Gary Tyrrell, journalist
2015 Projects: I was invited to write a short piece on webcomics that will be part of an upcoming college text on the history of illustration.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? All-ages graphic novels stomping all over the traditional content of comics. This was the year that Raina Telgemeier and Kazu Kibuishi took half the spots on the NY Times bestseller list between the two of them, and they are between them buiding up an entire future generation of comics readers.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Scott McCloud’s “The Sculptor”, which richly deserves all the praise it will be garnering.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? This makes me a terrible fan of paleontology, but I kinda want to see Chris Pratt riding a motorcycle with his loyal pack of hunting raptors running alongside.
Joe Field, retailer
2015 Projects: My ongoing project, for the last 26 years, is Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff. And the 14th Annual Free Comic Book Day will be here before you know it (First Saturday in May!) There are other projects at various stages not yet ready for airing.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The continued mainstreaming of Comic Book Culture which has been percolating for a dozen years but is now approaching full boil. More than that, all comics, whether print or digital, are on the continued rise.
I do think this amorphous thing we call “the comics market” is more tribal than ever and more splintered, as well. It’s a thousand specialty mini-markets within the larger specialty super-market. I’m hoping for a 2015 with less friction, less victimization and more peace and acceptance at all levels of the industry.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? While 2015 will start with the first million print run comic book in more than 20 years with Star Wars #1 (retailers are hoping it will also be million selling), I’ll bet there will be even bigger stories that will affect the comics market in more long-term ways.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? My first trip “across the pond” to visit some family history (and take in some live music) in Ireland and England.
MariNaomi, cartoonist
2015 Projects: My book Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories is still relatively new (jointly published by 2D Cloud and Uncivilized Books in September 2014).
I’m coming out with a graphic memoir about working at hostess bars in the U.S. and Tokyo, Turning Japanese, published by 2D Cloud in September 2015. The first half of the book can be read on 2D Cloud’s website:
I’m also curating the Cartoonists of Color and LGBTQ Cartoonists databases
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Alison Bechdel winning the MacArthur Genius Grant. I think this gave a lot of hope to cartoonists, especially queer autobio females such as myself.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? I’m looking forward to finding out! Hopefully it involves more cartoonists getting the recognition they deserve, plus making tons of money to boot.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I’m too old to bother with guilt in my pleasures. I look forward to relishing it all.
Josh Frankel, publisher Z2 Comics
2015 Projects: There are a ton of projects in the works right now. However the one I really want to talk about is Miss Lask-Gross’s Henni. Our new 2015 graphic novel is amazing a great treatise on women’s rights, religion and being true to yourself. Also the art is amazing! It seems poised to do really well sales wise which is always great! Seriously check it out.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Hmmmm if I had to venture an opinion it would be the continued bleeding of comics into mass media. Not just with movies but also television. Another story I think more in the comic field is how women are getting more represented in the medium not just creator wise but story and protagonist wise, also about time too! Women buy around 50% of graphic novels and it’s an underserved market as women read 70% of books in general. So the main artery for expansion in comics will be women. Oh one more thing the Kirby settlement. Guess that is three stories but all important
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Mass media wise Avenger’s Two I wouldn’t be surprised if it sets box office records. In pure comics form I am interested to see how BOOM does as their market share has increased steadily. Lastly the effects of Star Wars going to Marvel will be very interesting to see vis a vis Dark Horse as that represented 25% of their floppy business.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Comic wise probably Secret War. I dig Hickman’s narrative thrusts. In general this will be the year I get a Piecaken if I can swing it
Curt Pires, writer
2015 Projects: Mayday at Black Mask Studios, Chris Peterson’s drawing it and it drops in March. Pop TPB also drops in March over at Dark Horse. Everything else hasn’t been announced yet.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The continued rise of Creator Owned at all companies.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I don’t believe in the concept of guilty pleasures, to be honest. Excited to see many new creator owned projects, from interesting creators, however!
Shaenon K. Garrity, cartoonist
2015 Projects: Still drawing Skin Horse every day. I put my other webcomic, Monster on the Week, on hiatus while I had a baby, but I’ll be announcing plans for the next season after the new year.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Me having a baby.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Me never having a baby again.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Bitch Planet.
Robert Berry, cartoonist
2015 Projects: creator of a comic adapting James Joyce’s novel ULYSSES into a digital learning platform, comics professor at UPenn
BIGGEST COMICS NEWS STORY OF 2014? Funny, in 2013 I said it DC Comics move to California. In 2014 they’ve completed the transition and I think that’s really disappointing. But for me the most pleasant and wide-reaching news of the year is the settlement reached between Marvel Comics and the Jack Kirby estate. That should have some positive repercussions on creator rights and recognition for many artists who labored in the work-for-hire system and, I hope, give freelancers today a better idea of what to expect.
