, Vampirella, Batman, Joker, G.I Joe, Transformers, Lego Bionicle, and much more! Visit www.stuartsayger.com to see more of his work!

John Stanisci is a 30-year comic veteran whose work has appeared in DC, Marvel, IDW, and now Heavy Metal Magazine. Currently, John is THRILLED to be writing and drawing his own original ongoing series Gladiatrix for Heavy Metal Magazine. Other credits include Batman #150, which was a top seller for the month of July. John had a story in Superman: Red and Blue which received an Eisner Nomination for Best Anthology. John was part of DC Comics’ Batman Beyond: Hush Beyond which premiered at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels. Other characters include work on Spider-Man, Batman, Catwoman, Vigilante, Superman, and many more. Outside of comics, John has just completed work on his debut sci-fi novel, Lifedeath (announcements coming soon!) and is currently working with film/TV producers Zero Gravity Entertainment (Ozark on Netflix) and Echo Lake on new TV series and a feature films. www.johnstanisci.com

Joe Staton has been drawing comics since he started working for Charlton Comics in 1971, where he co-created E-Man and Michael Mauser. Though the bulk of his work has been for DC Comics, at last count, Staton has worked for at least 30 publishers and 100 different editors. Among his many comics credits are Action Comics, Green Lantern, The Legion, Classics Illustrated, and various incarnations of Batman. During his time on Green Lantern, he co-created several GLs, including Kilowog, Arisia, and Salakk. He also designed GL Guy Gardner’s “bad boy” look. More recently, with his writer-wife Hilarie, he produces medical comics such as Pete Learns All About Crohn’s and Colitis and Amy Goes Gluten-Free. In 1998, he received the Eisner Award for his work on World’s Finest: The Superman-Batman Adventures. He penciled over 100 issues of the Cartoon Network’s Scooby Doo comic. He illustrated a graphic novel adaptation of Ayn Rand’s Anthem for NAL and a graphic biography of Ronald Reagan. Starting in 2011, working with writer Mike Curtis, Joe was the regular artist for the long-running Dick Tracy newspaper strip (available online at www.gocomics.com/dicktracy). Dick Tracy received Harvey Awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015 for Best Syndicated Strip or Feature.

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Jason Aaron (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Zeea Adams (Deadman), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Russ Braun (The Boys), Jeffrey Brown (Hulk Teach, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jeffrey Burandt (Gonad the Ballbarian), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Becky Cloonan (War), Michael W. Conrad (In Bloom), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn), Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (The College Try), Paris Cullins (Blue Devil), Vito Delsante (Stray), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Scott Dunbier (DC Silver Age Covers and Stories Artist’s Edition), Steve Englehart (Captain America), Garth Ennis (The Boys), Trish Forstner (Feral), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Randy Green (Witchblade), Torunn Grønbekk (Catwoman), Gene Ha (Mae), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Larry Hama (GI Joe: A Real American Hero), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Dean Haspiel (Chest Face), Glenn Hauman (They Keep Killing Glenn), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hempel (Sandman), Jamal Igle (Superman), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance), Peter Krause (The Power of Shazam, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Kunkel (Herobear and the Kid), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Nate Lovett (Commander Tomorrow), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Jose Marzen Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Mike McKone (Teen Titans), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Fantastic Four), Pop Mhan (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Trevor Mueller (Bat Pat), Sarah Myer (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Phil Noto (Fantastic Four: First Foes), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (The Punisher), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Margeaux Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Khoi Pham (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Andy Price (My Little Pony), Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), James Robinson (Starman), Tone Rodriguez (Feral, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Andy Runton (Owly), Stuart Sayger (Red Sonja), Joe Schmalke (We Don’t Kill Spiders), Erica Schultz (Rogue), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, courtesy of Flesk Publishing), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Matthew Dow Smith (DC’s Misfits of Magic), Scott Snyder (Friday and Sunday only, DC K.O.), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Liberty Girl Deluxe), Jim Starlin (Dreadstar), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Martha Thomases (Dakota North), Billy Tucci (Shi), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and the Big Hero Six), Mark Waid (Action Comics), Steve Walker (Pay the Devil), Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Bob Wiacek (All-New Wolverine, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Chuck Wojtkiewicz (Justice League, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Rich Woodall (Sgt. Werewolf), Kelly Yates (Doctor Who), and Thom Zahler (Long Distance).

Crunchyroll Brings an Immersive Pop-Up to LA This Summer!

