Tag Archives: jeff smith

Baltimore Comic-Con’s Yearbook Returns in 2025 with a theme of Bone

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Come to the Baltimore Comic-Con on October 17-19, 2025 at the Baltimore Convention Center in the Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Tickets to the show are now available.

The annual tradition, the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, returns in 2025 for the thirteenth year, celebrating creators and friends of the show. This year’s book of art features interpretations of characters from 2025 guest Jeff Smith’s Bone!

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.

Bone features the Bone brothers, Fone, Phoney, and Smiley and their adventures in The Valley. The cast of characters expands to include Fone’s love interest Thorn and her grandmother, Gran’ma Ben, the Rat Creatures, Lucius, Miss Possum and the Possum Kids, and many more they encounter along the way.

Bone has been printed in Jeff Smith’s own Cartoon Books, Image Comics, and Scholastic/Graphix, and incude novels and children’s books beyond the comics and graphic novels.

The Baltimore Comic-Con scavenger hunt, which has become a must-do activity for many of our fans, will be back in 2025! 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 2025 Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook Featuring Bone will be auctioned off at the Baltimore Comic-Con Art Auction on Saturday, October 18th. 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.

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Kaare Andrews (Spider-Man: REIGN 2), Eddy Barrows (Superman), Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl), Marty Baumann ((Pixar artist), John Beatty (Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Russ Braun (The Boys), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Letizia Cadonici (House of Slaughter), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Jim Cheung (Young Avengers), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Amy Chu (Emma Frost: The White Queen), Chris Claremont (X-Men), Matthew Clark (Adventures of Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Becky Cloonan (Somna), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Michael W. Conrad (Manowar: Invictus), Dani (Sensational Wonder Woman), Deans Family Productions (Crass Fed), Jeff Dekal (Something is Killing the Children), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), David Finch (Moon Knight), Trish Forstner (Feral), Franco (Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales), Barbara Friedlander (Swing with Scooter), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Mike Grell (Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters), Brian Haberlin (Spawn, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hampel (Sandman), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), Jamal Igle (Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Chris Kemple (Artist Alley Comics), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Incredible Hulk), Dan Krall (House of Night), Adam Kubert (Wolverine), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Mike McKone (Red Goblin), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Adriana Melo (Action Comics), Josh Middleton (Aquaman), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Mark Morales (Thor), Trevor Mueller (Albert the Alien), Sarah Myers (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Tom Nguyen (The Switch), Mike Norton (Battlepug, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), John J. Pearson (In Bloom), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), Barbara Perez Marquez (The Cardboard Kingdom), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Khoi Pham (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Tom Raney (Green Lantern), Amy Reeder (Power Girl), Esad Ribic (Conan the Barbarian), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), Don Rosa (Uncle $crooge), Craig Rousseau (Herculoids), Jim Rugg (Street Angel), Stuart Sayger (Conan the Barbarian), Joseph Schmalke (Seven Years in Darkness, courtesy of Groundbreaking Comics), Bart Sears (Deathstroke), Declan Shalvey (Old Dog), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Don Simpson (Megaton Man), Jeff Smith (Bone), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Chelsea Dagger and the Women of Excalibur), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Karl Story (The Mandalorian), Zoe Thorogood (It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Universe), Billy Tucci (Shi), Brian K. Vaughan (Spectators, Friday and Saturday only), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and Big Hero Six), Mark Waid (Justice League Unlimited), Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Keith Williams (Web of Spider-Man), Maria Wolf (Phoenix), Rich Woodall (Electric Black), John Workman (Wild Things), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).

Jeff Smith is coming to Baltimore Comic Con 2025

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Jeff Smith

The 2025 Baltimore Comic-Con returns to the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on October 17-19, 2025. The Baltimore Comic-Con welcomes comics guest Jeff Smith to this year’s event. Bone fans (and everyone else!) can purchase tickets now!

