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JUSTIN’S PICK :: SERGIO ARAGONÉS FUNNIES #8: Sergio fans REJOICE! The Mad One has returned with his wonderful variety title! Every issue of Funnies is a huge bargain, with multiple stories comprising a gamut of subject matter, rendered in Aragonés’ charming signature style. Plus games and puzzles! This one’s always great for readers young and young-at-heart…look for it in the all ages section! VIVA FUNNIES!
RICO’S PICK :: PRIMATES: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas: Jim Ottaviani has been making entertaining non-fiction comics for years now and when I heard he had Maris Wicks on art duty for his latest I was very excited! Ottaviani and Wicks have put together an informative book that never gets dry and is always entertaining. This is the kind of book you can give to someone who hasn’t fallen in love with comics yet to turn them on to the wonderful world of sequential art. I give this book 5 bananas way up!
Every year during HeroesCon, we try to find time to run through Indie Island and pick up a few things we think should be in our store. This year we managed to obtain a few excellent new items that we hope you’ll consider picking up during your next visit.
First up is an assortment of Michael Deforge books from our friends at Koyama Press. Among them are Lose #2-4 and his newest collection, Very Casual. Deforge’s art is interesting, trippy, and somehow still capable of appealing to all ages readers, as evidenced by his contributions to Adventure Time.
Speaking of Adventure Time, we stopped by Boom Studios‘ booth and picked up 43 – that’s right – 43 different covers from various Adventure Time comics. More accurately, we picked up copies of Fiona and Cake #1-5, and Adventure Time (Finn and Jake) #1 – 16 plus copies of this year’s annual. And, as I mentioned, there are multiple covers for many of these issues, including sought after ones by artists like Scott C., Maris Wicks, Joe Quinones, Stephanie Buscema, the aforementioned Michael Deforge, Jeffrey Brown, James Kochalka and more!
It wouldn’t be a HeroesCon if we didn’t stumble on a new small press book, and this year we found two from Galactic Press, a small Georgia-based company that introduced us to their books Galaxy Man and Hero Cats of Stellar City. These are both fun all ages titles, with Galaxy Man offering up a twist on the Father/Daughter super hero team, and Hero Cats being…well…kind of self explanatory in its title. We picked these up for our young customers, so if you’ve got young readers at home who are bored with the same old kinds of all ages stories, let them take a look at these during your next trip to Heroes.
As with every year, we had to stop by Adhouse Books. Not only have they been a longtime anchor of Indie Island, and not only are they really great people, but they always have fascinating books on their tables. This year we picked up another copy of the dense, epic masterpiece Duncan the Wonder Dog. We’ve had this book in the past, but I couldn’t resist. It’s really something to see and read, if you haven’t yet taken the plunge.
We also picked up copies of Pulpatoon Pilgrimage by Joel Priddy (outstanding cartooning), Bumperboy and the Loud, Loud Mountain by Debbie Huey(a fine all ages book), Ace Face: The Mod with the Metal Arms by Mike Dawson (another book with an aptly descriptive title), and Nobrow’s The Wolf’s Whistle by Bjorn Rune Lie and Co. (Think a European take on nursery rhymes filtered through the lens of Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox).
Also at the Adhouse booth I saw recent works from the guys behind Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, one of our favorite comics podcasts. We picked up signed and sketched copies of Jim Rugg’s Drawings 030413. If you liked last year’s Notebook Drawings, you’ll love this new sketchbook. Jim continues to impress us with the virtuosity of his work, and his latest offering Supermag only solidifies the fact that he’s one of the most diverse cartoonists working today. His podcast-mate Jasen Lex also had some books on display, and we picked up copies of Henchman, Washington Unbound #1, and The Bottom Feeders #1. He’s another creator with a seemingly natural sense of design. While I didn’t pick up any new books from their podcast-mate Ed Piskor, I did see even more of his pages from his upcoming Hip Hop Family Tree. You might remember my interview with him about it HERE. Trust me when I say that this is not only the visual history of a revolutionary genre of music, but one of the finest examples of cartooning I’ve seen of late. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, let us know and we’ll make sure you get a copy.
