Archive for the ‘Schedule’

HEROESCON 2022 COSPLAY EVENTS SCHEDULE

June 18, 2022 By: Karla Southern Category: DISCUSS, EVENTS, Feast Your Eyes, HeroesCon, NEWS, Now Read This!, Schedule

HEROESCON 2022 COSPLAY EVENTS SCHEDULE

all will take place in Hall C near the cosplay stage

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

  • 2:00-4:00 Cosplay First Aid Station Open Hours (not to be confused with injury first aid!)
  • 2:00 – 3:00 Basic Puppet Techniques hands-on workshop by Cher Lambeth, Former Puppet Builder at The Jim Henson Company. Capped at 20; supplies available on the spot for $6.
  • 3:00-4:00 Cosplay Masquerade Registration
  • 4:00 Friday Cosplay Masquerade hosted by DJ Spider 

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

  • 2:00-4:00 Cosplay First Aid Station Open Hours (not to be confused with injury first aid!)
  • 3:00-4:00 Cosplay Masquerade Registration
  • 4:00 Saturday Cosplay Masquerade hosted by Kalliste Cosplay
  • Group cosplay photo shoot on outdoor stairs immediately following Masquerade

 SUNDAY, JUNE 26

  • Noon-2:00 Cosplay First Aid Station Open Hours (not to be confused with injury first aid!)
  • 1:00-2:00 Cosplay Masquerade Registration
  • 2:00 Sunday Cosplay Masquerade hosted by Amberle Linnea
  • Group cosplay photo shoot on outdoor stairs immediately following Masquerade

More information on here: https://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/costume/

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HeroesCon 2022 Panels & Programming

June 18, 2022 By: Karla Southern Category: EVENTS, Feast Your Eyes, HeroesCon, HeroesCon Panels, NEWS, Now Read This!, Schedule

HC-2022-FANT-40-LOGO

HEROESCON 2022

PANEL SCHEDULE 

FRIDAY

1:00PM

ROOM 201 

SCAD 1 MINI-COMICS: a LITTLE FUN

Cartoonist and SCAD professor DAVID ALLAN DUNCAN leads students young and old through the process of drawing, producing, and distributing mini-comics! Learn about the the planning,

storytelling, and drawing that goes into making a mini-comic. Create a mini and a little

sketchbook during the workshop. Materials provided, so come join the fun!

 

1:00 pm 

Room 205

COMIC CENSORSHIP 

AARON KASHTAN leads a panel on Comics censorship, part of a national discussion due to a ban on Art Spiegelman’s Maus by the McMinn County, Tennessee school board in January. Why are comics suddenly being banned again? What are the underlying reasons behind contemporary comics bans, and how is the current anti-comics campaign similar to or different from earlier ones? Most importantly, how can we fight comics censorship?  We are tackling this problem from various perspectives — a scholar/teacher, two public librarians, and a university librarian. Laura Vallejo, Clay Freeman and others join Aaron. DON’T MISS THIS!!!

 

1:00 PM

Room 207AB 

BRAVO FOXTROT

The writer/artist/creator of the Sunday comic FOXTROT, BILL AMEND talks with TOM HEINTJES in a career spanning interview. We will make sure Jason keeps Quincy on a leash! And if you see Roger with a chess board, run quickly in the other direction.

 

1:00 pm 

Room 208 

LARRY HAMA and CARL POTTS in Conversation

From GI JOE to ALIEN LEGION, THE ‘NAM to THE PUNISHER, CONAN to LAST OF THE DRAGONS – LARRY HAMA and CARL POTTS have a combined count of more guns, swords, bombs, lasers, and explosions per career comics page than anyone else in the field. They also helped launch an entire Hall of Fame of comics creators’ careers (Jim Lee, Mike Mignola, etc.). Moderator GREG MATIASEVICH (MULTIVERSITY COMICS) gets these two legendary editors/creators talking about their careers and how they changed comics forever!

 

2:00PM

Room 206B

STAR WARS DRAW

Let’s draw with Star Wars cartoonist JAMIE COSLEY, whose comic strip The Light Side has appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine since 2017.  Learn how to draw Darth Vader, baby Yoda, Ewoks, and more! Step by step instructions that are super fun and easy to follow! 

 

2:30PM

Room 201

SCAD 2

How to Take Advantage of Clip Studio Paint and Perspective Rulers with SCAD professor JOHN LOWE

This workshop will teach you how to set up one, two, and three-point perspective rulers in Clip

Studio Paint (CSP). Other valuable and time-saving CSP tools will also be demonstrated.

 

2:30PM 

Room 205

PODCAST 101

Want to start a podcast but don’t know how? Have a podcast and want to get to the next level?

Discover the how’s and why’s of podcasting. Get tips on equipment, improving your on-mic performance, promotion, and more with a panel of veteran podcasters:

Terence Dollard – Professor, Dept. of Mass Communication at UNC Pembroke; producer/host Comic Culture.

Darrin Sutherland – Ruth Sutherland co-hosts of Trekker Talk.  

Derek William Crabbe – Host, Fanholes Podcast & History of Comics on Film

Jarrod Albriech –Pat Sampson Co-hosts of Longbox Crusade Podcast.

 

2:30pm

Room 207AB

CARTOONIST KAYFABE IS LIVE!!!!

