With HeroesCon ’11 just around the corner we’re happy to continue to shine a spotlight on several of the creators who will be appearing.  Today we’re featuring an interview with John Arcudi, a veteran writer who has worked on everything from Superman (in Wednesday Comics) and Doom Patrol, to Gen13 and the cult favorite Major Bummer.  He’s also been a mainstay at Dark Horse Comics for years working on titles like The Mask, Aliens, Predator, RoboCop, and for the past several years as the co-writer of the popular Hellboy spinoffs B.P.R.D. and Witchfinder. Make sure to stop by and say hello to John and welcome him to his first ever HeroesCon appearance!

Seth Peagler (SP):  John, we’ve been fortunate to have several of your Dark Horse cohorts appear at HeroesCon over the years, so it’s nice to have you be in Charlotte with us this year.  Many of our attendees probably know you best from your work on B.P.R.D., but you’ve written everything from mainstream superhero titles to original graphic novels like A God Somewhere.  I’m curious how your writing approach differs between superhero books and titles of other genres.  Is there a difference at all, or do you structure your writing the same way regardless of the genre?

John Arcudi (JA): Thanks for having me, and I sure hope many attendees know me.  We’ll see.  As for my writingapproach, that’s an interesting question.  I’m always trying to tell the best stories I can, but there’s no getting around that I look at different work in different lights.  The way I write superheroes, for the most part, is pretty badly.  Never really got the feel for them, hence the creation of Major Bummer, my and Doug Mahnke’s super-satire.  It was more personal so I felt I could pour a lot more stuff into it.  Same thing for A god Somewhere.  In both cases, there’s no existing continuity to adhere to.  They’re my characters and my stories, and I’m more confident that I actually know what I’m doing.

(SP): Particularly with writers I’m always curious about their educational background.  Did you study English and screenwriting?  Was comics writing something you naturally found yourself working toward?

(JA): English major, but was never working towards writing comics.  Never.  It was a kind of accident, actually, but as soon as I started it turned out I worked well in the medium, so it’s lucky I ended up doing this instead of being a mechanic.

(SP): OnB.P.R.D. you’re working with one of our industry’s giants Mike Mignola to develop and flesh out his universe, but you’re still able to bring your own ideas and elements to it.  What’s the creative process like between you and Mignola?  Are plots collaboratively developed with you handling the scripting duties?

(JA): B.P.R.D. is a strange animal.  Mike and I do sometimes collaborate on plots, and sometimes we don’t.  It just depends on what the mini-series is about — but as for the large, over-arcing plot — which is to say, where the series is heading, yes, we did and do collaborate on that.   I’m also very fortunate that for being as big a name as Mike is, he still lets me do what I do, lets me run with an idea, and takes my ideas seriously.  He seems to trust me, which is another reason the B.P.R.D. books work so well, or at least why I’m happy working on them, which one would hope translates to good reading.

(SP): Earlier this year longtime B.P.R.D. artist (and HeroesCon regular) Guy Davis announced he was departing the book.  After working on this title for so long with Guy, I’d imagine the two of you and Mike had developed a kind of instinctive working relationship with each other.  How have you and Mignola handled the transition over to new artist Tyler Crook?  Are you finding elements in his style that are informing your storytelling or that might influence future storylines?

(JA): Sure, it’s been weird, and I do already miss Guy.  He’s so talented, but he’s also a sweetheart, and you’re right; we all got into a groove with him.  That said, Tyler is really an incredible artist.  There’s going to be an adjustment period, obviously, but once we all get used to each other, Tyler’s going to do a great job.  He’s already finished one issue and it’s beautiful.  If he can handle all of our idiosyncrasies, then he’ll kick ass.  And I expect that I will play to his strengths, so sure, my stories — or how I tell them —  will turn out to be a little different.

(SP): Having been a mainstay at Dark Horse for years, I’m curious as to whether or not you’ll be bringing some of your popular characters like The Mask back in the new Dark Horse Presents title?

(JA): Right now we’re negotiating to get an old character back in DHP, but I can’t say much more about it than that.

(SP): I mentioned your original graphic novel A god Somewhere, are there any other creator owned books that you’re developing at the moment?

