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The Superfan Podcast launches Season 2 with more Guests Talking about What They Love Besides Comics

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SuperFan Podcast Season 2

What fascinates, captivates, and influences the people who create comics and graphic novels? In Season Two of the Superfan Podcast co-hosts Kristen Simon (Executive Editor at Mad Cave Studios’ Nakama Press), Christian Gossett (Story Artist, Eyes of Wakanda, The Red Star), and Superfan Promotions founder David Hyde will talk with some of the biggest stars of the comic book industry to find out what they’re passionate about — outside of comics.

The Superfan Podcast season two debuted with a conversation about professional wrestling with Eisner and Ignatz Award winning cartoonist, designer, zinemaker, and illustrator Jim Rugg (True Crime Funnies, Hulk Grand Design). In the freewheeling, no-holds-barred episode, Rugg reflects on who has the best gimmick in wrestling, the appeal of heels and heroes, and the art of kayfabe.

Season Two of the Superfan Podcast features an all-star line-up of award-winning writers and artists, including Gender Queer cartoonist Maia Kobabe on the appeal of K-pop, #1 New York Times bestselling cartoonist Johnnie Christmas (Swim Team) on the mystery of Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, Eisner Award-winning artist/designer Paul Pope (THB) on the glorious career of guitarist Rowland S Howard, Eisner Award-winning artist Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) on her love of Terry Pratchett’s seminal, satirical Discworld novels and acclaimed artist Elsa Charretier (Love Everlasting) on the many merits of game-based dog training. For each episode, the co-hosts also share a dessert recipe and a recommended cocktail and mocktail inspired by the conversation.

In the K-pop world…there’s people buying every single album a whole group has released, or maybe every single variant album a group has released, or they’re trying to collect every single photocard ever released of a specific member of a specific group…The collecting impulse is strong!

-Maia Kobabe

Listen to this week’s episode with Maia Kobabe now.

Each episode of the podcast is paired with a dessert and a cocktail and/or mocktail.

Folks who want to get the show notes which include the recipes each week, should subscribe here.

Featured Segment Extras

Cocktail

There is an amazing BTS recipe site called BTS Army Kitchen. Check. It. Out.

Super Wave

Ingredients

  • 2 oz coconut water
  • 2 oz pineapple juice
  • 2 oz blue Curaçao
  • 1 oz coconut rum
  • Swedish Fish (garnish)

Directions
Shake ingredients with ice, pour over ice, and garnish with Swedish Fish.

Recipe source
https://www.btsarmykitchen.com/post/super-wave

Mocktail

Shooky’s Cookie Crumble Latte

Ingredients

  • 2 oz freshly brewed coffee or espresso (cooled)
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup sugar cookie syrup
  • Coffee ice cubes

Directions
Pour syrup into a glass, add coffee ice, top with milk and coffee, stir, and enjoy.

Recipe source
https://www.btsarmykitchen.com/post/shooky-s-cookie-crumble-latte

Dessert

BTS-Approved Street Snack: Quick & Easy Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

If K-pop had a smell, it might just be cinnamon sugar melting inside a crisp, golden pancake. Hotteok (호떡) is a classic Korean street dessert that’s been fueling idol trainees, fans waiting in concert lines, and late-night café crowds for decades. Think of it as Korea’s answer to the doughnut + crepe + hug combo — soft, sweet, and a little dramatic when that caramel filling oozes out.

The Superfan Podcast is a production of Superfan Media. Season Two’s episodes have been edited by Bryant Dillon with production help by Fanbase Press, who are title sponsors of Season Two’s episodes.

The Superfan Podcast theme song is performed by the band Low in the Shag, featuring Daniel Shulman on bass, Sasha Brustinov on keyboards, Ziv Fisher on drums, Eric Garcia on guitar, Jacob Shulman on saxophone, and Derek Zimmerman on percussion. The song was written by Daniel Shulman, who has played bass for Garbage and is currently performing with The Halloween Jack, alongside Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), and Eric Dover (Alice Cooper). The Superfan Podcast logo is designed by Criswell Lappin, former Creative Director of the legendary Metropolis Magazine, whose design work can be seen at criswelllappin.com.

Head Lopper returns next month and new covers have been revealed!

