HEROESONLINE

THE HEROESONLINE BLOG :: What Would You Like To See?

2009-07-17T16:43:00.002-04:00

So this week is an especially slow news week. Besides the regular stuff we do in the store all week, y'know, selling comics, restocking comics, all that stuff, I've been working on some site-based stuff that's had me hip deep in code for the last week or so. Not necessarily redesigning the site, but before we start putting up a bunch of stuff for HeroesCon 2010 (yes I've noticed the 2009 dates are still listed, thank you), I wanted to spiff the place up a little bit. A lot of little things will change, and I'm going to clean up the site navigation and other little odds and ends that have annoyed me since I redesigned it back in 2007.

The big thing is that I'm going to be moving this blog onto our site proper, via the awesome and swear-inducing complexity of Wordpress. We're going to be using the blog a good bit more, providing more content from out in the comics world, more interviews like this one, more reviews, more guest blogging, etc. So while I'm still in the planning stages, I wanted to ask you guys:

What would YOU like to see on our blog? What aren't we talking about that you'd like? What ARE we talking about that you're tired of hearing about? While it's true that we're a comics shop that wants to take your money, we like you and want you to enjoy having your money taken; or if you live too far away to shop here, at least enjoy reading about us and our various opinions and connections.

Point is, a lot of what has made us so popular over the years is YOUR very kind support, so I thought I'd ask YOU what you thought. See how I'm getting YOU to do my work for me? All it takes is CAPITAL LETTERS!

Anyway, let's hear it: post in the comments section below what you'd like to see more or less of. As long as you're polite, I promise we are listening. And in the meantime, thank YOU for listening!

ASK SHAWN REYNOLDS :: Getting Old Man Logan Part 8

2009-07-17T15:56:00.003-04:00

How can I make sure I get part eight of the "Wolverine: Old Man Logan" storyline?

There have been a lot of changes with the Wolverine titles as of late and I have been getting a lot of questions about the Old Man Logan storyline. I wanted to take this time to clear things up a little bit so that everyone is on the same page. Wolverine has changed its title to Dark Wolverine and it is focusing on Wolverine’s son Daken. So that means that Wolverine Weapon X is the main Wolverine title.

So what does this mean to you, as a reserve customer, who has Wolverine on your pull list? I will pull Dark Wolverine #76 for "Wolverine" and "Dark Wolverine", but after that I will switch the Wolverine reserve list to "Wolverine Weapon X" (since that title is focusing on Wolverine). So if you want to continue getting Dark Wolverine you will need to add it to your list.

Now what does this have to do with Old Man Logan? Marvel is wrapping up the Old Man Logan storyline with Wolverine Old Man Logan Giant Sized #1 that is scheduled to come out in late September. I would have pulled this for everyone who was getting "Wolverine" but since I am changing that title I will pull this for everyone who is getting "Wolverine Weapon X". If you don’t want to get Wolverine Weapon X but you do want the Old Man Logan one shot do not despair! Just let me know and I can Previews order you a copy (but you should only do this if you don’t have "Wolverine Weapon X" on your list).

So to sum up this way-too-long blog post, there are TWO ways to get the Wolverine Old Man Logan Giant Sized #1: 1) Have "Wolverine Weapon X" on your list or 2) tell me that you want it. It is that easy!

REVIEW :: Remake!

2009-07-17T13:05:00.003-04:00

One of the cool things about working on the convention every year is getting to see some stuff well in advance of its publication. Sometimes it's because it gets sent to us, sometimes we see it at another show, sometimes the publisher sends out advance copies to increase retailer interest.

The first time I heard about Lamar Abrams was when "Cheeky" Chris Pitzer informed me that he would be attending HeroesCon with AdHouse Books. Now, while I trust Chris above most people, I like to have SOME kind of idea of who someone is before I just throw their name up on our guest list, so Chris sent me over a pdf of the first bits of Remake, which would be published in a few months. I was down with the program pretty much from page one, although I have struggled with how to explain why--Remake is an amazing book by a breakout artist, although it has some weaknesses here and there, even if they're mainly weaknesses born out of the enormous enthusiasm of the book.

The best and worst thing about Remake is its limitless enthusiasm and elan. Almost from the first page you can tell that Lamar Abrams is spinning these comics right out of his brain, with very little editing happening between said brain and the page. I say this as if I know: of course I do not. But I certainly got that impression, which as someone who reads a ton of comics is ENORMOUSLY refreshing. This, to me, is one of the things that really animates minicomics as an artform--the kind of egalitarian idea that says anyone can make comics any time, any way they like. And with someone like Lamar, who obviously is hugely talented, that kind of loose energy makes his comics come further alive.

It's almost like it's meta-funny--for instance, what is actually happening in the story rarely seems particularly important, as much as HOW it's happening. Like in this 2-page sequence, one of my favorite of the book which had me giggling out loud in the bathroom of the Toronto Reference Library a few months ago:

"UPSLAPT" is now my favorite sound effect, complete with arrow-addition to the "U". And how can you beat dialogue like "Oh my hand and part of my arm!" I'll tell you how: YOU CAN'T!

The problem with Remake is really just one of format. I think what's reprinted in the book is the original minicomics 1-3, and maybe some extra odds and ends. In small doses the lack of a gripping story is probably less evident, and you'd be free to just giggle yourself silly over the panache and flourish of Lamar's art and dialogue. As a 150-or-so page book, it can be harder to digest as a whole. This may just be me being a format snob, OR even more likely cautioning myself to be careful when one day reprinting my own feeble minicomics. I suggest reading Lamar's comics as they were originally published, in chunks. The book is just $12.95, so pretend you're buying 3 $4.50 minicomics with a fancy cover and you'll be in good shape.

Basically though, Lamar Abrams is the bomb-diggety. I have found myself looking at this book again and again--there's something really effortless and engaging about Lamar's comics, as if he's channelling the kind of silly comics you'd make when you were 8, but employing man-sized talents to those comics. Result: UPSLAPT!

