HeroesCon 2011 was AMAZING! We would like to thank all the great (and polite) fans, talented (and good-looking) creators, accommodating (and well-stocked) exhibitors, and of course our amazing (and tireless) volunteers for another great Heroes Convention! Attendance was up from last year and we hope that everyone that came had a great time. HeroesCon always feels like a family reunion with a comic convention wrapped inside of it and we hope you get the same feeling. We hope all of our new “family members” will return for many years to come. We’ll be posting pictures and memories (send us your links!) from the show here on the blog so check back for that soon. Thanks again to everyone that made 2011 an unforgettable year for our show, don’t be strangers, and we’ll see you next year for our 30th Anniversary Heroes Convention, it’ll be a doozy!

Last chance for Advance 3-Day passes to HeroesCon 2011 that is! HeroesCon 2011 starts in 5 days! The deadline for purchasing these will be Tuesday, May 31 at 9:00 PM EST. Advance 3-Day passes entitle you to early entry every day of the convention (at our discretion). Every year we also give an signed and numbered print to advance pass holders and this year is no different! The 2011 incentive print features art by master of the macabre, Bernie Wrightson! Feast your peepers on a teaser of the art for this year’s print above. NOTE:  Prints are not guaranteed to be ready for pickup until possibly Friday evening or Saturday as Bernie has to sign over a 1000 of these bad boys when he gets into town. So, if you see Bernie, just say thank you and go easy on the handshakes!

In other convention news, we are working round the clock to get all of our small press listings up on the site and ready for our program books. Thank you for your patience! We are a small staff running a BIG convention and we are going to make sure everyone that attends the show this year has the time of their lives!

Table assignments for professionals, Indie Island and exhibitors are now up on the site, check them out! We can’t wait to see you all in just a few days!

Plan your weekend at HeroesCon, our complete event schedule has been posted!

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.

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.

Ed McGuinness is leading the charge on today’s guest list update! Ed’s Capcom-influenced art style has helped blur the lines between Eastern and Western interpretations of Marvel and DC’s iconic superheroes. With great runs on Deadpool, Superman, Superman/Batman, and The Hulk, Ed has made an indelible mark on mainstream American comic books. On top of all that, Ed is a great guy and we are very happy to have him back at HeroesCon.

Also joining us this year is Ed’s former editor at DC Comics, Eddie Berganza. Eddie is the executive editor of the DC Universe line. A 19-year veteran of DC, Berganza oversees high-profile events like Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, Blackest Night and their latest crossover event, Flashpoint.

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!

Another Free Comic Book Day has come and gone. While we are compiling our FCBD Photo Report, we’d like to thank everyone that came out on Saturday.  You guys make this event a pleasure. Whether you came to pick up some free comics, dig through our incredible 25₵ and $1 comic boxes, get a great sketch from your favorite creator, or just shop in our store, it was a delight to serve you all. Thanks also to all the great creators who donated their time; we love having you guys here and we will see you again in less than a month at HeroesCon! Which brings us to the massive guest list update that the title of today’s blog post suggests!

We are very happy to announce that Neal Adams will be attending HeroesCon 2011! Neal is a living legend known for bringing a realism to superhero comics that didn’t exist before his arrival. Illustrating classic comics like Green Lantern #76 (pictured), Strange Adventures (creating the definitive look for Deadman), and many more, Neal went on to be DC’s primary cover artist during the 70’s. He later went on to found Continuity Comics and most recently he is writing and illustrating Batman: Odyssey at DC Comics.

Scott Hampton’s gorgeous work was recently seen in the pages of Hellboy: The Sleeping and the Dead. Try to catch Scott painting on our art stage for the Annual Art Auction.  He always creates something spectacular!

Painter Erik Jones has quickly made a name for himself in comics with his gorgeous covers for books like Hack/Slash, Witchblade, and Unkown and is currently doing covers for the new Elric series.

Heidi MacDonald is the brains behind the fantastic comics news site The Beat. Always insightful and informative, she has guided the site through it’s many incarnations while remaining a great resource to the comics industry and it’s fans.

David Mack is an Eisner-nominated and New York Times bestselling painter, writer, and cartoonist behind Kabuki, The Shy Creatures, numerous Daredevil arcs, and much more.

Writer Ben McCool has been doing tons of work lately, namely Memoir, Captain America: The Korvac Saga, and Choker.

Chris Moreno’s work has appeared in Zombie Bomb 4: Dark Daze, Disney’s Toy Story for BOOM! Studios, The Minions of Ka from Arcana, and Paul Jenkins’ Sidekick from Image Comics.  His creator-owned character, Sanz Pantz: Ninja Platypus appears in the Popgun anthologies from Image.  His other comics credits include Alien Inventor, World War Hulk: Frontline, Dracula vs. King Arthur, Monkey in a Wagon vs. Lemur on a Big Wheel, The Last Sin of Mark Grimm, the webcomic Super Frat, and Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales.

Jeff Parker is no stranger to regular HeroesCon attendees or anyone that’s read a Marvel comic in the last few years for that matter! Since the success of his creator-owned The Interman, Jeff has gone on to write Hulk, Thunderbolts, Agents of Atlas and many other titles. One of my personal favorites is Mysterius the Unfathomable, with artist Tom Fowler.