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The Loop

This summer, Crunchyroll is collaborating with Three Ten Merchandising Services, an imprint of Ceremony of Roses, to bring the extraordinary worlds of anime to life at The Loop, an all-new rotating retail destination featuring immersive activations, exclusive merchandise, collectibles, themed environments, and fan experiences inspired by the biggest entertainment brands in anime, entertainment, gaming, music and pop culture. The Loop will make its grand opening in mid-June at Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park, CA, further expanding the center’s growing roster of immersive entertainment and culture-driven experiences in Los Angeles. 

The first wave of featured entertainment brands will be the fan-favorite anime series Solo Leveling, Sentenced to Be a Hero, and Bananya, available to watch now on Crunchyroll, with three additional anime activations debuting later this Summer. Visitors can expect to be transported into each anime series through three unique immersive rooms that will include captivating photo opps, audio/visual installations, iconic replica props, and more. 

  • Solo Leveling: Do you have what it takes to become a hunter? Enter the Hunters Association to test your mana levels to discover your rank, class, and skills. 
  • Sentenced to Be a Hero: Fight alongside Penal Hero Unit 9004 and join the war against the demon blight.
  • Bananya: Peel away from the action to find Bananya and its lively bunch of friends at a summer festival filled with various games and even a photo opp with an adorable plushie wall. Don’t forget to stay for the fireworks!

The retail shop will host a collection of products from each of the featured anime, ranging from apparel and figures to plush and home goods, which will be exclusively available at The Loop. Limited run Crunchyroll branded items will also be available for purchase.

General admission for the immersive experiences in The Loop is free, with a standby line when the space is at capacity. Crunchyroll subscribers will be granted special early access to the experience, with details to come. There will also be a special limited edition 3-pack of pins for $15 that features each anime series that will allow visitors to skip the line with a day-of fast pass access.

Visit DiscoverTheLoop.com for more info, and sign up for email alerts for the exact date when The Loop will officially open. Activations for Solo Leveling, Sentenced to Be a Hero, and Bananya will run until August, after which The Loop will refresh with three new anime series to be announced at a later date.

Stephen Pellnat’s Upstate #5 gets a Release Party this June at Floating World Comics

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Celebrate the release of the 5th issue on Friday June 5, with book readings by Stephen Pellnat, joined by Quinn Amacher and Emilie Kelly. Great readers and good vibes guaranteed!

Upstate follows Ryan Essen, a 31 year old in 2018, returning to her childhood home in the fictional Hudson Valley town of Heinrichville, New York. Her father is dying, her home is changing, and like so many millennials, she feels like the best years of her life are far behind her.

In the latest issue of Stephen Pellnat’s series, a German veteran of the First World War arrives in the early American twentieth century, distant from even himself. An unexamined life echoes forward in time, through an entire family; its present day iteration afflicted by patterns of behavior that are not quite the same, not quite different. Overlapping shades of the generational and the personal coalesce as the Upstate Winter Cycle draws to a close.

WHO: Stephen Pellnat, Quinn Amacher, Emilie Kelly
WHAT: UPSTATE #5 release party and book reading
WHEN: Friday June 5, 5pm
WHERE: Floating World Comics, 1223 Lloyd Center, Portland, Oregon

Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute (KHPI) are Otakon 2026 Guests

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Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute (KHPI)

Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute (KHPI) will be guests at Otakon 2026. KHPI is the first public cultural facility dedicated to hanbok, or the traditional attire of the Korean people.

Opened in April 2021 at Sangju, a city known for silk and cotton production, Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute
focuses on the succession and preservation of traditional hanbok, as well as education about the culture.

Their most recent works include multiple projects for the 2025 APEC Summit (including developing special hanbok, hosting a fashion show, and creating a hanbok uniform for volunteers ) and Woori Ot 100 Seon, a project in which they selected 100 different hanbok styles representing Korea to showcase designs based on historical artwork ranging from Goguryeo murals to late Joseon period pieces.

Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute will be showcasing selected traditional hanbok at the Hanbok Exhibit at Otakon.

Otakon 2026 takes place July 31 to August 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Baltimore Comic-Con’s Yearbook Returns in 2026 with Savage Dragon!

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Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook 2026 Savage Dragon

Come to the Baltimore Comic-Con on September 25-27, 2026 at the Baltimore Convention Center in the Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Tickets to the show are now available.

An annual tradition, the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, returns in 2026 for the fourteenth year, celebrating creators and friends of the show. This year’s book of art features interpretations of characters from 2026 guest Erik Larsen‘s Savage Dragon!