Oh! And while hunting images for this review, I happened on Lamar's website, which has a ton more cool drawings and comics. I suggest you hop into that. In the meantime, you can pick up Remake from us at the store (some have Lamar drawings in them!) or from AdHouse if you are not fortunate enough to be one of our customers. Enjoy!

WHY YOU SHOULD BE READING WEDNESDAY COMICS

2009-07-13T11:12:00.006-04:00

by comic strip fanatic and general know-it-all Andy Mansell

My favorite memories from my childhood were the Saturday nights when my father would take me to the drug-store and we would buy the Sunday editions of all four major Chicago Newspapers. I had four, 12-page full color comic sections. It was heaven. This may be inconceivable for most of you under the age of thirty; but with the rise in classic comic strip reprints, the fondness for this great lost art is growing.

The strips were great--some adventure, some humor, some soap opera, but there were no superhero strips except perhaps the Phantom. Around the same time, I purchased a Batman 80 Page Giant for a precious quarter and lo and behold there was a reprint of a Dick Sprang style Batman Sunday page from the 40s!

My mind reeled—I sat down and drew my own fantasy Sunday Section with a full page Hourman, a full page Doctor Fate—in the style of Prince Valiant—an Aquaman vs. Sub-Mariner battle strip and a full page Fantastic Four. This was my childhood fantasy—my first “collectors” dream.

With the Sunday strips dying a slow painful death—even though we strip fanatics hold onto them for dear life—DC has decided made a bold step forward to bring my dream project to life! (They must have found the letter that I wrote to Julius Schwartz back in 1970!)

Thus Wednesday Comics was born—and you must read it for several reasons:

1. You will get to experience the joy our parents and grandparents felt every Sunday morning. In the Charlotte Observer, there are no less than 8 (8!!!) comics on a single page. DC gives you a single strip per page like the way it was back in the 30s and 40s. Nirvana!

2. The creators take full advantage of their format. Some explore the size with challenging results. Some stick to the traditional grid.

3. And the Flash Comics duo of half page features uses every old strip convention to create something refreshing and new!!—you have to read it to believe it!

4. Although they are all ‘hero’ strips, the results are wide and varied.

5. If you are a fan of current comics, the list of writers and artists reads like a veritable all-star roster: Azzarello, Busiek, Gibbons, Palmiotti, Kubert(s), Didio and Gaiman-just to name a few!

6. If you are more intrigued by a contemporary or “Indy” slant, you have Paul Pope tackling Adam Strange and Kyle Baker taking Hawkman to new heights (sorry--I had to)

7. The Gibbon/Sook Kamandi strip is told in the format of Prince Valiant. For me, this page alone is worth the price of admission! (Yes, it blows my Dr. Fate clear out of the water!)

8. Unless I am mistaken, we will finally find out who would win the epic battle: Krypto or Streaky

9. Best of all, you will finish the book (paper?—PAPER!!) and you will anxiously await next week’s edition. That was the sole job of the newspaper cartoonists back in the day.

10. Finally--It is only $4.00

Try it! Buy it!! Don’t wait for a couple of issues to come out. Don’t wait for a trade collection. These comics are meant to be read once a week in one sitting. So select your breakfast cereal of choice—I’ll take Fruity Pebbles —and enjoy!

REVIEW :: Marvel Divas

2009-07-10T17:23:00.002-04:00

OK, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend buying Marvel Divas #1 — because, as I flip through the pages of this four-part limited series’ debut issue, there’s stuff to like and stuff to hate.

First up, let’s talk about what I hate. For starters, the general concept is a little lame. I can almost hear the writer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, pitching this comic: “It’s like ‘Sex & the City,’ but with super heroes.” Not sure if that’s how it went down … but it’s corny, right? You’ve got to be one heck of a salesperson to convince an editor that gathering some of Marvel’s most well-known female heroes — Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Black Cat, Firestar and Hellcat — and have them sit around, drink mojitos and talk about boys will be a hot comic. But the book’s central idea comes off a trifle stale on the printed page.

All that witty banter about bad dates leads to my other most-hated section of the comic: the ending. The cliffhanger we’re left with is pure soap opera melodrama and something you’d see in a Lifetime movie, not a Marvel comic.

Now, putting those wacker elements of the book aside for a second, let’s talk about what I actually liked about Marvel Divas. Yes, the comic depicted a ton of “girl talk” scenes, but it was nice to see superheroes having conversations — especially ones about emotions and relationships — instead of just punching or shooting. In a weird way, it reminded me of old Marvel Comic titles where characters’ personal lives were regular fodder for stories. Look past the mojitos, and you’ll see some cool character developments and some cool in-continuity moments (like a scene showing Marvel’s black super people cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina).

On top of that, the art — by Tonci Zonjic — is done in a cartoony style that’s light on lines but heavy on emotion. It kind of comes across like a less-manic version of Amanda Conner’s work.

So, see: things to like and things to hate.

At the end of the day it was fun. If you are a fan of any of the heroes featured in the comic (or a fan of Sex & the City — oh you know you watched it!), you’d get a kick out of Marvel Divas.
Carlton Hargro is Editor-In-Chief of Creative Loafing. You can read more of his writing at their website.

EVENTS :: Charlotte ComiCon, July 12th!

2009-07-08T12:50:00.003-04:00

While you may not always know to hear US talk about it, we're not the only game in town when it comes to local comics conventions--our buddies Dave Hinson and Rick Fortenberry have been organizing the Charlotte ComiCon, for the last few years. It's a seasonal one-day show, with the summer installment taking place this Sunday, July 12th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Charlotte. The show will go on from 10am to 4pm, and there are a host of guests and exhibitors you can check out at the official site. Our resident tough guys Seth Peagler and Rusty Baily will be manning the Heroes booth, so be sure to drop by and slap some high-fives with those guys.

Best of all, readers of our blog and this Friday's Heroes Hotline will get an extra bonus! You can print out the coupon below and bring it in for $1 off your ticket price! You're welcome!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I PRESENT: Linda D'Olivat Drum and Shelton Drum

2009-07-07T15:49:00.003-04:00

Yessirree! As reported over the weekend by me on Twitter, both in my at-work and at-home identities, as well as by numerous employees on their various social media throughout the weekend, our boss Shelton Drum pulled a fast one this weekend and got HITCHED to his lady-love Linda D'Olivat!

