Okay, super fast and dirty because WHOA NELLIE me and Shelton are working hard to get everything squared away in time for the big program book deadline tomorrow morning. But here are a couple of things I’ve just updated:

1) SMALL PRESS TABLES: I moved some around again. I’m sorry! But pretty much everybody that got moved (only a half-dozen or so), got moved to better spots. We’re going to squeeze the Blood Drive in that corner so you guys aren’t stuck in the dark corner trying to flag down fans. Also, everyone who’s purchased space over the last week or so should now be listed, and the many of you who have been patiently waiting for me to remember to make the corrections you asked me for, those should now be made as well.

2) SCHEDULE: I’ve added a bunch of new panels, plus full details on all the Marvel panels (special guests galore!), the Steve Ditko focus panel (A+!), and a bunch more. I think my two favorite new things are the Jeff Smith documentary screening and the George Perez/Mark Waid Brave & The Bold panel-by-panel panel that Andy “Heroes Discussion Group” will be running.

3) GUEST LIST: has been tweaked a little, but not so’s you noticed. There are some recent cancellations though, today including Jason Pearson and Sarah Wilkinson. That complete list is down under the con diagrams and so forth on the right side of the page.

I feel like there’s something else but I can’t remember. Either way, gotta get back to work! Wish me and Shelton luck!

Another late-night post! Oops, actually early-morning now. Poor Indie Island has not gotten much attention from me this year, which is sad because I love it so. But it will still be incredibly awesome–besides the regular awesomeness, this year we’ve fortified it with 100% more Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), and Jason Lutes (Berlin).

Plus a little secret weapon I like to call Joe Lambert, who did the endpapers for the monstrously well-received and lauded Best American Comics 2008, is a mainstay and studbolt on the minicomics scene, and is working on a big secret book currently for a big book publisher. AND he did this year’s Indie Island shirt, which is even now at the printer being printified on some fly American Apparel and regular-old shirts for you to look fly in. Because you’re up so late with me, I thought I’d share a peek at the image. I love it! Keep your eyes on Joe, because he’s for real, and he’s nationwide, suckas!

No sleep til HeroesCon! We’re burning the midnight oil tonight, trying to get this here program book put to bed, and I’ve been trying to grab up any stragglers who aren’t already on the list–especially Sean Chen, who I thought was already up there. My bad, Sean! Again, I’d prefer to lavish praise and attention of all of these people, but I’m looking at a pretty late night so pardon me if I go the short route of welcoming first-time guests Steve Skeates, Drew Weing, and Evan Bryce, and returning guests Sean Chen, John Gallagher, Jason Horn, and Dean Trippe. Okay, the list all formal-like:

New to HeroesCon 09 Guest List!

EVAN BRYCE: Popgun, Project: Rooftop
SEAN CHEN: Nova, Iron Man, Wolverine
JOHN GALLAGHER: Buzzboy, Nascar Heroes
JASON HORN: Ninjasaur, Comic Book Tattoo
STEVE SKEATES: Crazy, Creepy, Peter Porker
DEAN TRIPPE: Butterfly, Comic Book Tattoo
DREW WEING: Blar, Nickelodeon Magazine

Okay! More to come, in my wee-hours marathon! See you tomorrow/today!

Okay! We’re closing in on the homestretch here, but super swamped for time–and good gravy it’s past-time for dinner, so forgive me if this blog post sounds rushed–not to mention packed!

Joining the HeroesCon 09 Guest List today are a bevy of Silver Age Legends, including:

PAT BASTIENNE, former Talent and Editorial Coordinator at DC Comics and then Continuity Comics with Dick Giordano and Neal Adams.

DICK GIORDANO, former Managing Editor at DC and legendary artist and inker, especially on characters like Batman.

IRWIN HASEN, who’s really more of Golden Age talent, but talent like Irwin’s is timeless anyway. Besides creating Dondi and co-creating Wildcat, Irwin is famous for his work on Green Lantern Comics and All Star Comics!

HERB TRIMPE, whose work you may recognize on the image at right, the first ever appearance of Wolverine! Herb is closely associated with The Hulk, but has worked on pretty much everything else, including Fantastic Four, The Nam, and Shogun Warriors!

But wait there’s more! Also new to the list today, representing the Kids Love Comics! collective, are all-ages superstars:

RAY FRIESEN, author/illustrator of the graphic novels Cupcakes of Doom!, Another Dirt Sandwich, and Yarg!

JIMMY GOWNLEY, the creator of the hit Amelia Rules series!

SCOTT CHRISTIAN SAVA is the cartoonist and animator behind The Dreamland Chronicles, Pet Robots, Ed’s Terrestrials, and many more besides!

And while not part of Kids Love Comics! or a Silver Age legend, our buddy TOMMY SMITH will be appearing this year at the 12 Gauge booth, promoting his upcoming book U.D.R.!

