Tag Archives: baltimore comic con

Jim Lee Returns to Baltimore Comic-Con 2024

Jim Lee

Next year’s Baltimore Comic-Con will take place at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on September 20-22, 2024. The convention has announced the return of Jim Lee to the 25th Anniversary event! In advance of the holiday season (and in response to numerous inquiries from fans!), tickets for the show are now on sale. You can get that special someone a unique gift this holiday season.

Jim Lee, a world-renowned comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher, is currently Chief Creative Officer of DC and Publisher for the company.

Known for his incredibly detailed and dynamic artistic style, Lee is one of the most revered and respected artists in American comics. A veritable legend in the industry, he has received numerous accolades and recognition for his work, including a Harvey Award, an Inkpot Award, Diamond Gemstone Awards, and Wizard Fan Awards.

Since becoming Publisher in 2010, Lee has overseen many of the company’s highly successful publishing programs, including the recent record-breaking Rebirth line of comics, as well as The New 52 initiative that relaunched the entire line of monthly superhero comic books. As part of the revamp, Lee designed and reimagined the new, more contemporary costumes for some of the DC Universe’s most iconic characters, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Under Lee’s leadership, DC also successfully launched same-day digital across the entire line of comic books.

As Chief Creative Officer, Lee is charged with leading all creative efforts to fully integrate DC’s rich portfolio of characters and stories from iconic brands such as DC (BatmanSupermanWonder WomanJustice League), DC Vertigo (Sandman), and MAD across all media. As part of these efforts, Lee works closely with DC’s Franchise Management team and fellow Warner Bros. colleagues to develop cross-promotional support for DC properties.

In addition, Lee also serves as the Executive Creative Director for DC Universe Online (DCUO), the only massively multiplayer online (MMO) game set in the DC Super Hero universe. Created by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), this story-driven action adventure game is currently operated by Daybreak Games. Prior to his current post at DC, Lee served as Editorial Director at DC where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC’s bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy WonderBatman: Hush, and Superman: For Tomorrow.

Jim Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea but moved with his family to St. Louis, Missouri when he was young. After graduating cum laude with a BA in Psychology from Princeton University in 1986, he started his professional career at Marvel Comics where his work on the X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single-issue sales at an incredible 8 million copies sold in one month. In 1992, he started his own production company, WildStorm Productions, and co-founded Image Comics, an independent comics company that quickly grew to become the third largest North American publisher. Two of his creations, WildC.A.T.s, and Gen13, saw life beyond comics as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and as a DTV animated movie distributed by Disney, respectively. In 1998, DC purchased WildStorm Productions and Lee left Image Comics to join the DC Entertainment creative team.

Lee resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, 9 kids, 5 dogs, and a cat.

Baltimore Comic Con announces its 2023 Cosplay Contest Winners

The Baltimore Comic Con and Hard Rock Cafe Baltimore have announced the winners of the 14th Annual Cosplay Contest. The contest took place on Saturday, September 9, 2023 for both amateur and professional adults, and Sunday, September 10, 2023 for kids. Visually stunning costumes ranged from classic superheroes to video game, TV, and movie characters and beyond, and the contest has proven to be one of the most anticipated events at the show, for cosplayers and fans alike.

This year’s cosplay contest was split into novice, intermediate, and advanced contests, and a separate contest was held for kids as well.

The grand prize winner for Best in Show Costume, and the recipient of the $1,000 cash prize, was Cara “theflufcat.cora” for Belle from Beauty the Beast.

Winners for this year’s contest include:

Overall Best Costume (Best in Show): Cara “thefluffcat.cora”, Belle from Beauty the Beast

Grand Prize Adult 2023

Advanced:

1st Place: Christopher Melk, Steampunk Xenomorph

Runner-Up: Adam “Thruhim Art” as Isaac Clarke from Dead Space

Intermediate:

1st Place: Harrison “All-Star Cosplay”, Bat Fate

Runner-Up: Sydney “Sydnycsply”, Wonder Woman (Death Metal)

Group: Poppy’s Playtime Group as Green/Yellow Wack-a-Wuggy, The Player, and Poppy

Novice:

1st Place – Alicia “Miss Jettii”, Mighty Morphing Yellow Ranger

Runner-Up: Jonathan Butterfield, Mandalorian Inquisitor

Group: Mark Kendall (Fred), Melissa Kendall (Wilma), Makayla Kendall (Betty), Bryan Cortez (Barney), Fred and Wilma Flintstone with Barney and Betty Rubble

Judges’ Awards:

Intermediate: Jayson “Darthbroja”, OC StarWars Sith Lord

Intermediate: Vinnie “SirnaCosplay”, King Randor

Novice: Jenna Oliner, Hunter (Epilogue)

Novice: Chris “Verdecosplay” as Bilbo Baggins

Novice: Kristina “EmpCosique”, Baby Groot

Kids:

Best in Show: Jacqueline “Jack” Pantoulis, Morro from Ninjago

1st Place, Ages 0-11: Eliza Blumberg, Jinx

1st Place, Ages 12-17: Sarah Bagley, Mavis Vermillion

Runner-Up, Ages 0-11: Theodore Osborne, Zagreus from Hades

Runner-Up, Ages 12-17: Ethan Markulik, Invincible

Judges Awards:

Ansel Cassorla, Jawa

Ashton Arteaga, Miles Morales

Luca Milliken, Sundrop

Alex Sullivan, Louis from “Ghostbusters”

Addison Black, Tomura Shigaraki from “My Hero Academia”

Eva Almendarez, Airy

Around the Tubes

Batman and Robin #1 variant cover

The weekend is almost here! What geeky things are you all doing? Sound off in the comments below! While you wait for the weekend to begin, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.

The Beat – A Tale of Two Cons: Baltimore Comic Con and SPX – Who else went to both?

The Comics Journal – “This Is Where We Make Things Right”: A Report from SPX 2023 – More from SPX.

CBR – One Piece Gets Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix – Anyone surprised by that?

Reviews

CBR – Avengers Inc. #1
CBR – Batman and Robin #1
The Beat – Classwar
CBR – Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #1

The 2023 Ringo Awards Winners Revealed

Ringo Awards

The 2023 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards were presented the evening of Saturday, September 9, 2023 as part of The Baltimore Comic-Con.

Voting on the 2023 Final Ballot was restricted to comic book industry creative community — anyone involved in and credited with creating comics professionally.

During the ceremony, Louise Simonson presented Chris Claremont with the “Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award,” well deserved.

Presented at the show was the “Spirit Award” given to a comic/graphic novel that embodies the spirit of Mike Wieringo. This year’s selection was Batman/Superman: World’s Finest written by Mark Waid with art by Dan Mora.

The “Dick Giordano Hero Initiative Humanitarian of the Year Award” was awarded to Al Milgrom.

Winners are noted in bold with “winner” next to their name.

Best Cartoonist (Writer and Artist)

  • Kate Beaton – Winner
  • Wes Craig
  • Alexis Deacon
  • Jenny Jinya
  • Snailords
  • Stan Sakai
  • Zoe Thorogood

Best Artist or Penciller

  • Fahmida Azim
  • Kate Flynn
  • Molly Mendoza
  • Nicola Scott
  • Evan “Doc” Shaner – Winner

Best Colorist

  • Daniela Barisone
  • Jordie Bellaire – Winner
  • Chris O’Halloran
  • Jacob Phillips
  • Dave Stewart
  • Ellie Wright

Best Cover Artist

  • Wylie Beckert
  • Jason Muhr
  • Bryan Silverbax
  • Greg Smallwood – Winner
  • JH Williams III

Best Writer

  • Ed Brubaker – Winner
  • Anthony Del Col
  • Drew Edwards
  • Scott Snyder
  • Brian K. Vaughan

Best Inker

  • Gigi Baldassini
  • Scott Hanna
  • Sandra Hope
  • Klaus Janson – Winner
  • Mark Morales

Best Letterer

  • Justin Birch
  • Jerome Gagnon
  • Todd Klein
  • Micah Myers
  • Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou – Winner (tie)
  • Stan Sakai – Winner (tie)

Fan Awards

  • Favorite Hero – Sam Young, Let’s Play – Rocketship Entertainment – Winner
  • Favorite Villain – Adam, The Guy Upstairs – Webtoon – Winner
  • Favorite New Series – Nevermore – Webtoon – Winner
  • New Talent – Ellie Wright – Winner
  • Favorite Publisher – Dark Horse Comics – Winner

Best Series

  • Fractured Shards, Comics2Movies
  • Parker Girls, Abstract Studios
  • Saga, Image Comics
  • Season of the Bruja, Oni Press
  • Something is Killing the Children, BOOM! Studios – Winner

Best Single Issue or Story

  • 88 Days of Hell: One Ukrainian Man’s Experience in the Russian Filtration, Insider
  • A Hunter’s Tale, Elephant Eater Comics
  • Finding Batman, DC Comics
  • Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Oni Press – Winner
  • Punisher #1, Marvel Comics
  • Thieves, Nobrow
  • You Were My Joker That Night, Anatola Howard