While some of the staff were invited to a "light dinner" at Shelton's house Friday night, only a few of us showed up on time--it was, after all, Friday night. I, as a matter of fact, called to tell Shelton I wouldn't be there til after 9.30, but as I listened to the phone ring I didn't realize it was being used as a wedding iPod. So when I showed up the party was in mid-toast, everyone was pretty, er, mellow after a couple of hours of celebration, and I found myself late for my boss's wedding!

Whoa! Fortunately almost everybody else had been surprised by Shelton's backyard wedding/eloping trick, but once you got over the shock you realized in you were in the middle of a great big party. Super awesome, and Shelton and Linda were beaming all night--we're all pretty excited about adding a Canadian to the store family, which makes us 75% funnier AND 125% better cartoonists by association. Also now Seth can play hockey.

Shelton's pretty excited too--I asked him for a little quote for this announcement, and he sent me this:

It was like we eloped, but at home, and with our friends and family! It couldn't have worked out better. The weather was fabulous and everyone was surprised and happy for us. Linda and I are looking forward to sharing many happy years together!

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating Shelton Drum and newly minted Linda D'Olivat Drum on their happy nuptials! Many happy returns!

ADVANCE REVIEW :: Parker: The Hunter

2009-07-03T16:37:00.002-04:00

When it was first announced that Darwyn Cooke's first major project after "DC: The New Frontier" would be a graphic novel adaptation of Richard Stark's "Parker" novels, some fans might have been left confused by the choice. Why, after crafting one of the great modern examinations of DC's Silver Age glory, would Cooke shift his focus to a series of crime/noir novels that had until now only been adapted into films? In a way, that question answers itself. Anyone familiar with Cooke's previous comic work knows that noir has always been present, from his first major work in Batman: Ego, through his reinterpretation of Catwoman. Citing Stark's Parker novels as a major influence, it makes perfect sense that Cooke would use this opportunities provided by his New Frontier success to finally establish the relevance of these novels in a graphic novel format.

Upon first reading it quickly becomes clear that Cooke is enjoying every aspect of this production. The pages initially read like film storyboards, but a closer reading makes evident the methodical and deliberate pacing of the panels. For example, readers don't see Parker's face until page 20, but during that time we do see his cruelty and have an immediate understanding of what this character is all about. Propelling the story's pacing is Cooke's use of space between the panels. While there is no linear deliniation of panel borders, the art never bleeds together. Rather, there are borderless white spaces separating the art. This lends itself well to the book's ease in reading. It's not a book that one has to read closely to appreciate, but if that avenue is taken there are enough artistic elements to satisfy critique.

It would perhaps be too obvious to classify Cooke's art as cinematic, but there might not be a more appropriate description of his work here. It's evident that Cooke is employing his experience as an animator to great effect, but what struck me as an even more successful element is what seems to be his obvious maturation as a storyteller (both through narration and illustration). There are times when Parker's brutality has to be physically shown to move the story forward, but other times when it need only be hinted at. If we saw every murder or every display of cruelty in great detail the reader would tire quickly. Such subtlety is a great reminder that in any kind of art, less truly can be more. Not everything has to be shown to an audience for a work's minutiae to be grasped.

In the case of this book there are no lengthy, overindulgent monologues or tedious dialogues. A character speaks only when necessary, and when it's time to hear a character's backstory, it is presented in a succinct manner. After the technicolor demands of New Frontier, a book like The Hunter seems to allow Cooke the possibility of exercising a greater amount of artistic restraint - not that New Frontier was overdone, or too dense. One could easily argue that it was restraint that ended up being one of the great aspects of that book. But many super hero comics don't typically allow an artist a lot of room to be subtle. With a streamlined cast, a monochromatic color scheme, and a relatively basic plot, it's clear that Cooke is enjoying the opportunity that a smaller story provides.

Working in a monochromatic color scheme (in this case, just one shade of blue), there are certainly limitations that are imposed on an artist. But an artist might also be afforded new alternatives in the process. Regarding the flashback scenes, Cooke cleverly uses an artistic device that is relevant to the time period in which the story takes place (1962). The flashbacks are represented in a pixelated style, which we can imagine as a set of frame-by-frame television images which replay themselves like reruns in Parker's memory. No fancy camera tricks, no smoke or mirrors, just something that makes sense in to a character living in 1962.

In all honesty, Parker: The Hunter isn't all that complicated a tale. But it is that simplicity which has sustained it in numerous genres over the past several decades. In the hands of some artists, a graphic novel adaptation could have easily come across as a set of contrived cliches. But Cooke excels because he takes advantage of the straightforward source material and expounds upon it, not with over-the-top violence or blood-splattered pages, but with subtle, nuanced storytelling. There's a lot more that could be discussed about this work: comparisons between this book and the life and art of Edward Hopper; comparisons between the book, film and graphic novel - but I'll leave all those possibilities to you as individual readers. This book will be released on July 22nd, with the second volume to follow in 2010. While crime/noir is a genre which understandably doesn't appeal to everyone, I hope all kinds of Heroes customers will give this book a try, if for no other reason than to see a true craftsman of the comic industry working at the top of his game on one of his dream projects.

HEROES DISCUSSION GROUP :: Persepolis

2009-07-03T15:49:00.002-04:00

So how on earth can we possibly top the last three discussion groups?

In the past few months, we had Matt Fraction join us for a dissection of Iron Man.

Then we had an in-depth analysis of the Umbrella Academy.

Finally we had our infamous panel-by-panel discussion of Brave and the Bold #4 with Mark Waid and George Perez at HeroesCon.

Well how about this to start off the post-con season: come to the store on Monday July 27th at 6:00pm, and we will discuss Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel about growing up in Iran: Persepolis.

Topic will include:

The author's use of cartoon-y art for extremely serious topics

Looking at the story as a whole or as two separate graphic novels combined

How do readers from the West relate to Islamic society?

