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?

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 readcomicsinpublic@gmail.com. And if you tweet about the event don’t forget to use the approved hashtag: #readcomicsinpublic.

What comic will you read in public?

It’s time for another Heroes Online Blog exclusive! For those of you that missed out on it the last time, we are giving our reserve customers another super special chance to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World before it opens on August 13th!

I saw the movie back in July and it was AWESOMELY EPIC!

Getting tickets will be the same as the last time. Just come in and clean out your reserve bag before the super-duper exclusive advanced screening on Thursday the 12th @ 7 o’clock and let us know that you read about the screening on the blog. We’ll reward you with a ticket for two! If your reserve bag is already squeaky clean then you’re in luck! Just mention this blog post at the register and you too could be headed to see the Epic Adventure of the Year! We have a limited amount of tickets so they will go to the first customers that ask for them. Remember, this is a Heroes Online Blog exclusive, and only applicable to our darling reserve customers! See you at the movies!

I don’t know if there is anything else in the world that makes us happier than when people we know and like get recognition for their talent and that certainly is happening with artist and writer Jason Latour. I may be a little biased because he is a customer and good friend of the store, but I genuinely love his work. He is one of the wittiest and smartest guys I know. I love listening to him tell stories and talk about comics. I think I can speak for everyone at Heroes when I say that we love it when he comes in the store!

Comic Book Resources has a preview of Latour’s story in Daredevil Black and White #1 which is out this week. Peter Milligan wrote the story and Latour did the art. The basic synopsis is that Daredevil is given a chance to get his sight back but it comes with a catch.

I love the way he lays out his pages and how they flow. I love his style and use of contrast between the whites and blacks and grays. In other words, he can really draw! His story in Daredevil Black and White #1 is great! I highly recommend that you pick it up right now if you haven’t already done so!

Also, CBR’s Timothy Callahan interviewed Latour for his When Worlds Collide blog. Callahan speaks very highly of Latour’s work. It is a really fun and informative interview. It gives you a glimpse into the dedication it takes to be a comic book artist. Most people don’t stumble into the industry, most people have to work their butts off to get where they are. Definitely check out the interview and find out what made Latour say this, “Every time that’s done the sky rains Jack Kirby’s tears.” Latour even mentions Heroes and HeroesCon and says some really nice things. Shucks, thanks Jason!

Latour has some exciting new projects coming up this year. He will be doing the art for Scalped #43 which is written by Jason Aaron. Also, his book Loose Ends will be coming out later this year through 12 Gauge. He wrote this one and Chris Brunner did the art with Rico Renzi on colors. I am so super excited about that book! Brunner had some pages on display at our art show at Twenty-Two. It looks amazing! Plus Brunner and Renzi are more friends of ours and we love to support our friends! Another big project due out next year is Noche Roja which is a Vertigo Crime original graphic novel written by Simon Oliver with Latour on art. You will hear more from us about each of these books as they come out!

We wanted to take this time to thank all the readers and critics of Creative Loafing who voted Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find the Best Comic Book Shop in Charlotte! It really does mean a lot to us to win this award. We work really hard to make Heroes an awesome store and it is nice every once in a while to get a little recognition for it. We love comics and we love our customers and we hope that enthusiasm shows! So stop by the store today to pick up your new comics from the best shop in Charlotte and while you are there pick up a copy of Creative Loafing and check out the other winners!

Former employee Dan Morris (pictured along with his lady Christa Newman) will be teaching two Advertising and Graphic Design classes this fall at the CPCC Harper Campus. These classes are open to the general public and there aren’t any prerequisites. Classes are held on Saturdays beginning August 21 and run till December 11. For admissions information check out CPCC’s admissions page.

The first class is listed under the Illustration Concepts category and is titled Drawing Words/Writing Pictures: Creating Comic Books and Graphic Novels. It will be taught using Matt Madden and Jessica Abel‘s book Drawing Words/Writing Pictures. Makes you wonder how they came up with the course title. This is basically a how-to class for comics. It will also cover some basics about comic history including important figures in the medium. During the class students will create several pages worth of comics. This is a class for anyone interested in learning the basics of how to create their own comics.

The second class is part of the Visual Narratives program and it is titled Constructing Visual Narratives: Comics, Graphic Novels and Picture Books. This class is a little more in depth than the previous one. Students will be focusing on how to tell a story through comics. They will learn about different approaches and methods of storytelling and how best to utilize the medium of comics to tell their narrative.  By the end of class students should be able to create their own mini-comics.

For a more detailed course description please take a look at CPCC’s Fall course schedule.