BIGGEST NEWS STORY OF 2015? Accepting the difference between digital consumers of comics and the regular print comic collector. We have a really good opportunity now to broaden the audience for comics through people newly interested in geek culture. But pricing a digital “hey you might like this” comic the same way you price a print “hey you should polybag this” product is just stupid; its throwing away the new reader for the profit and stability of comicshops. Somebody, some publisher or self-publisher, is going to understand that this year a develop a product for mass consumption online and very, very solid sales in paperback. Comics are quick reads and, as such, really solid selling ephemeral products; that’s their history. But that doesn’t mean people won’t pay very solid dollar amounts for the collected editions, the prestige object. The new product that understands and adapts to that market mathematic is going to win the day.
GUILTY PLEASURE OF 2015? The 50th anniversary of the Reed and Sue’s wedding in FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 (October, 1965). To my mind that’s the first watermark of “the Marvel Age” and its something I’ve personally toyed with in sketchbooks for years and years. I wonder how Marvel will handle it? Like most guilty pleasures, I look forward to the disappointment I know will follow it.
Jen Sorensen, cartoonist, jensorensen.com and fusion.net/GraphicCulture
2015 Projects: I’ve recently begun working as Comics Editor for Fusion, a startup media company from ABC and Univision aimed at socially-conscious young adults. I’m curating political cartoons and graphic journalism for a section of the website called “Graphic Culture”. It’s a dream job, and I’m super-excited about building the section further in 2015 — the whole website is still in Beta. We’ve published some great stuff already that I’m very proud of!
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The return of Bill Watterson
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? I’m a bit biased here, but I would like it to be about the growth in popularity of socially-relevant comics in digital news media.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? More Serial. And cheese, of the edible variety.
MK Reed, writer, mkreed.com , aboutabull.com, cutegirlnetwork.com
2015 Projects: My webcomic, About A Bull; everything else to be revealed in 2015.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? How many freaking amazing comics came out this year! The Wrenchies, Seconds, Through The Woods, How To Be Happy, Beautiful Darkness & Beauty- SO MUCH great stuff came out this year. Not even going into all the awesome webcomics & minis coming out.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Raina Telgemeier has the 5 top books on the NY Times Comics Bestsellers list.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Being able to talk about my own projects again. <_<
Ben Towle, cartoonist
2015 Projects: I couldn’t me more excited that my webcomic, Oyster War, that I’ve been working on for the last few years will be coming out as a print graphic novel in the second half of 2015. I don’t think the publisher’s going to make an official announcement until the spring, but keep an eye out for it in the coming year!
While that’s moving into production, I’m getting a few proposals together that will hopefully find a home somewhere in 2015.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The Kirby settlement. Obviously this long-running dispute just being finally over with is a big deal in and of itself, but it’s even more notable that it was settled out of court rather than adjudicated. We’ll never know how SCOTUS would have ruled on this one, but clearly Disney/Marvel had some qualms about the possible outcome. Personally, I’d have really liked to have seen it go to the Supreme Court, but just seeing “Created by Jack Kirby” on Marvel properties makes this a huge deal.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Well, maybe not “big,” but important. I’m wondering if 2015 won’t be the beginning of the end for the ever expanding “con-a-weekend” trend. I think we’re soon going to reach a breaking point where the number of comics/pop culture cons each year are just non-sustainable and some are going to have to hang it up.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I’m generally all about those comics, ’bout those comics, no music… but I’m pretty psyched for Mad Max: Fury Road. I’m pretty sure the film will feature some cars that explode.
Kurt Busiek, writer
2015 Projects: ASTRO CITY, with Brent Anderson, Alex Ross, Alex Sinclair, Wendy Broome and JG Roshell and THE AUTUMNLANDS: TOOTH & CLAW with Benjamin Dewey, Jordie Bellaire and JG Roshell again.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Spider-Woman’s butt!
No, Thor’s a girl!
The Marvel-Kirby settlement?
I dunno. I haven’t had the energy to pay attention. Biggest news for me has been Image’s continued growth and strength with creator-owned books. So I’ll vote for that, but when the results come out I’m sure it’ll be something I haven’t thought of.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Fallout from DC’s West Coast move. But again, I’m sure I’m going to be wrong.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? WALT & SKEEZIX Book 6!
Not that I’ll feel guilty about it. But I don’t feel guilty about much, in comics. Pleasure, though? You bet.
