The Dark Web is Being Spun
We’ll find out more in the Free Comic Book Day: Spider-Man/Venom release on May 7th.
Category Archives: Conventions
YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Present a Live Virtual Panel this Wednesday!
Arriving at comic shops and bookstores this month is the newest graphic novel from YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Comics in their ongoing partnership: WindMaker Volume 1!
In celebration of this release, join Dark Horse and YouNeek Studios on Wednesday, April 20 at 11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern, for a live virtual chat with YouNeek Studios CEO and writer Roye Okupe, artist Sunkanmi Akinboye, and artist Toyin “Morby” Ajetunmobi. The live stream will be presented on the Dark Horse Comics Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as the YouNeek Studios YouTube channel.
They’ll discuss the publishing partnership between Dark Horse and YouNeek Studios, explore the YouNeek YouNiverse and the process of creating these comics, and more. Join in the live chat to participate in the Q&A and ask more questions of the team.
If you can’t catch it live, the recording will be available afterwards to watch on demand.
Around the Tubes
It’s a new week! What geeky things did you all do over the weekend? Sound off in the comments! While you start off the week, here’s some comic related news from around the web you might have missed.
ICv2 – Filing: San Diego Comic Convention Lost $8+ Million in 2020 – For those wondering where the convention stands.
Book Riot – Nonfiction Now: 10 Books I’d Love to See Adapted Into Comics – What would you like to see?
CBR – Marvel’s Hawkeye and Eternals Receive Special Disability Representation Recognition – Very deserved.
Awesome Con returns June 3 – 5, 2022
Over 50,000 fans of comics, technology and science, television and film, custom art, and over-the-top cosplay will gather for the ninth annual celebration of geek culture at Awesome Con. The iconic three-day pop culture convention presented by LeftField Media returns to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5, 2022. The convention will feature hundreds of hours of programming including: celebrities and experts hosting panels, signings and exclusive reveals; cosplay fashion shows; gaming tournaments; acclaimed pop culture memorabilia collections; and as always, a diverse array of activities for the entire family.
This year, Awesome Con is excited to announce a lineup of top-tier headliners including Anthony Daniels (Star Wars), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad), Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Star Trek: Discovery’s Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets) and Wilson Cruz (Hugh Culber), and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, The Goonies, Stranger Things). Among guests confirmed to appear, Awesome Con is proud to welcome other celebrity and comic creators including Sylvester McCoy, Sweeney Boo, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Sean Schemmel, and Christopher Sabat to this year’s lineup, with additional guests still to come.
Awesome Con is teaming up with ACE Universe for the first-of-its-kind co-location, The ACE Experience, which will feature initial guests from Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Meng’er Zhang (Xialing) and Florian Munteanu (Razor Fist).
The fan-favorite, Pride Alley, presented in partnership with Geeks OUT and Metro Weekly, returns this year with its largest slate of programming ever, including additional panels, special events, and curated experiences that spotlight LGBTQ creators and fans. The wildly popular feature Science Fair will also be bigger than ever with four divisions of NASA represented among other science-centric exhibitors. Fans will be able to attend events in two brand new programming tracks featuring content exploring both the Earth and the heavens, Science Fair TERRA and Science Fair COSMOS.
Family-friendly programs take over Awesome Con Jr., which returns with playful events planned to educate and entertain the young and the young at heart. Back by popular demand is the Awesome Con Jr. Movement Zone, where Awesome Con’s littlest fans can shake a leg during Saber Guild Kid’s Lightsaber Training, Kid’s Yoga, and the Kid’s Costume Parade. Young aspiring artists can also engage with and learn from professional artists in Awesome Con Jr. Workshops, where creativity and coloring is highly encouraged.
The Awesome Con Short Film Festival, which debuted seven years ago by artist Joe Carabeo will showcase indie short films from around the world.
Awesome Con will be following local and CDC guidelines in order to provide fans with a safe event. Proof of vaccination is not required to attend the event at this time and face coverings for Awesome Con are optional. Fans who are not vaccinated are encouraged to continue wearing masks while indoors as recommended by the CDC. Enhanced cleaning and additional sanitization stations will be in place throughout the convention center. The latest health and safety updates are located here.