CARTOONIST KAYFABE’S JIM RUGG and ED PISKOR bring their expert comic book analysis back to Heroes!!

 

2:30 pm 

Room 208  

JONATHAN HICKMAN and SKOTTIE YOUNG in Conversation

BADR MILLIGAN sits down with two greats of modern comics: JONATHAN HICKMAN (Secret Wars, East of West) and SKOTTIE YOUNG (Strange Academy, I Hate Fairyland).

 

3:30 pm 

Room 206B 

QuickDraw—A HeroesCon tradition with your host—Miss Fancy PANTS! 

We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and all of your feverish inspiration. Then we have an Art Instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the following age categories: 10 and under, 11-15, and 16 and up. The Quick-draw is held on all three days, so we need those pencils back!! Be there! Pencil purloiners will be persecuted persistently.

 

4:00PM

Room 201

SCAD 3 INTRODUCTION TO STORYBOARDS

What is a storyboard and why is storyboarding important for creators? SCAD professor RAY GOTO leads an introductory class on its uses in visual storytelling. While the use of storyboards is not new, it has become much more popular in recent years thanks to increased attention to video content, motion design, filmmaking, and all things interactive. All skill levels are welcome. 

 

4:00PM

Room 207AB

A WRITER’S LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF COMICS

de’Angelo DIA moderates a talk with DAVID WALKER (Bitter Root), NANCY COLLINS (Swamp Thing), MATT KINDT (Mind MGMT), and STEPHANIE WILLIAMS (Nubia) about their experiences as professional writers. 

 

4:00 pm 

Room 208 

MARVEL EDITORS

Marvel Methods: Behind the Scenes with Marvel Editors: What’s it like to be an editor at Marvel? We’ll get an inside perspective from two of Marvel’s illustrious editors: Howard Mackie and Louise Simonson. They’ll tell us how Marvel has changed over the years and look at the hits (and also a few of the misses) from their time as editors. We’re all living in the Marvel universe these days, and our editors will help us understand how it developed. Moderated by MIKE KOBRE.

 

5:30 pm 

Room 205

SUPERHERO MOVIES**AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!!!

 

NERD SKOOL’s MIGHTY MOVIE MADNESS TOURNAMENT OF MIGHTINESS

Make your voice heard in deciding the most essential superhero films of all! Join the The Nerd Skool Podcast team: Joe Hunsaker, Andy Hunsaker, Tiffany Bryant-Jackson, Arthur “ArtStar” Lovely as they run a MARCH Madness-style tournament pitting comic-based films against each other, and your votes will determine the winners! Support your favorites! Defend your underdogs! Be on the podcast!

 

5:30 pm 

Room 207AB 

INKPULP INSTRUCTION PRESENTS:

TURNING YOUR ART INTO A CAREER

With 

SHAWN CRYSTAL, SANFORD GREENE, and JIM MAHFOOD

 

Shawn Crystal will be joined by fellow professional artists Sanford Greene and Jim Mahfood as they share their individual journeys of becoming professional artists, how they found interest in art, developed their skills to a professional level, and ultimately made their dreams come true. Please join us as we delve deep into the origin stories of these esteemed artists, and learn how you can do the same. Inkpulp Instruction is an online art school, where you learn directly from the pros you love and admire. Check them out at inkpulpinstruction.com.

 

7:00 pm – the convention is closed for the day, but don’t go far!

 

7:30 pm— THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY HEROESCON DRINK AND DRAW AT THE WESTIN PROVIDENCE BALLROOM!

COME CREATE SOME GREAT MEMORIES, BUY SOME GREAT ART AND HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR TEAM CUL DE SAC AND PARKINSON’S RESEARCH! 

 

SATURDAY

11:00am

Room 201  

SCAD Instructional: DEVELOPING A PITCH PACKET

DANIELLE CHUATICO will show how to break into the traditional publishing industry with your graphic novel pitch packet!

 

Room 205 

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) in the DC and Marvel Silver Age

PROFESSOR ZYG FURMANIUK takes us all to school; the school motto: 

Cum Real Scientia est magna Cura “With Real Science comes great Responsibility”

It wasn’t just lab accidents and adamantium – sometimes it was an actual gravitational free fall problem or a sulfur-selenium exchange reaction.  Whether the science was astoundingly correct or hilariously wrong it functioned as the gateway drug to careers in STEM for the generation that grew up and created personal computers and mapped the human genome.  We’ll keep the math to the minimum as we look at how chemistry and physics were depicted, the people behind it, and the comic book influences on Stephen Jay Gould, one of the most popular science writers of his day.

 

11:00am

Room 205

COLLECTOR’S ESTATE PLANNING  “So Dad Was a Collector….”

Significant Estates, Pedigree Markets, and Getting the Most Out of Lifelong Collections

Daniel Yezbick of Wildwood College,  Tom Eyssell of the University of Missouri-St Louis, and  Michael Wotka, an Independent Golden Age Collector and Consultant, introduce you to strategic planning for bequeathment, liquidation, and donation of large collections. 

 

11:00am

Room 208

POWER PACK unPACKED

Get your regular baby-sitter to come over to watch your real kids so we can spend an hour looking back with the co-creators of Marvel’s POWER PACK, LOUISE SIMONSON and JUNE BRIGMAN. Moderated by TERENCE DOLLARD. Will Mary Worth show up to offer super-child rearing tips?