Beautifully designed by returning guest and Cupid’s Arrows, Warning Label, Time and Vine, and Love and Capes creator Thom Zahler, the book comes in a standard and, for VIP ticketholders, a limited VIP cover edition.

Savage Dragon, published by Image Comics, features the adventures of “Dragon” and, more recently, the exploits of his son, Malcolm Eugene Dragon.

Erik created the Dragon as a kid, but the character finally saw his first public appearance in the self-published Graphic Fantasy #1 in June 1982. In 1986, the slightly revised character returned as “Savage Dragon” in the pages of Gary Carlson’s Megaton #3.

When Erik left Marvel Comics in 1992 to become co-founder of Image Comics, he published a three-issue mini-series featuring his redesigned childhood creation, the Dragon. Based on the huge success, Larsen released the ongoing title in 1993 and has worked on it as writer, penciller, and inker ever since (sometimes also coloring and lettering!). The book is largely considered the longest running full-color comic book that has featured a single writer and artist.

The Baltimore Comic-Con scavenger hunt, which has become a must-do activity for many of our fans, will be back in 2026! When you buy the book, you’ll get a list of Yearbook contributors and their table numbers. Participants succeeding in acquiring the appropriate quota of autographs from contributors can then get their choice of bonus prints — and it’s a great way to meet our guests!

Art created for the 2026 Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook Featuring Savage Dragon will be auctioned off at the Baltimore Comic-Con Art Auction on Saturday, September 26th. Fans and art collectors alike won’t want to miss this opportunity to win these one-of-a-kind items, only available at the Baltimore Comic-Con!

The book will be sold in the Exclusives Booth in the lobby. The book will be available at the Baltimore Comic-Con for $29.99. The art auction featuring original art from the book will be held during the show weekend of September 25-27, 2026.

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Jason Aaron (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Russ Braun (The Boys), Jeffrey Brown (Hulk Teach, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Becky Cloonan (War), Michael W. Conrad (In Bloom), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn), Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (The College Try), Paris Cullins (Blue Devil), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Scott Dunbier (DC Silver Age Covers and Stories Artist’s Edition), Garth Ennis (The Boys), Trish Forstner (Feral), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Randy Green (Witchblade), Torunn Grønbekk (Catwoman), Gene Ha (Mae), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Larry Hama (GI Joe: A Real American Hero), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Dean Haspiel (Chest Face), Glenn Hauman (They Keep Killing Glenn), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hempel (Sandman), Jamal Igle (Superman), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance), Peter Krause (The Power of Shazam, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Kunkel (Herobear and the Kid), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Nate Lovett (Commander Tomorrow), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Jose Marzen Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Mike McKone (Teen Titans), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Fantastic Four), Pop Mhan (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Trevor Mueller (Bat Pat), Sarah Myer (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Phil Noto (Fantastic Four: First Foes), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (The Punisher), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Margeaux Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Khoi Pham (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), Tone Rodriguez (Feral, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Joe Schmalke (We Don’t Kill Spiders), Erica Schultz (Rogue), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, courtesy of Flesk Publishing), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Matthew Dow Smith (DC’s Misfits of Magic), Scott Snyder (Friday and Sunday only, DC K.O.), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Liberty Girl Deluxe), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Martha Thomases (Dakota North), Billy Tucci (Shi), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and the Big Hero Six), Mark Waid (Action Comics), Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Bob Wiacek (All-New Wolverine, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Chuck Wojtkiewicz (Justice League, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Rich Woodall (Sgt. Werewolf), Kelly Yates (Doctor Who), and Thom Zahler (Long Distance).

SDCC 2026: Hasbro unveils its G.I. JOE Exclusives including Shipwreck vs. Cadet Deming and Fatal Fluffies!

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Hasbro has revealed two new G.I. JOE action figure exclusives heading to San Diego Comic-Con 2026—G.I. JOE Classified Series #204 Fatal Fluffies action figure and #205 Shipwreck vs. Cadet Deming (There’s No Place Like Springfield) action figure set!

Fatal Fluffies and Shipwreck Vs. Cadet Deming figures will be available for purchase exclusively at the Hasbro booth during San Diego Comic-Con (while supplies last). Following the convention, limited quantities will be available to order on HasbroPulse.com.

G.I. JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES #205, SHIPWRECK VS. CADET DEMING (THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE SPRINGFIELD)

(HASBRO | Ages 4 years & up | Approx. Retail Price: $64.99 | Available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con. Limited quantities will be available to order on HasbroPulse.com after the convention. While supplies last.) 