How reliable is our narrator?

and many, many more...

If you have not read the book, you are in for a treat. It is impossible to read the book without some emotional attachment; so come by and tell us about it -- or just come by to listen-- participation is NOT mandatory.

Ater we have spent an hour or so discussing the book and it's influences we will turn off the lights and watch the animated film adaptation of the book right in the store!

Once we have finished watching the award-winning movie, we will retire across the street for libations and a discussion that will focus on the adaptation of the book into the film, including:

What worked and what did not?

We can discuss scenes that were added or removed or combined from the original graphic novel

Could the movie have been more successful in CGI or even as a live action film?

We can discuss the success or failure of other comic related movies

and/or

We can have a round-table about adaptations in general:

How do we view the films if we've already read the book?

Can films be judged on their own merit without citing their source material?

and a whole lot more...Trust us -- this conversation could go on into the wee hours.

This will be a unique and exciting discussion--all we ask is that you read Persepolis prior to July 27th. A previous viewing of the film is not necessary

If you cannot make the early 6:00pm start time, please plan to arrive by 7:30 pm when we will promptly start the film!

So come one, come all, tell your friends!!

We will see you at 6:00pm on Monday July 27th and remember, you can purchase Persepolis at Heroes and receive a 10% DISCOUNT-- all you need to do is mention the Discussion Group Discount when you are checking out!

THINGS I LEARNED AT HEROESCON 2009

2009-07-03T13:56:00.006-04:00

by Andy Mansell

That we have the greatest group of volunteers in the history of Comic Cons! There are too many of you to name individually but you all know who you are!! God bless you!!

That HeroesCon is the greatest, family friendly Convention in North America

That Jeff Smith went above and beyond for his fans all weekend long!.

That Adam and team from the Dollar Bin are LIFE SAVERS (repeatedly!!). GO to their website early and often!!!

That when Shelley Drum says “Jump”, we say, “Out of what window?”

That Dustin Harbin defines 'grace under pressure' [editor's note: NOT!]

That I would gladly pay money at any time to listen to Dapper Phil Southern talk about anything and everything—a hoot and a half!!

That the lovely blue-haired Karla has THE toughest job in Charlotte during Con Weekend

That Trey and Michaele ought to quit their day jobs and open an Art Gallery

That when years from now--we in Charlotte--will be able to say that we were the first to identify Roger Langridge as the greatest cartoonist of this new-ish century.

That Jim Scancarelli, Marcus Hamilton and June Brigman combine to create a fascinating panel discussion. I hope they are all back next year.

That if we are ever allowed to do a Panel-by-Panel comic discussion again, we will need at least three hours to get through a standard comic book

That the Quick Draw keeps getting bigger and better every year. It is one of the Heroes Con highlights

That the best costumes were Mary Marvel (adult) and Nova (kid)

That Shawn Reynolds and Seth Peagler rock and are THE ROCKS!!

That Sunday at 3:30 pm is the time to buy up graphic novels.

That Vee is a fabulous photog

That the Information Booth is the most fun place to be on Father’s Day Weekend.

That I want my daughter to attended SCAD when she gets old enough. Their booth was hopping!

That if any of the film channels show Irwin Hasen: A New York Life, you will need to TiVo it and not miss it. when we were not laughing out-loud at his outrageous stories, we were tearing up at the sad moments in his long life

That the "Coolness Scale" has a new barometer; from this point on we rate coolness by 1 (for the least cool) to Matt Fraction who is the equivalent of a TEN PLUS

That Chris Claremont has a lot to say about many things non-mutant

That you have to take comments on Twitter with a grain or two of salt

That I am sure I am forgetting someone or something--Sorry!!!

That I can’t wait for next year!!

And finally:

That Shelton Drum is truly the Grand Master of Fandom. Once you enter into the Heroes Realm, you are part of his family forever

And AMEN to that!!!!

Photo by Vy Tran. Check out her whole set of HeroesCon picks here!

HEROESCON :: Dollar Bin Podcast Panels!

2009-06-26T12:19:00.002-04:00

Hey! While I'm thinking about it, I wanted to point out that our bros at the Dollar Bin podcast recorded a TON of panels at HeroesCon, which they are putting up on their site one by one. You can find them in more or less one place here, and I'll try to update this blogpost as well. Many MANY MANY thanks to these guys, including Adam, Brian, Devin, Kris, Ted, and probably a bunch I'm forgetting. They worked super hard over the weekend, not just recording panels, but miking them and just generally being super awesome. You would be well-served to check out their podcast, whether it's Heroes-related or not!

Okay, panels up there so far:

"New Power Generation" Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ivan Brandon, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, and Matt Brady.

"DC Universe" Panel, featuring DC editors Brian Cunningham and Ian Sattler, with special guests

"Marvel Pint O' CB" Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, and Mark Waid

Mark Waid Interview

HEROESCON :: Whoa Nellie, That Was Some Show

2009-06-25T19:45:00.001-04:00

Well as I write it's Thursday afternoon, and most of us have gotten our voices back and don't groan and complain about our sore legs anymore. After months and months of hard work, HeroesCon 09 is by all accounts an unqualified success. We've heard pretty much 100% positive reports from all the dealers and pros we've talked to, not to mention from those who bought small press tables. And fans as usual have been ever-so effusive with their praise. I have to tell you right here that there is nothing NOTHING that we like better than hearing from you guys after the show--it makes all the late nights and sore legs worthwhile.

I'll write a short con report here, but for the full story I suggest you consult the TONS of photos we uploaded to our Flickr page this week, many of which are slowly but surely being outfitted with little descriptions, etc. That will probably take awhile (there are 245 pictures so far); but in the meantime feast your peepers on this con link roundup I put up to help you out. Lots of good reports there as well--heckfire, you could burn a solid 8-hour day reading the Twitter search by itself. NOT THAT I DID THAT OR ANYTHING.

