Here it is the week before HeroesCon 2011 and we still have lots of guests to announce! Let’s not waste any more time and get right to it!

Farel Dalrymple: creator of Pop Gun War,  Meathaus & Strange Tales II contributor, artist on Omega the Unknown.

Kelly Sue DeConnick: writer of Osborn, Supergirl, CBGB, and Yo Gabba Gabba!

Paul Azaceta: artist of Amazing Spider-man, B.P.R.D.: 1946, and Daredevil.

Derec Donovan: artist of Youngblood, Robin, Connor Hawke.

Will Sliney: Farscape artist.

Georges Jeanty: artist of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deadpool, Gambit, Weapon X.

Marsha Cooke: co-writer of Teenage Satan.

John Workman: legendary letterer of titles for just about every major publisher, including DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse.

John Francis Moore: writer of X-factor, Superboy, and X-men: 2099.

Rebekah Isaacs: artist of DV8: Gods and Monsters, DMZ, Drafted.

Danny Donovan: writer for Alternative Comics and Platinum Studios.

Ryan Bodenheim: artist of Halcyon, Red Mass for Mars.

Clay and Susan Griffith: co-writers of Allan Quatermain and the Lord of Locusts, Political Power.

Charles Paul Wilson III: artist of Stuff of Legend.

Jackie Lewis: Upcoming Play Ball from Oni

Bob Schreck and Greg Tumbarello: Schreck is the editor-in-chief of Legendary Pictures new line of comics aptly titled Legendary Comics. Tumbarello is the assistant editor for this new comic venture.  Both will be on hand to talk about their new company as well as offering portfolio reviews.

With HeroesCon on the way next week all of us at Heroes are in full con mode, ready to make this year’s fun for all!  I’d like to remind you again that we still have tickets available, so if you haven’t picked yours up yet and want to get them before next week, we’ll be happy to help you over the phone or in the store.  Of course if you stop by the store, you might want to be aware of this week’s brand new comics, too.  Here are a few standouts that you might want to remember.

1) Strange Adventures #1

This is essentially an 80 page science fiction anthology from DC that features talent like Scott Snyder, Peter Milligan, and Jeff Lemire.  In addition to those creators, this issue features the debut of a new work from 100 Bullets alumni Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso called Spaceman that is said to be an upcoming series.  There’s also a cover from Paul Pope for those who enjoy awesome art.

2) Ducktales #1

We jump from science fiction to the world of classic cartoons with the debut issue of Ducktales.  After the popularity of books like Darkwing Duck and Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Boom! Studios brings another animated series to comics, this time with creators Warren Spector and Miquel Pujol.  These titles all have a lot of fun energy in them, and I’m always interested in promoting books that remind us that comics are supposed to be fun.  Whether you were a fan of the Ducktales cartoon or just like the innocence of nostalgic comics, there’s a lot to enjoy with this book.

3) Kirby Genesis #0

Marvels creators Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross team up with artist Jack Herbert to bring some of Jack Kirby’s most famous non-Marvel or DC creations back to comics.  Curious as to how characters like Silver Star and Captain Victory might fit into today’s comics scene?  If so, this book should answer that question.  Also, one of this issue’s covers was provided by artist Ryan Sook, who you can meet next week at HeroesCon!

4)  Astonishing Spider-man/Wolverine #6

The teaser for the conclusion to this fun series from Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert mentions that Wolverine is supposed to be the new Dark Phoenix.  However they manage to do that, if this issue is anything like the previous five it should definitely be an enjoyable read.

5) Action Comics #901

On one hand it seems odd that so many concepts from the ’90’s are being brought back into comics these days. On the other hand, it has been almost twenty years since DC introduced Doomsday!  Now that we all feel a little older, fans of that era will want to pick up this week’s Action issue as Doomsday is back to plague the Superman universe courtesy of writer Paul Cornell and artist Kenneth Rocafort.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Walking Dead #85, Venom #3, Green Lantern #66, Mighty Thor #2, Detective Comics #877, and Marvels Project TP.