G.I. JOE is a highly skilled, on-demand, special operations force of men and women from around the globe tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination. Recreate Shipwreck facing off against Cadet Deming in a battle of wills as the G.I. JOE sailor takes on the Crimson Guard interrogator inspired by “There’s No Place Like Springfield” from G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero. This highly articulated 6-inch-scale action figure set lets fans recreate the episode in which Cadet Deming subjects Shipwreck to an elaborate fabricated reality to extract secret intelligence. With premium deco and detailing, the set includes 13 cartoon-inspired accessory pieces, including Shipwreck’s swappable hair piece, glass of dosed milk, and parrot companion Polly accessory wielding a device to blast the evil Synthoids impersonating Shipwreck’s loved ones and G.I. JOE allies. The classic window packaging showcases the accessory loadout, figure-specific File Card Icons, original character artwork, and dynamic digital renders. 

Look for other G.I. JOE figures and toys to build your roster of heroic G.I. JOE’s and Cobra villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.). 

G.I. JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES #204, FATAL FLUFFIES

(HASBRO | Ages 4 years & up | Approx. Retail Price: $54.99 | Available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con. Limited quantities will be available to order on HasbroPulse.com after the convention. While supplies last.)

G.I. JOE is a highly skilled, on-demand, special operations force of men and women from around the globe tasked with defending the world from Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization bent on total domination. Bring home one of the strangest threats in G.I. Joe history with Fatal Fluffies, inspired by the classic G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon miniseries “The Pyramid of Darkness”! This highly articulated 6-inch scale G.I. Joe Classified Series set features premium deco, detailed design, and accessories inspired by the episode, including Cobra Commander’s greeting, a swappable facial expression, whip, laser blaster, 2 small flame effects, and a large fireball effect that plugs into the transformed Fatal Fluffy’s open mouth. The outer sleeve design nods to the nostalgia of Saturday Morning Cartoon-viewing with a faux cereal box loaded with Easter Eggs referencing the classic “Pyramid of Darkness” miniseries, while featuring the classic window-box display showcasing the figures along with accessory loadout, File Card Icons, original character artwork, and dynamic digital renders. 

Look for other G.I. JOE figures and toys to build your roster of heroic G.I. JOE’s and Cobra villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.). 

SDCC 2026: IDW Dark’s Fatal Fest blends Survival Horror with Hollywood Satire from Hannah Rose May and Andrea Scalmazzi

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How far would you go to achieve your dream? Would you kill for it? Creator and writer Hannah Rose May and IDW Dark ready to unleash a first tease at Fatal Fest, her next nail-biting and bold original terror with IDW Publishing‘s horror imprint.

When six emerging horror filmmakers are invited to compete at Fatal Fest, the mysterious festival run by reclusive horror maestro Frank Finch and his legendary production empire, Fatal Films, they discover this is no ordinary film festival. Frank has one simple rule: to create true fear, you must experience it. If they want to win the Fatal Fest, they need to be willing to kill for it. 

Featuring artwork by Andrea Scalmazzi, Fatal Fest is a harrowing and twisted exploration of obsession with IP, the thirst for fame and Hollywood’s ruthless commodification of art. Survival horror collides with culturally relevant satire and readers won’t be able to look away from the brutal ride.

IDW Dark and May will unveil more details about Fatal Fest at San Diego Comic Con in July.

Fatal Fest

Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) is an Otakon 2026 Guest

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KOMACON

Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) will be guests at Otakon 2026. KOMACON was established in 1998 as the only agency in the Republic of Korea dedicated to
the promotion of manhwa, or comics.

With its mission statement that focuses on solidifying the industrial foundation of K-contents and enhancing the brand value of the Republic of Korea as a global cultural powerhouse, KOMACON strives to expand the public’s enjoyment of manhwa/comics by fostering talented creators and advancing the industry’s infrastructure.

KOMACON manages various manhwa-related archives including Korea Manhwa Museum, Manhwa Library, and Manhwa Kyujanggak, preserving the cultural value of the manhwa as a medium. KOMACON also showcases the dynamic nature of manhwa to the world by hosting events like Bucheon International Comics Festival (BICOF) and Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival (GICOF).

