Yes, they’re up! I know they were up before for a minute, but then I decided to start all over–the larger hall provided some extra opportunities, and that’s how we ended up freeing some tables that are for sale (for now).

BUT if you go check out the Small Press page on our website, or the bottom section of our Guest List page, all the persons who have purchased Small Press space are listed with their table locations. Hit me up with an e-mail (it’s in my profile) if there’s a problem with your listing, or you don’t see yourself there. I think I’ve addressed all the problems and little snafus you guys have identified, but just in case… HEY! I’m only human!

Well, in case you’ve been trying to access our website for the last 24 hours or so OR e-mail any of us, you probably had no luck. BUT everything is good to go now–and good thing, too; look what was in all the DC books that came out today:

Oh yeah! Just as a reminder, DC Comics will be set up at the show this year, which is more or less what all the small type says. I can’t be sure, but it MIGHT say that you need to purchase your 3-day advance passes super-quick, OR it might point out that we’ve opened up a very limited number of small press tables for sale, which you should also jump on super fast. OR BOTH!

UPDATE: Okay, everything’s cool now–sorry for any inconvenience!

Yes! But you’d better hurry! We’re in Hall A of the Charlotte Convention Center this year, instead of Hall C like the last few years. Hall A is about 20,000 square feet bigger, which means that we have a few small press tables available for sale! So if you missed the original cut off, now is the time to jump on the wagon!

So for a super-limited time, you can call in your order to us at 704.375.7462, or fax the form with your charge info to 704.375.7464. It’s so late in the game we’re leery of suggesting you mail us checks, but if you live in or around Charlotte, just bring those badboys in and we’ll set you up in-person-style.

Also of note: I’ve been locating the existing Small Press tables, but those are tentative, and will likely change in the next week or two. I’m getting some e-mails about them, but don’t stress yet! They should be pretty firm by the end of the weekend. Okay back to work!

Guest List updates on a Sunday? Well, we’re in that time of year when we’re working pretty much nonstop on the convention. In fact, we’re so swamped, I don’t have the time I’d like to spend talking about each one of these awesome creators like I normally do, so I hope none of them will feel slighted. Half of them are old buddies (Keron, pictured above, Randy Green, J. Chris Campbell and Rob Ullman), and some are brand new (Ian Sattler, Jonathan Gray). But I’m in crunch time, so for the full rundown visit the HeroesCon 09 Guest List where you can find links to their individual sites and sate your curiosity like crazy!

New today are:

DUANE BALLENGER (EATS, Wide Awake 666)
J. CHRIS CAMPBELL (Ancient Age, Wide Awake 666, Zigzag)
BRIAN CUNNINGHAM (DC Comics editor)
KERON GRANT (Son of Vulcan, Iron Man)
JONATHAN GRAY (Sonic the Hedgehog, Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories)
RANDY GREEN (Fathom, Teen Titans, Tomb Raider)
NATE LOVETT (Xombie: Reanimated, Sketch Magazine)
BILL NEVILLE (Explorers, The Tick)
IAN SATTLER (DC Comics Senior Story Editor)
ROB ULLMAN (Traffic & Weather, Atom Bomb Bikini)

Good gravy! Okay, more to come, plus a couple of big announcements for tomorrow!

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve finalized the HeroesCon 2009 Host Hotel, which will once again be the sumptuous Westin Charlotte! This year’s HeroesCon rate will be $109/night, and is active now, so click this link to go and make your reservations on their site, or you may call them at 1-866-837-4148 and ask for the “HeroesCon” or “Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find” rate!

NOTE! As in previous years, rooms may sell out for particular nights, but we will be expanding our reserved block as we go, so keep trying! We will announce on our blog when the rooms have OFFICIALLY sold out, and until then there will likely be rooms added on a weekly basis.

If you’ve never stayed at the Westin before, it is a luxurious hotel which includes the famous “Heavenly Beds”–worth the price of admission alone–gym and pool facilities, a full service restaurant and hotel bar, and is right across Stonewall Avenue from the Charlotte Convention Center, making it incredibly convenient!

Either way these rooms are not going to last long, so grab your room quick! We’ll be announcing further hotel deals with the next week or so!

