Last chance for Advance 3-Day passes to HeroesCon 2011 that is! HeroesCon 2011 starts in 5 days! The deadline for purchasing these will be Tuesday, May 31 at 9:00 PM EST. Advance 3-Day passes entitle you to early entry every day of the convention (at our discretion). Every year we also give an signed and numbered print to advance pass holders and this year is no different! The 2011 incentive print features art by master of the macabre, Bernie Wrightson! Feast your peepers on a teaser of the art for this year’s print above. NOTE:  Prints are not guaranteed to be ready for pickup until possibly Friday evening or Saturday as Bernie has to sign over a 1000 of these bad boys when he gets into town. So, if you see Bernie, just say thank you and go easy on the handshakes!

In other convention news, we are working round the clock to get all of our small press listings up on the site and ready for our program books. Thank you for your patience! We are a small staff running a BIG convention and we are going to make sure everyone that attends the show this year has the time of their lives!

Table assignments for professionals, Indie Island and exhibitors are now up on the site, check them out! We can’t wait to see you all in just a few days!

Plan your weekend at HeroesCon, our complete event schedule has been posted!

Here it is the week before HeroesCon 2011 and we still have lots of guests to announce! Let’s not waste any more time and get right to it!

Farel Dalrymple: creator of Pop Gun War,  Meathaus & Strange Tales II contributor, artist on Omega the Unknown.

Kelly Sue DeConnick: writer of Osborn, Supergirl, CBGB, and Yo Gabba Gabba!

Paul Azaceta: artist of Amazing Spider-man, B.P.R.D.: 1946, and Daredevil.

Derec Donovan: artist of Youngblood, Robin, Connor Hawke.

Will Sliney: Farscape artist.

Georges Jeanty: artist of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deadpool, Gambit, Weapon X.

Marsha Cooke: co-writer of Teenage Satan.

John Workman: legendary letterer of titles for just about every major publisher, including DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse.

John Francis Moore: writer of X-factor, Superboy, and X-men: 2099.

Rebekah Isaacs: artist of DV8: Gods and Monsters, DMZ, Drafted.

Danny Donovan: writer for Alternative Comics and Platinum Studios.

Ryan Bodenheim: artist of Halcyon, Red Mass for Mars.

Clay and Susan Griffith: co-writers of Allan Quatermain and the Lord of Locusts, Political Power.

Charles Paul Wilson III: artist of Stuff of Legend.

Jackie Lewis: Upcoming Play Ball from Oni

Bob Schreck and Greg Tumbarello: Schreck is the editor-in-chief of Legendary Pictures new line of comics aptly titled Legendary Comics. Tumbarello is the assistant editor for this new comic venture.  Both will be on hand to talk about their new company as well as offering portfolio reviews.

With HeroesCon on the way next week all of us at Heroes are in full con mode, ready to make this year’s fun for all!  I’d like to remind you again that we still have tickets available, so if you haven’t picked yours up yet and want to get them before next week, we’ll be happy to help you over the phone or in the store.  Of course if you stop by the store, you might want to be aware of this week’s brand new comics, too.  Here are a few standouts that you might want to remember.

1) Strange Adventures #1

This is essentially an 80 page science fiction anthology from DC that features talent like Scott Snyder, Peter Milligan, and Jeff Lemire.  In addition to those creators, this issue features the debut of a new work from 100 Bullets alumni Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso called Spaceman that is said to be an upcoming series.  There’s also a cover from Paul Pope for those who enjoy awesome art.

2) Ducktales #1

We jump from science fiction to the world of classic cartoons with the debut issue of Ducktales.  After the popularity of books like Darkwing Duck and Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Boom! Studios brings another animated series to comics, this time with creators Warren Spector and Miquel Pujol.  These titles all have a lot of fun energy in them, and I’m always interested in promoting books that remind us that comics are supposed to be fun.  Whether you were a fan of the Ducktales cartoon or just like the innocence of nostalgic comics, there’s a lot to enjoy with this book.

3) Kirby Genesis #0

Marvels creators Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross team up with artist Jack Herbert to bring some of Jack Kirby’s most famous non-Marvel or DC creations back to comics.  Curious as to how characters like Silver Star and Captain Victory might fit into today’s comics scene?  If so, this book should answer that question.  Also, one of this issue’s covers was provided by artist Ryan Sook, who you can meet next week at HeroesCon!