 

12:30pm

Room 205

SCAD 5  CREATIVE CHARACTER DESIGN Instructional

Professor BRIAN RALPH teaches students a variety of character design and drawing techniques in this fast paced hands on workshop.  Building from simple shapes and iconic silhouettes, Ralph

will have participants thinking and drawing in new and exciting ways.  Roll up your sleeves and

let’s create the next hit comic character! Fun for all ages and all drawing skill levels.

 

12:30pm

Room 207AB

ALL AGES COMICS

Many of today’s most popular comics are not periodical comic books, but young adult, middle grade, and children’s graphic novels. In this panel, AARON KASHTAN talks with guests JOEY WEISER (Dragon Racer), JEFFREY BROWN (Darth Vader and Son), CHRIS SCHWEIZER (The Creeps), and CARA MCGEE (Over the Garden Wall) about the kids’ graphic novel market and how it differs from traditional comic books. Why have children’s graphic novels become so popular? How is working for graphic novels different from working for comic books? What  should readers and aspiring creators know about the  future of all ages comics? 

 

12:30pm

Room 207AB

WORLD BUILDING with CHARLES VESS and DAVID PETERSEN

BADR MILLIGAN talks with two giants of illustration, CHARLES VESS (Sandman, The Books of Earthsea) and DAVID PETERSEN (Mouse Guard, The Wind in the Willows). 

 

12:30pm

Room 208

BEFORE THE INFINITY WAR: The Avengers and the Kree-Skrull War: 

Audiences all over the world have seen The Avengers and a whole universe of heroes fight Thanos. But what was the first great universe-spanning saga in the history of Marvel? Join us for a celebration of the 51-year anniversary of the Kree-Skrull War in The Avengers #89-97 from 1971. This revolutionary run of issues brought together a whole universe of characters for the first time in a single extended storyline. We’ll talk about the Kree-Skrull War with its co-creator, legendary Marvel writer and editor ROY THOMAS. Along the way, we’ll hear about Roy’s work with the late Neal Adams, who drew crucial chapters of the storyline, and about Roy’s career at Marvel, beginning when he joined the company in the 60s and worked as Stan Lee’s “left-hand man.” Avengers Assemble! Moderated by MIKE KOBRE.

 

2:00pm

Room 205 Interview/Panel Discussion.

The 2022 HEROES MEGA PANEL Recommended for MATURE audiences

 

“Believe It or Burn!”: Comics, Religion, and Spirituality.

Attendees: Kayla E., Shakeisha Holton Gray, Andrew Kunka, Noah Van Sciver.

Moderators: Craig Fischer, Jennie Law, Ben Towle.

 

This year’s Heroes Con mega-panel—the first in three years!—explores the intersection of comics with issues of faith and belief. We’ll interview cartoonist Noah Van Sciver about his forthcoming graphic biography Joseph Smith and the Mormons (Abrams), while artist and graphic designer Kayla E. will talk about the spiritual themes in her paintings and upcoming comics memoir Precious Rubbish (Fantagraphics). Then Kayla will join Minister Shakeisha Holton Gray (Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church) and Professor Andrew Kunka (University of South Carolina, Sumter) for a roundtable discussion about Justin Green’s classic underground comic Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary. Plus: mega-panel co-organizer Jennie Law on versions of the Devil depicted in comic books, and co-organizer Ben Towle on convincing and less-so fictional comic-book religions, with a look at The Replacement God, The Incal, and more. Join us for worship! Recommended for MATURE audiences

 

2:00pm

Room 206B 

STAR WARS QUICK DRAW

Let’s draw with Star Wars cartoonist JAMIE COSLEY, whose comic strip The LIght Side has appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine since 2017. Learn how to draw Darth Vader, baby Yoda, Ewoks, and more! Step by step instructions that are super fun and easy to follow!

 

2:00pm

Room 207AB

THOR

Midgard’s own JASON WHEATLEY talks to WALT SIMONSON and RON FRENZ about their legendary contributions to the Asgardian Avenger.

 

3:00pm

Room 201

RE-DEFINING THE MODERN AGE OF COMICS

With the term “Modern Age” still being used to describe comics as far back as 1986’s WATCHMEN and DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, it’s high time for new ways to label work from both that era and all the eras since! Come give your YOUR thoughts & ideas in this brainstorming 

session moderated by Greg Matiasevich (MULTIVERSITY COMICS) and refereed by the Nerd Skool Podcast faculty!

 

3:00pm

Room 207AB 

BITTER ROOT

Bitter Root follows the Sangerye family of monster hunters during the Harlem renaissance as they fight enemies both societal and supernatural in this action-packed adventure. Creators CHUCK BROWN, DAVID WALKER and SANFORD GREENE discuss their culturally relevant comic with JASON WOOD (11 O’Clock Comics Podcast).

 

4:00pm

Room 206B 

QuickDraw—A HeroesCon tradition with your host: FANCY PANTS!!

We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and your feverish inspiration. Then we have an Art Instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the following age categories 10 and under, 11-15, and 16 and up. The QuickDraw is held on all three days, so we need those pencils back!! TSA Officials will be on site to make sure those pencils never make it past the graphite detectors. Do you think pencils grow on trees??? oh wait….

