Phoenix Comicon - The Guests Never End!

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce Steve Rude, Dave Beaty, Mike DeBalfo, Shannon Eric Denton, Eric M.Esquivel, Tony Parker, Alfred Trujillo, Andy Bohn, Ben Glendenning, Brian Augustyn, Daniel Bradford, and Denny Riccelli will be joining us for 2013.

“ We certainly are not holding out on Comic Book guests this year. We have a ton of fantastic and talented people on hand for 2013.”  Convention director Matt Solberg

Steve Rude is the co-creator of the groundbreaking Nexus comic series. Throughout his career he has won multiple awards including the Kirby award for best artist and many Eisner's for artistic achievement.

Comic artist, wirter and graphic designer Dave Beaty, who's worked with BOOM Studios, Marvel and DC among others. He has produced numerous award winning illustrations.

Mike Debalfo began his career by illustrating covers for Zenescope entertainment in 2009.  Debalfo continued drawing  overs for the companies most popular series including Grimm Fairy tales, Wounderland,and  Grimms Myths & legends. In 2012, he began working with Aspen Comics on Soulfire volume four.

Shannon Eric Denton is writer producer and artist who has worked with Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., NBC, Disney, Sony, Marvel Entertainment, Paramount, CBS,  DC Comics and many many more. Denton has also worked in the games industry on titles such as God of War  and Neo-Pets.

Comic book writer and journalist Eric M. Esquivel, has contributed to Boom! Studios, Bleeding Cool, Moonstone Books and many more.

Illustrator and storyteller Tony Parker, who works with Boom! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC, and most recently Aspen Comics. Other properties he's worked on include the HERO Initiative covers, Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K, Elephantmen, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Conan, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, and a myriad of pen and paper role playing games.

Comic book artist Alfred Trujillo has worked professionally in the omics industry since 2010. Zenescope, Big Dog Ink, Chameleon and Moonstone were the beginning. In 2012, Alfred gave up life behind a corporate desk and began his own company 183 DEGREE STUDIO writing and drawing his first creator owned book PROJECT: SHADOWS.

Andy Bohn has been a local creator since Phoenix Comicon 2010. In that time he focuses on creating, writing, and illustrating his own comic story, Elvatron Chronicles. Andy has also worked on various books such as Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by Songs of The Smiths, Mark of the Pterren and more.

Artist and writer Ben Glendenning has created SuperWorld, R.I.F.T. And more recently Tin Star Tex. Glendenning also created the series Skulljammer.

Daniel Bradford is a comic artist and co-creator of Robot 13, KING!, and disappointing monsters.

Comic book editor, writer, and creator of The Comic Book Insider, Bryan Augustyn, known  as an editor for DC comics. He work on  many of the most popular series including Batman, Flash, Justice League of America, and Wonder Woman. He has also worked as a writer for many other publishers including Marvel, Dark Horse, and Wildstorm.

Denny Riccelli is the creator of popular webcomics including Get That Chicken, Lollygagging, and Cousin Harold

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.
For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.

Tucson Comic-Con 2012

Welcome to the show!

 The first weekend in November has become a local holiday for Southern Arizona artists over the last 5 years.  It ushers in another ever-growing Tucson Comic Con: a place for local artists to show their works to the world (or at least the city).  This was only my second Tucson Con as an exhibitor (but I’ve been attending since year 2), and every year I see a noticeable bump in show quality.  

On Saturday morning, my wife and I loaded up our car with all of the product and promo items we should need for the weekend.  Luckily, we live here, so if anything was forgotten, it wasn’t a lost cause.  Once we cleared up our printing SNAFU for the Tucson Comic Con print, we were off to the TCC!