HeroesCon fills the city of Charlotte with comics fans and professionals!  This year the demand for hotel rooms has forced us to set up a HeroesCon block of rooms at the Hilton Charlotte City Center hotel.  While the Westin still has a few rooms available for Friday and Saturday nights, it is completely booked for Thursday, June 2nd.  The Hilton is also lconveniently located only one block from the Charlotte Convention Center on E. 3rd Street and has graciously offered the same low HeroesCon rate.  We have added a live reservation link to the “Hotels and More” page  for easy booking.  Or if you don’t want to navigate through our site, you can link here to Hilton’s HeroesCon reservation site.  Staying uptown and hanging out with thousands of comics people is half the fun of HeroesCon.  Make plans to park your car once and enjoy the whole HeroesCon experience!

It’s a great week for new comics!  You’ll definitely want to stop by the store this week, and if you do make sure to pick up your HeroesCon tickets if you haven’t already.  We’re only a few weeks away from the big show, and all of us at Heroes hope you’re there to enjoy it with us!  Until then, on to the week’s new releases!

1) Rocketeer Adventures #1

IDW assembles a who’s who of popular creators to tell all new stories featuring the late great Dave Stevens’ most famous creation. This issue alone features contributions from the likes of Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, John Cassaday, Michael Kaluta, Mike Mignola, and Jim Silke. I must say, that cover from Alex Ross also stands out as one of the finest pieces I’ve seen him paint in a while.

2) Batman: Gates of Gotham #1

This five issue series has garnered a good bit of advanced acclaim.  Scott Snyder has been building up a solid reputation on books like American Vampire and his recent run on Detective Comics.  Here he teams with co-writer Kyle Higgins and artist Trevor McCarthy to tell a story of Gotham City’s dark past.  Many creators have treated Gotham City like a character in Batman stories.  It should be interesting to see how this trio tells their own story of the city’s history and how it turned dark over time.

3) Alpha Flight #.1

A new Alpha Flight book is always a welcome sight for fans of the classic Canadian super team.  This  new title apparently spins out of Fear Itself, and features the fan favorite original lineup as interpreted by scribes Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, and artist Ben Oliver.

4) Liar’s Kiss HC

I’ve been hearing about this new graphic novel from Top Shelf for quite some time.  HeroesCon guest Eric Skillman not only wrote the book, but also designed it (along with Alec: The Years Have Pants, The Playwright, and numerous dvds for the Criterion Collection).  For this particular crime noir tale he teams with artist Jhomar Soriano.  The book has been building a lot of buzz, so make sure to check it out, then talk to Eric Skillman at HeroesCon in a few weeks!

5) Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #4/Ultimate Spider-man #158

Marvel’s Death of Spider-man stories in the Ultimate universe have been selling like crazy.  This week there are two more chapters in the story.  Marvel has already talked about how everything Ultimates will be changing over the next few months.  With all the recent titles all selling out and going to second printings, make sure to pick these up while you can!

>Bonus Picks of the Week: Hawkeye: Blind Spot #4, Snake Eyes #1, Hulk #33, Zatanna #13, and Chester Brown’s Paying For It.

We’re only a few short weeks away from HeroesCon ’11 but we still have some exciting guests to announce!  We’ll start today’s update with Ethan Van Sciver, whose work on Green Lantern, Green Lantern: Rebirth and Flash: Rebirth have made him one of DC’s go-to artists.  He’s also illustrated popular runs on titles like Impulse, Superman/Batman, and New X-men.

Al Bigley’s worked on everything from Sonic the Hedgehog to Archie and Disney Adventures.  He’s also written instructional books on comics art, done storyboards for animation and television, and worked on merchandising for everything from NASCAR to Batman action figures.

Comic strip fans rejoice!  Gasoline Alley’s own Jim Scancarelli will be making another HeroesCon appearance this year.  Not only has Jim been working on the legendary strip since the eighties, but he’s also a respected bluegrass musician. Jim’s also a really nice guy, so make sure you stop by and welcome him back to HeroesCon!

