The weatherman says we’re going to reach 90° today in Charlotte. It just makes us think of summer a little early and summer, June 22-24 to be specific, means HeroesCon around here! We have a jumbo-sized Indie Island update for you guys today (It actually went up yesterday but if you missed that, it’s news to you)! It’s chock full of first-timers, folks we haven’t seen a few years and people that we consider family.

Let’s start by welcoming some new faces for 2012! Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore are the writer and artist respectively of the awesomely violent new series The Strange Talent of Luther Strode. Their comic has a been a big hit with our customers so if you haven’t picked it up yet, check it out!

Benjamin Marra makes comics that need to be seen to be believed (by adults only!). We met Benjamin at SPX last year and were blown away by purity of his artistic vision. We guarantee that Night Business and Gansta Rap Posse will light your senses on fire! Also in Indie Island this year is Matthew D. Smith is a writer and artist working on many self-published books and also stuff for 80 Pork and TAK comics. He is also a self-proclaimed music snob so you can chat with him about that at the show. Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb are another pair of creators we met at SPX last year. We picked up their self published project The Potter’s Pet and loved it. They’ve been doing great work on the Tricky Journeys books with writer and HeroesCon guest Chris Schweizer (my daughter loves them, check em out if you have kids! They are choose-your-own-adventure comic books! -r). Shelli and Braden are currently the monthly artists of the new Adventure Time comic and of course it is AWESOME!

It’s been a few years since our pal Scott C. has been a guest at our show but we are happy to have him back! Scott did an amazing print for us in 2008 (pictured). Scott’s book Zombie In Love (written by Kelly DiPucchio) is a Finalist in the 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards and you can totally go vote! Scott has the best smile in comics, make you stop by and say hello and do yourself a favor and check out his Great Showdowns Tumblr. it will help you pass the time until Scott is here in June.

We’d also like to welcome back Heroes family Andy Runton and Robert Venditti! Andy is the creator of the adorable Owly. Robert is the writer of The Homeland Directive and The Surrogates. These guys will be doing double duty, holding down the fort for Top Shelf Productions, publishers of some of the finest comics and books out there! Joel Carroll’s new webcomic Cuttle and Chirp is awesome, go check it out as soon as you’re done reading this! Mike Maihack is responsible for the great Cleopatra in Space, check that out after you’re done with Joel’s Cuttle and Chirp!