 

4:00pm

Room 208

JOHN ROMITA Jr. HOWARD MACKIE and SCOTT HANNA In conversation

TERENCE DOLLARD moderates what is sure to be a memorable discussion with these AM influential creators. 

 

4:30pm

Room 201

SUPERHERO TV PROGRAMS**AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!!!

NERD SKOOL’s SUPERHERO STREAMING SERIES MADNESS TOURNAMENT

Make your voice heard in deciding the most essential superhero TV shows of all-time! Join the The Nerd Skool Podcast team: Joe Hunsaker, Andy Hunsaker, Tiffany Bryant-Jackson, Arthur “ArtStar” Lovely as they run a Madness-style tournament pitting comic-based films against each other, and your votes will determine the winners! Support your favorites! Defend your underdogs! Be on the podcast!  

 

4:30pm

Room 205

CARTOON VEHICLES

Iconic Rides, Super Cars, and Villainous Vehicles: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest

Mechanical Conveyances in Comics and Culture  

What drives a hero, or rather, what does a hero drive? Join us for a high octane survey

of the most beloved and utterly ridiculous muscle cars, invisible jets, and star cruisers in

comics and culture, including colossal Kirby contraptions, shameless franchise

accessories, and impossibly cool rides, custom jobs, and cosmic jalopies of every size,

stripe, and genre! Did we forget your favorite? Let us know and keep the gearhead

geekery going!

Your PIT CREW:

Daniel Yezbick, Wildwood College St Louis, MO   

Jonathan Alexandratos, Queensborough Community College NY, NY

Tom Eyssell, U of Missouri-St Louis  

Michael Phoenix, St Louis Public Schools  

HEROES will not validate parking!!!

 

4:30PM

Room 208

JIM STARLIN

CARTOONIST KAYFABE’S ED PISKOR and JIM RUGG join JIM STARLIN for a scintillating hour with the comics legend!

 

6:00 pm CONVENTION FLOOR CLOSES

HOWEVER!!!!

COME ON OVER TO THE WESTIN GRAND BALLROOM AND SPEND SOME HARD-EARNED SCRATCH ON SOME REALLY GREAT ORIGINAL ART. BIDDING BEGINS AT 8:00, BUT THE GAWKING BEGINS NOW!!!!! 

 

SUNDAY

12:00pm

Room 201

SCAD 6: Instructional

TOY DESIGN: JOHN LARISON will talk about and show you the different media applicable to

sculpting toys traditionally. Sculpting is not easy, but it is definitely fun. John will let those who come to his workshop play with the material and tools and learn about the cost involved for the materials.

 

12:00pm

Room 205

ADHOUSE @ 20

All hail CHRIS PITZER owner/publisher/editor of ADHOUSE COMICS! Come celebrate one of the most important figures in Indie Comics alongside AdHouse creators JIM RUGG, KATHRYN IMMONEN, STUART IMMONEN, and ALEXIS ZIRITT. Hosted by the inimitable DUSTIN HARBIN.

 

12:00pm

Room 207AB

DC WRITERS

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS (Nubia), STEPHANIE PHILLIPS (Harley Quinn), and CHUCK BROWN (Aquamen), with moderator NANCY NORTHCOTT (Con-Tinual Comics Lair), discuss their careers, current projects, and their time in the comics industry.

 

12:00pm

Room 208

X-TRAVAGANZA

Legendary X-men creators CHRIS CLAREMONT and LOUISE SIMONSON spend an hour with CARTOONIST KAYFABE’s ED PISKOR.

 

1:00pm

Room 206B

STAR WARS DRAW

Let’s draw with Star Wars cartoonist JAMIE COSLEY, whose comic strip The Light Side has appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine since 2017. Learn how to draw Darth Vader, baby Yoda, Ewoks, and more! Step by step instructions that are super fun and easy to follow!

 

1:30pm

Room 201 Recommended for MATURE audiences

MEMOIRS in COMICS: I’ll Be My Mirror: The Philosophy and Practice of Memoir Comics.

 

JEFFREY BROWN, KAYLA E., NOAH VAN SCIVER  Moderator: Craig Fischer

What motivates an artist to make their life a central subject of their art? Does autobiography

allow a creator to revisit and reshape the past in order to achieve catharsis or closure? How does it feel to design a cartoon self-portrait, and then to draw and redraw hundreds of these self-portraits in the pages of a comic book or graphic novel? Is it ever unethical to borrow characters and situations from real life? These are just a few of the questions that moderator Craig Fischer will pose to three superlative autobiographical comics artists: Jeffrey Brown (Loved and Lost: A Relationship Trilogy), Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish), and Noah Van Sciver (Blammo, One Dirty Tree).

 

1:30pm

Room 207AB

LARRY HAMA– A real American Comic Book Classic!

LARRY HAMA talks about the 40th anniversary of G.I. JOE with Cobra’s own DOUG MERKLE.