Jeff Smith is the writer and artist of comics and graphic novels like Bone, RASL, Tuki, Thorn, and SHAZAM: The Monster Society of Evil. Both Bone and RASL were self-published and are New York Times Bestsellers. Bone began the current YA Graphic Novel explosion by launching Scholastic Books’ Graphix imprint and has won 48 national and international awards, including 10 Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards and has been published around the world in 33 countries. RASL won an Eisner for Best Graphic Novel. CXC, the Columbus comics festival co-founded by Jeff, his wife Vijaya, and Lucy Caswell, celebrated its 10th year in 2024. Jeff continues to work on Deluxe Library Editions of his catalog, with Bone Part Two: Phoney Strikes Back, shipping Spring 2026.

The Baltimore Comic-Con will be Jeff’s only 2025 show appearance outside of his home state of Ohio.

2025 GUESTS

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Kaare Andrews (Spider-Man: REIGN 2), John Beatty (Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Russ Braun (The Boys), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jim Cheung (Young Avengers), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Amy Chu (Emma Frost: The White Queen), Chris Claremont (X-Men), Matthew Clark (Adventures of Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Becky Cloonan (Somna), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Michael W. Conrad (Manowar: Invictus), Jeff Dekal (Something is Killing the Children), David Finch (Moon Knight), Trish Forstner (Feral), Franco (Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales), Barbara Friedlander (Swing with Scooter), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Mike Grell (Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters), Brian Haberlin (Spawn, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Incredible Hulk), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Mike McKone (Red Goblin), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Adriana Melo (Action Comics), Josh Middleton (Aquaman), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Mark Morales (Thor), Trevor Mueller (Albert the Alien), Sarah Myers (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Tom Nguyen (The Switch), Mike Norton (Battlepug, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), Barbara Perez Marquez (The Cardboard Kingdom), Tom Raney (Green Lantern), Amy Reeder (Power Girl), Esad Ribic (Conan the Barbarian), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), Craig Rousseau (Herculoids), Jim Rugg (Street Angel), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Jeff Smith (Bone), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Mark Waid (Justice League Unlimited), Keith Williams (Web of Spider-Man), Maria Wolf (Phoenix), Rich Woodall (Electric Black), John Workman (Wild Things), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).

Exclusive Preview: Perfect Crime Party is 25 tales from over 40 creators

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Perfect Crime Party

Spike Trotman’s Iron Circus Comics has launched a BackerKit campaign to publish Perfect Crime Party, a full color 300+ page anthology containing 25 light-heart tales of criminal activity from over 40 incredible creators as well as a cover by Jeff Smith.

From club-style murder mysteries to anxious teens hijinx to acts of protest, Perfect Crime Party asks the immortal questions: What’s the perfect crime? And what do you think you could get away with?

The campaign will feature multiple tiers for backers, including a digital version of the book, a print version of the book featuring additional art, and a bundle featuring all of Iron Circus’s previous general anthologies, including Sleep of Reason, New World, Timrous Beastie, FTY Ya’ll, Failure to Launch, and the Eisner-award-winning You Died!

The campaign ends on September 27 at 11pm EDT.

Check out an exclusive preview from three of the stories below followed by a complete list of what’s inside the anthology!

Trevor n Derrick Le Debacle de Fromage by Matylda McCormack-Sharp –  A mouse is determined to get its favorite cheese all to itself. 

Racked by Chuck Harp, Luis Santamarina, and Rob Jones – When your crimes need art supplies, the answer is more crime

Smugglers Abroad by Michelle Gruppetta and Fleur Sciortino – A family tries to get the best chocolate over the border.