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An all-new story arc of the Head Lopper series by Andrew MacLean will kick off with an extra-length issue in April from Image Comics—just in time to mark the 10 year anniversary of its original launch. The series will feature a line-up of highly collectible variant covers by such fan-favorite artists as: Alex Horley, Jeffrey Alan Love, Dylan Burnett, Jim Rugg, and James Harren.

MacLean’s masterclass in kinetic action and dark humor will be on full display in Head Lopper (2026) #1. Witness Norgal behead mythic beasts while his chatty, severed-witch-head companion, Agatha, provides relentless sass. It’s visually stunning, high-fantasy carnage that proves decapitation is better with company.

Head Lopper #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, April 22:

  • Cover A by Andrew Maclean – Lunar Code 0226IM0299
  • Cover B by James Harren – Lunar Code 0226IM0300
  • Cover C by copy incentive by Jim Rugg – Lunar Code 0226IM0301
  • Cover D by copy incentive by Dylan Burnett – Lunar Code 0226IM0302
  • Cover E by 1:10 copy incentive by Jeffrey Alan Love – Lunar Code 0226IM0303
  • Cover F by 1:25 copy incentive by Alex Horley – Lunar Code 0226IM0304
  • Cover G by Sketch Cover – Lunar Code 0226IM0305
  • Cover H I Hate Fairyland Team-up – Lunar Code 0226IM8088

Andrew Maclean’s Head Lopper returns to shelves this April to celebrate 10 years

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Longtime Head Lopper fans will have something to celebrate this Spring with the highly anticipated return of Andrew MacLean’s beloved adventure comic. An all-new story arc of the ongoing series will kick off with an extra-length issue in April from Image Comics—just in time to mark the 10 year anniversary of its original launch.

MacLean’s masterclass in kinetic action and dark humor will be on full display in Head Lopper (2026) #1. Witness Norgal behead mythic beasts while his chatty, severed-witch-head companion, Agatha, provides relentless sass. It’s visually stunning, high-fantasy carnage that proves decapitation is better with company.

Head Lopper #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, April 22:

  • Cover A by Andrew Maclean – Lunar Code 0226IM0299
  • Cover B by James Harren – Lunar Code 0226IM0300
  • Cover C by 1:25 copy incentive by Jim Rugg – Lunar Code 0226IM0301
  • Cover D by 1:10 copy incentive by Dylan Burnett – Lunar Code 0226IM0302
  • Cover E by 1:10 copy incentive by Jeffrey Alan Love – Lunar Code 0226IM0303
  • Cover F by 1:25 copy incentive by Alex Horley – Lunar Code 0226IM0304
  • Cover G by Sketch Cover – Lunar Code 0226IM0305
Head Lopper #1

Deadpool Celebrates April Pool’s Day Again and Brings Variant Covers

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This year, Deadpool will once again host April Pool’s Day, an epic April Fool’s Day celebration! In addition to a boatload of surprises including merchandise, digital content, and more, Marvel Comics will bring the fun to comic shops with a new Deadpool: April Pool’s Day one-shot written by legendary Deadpool scribe Gail Simone and drawn by acclaimed artist C.F. Villa and other fan-favorite talent. April Pool’s Day Variant Covers also return with four new covers by superstar artists Mark Bagley, Chad Hardin, Matteo Lolli, and Phil Noto, each depicting Wade Wilson doing what he does best—driving Marvel’s heroes wild with his absurd antics!

IT’S APRIL POOL’S DAY IN THE 616!

Join Wade Wilson as we celebrate April Pool’s Day, the way our ancestors did – with tricks, gags, and potentially universe-ending calamity. Wait, what was that last one? The real trick is, Wade’s being serious when he figures out how deadly the situation is on April 1st, and no one believes him! But you do, right? Because if not, this could spell the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it!

Check out David Baldeón, Todd Nauck, and Jim Rugg’s Deadpool: April Pool’s Day #1 covers. The one-shot will also feature a variant cover by Kei Zama that spotlights Death’s Head. Plus, see the first two April Pool’s Day Variant Covers and stay tuned for more to be revealed in the months ahead.

