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!

Super crazy INSANE late night last night finishing the program book for this year’s HeroesCon, and thus finalizing all the little bits and pieces that go into it. The good thing about that is that all those little bits and pieces are finally finalized, including these guys:

COMPLETE EXHIBITOR LIST

COMPLETE EVENT SCHEDULE

LOCATIONS FOR GUESTS

LOCATIONS FOR SMALL PRESS

hmm, is there anything else? Well just to remind you that you need to buy

TICKETS

on or before Monday, May 31, if you want to get one of these exclusive signed and numbered 11″ x 17″ prints by Mike Mignola F-R-E-E. That is cheap at twice the price, sports fans, just look at this beauty:

Hey! While I’m thinking about it, I wanted to point out that our bros at the Dollar Bin podcast recorded a TON of panels at HeroesCon, which they are putting up on their site one by one. You can find them in more or less one place here, and I’ll try to update this blogpost as well. Many MANY MANY thanks to these guys, including Adam, Brian, Devin, Kris, Ted, and probably a bunch I’m forgetting. They worked super hard over the weekend, not just recording panels, but miking them and just generally being super awesome. You would be well-served to check out their podcast, whether it’s Heroes-related or not!

Okay, panels up there so far:

“New Power Generation” Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ivan Brandon, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, and Matt Brady.

“DC Universe” Panel, featuring DC editors Brian Cunningham and Ian Sattler, with special guests

“Marvel Pint O’ CB” Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, and Mark Waid

Mark Waid Interview

Whew! Man we are running around like crazy, but I wanted to update you on a couple of things before I get away from easy internet access. I’m super rushed though, and as I type in my air conditioned office, Seth and Shawn and our staff are sweating through load-in, so my guilt commands that I hurry up so I can join them. ??? Uh, guilt, that basically sounds like a terrible idea, but okay…

ITEM! All locations are up on our site, and are just as up-to-date as I could make them. You can find Guest, Small Press, and Exhibitor locations up there, including an updated list of the few cancellations we’ve had, in the sidebar at the right of the Guest List page.

ITEM! Just a reminder to all advance ticket holders: we will be allowing you on the floor 30 minutes in advance of the show opening times, as a thank you for your early patronage. This is ALSO a reminder to exhibitors, small press, and guests, who should definitely be sure to be ready for the crush 30 minutes early this year! We will be adjusting the time these people can get in as well.

ITEM! Ben Towle and Craig Fischer host an awesome in-depth look at the career of Steve Ditko. Check it:

You can read all about it on our Event Schedule page, which is ALSO updated!

ITEM! Ben and Craig are not the only ones who are BRINGING IT to HeroesCon. Our man Brian Pulido is bringing a special HeroesCon edition of Lady Death #1 and a new Lady Death print! Brian will be selling these at his booth in Artists Alley, which I do believe is booth #832.

Be sure you go by and say hi to Brian, AND/OR catch him moderating the Hero Initiative panel at 3.30 on Friday, which will feature fellow Hero Initiative board member George Perez!

ITEM! But what about BOOM!, who is also bringing it? They’ll have like 40 billion exclusive HeroesCon covers this weekend, including an Irredeemable #3, a Muppets foil cover by HeroesCon guest Roger Langridge, and a Farscape cover as well! And I feel kinda sure that I forgot one or two, too, so you’ll have to visit them at Booth 514/613 to get the full rundown!

Okay, hopefully I’ll be able to make another update before things get even crazier… but we’ll see. Any latebreaking news will be in the Heroes Hotline, which will go out first thing in the morning, bright and early!

Okay, super fast and dirty because WHOA NELLIE me and Shelton are working hard to get everything squared away in time for the big program book deadline tomorrow morning. But here are a couple of things I’ve just updated:

1) SMALL PRESS TABLES: I moved some around again. I’m sorry! But pretty much everybody that got moved (only a half-dozen or so), got moved to better spots. We’re going to squeeze the Blood Drive in that corner so you guys aren’t stuck in the dark corner trying to flag down fans. Also, everyone who’s purchased space over the last week or so should now be listed, and the many of you who have been patiently waiting for me to remember to make the corrections you asked me for, those should now be made as well.