(JA): I’m working on a Graphic novel involving that self-same character that I can’t talk about (regrettably).  I also have a large OGN I’m developing and am just looking for a publisher.  It’ll be more along the lines of A god Somewhere.  Got a lot of hopes for that one.  Also, while it’s not a new book, Major Bummer is creator owned in every sense of the word and Dark Horse will be publishing the complete collection of that series in October of this year with some extras from both me and Doug Mahnke tossed in.

(SP): Thanks to John Arcudi for taking the time to talk with me.  Make sure to stop by and welcome him to HeroesCon this summer.  Stay tuned to the Heroes blog for HeroesCon news and guest spotlights, and remember, we still have tickets available, so pick them up while you can!

Our pals from Studio Revolver have made it official! They will all be here for HeroesCon 2011! A few of these folks were already on our guest list but now the rest of the gang has confirmed. Jason Pearson ( Body Bags, Astonishing X-Men ),
Dexter Vines ( Ultimate Thor, Old Man Logan, Civil War ), Tom Feister ( G.I. Joe Origins, Ex Machina, Avengers: The Initiative ), Tariq Hassan ( White Wolf Publishing, Wizards of The Coast, Upper Deck ), Casey Edwards ( Super Secret Robot Club, The-Gutters.com, Jingle Belle ), Stephanie Gladden ( Paul Dini’s Jingle Belle, Ren & Stimpy, Cartoon Network ), Kevin Stokes ( NHL: The Guardian Project, The-Gutters.com ),  and Bernard Shepard ( Hulk, True Blood, Super Secret Robot Club ) will all be parked at the Studio Revolver booth and ready to shake your hand, sign your comics, and they might do sketches for your entire family if you ask nicely. So stop by and meet these guys. They work on a huge range of projects and they will be happy to tell you all about them!

Bonus! Former Studio Revolver member John Tyler Christopher is also attending the show this year!  John has been doing some great covers for Top Cow lately on titles like Artifacts, Witchblade, and Twilight Guardian. He recently moved to the Midwest and we are happy he is making the trip to visit us this June. Check out this teaser image from Marvel’s upcoming Hell On Wheels!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the Inkwell Awards at HeroesCon 2011! The Inkwell Awards honor inking excellence in comics and help raise awareness of the role inkers play in creating comics. The 2011 awards ballot is live. Help us spread the word and let your friends know the ballot is open and ready for your votes! Vote here, then come out and see if your favorite inker wins at HeroesCon 2011!

HeroesCon staple and recent Charlotte MiniCon guest Sanford Greene always has many diverse projects in the works.  One of the most interesting is a Gallery exhibit of his art coming up later this month.  If you’re in or around the Columbia, SC area, make it a point to stop by and check out some of Sanford’s energetic originals.  The event takes place on Thursday, February 24 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Ponder Art Gallery at Benedict College in Columbia, SC.  In addition to seeing Sanford’s art, the event will also feature music from DayClean (www.daycleanduo.com) and soul singer Fayth Hope (www.faythhope.com).  The event is being hosted by Preach Jacobs (www.mobettasoul.com).  For more information about the event, check out Sanford’s website (www.sanfordgreene.com).  Don’t  miss this opportunity to support a  talented artist and longtime friend of Heroes.

They say variety is the spice of life, and the old adage is proven true at HeroesCon 2011! Check out this guest list update!

We are happy to announce Strangers in Paradise and Echo creator Terry Moore will be joining us at HeroesCon 2011!  Terry has published his creations through his own imprint, Abstract Studios, for years. Besides writing and drawing his own characters’ adventures, he has recently done work on Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Runaways, and Strange Tales II.

Khary Randolph has had a career that runs the gamut from comics to animation to editorial illustration! His stylish art has graced the pages of Spawn, New Mutants, Sleepwalker, Spider-Man and many more!  Most recently Khary has provided art for Stan Lee’s Starborn and Charismagic from Aspen.

Cat Staggs is an in demand artist in the world of highly collectible artist’s sketch cards. She did over 130 illustrations for the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith card set from TOPPS. She has also done cards for Rittenhouse Archives’ Complete Marvel Avengers, X-Men Archives and DC Legacy card sets, as well as The World’s Finest VS trading card game and Iron Man I and II trading cards for Upperdeck. Cat always does something gorgeous for our Annual Art Auction, don’t miss it!

