We’re happy to welcome Mark Waid back to HeroesCon in 2014!  Mark’s been to our con many times, but it’s been a few years since his last visit.  In that time, he’s brought a swashbuckling Daredevil back to popularity, and taken Bruce Banner in a new direction over in Indestructible Hulk.  He also wrote Dave Stevens’ beloved character in Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom and in the current Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction miniseries.  Before that, he wrote just about every character for every publisher, including acclaimed work on Flash, Irredeemable, Fantastic Four, Impulse, Kingdom Come, Captain America, and more.  And if that’s not an impressive enough resume, Waid also worked as an editor for both DC and Boom Studios, and is a co-founder of the digital comics site Thrillbent.  Waid is both encyclopedic and prolific, and we’re excited that he’ll be with us next summer.

HeroesCon 2014 will take place June 20-22.  Stay tuned to this very blog for all of our upcoming guest announcements.

HEATHER’S PICK :: ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1: Do you know what I miss? Tiny Titans, especially the bat penguins and rabbits.  Luckily for me, I can fill that adorable gap in my comic reading this week with a tiny little Hellboy and friends. At first, I wasn’t totally sold on this idea.  I mean, I love Hellboy, Jr. and the young Hellboy stories, but I like the grittiness in those tales rather than having a cutesy kid friendly-vibe.  But ultimately, Art and Franco won me over, mostly thanks to the addition of the animal sidekicks.  Who doesn’t love a purple monkey? Plus, any book that brings Roger back will make my pull list.

HEATHER’S PICK :: CHEW VOL. 7 TP:  This is one of the few books that I trade-wait and that’s mostly because I was so late to the Chew party that it was already three or four volumes in.  I am so very excited to read a new volume this week!  In fact, I may have to re-read volumes 1-6 in preparation.  This volume brings egg worshipers (among other delights)! And I am really hoping for an appearance by my number one comic love, Agent Poyo! 

The Heroes Discussion Group returns!!  Thanks to all of you who have requested we continue this delightful endeavor.

What is it?  We select a graphic novel and on a scheduled Saturday afternoon we meet at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and then repair to a local watering hole (or bakery).  There we eat, drink and have a full blown discussion about the book we’ve selected.

 Our mission is simple:  How often have you read a terrific (or really bad) comic and wanted to discuss it and for one reason or another, you could not.  We offer a forum where every one is on the same page and we do our darnedest (pardon my French!) to keep the discussion on track for a few hours.

 In the past 4 years (!) and almost 50 meetings, we’ve tackled every kind of comic book from Maus to Scott Pilgrim to From Hell to The Walking Dead to Sandman to All-Star Superman. The discussions are always lively and above all fun! For our re-inaugural, we thought we’d try something a bit different.  We want to examine a series that is currently on-going and (obviously) unfinished.

The book is Saga written by Brian K Vaughan and drawn by Fiona Staples (what a great comic book name!). SAGA is currently one of the best-selling comics and it is certainly the most buzz worthy outside our four-color world.

 We will be discussing the first 13 issues— which have been collected so far into 2 trades (with 13 a single issue).  As always, Heroes is offering the 10% DISCUSSION GROUP DISCOUNT on the two trades as well as #13.  But as an added incentive, if you purchase both collections and #13 at the same time, we are offering you the package for only 24.00!!! REMEMBER to inform the clerk of the discount when you check out!!

 Topics will include (but these are just suggestions)

• How does the artwork and especially the coloring sets the tone for the story?
• How do we as readers react to the reputation or past work of a creator? (Example, I have trouble reading anything by Vaughan without looking for parallels to LOST)
• Can this kind of sub-textural investigation help or hinder a readers experience?
• What sets Saga apart from all the other Sci-Fi and Fantasy books that are being published.
• Where do you see the book going in the months ahead?
• Does a book like Saga (or any other comic for that matter) benefit from ‘binge’ reading as opposed to reading each issue as it is released?
• And lots and lots more…..

If you are a big fan of Saga or if you dislike it or if you just want to break bread and talk with folks who have like interests, then please consider stopping by Heroes on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 at 1:00PM. There is no pressure to contribute!  You can just come by to listen.  All we ask is that you keep an open mind. And if you enjoy yourself (and we think you will!), mark your calendars to join us on Saturday, November 2ND at 1:00PM as we celebrate a belated Halloween by discussing Hellboy/B.P.R.D. (specific titles to be announced later–but if you have a particular volume in mind either respond on this Blog or our Facebook page!) And for the Yuletide???  We have a wonderful surprise in store.

See you there!

JUSTIN’S PICK :: THE OUTLIERS #01: Whoever said “You can’t judge a book by its cover” obviously didn’t read comics. The cover has the very important job of grabbing a potential reader’s eye, interest, and imagination. With so many offerings vying for space on the rack, covers require a balance of content and design that can make or break a book’s success. With The Outliers #1, Erik T. Johnson succeeds in crafting an intriguing image, with simple colors, solid composition, and some apparent embossments lurking in the shadows. The lead feature is billed as “A Boy Named Tsu”, a funny little take on the Shel Silverstein poem Johnny Cash famously performed at San Quentin. Between that reference and the cover, I’m sold on this curious artifact.

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (TMSIDK) is the interview podcast hosted by cartoonists Jim Rugg, Jasen Lex and Ed Piskor at Boing Boing. This year the TMSIDK guys had the rare opportunity to sit down with our fearless leader Shelton Drum and talk about his career as a comics retailer and convention organizer. It’s a great talk so check it out; you may even learn something you didn’t know about Shelton! Thanks to TMSIDK, Boing Boing and our tireless Panel Coordinator Andy Mansell. The great sound on this recording is provided by Adam Daughhetee. 

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SETH’S PICK :: HEROBEAR AND THE KID: THE INHERITANCE #1: With the behemoth that is Heroes’ first ever warehouse sale looming on the horizon, I’ll have to keep my staff pick short this week.  Kaboom Studios has thankfully brought Mike Kunkel’s timeless all ages story back to the masses.  Though The Inheritance is essentially a reprint of Kunkel’s fabled first Herobear miniseries, those issues are hard to come by.  In addition to a nice new printing, Kunkel provides new material for this reprint.  Between Kunkel’s animated art and nostalgic stories, there’s plenty to enjoy in these books.  If you do read this book and somehow remain unmoved, your heart might indeed be made of stone.

JUSTIN’S PICK :: SAVAGE DRAGON #190: Periodically, I am honor-bound to pick Savage Dragon, because it is my favorite superhero comic. I think it’s a truly underappreciated and misunderstood book, still mired in a reputation hewn from the abysmally embossed 90s. What most people fail to see is that series perpetrator Erik Larsen is a dedicated craftsman who takes plenty of chances when he could just coast by on the fumes of nostalgia. He consistently pushes himself as a writer and an artist, from the book’s driving real time concept (i.e. the characters age with the rest of the world) to stunts like he’s pulling with issue #190. You can opt for the standard sized issue, but Larsen has also reformatted the book’s contents into a 64 page digest edition, wholly as an exercise in the versatility of print media. This is another example of Larsen’s willingness and ability to take chances, and take full advantage of the potential Image Comics engendered at its outset. If you needed any more persuading, Dragon also battles one of his more vicious baddies, the shark-man Mako, amid a prison full of supercrooks. A must!

CreatureBox is Dave Guertin and Greg Baldwin, masters of character design and occasional comic artists. Their imaginations are on display in everything they make and their execution is always flawless. We are happy to welcome these guys back for HeroesCon 2014 and we’re sure you are too! See more of their great work here.

Check out our full 2014 Guest List so far here.