WHEN:
- Friday, June 3; exhibit hall hours 1pm – 8pm, programming until 10pm
- Saturday, June 4; exhibit hall hours 10am – 7pm, programming until 10pm
- Sunday, June 5; exhibit hall hours 10am – 5pm, programming until 5pm
WHERE:
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt. Vernon Pl, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Headliners:
- Simu Liu (Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Kim’s Convenience)
- Anthony Daniels (Star Wars)
- Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad)
- Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
- Sean Astin (The Lord of The Rings, The Goonies, Stranger Things)
Screen Stars:
- Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery)
- Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery)
- Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who, The Hobbit Trilogy)
- Florian Munteanu (Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Creed 2)
- Meng’er Zhang (Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings)
- Christopher Sabat (Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, One Piece)
- Sean Schemmel (Dragon Ball)
Comic Guests:
- Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn, Painkiller Jane, Daredevil, The Punisher, Monolith)
- Jason Badower (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Captain Atom, Krypton, Wonder Woman)
- Sweeney Boo (Over My Dead Body, The Joker – Punchline, Marvel Action: Captain Marvel)
- Amanda Conner (Lois Lane, Birds of Prey, X-Men Unlimited, Gatecrasher, The Pro)
- Gavin Gurdy (Captain America: The Ghost Army, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
- Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman: Evolution, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight)
Cosplay Guests:
- Shady Haze
- Plexi Cosplay
TICKETS: Daily and full weekend passes are available. Badges purchased before April 17 will be mailed to a provided address.
- Friday Only Admission: $40
- Saturday Only Admission: $50
- Sunday Only Admission: $45
- 3-Day Weekend Pass: $85
- Premium 3-Day Pass: $165
- Kids Admission: $15. Valid for kids ages 3-10. Valid for full weekend or any day individually.
- VIP passes & experiences range from the Premium 3-Day ($165) to 3-Day, limited quantity Club Awesome Membership ($399), which offers access to various celebrity appearances, reserved Main Stage seating, ‘Jump the Line’ cards and exclusive Club Awesome merchandise items.
Ithacon announces Return Favorites and New Faces for Ithacon 45
ITHACON 45 has announced the guest list for the upcoming ITHACON convention. The long-running convention will be live this year April 23 and 24th.
Local hero Will Dennis returns to his alma mater – he is graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communication at Ithaca College. He was an editor at Vertigo/DC Entertainment for more than fifteen years, specializing in genre fiction comics and graphic novels. His award-winning titles include 100 Bullets, Y: The Last Man, Scalped, DMZ, Joker and many more. Since then, he has worked as a freelance editor for Image Comics, comiXology, and DC Entertainment. He was the editor for the Eisner nominated Where We Live, A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas. Dennis is currently spearheading Scott Snyder’s ComiXology Originals Clear, Night of the Ghoul and We Have Demons.
AHOY Comics’ publisher, Hart Seely returns to ITHACON this year. As an author, Seely has written numerous books, including THE JUJU RULES: A MEMOIR OF A FAN OBSESSED (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012) and MRS. GOOSE GOES TO WASHINGTON (Simon & Schuster, 2007) He also edited several books of “found poetry,” including O HOLY COW: The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto (ECCO/Harpers, 1993) and PIECES OF INTELLIGENCE, the Existential Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld (Simon & Schuster, 2003). His works have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Slate, and on National Public Radio. He is now publisher and co-founder of AHOY Comics, which has been creating innovative comics since 2019.
Frank Cammuso is the author/illustrator for THE MISADVENTURES OF SALEM HYDE series (Amulet Books, 2013). Cammuso also created the graphic novel series called KNIGHTS OF THE LUNCH TABLE (Graphix/Scholastic, 2009). Frank also wrote and illustrated the Eisner nominated MAX HAMM FAIRYTALE DETECTIVE. Frank Cammuso is a former award-winning political cartoonist for The Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse, N.Y. He has collaborated with Hart Seely in a number of projects. Together, their work appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice, Slate, and on National Public Radio. Cammuso currently splits his time between creating graphic novels, AHOY Comics and teaching at Syracuse University.
Nick Parisi is the author of the definitive, Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination, Parisi serves as president of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the creative genius’ legacy.
Ithacon is proud to welcome Don Simpson, the creator of the satirical superhero series Megaton Man for Kitchen Sink Press and Image Comics, the science fiction saga Border Worlds (collected by Dover in 2017), and DC’s Wasteland. A veteran of the 80s-90s indie movement, Don worked for every major comic book imprint in the late twentieth century including Mirage Studios (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Image Comics (Splitting Image, The Savage Dragon vs. Megaton Man, 1963), Fantagraphics (King Kong), and DC (Wasteland, Secret Origins, Action Comics Weekly). Under his Fiasco Comics imprint, Don self-published 17 issues of Bizarre Heroes, a universe of characters surrounding the cast of Megaton Man. More recently, Don has been authoring his weekly prose novel, The Ms. Megaton Man Maxi-Series, at msmegatonman.blogspot.com, a sober but wry sci-fi take on his imaginative universe. Most recently, Don teamed up with William Messner Loebs, Jason Moore, and Tom Orzechowski on Victory Folks—The Golden Age Public Domain Supergroup in the newly-released YEET! Presents #50 in 2022.
