This Saturday and Sunday Heroes’ own Rico Renzi and Seth Peagler will be in Bethesda, Maryland for this year’s Small Press Expo.  We’ll be there promoting HeroesCon’s 30th Anniversary, and will have plenty of fliers and info about the show.  If you’re interested in talking with us about reserving a small press table of your own, we’ll also be happy to assist you with that.  So if you happen to be at SPX, make sure to find us and say ‘hi.’  This year’s lineup includes talent like Jim Woodring, Johnny Ryan, Jim Rugg, Chester Brown, and Craig Thompson will be on hand to debut his long awaited followup to Blankets called Habibi.  Also on hand will be our friends from AdHouse Books, Heroes alumi/cartoonist Dustin Harbin, and more.  We’re glad to be attending, and hope to see some of you there!

Dig that Jim Rugg program cover!

A few years ago, the Heroes Discussion Group focused its insatiable energies on Persepolis—Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about coming of age in Iran.  After we talked at length about the comic, we sat down in the back of the store, turned off the lights and watched the animated feature-length adaptation.

We were hoping to do the same thing with Dan Clowes‘ coming of age classic Ghost World.

HOWEVER…..

Unlike Persepolis, he 2001 film adaptation starring Thora Birch as the irrepressible Enid, Steve Buscemi as Seymour and Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca is a bit too R-Rated to show on the TV screens of a family-friendly store like Heroes–especially on a Saturday which is prime G and PG shopper time.

We apologize for this change in plans, but considering the overall situation, it is the only decision we can make.

So, please plan to join us on Saturday September 24^th at 1:00pm as we discuss  Daniel Clowes’ star-making Graphic Novel, Ghost World.

If you have seen the movie or plan to see the movie– fantastic. As we did with Scott Pilgrim, Walking Dead and V for Vendetta, if everyone has attending the discussion has seen the film, we will explore one of our favorite topics in Discussionland–adaptation.

But….

this is a Comic Discussion Group first and fore-most.  If you have not seen the film, but want to come to discuss the book, plan to attend.

Our topics will include:

• How is the story serviced by the medium of comics?
• Is Clowes’ depiction of teen age girls accurate and believable?
• Is the story universal or is it a product of its era?
• A discussion of the colors in the film versus the two tone world of the comic
• Clowes’ drawing style and how it affects the story and the readers

Fantagraphics has just published a Special Edition Hardcover Ghost World which Heroes is offering at the usual 10% Discussion Group discount.  Just don’t forget to mention the Discount when you check out.

We will see you on September 24^th at 1:00pm and remember to bring an open mind

Thanks to all that came by to say hello, talk about HeroesCon 2012, or buy some comics, it was great seeing everyone. We had a great time in Baltimore, thank you Marc Nathan!

We’ll be heading to Raleigh, NC next Sunday, August 28th and bringing our talented artist friends, Chris Brunner (Loose Ends, Static Shock, Batman, Legends of the Dark Knight) and Bridgit Scheide (Brother Nash, Kindle Kind). Of course we’ll be bringing great comics too! Find out more about the show here.  See you there!

     Don’t forget that this Saturday, August 13 we’ll be hosting our first discussion group since HeroesCon, and are kicking things off with a doozy!  Be at the store at 1 p.m. this Saturday as our fearless Discussion Group leader Andy Mansell leads us through Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta.  This book was highly influential on comics readers when it debuted in the ’80’s, and remains a relevant work in the post 9/11 world.  Just why does this Thatcher era comic still matter to us today?  Is it only a political comic, or is this just another classic example of Moore’s use of analogy?  If this book is meant to symbolize something beyond the political and cultural landscape of the era in which it was produced, what might it be?  Join Andy for an enlightening examination of a true comics classic.  See you on Saturday!

Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find is on the road again but this time we don’t have to go far! Sunday, July 31 is the Charlotte Comicon and this great one-day show is in our own backyard. The Charlotte Comicon is a fun, family-friendly show and Dave Hinson and Rick Fortenberry do a great job putting together this quarterly convention. This is the perfect place to dig for bargains and meet some local comic creators. They have a bunch of great guests in attendance, like

• Andy Smith
• Budd Root
• Bradd Parton
• John Aston
• John Hartness
• Al Bigley
• Elf
• Eraklis Petmezas
• Bridgit Scheide
• Buddy Prince
• Rick Ketcham
• John Wycough
• Brian Shearer
• & more!

Check out their website for the full list. The convention also provides free parking at the Cowne Plaza Hotel parking deck.

Charlotte Comicon
December 19, 2010
10 am to 4 pm
Admission is $3, Kids 12 and under get in FREE!
Crowne Plaza Hotel
201 S. McDowell St
Charlotte, NC 28204

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Loose Ends #1 release party on last Wednesday! Also, thanks to Chris Brunner and Jason Latour for coming out to the store and signing tons of books and prints for everyone! The event was such a success that we sold out of the regular edition of Loose Ends #1!