4)  Astonishing Spider-man/Wolverine #6

The teaser for the conclusion to this fun series from Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert mentions that Wolverine is supposed to be the new Dark Phoenix.  However they manage to do that, if this issue is anything like the previous five it should definitely be an enjoyable read.

5) Action Comics #901

On one hand it seems odd that so many concepts from the ’90′s are being brought back into comics these days. On the other hand, it has been almost twenty years since DC introduced Doomsday!  Now that we all feel a little older, fans of that era will want to pick up this week’s Action issue as Doomsday is back to plague the Superman universe courtesy of writer Paul Cornell and artist Kenneth Rocafort.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Walking Dead #85, Venom #3, Green Lantern #66, Mighty Thor #2, Detective Comics #877, and Marvels Project TP.

HeroesCon fills the city of Charlotte with comics fans and professionals!  This year the demand for hotel rooms has forced us to set up a HeroesCon block of rooms at the Hilton Charlotte City Center hotel.  While the Westin still has a few rooms available for Friday and Saturday nights, it is completely booked for Thursday, June 2nd.  The Hilton is also lconveniently located only one block from the Charlotte Convention Center on E. 3rd Street and has graciously offered the same low HeroesCon rate.  We have added a live reservation link to the ”Hotels and More” page  for easy booking.  Or if you don’t want to navigate through our site, you can link here to Hilton’s HeroesCon reservation site.  Staying uptown and hanging out with thousands of comics people is half the fun of HeroesCon.  Make plans to park your car once and enjoy the whole HeroesCon experience!

It’s a great week for new comics!  You’ll definitely want to stop by the store this week, and if you do make sure to pick up your HeroesCon tickets if you haven’t already.  We’re only a few weeks away from the big show, and all of us at Heroes hope you’re there to enjoy it with us!  Until then, on to the week’s new releases!

1) Rocketeer Adventures #1

IDW assembles a who’s who of popular creators to tell all new stories featuring the late great Dave Stevens’ most famous creation. This issue alone features contributions from the likes of Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, John Cassaday, Michael Kaluta, Mike Mignola, and Jim Silke. I must say, that cover from Alex Ross also stands out as one of the finest pieces I’ve seen him paint in a while.

2) Batman: Gates of Gotham #1

This five issue series has garnered a good bit of advanced acclaim.  Scott Snyder has been building up a solid reputation on books like American Vampire and his recent run on Detective Comics.  Here he teams with co-writer Kyle Higgins and artist Trevor McCarthy to tell a story of Gotham City’s dark past.  Many creators have treated Gotham City like a character in Batman stories.  It should be interesting to see how this trio tells their own story of the city’s history and how it turned dark over time.

3) Alpha Flight #.1

A new Alpha Flight book is always a welcome sight for fans of the classic Canadian super team.  This  new title apparently spins out of Fear Itself, and features the fan favorite original lineup as interpreted by scribes Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, and artist Ben Oliver.

4) Liar’s Kiss HC

I’ve been hearing about this new graphic novel from Top Shelf for quite some time.  HeroesCon guest Eric Skillman not only wrote the book, but also designed it (along with Alec: The Years Have Pants, The Playwright, and numerous dvds for the Criterion Collection).  For this particular crime noir tale he teams with artist Jhomar Soriano.  The book has been building a lot of buzz, so make sure to check it out, then talk to Eric Skillman at HeroesCon in a few weeks!

5) Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #4/Ultimate Spider-man #158

Marvel’s Death of Spider-man stories in the Ultimate universe have been selling like crazy.  This week there are two more chapters in the story.  Marvel has already talked about how everything Ultimates will be changing over the next few months.  With all the recent titles all selling out and going to second printings, make sure to pick these up while you can!

>Bonus Picks of the Week: Hawkeye: Blind Spot #4, Snake Eyes #1, Hulk #33, Zatanna #13, and Chester Brown’s Paying For It.