 

1:30pm

Room 205

IN PICTOPIA

DONALD SIMPSON and ANDY KUNKA take a deep dive into one of the BEST short comics ever produced: the Simpson drawn IN PICTOPIA. If you haven’t read In Pictopia yet, please do so. If you have then we know you will be here for this epic discussion

 

1:30pm

Room 208

SPIDER-MAN

JASON WHEATLEY talks with RON FRENZ and MARK BAGLEY – two of the best Spidey artists ever! How can Jason possibly screw this up? Come and see!

 

2:30pm

Room 206B

QuickDraw—A HeroesCon tradition. 

We give you #2 pencils and Bristol board; you give us 20 minutes and your feverish inspiration. Then we have an Art Instructor judge the results and we, in turn, give the winner some fabulous prizes. It’s a win-win. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the following age categories 10 and under, 11-15, and 16 and over. The QuickDraw is held EVERY YEAR, so we need those pencils back!! We’ve placed state of the art nano-technology tracking devices on each and every pencil. If you get itchy fingers, we’ll sniff you out and prosecute you to the full extent of the law. But before all that– have fun!  

 

3:00pm

Room 205 Interview.

SHELTON DRUM and the 40th ANNIVERSARY of HEROESCON

Shelton Drum was a busy young man: he began buying and selling comics in the early 1970s,

started the Charlotte Mini-Con in 1977, and opened his first brick-and-mortar comic shop—the

first location of what would become Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find—in 1980. But another of his

signature achievements was the founding of the Heroes Convention in 1982, which turns forty

this year. Over the decades, HeroesCon has become one of the premiere comics events in the

United States, and Shelton has been at the center of it all, hearing the stories, bonding with

creators, dealers, and fans, and sometimes navigating the event through controversies and

difficulties, most recently its two-year Covid shutdown. Join Shelton and interviewer Craig

Fischer for an in-depth talk about the history (and future!) of HeroesCon, and bring your own

questions to ask Shelton too!

 

ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT:

6:00 pm CONVENTION ENDS 

See you next year for HEROESCON 2023!

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HEROESCON UPDATE :: APRIL 2, 2021

April 02, 2021 By: Karla Southern Category: DISCUSS, EVENTS, Exhibitors, Feast Your Eyes, Guest List, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, Looking Ahead, NEWS, Now Read This!, Schedule, Uncategorized

HC2020-UPDATE

June 2022 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the Heroes Convention!

You know that after TWO YEARS of pandemic handcuffs, we will pull out ALL THE STOPS and make HeroesCon 2022 one FOR THE AGES!

“A June bug flew from the warmth he once knew,
And I wished for once I weren’t right,
Why we used to laugh together,
And we’d dance to any old song,”
From “Far From Me” by John Prine

The past several months have seen us all stuck in LIMBO, quietly watching COVID-19 numbers rise and fall as restrictions fluctuate across the country, never knowing what the next month might hold.

It is after careful consideration for the HEALTH and SAFETY of EVERYONE, we have made the decision to FAST FORWARD directly to HeroesCon 2022.

ALL 2020/2021 HeroesCon Tickets, Artist Alley Tables and Exhibitor Booth Reservations will automatically transfer to the 2022 Heroes Convention at this time.
We hope that you will continue to support us as we begin planning our 40th Anniversary show.

HeroesCon 2022 Hotel Rates will be made available as soon as 2022 show dates have been finalized.

We are currently looking at the possibility of holding a much smaller convention in the fall, but we know that a smaller show is no substitute for the Heroes Convention.
Details of this show are tentative at this time, with announcements to follow as soon as possible. HOWEVER, if you have purchased a 2020 or 2021 3-Day Pass for the Heroes Convention, your ticket will get you into this smaller show, as well as the 2022 Heroes Convention.

 

Please know that we have not made this decision lightly.

After what has felt like an eternity of uncertainty, we are hopeful that there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are being distributed on a wide spectrum and we are slowly starting to see the promise of a return to “normal” in the months ahead.

However, even with the increased numbers of vaccinations, we understand that it may not be safe to hold an indoor gathering of thousands of people, even three months from now; especially when you consider that the vast majority of our guests travel from across the country, or even from across the globe.

We PRIDE ourselves on the wealth of talent that fills our Artist Alley each year.

At the beginning of March we sent out a poll to over 300 Featured Guests from recent and past Heroes Conventions. Of the 200+ responses we have received, 95% of those have stated that they would not feel comfortable attending a show in June of 2021, with most adding that they would prefer to wait until 2022 to attend a convention.

This, coupled with feedback from customers and exhibitors, has informed us that June 2021 is still too soon for most to feel safe attending a convention on the scale of the HeroesCon. We have taken all of these concerns very seriously, and agree that the health of EVERYONE is the MOST IMPORTANT factor going forward.

Other extenuating circumstances that have influenced our decision at this time: the Charlotte Convention Center will be undergoing construction that could impact our floor plan as well as the use of escalators. As of today, enforced capacity restrictions will remain in effect until fall of 2021, with limited on-site concessions, and sustained social distancing requirements between individuals as well as between tables and booths.

Under these circumstances it just wouldn’t be a HeroesCon.

 

“Ain’t it funny how an old broken bottle,
Looks just like a diamond ring,
But it’s far, far from me.”
From “Far From Me” by John Prine 1971

HCTHOR-SQ

We appreciate you and your continued support,
and we THANK YOU for being a part of the
HEROESCON FAMILY.