Andy Bohn & Ross Demma

This was the Con’s first year being held at the Tucson Convention Center.  I was excited: I felt like convention had made it to “The Bigs” and I was there for it.   Better still: I was offered a spot on my very first comic con panel, “Artists in social media”.  It was fitting since I’m one to try as many social media tools as I can to be seen and make new fans.   It was a wonderful experience.  I thought I would be pretty quiet through most of the panel, but wouldn’t you know it: I had things to contribute. Who knew? One of the finest moments was listening to one of the panelists give his account on a question and immediately lose his train of thought when a *very* excellent Juggernaut cosplayer came into the ballroom.  You could have heard a pin drop as we all stopped and stared for at least 5-10 seconds.

Asbestos lets the world know!

The rest of the weekend went off without a hitch: sold some books, prints and even did a few sketches and, for the first time ever, we came back home in the black profit-wise…not much of a profit, but a profit nonetheless.  As always, the air of the con was warm and inviting. This is primarily the work of Mike Olivares who runs around tirelessly throughout the show to make sure everyone are comfortable and without want. That, combined with the art community coming together and blending so well, I’ll always proudly exhibit in Tucson. This is my home, and I want to make sure this event grows exponentially every year. 

For more information regarding this event, check out their Facebook page or website.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Ross Demma is a writer & artist out of Tucson, Arizona. You can find more information about him and his work at his Facebook page or his website.

Newest Character Unleashed In Elvatron Chronicles #3

Publisher: Spy Hunter Comics
Story & Art: Andy Bohn
Cover: Andy Bohn & Brandon G. James

Available: 11/03/12            Price: $3.00

Once thought to be nothing more than a fairy tale, the mages have returned to Arsaria and have brought with them enough trouble to last another hundred years. Elvatron has gone missing and the hunt to find him has begun. The first of the people to be interrogated about Elvatron's whereabouts are the peaceful nomads of Arsaria, the ones called the Runners.

With each day the new power is in place, the darkness continues to swallow up the light. Will the Runners be able to escape the new army of King Ossus, or will they be wiped from the land like the mages from legend?

Elvatron Chronicles #3 will debut on the weekend of November 3rd at the Tucson Comic Con in Tucson, Arizona. Tucson Comic Con is on it's fifth year as a con for the community and many creators fill the hall just for the fans. Tucson Comic Con will be at the Tucson Convention Center and will be taking place on November 3rd and 4th. If you are not able to make it to the Tucson Comic Con this year, Elvatron Chronicles #3 will have a Day 1 Digital release for your digital devices and can be found in the Adventure section of www.indieaisle.com.

Elvatron Chronicles comes from the mind of the Arizona local creator, Andy Bohn. He has been in the comic scene since 2010 and has been on multiple projects, but has a soft spot in his heart for this creator owned property. You can find more on him on Facebook and Deviantart .

Brandon G. James is an Arizona based artists breaking into comics and was brought on to Elvatron Chronicles for the cover to issue #3. For more information on Brandon, you can find him on Facebook and his website.

Mark of the Pterren #1

I usually start out my reviews with the publisher's description of the book. However, I'll be honest and tell you that I had to turn to my good friend Google to find much of anything for this book. Sadly, I didn't find a synopsis so you're stuck with me telling you about the book in my very own words. Don't worry, I promise it shouldn't be too painful...fingers crossed...

The Good : This story intrigues me. Why, you ask? The lovely lady on the cover over there is the narrator and through out this first issue, she fills you in on the history of her race, the Pterren. She tells of how the current king came to power and hints that..no she states that she intends to go up against him.

The Bad : As with anything, there is a down side to this book. In this case, it's a two part issue. The first issue lends itself to the second issue. The lines on the artwork are especially thick and when you combine that with the fuzzing of those same lines..well, it took away from what might have been rather nice artwork. My other problem with the art work came in the faces. There seemed to be a lack of detail and definition in some of them.

The Summary : All in all, this is a good book. The history leads me to want to know the present and then the future. With any luck, future issues will have a better printer and we'll be able to find out what happens when our heroine confronts her king.

For more information on it, check out their Facebook page. For information on how you can purchase a copy for yourself, either leave them a message or drop the letterer, Andy Bohn a message. His was the only fan page that I could find.