2) SCHEDULE: I’ve added a bunch of new panels, plus full details on all the Marvel panels (special guests galore!), the Steve Ditko focus panel (A+!), and a bunch more. I think my two favorite new things are the Jeff Smith documentary screening and the George Perez/Mark Waid Brave & The Bold panel-by-panel panel that Andy “Heroes Discussion Group” will be running.

3) GUEST LIST: has been tweaked a little, but not so’s you noticed. There are some recent cancellations though, today including Jason Pearson and Sarah Wilkinson. That complete list is down under the con diagrams and so forth on the right side of the page.

I feel like there’s something else but I can’t remember. Either way, gotta get back to work! Wish me and Shelton luck!

Yes! We’ve gotten a lot of requests over the last several weeks, and here it is at last–the HeroesCon 2009 Event Schedule! I invite you to peruse the heckfire out of this badboy, and please don’t hesitate to post here if you catch any mistakes. I work this behemoth out on paper and then hand-key everything. AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN SPELLCHECK. But I’ve been known to make mistakes once in a while.

Also: did you notice this cool part?

Yessir that’s right! We’re bringing back an old perk for buying your tickets to HeroesCon early–advance ticket buyers will enter the show 30 minutes early all three days! We’ll be cutting off advance ticket sales about a week from now, probably next Sunday or Monday, so if I were you I’d grab those badboys right now!

Hi there! Remember me? It seems like it’s been a while, but over here we’ve all got our noses to the grindstone getting everything in place for this weekend’s HeroesCon. THIS WEEKEND’s HeroesCon–crazy, no? Just think, a couple of weeks from now this blog will be back to talking about comics and our store again–imagine!

But not yet: I wanted to let you in on the details of this weekend’s coolest con-event–our Annual Art Auction! This has become one of the most popular events on the comics convention calendar, and this year we’re pulling out all the stops.

First of all, we’re having it for the first time in Charlotte’s coolest uptown club, to give you all a bit of local flavor. This year’s Art Auction will take place Saturday at 6.30pm at THE ALLEY CAT, located at 314 N. College St., just five blocks from the convention center. Heckfire, if you’re feet are tired, you can take the Light Rail! Feel free to quiz us at the Info Booth on how to get there once you’re at the convention.

One of the coolest things about the Alley Cat is that right inside is a miniature version of the famous Penguin burger restaurant–for the first time you can go to the Auction, have a great dinner, and bid on original art all at the same time. Plus there’s a full bar and a super-friendly staff on hand, so this should be our most fun Auction yet!

Also new this year is our Silent Auction–because of the HUGE number of donations we get for the Auction, we’re going to place most of them in a Silent Auction, to take place throughout the weekend at the front of the convention. Near the end of each day we’ll award pieces to the winners, so each day there’ll be new works to bid on!

Oh, one more thing–while I’m no Rosario Dawson, this year I will be auctioneering the Auction, so things are going to have a distinctly ME flavor to them. Hopefully that’s a good thing, but we’ll see.

Oh, and one MORE one more thing–the Auction couldn’t happen with the help of our friend Allison Sohn, one of our most tireless supporters. We wanted to mention someone that I forgot to get on the guest list in time was going to be set up at the convention–Allison’s friend Mark McHaley, who’s done a ton of trading card art for companies like Rittenhouse Archives and Topps, including the recent Indiana Jones series. He won’t be in the program book, but search him out at table AA-214 this weekend!

Okay, tons more to do, but I wanted to drop that knowledge on you really quick. More coming!

