THE HEROESONLINE BLOG | ALEXIS ZIRITT

STAFF PICKS :: SPACE RIDERS #1 :: APRIL 1, 2015

March 30, 2015 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

staff_picks

SETH’S PICK :: SPACE RIDERS #1: Space Riders is the comic Jack Kirby might have created had he been born several decades later and nursed on a diet of metal music. That’s not to say that it’s merely an homage to the timeless Kirby space epics. You can see all kinds of influences in the pages of this comic, but artist Alexis Ziritt and writer Fabian Rangel Jr. create their own unique world populated with eye patch wearing Captains, simian sidekicks and spacecraft shaped like human skulls. For all the nostalgia that Space Riders may conjure up, at its heart this comic is a perfect instance where two talented creators tell the kinds of stories they’ve always wanted to tell. Comics should be as joyous and enthusiastic as this one. If you haven’t picked up on those feelings from a comic in a while, do yourself a favor and buy Space Riders #1 this week. It’ll remind you just how much fun comics can still be. sprdrs

Tags: ALEXIS ZIRITT, Black Mask, Black Mask Studios, Fabian Rangel Jr., Space Riders

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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

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 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

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

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!

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.

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.

Tags: ALEXIS ZIRITT, bill watterson, Calvin and Hobbes, Chris Sparks, Cul de Sac, Drink and Draw, heroescon, HeroesCon Drink and Draw, Hilton Charlotte Center City, Jack the Radio, Pearls Before Swine, Richard Thompson, Stephan Pastis, Team Cul de Sac

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STAFF PICKS :: FBP TP VOL. 1 (AND MORE!) :: FEBRUARY 19, 2014

February 18, 2014 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

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SETH’S PICKS: This week I’m eschewing our regular Staff Pick formula of choosing a single book to spotlight in favor of picking three new books that should be on your radar. First up is the debut trade paperback of FBP. It features the interesting premise of science gone awry, which is brilliantly illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez and our own Rico Renzi. It’s also hard not to mention the work of Nathan Fox, who expertly matches the tone and style of the interior art with his always inventive covers. Even more than that, this first collection includes the title’s first seven issues for a mere $9.99!

FBPTPB

Next up is Undertow #1. Aside from being yet another new Image debut issue (speculators ahoy!), this aquatic based series features Atlantis as a superpower, and plenty of pulpy adventure elements, which have been a regular source of comics joy for me in recent years.

undertow

Finally, there’s the perfectly titled Loki: Ragnarok and Roll. This new series from Boom Studios offers a twist to the story of Odin banishing trickster god Loki to Earth. Rather than attempt conquest of the planet through violence and manipulation, in this series, Loki turns to the power of Rock and Roll. Cover artist Alexis Ziritt is a beast of an illustrator whose work you’re bound to be knowing more of soon. This favorite artist of the Heroes Con Drink and Draw is the perfect person to provide covers for this concept. boom_loki_001_a

Tags: ALEXIS ZIRITT, FBP, Loki: Ragnarok and Roll, Nathan Fox, Rico Renzi, ROBBI RODRIGUEZ, Undertow

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HEROESCON 2013 :: GUEST LIST UPDATE :: MARK BROOKS, JOE STATON & MORE!

February 26, 2013 By: Rico Renzi Category: Guest List, HeroesCon

Happy Tuesday HeroesCon faithful! We’ve got another great guest list update for our 2013 show. Get your tickets today, it’s going to be out best convention yet! Our full guest list (so far) is here. See you June 7-9, 2013!