Our thanks to Jesse James Comics for sharing this book with us. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong 100% to the reviewer.

Phoenix Comicon : The Rest of the Story

The other day I told you all about my first day at the Phoenix Comicon. Since then and even before then, I've been trying to figure out how to tell you all about the other days. You see, there were some good, some bad, some amazing and some eye opening moments that weekend but so much of it is still so tangled up inside of me that I'm not sure what to even say about it. I'm going to do my darndest to give you a good taste of what really is an amazing con but please forgive me if it's not my usual joyful bubbling.

Friday -
Friday..oh Friday..I woke up early because I had decided to surprise Walter by meeting him at the airport. Justin stayed behind at the hotel to try to figure out just how my corset was supposed to be laced. Meeting up with Walter was pure amazing. It was the first time in my life that I wasn't worried or nervous about meeting someone. Turns out I was right, him and I just fit together somehow. After grabbing the shuttle back to the hotel, it was off to breakfast, a quick stop at Target and then on to the con!

We got there with a bit of time to spare before the one and only panel I managed to attend started. Since there was only 20 minutes or so, though, we decided to just go sit in the room and wait. I kind of dragged Walter along with me (What? I had good intentions..his friends would be doing the panel!) but he really didn't want to be in there so eventually, we agreed that he'd go find Mike and meet up with me after the panel was done. Justin and I enjoyed the panel..it was typical Raven and Andy silliness which always makes me laugh. I was amused when the moderator wanted me to say something and Raven was like umm no..that other girl, call on her. You'd think he'd heard my side of things or something....

For the record, since Raven wouldn't let me speak, here's my take:

1. Skynet involves nukes. Nukes create zombies. Both apocalypse happen together. I'm screwed.
2. Zombies are like ants. You won't be safe out on the water. They'll just keep plunging in until they form a zombie road.

After the panel, Walter was totally true to his word and we met up. Justin decided to stay upstairs for another panel so we headed down to the show floor. That's when I goofed things up...fast forward a while...Got to meet up with Ross and give him his surprise. That part was fun. I also picked up some new goodies, also good.

Saturday -
.....Umm...Geek Prom! Yes, we attended Geek Prom! After a really hard day, Walter agreed to attend with Justin and I and I am so, so, so glad that he did. The event was different but it looked like everyone was having a lot of fun. It was good to be able to watch some real silliness happening. Even if you're not into dancing to geeky music, I recommend this event. It's fantastic for people watching. If I'm lucky enough to attend next year, I'll be attending this again..it's a fun event plus the proceeds go to a great charity.

Sunday -
Poor Justin wasn't feeling so good on Sunday so he pretty much left Walter and I alone to wander the con floor, seeing friends and me frantically doing things I should have done the other days. People love Walter and it made me smile to see them light up when he'd come around. I can't blame them..he showed me what it was like to be silly and goofy and how to smile until your face hurt again. He really is a pretty great guy*.

Walter and I did a bit of last minute shopping and a lot of last minute talking and for me, wishing that the weekend wasn't coming to an end. There was so much more that we could have seen and experienced, but I have no regrets, just things to look forward to next year.

So while this is probably the worst con write up ever, I hope that you guys understand that it's not the fault of the event itself. The event is amazingly well organized and well run. The exhibitor floor was filled with fantastic artists, writers and companies. The panels were varied and there was something for everyone, no matter what your interest. My weekend was amazing, thanks not only to the con itself but to the people who I got to spend time with.

I'm already looking forward to attending next year. I promise to do a better write up as well as take some better pictures. Thank goodness for people like Andy who covered for me this year!

*I received no monetary compensation for this comment.