Be well, stay safe, and look out for one another. -Heroes

Shelton Drum
Owner: Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find
& Heroes Convention
Shelton@heroesonline.com

Karla M. Southern
Heroes Event, Media
& Creative Coordinator
Karla@heroesonline.com

Seth Peagler
Heroes Operations Manger
Seth@heroesonline.com

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HeroesCon 2019 :: PANELS will post on Fridays!

June 05, 2020 By: Karla Southern Category: DISCUSS, EVENTS, Feast Your Eyes, Heroes Aren't Hard To Find, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, HeroesCon Panels, NEWS, Now Read This!, Photos, Schedule, Uncategorized

PANEL-GRAPHIC

HEROESCON 2019 :: PANELS!

We will post a new panel every Friday at 10am for the next several weeks!! Stay tuned and enjoy!!

All Hail Jack Kirby

He was a visionary, a great artist with an unlimited imagination and above all else he was a great and gentle man with a legacy as teeming as the Cosmos.
Come celebrate the KING with Mark Evanier and our guests Mike Royer, John Morrow, Jim Amash, and from the Kirby Museum, Rand Hoppe and Tom Kraft.

Recorded Sunday, June 15 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

Cartoonist Kayfabe *LIVE*

Join Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg for a LIVE Cartoonist Kayfabe from the 2019 Heroes Convention!
Ed and Jim started the YouTube Channel “Cartoonist Kayfabe” to talk comics — old, new, and everything in between. They’ve been making comics for almost 20 years and reading them forever! Cartoonist Kayfabe is where they show off the cool stuff they have found, seen and made — from bootleg comics to popular titles like X-Men! Spend almost an hour with them as they talk about some of their favorite comic books, artists, and HeroesCon adventures!

Recorded Sunday, June 14 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

Celebrating the Legion of Super Heroes

Keith Giffen, Joe Staton, and Greg LaRoque talk with Legion of Super-Heroes fanatic Nancy Northcott about the enduring allure of everyone’s favorite super-hero club.

Recorded Sunday, June 15 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

Cosplay Q&A

Thinking about your first cosplay? Don’t know where to get particular fabric or how to build a prop? Our panel of experts can walk you through where to start, where to go, and how to manage it all without losing your cool. Moderator: Kalliste Cosplay Panelists: Sean Patton / SMP Designs, Jessica Smith, and Derek Nieman / Contagious Costuming.

Recorded Sunday, June 14 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

In Frazettas Shadow

Dr. Scott Valeri sits down with Cary Nord — an artist known for his incredible interpretations of Burroughs and Howard characters — to discuss the influences, techniques, and timelessness of Frank Frazetta.

Recorded Sunday, June 16 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

JLA-Eiou and Sometimes Why

Chris Brenneman sits down with J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, Kevin Maguire, and Bart Sears to discuss the series that changed team comics forever and most certainly helped pave the humor-laden road now travelled by the super-hero movies.

Recorded Friday, June 14 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

Latour Live *Drawl*

Jason Latour continues his yearly tradition of conversing and drawing with talented artist friends he hand-picks from the convention Guest List. There’s insight and humor about how comics are created in this always entertaining panel!

Recorded Sunday, June 16 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

The Art of Cover Composition

Comic book covers are in the midst of a creative renaissance. Join moderator Shawn Daughhetee as she talks with some of comics’ most innovative illustrators: Colleen Doran, Jenny Frison, Tula Lotay and Vanesa Del Rey. Learn techniques, tricks of the trade, and how these creators go about crafting their unique covers!

Recorded Saturday, June 15 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

The Marvel Age

How Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko reinvented Superhero Comics in the 1960’s. Mark Evanier, Craig Yoe, Steve Saffel and Michael Kobre explore how that happened, who deserves credit and what it means for us now.

Recorded Saturday, June 15 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

 

The Mark Sergio and Stan Show

Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Stan Sakai bring you the long-running, award-winning comic featuring GROO the Wanderer with his faithful dog Rufferto! If you’ve never been to a GROO panel before, you are in for a treat!

Recorded Saturday, June 15 at the 2019 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC

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HeroesCon 2019 Volunteer Registration!

April 23, 2019 By: Karla Southern Category: DISCUSS, EVENTS, Heroes Aren't Hard To Find, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, Looking Ahead, NEWS, Other Events, Schedule, This Just In

HC 2019 AA TABLES
HeroesCon 2019
is just around the corner, and our small, hardworking staff couldn’t pull it off each year without the help of our great volunteers. Now’s your opportunity to be a part of America’s Favorite COMIC Convention. Hit the link and sign up today! 

HEROESCON 2019 VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

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HEROESCON 2015 IS ALMOST HERE! KICK-OFF PARTY TOMORROW NIGHT! DRINK & DRAW FRIDAY!

June 17, 2015 By: Rico Renzi Category: HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, Schedule

MWSM_thursday_party

jack2015

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::HEROESCON PANEL UPDATE!!!!:: ARCHIE MOVES; GCD ADDED::

June 18, 2014 By: Andy Mansell Category: EVENTS, HeroesCon News, Schedule

It wouldn’t be a major convention of any sort without a bit of last minute shuffling. We have  a time/date change and an addition.

First the change:

Due to some travel issues, The ARCHIE PANEL originally scheduled for Friday at 4:00 has been moved to SATURDAY at 2:00pm.