We’re only a few short weeks away from HeroesCon ’11 but we still have some exciting guests to announce!  We’ll start today’s update with Ethan Van Sciver, whose work on Green Lantern, Green Lantern: Rebirth and Flash: Rebirth have made him one of DC’s go-to artists.  He’s also illustrated popular runs on titles like Impulse, Superman/Batman, and New X-men.

Al Bigley’s worked on everything from Sonic the Hedgehog to Archie and Disney Adventures.  He’s also written instructional books on comics art, done storyboards for animation and television, and worked on merchandising for everything from NASCAR to Batman action figures.

Comic strip fans rejoice!  Gasoline Alley’s own Jim Scancarelli will be making another HeroesCon appearance this year.  Not only has Jim been working on the legendary strip since the eighties, but he’s also a respected bluegrass musician. Jim’s also a really nice guy, so make sure you stop by and welcome him back to HeroesCon!

Dennis the Menace’s own Marcus Hamilton also returns to HeroesCon this year.  Before landing the job of illustrating the Dennis dailies, Marcus worked in freelance illustration, providing covers for books, magazines, and various advertisements.  Marcus and Jim both live in the Charlotte area and we’re proud to have two talented locals continuing to produce high quality comic strips.

Ed McGuinness is leading the charge on today’s guest list update! Ed’s Capcom-influenced art style has helped blur the lines between Eastern and Western interpretations of Marvel and DC’s iconic superheroes. With great runs on Deadpool, Superman, Superman/Batman, and The Hulk, Ed has made an indelible mark on mainstream American comic books. On top of all that, Ed is a great guy and we are very happy to have him back at HeroesCon.

Also joining us this year is Ed’s former editor at DC Comics, Eddie Berganza. Eddie is the executive editor of the DC Universe line. A 19-year veteran of DC, Berganza oversees high-profile events like Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, Blackest Night and their latest crossover event, Flashpoint.

Free Comic Book Day is over, and now we’re just a few short weeks away from HeroesCon 2011! If you didn’t get a chance to pick up your tickets on Saturday, we’ll still be selling them right up until the con.  Stop by the store or give us a call and we’ll make sure you get there!  On to this week’s new books!

1) Flashpoint #1

Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert kick off DC’s big summer event this week.  The interesting thing here for DC fans is that they’re not calling this an Elseworlds tale, but one where a villain alters the existing universe.  In the tradition Identity Crisis and other event books, there is a mystery element in this story regarding who is responsible for all the universe changes. Not unlike Marvel’s Age of X storyline, this series features very different versions of characters like Batman, Superman, and Cyborg.  DC has been building to this series for several months, and if you like where they’ve been heading you’ll undoubtedly want to pick this one up.

2) Mega Man #1

Charlotte’s own Ian Flynn has built a solid fan base in recent years for his work writing Sonic the Hedgehog.  Now he’s teaming up with artist Patrick Spaziante to bring the classic video game property to comics! Mega Man has always had something of a cult following, and the book will definitely appeal to kids too! Make sure you pick up a copy and support one of Charlotte’s fine local creators!

3) Hellboy: Being Human one shot

Mike Mignola reteams with veteran artist Richard Corben to tell a tale of Roger the Homunculus, witches, and zombies.  This issue is also an untold story from Roger’s early days with B.P.R.D. All of the Mignola/Corben Hellboy issues have been really enjoyable, so we can expect the same from this one.

4) Daredevil: Reborn #4

Andy Diggle and David Gianfelice wrap up their post-Shadowland Daredevil story this week. With Daredevil relaunching in July courtesy of Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Marcos Martin, it will be interesting to see if the Reborn miniseries wraps up some of the darker stories of recent years and starts the character off in a lighter direction.

5) Batman: Arkham City #1

DC enlisted writer Paul Dini and artist Carlos D’Anda this story filling in the time between the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game and the upcoming Batman: Arkham City game.  Though I never played the first game, I’m intrigued by DC’s use of comics to bridge the narrative gap between their non-comics properties.  Hopefully this marks the beginning of a trend where companies use their other entertainment ventures to lead people into comics shops.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Astonishing X-men #37, Chew #37, Black Panther: Man Without Fear #518, Cinderella: Fables Are Forver #4, and Flash #12.