Earth’s Mightiest Go All-Out in a New Avengers Series
We’ll find out more at the Pint O’ C.B. Panel at Fan Expo Philadelphia! Check out the art by Greg Land, Jay Leisten, and Frank D’Armata!
Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes John Romita Jr.
The Baltimore Comic-Con returns to the Inner Harbor on October 28-30, 2022 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Baltimore Comic-Con has announced the return of John Romita Jr. as a guest of the show in 2022. Buy your tickets now to avoid the lines!
4C Comics, in association with the Artist Choice is honored to be bringing one of the greatest creators of this generation to Baltimore Comic-Con, John Romita Jr.
JRjr has a career that spans decades, starting in the 70s and continuing to this day with the announcement from Marvel Comics that Romita Jr. will be doing the pencils for the reboot of Amazing Spider-Man in April, starting with Issue #1.
Bringing Romita, the co-creator of Hobgoblin, back to the ASM franchise has the comic collecting industry buzzing like we haven’t seen in a long time. The Amazing Spider-Man will launch in April and Romita’s story arc will be completed by Baltimore Comic-Con.
Attendees of the show will be able to get all of their book signed by Mr. Romita at the 4C Comics table, as well as Limited Private events!
2022 GUESTS
Confirmed guests for this year’s show include: Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), John Beatty (Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars), Brian Michael Bendis (Action Comics), Brett Breeding (Superman), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Katie Cook (Nothing Special), Kevin Cuffe (Metalshark Bro), Kristina Deak-Linsner (Roses for the Dead), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Garth Ennis (The Boys, Friday and Saturday only), Bob Frantz (Metalshark Bro), Gene Ha (Mae, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Dean Haspiel (The Fox), Mike Hawthorne (Happiness Will Follow), Greg Hildebrandt (Star Wars), Jamal Igle (Molly Danger), Klaus Janson (Daredevil, Friday and Saturday only), Chris Kemple (Artist Alley Comics), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Alien), Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man), Joseph Michael Linsner (Red Sonja), Howard Mackie (Ghost Rider), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Shawn McManus (Sandman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Pop Mhan (Gears of War 3), Frank Miller (Sin City, Friday and Saturday only), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Trevor Mueller (Albert the Alien), Jerry Ordway (Superman), Rachel Ordway (Chainmail Bikini), Richard Pace (Second Coming, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), Khoi Pham (Teen Titans), Ed Piskor (Red Room: Trigger Warnings), Afua Richardson (Omni), Jon Romita, Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Jim Rugg (Hulk Grand Design), Stuart Sayger (The Joker), Louise Simonson (X-Men Legends), Walter Simonson (Ragnarok), Don Simpson (Megaton Man), Billy Tucci (Shi), Mark Waid (Superman: Red and Blue), Emily S. Whitten (The Underfoot), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Keith Williams (Thor the Worthy), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).
From Bad Idea to Bad Idea Donuts… and a Comic
Bad Idea is over as we know it. That was the statement months ago. Long live Bad Idea… Donuts. On the day when you can’t trust anything, Bad Ideas has come out with a new announcement that is so insane even for them, it must be true.
The comic publisher turned chefs have created the “Perfect Donut”. We know that can’t be true since the perfect donut was created at Stan Mikita’s Donuts in 1992. But really, that’s not the news.
Bad Idea will be appearing at SC Comic Con on April 8th and 9th with a special Bad Idea Donuts pop-up.
Bad Idea’s ‘Perfect Donut’ will be available while supplies last, is strictly limited to one-per-customer, comes in a high-end, luxury gift box and is accompanied by an exclusive comic book – Bad Idea Donuts Presents: Bunsen Beaver and His Pal Tree – featuring two brand-new stories by Robert Venditti, Juan José Ryp, Rich Koslowski, David Lapham, and introducing Disney Animation superstar Corey Wolfe to the world of comics.
Each exclusive retails for $20 and again is limtied to one-per-customer.