PERFECT CRIME PARTY has quite the wanted list in its line up:

  • Bluedolph the Dead Nose Reindeer by Tayson Martindale – Someone has murdered one of Santa’s Reindeer and there is only one detective who can find out which perp belongs on the naughty list!
  • By The Horns by Malcolm Derikx & Brenna Baines – Teens in ancient Greece plan to save their favorite bull for a sacrificial alter.
  • Darling Doesn’t Know by John Konrad – Two celebrities think murder is an easier solution to their problems than divorce.
  • Grand Theft Octo by Kate Ashwin & Claude TC – This set of thieves is gonna rob the most expensive casino in the galaxy!
  • Joke Theft by Henry Barajas & Kit Mills – A joke thief makes the perfect set.
  • Play It Again by Tango, Amy Chase, Xenon Honchar, & Noah Stephens – A vampire wants to recover memorabilia of his old band for a music collection.
  • Polyphonic Funk: My Outlaw Melody by David Brothers & Alissa Sallah – A delinquent plans a car heist with the help of her dead father’s ghost.
  • Prym and Burn by Mariah McCourt & Jules Rivera – Without easy access to divorce, women in Victorian London need to find other ways to free themselves from abusive husbands.
  • Psikotika Will Strike At Midnight by Illuminated – A detective tries their best to stop a grand theft they were warned was coming.
  • Racked by Chuck Harp, Luis Santamarina, & Rob Jones – When your crimes need art supplies, the answer is more crime. 
  • Reap What You Sow by Ale Green & Fanny Rodriguez – Gorilla gardening is the best solution to beautify the neighborhood and help native plants.
  • Sideswiped by Chris Sebela & Kendall Goode – A sap finds out his first date was a set up.
  • Sincerely A Lady by Molly Muldoon & Caitlin Like – A new wardrobe reveals a history of sneaking, spying, and gossip.
  • Smugglers Abroad by Michelle Gruppetta & Fleur Sciortino – A family tries to get the best chocolate over the border.
  • Spirit Duplicator by Rodrigo Vargas & Coni Yovaniniz – Fraud and theft are the only ways to stop this card-playing bully.
  • The Cloud Thief by Erin Roseberry – A witch needs to steal some clouds to make it rain.
  • The Crime Beat by Van Jensen & Neal Obermeyer – An underpaid journalist takes revenge on their boss.
  • The Good Word by Bevan Thomas & Reetta Linjama – A snake oil salesman meets his match in a small town.
  • The Heist by Amy Chu & Anderson Cabral – In a world where paper is rarer than gold, a thief must break into the most heavily guarded building in town: the library.
  • The Ninth Life of Tabitha Tuxedo by James F Wright & Jackie Crofts – Tabitha Tuxedo conducts an elaborate jailbreak for their partner in crime.
  • The Plague of the Living Rest Benches by Nathaniel Wilson – Scientist and unethical experiments have led to the sidewalks of the world being deadly. 
  • The Swinevald Pearl by Ben Coleman & Cat Farris – All the security in the world won’t stop this otter from getting his pearl. 
  • The Twenty-One Foot Rule by Nick Mamatas & Jules Valera –  A fake and deadly duel turns out to be not so fake after all. 
  • Trevor n Derrick Le Debacle de Fromage by Matylda McCormack-Sharp –  A mouse is determined to get its favorite cheese all to itself. 
  • Written Off by Ryan Estrada & Axur Eneas – A movie crew aims to steal the rights back from the corporation that is ruining their movie. 

Exclusive: What’s the perfect crime? And what do you think you could get away with? Find out in Perfect Crime Party

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Perfect Crime Party

Spike Trotman’s Iron Circus Comics is launching a BackerKit campaign to publish Perfect Crime Party, a full color 300+ page anthology containing 25 light-heart tales of criminal activity from over 40 incredible creators as well as a cover by Jeff Smith. From club-style murder mysteries to anxious teens hijinx to acts of protest, Perfect Crime Party asks the immortal questions: What’s the perfect crime? And what do you think you could get away with?