This year we were in Hall A, which posed a bit of a challenge in changing our seating plan--even more challenging when we moved things around to create a big space to hold a Red Cross Blood Drive, but I flubbed updating all the seating locations correctly. So that was the big problem on Friday, but fortunately most of the people I had to move around were very patient with me and I sure did appreciate it.

In fact, that was probably the only real problem all weekend, except that finding a particular person throughout the weekend could be tricky if they'd been moved a couple of times. Friday had a good turnout, and Saturday was great, although at first it was hard to tell--our hall this year was 20,000 square feet larger than last year's, so at first I was worried until Shelton reminded me.

Another thing we did this different this year was to set up some stanchions where we knew there would be massive lines pretty much all weekend long, which proved to be a good decision on our part. We try to be pretty careful about no playing favorites, no "guests of honor," that kind of thing, but when 200 people are in line, you've got to put that line somewhere, you know?

All in all the pros seemed to have an even better time than usual--as someone that answers maybe 75% of the complaints in the room, I just plain didn't hear that many. Maybe people were just going over my head to complain to Shelton about me? IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME, NOSIR. We kind of pride ourselves on our hospitality, so maybe shouldn't feel surprised, but it's still nice to have so many guests come up and thank us for having them--heck, it's US who should be thanking the PROS, am I right?

All this friendly mutual-thankiness-society goodwill came to a head Saturday Night at our Annual Auction, where I started out reprising my role from last year of auctioneer, but was quickly heckled off the stage in favor of the lovely Allison Sohn, who--let's face it--is just a better auctioneer than I am, all around. She was DYNAMITE up there--not only does she know all the artists, but all the bidders as well, and would occasional cajole them into bidding wars. I hope we can trick her into doing it again next year--this year's auction raised an incredible 20% more than last year's, which was already among our best ever! WHAT?! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Allison Sohn...

That's not a great picture of her, but you can gaze on her up close in this one, in the aforementioned giant Flickr set! Anyway, after a long and successful auction, many of us retired to the Westin bar, and then magically awoke the next morning with no idea how we'd ended up back in our rooms, or even if these were, indeed, our rooms. But fortunately HeroesCon didn't open on Sunday til 10.30 for pre-reg, so by then we were looking sharp again.

Sunday is typically the "deal-making" day of the show, as traffic is typically down from Saturday. Dealers want to haul home as little as they can, and clever dealhunters are out in force looking for bargains. This year was no exception, and even the staff had a less stressful day. We gave away a bunch of door prizes, the Quickdraw contests drew over 200 fans, the panels seemed to go off without a hitch. The most talked about panel was without a doubt Rantz Hoseley's unveiling of his new Longbox application, which has been compared to a kind of iTunes for comic books--the early scuttlebutt is incredibly positive, especially compared to past initiatives of this kind. There's even rumor of interest from the "Big 4" companies, which is great for Rantz. Also talked about was the screening of the upcoming Jeff Smith documentary "The Cartoonist," Ben Towle and Craig Fischer's Ditko panel, Andy Mansell's panel-by-panel look at Brave And The Bold #4 with creative team Mark Waid and George Perez. Jeez there are so many good ones, I can't list them all.

In fact, I'd better wrap this up! For the complete skinny, check out those Flickr pictures and con links, which tell the tale better than I could. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this image from our Dead Dog Party, former employee Matt Fraction ringing up current employee Matt Knapik for a copy of Casanova. Priceless!

HEROESCON :: Ahoy The Internet!

2009-06-25T18:24:00.004-04:00

In true Comics Reporter style I thought I'd amass some of the links I've found or that people have sent me to HeroesCon reports. While I can't vouch for the content at some of these links (I mean language, some of these guys use teetee-caca language), most of the ones I've looked at are pretty awesome, not to mention complimentary (that falls under the "awesome" subheading anyway).

In no particular order:

Great CLT Blog photo slideshow
CBR coverage of Rantz Hoseley's Longbox announcement/panel
CBR coverage of DC Nation panel
Comics Reporter mid-weekend coverage
CBR talks to Mark Waid about Dr. Strange
Nick Mizgala Flickr set
Newsarama coverage of BOOM! Disney licenses
Newsarama coverage of Dark Reign panel
Newsarama coverage of Ares/War Stories
Newsarama coverage of DC Nation panel
Newsarama coverage of DC Universe panel
Newsarama coverage of Pint o' CB panel
Comics Reporter coverage of HeroesCon and Wizard
CBR coverage of Owly on Kindle
Twitter search for #heroescon
HeroesCon Flickr group
Kivus Flickr set 1/2
Kivus Flickr set 2/2
Van Jensen on Smith/Longstreth panel
CBR on NPG
Sidebar podcast
Jim Amash blog post
Vito Delsante Vlog on FCHS
Dean Trippe photo set
Van Jensen Publisher's Weekly con report
Creative Loafing photos
Red Moon report part 1
bodhipuff's photo report
Alec Longstreth con report
Evan Dahm post

Okay that's a lot of reading for you--get to work! And if you know of one you don't see here, feel free to post a link in the comments section!

REVIEW :: Fantastic Four #566

2009-06-25T17:52:00.002-04:00

Yes, I still like the Fantastic Four by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch.

I heard a dude in the comic shop the other day say he hates this current incarnation of the FF and prefers Dwayne McDuffie’s version of the book. I just don’t get it.

As much as I liked having Storm and the Blank Panther hang around Ben and Johnny, McDuffie’s stuff relied on nostalgia for characters that not many people cared about (like Gravity). Millar and Hitch, on the other hand, are serving up a thoroughly modern and fresh take on a comic that is pretty hard to pull off. And, even after more than 500 issues of the series, the current creators are finding new wrinkles on the team and their supporting characters.

Now, on the other hand, I am looking for some closure on the whole “Thing getting married” storyline. Just tell me why his latest lady is crazy/evil already. And (SPOILER ALERT) how many times are we going to decimate Latveria? Living in Kazakhstan next door to Borat would be better, I think.

Still — while I know writer Jonathan Hickman is gearing up for his run on the book right now — Millar and Hitch are creating some cool stories and pictures every month.