Finally, as Sunday was winding down, the talented Maris Wicks stopped by the Heroes booth and we made sure to pick up a few copies of her (and Jim Ottaviani‘s) excellent new graphic novel Primates. This book focuses on the work of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas, how they changed the science of Primate study, and brought an increased awareness to these astounding animals.
You can find all of these books and more in our store right now. Thanks to all these companies and creators, and be sure to pick up some of these titles the next time you visit Heroes.
SETH’S PICK :: BARNABY VOL. 1 HC: With the behemoth of HeroesCon taking all our time and energy in recent weeks, we understandably put our weekly Staff Picks on temporary hold. That said, it’s good to be back writing about new releases. Regular readers of the Heroes Blog know well that Andy Mansell, stalwart blogger and HeroesCon panel coordinator, is something of an expert when it comes to comic strip history. You might think he’d be the one to talk about Barnaby, a long forgotten, under appreciated gem of a strip, but no, it’s me this time.
Barnaby started in the early forties, and ran for over a decade. It was produced by cartoonist Crockett Johnson, who is best known for his timeless masterpiece Harold and the Purple Crayon. Though Harold is considered the classic, Barnaby received lots of critical acclaim in its day. One look at it and you’ll see why. To begin with, there’s the simple, fluid line work in Johnson’s art. Then you see the intricate typeset letters, which Johnson produced with a kind of mathematical clarity – he knew exactly how many letters would fit on each line of a word balloon. Then you have the subject matter. Though the stories revolve around five year old Barnaby and his fairy godfather (along with a ghost, lion, and more), the seemingly whimsical strip dealt with important issues in a way that didn’t talk down to children. Thus it’s one of those great strips that provided entertainment for young readers and their parents.
I had the pleasure of seeing a Barnaby panel at last year’s Small Press Expo. Panelists included editors Eric Reynolds and Philip Nel, and cartoonists Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes, who helped contribute to the book’s design. That panel got me excited about seeing this strip find its way to a new audience. I’m not a huge reader of comic strips, but this one has numerous seemingly disparate elements in it that tie together nicely. I hope some of you pick this one up and give it a try.
For a video tour of the book, check out this page on the Fantagraphics site: http://www.flickr.com//photos/fantagraphics/sets/72157633285033568/show/ 
This year marked my seventh year as a member of the capable HeroesCon management and organization team. Every year there are countless little moments that make me (and the rest of the staff) happy to be a part of this incredible comics community. This year, more than any other year, I was especially heartened and humbled by our 3rd Annual Drink and Draw. It was at our first Drink and Draw back in 2011 that I met Richard Thompson, the genius cartoonist behind the award winning Cul de Sac comic strip. It was Richard for whom Team Cul de Sac started, in an effort to raise money for Parkinson’s research. And it is Richard’s humor, humility and general kindness that made us want to continue to do more to battle this disease.
This year, thanks in part to a spacious new venue (the Hilton), an appropriately Southern soundtrack from Jack the Radio, and the creativity of professional and amateur artists alike, we raised over $7,000 for Team Cul de Sac and the Michael J. Fox foundation! The combined total from money raised in the first two years was under $3,000, so that alone should let you know the extent to which our fundraising increased this year.
Planning for this year’s Drink and Draw began earlier than ever before. Team Cul de Sac founder Chris Sparks, my wife (and fellow Drink and Draw organizer) Heather and I had a few meals together in Asheville this past Spring, and talked at length about what we could do to bring even more money and awareness to Team Cul de Sac at HeroesCon’s Drink and Draw event. Chris took those brainstorming sessions and turned them into original art from Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Jim Borgman (Zits), Mark Tatulli (Lio), Roger Langridge (Snarked), and more, all for us to auction at the Drink and Draw. In addition to these pieces, Chris brought an Art Spiegelman signed and sketched edition of Maus, and Bill Watterson signed editions of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes and Team Cul de Sac: Artists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s.
With all the art produced and auctioned off at the Drink and Draw, we not only raised a sizable donation for Parkinson’s research, but sent a strong message that the philanthropic efforts at HeroesCon have never been more vibrant than they were this year. I look forward to working with Chris to bring even larger things to HeroesCon 2014’s Drink and Draw.