What happens when Hollywood decides to make a film based on one of the hottest comic series in recent years?  Scott Pilgrim vs. the World that’s WHAT! If you’ve followed any news from this past weekend’s San Diego Comic Con, you know Scott Pilgrim was the “Life of the Party!  The few fortunate fans to see the film in San Diego (including creator Bryan Lee O’Malley) were vocal in their praise of the film.  The final volume of the acclaimed graphic novel series SOLD OUT 100,000 copies in less that a week! EVERYBODY wants all the Scott Pilgrim they can get!

This special advanced sneak preview happens tomorrow night, July 28 at 7:00 p.m. That’s over two weeks before the film’s official release date of Friday, August 13!  How might you get one of these golden tickets?  Simply come in to the store today only, purchase all the items in your reserve bag and we’ll happily give you a pass which admits two people. We only have a very limited number of these coveted passes, so first come first serve and one per customer please!   When they’re gone, they’re gone.  If you’re a reserve customer who has already purchased everything in your reserve bag earlier in the week?  Just stop in today and mention that you read about this promotion on the blog, and you too will be on your way to the movies!  Remember, this is a Heroes Online Blog exclusive, and only applicable to our loyal reserve customers! Stop by the store today, grab your pass and see the film tomorrow night!

 June 3-5, 2011 are the dates you need to block out right now, ‘cause Heroes Convention 2011 is on the calendar! Put in for those vacation days; don’t plan any weddings; graduation NEVER happens first week of June; Memorial Day and all of that NASCAR’s racin’ in Charlotte will be behind us…in other words…HeroesCon is IT! Nothing else can compete!

As we have mentioned several times, Shelley and I are headed to San Diego Comic-Con this week! I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we are ridiculously excited to be going! Shelton is a wonderful boss for allowing us this opportunity. We will be leaving Wednesday morning at the crack of dawn because we wanted to get to San Diego with plenty of time to get our passes and make it to Preview Night so that we can get a lay of the land. Comic-Con’s schedule is packed full of crazy-fun panels and events and I am hoping to make it to at least one panel and the Eisner Awards. I will be taking my camera so be prepared for a full photo report when we get back!

Shelley and I have two requests of you, fine blog readers. One, if you are interested in any of the San Diego Comic-Con exclusives please email Shelley and let her know. Two, if you have any HeroesCon 2011 guest requests please email me. Please remember that Comic-Con exclusives are limited and you are not guaranteed to get the item you request. The same goes for guest list requests. That being said, we will do our best to make your requests a reality.

Don’t miss us too much! And be nice to the staff that we left behind. And most importantly, wish us luck as we prepare to stand in lines for the entire weekend!

UPDATE! In all my excitement I forgot to mention that Shelley and I might help answer questions during the I Can’t Write, I Can’t Draw, But I Love Comics! Panel. We aren’t an official part of the panel but we will be on hand to help answer retailer and convention questions. I seriously can’t believe I forgot about this! Here is the description from the Comic-Con website:

2:30-3:30 I Can’t Write, I Can’t Draw, But I Love Comics!— There are tons of jobs in the comics, animation, and gaming industries besides writing and illustration. Companies still need computer programmers, motion-capture actors, retailers, agents, development executives, and publishers. Learn how to get your foot in the door without spilling any ink. Panelists include Rudy Coby (Labman), Jacob Melvin (DreamWorks), Joseph Gatt (God of War), Derek Douglas (Digital Development Management), Steve Goldstein (Stubbs Alderton & Markiles), Matt Cohen (Killspace Entertainment), Jud Meyers (Earth 2 Comics), and Filip Sablik (Top Cow Productions). Moderated by science/tech journalist Susan Karlin (Discover). Room 24ABC

Heroes is busy with announcements this month! I guess we are making up for lost time due to HeroesCon. So away we go!

Jenny Bement helped us last year around convention time as an intern and we liked her so much we decided to hire her! She has been working for us for several months now and was an immense help with all of the build up to HeroesCon. If you came to the convention you may remember her as one of the many friendly faces at Pre-Registration. You may also recognize her as a barista at Starbucks where she works her magic with the coffee. She plans on regularly contributing to our blog so she can show off her fancy English degree. So everyone welcome Jenny to the team if you haven’t already done so!

And our newest hire is Justin Crouse. He also works at Lupie’s, which is one of our favorite restaurants. Monday is meatloaf night! You should get that some mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese and finish it off with some banana pudding. Delicious! Justin was a volunteer at HeroesCon this year helping with the info booth and at the store and he impressed us with his hard work and enthusiasm. He helps us to process comics on new comics day, which is usually Wednesday.  So pick up your books on Wednesday and say “hi” and find out more about Justin!