POST HEROESCON :: Chuck Rozanski Con Report

2009-06-24T15:33:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm in the middle of preparing my con report, having already posted 245 photos to Flickr, descriptions of which are appearing as I write them. I'll be blogging about it here as well, but in the meantime I wanted to share with you what Chuck Rozanski said in this week's Mile High Comics newsletter.

To preface: if you're not aware of Chuck, Mile High Comics is one of the oldest and most venerable comics shops in the country, and Chuck Rozanski is a popular face at shows all across the country. Not only because dealers love selling him back issues, but he also happens to be a cool dude, too. Here's what he had to say--I'd just link to it instead of cutting and pasting it in toto, but Chuck's newsletter is e-mail only as far as I can see:

"After a wonderful weekend in Charlotte, we're now getting ready to head for the airport. HeroesCon turned out to be just as fantastic a comics convention as I had anticipated, with many thousands of fans from throughout the nation attending. While HeroesCon was originally intended as a regional convention, it is rapidly becoming an alternate destination for those dedicated comics fans who want to attend a large convention without all the media overlay that now dominates other large comics shows, such as San Diego and New York. It is a real blessing to be in a place where the vast majority of attendees are there because they love to read, as opposed to watching television, going to movies, and/or playing video games. I can pleasantly engage in all of the above on occasion, but my basic bias is definitely toward reading, so I find it quite refreshing to attend a comics convention where the entire emphasis of the convention is on comic books. Is it any wonder that HeroesCon is my favorite convention of the year?

"Aside from just having fun here in Charlotte, we also purchased a huge number of back issue comics from the dealers exhibiting at the show. This convention was really a test of our new online pricing structure, as I had to explore whether our wholesale back issue comics suppliers would be willing to lower their prices enough that I could maintain our prices at their new, much lower, levels. Blessedly, the answer turned out to be a resounding "Yes!" While I did run into several instances where I just could not work out deals with folks because they still had their comics priced at pre-recession levels, I found more than enough dealers who were willing to be flexible enough to spend my entire buying budget, and then some. I ended up buying about 30,000 back issue comics and trade paperbacks in Charlotte, including well over 10,000 Silver Age and Bronze Age comics! That was more than enough pre-1980 back issues to completely restock us from the debilitating effects on our online inventory resulting from our sales of the past two weeks, so I am feeling quite happy this morning. While there were certainly a few issues where I found out that I am going to have to raise our prices slightly over the next week in order to maintain our inventories, in most instances I am going to be able to keep our present extremely steep discounts in effect for you.

"While I purchased Silver Age and Bronze Age comics quite well in Charlotte, my assistant, Will Moulton, was also purchasing this past weekend at the WizardWorld convention in Philadelphia. Will was able to also buy about 30,000 comics (with an emphasis on issues that we're seeking from the past five years...), but his real score was a single deal containing over 3,000 scarce and out-of-print trade paperbacks. If you've been looking for any books for your library, the next couple of weeks are going to be a great time for you to shop with Mile High Comics!

"I'm going to have to cut things short now, as we still have to turn in our rental van, and then head for the airport for our flight home. Before I go, however, I want to close out today's newsletter with a special thanks to HeroesCon owner and founder Shelton Drum, and his entire crew at the wonderful Heroes Aren't Hard to Find retail comics shop. Thanks to Shelton and his wonderful crew, we all have the opportunity each year to attend a comics convention that retains the wonder and magical atmosphere of Phil Seuling's legendary 1970's conventions at the Commodore Hotel in New York, and the incredible early 1980's conventions in San Diego. Being able to step back in time, and to once again experience the joy that I felt at attending the greatest comics conventions of my youth, is such an incredible treat that I am forever their debt. Shelton, you're the best!"

Holy Cow! What a sweet post by Chuck! Shelton was super flattered by it, especially the part about Phil Seuling and the early San Diego shows, where Shelton was set up as a young man selling comics, before he even had established Heroes Aren't Hard To Find! Okay more con report coming soon.

[pictured at top of post, from left: Chuck, his wife Nanette, and our Warehouse Manager Seth Peagler, together in our warehouse after loadout of HeroesCon]

HEROESCON :: PostCon Wrapup To Come!

2009-06-22T17:48:00.005-04:00

Okay I've spent most of the day answering a TON of e-mail and checking out the TON of Twitter posts and retweets and so forth regarding the show. I have to say that, while we're all ridiculously tired, and I can barely stand up from 4 days of walking back and forth over 100,000 square feet of concrete floor, we're incredibly encouraged and enervated at the very VERY warm and congratulatory messages we're getting. By all accounts so far HeroesCon 09 was a huge success, which makes all the hard work over the last few months worth it!

I'll be posting a short series of photo collections and reports over the next few days, but in the meantime I wanted to say thanks to everyone who came this year, from fans to dealers to pros! HeroesCon runs 100% on the support of our community of family and friends, and believe me we appreciate it.

UNRELATED--there was a problem last week with our server which has prevented us from being able to upload this Wednesday's New Releases--we're working on it and hopefully will get them up tomorrow. Sorry for any inconvenience!

I'll leave you today with this photo in our store of employee Matt Knapik and X-Men writer Chris Claremont. Note that Matt is holding a copy of X-Men #4, the first issue after Claremont left the book back in the 90's. It's a nerd joke, but everyone around in the store was cracking up at this. Matt went on to explain the current X-Men continuity to Chris, which was twice as hilarious. If you've met Matt, you know how entertaining his explaining of anything can be, so watching him explain the X-Men to probably the best-known X-writer ever was pretty hysterical to the rest of us.

HEROESCON :: Pre-Convention News Smorgasbord!

2009-06-18T10:13:00.003-04:00

Whew! Man we are running around like crazy, but I wanted to update you on a couple of things before I get away from easy internet access. I'm super rushed though, and as I type in my air conditioned office, Seth and Shawn and our staff are sweating through load-in, so my guilt commands that I hurry up so I can join them. ??? Uh, guilt, that basically sounds like a terrible idea, but okay...