Joe Staton is a North Carolina native and a longtime guest of HeroesCon.  He’s also an artist who has worked on everything from E-man and Green Lantern, to All Star Squadron and Scooby Doo.  Most recently Joe was announced as the new artist on the classic Dick Tracy comic strip, marking yet another timeless character he’ll leave his indelible mark upon.  Don’t miss a chance to stop by and say hello to one of the nicest folks in the industry.

Chris Stevens was such a big hit with fans and artists at last year’s show that we had to have him back! In 2010, Chris made a big splash in comics with his gorgeous covers for various Marvel titles and Image’s Skullkickers.

We promised you several huge HeroesCon 2011 Guest List additions as we transition into 2011 and we are here to deliver! It is hard to believe that HeroesCon is just around the corner. We’ve got even more surprises for you coming up so stay tuned!

Scott Beaderstadt is probably best known for his work on Troll Lords, which he plans on re-launching with the three-issue mini-series Death: My Life and Love. You may also know him from The Mummy or Archie: Superteens. You can become a fan of Troll Lords on Facebook!

Jacob Chabot is the writer/artist on The Mighty Skullboy Army. He also did the art for the adorable comic X-Babies. Recently he has worked on several books for Marvel like Spider-Ham 25th Anniversary Special #1, Deadpool #1000 and I Am an Avenger #2.

SL Gallant is currently the artist on GI Joe: Real American Hero which is written by Larry Hama. Issue #162 was just released this week! It is published through IDW but continues where the classic Marvel run left off. Gallant has also worked on other popular GI Joe titles like GI Joe: Origins and GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Chris Giarrusso burst onto the scene with his highly entertaining and enormously popular Mini-Marvels. When Mini-Marvels TP vol 1 Rock, Paper, Scissors came out we had a hard time keeping it in stock because it was flying off the shelves! Most recently Giarrusso worked on G-Man: Cape Crisis which was a witty and fun-filled all-ages book. He is an incredibly talented writer and artist and you should definitely track him down at the show!

Gregg Schigiel is the writer of the aforementioned adorable comic X-Babies. He is currently working on SpongeBob Comics which will debut in February. He is also working on Pix: Teenage American Fairy which can be viewed here. You can also check out his extremely funny Stick Figure Night Live comics which summarize Saturday Night Live in stick-figure form.

David Williams has recently done interiors and covers for a number of Marvel’s all-ages books such as Wolverine: First Class, Uncanny X-Men First Class and Hulk and Power Pack. You may recognize him from his cover runs on Incredible Hercules or GI Joe.

Thom Zahler is best known for his creator-owned book Love and Capes which just got picked up by IDW. Be on the look out for Love and Capes: Ever After #1 this February! Back in October for 24-Hour Comic Day Zahler set up a studio in the Great Lakes Mall and created a comic live. You can check out Robot 6‘s coverage of his process or read about his experience on his blog!

We are super excited to be able to announce some great additions to the HeroesCon 2011 Indie Island Guest List! 

Stephanie Buscema is a fantastic illustrator and cartoonist. Most recently, her painterly style can be seen in Girl Comics and Web of Spider-Man. She is also currently working on picture books for Dial and Disney/Hyperion. This will be Buscema’s first appearance at HeroesCon but hopefully it won’t be her last. Make sure you stop by her table and check out her amazing work!

Evan Dorkin is probably best known as the writer and artist for Milk & Cheese and Dork. He is also the writer on the critically acclaimed Beasts of Burden mini-series. Currently he and Sarah Dyer are working on a Super Martian Robot Girl story for a Yo Gabba Gabba! anthology for Oni Press. Check out his blog for news on his upcoming work!

Sarah Dyer got her start in the underground zine movement of the eighties and nineties and is famous for creating Action Girl Comics an all-female comics anthology. She frequently collaborates with her husband Evan Dorkin and is often his editor and colorist. She is a mulit-talented writer and artist who doesn’t confine herself to comics.  She also bakes, sews and knits! Check out some of the projects she has been working on over at her blog!

Dusty Higgins is most famous for being the artist and creator of Pinnochio Vampire Slayer, which is written by Indie Island guest Van Jensen. The first two volumes have been released and they are working on the third one. He also illustrated Pedestals, Parapets, and Pits and Where You Stand is Where You Sit.

Matt Kindt is the amazing writer/artist behind Pistolwhip, Super Spy and Two Sisters. His most recent work includes 3 Story, Revolver and a Black Widow story in Marvel‘s Strange Tales. He is currently working on The Tooth with Cullen Bunn and Shawn Lee.