We have them back and stock now, so if you weren’t able to make it out to the event you can still get all the items we had on hand with the Loose Ends #1 “Neon Noir” 3-Pack now available in the Heroes Web Store!

The Loose Ends #1 “Neon Noir” 3-Pack includes 1 of each of the following:

• Loose Ends #1 Signed by all 3 creators
• Loose Ends #1 Signed, Black & White “Virgin” Cover
• 11″x 17″ Signed and Numbered,Limited Edition of 50, 2-Color Silk Screen Poster

Domestic Orders Only!

It’s that time again! San Diego Comic-Con is upon us and Shelton will be heading out first thing Wednesday morning to join the frenzy. He’s scouting for great guests for Heroes Convention’s big 30th anniversary show next year, June 22nd – 24th! If you have any sugestions for the boss be sure to let us know by e-mailing me here. If any of our loyal custies have any requests for comic-con exclusives they can e-mail me directly. Keep in mind that all requests are limited by availability and time constraints, so you might not get what you request even if you throw your hat in the ring first. But if you don’t ask you’ll never know! So be sure to send in any requests before Friday the 22nd and Shelton will do his best (assisted by the ever-gleeful Matt Knapik!) to fufill your wish lists. And don’t forget to wish our very own Bridgit “Good Luck!” while she’s at the convention promoting her web comic, Brother Nash.

In the post 9/11 world, what is more important freedom or safety?  Imagine how your attitude could change as you get older and have children? V for Vendetta tackles all of these tough concepts and does it in an extremely entertaining and exciting way. How does the Reagan/Thatcher era play out to today’s reading audiences? But let’s put politics aside (good luck with that) and just focus on the comic itself.  Writer Alan Moore and artist David Lloyd are both at the top of their game and it is up to us to examine this masterpiece of comic art.

• OK, for September (watch this space for scheduled dates and times) — we will sit down to discuss Dan Clowes’ fabulous coming-of-age graphic novel Ghost World. After we’ve dissected the book, we will re-group in the store and watch the movie adaptation.  We did this once before a few years ago for Persepolis and it resulted in one of our best discussions.

We look forward to seeing you.  If you’ve never been to one of the discussions, please consider joining us.  If you come, there is no pressure to participate.  All we ask is that you read the assigned book (and once in a while, see the assigned movie) before the meeting and as always bring an open mind.

 1) Loose Ends #1

By now you should know we’re having a signing/release party for this book featuring the creators today from 12-2 and again from 5-8.  Why else is Loose Ends being spotlighted this week? Simply put, creators Jason Latour, Chris Brunner, and Rico Renzi are all strong (and humble) talents who have been working in comics for years, and are really putting their individual and collective all into this book.  Beyond that, the first issue is a finely crafted example of crime comics, and showcases each creator’s unique strenghts.  Come by the store, buy a copy and get a FREE silk screen print, talk to the guys, and help us celebrate the accomplishement of some great local creators.

2) Captain America #1

Marvel has done a good job of offering jumping-on points for new readers that coincide with theatrical releases.  With the Cap film set to hit next week, Marvel offers up a new Cap title courtesy of regular series writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve McNiven.  Brubaker’s Cap run has been consistently solid from the beginning, and I’m curious to see how McNiven’s style will lend itself to this new title.

3) Ultimate Comics Fallout #1

Are you a longtime fan of Marvel’s Ultimate line of books?  Were you shocked, stunned, or awed by their recent decision to kill Ultimate Spider-man?  Are you scratching  your head trying to figure out who will spin the webs as the new Ultimate Spider-man? Brian Bendis and Mark Bagley kick off this six issue miniseries that will answer lots of your questions and set the stage for the new Ultimate stories.

4) Batman: The Dark Knight #3

Writer/artist David Finch continues his popular Batman series this week that features not only the Dark Knight, but also Etrigan the Demon, and Ragman, always one of my favorite C-list characters.  Many Bat fans have taken to Finch’s dark interpretation of the character, so much so that DC will relaunch the book with Finch still at the helm as part of their upcoming company-wide reboot.

5) X-men: Schism #1

It’s been a few years since I’ve regularly read an X-men title, but Marvel is getting me and lots of other people to take a look at that corner of their universe with this new miniseries.  Featuring the reliable talent of writer Jason Aaron, the series’ five issues are illustrated by the likes of Carlos Pacheco, Frank Cho, Alan Davis, Adam Kubert, and Daniel Acuna.  Focusing on a dividing rift between the X-men, this series leads directly into two brand new X-titles, Uncanny X-men by Kieron Gillen and Carlos Pacheco, and Wolverine and the X-men by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Jonathan Hickman’s The Red Wing #1, Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1, Ghost Rider #1, Batman HC: Bruce Wayne the Road Home, Hellboy: The Fury #2, Lady Mechanika #2, and Flashpoint titles galore (Citizen Cold #2, Deathstroke #2, Emporer Aquaman #2, and Frankenstein #2).