ITEM! All locations are up on our site, and are just as up-to-date as I could make them. You can find Guest, Small Press, and Exhibitor locations up there, including an updated list of the few cancellations we've had, in the sidebar at the right of the Guest List page.

ITEM! Just a reminder to all advance ticket holders: we will be allowing you on the floor 30 minutes in advance of the show opening times, as a thank you for your early patronage. This is ALSO a reminder to exhibitors, small press, and guests, who should definitely be sure to be ready for the crush 30 minutes early this year! We will be adjusting the time these people can get in as well.

ITEM! Ben Towle and Craig Fischer host an awesome in-depth look at the career of Steve Ditko. Check it:

You can read all about it on our Event Schedule page, which is ALSO updated!

ITEM! Ben and Craig are not the only ones who are BRINGING IT to HeroesCon. Our man Brian Pulido is bringing a special HeroesCon edition of Lady Death #1 and a new Lady Death print! Brian will be selling these at his booth in Artists Alley, which I do believe is booth #832.

Be sure you go by and say hi to Brian, AND/OR catch him moderating the Hero Initiative panel at 3.30 on Friday, which will feature fellow Hero Initiative board member George Perez!

ITEM! But what about BOOM!, who is also bringing it? They'll have like 40 billion exclusive HeroesCon covers this weekend, including an Irredeemable #3, a Muppets foil cover by HeroesCon guest Roger Langridge, and a Farscape cover as well! And I feel kinda sure that I forgot one or two, too, so you'll have to visit them at Booth 514/613 to get the full rundown!

Okay, hopefully I'll be able to make another update before things get even crazier... but we'll see. Any latebreaking news will be in the Heroes Hotline, which will go out first thing in the morning, bright and early!

HEROESCON :: Exhibitor Booth Locations Now Online!

2009-06-16T13:49:00.002-04:00

Locations now up for Exhibitor Booths! These are subject to change, but not much change--and I believe Shelton has some late additions we'll be adding later today or tomorrow.

REMINDER TO EXHIBITORS: Remember that this year we are re-instating our old tradition of allowing advance ticket buyers to enter the hall 30 minutes before the rest of the attendees. This means that at 10.30 on Friday morning, 9.30 on Saturday, and 10.30 on Sunday, there will be fans on the floor, so please be prepared at that time and have your booths ready to go!

HEROESCON :: Arthur Suydam, More Studio Revolvers!

2009-06-16T11:59:00.004-04:00

Time is ticking and we're all working dawn to dawn getting ready for the convention which is just THREE DAYS AWAY, but I thought I'd announce a late-breaking addition to our Guest List today:

ARTHUR SUYDAM is the award-winning artist behind a veritable undead army of "zombie" reinterpretations of classic Marvel covers over the last few years, most related in some way to the Marvel Zombies comic. He's been a high profile painter for years, as well as creating strips like Cholly & Flytrap and others. These days he's working on Deadpool, and I believe there's some recently announced work upcoming on Moon Knight!

OOPS UPDATE: Apparently Arthur can't make it after all? Shortest time on Guest List ever! Okay sorry to get you excited, but there's still all these cool peeps below from Studio Revolver! Okay resume blog post:

Also new to the list these days are a whole bevy of Studio Revolver members, which includes luminaries like Dexter Vines and Sanford Greene among others. New from Studio Revolver today are:

JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER: Upcoming Witchblade covers, Wizards of the Coast
CASEY EDWARDS: White Wolf, 10 Worlds Studio
TARIQ HASSAN: Upper Deck, DC cards, Star Wars Mini toy line
KEVIN STOKES: Splitsville, Smallville

Okay hard at work on getting pro and exhibitor locations up, so stay tuned!

NEWS :: Captain America #600 Ships on Monday, June 15

2009-06-12T15:03:00.004-04:00

The internet is a-buzz with rumors and speculation about Captain America #600! But there are a few things that we know for a FACT:

FIRST: it is coming out next week and will be available for sale on Monday, June 15. Yes that is right, MONDAY! They will be on the rack just as soon as UPS delivers it! Note: only Cap will be for sale on Monday, all other books ship Wednesday.

SECOND: not every store has opted to get it in early.

THIRD: be the first kid on your block to read it by purchasing your copy at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, America’s Comic Source.

FOURTH: this issue is going to be H-U-G-E! There is expected to be plenty of media coverage surrounding this monumental issue.

AND LAST: but certainly not least, Captain America #600 writer Ed Brubaker AND Captain America #600 cover artist Steve Epting will be at our convention which is being held June 19-21 at the Charlotte Convention Center! Less then a week after you read the book you can let the creators know what you think. And perhaps get your issue signed!

I am so excited I can barely contain myself! This convention is going to be so awesome I can’t help but use a billion, billion (1,000,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000,000) exclamation points when talking about it! So hopefully I will see all you guys on Monday when you pick up your very own copy of Captain America #600, Wednesday when you pick up the rest of your books and then Friday through Sunday at the convention. It is going to be the best week ever!

QUICK UPDATES :: Updated Small Press Locations, Schedule Additions, More!

2009-06-12T00:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, super fast and dirty because WHOA NELLIE me and Shelton are working hard to get everything squared away in time for the big program book deadline tomorrow morning. But here are a couple of things I've just updated:

1) SMALL PRESS TABLES: I moved some around again. I'm sorry! But pretty much everybody that got moved (only a half-dozen or so), got moved to better spots. We're going to squeeze the Blood Drive in that corner so you guys aren't stuck in the dark corner trying to flag down fans. Also, everyone who's purchased space over the last week or so should now be listed, and the many of you who have been patiently waiting for me to remember to make the corrections you asked me for, those should now be made as well.

2) SCHEDULE: I've added a bunch of new panels, plus full details on all the Marvel panels (special guests galore!), the Steve Ditko focus panel (A+!), and a bunch more. I think my two favorite new things are the Jeff Smith documentary screening and the George Perez/Mark Waid Brave & The Bold panel-by-panel panel that Andy "Heroes Discussion Group" will be running.