Otakon 2026 takes place July 31 to August 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Stardust’s Eisner Nomination Removed from Ballot while Comic-Con takes a look at its Submission Policy

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Eisner Awards Nominee

Last week, we broke the news that a nominee for the 2026 Eisners featuring some AI work. Stardust the Super Wizard Anthology was nominated this year under “Best Anthology.” Managed by Van Jensen, the anthology featured an impressive amount of talent and raised over $39,000 from 614 supporters on the Zoop crowdfunding platform.

One of those who contributed was Michael Todasco using his “AI persona,” Alex Irons for an included page. Irons has an author page on Amazon showing numerous releases over the years and the bio admits it being an AI “author.” Todasco boasted on LinkedIn about the page inclusion in the anthology. You can see Todasco’s post as well as the page from the anthology on our original article. Below is the author bio from Amazon.

Alex Irons is not a real person. Books under his name are written by AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and other large language models. The real-life person guiding those queries is a writer, entrepreneur, and technology enthusiast currently pursuing an MFA in writing at Johns Hopkins University.

All proceeds from Alex’s books go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley.

Numerous contributors have come out publicly stating that they had no idea about the use of AI until after it was decided and the inclusion was not disclosed on the crowdfunding page.

As you can imagine, the nomination ignited a firestorm with petitions launched to not just rescind the nomination but also ask Comic-Con and the Eisners to create a policy regarding AI and its use in works submitted for nomination in future awards.

Comic-Con has released a statement that Stardust‘s nomination has been rescinded by its editor and that the convention will look at drafting a policy that will impact future awards.

In light of the recent disclosure that Artificial Intelligence was included in a work submitted for Eisner Award consideration, the judges have indicated that had they been aware of this information, they would not have voted for its inclusion. The editor of the anthology in question has also rescinded this submission for inclusion. Therefore, the submission has been removed from the list of nominees and will not appear on the ballot.

It is clear that the ever evolving landscape of technology, as it relates to art, will  benefit from further review and discussion. For this reason, San Diego Comic Convention will undertake that effort and will produce a policy that better reflects its long standing efforts in the protection of artists and creators alike.

-Comic-Con International

Sean Chen, Scott Dunbier, Scott Hanna, Sean Martinbrough, Scott Snyder, and Billy Tucci are coming to Baltimore Comic Con

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The Baltimore Comic-Con will return to the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on the weekend of September 25-27, 2026. The Baltimore Comic-Con welcomes Sean Chen, Scott Dunbier, Scott Hanna, Sean Martinbrough, Scott Snyder (Friday and Sunday only), and Billy Tucci as guests of the 2026 event! Find tickets online now!

Sean Chen has been a major part of the comic book industry for over two decades. Starting with Valiant Comics, his debut book, Rai And the Future Force, topped the charts with over 800,000 copies sold. He then moved on to Harbinger and Bloodshot before landing on their flagship title, X-O Manowar.

Sean then found a new home at Marvel where he started what would become the longest and most remembered run of his career working on Iron Man. For the next decade, he was the artist on a number of titles, including Wolverine, X-Men, Spider-Man, Nova, and the Avengers. Currently, Sean is writing and drawing his creator-owned mind-bending sci-fi thriller, Evermind for 247 Comics with co-creator, actor Daniel Wu.

Instagram @seanchenart

Scott Hanna is an Eisner Award-winning artist in the graphic novel industry. Scott Hanna has been drawing and inking comic books for over 30 years. His work has been published in over 1,000 comics and graphic novels, and he’s inked over 25,000 pages of comics art.

At Marvel Comics, Scott has worked on all of the top characters at the company, known for working on most of the Spider-Man titles over the past 30 plus years, sometimes working on multiple Spider-Man titles at the same time. Scott has also had runs on the Avengers, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, and many more.

At DC Comics, he has worked on most of their major titles, including a five year run on Detective Comics starring Batman, Green Lantern Corps, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Superman, and Teen Titans.

Scott is currently working at Marvel on Amazing Spider-Man and various covers with John Romita Jr., this year being their 30th anniversary as a team on Spider-Man. Also, he is working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder, doing interiors and painted covers, and a creator-owned newspaper strip, Dodge & Hustle, where he is co-writing, pencilling, and inking. Upcoming projects include pencilling and inking interiors and covers.

He is cofounder of the Arts and Fashion Institute in PA with his wife Pamela Ptak. Scott teaches classes in sequential art, painting, inking, anatomy, drawing, and cartooning.