Best Original Graphic Novel

  • Chivalry, Dark Horse Comics
  • Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, Drawn & Quarterly
  • It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, Image Comics – Winner
  • Tokyo Rose—Zero Hour: A Japanese American Woman’s Persecution and Ultimate Redemption After World War II, Tuttle Publishing
  • Twilight Custard, Ghostpod Publishing

Best Anthology

  • Cthulu Invades Wonderland, Orange Cone Productions
  • Lower Your Sights, Mad Cave Studios
  • The Silver Coin, Image Comics
  • Voices That Count, IDW Publishing
  • Young Men in Love, A Wave Blue World – Winner

Best Humor Comic

  • Breaking Cat News, GoComics
  • Crash and Troy, A Wave Blue World
  • Grumpy Monkey: Who Threw That?, Random House Children’s Books
  • The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Z2 Comics – Winner
  • Little Tunny’s Snail Diaries, Silver Sprocket
  • My Bad, AHOY Comics
  • Revenge of the Librarians, Drawn & Quarterly
  • Whatzit, Heavy Metal

Best Webcomic

  • 88 Days of Hell: One Ukrainian Man’s Experience in the Russian Filtration, Insider
  • The All-Nighter, Comixology Originals
  • The Guy Upstairs, WEBTOON
  • I Love Yoo, WEBTOON
  • Lore Olympus, WEBTOON – Winner
  • Offside: I Was a Pro Football Player. I Was Tricked into Going to Qatar to Work Construction, Insider
  • You Were My Joker That Night, Anatola Howard

Best Humor Webcomic

  • Background Noise, backgroundnoisecomic.com
  • Evil Inc., evil-inc.com – Winner
  • Finding Fiends, WEBTOON
  • Live with Yourself!, WEBTOON
  • Vampire Husband, WEBTOON

Best Non-fiction Comic Work

  • 88 Days of Hell: One Ukrainian Man’s Experience in the Russian Filtration, Insider
  • A Game for Swallows Expanded Edition, Graphic Universe – Lerner Publishing Group
  • Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, Drawn & Quarterly – Winner
  • I’m Still Alive, Archaia – BOOM! Studios
  • Just Another Meat-Eating Dirtbag, Street Noise Books
  • Radium Girls, Iron Circus Comics
  • The Third Person, Drawn & Quarterly

Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel

  • The Aquanaut. Scholastic Graphix
  • Frizzy, First Second Books
  • The Ghoul Agency, Action Lab Entertainment
  • Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Oni Press – Winner
  • Kaya, Image Comics
  • PAWS: Gabby Gets It Together, Razorbill Books, Penguin Random House
  • Punk Taco 2, Adam Wallenta Entertainment
  • Tin Man, Abrams ComicArts

Best Presentation in Design

  • Beneath an Alien Sky, Rocketship Entertainment
  • Best of EC Stories Artisan Edition, IDW Publishing
  • Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, IDW Publishing – Winner
  • Ronan and the Endless Sea of Stars, Abrams ComicArts
  • Sara Deluxe Hardcover, TKO Studios

Last minute Baltimore Comic Con Details to Help You Enjoy the Show!

Baltimore Comic Con 2023

The 2023 Baltimore Comic Con is here. They’ve released a lot of information in a short period, but they, and we, wanted to make sure attendees have all of the important details about the show!

Of course, as always, they’re at the Baltimore Convention Center, and this year’s show takes place the weekend of September 8-10, 2023. If you haven’t bought your General Admission, VIP, or Fan Package tickets yet, doing so now will avoid additional lines upon arrival. If you cannot purchase tickets until coming to the show for any reason, box office hours begin at 10am ET on Friday, 8am ET on Saturday, and 8am ET on Sunday. Lines will form at the Pratt Street Lobby.

ATMs will be available in numerous places throughout the convention floor for convenience.

CONVENTION PLANNING

If you have not explored the website extensively already, take a few minutes to do so now to prepare for your visit. Within, you will find links to driving and parking directionsprogrammingadult and children’s cosplay contests, adult and children’s cosplay showcase, and weapons policy details, exhibit hall map, and a PDF copy of the 2023 Program Guide, not to mention the full list of guestsmedia guestsretailersexhibitors, and Artists Alley guests.

You can also check our FAQ in case you have any other questions.

GUARANTEED PARKING

It’s recommended booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation’s leading parking reservations app.

To reserve your parking spot, visit the Baltimore Comic-Con SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.