  • IRON MAN #3 APRIL POOL’S DAY VARIANT COVER BY MATTEO LOLLI – 75960621491400351
  • PUNISHER #2 APRIL POOL’S DAY VARIANT COVER BY CHAD HARDIN – 75960621516400261
  • WOLVERINE #18 APRIL POOL’S DAY VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
  • CAPTAIN AMERICA #9 APRIL POOL’S DAY VARIANT COVER BY MARK BAGLEY

Blood Squad Seven Yearbook delivers an Extra-Length, Action-Packed, Mind-Bending Epic in March 2026

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Joe Casey and Paul Fry will bring fans Blood Squad Seven Yearbook #1. This action-packed issue will hit shelves in March 2026 from Image Comics.

Within Blood Squad Seven Yearbook’s extra-length, brain-breaking conclusion to this international—and interdimensional—storyline… secrets will be revealed! Worlds will collide! Heroes will struggle! Legends will die! And things—both past and present—will never be the same!

Spinning out of 2024’s Dutch mini-series, Blood Squad Seven explores ’90s superteam dynamics through a contemporary lens.

Thirty years ago, Blood Squad Seven was America’s most popular superhero team. Its members were seen on television, on magazine covers, scoring million-dollar endorsement deals…. They were celebrities and they were everywhere.

But that was then… this is now. And so, a new generation of modern-day heroes takes up the mantle—or perhaps, the poisoned chalice—fulfilling a promise made decades ago: to be the heroes that a fractured America needs.

While deconstructions of superhero nostalgia typically center around the classic characters of the Silver Age, Blood Squad Seven delves deep into ’90s comic book themes with this reimagining of what would happen if heroes from that decade returned to action after a 30-year absence.

Blood Squad Seven Yearbook #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, March 25, 2026:

  • Cover A by Paul Fry
  • Cover B 1:10 copy incentive by Jim Rugg

Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84 is one to not miss when it debuts March 2026. We check out the Ashcan!

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In 1984 Osaka, the bloodline of Miyamoto Usagi lives on through Kaitō, a cunning rabbit thief with a rebellious spirit. He embodies his ancestor’s legacy in a way the stoic samurai we know and love never could. A daring new heist for a legendary spear sets Kaitō down a perilous path, forever altering his destiny and placing the fate of Osaka, and perhaps the world, on his shoulders.

Coming to comic shops March 2026!

Story: Zack Rosenberg, Jared Cullum
Script: Zack Rosenberg
Art: Jared Cullum
Usagi Yojimbo created by: Stan Sakai

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Third Eye Comics
Golden Apple

Enjoy the Neon and Synth Music with Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84

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Dogu Publishing and Dark Horse Comics take the heroic epic of the rabbit ronin into the electrifying age of the 1980s with Usagi Yojimbo: Kaitō ’84, a five-issue series, story by Zack Rosenberg and Jared Cullum, script by Rosenberg and featuring full watercolor art with hand lettering by Cullum, winner of the National Cartoonist Society award. 

Each meticulously crafted issue features a cover by Cullum and two variants including one from Sakai himself as well as a thrilling lineup of artists like Eisner and Ignatz Award-winner Jim Rugg, superstar creator Kevin Eastman, indie sensation David Petersen, BAFTA award-winner Kim Hu, and the unmistakable Daniel Warren Johnson across the series, which begins in March 2026.

In 1984 Osaka, the bloodline of Miyamoto Usagi lives on through Kaitō, a cunning rabbit thief with a rebellious spirit. He embodies his ancestor’s legacy in a way the stoic samurai we know and love never could. A daring new heist for a legendary spear sets Kaitō down a perilous path, forever altering his destiny and placing the fate of Osaka, and perhaps the world, on his shoulders.

Get ready for a new legend to begin in Usagi Yojimbo: Kaitō ’84 #1 (of 5)when it arrives in comic shops on March 11, 2026, for $4.99. 

Youngblood #1 Reveals its Retailer Exclusive Covergeddon

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This November comic shop retailers are all-in on Rob Liefeld‘s highly anticipated return to his iconic Youngblood series. Youngblood (2025) #1 has stacked the deck with a whopping 27 retailer exclusive covers and Image Comics is ready to deal some damage.