Dennis the Menace’s own Marcus Hamilton also returns to HeroesCon this year.  Before landing the job of illustrating the Dennis dailies, Marcus worked in freelance illustration, providing covers for books, magazines, and various advertisements.  Marcus and Jim both live in the Charlotte area and we’re proud to have two talented locals continuing to produce high quality comic strips.

Free Comic Book Day is over, and now we’re just a few short weeks away from HeroesCon 2011! If you didn’t get a chance to pick up your tickets on Saturday, we’ll still be selling them right up until the con.  Stop by the store or give us a call and we’ll make sure you get there!  On to this week’s new books!

1) Flashpoint #1

Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert kick off DC’s big summer event this week.  The interesting thing here for DC fans is that they’re not calling this an Elseworlds tale, but one where a villain alters the existing universe.  In the tradition Identity Crisis and other event books, there is a mystery element in this story regarding who is responsible for all the universe changes. Not unlike Marvel’s Age of X storyline, this series features very different versions of characters like Batman, Superman, and Cyborg.  DC has been building to this series for several months, and if you like where they’ve been heading you’ll undoubtedly want to pick this one up.

2) Mega Man #1

Charlotte’s own Ian Flynn has built a solid fan base in recent years for his work writing Sonic the Hedgehog.  Now he’s teaming up with artist Patrick Spaziante to bring the classic video game property to comics! Mega Man has always had something of a cult following, and the book will definitely appeal to kids too! Make sure you pick up a copy and support one of Charlotte’s fine local creators!

3) Hellboy: Being Human one shot

Mike Mignola reteams with veteran artist Richard Corben to tell a tale of Roger the Homunculus, witches, and zombies.  This issue is also an untold story from Roger’s early days with B.P.R.D. All of the Mignola/Corben Hellboy issues have been really enjoyable, so we can expect the same from this one.

4) Daredevil: Reborn #4

Andy Diggle and David Gianfelice wrap up their post-Shadowland Daredevil story this week. With Daredevil relaunching in July courtesy of Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Marcos Martin, it will be interesting to see if the Reborn miniseries wraps up some of the darker stories of recent years and starts the character off in a lighter direction.

5) Batman: Arkham City #1

DC enlisted writer Paul Dini and artist Carlos D’Anda this story filling in the time between the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game and the upcoming Batman: Arkham City game.  Though I never played the first game, I’m intrigued by DC’s use of comics to bridge the narrative gap between their non-comics properties.  Hopefully this marks the beginning of a trend where companies use their other entertainment ventures to lead people into comics shops.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Astonishing X-men #37, Chew #37, Black Panther: Man Without Fear #518, Cinderella: Fables Are Forver #4, and Flash #12.

HeroesCon 2011 is less than a month away!  As part of our continuing series spotlighting some of our guests at this year’s show, today we’re proud to feature an interview with Chris Pitzer of AdHouse Books.  Pitzer is by no means a stranger to HeroesCon, and has been a staple of Indie Island for years.  With AdHouse continuing to gain respect and attention within the industry, we thought it would be fun to talk with Pitzer about his acclaimed publishing house, and to see what you might find at the AdHouse booth this HeroesCon.

Seth Peagler (SP): Chris, thanks for being a part of this interview. AdHouse has really done some great things in recent years, but to start out I’d like to ask you about what led you to start your own homegrown publishing house in the first place?

Chris Pitzer (CP): Sure thing Seth! Well, I love book design. I also love comics. So, after having done a stint at Eclipse back in the day, I started to freelance a little bit here and there within the comic field. Eventually I was made aware of a creator (Joel Priddy) and his book (Pulpatoon Pilgrimage) and we both happened to be living in Richmond, VA at the time. So, we met, and I told Joel that I’d be more than happy to help him get his work published. Knowing a few of the indy publishers at the time, I sent them his proposal and waited on a response. When a response never came, I decided to take the “knowledge” I had gained by that point, and start AdHouse. That was nine years ago!!!