The campaign will feature multiple tiers for backers, including a digital version of the book, a print version of the book featuring additional art, and a bundle featuring all of Iron Circus’s previous general anthologies, including Sleep of Reason, New World, Timrous Beastie, FTY Ya’ll, Failure to Launch, and the Eisner-award-winning You Died!

The anthology features Smugglers Abroad by Michelle Gruppetta and Fleur Sciortino. In it, a family tries to get the best chocolate over the border. 

‘Smugglers Abroad’ is a zany, heart-warming short comic that showcases the lengths a husband will go, to be able to provide his wife with her favourite treats. This short comic is based in  Malta, during the 1980s, a turbulent time when the island was facing harsh restrictions on food importation to boost local products. The government’s strict import laws, which forbade everything from chocolate to toothpaste to pasta, drove people to “acquire” higher quality products through other means; mainly by smuggling them into Malta via Sicily. Those who travelled were inevitably tasked by their friends and family to return with the coveted loot, and most prized among them was definitely chocolate. While this may seem silly to us now, it definitely turned a lot of Maltese people to a ‘life of crime.’

– Michelle Gruppetta

In Racked by Chuck Harp, Luis Santamarina, and Rob Jones, when your crimes need art supplies, the answer is more crime.

Ultimately, ‘Racked’ is a story about determination. A cross-generational struggle to follow our ambitions in the face of fear. This isn’t a crime showcasing evil, but presenting the desperate. Sure, this is a tale of thieving kids painting trains, but it also speaks to the pursuit that starves artists and baffles families.”

– Chuck Harp

As an artist, I believe that “Racked” offers me the opportunities to embark on an immersive urban adventure and push beyond my usual comfort zone, which typically lies within the realm of fantasy.”

– Luis Santamarina

Racked gave me the chance to work on a more fun, grounded and down to Earth comic than I sometimes get to, and it’s a fun story of working together.

– Rob Jones

‘Le Debacle de Fromage’ is by Matylda McCormack-Sharp:

My story features two characters I have been drawing since I was 11; unlikely friends, Trevor (the elephant) and Derrick (the mouse). In ‘Le Debacle de Fromage!’ we see the pair navigate the highs and lows of living with roommates, and what happens when the most heinous crime is committed… cheese theft…

Perfect Crime Party launches soon, so don’t miss out by signing up now.

Crowdfunding Corner: Jeff Smith’s Thor: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips

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Backer Beware: Crowdfunding projects are not guaranteed to be delivered and/or delivered when promised. We always recommend to do your research before backing.

Cartoon Books has launched a Kickstarter campaign for THORN: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips from 1982 to 1986 and Other Early Drawings. The collection prints the earliest renderings of the world-famous BONE characters for the first time in its entirety!

The comic strips reveal an early version of BONE called THORN that was written for a college audience in the 1980s. THORN appeared in the pages of The Ohio State University’s student newspaper The Lantern. A few were reprinted in a self-published 1983 book called THORN: Tales from The Lantern. Another small selection was published in 2008’s limited edition fundraiser for OSU’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum called Before Bone. Both books are long out of print and sell at collector’s prices. There has never been an official, complete run published until now.

This beautiful edition includes plenty of bonus material such as recently discovered early drawings of the BONE characters, essays and interviews. Because these strips were created for a college audience, this book may not be appropriate for all ages.

THORN: The Complete College Strips, will be published in both hardcover and trade paperback. The digital pdf will be available December 2023 for the holidays, and the physical rewards will ship in Spring of 2024.

The campaign runs until Friday, November 17 2023 11:59 AM EST.

Around the Tubes

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It’s one of two new comic book days. What are you excited for? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

ICv2 – ‘Bone’ Creator Jeff Smith Recuperating from Cardiac Arrest – We wish him well in his recovery.

The Beat – Taylor & Sommariva’s NEVERLANDERS becomes first graphic novel to win major Australian Children’s Book Award – Well deserved.