SATURDAY 2:00PM Room 201
PART I :: ARCHIE: Life, Afterlife and Beyond
Join moderator Jimmy Aquino (COMIC NEWS INSIDER) in a talk about the major events happening at Archie Comics – from the hit horror series AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE to the upcoming “Death of Archie” in the pages of LIFE WITH ARCHIE and much more – with an all-star cast of Archie staff and stars, including artist FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (Afterlife with Archie), PAUL KAMINSKI (Archie Comics Executive Director of Editorial) and Red Circle Comics Editor and Archie SVP – Publicity and Marketing ALEX SEGURA.
PART II :: ARCHIE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and MEGAMAN
Get the inside scoop on what’s coming up in Archie’s best-selling “Action” line of video game titles, including SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SONIC UNIVERSE and MEGA MAN, with SONIC/MEGA MAN editor PAUL KAMINSKI and long-time Sonic and Mega Man creators IAN FLYNN and TRACY YARDLEY

and we have a special addition to the schedule:

SATURDAY

Room 206
10:30 am
MEET THE GRAND COMICBOOK DATABASE (GCD)

Find out what all goes into compiling and maintaining the enormous (and indispensable) GRAND COMIC BOOK DATABASE. BOB BAILEY, WILL ALLRED, DANIEL NAUSCHUETZ and STEVEN ROWE will explain the challenging process of indexing comics.  Thanks to their efforts, the GCD has become the go-to source for creator listings.  DC and Marvel both use the GCD for their archives. Stop by dive deep into comics and comics’ history and prepare to be astounded by their Herculean effort.

The best just keeps getting bester.

 

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Top Ten Reasons to Attend HeroesCon’s Drink and Draw

June 17, 2014 By: Heather Peagler Category: Comics Industry, DISCUSS, EVENTS, Heroes Aren't Hard To Find, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, NEWS, Schedule, Special Offers

hc-logo no dates
hc-logo no dates
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This year marks the fourth annual HeroesCon/Team Cul de Sac Drink and Draw.  This event has grown each year as has the amount of money you wonderful people contribute in the fight against Parkinson’s.  If you’ve never attended or it’s been awhile since you’ve made it, here are my Top Ten Reasons to Attend!
10.  What’s more relaxing after a first day on the con floor than having a few drinks in the swanky Hilton lobby? The staff at the Hilton was amazing last year.  They featured super hero drinks on special last year, and may have some new ones this year!
9.  Not only can you kick back with some delicious drinks, you can do so while enjoying some free live music by Raleigh, NC based Jack the Radio.  The guys were  great addition last year and I can’t wait to hear what their acoustic sets have to offer this year. You can get a preview of the guys here.
Jack the Radio at 2013 Drink and Draw

Jack the Radio at the 2013 Drink and Draw

8. Swag!! This year not only will you be able to purchase fabulous original art, but Limited Edition Drink and Draw prints with art by Alexis Ziritt and special Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find t-shirts will be available.  Team Cul de Sac’s Chris Sparks also has too many great auction items to list!
7.  It’s quite impressive for a group of people to put in a long day of work at the con and then extend that day into the late night in the name of a good cause.  Give your HeroesCon Drink and Draw crew a hand, and maybe a drink or two to thank them for all their hard work.  Seth will once again be emceeing this event and I will also be joining him on the mic this year!  This is a cause that is near and dear to both of our hearts, and the Heroes family as well.

Seth and Justin at the 2013 Drink and Draw

Seth and Justin at the 2013 Drink and Draw

6. Not only will there be Drink and Draw art created live while you watch in the Hilton, but artists from all over have sent in pieces for you to bid on! Some of these artists don’t normally sell sketches outside of their books so this is a great opportunity to own some amazing original art you will not be able to find anywhere else.  Not to drop names, but comics greats like Art Spiegelman and Stephan Pastis are sending art this year!
5.  All of the proceeds of the Drink and Draw go to Team Cul de Sac which raises money for Parkinson’s research.  TCDS was founded by Chris Sparks with Richard Thompson after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Chris wanted to do something to help his friend.  This is an amazing cause and we are so happy to be a part of the fundraising efforts.
2013 Drink and Draw

2013 Drink and Draw

4.  You may have seen the article in the New York Post or the Press Release on this very blog, but in case you missed it, we will have on display the original Pearls Before Swine strips that Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame did with Stephan Pastis this month.  The original art will also be on display behind the Art Stage all weekend during convention hours.
3.  Do you collect original art? The Drink and Draw presents the opportunity to pick up some very unique pieces at great prices.   Didn’t have a chance to chat with some of your favorite artists on the con floor? A growing number of the pros at HeroesCon are attending the Drink and Draw.  If your personal favorite isn’t there, maybe you’ll find a new one or two.
A sampling of original art!

A sampling of original art!

2.  The Drink and Draw is a much smaller venue than the con floor and it is a wonderful time to spend time with friends and make new ones.  The community and support that has grown around this event has been amazing.  What started as a small crowd at Fuel Pizza has expanded to the Hilton hotel bar featuring live music in just a few years time.
1.  I mentioned above that all the proceeds raised go to Parkinson’s research, but the number one reason to attend the Drink and Draw is to honor Richard Thompson.  Richard was actually in attendance at our very first Drink and Draw in 2011.  He has not been able to join us physically since, but we know he’s here with us in spirit and happy to see such a great art community of both artists and fans honor his contribution to comics.

