Happy Friday! Yesterday afternoon we added 10 more names to our great and ever-growing guest list! We can’t wait for HeroesCon’s 30th Anniversary show!  How about you? 

• TIM CALLAHAN – Writer: Grant Morrison: The Early Years, CBR, Tor
• CLIFF CHIANG – Artist: Wonder Woman, Beware the Creeper, Human Target, Doctor 13
• TOM FOWLER – Artist: Venom, Hulk: Season 1, Mysterius the Unfathomable, MAD Magazine
• NATHAN FOX – Artist: Haunt, Flourescent Black, Zodiac
• SANFORD GREENE – Artist: Rotten Apple, Deadpool, Wonder Girl, Methodman GN
• SUNNY LEE – Artist: Gen 13, Wolverine, Superboy
• KEVIN MELLON – Artist: Heart, Lovestruck, S.H.I.E.L.D.
• CAT STAGGS – Artist: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, X-Men Archives and DC Legacy card sets
• JOE QUINONES – Artist: Wednesday Comics, Star Wars: Knight Errant, Amazing Spider-Man
• ROBERT WILSON IV – Artist: Knuckleheads, Laser Joan

Original comic art dealer Jason Schachter has assembled some of modern comics most talented artists under the banner of Essential Sequential.  We’re happy to announce that this stellar group of artists are coming to HeroesCon 2012! Mark your calendars and plan to be here for our best show yet! HeroesCon 30th Anniversary June 22-24, 2012!

Along with previously announced guest Tim Sale, Jason is bringing:

Mark Chiarello: Art Director for DC Comics, illustrator, painter (Star Wars), cover artist (Vigilante, Terminal City, Johnny Double), co-author of Heroes of the Negro Leagues, Artist of Batman/Houdini: The Devil’s Workshop

Peter Nguyen: Color Key Artist at the Academy Award winning Blue Sky Studios (Rio, Ice Age) , cover artist (Detective Comics)

Andrew Robinson: Creator or Dusty Star, cover artist (Conan, The Fifth Beatle, Starman, Hawkman)

Dan Panosian: Co Founder of Drink and Draw, artist (Conan Road of Kings, X-Men Origins: Sabretooth, and countless others)

Eric Canete: Animator (Tron, Aeon Flux, X-Men), artist (Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin)

Mike Choi: Artist (X-23, X-Men, Witchblade)

Reverend Dave Johnson: Eisner Award winning Cover Artist (100 Bullets, Punisher Max, BPRD, Deadpool), Co Founder of Drink and Draw

Allesandro Vitti: Artist (Captain America & Hawkeye, Secret Warriors)

Matteo Scalera: Artist (Valen the Outcast), cover artist (Irredeemable, Elric)

This Sunday Heroes celebrates the 35th Anniversary of the Charlotte MiniCon!  As part of the celebration we are honored to have artist Cliff Chiang appear as one of our featured guests.  Aside from being universally regarded as one of the nicest guys in the industry, Cliff’s also one of comics’ top illustrators.  Just take a look at DC’s new Wonder Woman series and you’ll see why.  We recently talked with Cliff about his appearance this weekend, and some of his recent work. Make sure to stop by the MiniCon this Sunday and welcome Cliff back to Charlotte!

Heroes (H):  Your collaboration with Brian Azzarello dates back to your time as an editor of 100 Bullets and your work together on DC’s excellent Doctor 13 stories.  What made Wonder Woman seem like the natural next step in your collaboration?

Cliff Chiang (CC): I’d been itching to work with Azz again ever since Doctor 13, but I had some longer projects that delayed those plans. When Azz called me about Wonder Woman, I realized it was a great opportunity to be creative and confuse people at the same time! I was in.

CC: As long as they’ll have us. We have some long term plans for the story, and I’d love to be able to see them though.

CC: We’ve got the exclusive MiniCon screenprint by me and Dustin Harbin, for a measly $10! Hopefully, I’ll get another image done for HeroesCon later this year. So much to do!

H: We’re glad you mentioned that! We’re happy that you’ll be back in Charlotte for HeroesCon this summer to help us celebrate our 30th anniversary.

Super (Fly) Mario for the What Not Blog

H: Whose idea was the What Not Blog?

CC: I think it was Reverend Dave Johnson’s brainchild. It’s inspiring to see such a diverse group of artists just messing around like that.

H: Where do you guys find the time to do these fully realized illustrations on top of your paying work?!

CC: It can be hard, but it is a lot of fun. I probably should do less-finished stuff and post more often, but sometimes I love an idea and wanna show some more care.

H: Finally, what are some of the comics that you’re most looking forward to seeing in 2012?

CC: Two things I’m looking forward to in 2012 are the conclusion to Loose Ends (I did not pay him to say that. -rico.) and the print version of Robbi Rodriguez’s Frankie Get Your Gun.

Thanks to Cliff for taking time to answer a few questions.  You can meet him and a slew of other great artists this Sunday at the 35th Anniversary of the Charlotte MiniCon!

Check out Cliff’s website and follow him on Twitter @CliffChiang

As 2011 comes to a close we are gearing up for the 30th Anniversary of Heroes Convention! Thank you guys for a great year! We appreciate all of our customers and every single person who comes to HeroesCon and the Charlotte MiniCon. Without further adieu, our last guest list update for 2011.

• JEREMY BASTIAN – Cursed Pirate Girl, Mouse Gaurd
• CHRIS BRUNNER – Loose Ends, Boondock Saints, Batman: LOTDK
• STEPHANIE BUSCEMA – Something Monstrous, Womanthology
• CLAYTON CRAIN – Carnage U.S.A., Ghost Rider
• KELLY SUE DECONNICK – Osbourne, Supergirl
• MARC DEERING – Supergirl, Adventure Comics, Resident Evil
• TODD DEZAGO – Tellos, Perhapanauts, Casper
• MICHAEL DOONEY – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gizmo
• MATT FRACTION – Casanova, Iron Man, Fear Itself
• CHRISTOS GAGE – Avengers Academy, X-Men Legacy
• PAUL LEVITZ – Legion of Superheroes, 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking
• RON MARZ – Witchblade, Shinku, Artifacts
• DAVID PETERSEN – Mouse Guard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• CRAIG ROUSSEAU - Perhapanauts, Batman Beyond, Impulse
• TIM SALE - Hulk: Grey, Batman: The Long Halloween
• WAYNE VANSANT – The ‘NAM
• JARRETT WILLIAMS – Super Pro KO, Yo Gabba Gabba!

Our full guest list is here, check back for more updates soon!

Now available for your perusal is the initial guest list for HeroesCon 2012! It’s our 30th Anniversay and this is just the tippity-top of the iceberg when it comes to the amazing guests we will be bringing to the Charlotte Convention Center next June.  So stop guessing and head on over to our guest list page!

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!

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.

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.

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!