HeroesCon 2011 is less than a month away!  As part of our continuing series spotlighting some of our guests at this year’s show, today we’re proud to feature an interview with Chris Pitzer of AdHouse Books.  Pitzer is by no means a stranger to HeroesCon, and has been a staple of Indie Island for years.  With AdHouse continuing to gain respect and attention within the industry, we thought it would be fun to talk with Pitzer about his acclaimed publishing house, and to see what you might find at the AdHouse booth this HeroesCon.

Seth Peagler (SP): Chris, thanks for being a part of this interview. AdHouse has really done some great things in recent years, but to start out I’d like to ask you about what led you to start your own homegrown publishing house in the first place?

Chris Pitzer (CP): Sure thing Seth! Well, I love book design. I also love comics. So, after having done a stint at Eclipse back in the day, I started to freelance a little bit here and there within the comic field. Eventually I was made aware of a creator (Joel Priddy) and his book (Pulpatoon Pilgrimage) and we both happened to be living in Richmond, VA at the time. So, we met, and I told Joel that I’d be more than happy to help him get his work published. Knowing a few of the indy publishers at the time, I sent them his proposal and waited on a response. When a response never came, I decided to take the “knowledge” I had gained by that point, and start AdHouse. That was nine years ago!!!

SP: I would imagine that you have lots of creators who want to publish their work at AdHouse. How exactly do you decide what books and creators you want to work with and publish?

CP: I know I sound like a broken record with this answer, but I have to love it. Jeff (Alternative Comics) Mason told me that once, and it has really stuck with me. Besides loving it, I like to see an attention to detail. I like a creator who can get out there and help sell their work. I like something new, something borrowed, something blue… So, really, it’s just a matter of hitting me with the right project at the right time. This being our ninth year celebration, we’ve beenproducing work full tilt!

SP: Can you talk a bit about AdDistro? I recently bought some fantastic books from you that were published by Nobrow. Is AdDistro just another way for AdHouse to turn readers on to comics and creators they might not typically encounter?

CP: Exactly. I initially found Nobrow via the Drawn.CA website. I was curious, so I ordered a few of their publications. The only problem is that they were based in the UK. So, it wasn’t really a “problem” but I thought it might be a hurdle for some customers. So, after getting their wonderful work, I came up with the idea to help bring it to the states. Around the same time, I stumbled upon Koyama Press out of Canada. And then a retailer friend made me aware of Malachi Ward’s self-published work. So, those three were my initial offering of AdDistro. I can’t say this will be around forever, but it is fun to bring to shows and see people get excited about it. I know I still do.

SP: You’ve recently had great success with both Afrodisiac and Duncan the Wonder Dog, the latter of which just won the LA Festival of the Book Graphic Novel prize. What books or projects are you excited about AdHouse being involved with in the coming year?

CP: All of them! But to bring you and your readers up to speed, here’s what we have planned… Even the Giants by Jesse Jacobs will be appearing in stores in around two weeks. We also decided to help bring Stuart Immonen’s Centifolia V2 to life. It, and the first volume, will be available by the end of May via AdHouse and finer comic shops. June is Welcome to Oddville! by Jay Stephens which I was very excited to help publish. July is Forming by Jesse Moynihan which I am VERY excited to read. You see, I’m just helping Nobrow bring it to stores in the US, so I haven’t actually read the whole thing. Just a bit on his site. I don’t want to spoil the experience for myself. August is Blue Collar / White Collar by Sterling Hundley. This is in the vein of the James Jean or Paul Pope books. More of an art book with some essays. Very nice stuff. September is the Do It Yourself Doodler by David Jablow. It’s a weird little art book that has been quite the internet sensation. And September is Pope Hats #2! Whew!

SP: You’ve been an anchor of Indie Island throughout the years and every year you’ve always got some interesting books and people with you at your booth. What are some things fans can expect to find at the AdHouse booth this HeroesCon?

CP: We’re bringing Lamar Abrams (REMAKE SPECIAL)

back down South with us this year. We both enjoy the food! Jim Rugg (AFRODISIAC) will be making an appearance. And, I just got an email from Fred Chao (JOHNNY HIRO) that he’ll be roaming the show. So expect those great people and books as well as all our other publications! And be sure to check out the fine AdDistro items! It’s all for the love of comics!