I don’t like to play favorites, at least not where anyone can see, but this announcement has got me so jazzed I’m about to pee myself. Oops! It’s not so much that these 4 additions are any better than any other 4 additions, but I’ve been working hard on getting all of them, and they all sort of happened at the same time. Which reinforces my conviction that this year’s Indie Island–not to mention HeroesCon in general–is going to be the BEST CONVENTION OF ALL TIME EVER. And it’s going to be right here in sexy Charlotte, North Carolina! So, please join in the excitement:

SAMMY HARKHAM is an incredible cartoonist (Crickets, The Poor Sailor) in his own right, but he’s just as well-known as the editor of the Kramer’s Ergot anthology, which may be the most lauded comics anthology ever. He’s also one of my very favorite cartoonists, so you can imagine how stoked I am.

BUENAVENTURA PRESS, named presumably for its head honcho Alvin Buenaventura, is the publisher of the afore-mentioned Kramer’s Ergot, as well as the magazine Comic Art, which usually contains some of the best writing and most insightful dissertation on comics being done anywhere. I know that’s not saying a whole lot, but it’s SUPER smart stuff, trust me. Alvin also publishes a ton of incredibly well-made–often hand-made–books, prints, and posters, and his booth is usually the best-looking setup at any show he’s at.

KAZIMIR STRZEPEK is the author of the much-mentioned-by-me The Mourning Star, not to mention another of my favorite cartoonists–how did I get so lucky? I’ve said so much about him already, that instead of rehashing all that I’ll just redirect you to my Mourning Star review, which is long enough to choke Herman Melville. Enjoy!

BODEGA DISTRIBUTION, last but not least, is the publisher of not only the aforementioned Mourning Star, but also Brian Ralph’s Daybreak, and the distributor for a host minicomics and small press books, including most of what’s left of the now-defunct Highwater Books. They, like the other three, will be making their very first trip to HeroesCon, and hopefully will make so much money that they’ll be coming back every year afterward–but I leave that to you, dear reader!