The original Youngblood #1 was the opening salvo in the Image Revolution and remains one of the bestselling independent comics of all time with sales over one million copies. With Liefeld finally back at the helm of his signature creation, Youngblood is in full power mode once again.

The Direct Market will be battle ready for the Liefeld Legion onslaught. Comic shop retailers suiting up with their very own exclusive Youngblood (2025) #1 covers are:

  • Big Time Collectibles featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • Big Time Collectibles featuring John Giang cover art
  • Big Time Collectibles featuring John Giang cover art
  • Big Time Collectibles featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • Geek Street Productions featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • Geek Street Productions featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • Top Shelf featuring Jimbo Salgado cover art
  • Top Shelf featuring Jimbo Salgado cover art
  • PCB Hobby featuring Sajad Shah cover art
  • PCB Hobby featuring Sajad Shah cover art
  • Black Saber Comics featuring Jordan Noir cover art
  • Heroes & Fantasies featuring Leno Hernandez cover art
  • Shell Beast featuring Tezco13 & Smunchy cover art
  • Shell Beast featuring Tezco13 & Smunchy cover art
  • AnZ Comics featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • AnZ Comics featuring Ivan Tao cover art
  • AnZ Comics featuring Alan Quah cover art
  • AnZ Comics featuring Kev Mallqui cover art
  • Midtown Comics featuring Rob Liefeld cover art
  • Countdown Comics LLC featuring Marat Mychaels cover art
  • East Coast Comics featuring Franck Uzan cover art
  • TenFwd Comics featuring Tyler Kirkham cover art
  • Comic Inspiration featuring Jeff Monk cover art
  • FURYCOMIX featuring kyuYong Eom cover art
  • Nirvana Comics featuring Riley Brown cover art
  • Windy City Comics featuring B.Ernest Williams cover art
  • Third Eye Comics featuring Jim Rugg cover art

In addition to the battery of retailer exclusive covers, Youngblood (2025) #1 will dominate the shelves with an impressive roll-out of eye-popping covers by Skottie Young, Daniel Warren Johnson, Ryan Stegman, Ryan Ottley, Kael Ngu, Erik Gist, and Mark Spears for the launch.

Youngblood (2025) #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, November 5.

Vito Delsante, Dan Goldman, Dean Haspiel, Charlie McElvy, Jim Rugg, and Don Simpson are heading to Baltimore Comic Con

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The Baltimore Comic-Con makes its annual return to the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on October 17-19, 2025. The Baltimore Comic-Con announces the appearance of indie comics creators Vito Delsante, Dan Goldman, Dean Haspiel, Charlie McElvy, Jim Rugg, and Don Simpson. Tickets to the show can be purchased online.

Vito Delsante is a comic book writer, letterer, and editor. He is best known for his creator-owned superhero story, Stray, with co-creator, Sean Izaakse (Challengers of the Unknown) and is the editor-in-chief of Blind Squirrel Comics, where he is currently writing and editing the mini-series, GodQuest: Milestone and putting the finishing touches on Raptorix, a “Dark Knight” bootleg that DC Comics would never dare to publish. He currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife, Michelle, and his kids, Sadie and James.

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.

Emmy and Ringo Award-winning cartoonist Dean Haspiel has created for Marvel, DC/Vertigo, Archie, Image, and Webtoon, including collaborations with Harvey Pekar and Jonathan Ames. In 2023, Dino launched a series of crowdfunded “Deep Cuts” from his pantheon of creator-owned characters, featuring COVID Cop, Billy Dogma + Jane Legit, The Red Hook, and Chest Face. In addition, Haspiel is an accomplished playwright and Yaddo fellow. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Charlie McElvy is the writer-creator-publisher of most things Xion Studios and now Blind Squirrel Comics. His flagship title, Spider-Squirrel & Trash Panda, has been a crowdfunding success story since issue #1 and has spawned multiple spin-offs. Under Xion Studios, you’ll find the mature, the macabre, and the unique — titles such as American Yakuza, and Vagabond: Nowhere Man whereas Blind Squirrel Comics highlights more traditional comics such as GodQuest, Scott Fogg’s Nightcare, and Vito Delsante’s and Sean Izaakse Stray.