ART AUCTION

The art created for the 2023 Baltimore Comic Con Yearbook will be auctioned off at the Baltimore Comic Con Art Auction at 2pm on Saturday, September 9th upstairs in Room 339-342, with art from the book displayed in the Exclusives Booth downstairs throughout the day. Come out and bid on some one-of-a-kind original art by artists featured at the show like Jon Bogdanove, Russ Braun, Dan Brereton, Richard Case, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Gene Ha (see featured image here), Cully Hamner ,Bo Hampton, Scott Hanna, Greg Hildebrandt, David Mack, Kevin Maguire, Tom Mandrake, Mike McKone, Bob McLeod, Karl Moline, David Petersen, Khoi Pham, Tom Raney, Craig Rousseau, Steve Rude, Stuart Sayger, Matt Slay, John K. Snyder III, Mark Sparacio, Joe Staton, Billy Tucci, Gus Vazquez, Wade Von Grawbadger, and so many others!

HERO INITIATIVE ART AUCTION

Join the members of Hero Initiative for a charity auction on Saturday, October 29th at 5pm upstairs in Room 339-342, featuring items supplied by a variety of artists and creators from around the industry, including Berkeley Breathed, John Byrne, Gene Ha, Kelley Jones, Shawn McManus, Kevin Nowlan, Walter Simonson, JK Woodward, Bill Wray, and more.

SHOW EXCLUSIVES

Don’t miss the Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusives booth, just outside the show exit doors and around the corner from the Show Entrance.

In addition to the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, you will find a wide variety of Baltimore Comic Con merchandise and show exclusives as well.

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS

DC Comics Editor Brittany Holzherr will be on-hand during the weekend to perform portfolio reviews. If you are an artist and want some feedback on your work or the opportunity to put your portfolio in front of someone from editorial at DC Comics, please go Room 338 on Friday, September 8th from 5:00pm to 6:45pm or Saturday, September 9th from 12:00pm to 1:30pm!

Bad Idea heads to Baltimore Comic Con with an All-New Comic Giveaway

Hero of the Year

Get ready Charm City because Bad Idea is coming, and they’re bringing a brand-new comic to Baltimore Comic Con!!

Join them for their panel presentation at Baltimore Comic Con on Saturday, September 9th at 11 AM, where you’ll hear what’s coming from the upstart comics publisher everyone’s talking about, get all your questions answered and have the chance to take home a copy of Hero of the Year by Karl Bollers (SONIC) and Juan José Ryp (WOLVERINE)!

BAD IDEA: THE BALTIMORE PANEL

<<< BAD IDEA — the last and greatest underground comics publisher — is going live at Baltimore Comic Con for the first time. That’s right this is BAD IDEA’s first Baltimore panel. Be here — or miss the rendezvous between BAD IDEA impresarios Dinesh Shamdasani, and Atom! Freeman who give you, dear reader, the first look inside the closed channel of the most high-frequency experiment in self-distro comics culture. Join us for all this, special guests AND a free gift. >>> END.

Saturday, 11:00am – 12:00pm
All attendees who are backers of the SAVE DIGITAL COMICS WITH DAVID LAPHAM AND THE ENDS Kickstarter campaign are eligible for one (1) free copy of the convention exclusive HERO OF THE YEAR, available in limited supplies.

Mad Cave Studios Heads to Baltimore Comic Con

Mad Cave Studios is heading to Baltimore Comic ConSeptember 8th – 10th! Fans and comic enthusiasts won’t want to miss the exciting lineup of creator signings, exclusive releases, and special appearances at Booth #2403. This year’s event promises to be a celebration of creativity and talent!

The team’s got a busy weekend planned ahead, with signings from some fan-favorite Mad Cave creators to the publisher’s first-ever Ringo Nomination for Best AnthologyLower Your Sights

Mad Cave Studios will also feature its imprints, Papercutz and Maverick, during this incredible event. Readers of all ages can discover imaginative new worlds with Papercutz, and young adults are invited to find themselves within the pages of Maverick.

Baltimore Comic Con 2023 reveals its exclusives

The 2023 Baltimore Comic Con is this weekend, September 8-10, 2023 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center. Tickets for admission and VIP experiences are online now.

SHOW EXCLUSIVES

Don’t miss the Baltimore Comic Con Exclusives booth, just outside the show exit doors and around the corner from the Show Entrance.

Check out some of the exclusives you’ll find at the convention.