SP: I would imagine that you have lots of creators who want to publish their work at AdHouse. How exactly do you decide what books and creators you want to work with and publish?

CP: I know I sound like a broken record with this answer, but I have to love it. Jeff (Alternative Comics) Mason told me that once, and it has really stuck with me. Besides loving it, I like to see an attention to detail. I like a creator who can get out there and help sell their work. I like something new, something borrowed, something blue… So, really, it’s just a matter of hitting me with the right project at the right time. This being our ninth year celebration, we’ve beenproducing work full tilt!

SP: Can you talk a bit about AdDistro? I recently bought some fantastic books from you that were published by Nobrow. Is AdDistro just another way for AdHouse to turn readers on to comics and creators they might not typically encounter?

CP: Exactly. I initially found Nobrow via the Drawn.CA website. I was curious, so I ordered a few of their publications. The only problem is that they were based in the UK. So, it wasn’t really a “problem” but I thought it might be a hurdle for some customers. So, after getting their wonderful work, I came up with the idea to help bring it to the states. Around the same time, I stumbled upon Koyama Press out of Canada. And then a retailer friend made me aware of Malachi Ward’s self-published work. So, those three were my initial offering of AdDistro. I can’t say this will be around forever, but it is fun to bring to shows and see people get excited about it. I know I still do.

SP: You’ve recently had great success with both Afrodisiac and Duncan the Wonder Dog, the latter of which just won the LA Festival of the Book Graphic Novel prize. What books or projects are you excited about AdHouse being involved with in the coming year?

CP: All of them! But to bring you and your readers up to speed, here’s what we have planned… Even the Giants by Jesse Jacobs will be appearing in stores in around two weeks. We also decided to help bring Stuart Immonen’s Centifolia V2 to life. It, and the first volume, will be available by the end of May via AdHouse and finer comic shops. June is Welcome to Oddville! by Jay Stephens which I was very excited to help publish. July is Forming by Jesse Moynihan which I am VERY excited to read. You see, I’m just helping Nobrow bring it to stores in the US, so I haven’t actually read the whole thing. Just a bit on his site. I don’t want to spoil the experience for myself. August is Blue Collar / White Collar by Sterling Hundley. This is in the vein of the James Jean or Paul Pope books. More of an art book with some essays. Very nice stuff. September is the Do It Yourself Doodler by David Jablow. It’s a weird little art book that has been quite the internet sensation. And September is Pope Hats #2! Whew!

SP: You’ve been an anchor of Indie Island throughout the years and every year you’ve always got some interesting books and people with you at your booth. What are some things fans can expect to find at the AdHouse booth this HeroesCon?

CP: We’re bringing Lamar Abrams (REMAKE SPECIAL)

back down South with us this year. We both enjoy the food! Jim Rugg (AFRODISIAC) will be making an appearance. And, I just got an email from Fred Chao (JOHNNY HIRO) that he’ll be roaming the show. So expect those great people and books as well as all our other publications! And be sure to check out the fine AdDistro items! It’s all for the love of comics!

It’s time for Free Comic Book Day 2011! If you’ve been to Heroes for FCBD in the past you know it’s one of our biggest events of the year, and this year is no exception!  We’ll be open at our regular time of 10 a.m. and will have tons of Free Comics for you to pick up including a special HeroesCon Green Lantern Special Edition.  Take a look at all of this year’s free comic offerings!