Z2 Comics at WonderCon: Cheech & Chong, Jose Mangin Take Anaheim This Weekend
This Saturday at WonderCon, comedy legends Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong will fire up the Anaheim Convention Center in an exclusive panel—Back in Smoke-50 Years of Cheech & Chong—hosted by SiriusXM Liquid Meta’s own Jose Mangin. The pair will give a preview of Cheech and Chong’s Chronicles: A Brief History of Weed, the 4/20-debuting graphic novel written by the duo alongside Eliot Rahal. A stoner epic in the making, the comic stars Cheech on Chong as they embark on a toking road trip venturing from California to Reno for a last-minute gig. But those 500 miles stretch into a journey that spans thousands of years as the pair fall into a psychedelic tour of weed appreciation through the ages. Magin will interview the icons about their storied careers, punctuated by this brand new blazing chapter of high art.
On Friday, the Z2 Comics family will also host a panel offering attendees the chance to peek behind the curtain of crafting graphic novels with the biggest bands, musicians, and pop culture storytellers. Publisher Joshua Frankel will host the event including Senior Vice President Josh Bernstein, Senior Editor Rantz Hoseley, VP of Marketing Dominique Roses, Freelance Editor Heidi MacDonald, and writer Jim Krueger.
Z2 Comics’ full WonderCon 2022 Schedule below!
Friday, 4/1/2022
Z2 Presents: The Graphic Album Panel
5:00PM – 6:00 PM, Room: North 200B
Music and comics have crossed over at multiple points in the history of graphic arts, but rarely has that collaboration been cemented in legacy. In recent years, one company has taken this idea and amplified it across genres and fanbases, creating a whole new fan experience to invite new faces through the doors of comic shops around the world. Join us for an exclusive conversation with the Z2 family to learn more about crafting comics you can hear. Featuring Z2 Comics’ Publisher Josh Frankel, Senior Vice President Josh Bernstein, Senior Editor Rantz Hoseley, VP of MarketingDominque Roses, Editor Heidi MacDonald, and writer Jim Krueger.
Saturday, 4/2/2022
Cheech & Chong Signing
5:30 – 6:30 PM, Booth 1500
Z2 Comics Presents: Back in Smoke- 50 Years of Cheech & Chong Panel
6:30PM – 7:30 PM, Room: North 200B
In celebration of the beloved comedy duo’s 50th year of performing together, Z2 Comics has worked with legendary comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong on their first-ever graphic novel! Teaming these larger than life personas with the best of comics talent for a fun look back at how marijuana charted the course for the history we know, through the stories we didn’t. Join Cheech and Chong themselves for a look back through 50 years and beyond in a once in a lifetime program, hosted by SiriusXM Liquid Metal Host Jose Mangin!
DC Showcase – Constantine: The House of Mystery comes to WonderCon 2022
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will host a panel spotlighting its upcoming release, DC Showcase – Constantine: The House of Mystery, at WonderCon in Anaheim on Friday, April 1 from 6:30-7:30pm in North 200A.
The panel will focus on the yet-to-be-seen Constantine: The House of Mystery extended short, while also discussing the three other animated shorts included on the upcoming release: Blue Beetle; The Losers: and Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth!
Confirmed to participate on the panel is Rick Morales, supervising producer over all four of the animated shorts; Ernie Albacker, who wrote the script for Constantine: The House of Mystery; Jennifer Keene, writer of Blue Beetle; Jeremy Adams, who conceived the story of Blue Beetle; Tim Sheridan, screenwriter for The Losers: and Paul Giacoppo, writer of Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth!
The panel will also include Dave B. Mitchell, who gives voice to both Gunner and Sarge in The Losers, as well as some special surprise guests.
In addition, fans will be treated to a few never-before-seen clips from Constantine: The House of Mystery, as well as some lookbacks on the other three animated shorts.
Launched in 2010, DC Showcase was originally comprised of four animated shorts: The Spectre (2/23/2010), Jonah Hex (7/27/2010), Green Arrow (9/28/2010) and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (11/9/2010). An additional short, Catwoman (10/18/2011), was attached the following year to the release of Batman: Year One. For 2019-2020, DC Showcase returned with five shorts: Sgt. Rock (8/6/2019) Death (10/22/2019), The Phantom Stranger (3/17/2020), Adam Strange (5/19/2020), and the interactive Batman: Death in the Family (10/13/2020).
DC Showcase: Constantine – The House of Mystery will be available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray (USA $24.99 SRP; Canada $29.99 SRP) and in 4K on Digital starting May 3, 2022.