Scott Dunbier has been editing comics for more than 30 years. He has worked with some of the finest creators in comics and created two industry standard formats–Absolute Editions and Artist’s Editions, the latter of which he has curated more than 100 volumes. He was Executive Editor at DC/WildStorm and Special Projects-VP at IDW Publishing. In 2024, he and his wife Amanda launched Act 4 Publishing where they continue their efforts to preserve comic art history in ridiculously large art books. Most years, he also runs the charity art auction benefiting Hero Initiative at Baltimore Comic-Con.

Shawn Martinbrough is the author of How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling by Penguin Random House and an Eisner Award-nominated artist whose comic book projects include Batman: Detective Comics, Luke Cage Noir, The Black Panther: Man Without Fear, and Hellboy. Shawn illustrated Thief of Thieves, the graphic novel series co-created with Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and the Eisner-nominated Prométhée 13:13, published by Éditions Delcourt-Soleil and ABLAZE.

He is a co-author of Judge Kim and the Kids’ Court by Simon & Schuster and the artist of Like Lava in My Veins, the 2024 NAACP Image Award-nominated, best-selling kid’s book written by Derrick D. Barnes and published by Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Kids. Shawn is a Vanity Fair contributor, the writer of Red Hood: The Hill for DC Comics, and is currently writing and illustrating The HEAVY, an original graphic novel for Megascope/Abrams Books.

A New York Times Best Selling author with previous works on DC’s Batman, Superman, and Justice League, and Image Comics’ Wytches, Scott Snyder (appearing at this year’s show on Friday and Sunday) has made a name for himself, with his current focus on his creator-owned books such as Nocterra, Chain, We Have Demons, Clear, Night of the Ghoul, Barnstormers, Dudley Datson, Canary, Duck and Cover, and Book of Evil.

Inkpot Award recipient Billy Tucci is a cartoonist best known for his modern-day samurai saga Shi, which began with The Way of the Warrior in 1994. Through his company, Crusade Fine Arts, Shi has been printed in five languages and sold more than 3 million comic books. In addition to his own creations, the graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology has earned the prestigious Diamond Comics Gem Award and has been nominated for four Eisner Awards. Billy’s DC Comics graphic novel, Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion, was awarded the Military Writers Society of America Gold Medal for its depiction of the highly decorated, real-life 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was comprised of Japanese-American soldiers. His earnest retelling of the Christmas story in A Child Is Born has quietly turned into an international blockbuster, winning the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award. His critically acclaimed Miss Fury: Joy Division saw the return of the Golden Age Icon for Dynamite Comics. Billy has recently released Shi: Return of the Warrior, Shi: Haikyo, Shi: Omnibus Edition, and Zombie-Sama via Kickstarter and Indiegogo, uniting backers from over fifty countries and bringing Crusade Comics’ previous exclusive crowdfunding campaign totals to over $1,000,000.00.

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Jason Aaron (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Zeea Adams (Deadman), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Russ Braun (The Boys), Jeffrey Brown (Hulk Teach, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Becky Cloonan (War), Michael W. Conrad (In Bloom), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn), Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (The College Try), Paris Cullins (Blue Devil), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Scott Dunbier (DC Silver Age Covers and Stories Artist’s Edition), Garth Ennis (The Boys), Trish Forstner (Feral), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Randy Green (Witchblade), Torunn Grønbekk (Catwoman), Gene Ha (Mae), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Larry Hama (GI Joe: A Real American Hero), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Dean Haspiel (Chest Face), Glenn Hauman (They Keep Killing Glenn), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hempel (Sandman), Jamal Igle (Superman), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance), Peter Krause (The Power of Shazam, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Kunkel (Herobear and the Kid), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Nate Lovett (Commander Tomorrow), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Jose Marzen Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Mike McKone (Teen Titans), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Fantastic Four), Pop Mhan (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Trevor Mueller (Bat Pat), Sarah Myer (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Phil Noto (Fantastic Four: First Foes), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (The Punisher), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Margeaux Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Khoi Pham (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), Tone Rodriguez (Feral, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Stuart Sayger (Red Sonja), Joe Schmalke (We Don’t Kill Spiders), Erica Schultz (Rogue), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, courtesy of Flesk Publishing), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Matthew Dow Smith (DC’s Misfits of Magic), Scott Snyder (Friday and Sunday only, DC K.O.), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Liberty Girl Deluxe), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Martha Thomases (Dakota North), Billy Tucci (Shi), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and the Big Hero Six), Mark Waid (Action Comics), Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Bob Wiacek (All-New Wolverine, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Chuck Wojtkiewicz (Justice League, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Rich Woodall (Sgt. Werewolf), Kelly Yates (Doctor Who), and Thom Zahler (Long Distance).

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