Phoenix Comicon 2012 : Day 1

This is it. The post some of you have been waiting nearly two weeks for! I'm finally writing about my trip to Phoenix. I warn you that it wasn't all pretty but in the end, it was all amazing. I will also warn you that all pictures on this post (and upcoming posts) were totally and blatantly stolen from my friend, Andy Bohn. Why? Well because I was distracted the entire weekend and typical me...next to no pictures. Read on and find out as I give you my day by day summary of Phoenix Comicon 2012 with random photos thrown in for good measure!

Thursday - Hereby known as Katrina was exhausted day. I was up at 4am after being up until 1am. After a drive to the airport, luck was with me! Note that I said after because during, my cigarette lighter portal thingy (I'm working on copywriting that, by the way.) decided to fall right into the console on my van. Awesome, huh? Well, my luck changed at the airport. I not only found the parking lot easily, but the shuttle van saw me pull in and came to me instead of me hauling bags to him! Woo! I got inside, got checked in nice and easy and even got skipped to the head of the security line (thank you costume cane!). The flight was smooth and even though I had a 3 month old behind me and an 18 month in front of me, no problems. Justin met me at the airport and we were off! Since our hotel was nearby, we decided to stop in and see when we could check in. Awesomesauce hotel (Airport Radisson) let us check in 5 hours early! We had a quick lunch in their restaurant..the food was good but the service a bit slow..and then up to the room to unpack and grab a quick nap. After the nap, it was up to the con! I bet you thought I'd never get there, right? Check in was nice and easy as soon as we figured out where we had to go. I didn't end up with a press badge (yes, I did sulk for a bit.) but a media badge. I guess I'm just not quite big enough yet for them to give me the almighty press badge. It's ok though because I saw the list and very few people got the press badge. There were lots of us media types though!

So, here's where we waited...and waited...and then found comfy chairs and watched other people wait. I kid you not that there were thousands of people standing around just waiting for the doors to open so that they could get in. I never expected that kind of turn out for a preview night! It was really cool to see. After the doors opened and the door crowd thinned, Justin and I headed in and looked around for friends. We spotted Andy...

 We also saw Alfred (here with Andy)...

Let's see, there was also Raven (here with Andy and Eric (Ebas)...

I got a half hug from Raven which hopefully next time will be a bit more enthusiastic but as usual the man was too distracted and I'm still not convinced he knows who I am between times seeing me, no matter what others claim.

Oh, I almost forgot, speaking of hugs...I saw these guys!

This is Brett and Mike! Brett is awesomesauce wrapped in bacon. I got fabulous hugs from him and I think maybe an oh hi from Mike. That's ok. Mike and I had never met in person and he was super busy setting up his table. If you don't know his art, well you ought to and I hereby expect you to go explore.

I'm trying to remember (this is what happens when I wait two weeks..though I promise I had good reasons!) who else we got the chance to see...Ooh...I know!

Ross! We saw Ross of Ross Demma Art who is also utterly fantastic..and while I gave him a bunch of money, I think I missed some stuff he had on other nights/days of the con. I'm sure he'll happily fix that for me though.

At some point, I was still super tired so I think we went back to the hotel..I think..I do remember coming back downtown to have...No wait! I remember! We went upstairs to find Eric! Since he'd sent me his schedule before the con, I knew where to find him and it was kind of funny. He looked right through me until I made some smarty pants remark, then he knew just who was standing in front of him. We tried to sort out dinner, but in his typical vague (and loveable way), he'd forgotten all about it! In the end, we did get to meet up with him and a couple of his friends for pizza and then some time over at the Captain's Cantina event. I got to be Eric's guinea pig for some new camera doohickey which resulted in this..what may be the only picture of me at the con: 

Do you see how green I was? That's from that crazy necklace I'm wearing. Someone at the con gave it to me and that's what it did! Insane! It took me two days to scrub all the green off. I could have shot Eric when I saw this picture over on the con's Flickr page.

So, since this post is my photo filled fun time extravaganza post, I close it out that I got a fantastic good night hug from Eric and then we headed back to our hotel..it was late and the next morning would be early but all in all..Thursday was wonderful...