Richard and Roger Langridge at the 2011 Drink and Draw.

Richard and Roger Langridge at the 2011 Drink and Draw.

 

 

Want to see more of past Drink and Draws? Here are photos from 2011, 2012, and 2013.

The HeroesCon Drink and Draw event takes place on Friday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hilton Center City atrium located at 222 E 3rd St, Charlotte, NC 28202. HeroesCon’s first Drink and Draw event was in 2011, modeled after the Drink and Draw Social Club founded by comic artists Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian and Jeff Johnson. That event and every one since has raised money for Team Cul de Sac, the organization founded in honor of Cul de Sac cartoonist Richard Thompson that raises money and awareness for Parkinson’s Research.

 

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HEROESCON UPDATE:: EVENTS SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE::

June 15, 2014 By: Andy Mansell Category: Guest List, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, QuickDraw, Schedule

PANELS—WE’VE GOT PANELS!!

The HeroesCon 2014 Schedule is up. Just click on this link….

http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/schedule/

So what have we got? Take a few minutes and look through the program; we try to have something for everyone. Plan your days around a few of these gems like:

How about THE INKWELL AWARDS? Saturday at Noon–BILL SIENKIEWICZ IS THE GUEST OF HONOR At the 4th Inkwell Awards Live Ceremony! See the live results from April’s votes for the BEST INKERS of 2013 and the recipients of the JOE SINNOTT HALL OF FAME AWARD!! To read more about this annual event, click here…

http://www.inkwellawards.com/?p=3923#more-3923

Speaking of ANNUAL HeroesCon Events— we have

  • COSPLAY—3 ways! Group Photo, Meet the Cosplayers Panel and The 2nd Annual Cosplay costume Contest
  • 4 SCAD Workshops
  • Inking Panel
  • 2 IMAGE Panels!
  • 2 MARVEL Panels
  • 2 ARCHIE Panels
  • The 2nd Annual convention within a convention—THE CAROL CORPS!!!
  • Self-Publishing
  • The Humor Panel—this is a can’t miss panel this year
  • The All Ages Panel
  • THE MEGA PANEL—Comics Regulation, Comics Censorship: Past and Present
  •  The Comic Strip Panel!!
  • TWO (!!) Teaching Comics Roundtables
  • Adam & Comfort’s Workshop
  •  New Masters of Horror!!
  • INDY COMICS CREATORS
  • And of course The QuickDraw—All Three days

Celebrate TwoMorrows Publishing 20th Anniversary all day Saturday with

  • Modern Masters: Lee Weeks, Cliff Chiang, Mark Schultz and Art Adams!!
  • CONAN Panel with Roy Thomas and Tim Truman!
  • A Kirby Tribute Panel
  • A Conversation with Denis Kitchen
  • and A TwoMorrows Roundtable

Heidi MacDonald of THE BEAT and Tom Spurgeon of THE COMICS REPORTER head our team of all-star moderators so if it is scintillating conversation you want …

  • Mark Waid
  • Jim Starlin and Andy Smith
  • Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez!
  • KEVIN EASTMAN!
  • ONLINE COMICS!
  • Breaking Into Comics as a Writer
  • The Challenges of a famous Property with Jeff Smith and Terry Moore

AND MORE—LOTS MORE—

And make sure you stop by on Sunday to pay respects to our absent friend NICK CARDY!!! A True Titan!

ENJOY!!–This is all for YOU!!!!

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HEROESCON 2014 & BILL WATTERSON IN THE NEWS!

June 09, 2014 By: Seth Peagler Category: Comics Industry, EVENTS, Guest List, Heroes Aren't Hard To Find, HeroesCon, HeroesCon News, NEWS, Schedule, Special Offers

Watterson - Team Cul De SacEarly Saturday morning we announced that HeroesCon will exhibit Bill Watterson and Stephan Pastis‘ three collaborative strips in Pearls Before Swine. While we knew that this would be huge news, we are thrilled that several national outlets covered the story. From the Washington Post, who broke the story, to TIME, CNN and Rolling Stone, the media seems rightly excited about Watterson’s return to the comic strip. Several comic sites, including CBR, Comics Reporter, Comics Alliance, Nerdist and The Beat also covered the story. And Stephan Pastis himself told the story of how his collaboration with Watterson came to be.

Remember, HeroesCon is the only place that anyone will be able to see this art before it is auctioned off. While the media coverage is nice to see, the most important aspect of this story is that all of the money collected from the auction will be donated to our friends at Team Cul de Sac and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. We’ve been working with TCDS for four years in their efforts to raise money for Parkinson’s Research, and are honored to be a part of their continuing efforts.

The Watterson and Pastis strips will be on display all weekend at HeroesCon, and we’ll have even more surprises on hand at Friday night’s Drink and Draw event. Don’t forget that you can hear all about how this art was produced and how it came to HeroesCon at our panel on Friday, June 20 at 5:30. If you haven’t ordered your tickets for HeroesCon, we’re just a few days away. Now’s the time!

Eventbrite - HEROES CONVENTION 2014 :: 3 DAY REGISTRATION

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