BALTIMORE COMIC-CON YEARBOOK

BALTIMORE COMIC-CON YEARBOOK 2023

The annual tradition, the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, returns in 2023 for the eleventh year, celebrating creators appearing at this year’s show. This year’s book of art features Characters at the Crossroads, interpretations of characters from 2023 guests, including Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg!Mike Grell’s Jon Sable and StarslayerSteve Rude’s NexusJoe Staton’s E-Man, and Mark Wheatley & Marc Hempel’s Mars as well as First Comics creators (who could not join us this year) John Ostrander & Timothy Truman’s Grimjack. Copies of the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook will be available for sale at the Exclusives booth while supplies last.

The art created for the 2023 Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook will be auctioned off at the Baltimore Comic-Con Art Auction at 2pm on Saturday, October 29th upstairs in Room 339-342, with art from the book displayed in the Exclusives Booth downstairs throughout the day. Come out and bid on some one-of-a-kind original art by artists featured at the show like Jon BogdanoveRuss BraunDan BreretonRichard CaseJose Luis Garcia-LopezGene HaCully Hamner ,Bo HamptonScott HannaGreg HildebrandtDavid MackKevin MaguireTom MandrakeMike McKoneBob McLeodKarl MolineDavid PetersenKhoi PhamTom RaneyCraig RousseauSteve RudeStuart SaygerMatt SlayJohn K. Snyder IIIMark SparacioJoe StatonBilly TucciGus VazquezWade Von Grawbadger, and so many others!

EXCLUSIVE HERO INITIATIVE ART AUCTION

Join the members of Hero Initiative for a charity auction on Saturday, September 9th at 5pm upstairs in Room 339-342, featuring items supplied by a variety of artists and creators from around the industry, including Berkeley BreathedJohn ByrneGene HaKelley JonesShawn McManusKevin NowlanWalter SimonsonJK WoodwardBill Wray, and more.

This auction has created a great deal of buzz in the original art community and will feature some amazing pieces for an amazing cause!

SHOW EXCLUSIVE COVERS

American Mythology Productions, in concert with the Baltimore Comic-Con, is featuring a Baltimore Comic-Con exclusive Mark Sparacio variant of his new Bombshell & Tomm Tomm, available for purchase at the Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusives Booth located in the hall lobby and the American Mythology Productions booth #2204.

BOOM! Studios is featuring a Baltimore Comic-Con exclusive foil variant of their Power Rangers available for purchase at the Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusives Booth located in the hall lobby.

BALTIMORE COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVE MERCH

In addition to the Baltimore Comic Con Yearbook, you will find a wide variety of Baltimore Comic Con merchandise including mugs, tumblers, beanies, sweatshirts, and a various tees.

OTHER EXCLUSIVES AVAILABLE AT THE SHOW

In addition to those items specifically made available through the show, numerous guests and exhibitors will feature their own items available only at the Baltimore Comic-Con, including (but certainly not limited to!) the following:

Brandishing deep cuts of Covid Cop and Billy DogmaDean Haspiel will also be debuting his new character, Chest Face in The Spider-Squirrel & Trash Panda Titan-Sized Special #1, a Baltimore Comic Con exclusive published by Xion Universe co-creator, Charlie McElvy, aided and abetted by his wife, Suzanne “The Librarian” McElvy. You can find then and the exclusive in Booth #2606!

The Spider-Squirrel & Trash Panda Titan-Sized Special #1

Appearing Saturday only, the very nice, very evil AEW wrestling superstar Danhausen will be appearing at the Comic*Pop Collectibles booth (709) to premiere their Batman #251 Danhausen Reprint Comic! Fully licensed by DC Comics, this exclusive cover is drawn by comic superstar Bill Morrison, limited to 2000 copies, and will be premiering live FIRST at Baltimore Comic-Con!

Batman #251 Danhausen Reprint Comic

The start of the first new Whisper story in decades is available in an ashcan edition debuting at BCC! Written by creator Steven Grant, with artwork by Rick Burchett, lettering by Taylor Esposito, coloring by Glenn Hauman, and a cover by Mark Wheatley, it will be available at the Insight Studios/ComicMix booth (#116).

Whisper

As part of BCC’s anniversary celebration of First Comics, Mike Grell is presenting the first two issues of Jon Sable Freelance, recolored and remastered by Glenn Hauman in a new A4 oversize edition. Available at Mike Grell’s table (#214).

Jon Sable Freelance,

Marty Baumann is offering a series of 6 commemorative posters, printed in a process called “Rainbow Holographic.” They look very cool.. Be sure to check out his amazing work on Saturday at Booth #1219.

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