3) GUEST LIST: has been tweaked a little, but not so's you noticed. There are some recent cancellations though, today including Jason Pearson and Sarah Wilkinson. That complete list is down under the con diagrams and so forth on the right side of the page.

I feel like there's something else but I can't remember. Either way, gotta get back to work! Wish me and Shelton luck!

INDIE ISLAND :: T-Shirt Sneak Peek!

2009-06-11T00:04:00.002-04:00

Another late-night post! Oops, actually early-morning now. Poor Indie Island has not gotten much attention from me this year, which is sad because I love it so. But it will still be incredibly awesome--besides the regular awesomeness, this year we've fortified it with 100% more Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), and Jason Lutes (Berlin).

Plus a little secret weapon I like to call Joe Lambert, who did the endpapers for the monstrously well-received and lauded Best American Comics 2008, is a mainstay and studbolt on the minicomics scene, and is working on a big secret book currently for a big book publisher. AND he did this year's Indie Island shirt, which is even now at the printer being printified on some fly American Apparel and regular-old shirts for you to look fly in. Because you're up so late with me, I thought I'd share a peek at the image. I love it! Keep your eyes on Joe, because he's for real, and he's nationwide, suckas!

HEROESCON :: Sean Chen, Steve Skeates, Drew Weing, More!

2009-06-10T23:30:00.002-04:00

No sleep til HeroesCon! We're burning the midnight oil tonight, trying to get this here program book put to bed, and I've been trying to grab up any stragglers who aren't already on the list--especially Sean Chen, who I thought was already up there. My bad, Sean! Again, I'd prefer to lavish praise and attention of all of these people, but I'm looking at a pretty late night so pardon me if I go the short route of welcoming first-time guests Steve Skeates, Drew Weing, and Evan Bryce, and returning guests Sean Chen, John Gallagher, Jason Horn, and Dean Trippe. Okay, the list all formal-like:

New to HeroesCon 09 Guest List!

EVAN BRYCE: Popgun, Project: Rooftop
SEAN CHEN: Nova, Iron Man, Wolverine
JOHN GALLAGHER: Buzzboy, Nascar Heroes
JASON HORN: Ninjasaur, Comic Book Tattoo
STEVE SKEATES: Crazy, Creepy, Peter Porker
DEAN TRIPPE: Butterfly, Comic Book Tattoo
DREW WEING: Blar, Nickelodeon Magazine

Okay! More to come, in my wee-hours marathon! See you tomorrow/today!

HEROESCON :: Silver Age, Kids Love Comics, More!

2009-06-09T19:06:00.003-04:00

Okay! We're closing in on the homestretch here, but super swamped for time--and good gravy it's past-time for dinner, so forgive me if this blog post sounds rushed--not to mention packed!

Joining the HeroesCon 09 Guest List today are a bevy of Silver Age Legends, including:

PAT BASTIENNE, former Talent and Editorial Coordinator at DC Comics and then Continuity Comics with Dick Giordano and Neal Adams.

DICK GIORDANO, former Managing Editor at DC and legendary artist and inker, especially on characters like Batman.

IRWIN HASEN, who's really more of Golden Age talent, but talent like Irwin's is timeless anyway. Besides creating Dondi and co-creating Wildcat, Irwin is famous for his work on Green Lantern Comics and All Star Comics!

HERB TRIMPE, whose work you may recognize on the image at right, the first ever appearance of Wolverine! Herb is closely associated with The Hulk, but has worked on pretty much everything else, including Fantastic Four, The Nam, and Shogun Warriors!

But wait there's more! Also new to the list today, representing the Kids Love Comics! collective, are all-ages superstars:

RAY FRIESEN, author/illustrator of the graphic novels Cupcakes of Doom!, Another Dirt Sandwich, and Yarg!

JIMMY GOWNLEY, the creator of the hit Amelia Rules series!

SCOTT CHRISTIAN SAVA is the cartoonist and animator behind The Dreamland Chronicles, Pet Robots, Ed's Terrestrials, and many more besides!

And while not part of Kids Love Comics! or a Silver Age legend, our buddy TOMMY SMITH will be appearing this year at the 12 Gauge booth, promoting his upcoming book U.D.R.!

Okay--time for dinner! More to come tomorrow, including more panels, news, and more!

HEROESCON :: Joe Jusko, Nat Jones, Desperado & More!

2009-06-07T23:55:00.004-04:00

What? Two posts on a Sunday? One so late it's practically Monday morning? Truly these are the end times we're in... or at least the convention is super close and we're burning the midnight oil. So what could be so amazing that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?

Brand new to the HeroesCon 09 Guest List is legendary pinup and cover painter JOE JUSKO. Joe's behind a bajillion high-end paintings over his 30+year career, most notably his work on characters like Vampirella and the Marvel Masterpieces trading card set.

Joe's coming to the convention this year courtesy of another Joe, our buddy JOE PRUETT over at DESPERADO PUBLISHING, which is publishing the new Art of Joe Jusko art book! Desperado also publishes comics like Negative Burn and The Atheist, among many others!

Speaking of studly painters, also new today is good ol' NAT JONES, whose macabre style is most recently in Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer and the upcoming Frank Frazetta's Silver Warrior; not to mention Spawn, The Nail, and a ton of others besides. If you didn't get enough of Nat as a guest at our Free Comic Book Day shindig, we invite you to feast on him for a full three days next weekend!

Also also new today are REBECCA BUCHMAN, attending her first HeroesCon as a guest. She's worked with Dexter Vines and Studio Revolver, and has been seen in the pages of Green Lantern, the upcoming Blackest Night, as well as JSA, Huntress: Year One, and others.

And whoever the dummy is who handles the Guest List just noticed this week that he had never added the glamorous KELLY SUE DECONNICK, who returns this year for her fourth HeroesCon in a row. Kelly Sue has collaborated as a writer with Steve Niles on 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella, as well as worked adapting manga for US readers, including Black Cat and the hit Slam Dunk.

Let's see what else? Tomorrow (actually "today" now, as it's crossed midnight) we'll be doing another update, maybe even two! See you back here in a few hours!