Unused panel from Eraklis Petmezas's Last Cigarette story.

Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS) are all members of a local artist collective called Sketch Charlotte. I set out to get to know the group and the members a little better by sending out a questionnaire and the response I got was overwhelming! So overwhelming that I am breaking the interview into three parts that I will post throughout the week. This first part gives a general history and purpose of the group. Stay tuned for the next part where we get to know the members a little better!

What is Sketch Charlotte?

RB: Sketch Charlotte is the brainchild of Eraklis Petmezas. It started with him, myself and Tom Davidson about 5 years ago and has now grown into a group of about 15. It’s a pretty loosely organized meet-up group where local artists (as well as writers, photographers, designers and anyone else really) can get together and draw and talk about art and stuff. It’s got a definite focus on comics and cartooning but not all our members are necessarily aspiring comic book artists.

EP: Sketch Charlotte is a group of local artists, writers, designers and like minded individuals that meets weekly to draw and discuss all types of art. It’s been a great springboard for ideas.

JDC: First and foremost, Sketch Charlotte is awesome!
 But we’re also a collection of artists/illustrators/writers/perpetrators of general misfit in the Charlotte area.

TD: It’s a laughing, friendly group of people who love comics and cartooning, who love to draw and who love to get together with like-minded nerds to share stories and good times.

DM: Basically a loose group of individuals who all draw comics in some for or another.  Or alternately a bunch of lunatics that meet up at Showmars every week, heckle each other, and make plans to corrupt the young and innocent.  Mostly though it’s a meet up to draw.

BP: A, now weekly, art group that gets together to discuss not only art and comics but other cultural influences such as movies, music, photography, literature and computers. There’s really nothing off limits. Artists and non-artists alike gather to share their thoughts and ideas in a stimulating environment.

BS: Sketch Charlotte is an awesome chance to get involved with other local comic book artists in Charlotte. It provides encouragement from people who really care about what you’re drawing next. And it’s so much fun! If you’re quiet and tend to zone out that’s cool, but generally there is a lot of laughter from around the table. Everyone there has a really great sense of humor and it’s always a great time!

Page from Henry Eudy's sketchbook.

HE: Oh man, the hard questions right off the bat, geez. Um, well, Sketch Charlotte is a loose little confederation of creative types who pal up once a week or so to draw in sketchbooks, eat pita burgers and talk endlessly about comics, music, art, sasquatches, the films of Tim Burton (even the bad ones), fringe stuff and popular culture at large. The group is primarily people with a firm interest in comics and a good many of us are comics creators of one form or another. We spend a few hours each week drawing with one another, showing off our work and getting feedback from our peers in the group. We talk about our plans, our aspirations, our fears and how we can’t draw feet convincingly. We take inspiration and support from our Sketch Charlotte brethren and hopefully give that inspiration and support right back. We’re cool dudes, and that’s what’s important.

Who is responsible for forming Sketch Charlotte?

HE: Big Daddy Herc is the man responsible for creating our beloved little club. Rumor has it that he was once just a meek goat herder, watching over his flock in the rocky Greek highlands, drinking Ouzo and listening to Fugazi on his Sony Walkman. Then one day he spied a bearded Jackalope caught in some brambles. Herc knew right away that this was the mighty god Zeus out on one of his mighty benders and he quickly and expertly freed the deity, making sure to rub the creature’s belly three times so as to be granted three magical wishes. For his first wish, he wished for a Sony Discman, because it was, like, 2004 and the Walkman just wasn’t cutting it. Next he hoped to have a pair of Adidas high tops, so the old school Greek rappers would finally show him respect. And lastly he wished to be teleported to Charlotte, North Carolina where he could create a club devoted to drawing and Greek cuisine. Thus, Sketch Charlotte was born.

(more…)

It is official! The HeroesCon 2011 Guest List is up! With OVER 50 guests already confirmed HeroesCon 2011 is going to be crazy awesome. While the Guest List is pretty impressive now you just wait for what we have in store. It is bound to be a gigantically long list by the time Spring of 2011 rolls around.

The initial guest list is chock full of some of the best the comics industry has to offer. Trust me on that. When I updated the website I checked all the links to the creator’s websites and I came across some of the most incredible comic art out there today. Just look at some of the names we’ve got, Mike Perkins, Steve Niles, Sean Chen, Phil Noto, Adam Hughes, Allison Sohn, Brian Stelfreeze, Stephane Roux, Tim Townsend, Jonboy Meyers, Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, Jason Latour, Chris Brunner, Andy Smith, Budd Root, Tony Harris, Bernard Chang, Eric Canete, Dave Johnson, Steve Scott, Dexter Vines, and Cully Hamner! Go check out the full list to see just how awesome it is. And while you are there click on some of the links to our guests’ websites and you too can marvel at how talented these creators are!

Plus, we are very excited to announce Butch Guice‘s return to HeroesCon! He is a North Carolina native and a HeroesCon alum from way back to the very first one in 1982. The last time time he was at the show was when he helped kill off Superman! We sure are glad he has decided to join us for next year’s show!