We’re excited to welcome Tim Sale back to HeroesCon this summer. Besides extraordinarily popular books like Batman: The Long Halloween and Spider-Man: Blue, Tim also did the paintings (with Dave Stewart) for the Isaac character on the television series Heroes.

Also added today:

Jason “Spyda” Adams- sculptor

Josh Adams- creator of In the Garden of Steven: the tale of Adam, Eve & Steve, artist on House of Mystery #13.

Scott Hanna – inker of titles such as Detective Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, Nova and many other Marvel and DC comics.

Norman Lee – inker of titles such as X-Men, Namor, New Mutants, DCU Online Legends and many more.

Mike Lilly – artist on books like Black Terror, Annihilation Conquest: Quasar, Vampirella, Punisher, and Batman.

David Malki! is the author of the celebrated comic strip Wondermark, which repurposes illustrations and engravings from 19th-Century books into sarcastic, silly, and surreal collage-style comic strips. In 2008, the Wondermark book Beards of our Forefathers was nominated for the Eisner Award — the highest honor in comics — for “Best Humorous Publication.” He’s also the co-editor of the sci-fi anthology Machine of Death, which became a surprise bestseller in 2010 thanks to an innovative grassroots marketing campaign.

J.D. Mettler- colorist on Ex Machina, The Talisman, JSA, War Heroes, Down, and many more.

Bill Neville- artist and co-creator of the Explorers

Joe Pruett – Desperado Publishing

Jim Starlin – writer/ artist on titles like Dreadstar, Breed, Batman, Silver Surfer, Death of Captain Marvel and many more.

Gary Reed- is the author of many titles with the most notable being Saint Germaine, Renfield, Raven Chronicles, and Baker Street.

Sara Richard- artist on Zombie Bomb and sketch cards for Marvel’s Dangerous Divas and Betty Page.

Art Thibert- inker on titles such as Ulitmate Spider-Man, X-Factor, X-Men and many more.

Wayne Vansant- artist on The ‘Nam

Alexis Ziritt- creator of Rudo and Mekano Turbo. Founder of Fistful Apparel.

Joining our guest list today is Jeremy Bastian, creator of Cursed Pirate Girl, which has been called “our generation’s Alice in Wonderland.” It’s beautiful stuff, so do yourself a favor and visit his table!

We’re also happy to welcome Jeremy Haun back for another year. Not only is he good people, but he has drawn some great comics like Arkham Reborn, Detective Comics, and Gotham City Sirens.

We even have some great guests who aren’t named Jeremy! Also joining us this year are Jim Amash (Alter Ego magazine, Jughead, Sonic Universe, Archie and Friends), June Brigman (Power Pack, Barbie, Brenda Starr), Pat Broderick (Micronauts, Batman, Firestorm), Doug Dabbs (Holliday, Resurrection, White Wolf ), Roy Richardson (Brenda Starr, Tomorrow Knights), and Alex Saviuk (Spider-Man newspaper strip, Web of Spider-Man, Stan Lee’s Mighty Seven)

Hey folks! Let’s start the week off with another great guest list update!

Artist Kevin Maguire has a unique ability for bringing comedic expression to superhero comics. His work on titles like Justice League International, Formerly Known As The Justice League, Metal Men, and many more have made him a fan-favorite since he burst on to the comics scene winning the 1988 Eisner for  Best Art Team (with Al Gordon) and The Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award that same year.

Jeff Johnson and Dan Panosian are co-founders (along with already announced HeroesCon guest Dave Johnson) of the Drink and Draw Social Club or D.D.S.C. for short. Jeff has worked in comics for most of his life. Pencilling titles like Wonderman, The Amazing Spider-man, Green Lantern, Way of the Rat, and Weapon X. Recently he made the move to a full time career in animation and has worked on such cartoons as The Boondocks, Spectacular Spider-man, Brave and the Bold, Young Justice and Transformers Prime. A few of Dan’s credits include great covers for Irredeemable from Boom Studios, X-Factor Forever and X-Men Origins: Sabretooth for Marvel.

Scott Kolins has been a professional artist and has drawn for nearly every publisher (including Lucasfilm) but is best known for his critically acclaimed run drawing The Flash, The Avengers, JSA, Thor and Rogues Revenge. Scott recently has written and drawn for DC Comics on Solomon Grundy and the upcoming Flashpoint: Citizen Cold. Scott is a life-long comics fan and loves making comics.

Alessandro Vitti got his start in the art world collaborating with famous Italian cartoonist Giuseppe Palumbo but it was his 2007 work for French imprint Soleil got him international notice. His art on Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Warriors was his first for Marvel. He has also worked on Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural and Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box.

Tsunami Studios are returning to HeroesCon in 2011! Joining  Randy Green (already announced), will be Rick Ketcham (Runaways, Uncanny X-Men), Robert Atkins (Legion of Superheroes, Snake-Eyes Declassified), Kelly Yates (Amber Atoms, Doctor Who), Steve Bird (Robin, Blue Beetle), John Wycough (G.I. Joe, Transformers), Garry McKee (Warhammer 40K), Jason Walker (Sword and Scorcery).