2000 AD, Amazing Spider-Man, Atomic Robo & Friends, Avatar Last Airbender & Star Wars Clone Wars, Baltimore & Criminal Macabre, Bongo Comics Free For All, Captain America  & Thor, Civil War Adventure, Darkness 2 Prequel, Darkwing Duck & Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Deadliest Sharks & Prehistoric Predators, Elric: Balance Lost, Geronimo Stilton & Smurfs, Green Lantern Flashpoint, ICE & Loose Ends, Inspector Gadget, Intrepid Escapegoat & Stuff of Legend, Jake the Dreaming, James Patterson: Witch & Wizard, John Stanley Summer Fun, Kung Fu Panda & Richie Rich, Locke & Key, Misadventures of Adam West, Mouse Guard & Dark Crystal, MTG Path Planeswalker II Preview, Oni Rated Free For Everyone, Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics, Pep Comics Betty & Veronica, Silver Scorpion, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spontaneous, Super Dinosaur Origin Special, The Tick, Top Shelf Kids Club 2011, Walt Disney Mickey Mouse, Worlds of Aspen, Young Justice & Batman: Brave and the Bold Super Sampler.

This year we’re also happy to be one of the few stores to offer the first ever Sketch Charlotte: Free Comic Book Day Anthology!  This anthology features contributions from many of our talented local friends and customers. Sketch Charlotte’s own Eraklis Petmezas and Bridgit Scheide will be on hand to sign the anthology and some of their own quality books! They are just two of the talented creators that will be in attendance along with:

Chris Brunner – Co-creator of the FCBD offering LOOSE ENDS from 12 Gauge Comics. Artist on Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, cover artist on Boondock Saints and Nola

Ian Flynn – Writer on Sonic the Hedgehog including the FCBD issue and the upcoming Mega Man from Archie Comics

Sanford Greene – Creator of 1000 and Rotten Apple. Artist on Wonder Girl, Method Man, and Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man

Cully Hamner – Co-creator of Red. Artist on The Question, Blue Beetle, Batman: Tenses, The Ride, Daredevil, and Green Lantern: Mosaic

Jason Latour – Co-creator of the FCBD offering LOOSE ENDS from 12 Gauge Comics. Artist on Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Fist, and Daredevil

Laura Martin – Color artist on The Rocketeer, Astonishing X-Men, Planetary, Secret Invasion, Thor and The Stand

Eraklis Petmezas – Creator of Mr. Lune and Last Cigarette

Rico Renzi – Color artist on the FCBD offering LOOSE ENDS from 12 Gauge Comics, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Wolverine, Frenemy of the State, and Captain America. (I’ll mostly be making sure the real guests stay hydrated!)

Budd Root – Creator of Cavewoman

Bridgit Scheide – Creator of The Kindle Kind and Brother Nash

Chris Schweizer – Creator of The Crogan Adventures

Andy Smith – Artist on X-Men: Legacy, WWE Heroes, and Superman Confidential

Brian Stelfreeze – Artist on Wednesday Comics, Jonah Hex, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Matador and Domino

Matt Wilson – Color artist on the FCBD offering CAPTAIN AMERICA/THOR: THE MIGHTY FIGHTING AVENGERS, Y the Last Man, Phonogram, Thor the Mighty Avenger, and Wolverine

Please remember to be respectful of these folks! They are taking time out of their schedules and time away from their paying jobs to be here for all of us!

In addition to the talented artists who will be on hand to sketch and sign their work we’ll have lots of great bargains available for you on Saturday.  If you’ve been to our store in recent weeks you’ve noticed our fancy new redesign which moved the art books up front where the manga formerly was, and vice versa.  Instead of putting our overstock of this great manga collection in storage, we will be selling them outside at ridiculously low prices!  We also have over 100 long boxes of books that we’ll be selling for $1 and 25¢!  That’s over 25,000 comics to pick through and find books you might be missing from your collections!  Join us this Saturday for great comics, artists, and bargains!

Don’t forget that Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday! Make sure to stop by and pick up some of the industry’s great free offerings and get a few sketches from the talented comics pros we’ll have attendance. Two books we’re proud to be offering this year is DC’s Green Lantern Special Edition, which not only includes a Flashpoint preview, but also a snazzy HeroesCon banner on it! The other book you’ll definitely want to check out is Loose Ends, a fine southern crime book from 12 Gauge comics that was created by Charlotte artists Jason Latour, Chris Brunner, and Heroes’ own Rico Renzi! We’ll also be selling tickets for next month’s HeroesCon all day, so if you haven’t picked yours up yet make it a point to get them this Saturday! If you purchase your tickets Saturday, you’ll be able to choose a limited edition signed and numbered print from HeroesCons past. On to this week’s new releases!