And, we are super pumped to add Jeff Lemire to our Indie Island Guest List! Lemire is the creator of the Essex County Trilogy and is currently writing Sweet Tooth and The Atom co-feature in Adventure Comics. If that weren’t enough, in this month’s issue of Previews it was just announced that he will be writing the new ongoing Superboy series.

Speaking of Indie Island, our Indie Island Guest List is up too! We’ve got an awesome guest list already but it is just a grain of sand compared to the beach that it will become! We are proud to announce Indie Island regulars (which is almost the whole list!) Shannon Smith, Chris Schweizer, Jim Rugg, Liz Baillie, Joey Weiser, Joe Lambert, Ben Towle, Andy Runton and Rob Ullman, publishers AdHouse Books and Top Shelf Productions, as well as internet sensation Becky and Frank from Tiny Kitten Teeth! That’s not even the full list! Check out the Indie Island page to view the whole list in all of its glory!

I think the only thing that remains to be said is, have you bought your tickets yet?

Don’t forget that the next Heroes Discussion Group is this Saturday afternoon August 28^th at 4:00pm. We will be discussing Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

The primary focus of the discussion will be the sixth and final volume of the series but we will also discuss the previous volumes. It is recommended but not required that you be familiar with the entire series.

We plan on talking in depth about the storyline, pacing and character development and examine why this series has turned into such a phenomenon. We will likely discuss the film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World comparing the comic series to the movie.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is available at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find with a special 10% Discussion Group Discount; but be sure to mention the discount when you check out!

We hope you will be able to make it to what will surely be an exciting discussion group!

Saturday is the first ever International Read Comics in Public Day! And from the response it has been getting this will be the first of many. Brian Heater and Sarah Morean of The Daily Cross Hatch are the brains behind this event which, through no coincidence, is the same day as Jack Kirby‘s birthday. They are organizing it as a way to bring attention to comics as a legitimate form of literature and to encourage comic readership.

They are doing a heck of a job promoting it using their blog and social networking sites, like Facebook. They even have downloadable posters on their website. The story is getting coverage from all over.  NPR ran a story, as did The Beat.  I especially like how they are reaching out to libraries and not just comic book stores.

If you want to participate just read a comic outdoors and have a friend take a picture of you then send it to [email protected]. And if you tweet about the event don’t forget to use the approved hashtag: #readcomicsinpublic.

What comic will you read in public?

Shelton Drum and Shawn Daughhetee will be heading to Maryland for the Baltimore Comic-Con August 28 and 29! You can find them at the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find booth selling comics and promoting HeroesCon 2011! Baltimore Comic-Con is one of our favorite conventions to go to because, like Heroes-Con, the focus is on comics.

Shelton has been expanding the convention stock for your comics purchasing pleasure. He has beefed up the Marvel Silver Age selection considerably. And if that weren’t enough we have a quality selection of books from the 40’s and 50’s in ALL genres. That’s reason enough to make the trek to Baltimore!

But if you need more reasons you should check out their Guest list. It is crazy impressive! The lists for Artist Alley guests and Retailers are substantial as well. It is guaranteed to be a fun weekend full of comics and Shelton and Shawn are excited to attend!

Also, a special congratulations to show owner, Marc Nathan, and his wife, Shelly! Click the link to read the press release that includes the newest addition to the guest list, their baby boy, Reese Aaron. We are happy to hear that mommy and baby are doing well!

Baltimore Comic-Con
August 28-29, 2010
10-6 on Sat. and 10-5 on Sun.
Baltimore Convention Center
1 West Pratt St
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

On sale today is Madame Xanadu #26 which features interior art by Charlotte’s own Chrissie Zullo! This issue is written by Matt Wagner with cover art by Mark Buckingham and is the third part of the Extra Sensory storyline and focuses on the sense of smell. The first five parts of this story arc are written by Wagner with art by five different artists (in addition to Zullo, Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Celia Calle and Marian Churchland) and they center around the five senses, but the sixth and final part of this storyline will bring back Amy Reeder and Richard Friend where they will delve into the sixth sense.

Zullo is best known for her Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love covers and this issue of Madame Xanadu is her first published sequential artwork. Her process is pretty incredible. She first paints in black and white then she photographs the work using a high resolution camera (or scans it at a high resolution) then so uploads the image onto her computer where finally she digitally colors it. And if that weren’t enough, for her cover work she often paints the initial image on wood! She is an extremely talented artist. Go check out her art blog for examples of her amazing work!

Also, Chrissie will be signing copies of Madame Xanadu and doing sketches today at Rebel Base Comics and Toys from noon to 6 pm. Stop by and support one of Charlotte’s artists!

1) Superman: Secret Origin #6

Though this culminating issue from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank was delayed, I’m happy to let you know that it should arrive today.  While re-imaginings are frequently able to find an audience in our marketplace, this book is an example of one that ventured  beyond the core Superman readership and found its way into the hands of a wide array of readers.  Part of this is largely due to Johns’ understanding of the character, but one can’t ignore the draw of Frank’s eerily accurate Christopher Reeve-inspired artwork.  Issue 6 comes in at 48 pages, so even though some of you have been anxiously waiting on this one take solace in the fact that you’ll get an extra page count for your trouble.