Okay–time for dinner! More to come tomorrow, including more panels, news, and more!

What? Two posts on a Sunday? One so late it’s practically Monday morning? Truly these are the end times we’re in… or at least the convention is super close and we’re burning the midnight oil. So what could be so amazing that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?

Brand new to the HeroesCon 09 Guest List is legendary pinup and cover painter JOE JUSKO. Joe’s behind a bajillion high-end paintings over his 30+year career, most notably his work on characters like Vampirella and the Marvel Masterpieces trading card set.

Joe’s coming to the convention this year courtesy of another Joe, our buddy JOE PRUETT over at DESPERADO PUBLISHING, which is publishing the new Art of Joe Jusko art book! Desperado also publishes comics like Negative Burn and The Atheist, among many others!

Speaking of studly painters, also new today is good ol’ NAT JONES, whose macabre style is most recently in Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer and the upcoming Frank Frazetta’s Silver Warrior; not to mention Spawn, The Nail, and a ton of others besides. If you didn’t get enough of Nat as a guest at our Free Comic Book Day shindig, we invite you to feast on him for a full three days next weekend!

Also also new today are REBECCA BUCHMAN, attending her first HeroesCon as a guest. She’s worked with Dexter Vines and Studio Revolver, and has been seen in the pages of Green Lantern, the upcoming Blackest Night, as well as JSA, Huntress: Year One, and others.

And whoever the dummy is who handles the Guest List just noticed this week that he had never added the glamorous KELLY SUE DECONNICK, who returns this year for her fourth HeroesCon in a row. Kelly Sue has collaborated as a writer with Steve Niles on 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella, as well as worked adapting manga for US readers, including Black Cat and the hit Slam Dunk.

Let’s see what else? Tomorrow (actually “today” now, as it’s crossed midnight) we’ll be doing another update, maybe even two! See you back here in a few hours!

Yes! We’ve gotten a lot of requests over the last several weeks, and here it is at last–the HeroesCon 2009 Event Schedule! I invite you to peruse the heckfire out of this badboy, and please don’t hesitate to post here if you catch any mistakes. I work this behemoth out on paper and then hand-key everything. AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN SPELLCHECK. But I’ve been known to make mistakes once in a while.

Also: did you notice this cool part?

Yessir that’s right! We’re bringing back an old perk for buying your tickets to HeroesCon early–advance ticket buyers will enter the show 30 minutes early all three days! We’ll be cutting off advance ticket sales about a week from now, probably next Sunday or Monday, so if I were you I’d grab those badboys right now!

Last minute announcement at the end of this week–just added to the HeroesCon 09 Guest List is legendary painter, illustrator, and cartoonist BILL SIENKIEWICZ, who will be returning to Charlotte in a couple of weeks for HeroesCon! If you’re not familiar with Bill’s work, he’s the super-duper high profile artist of big books like Elektra: Assassin, Stray Toasters, and the never completed Big Numbers, among many many others. Aaaand while we’ll have an official announcement probably over the weekend or early next week, I have heard that this year’s incentive print for advanced-ticket buyers will be by a guy whose name rhymes with “Phil Blim Blevitch”, so if I were you I’d go ahead and grab your advance tickets now! More on that soon!

Also joining the Guest List today:

MATT HERMS you may have met at our ginormous Free Comic Book Day wing-ding, where his art chores on Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe made his table a high-traffic area.

JOSH LATTA is an acerbic four-eyes and a master of the minicomic, who hails from Georgia and who has just recently released the umpteenth issue of his own Rashy Rabbit series.

BRAD MCGINTY is even more acerbic than Josh, and posts regular comics at his site. He’s the creator of Wysteria and by day is an animator. You go, Brad!

Yes, they’re up! I know they were up before for a minute, but then I decided to start all over–the larger hall provided some extra opportunities, and that’s how we ended up freeing some tables that are for sale (for now).

BUT if you go check out the Small Press page on our website, or the bottom section of our Guest List page, all the persons who have purchased Small Press space are listed with their table locations. Hit me up with an e-mail (it’s in my profile) if there’s a problem with your listing, or you don’t see yourself there. I think I’ve addressed all the problems and little snafus you guys have identified, but just in case… HEY! I’m only human!

Well, in case you’ve been trying to access our website for the last 24 hours or so OR e-mail any of us, you probably had no luck. BUT everything is good to go now–and good thing, too; look what was in all the DC books that came out today:

Oh yeah! Just as a reminder, DC Comics will be set up at the show this year, which is more or less what all the small type says. I can’t be sure, but it MIGHT say that you need to purchase your 3-day advance passes super-quick, OR it might point out that we’ve opened up a very limited number of small press tables for sale, which you should also jump on super fast. OR BOTH!

UPDATE: Okay, everything’s cool now–sorry for any inconvenience!