I told you we had a bunch of big news this week! Brand new to the HeroesCon Guest List as of a few minutes ago is a guy you may have heard of once or twice if you like comics… a guy I like to call CHRIS CLAREMONT! Holy mackerel, right? I’m not sure, but I think the last time Chris was at HeroesCon was back in the 80’s, but Shelton will know better than I would.

Chris will be promoting his new book X-Men Forever, which more or less picks up from where he left off with X-Men #3 way back when! Not only that, the book is bi-weekly, with the first issue by amazing Tom Grummett! I’d explain further, but I’m pretty sure Chris can explain it better himself when you meet him at HeroesCon in just a few weeks!

Oh, but that’s not all–also new this week is Kabuki creator DAVID MACK, who’ll be appearing with his buddy Brian Michael Bendis. I’m still puzzling over where to put THOSE lines, but we’ll figure something out. Besides his work on Kabuki, David is also adapting Philip K. Dick’s Electric Ant into comics this summer with Marvel Comics.

But wait I’m STILL not done! Also new today are:

AL BIGLEY, an artist and educator who’s worked on Sonic, Batman Animated, Geminar, and the upcoming Tao Boy, not to mention a how-to book, Drawing Comics Like A Pro. AND Al’s a Charlottean!

RYAN BODENHEIM is returning this year–you may have seen his art in Wolverine, Black Panther, or in Red Mass For Mars, written by fellow guest Jonathan Hickman.

Hey, what about TOM FEISTER? Another old buddy of ours, these days Tom is a cover artist for GI Joe Origins, as well as having worked on Warriors: Jailbreak and the bajillion-award-winning Ex Machina.

Okay! Still more news to come before the weekend. See you after I grab a quick sandwich and splash water in my face!

WHOA check out that big bright logo! Hot on the heels of last week’s announcement of DC Comics return to HeroesCon, today we added Marvel Comics to the list as well. Oh yes that’s right! They’ll be bringing editors, doing portfolio reviews, and be set up in force at this year’s HeroesCon 09! And coming with them is the first name on the list of guests we added today–check it out:

C.B. CEBULSKI is pretty much Marvel’s top talent-scout and occasionally an editor, AND he’s a writer on books like X-Men Fairy Tales, War of Kings: Darkhawk, and his own Wonderlost. Eat that, Renaissance Men!

SEAN FORD is an alumnus of the esteemed Center for Cartoon Studies, the creator of Only Skin, and one of the editors of the Sundays Anthology.

SANFORD GREENE is one of our good buddies, and a sweet dude. On top of that, he’s pencilled books including Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, Marvel Adventures: Superheroes, Wonder Girl, Legion of Super Heroes, and last year’s Methodman graphic novel.

STEVE SAFFEL is not just a friend of ours, but we work him to death every year helping out as well. It’s not like he hasn’t got enough to do–Steve was the editor of last year’s Spider-Man: The Icon book, and the brand new Best of Simon & Kirby volume, both from Titan Books!

RICHARD THOMPSON is the creator of the incredibly acclaimed Cul de Sac, which just failed to win this year’s Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society. Oops! Richard is also the proprietor of Richard’s Poor Almanack, which runs in the Washington Post on Sundays!

CHRISSIE ZULLO is a Charlotte resident AND the cover artist on a forthcoming super-secret Fables limited series. If you want to know more you’re gonna have to show up at the convention and ask her yourself–she won’t even tell US!

Whew! Okay, all those announcements that I referred to last week are pretty much happening today and tomorrow, so buckle up everybody! Tomorrow there’s a HUGE guest who hasn’t been to HeroesCon in a bajillion years, plus more super-studs.. phew! I’m running out of exclamation points. Oh wait–and are you wondering about the HeroesCon host hotel rate? Tomorrow! I PROMISE!

Hey if you haven’t already seen it, I did an interview with Tim O’Shea of the Robot 6 team over at Comic Book Resources. Although Tim didn’t ask me any questions at all about a) whether I was single; b) my top 5 desert island CD’s; or c) if I could spell Bill Sienkiewicz’s name without having to look it up, it was a fun interview and Tim is a nice guy. Check it out right here and drop a comment about how excited about HeroesCon you are!

SURROGATES trailer in HD

Oh yes! HeroesCon guest Rob Venditti is blowing up! The Surrogates film, adapted from Rob and Brett Weldele’s graphic novel, comes out this fall! While we’re not really into the whole Hollywood-at-comics-conventions kind of thing, we’re happy to do it this way, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy than Rob!