Jim Rugg is a writer, artist, designer, illustrator, and YouTuber. His comics include Hulk Grand Design, Street Angel, The PLAIN Janes, Afrodisiac, and Supermag. Honors include Eisner and Ignatz Awards and AIGA’s 50 Books/50 Covers selection. He is the co-host of YouTube’s popular comics channel — Cartoonist Kayfabe.

Megaton Man #1 detonated on the scene in December 1984, and forty years later, Don Simpson is still best known as the creator of that satirical superhero series published by Kitchen Sink Press and Image Comics. Don is also creator of the science fiction saga Border Worlds (collected by Dover in 2017), Bizarre Heroes, a universe of characters surrounding the cast of Megaton Man and self-published under Don’s Fiasco Comics imprint. and Marvel’s one-shot CRAZY! reboot (2019). A veteran of the 80s-90s indy 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, The normalman-Megaton Man Special, 1963), Fantagraphics (King Kong), and DC (Wasteland, Flash Annual, Secret Origins, Action Comics Weekly). More recently, Don has been authoring his weekly prose novel, The Ms. Megaton Man Maxi-Series, and teamed up with William Messner Loebs, Jason Moore, and Tom Orzechowski on Victory Folks—The Golden Age Public Domain Supergroup. 2025 will see the release of The Complete Megaton Man Universe Volume I: The 1980s (Fantagraphics Underground), including all the Kitchen Sink Press Megaton Man comics, and Megaton Man: Multimensions (Cosmic Lion Productions), an anthology of indy creators’ interpretations of and IP crossovers with Don’s creations.

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), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), 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), Alan Davis (Excalibur), Deans Family Productions (Crass Fed), Jeff Dekal (Something is Killing the Children), Kevin Delgado (Tuff Stuff, courtesy of Comics and Collectibles R Us), Vito Delsante (Stray), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Garth Ennis (The Boys, Saturday and Sunday only), David Finch (Moon Knight), Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs), Trish Forstner (Feral), Franco (Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales), Barbara Friedlander (Swing with Scooter), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Dan Goldman (Unfinished Business), Randy Green (Witchblade). Mike Grell (Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters), Gavin Guidry (Action Comics), Brian Haberlin (Spawn, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hempel (Sandman), Jamal Igle (Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Chris Kemple (Artist Alley Comics), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Incredible Hulk), Derek Kirk Kim (The Last Mermaid), Dan Krall (House of Night), Adam Kubert (Wolverine), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers), Nate Lovett (Dungeons & Dragons), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Alex Maleev (Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black White and Red), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Jose Marzan Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Charlie McElvy (Spider-Squirrel), 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), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), 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), Paul Pope (THB), Tom Raney (Green Lantern), Amy Reeder (Power Girl), Esad Ribic (Conan the Barbarian), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), James Robinson (Starman), Don Rosa (Uncle $crooge), Craig Rousseau (Herculoids), Stephane Roux (Void Rivals), Jim Rugg (Street Angel), Andy Runton (Owly), 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), Peter Tomasi (The Rocketfellers), Billy Tucci (Shi), Brian K. Vaughan (Spectators, Friday and Saturday only), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and Big Hero Six), Charles Vess (Stardust), 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), Kelly Yates (Doctor Who), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).

Marty Baumann, Dani, Mike McKone, David Petersen, Jim Rugg, and Gus Vazquez are coming to Baltimore Comic Con

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The 2025 Baltimore Comic-Con takes place on October 17-19 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center. The Baltimore Comic-Con has announced guests Marty Baumann, Dani, Mike McKone, David Petersen, Jim Rugg, and Gus Vazquez to this year’s event. Tickets are now available!

Marty Baumann is an illustrator, graphic artist, and production designer. He has contributed to some of the most popular, Oscar-winning animated films of all time. Marty has worked as an artist at Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios as an illustrator, graphic artist, and production designer on such films as Toy Story 3, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Cars 2, Planes, Wreck-It Ralph 2, and many others. He also helped develop theme park installations, toy packaging, and Pixar corporate branding. Marty has rendered illustrations and developed characters for toy manufacturers, magazines, and newspapers, and illustrated children’s books, created logos, info-graphics, broadcast promotions, and presentation art for Hasbro, Universal Studios, National Geographic, Scholastic Books, Nickelodeon, and many others. Recent projects include his role as concept artist for the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the visual development of Sir Paul McCartney’s feature film, High in the Clouds.