1) Moon Knight #1

This week Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev start their take on Marvel’s vigilante with multiple personalities.  Apparently he’s relocated to the west coast and will begin assuming the personalities and traits of some of his Avengers cohorts. It should be interesting to see this creative pair take on one of Marvel’s odder heroes.

2) X-men: Prelude to Schism #1

The upcoming X-men: Schism miniseries from Jason Aaron and fan favorite artists like Frank Cho and Alan Davis is said to focus on the X-men dividing into separate camps over who should ultimately lead the mutants. A big throwdown between Wolverine and Cyclops will be a big part of the event, so see how the stage is set with this issue. This week’s prelude comes to you courtesy of Paul Jenkins and Robert De La Torre.

3) Stuff of Legend TP vol. 2: The Jungle

The acclaimed story of a band of loyal toys venturing forth to save their master continues in this second volume trade paperback. Featuring an interesting story from co-writers Mike Raicht and Brian Smith, and beautiful art from Charles Paul Wilson III, this book offers a unique twist on typical war stories, and has appeal for various kinds of readers.

4) Fear Itself #2

Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen return with the second issue of their Asgardian themed Marvel event. Tune in to this issue to see who might end up being a part of the Worthy and wield their own Serpent’s Hammer! See how the Marvel heroes deal with the God of Fear without the aid of Thor and the Asgardians!

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Captain America: First Vengeance #1, Fear Itself: Spider-man #1, Delirium’s Party: A Little Endless Storybook, and Brightest Day vol. 2 HC.

1) The Mighty Thor #1

Want to read something new that’s Thor-related before seeing the film next week?  The Thunder god gets a brand new title this week courtesy of regular series writer Matt Fraction and returning artist Olivier Coipel.  Fraction and Coipel appear to be starting the new title with a bang, as both the Silver Surfer and Galactus arrive in the Asgardian realm to wreck havoc.

2) Action Comics #900

Action Comics celebrates its’ milestone 900th issue with guest creators galore!  In addition to the regular creative team of Paul Cornell and Pete Woods, famed director Richard Donner, Lost creator Damon Lindelof, comic film scribe David Goyer, and HeroesCon ’11 guest Ryan Sook are all on hand for the celebration.  Plus, this issue includes what DC is calling “the ultimate Superman vs. Lex Luthor battle.”

3) Brightest Day #24

DC wraps up its’ Brightest Day series in a way that will inevitably build upon last issue’s revelations.  Wonder what’s going to happen to all the heroes who were resurrected after Blackest Night?  Still trying to figure out how Swamp Thing found his way back to DC Universe from Vertigo?  Curious about how the new champion of Earth will be chosen?  Check out this finale for answers to some of those questions and to find out where DC may be going next!

4) Avengers #12.1

Marvel continues its’ .1 initiative this week with the Avengers. These issues are perfect for jumping-on to a title without needing too much backstory.  This Brian Bendis and Bryan Hitch issue features the Avengers against lots of deadly Marvel villains, while also bringing the S.W.O.R.D. agency back to prominence.

5) Genius Isolated: Life and Art of Alex Toth HC

IDW releases the first in a trilogy of Alex Toth biographies this week.  Genius Isolated focuses on Toth’s early entries into animation, while documenting his personal story and how he developed his unique artistic philosophy.  The Eisner winning duo of Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell worked with Toth’s family to bring these biographies to life, and ending up finding many unpublished pages in the process.  This is a must have for art lovers and fans of comics history.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: RASL #10, FF #2, Flash #11, Justice League: Generation Lost #24 (the final issue!), Planet of the Apes #1, and Secret Avengers #’s 12 and 12.1.