Thanks to all the fine volunteers who continue to come back every year to help us run the event (Heather Peagler, Brian Purvis and the rest), all the artists who still draw for us after a long day on the convention floor, and everyone who donated money for the various pieces produced that night. Thanks to Chris Sparks for his perseverance, Richard Thompson for his ever-present inspiration, and Shelton Drum for giving us so much time and space at HeroesCon to continue to raise money for this worthy cause.
If you’d like to continue to support Team Cul de Sac throughout the year, please visit them HERE. The battle against Parkinson’s disease needs more than just our annual event to help fight it. We hope to see you next year at Drink and Draw. We’ve already started planning, so trust me when I tell you – HeroesCon 2014 is going to be bigger and better than ever!
Thanks to everyone for making HeroesCon 2013 so fun! Here are some links to what others saw and did at the show. More memories and photos from HeroesCon 2013 to come! Please share your photos and links with us on our Facebook page! See you next year, June 20-22, 2014!
CREATOR RECAPS
BLOGS & REPORTS & MORE
PHOTOS
HeroesCon 2013 :: Flickr photo collection
PODCASTS
Comic News Insider: Heroes Con Recap w/ Francesco Francavilla (Black Beetle), Vivek Tiwary (The Fifth Beatle), Ryan Black (Tension)
Comics Alternative Podcast Episode 41.1: Hanging Out at HeroesCon
Nerdy 30s Podcast #168: HEROES-CON 2013
VIDEO
Art Auction walkthrough by Terry Maltos
Heroes Con 2013 Cosplay Contest, Hector’s Five Minute Frenzy
“Cool shirt! Where’d you get it?”
“I got it at HeroesCon, it’s a blast, and you should come with me next year!”
This is how I imagine the conversation going when your friends see you in your SWEET HeroesCon 2013 t-shirts. This year we have 3 to choose from!
Lee Weeks provides the art for our HeroesCon souvenir t-shirt featuring Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer. Classic!
We’re trying something new with our Indie Island shirts this year. First off, we have 2 designs for you to choose from. Both are awesome! One is by Jim Rugg and the other by Dustin Harbin.
What’s different is t-shirts will be printed live at the show! Our friends The Fine Print Shoppe will be set up at the back wall of Indie Island at AA-35 & 36, taking orders, and printing your shirt right there! Pick your design and then choose the color of your shirt! We’ll have lots of options and I can’t wait to see a rainbow of Indie Island shirts walking around the show! Just like in recent years, all of these t-shirts are available for just $20! Add these to your shopping list, and represent Heroes in style!
This is it! The home stretch! Only a few days until we all get together at the Charlotte Convention Center for the annual bash that is HEROESCON! This might be the last guest list announcement before the show but you never know.
Today is the LAST day to order your 3-pass. Not only does it grant you discount admission, we give you some exclusive goodies to go along with it.
Please use hashtag #HeroesCon if you’re talking about us online, thanks!
ROGER ANDREWS – Artist: Hasbro package design, Atomic Robo, Lady Death
NICK FILARDI – Colorist: Helheim, The Victories, Powers and Atomic Robo
DANIEL KRALL – Artist: Double Cross, Doom Cannon, One Plus One
From Aspen Comics:
FRANK MASTROMAURO – Writer: Shrugged, Overtaken
MARK ROSLAN – Writer: BubbleGun
CORY SMITH – Artist: Legend of the Shadow Clan
PETER STEIGERWALD – Colorist: Fathom, Soulfire, Savage Wolverine
Black Beetle HeroesCon Variant
Black Beetle Regular Edition
We’re thrilled to announce the legendary JIM STERANKO as a last minute guest for this weekend’s HeroesCon! From his inimitable work on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America, to his design work for Indiana Jones, Steranko is undoubtedly one of comics’ most influential creators. This marks Steranko’s first ever HeroesCon appearance, so it’s the first chance you’ll have to meet him, get an autograph, and hear him discuss his work at our show. Advanced ticket sales end tomorrow (Tuesday, June 4) at midnight, so take advantage of the little time remaining, and reserve your tickets now!
Heroes Convention is in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 7-9 2013. Get your 3 day passes today! Our full guest list (so far) is here.