Robbi Rodriguez made his comics debut in 2005 with Image Comic‘s Hero Camp. Since then he has been entertaining audiences with his art on such titles as Maintenance and Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen. He just completed work on Polly and the Pirates from Oni Press, so look for that soon!

Joel Watson is the creator of the webcomic HijiNKS ENSUE which focuses on geek culture. He recently started updating his webcomic 5 times a week! Watson has begun collecting HijiNKS ENSUE into handy trade paperbacks. Volume one is already out and it collects 2007-2008. Volume 2 is scheduled for early this year. For more information visit the HijiNKS ENSUE website.

I can’t believe it has been over a month since we made the last addition to the HeroesCon 2011 Guest List. It seems like a week ago to me! We have quite a backlog of confirmed guests to get up on the website, so without further ado, here is the first guest list addition of the New Year!

Cullen Bunn is probably best known for his collaborations with Brian Hurtt, which include The Damned, The Damned: Prodigal Sons and The Sixth Gun. In addition to his comics writing he does a considerable amount of short fiction, typically horror stories. Bunn has a ton of comics coming out this year so be on the lookout for Superman/Batman #81, Captain America #616 and Deadpool Family #1!

Jeremy Dale first broke onto the scene with his six-issue comic series Trust. Since then he has worked on numerous other projects including Popgun vol 1 and GI Joe: A Real American Hero. He is currently working on the creator-owned project Skyward.

We are happy to welcome GW Fisher back for his tenth consecutive HeroesCon! In his 14 years as an artist and inker he has worked on numerous books including ShadowHawk and Intimidators. Currently he is a licensing artist for Marvel.

HeadHunta’ Studios have several more names to add to their corner of Artist Alley. Joining previously announced members will be: Jeff Balke (Grimm Fairy Tales), Ben Fisher (Smuggling Spirits), Kevin Stokes (Guardian Project) and Wilfredo Torres (Salem: Queen of Thorns).

Brian Hurtt, as previously mentioned, frequently collaborates with Cullen Bunn. He has also worked on such popular titles as Queen & Country, Gotham Central and Hard Time. He has a lot of upcoming projects including the Vertigo Crime book Cowboys which is scheduled for a July release.

Sunny Lee has been in the industry for about 15 years now. He has worked on such fan-favorites as Superboy and Wolverine. His most recent work was Wildstorm/DC on Gen13. Check out his deviantART page for some examples of his awesome commissions!

We are thrilled to be able to add Tony Moore to the HeroesCon 2011 Guest List! It was just announced that he will be doing the art for the upcoming Venom ongoing series. Moore is well-known for his work on Battle Pope, The Exterminators and Fear Agent. Most recently he has been doing Punisher and Franken-Castle for Marvel. He is probably best known as the co-creator of The Walking Dead which AMC turned into a television series last year. It is a huge success and it is the most-watched basic cable series of all time!

Chris Samnee is the critically-acclaimed artist on Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Area 10 and Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale. It was recently announced that Samnee and Roger Langridge would team up once again for a Thor and Captain America story in one of Marvel‘s FCBD books. Also, Samnee will be doing the art for Ultimate Spider-Man #155!

Matt Wilson is the super-talented colorist on such popular titles as Wolverine, Invincible Iron Man, Ultimate Spider-Man and Thor: The Mighty Avenger. He is working on a ton of upcoming books  including Captain America and Crossbones #1, Arcade: Death Game and Ultimate Comics Doom. He reportedly has colored over 1,000 pages this year! It boggles the mind!

Stay tuned to our blog and keep reading the newsletter because this is just the first of many announcements for HeroesCon 2011!

We also have a small Indie Island Guest List addition to make today. You better believe that we have lots more announcements to make as the year winds down and as we gear up for HeroesCon 2011!

Paul Maybury is probably best known for his original graphic novel Aqua Leung. His forthcoming book DOGS of Mars, for which he did the art, will be released in 2011. He is also working on an original webcomic called Party Bear which you can read here. On stands now is Strange Tales 2 #2 which features a Spider-Man story by Maybury!

Tom Scioli is an award winning writer, artist and co-creating Godland, along with writer Joe Casey. He is also the writer and artist of the popular series The Myth of 8-Opus and American Barbarian. Currently he is working on Captain America: Hail Hydra which hits stores early next year.