Another late-night blog post! That’s what conventioneering is all about! I’ll cut out the chatter and get to posting: presenting the last of the additions (at least the ones that will get into the program book) to our HeroesCon 08 Event Schedule:

COVERING COMICS: Criticism, Reportage, and Gossip Room 219
The digital age has allowed a deeper understanding of comics criticism and reporting than has ever been possible before. Tom Spurgeon of the Comics Reporter moderates this discussion featuring some of the leading lights on the comics journalism scene, including Heidi MacDonald of The Beat, Tim Hodler of the Comics Comics magazine and blog, Matt Brady of Newsarama, and Johanna Draper-Carlson of Comics Worth Reading. From industry reporting and journalism to criticism and good ole gossip, this is sure to be a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the comics news!

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY DISCUSSION Room 207
The Comics Reporter‘s Tom Spurgeon moderates what’s sure to be one of the most fascinating conversations of the weekend, in this roundtable discussion featuring artist and Image publisher Erik Larsen, DC Executive Editor Dan Didio, artist and DRAW! MAGAZINE editor-in-chief Mike Manley, writer/artist Jimmy Palmiotti (COUNTDOWN, JONAH HEX), and writer and Boom! Studios Editor-In-Chief Mark Waid.

THE SILVER AGE OF COMICS Room 216
It’s hard to imagine a period in comics history filled with more creativity and experimentation than the Silver Age–and who better to lead a discussion on it than Roy Thomas, former Marvel editor-in-chief and current ALTER EGO editor. Roy is joined by GHOST RIDER co-creator Gary Friedrich, HULK #181 penciller Herb Trimpe, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE penciller Ron Wilson, and others to be announced!

THE NEW ART COMICS Room 219A
From critical favorite hits like MAGGOTS and POWR MASTRS, to prominence in influential anthologies like KRAMER’S ERGOT, “art” or “abstract” or “out” comics are pushing the boundaries of the avant garde in comics. Join Tom Spurgeon of the Comics Reporter as he sits down with Picturebox publisher Dan Nadel, KRAMER’S ERGOT editor Sammy Harkham and publisher Alvin Buenaventura for a frank discussion of this leading edge of art in comics!

DISNEY’S KINGDOM COMICS PRESENTS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE GRAPHIC NOVEL Room 217A
Join recently announced Disney’s Kingdom Comics co-heads Ahmet Zappa and Christian Beranek as they discuss what it takes to navigate between graphic novels to film and back again.

COLLABORATION AND STORYTELLING IN TODAY’S COMICS Room 217BCD
Super panel moderator Tom Spurgeon conducts this chat with a who’s who of artists and writers, featuring Darwyn Cooke (DC NEW FRONTIER), Matt Fraction (INVINCIBLE IRON MAN), Jimmy Palmiotti (COUNTDOWN), Cliff Chiang (GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY), and Barry Kitson (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN). From collaboration with other creators, editors, or big company-wide crossovers, it can be tough to get your creative vision out there sometimes. This is sure to be a great discussion by some really entertaining creators!

NOT THE USUAL GANG OF IDIOTS: EC COMICS PANEL
Part 1: Kurtzman for Beginners
In the first half of this look at two of EC Comics most important creators, we present a Harvey Kurtzman retrospective that’s a veritable smorgasbord of presentations and events, including an overview of Kurtzman’s career by Thought Balloonist blogger Craig Fischer, and a close reading of “3-Dimensions!” a MAD story by Kurtzman and Wally Wood, by MIDNIGHT SUN cartoonist Ben Towle. Plus: a sneak peak at the new Kurtzman COMPLETE HUMBUG collection, forthcoming from Fantagraphics!

NOT THE USUAL GANG OF IDIOTS: EC COMICS PANEL
Part 2: A Chat With Al Feldstein (and Friends)
Ben Towle and Craig Fischer host an in-depth interview with Al Feldstein, EC artist and writer and MAD MAGAZINE editor extraordinaire! Along for the ride is a pair of celebrity funsters—FRED THE CLOWN and FIN FANG FOUR cartoonist Roger Langridge and CUL DE SAC comic stripper Richard Thompson—ready to roast and grill Feldstein about The Lighter Side of Editing America’s #1 Humor Magazine!