Reviews

CBR – Alpha Flight #1
CBR – The Cull #1
CBR – The Penguin #0

The Cull #1

The Dragon is Real in Fire Power by Kirkman and Samnee #19

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Image Comics and Skybound have revealed a first look at Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19, from the iconic team of writer Robert Kirkman, artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matthew Wilson and letterer Rus Wooton. Fire Power #19 launches a new story arc, following the shocking reveal of the dragon that closed issue #18.

The legends are true. The dragon is real. The world is in danger. All this and INTRODUCING: MASTER SHUN!

In addition to the main cover by Samnee and Wilson, Fire Power #19 boasts an impressive list of variant covers, including a cover by Jeff Smith and colorist Tom Gaadt, the kick-off of a variant cover series by superstars David Finch and Dave McCaig, as well as the beginning of a connecting cover series from master sketch artist Kim Jung Gi and colorist Pyeongjun Park, depicting Owen’s allies in the biggest fight of their lives in Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19-24.

Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 will be available at  comic book shops  and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 6.

The full list of covers is below: 

  • Fire Power #19 Cover A by Samnee & Wilson (Diamond Code FEB220203) 
  • Fire Power #19 Cover B by Finch & McCaig (Diamond Code FEB220204) 
  • Fire Power #19 Cover C by Smith & Gaadt (Diamond Code FEB220205) 
  • Fire Power #19 Cover D by Jung Gi & Park (Diamond Code FEB220206)  

Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 Gets a Jeff Smith Variant

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Image Comics and Skybound unveiled an extraordinary new variant cover of Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 by legendary creator Jeff Smith and colorist Tom Gaadt.

From the all-star team of writer Robert Kirkman, artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matthew Wilson and letterer Rus Wooton, Fire Power #19 kicks off a thrilling new story arc, following the shocking reveal of the dragon that closed issue #18. The legends are true and the world is in danger.

Smith’s cover joins an impressive list of variant covers for Fire Power #19: the kick-off of a variant cover series by superstars David Finch and Dave McCaig, as well as the beginning of a recently announced connecting cover series from master sketch artist Kim Jung Gi and colorist Pyeongjun Park, depicting Owen’s allies in the biggest fight of their lives in Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19-24. This issue also features a main cover by Samnee & Wilson.

Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 will be available at  comic book shops  and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, ComiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 6.

A full list of covers is below:

  • Fire Power #19 Cover A Samnee & Wilson (Diamond Code FEB220203)
  • Fire Power #19 Cover B Finch & McCaig (Diamond Code FEB220204)
  • Fire Power #19 Cover C Smith & Gaadt (Diamond Code FEB220205)
  • Fire Power #19 Cover D Jung Gi & Park (Diamond Code FEB220206)  
Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 Jeff Smith variant

Fire Power Gets Connecting Variants from Kim Jung Gi and Pyeongjun Park

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Image Comics and Skybound have revealed a stunning six-part set of all-new Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee connecting variant covers from master sketch artist Kim Jung Gi and colorist Pyeongjun Park, depicting Owen’s allies in the biggest fight of their lives.

These new covers will appear as variants to Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19-24, with each issue presenting the series from the iconic team of writer Robert Kirkman, artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Rus Wooton. Fire Power #19 kicks off a thrilling new story arc, following the shocking reveal of an important new character that closed issue #18. It’s time to see if all the legends are true.

Fire Power #19 will also kick off an impressive variant cover series by superstars David Finch and Dave McCaig, along with a new variant by the legendary Jeff Smith.

Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee #19 will be available at  comic book shops  and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 6.

A full list of the connecting covers is below: 

  • Fire Power #19, cover D by Kim Jung Gi
  • Fire Power #20, cover D by Kim Jung Gi
  • Fire Power #21, cover D by Kim Jung Gi 
  • Fire Power #22, cover D by Kim Jung Gi 
  • Fire Power #23, cover D by Kim Jung Gi 
  • Fire Power #24, cover D by Kim Jung Gi
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