Dani was born in Athens, Greece in 1992 and studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts. She began to produce a self-published series called Tales from the Strips that won the Reader’s Choice Award at the Greek Comics Awards in 2015, before working at 2000 AD contributing to Judge Anderson, Black Beth, and other series. Soon, she was on the radar of the US industry and broke in with work from IDW on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

More recently, she has worked with DC/Vertigo on Sandman: The Dreaming, Hill House Comics: The Low Low Woods, and on the Image Comics creator-owned series Coffin Bound.

Dani has continued her collaborations at DC Comics with Sensational Wonder Woman and as the regular artist on Arkham City: The Order of the World.

Hailing from England, Mike McKone‘s first published work was for DC Comics’ Justice League of America and Marvel Comics’ Punisher series. In the years since, he has illustrated almost every major character from the big two publishers, including lengthy runs on Teen Titans, Amazing Spider-Man, and Fantastic Four. Recent projects were the Avengers graphic novel, Endless Wartime and Justice League United. Now residing in the US, McKone is working on a creator-owned project while providing covers and merchandising illustrations for clients such as Marvel, DC, Dynamite, Valiant, Dorling Kindersley, and Converse.

David Petersen is a cartoonist and children’s book illustrator who launched his career with a self-published issue of his series Mouse Guard in 2005, when it was then picked up by Archaia, who continues to publish the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning series. Petersen has also worked on covers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Dark Crystal. He’s illustrated an edition of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows for IDW and his artwork also graced the cover for the 2012 Baltimore Comic-Con program, as well as the show-exclusive t-shirt.

In 2008, David won the Eisners for Best Publication for Kids (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 & Winter 1152) and Best Graphic Album – Reprint (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 Hardcover). In 2010, he was nominated for a Harvey Award for Best Artist (Mouse Guard: Winter 1152).

Jim Rugg is a writer, artist, designer, illustrator, and YouTuber. His comics include Hulk Grand Design, Street Angel, The PLAIN Janes, Afrodisiac, and Supermag. Honors include Eisner and Ignatz Awards and AIGA’s 50 Books/50 Covers selection. He was the co-host of YouTube’s popular comics channel — Cartoonist Kayfabe.

Gus Vazquez is an illustrator who has worked in nearly every field, including comic books, trading cards, storyboarding for music videos, commercials, animation and film, logo design, character and toy design, and more. He started his career in comic books working as an assistant to comic book artists Adam Pollina on X-Force, and Kevin McGuire on Trinity Angels. He got his first solo gig at Marvel Comics drawing the covers and interiors for Sunfire and Big Hero 6, the series that introduced the characters featured in Disney’s Oscar winning Big Hero 6. He has worked on such Marvel titles as Deadpool, X-Force, Spider-Man, What If? Civil War, What If? Back in Black, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and more. For DC, he has worked on such titles as Green Lantern, JLA, Blue Beetle, and most recently on Flash, Suicide Squad, and Green Arrow. Gus was the artist on several issues of Claudio Sanchez’s (of rock music group Coheed and Cambria) The Amory Wars, and was instrumental in helping bring together the creative team of his friends, David Atchison (writer) and Tony Shasteen (illustrator), and his niece, film and TV actress Rosario Dawson on 12 Gauge’s The O.C.T. More recently, Gus has been working for DC Comics on The Sasquatch Detective, a backup story which can be found in the pages of Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, as well as DMC (Daryl Makes Comics) and on La Borinqueña. He is also working on his creator-owned book, Fang.

2025 GUESTS

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Kaare Andrews (Spider-Man: REIGN 2), Eddy Barrows (Superman), 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), 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), Jamal Igle (Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Incredible Hulk), Dan Krall (House of Night), 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), 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), Joseph Schmalke (Seven Years in Darkness, courtesy of Groundbreaking Comics), Declan Shalvey (Old Dog), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Jeff Smith (Bone), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Zoe Thorogood (It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Universe), Billy Tucci (Shi), 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).

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