2) Star Wars: Blood Ties – A Tale of Jango and Boba Fett #1

Though the chronology of the numerous Star Wars comics can be intimidating, the Boba Fett comics have been especially accessible over the years.  This new mini series from veteran Star Wars comic creators Tom Taylor and Chris Scalf aims to cash in on the character’s accessibility with a tale that occurs before the Clone Wars and gives a further glimpse into the background of everyone’s favorite bounty hunter.  It should be noted that Scalf’s art on the previously published Star Wars: Purge got a lot of notice, and as in that series the artwork here is fully painted.  Early previews look impressive, so pick up a copy and see what you think.

3) Guarding the Globe #1

Robert Kirkman brings us another side project from the Invincible universe, this time with help from co-writer Benito Cereno and artist Ransom Getty.  This six issue miniseries focuses on the heroes who remain on Earth while Invincible is off-world.  If you know anything about Kirkman or his Image books, you know they sell quickly.  Don’t be surprised if this mini series gradually becomes as hard to find as some of his previous ones.  For fans of Invincible, you might recognize Cereno for his work on previous spinoff miniseries like Atom Eve and Atom Eve and Rex Splode.  Artist Ransom Getty, owner of one of comics coolest names, has an art style that fits in nicely with regular series artist Ryan Ottley.  Kirkman has done a nice job of maintaining a similar look and feel among the books in this corner of his universe, and this new title looks to be a nice addition to his work.  Also new for Invincible fans this week is Science Dog Special #1 which collects the characters backup features that have appeared in Invincible over the years but haven’t been collected in any of the trades.

4)  Superman/Batman #75

From the cover art by Frank Quitely, to the long list of great creators including Paul Levitz, David Finch, Adam Hughes, Joe Kelly, and Duncan Rouleau, this issue offers many reasons to pick it up.  Aside from the main story from Levitz which brings the Legion of Superheroes into present time to team up with Superman and Batman, this issue brings us the first work illustrated and written by David Finch, along with a Supergirl and Batgirl story illustrated and written by Adam Hughes!  The contributions from Finch and Hughes alone should make this issue sell quickly, so make sure you are one of the lucky few who get a copy early.

5) Namor: The First Mutant #1

Spinning out of recent events in the new ongoing X-men series, Namor gets another shot at another ongoing series of his own this week.  This time around writer Stuart Moore and artist Ariel Olivetti bring the new vampire threat to Atlantis in the first storyline.  We can inevitably expect future stories to focus less on the Namor’s recent involvement with the X-men and more on the moral ambiguities we’ve come to expect from character over the years.  The idea that you never know exactly where Namor might stand has always made him unique.  If you couple that with the fact that he’s one of Marvel’s oldest properties, here you have a new series that might be a good prospect for old and new fans of the aquatic character.

Bonus Non-Comic Pick of the Week:

James Jean’s Rift

It’s always a good day when we see another new James Jean product in our store.  The fabled Fables cover artist’s new effort is Rift, a book of postcard-type art that unfolds like an accordion.  While that alone is an interesting packaging idea, what’s even cooler about this particular set of art is that you can overlap certain pieces of the accordion to combine into an even larger picture.  We’ll only have a few of these in store this week, so if you’re interested in this you might be wise to act early.  Also still available is the recently released Fables Comic Cover portfolio which has been in the store for a while but is worth another mention.  This portfolio contains 12 color prints featuring some of Jean’s Fables covers.  Most of these prints are available in the often out-of-print Fables covers hardcover, but the advantage of the portfolio is that you don’t have to destroy your book in order to display the art on your walls.

We are happy to announce that this Saturday, August 21 from noon to 4 pm we will be hosting Michael Keller, one of the artists for Sky Pirates of Valendor! He will be in the store to promote Sky Pirates of Valendor being solicited in the August issue of Previews (page 284 to be exact). Everyone who orders a copy will receive an original sketch from Keller! He will also have an anthology of short stories available for purchase. It is only $5 and it is a great introduction to the Valendor world. Come by and make him feel welcome! Also, you can join their Facebook Group!

Looking for an excuse to travel to Raleigh on Sunday, August 22? Do you already live in Raleigh and want an excuse to get out of the house? Well, look no further than the Raleigh Comic Book Show! Shelton Drum will be there selling his wares at the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find table! Sounds like it is a fun show and a good place to dig around for some deals. Plus, admission is FREE!

Raleigh Comic Book Show
August 22, 2010
10 am to 4 pm
Holiday Inn Crabtree
4100 Glenwood Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27612

De’Angelo Dia will perform at the McColl Center Friday, August 20 as part of the Closing Reception for current Artists in Residence. Dia’s work explores stereotypes of race and gender using photography and performance. It is difficult to describe his complex body of work. I highly recommended you go and see his work for yourself and draw your own conclusions about what his work means. I must admit, we have some incredibly talented customers.

The McColl Center
721 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

The Closing Reception will be from 6 to 9 pm and Dia’s performance, Negritude Movement, will begin at 7:15 pm.