KIDS LOVE COMICS! Room 216
Featuring “Kids Love Comics” creators Jimmy Gownley, (AMELIA RULES), John Gallagher (BUZZBOY), and Josh Elder (MAIL ORDER NINJA), plus Michele Gorman, the Teen Services Manager at Charlotte’s amazing ImaginOn youth library, and the author of GETTING GRAPHIC: COMICS FOR KIDS. This is sure to be a fun and informative panel for kids and parents alike, with some of the country’s best all-ages cartoonists!

Holy Mackerel, those are some sweet panels. For all the times and days, check them out on our Event Schedule page–they’ll be the ones in red.

Well, while it’s not normally our wont to post to the blog on the (what?!) weekend, we’re burning the midnight oil getting ready for things, and have been chugging away on the packed HeroesCon 08 Event Schedule! Progress on the over 300 bios I have to write is not as sunny, but we’ll leave that for a different blog post. For now, new schedule (note that some of these panels are pending final approval from participants, and like everything else is subject to change:

CONVERSATIONS: Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich Room 216
This is sure to be a fascinating discussion, between former Marvel Editor-In-Chief and Alter Ego editor Roy Thomas, and Ghost Rider co-creator and Marvel writer Gary Friedrich. Listen as they discuss the Silver Age of the House of Ideas, the creation of Ghost Rider, and much more!

THE FUTURE OF PODCASTS IN THE MEDIA Room 213A
Heidi MacDonald of The Beat moderates this panel featuring a who’s who of comics podcasting talent: Jimmy Aquino of Comic News Insider, Charlito and Mr. Phil of Indie Spinner Rack, Brian Christman and Adam Murdough of Comic Geek Speak, and most likely a bunch more guests from our Podcast Arena!

WEBCOMICS ROUNDUP Room 213BCD
Join the Comics Reporter‘s Tom Spurgeon for a roundtable discussion on webcomics, from conception and creation to marketing and–what?–profitability. With guests Nicholas Gurewitch, David Malki, Julia Wertz, Chris Harding, Danielle Corsetto, and more!

CRAFT IN COMICS: Jaime Hernandez, Jim Rugg, and Frank Santoro in Conversation 213A
Less a conversation on materials and techniques and more a conversation on ideas and beliefs, this panel will focus on tradition and innovation in composition and drawing for comics. From Jaime’s insistence on not using photographs as reference in his comics to Jim’s clarity of composition and Frank’s careful color choices, there are countless tenets of craft that are largely underappreciated by readers. This panel will investigate these ideas and attempt to illuminate and outline them in a lively conversation led by Frank Santoro.

THE FUTURE OF PODCASTS IN THE MEDIA Room 213A
Heidi MacDonald of The Beat moderates this panel featuring a who’s who of comics podcasting talent: Jimmy Aquino of Comic News Insider, Charlito and Mr. Phil of Indie Spinner Rack, Brian Christman and Adam Murdough of Comic Geek Speak, and most likely a bunch more guests from our Podcast Arena!

NEWSPAPER STRIPS: Keeping It Fresh After All These Years Room 216
Our own Andy Mansell moderates this panel featuring some of the brightest stars of classic newspaper strips! With Jim Scancarelli (GASOLINE ALLEY), Marcus Hamilton (DENNIS THE MENACE), Irwin Hasen (DONDI), June Brigman (Brenda Starr) and Alex Saviuk (SPIDER-MAN)! Explore the challenges of taking over an iconic strip, and keeping it fresh day in and day out!

TORI AMOS’ COMIC BOOK TATTOO ROOM 217A
Heidi MacDonald moderates a panel of cartoonists, writers and artists hand selected by Tori Amos to reinterpret her music into sequential art. Features previously unseen images exclusively from the forthcoming book from Image Comics!

Check the Event Schedule page for all the times and to see all the zillion other events going on! Is that enough for you? Well, I’ve still got some more coming, but good GRAVY, I’ve been at the computer all day and haven’t even had a shower yet. The dog won’t even lick my feet anymore. Gross! More to come–TODAY IS JUNE 1ST! Just under three weeks to (gulp!) go!