Glenn Hauman, journalist
2015 Projects: All of the stuff from ComicMix Pro Services, doing all the things that comics creators don’t want to deal with or don’t know how to do. http://www.comicmix.com/pro-services/ There are so many neat projects coming up in the next year…
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Comics seriously go Hollywood. It’s finally here— DC people are packing up their apartments, selling their houses, and leaving for sunny Burbank. Meanwhile, there are twenty, count them, twenty TV series based on comic books in production right now, never mind all the movies. The infrastructure of Hollywood is relying on comics in a way that they never have before.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Not all of the comics adaptations are going to succeed. Amazingly, this is going to surprise a number of TV and movie executives.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I don’t feel guilty about ANY of my pleasures, beatniks— I just don’t admit them all in public.
Mark Siegel, publisher/cartoonist, First Second
2015 Projects: PIGS MIGHT FLY, by Nick Abadzis, with artwork by Jerel Dye. Because every second I spend in their world makes me happy.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? THIS ONE SUMMER by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, getting an unprecedented seven starred reviews.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Something nobody saw coming. The death of an iconic creator. The redemption of another.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Upgrading my Valkyries.
Amy Chu, writer
2015 Projects: Vertigo Strange Sports Stories, Geek Girl’s Guide to Making Comics, Girls Night Out #4
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The rise of female readership in comics and their influence on content– Ms. Marvel, Gotham Academy, Batgirl
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? The DC Convergence event
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Binge watching Orphan Black and binge playing Final Fantasy.
Jimmie Robinson, cartoonist
2015 Projects: THE EMPTY, by Image Comics
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The changing landscape of comic conventions in North America. How they have affected professionals, cosplayers, retailers, the industry and how the average Joe on the street might view fandom in today’s world. The media lens, via TV, Movies, News, the Internet, etc. is like a genie out of the bottle. It won’t go back in and we all have multiple wishes for what we hope will be the best for everyone. Nonetheless, some people may not transition well during this time. That’s a story as old as the invention of the wheel, but I personally don’t mind the change and I welcome the fans, readers and guests on every level. Conventions have never been about making money for me, but I know it is for some. I’m happy to just break even, if that. I tend to look at conventions as opportunities for the future, such as making connections in the industry for future work, making connections with fans of my existing work and enjoying the community at large.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? I’m predicting more fall out of Grandpa Con versus In-name-only-Con. In fact, I predict the return of the 1990s style comics. The boom of the 1990s will become the new childhood nostalgia and cool retro style of tomorrow. Hyper stylized characters, buxom women, giant laser guns, and splash pages will become the rage. We will experience a backlash of all the deep-meaning and well-thought out comics of today. Readers will crave something different from the the alternative comics. In short, the pendulum continues to swing back and forth.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I am very much looking forward to San Diego Comic Con. 2015 marks my official 20th year in comics as a professional and this upcoming year San Diego has invited me as one of their guests — which will personally be a real honor.
For the last several years, writer Amy Chu has been a familiar face at comic conventions around the World – just last year I bumped into her at Thought Bubble! Among other things a contributor to The Beat, Amy is perhaps best known for her self-published anthology comics ‘Girls Night Out’, which have so far been printed into three volumes. Each of these tells six stories or so, loosely themed around an idea, or phrase, and with a starry line-up of artistic collaborators.
And for volume three, ‘Girls Night Out: The Way Love Goes’, she’s successfully headed to Kickstarter! At the time of writing she is well ahead of her target, making this her second successful Kickstarter campaign for the series. A self-publisher, she works with a number of great creators on this latest volume – including Larry Hama, Trish Mulvihill, Janet Lee and Craig Yeung. I couldn’t let this Kickstarter pass without taking the opportunity to ask her about the latest edition of her series – and thankfully she found time after Emerald City Comic-Con to offer some answers! Hurray!
Steve: You’ve studied comics pretty extensively – I know you’re a graduate of Scott Snyder’s writing class, among others. How do you approach writing a story? What’s your focus, or goal?
Amy: I studied architecture in college so I think there are some good analogies between buildings and stories. When I have an idea I want to build into a story, I do tend to focus on structure first, especially for a short, then I work on the layers of the narrative, the obvious and then the subliminal.
I’m very focused on what the reader experiences as he or she moves through the story- and the emotion that they come away with after finishing it. I also figure if someone is spending the money, they should get at least a couple reads out of it.
Steve: There’s a lot of experimentation going on in terms of writing, in these six stories. One is told entirely in tweets, for example. How do you go from an idea to a script? At what point do you hit on an idea and decide that’s the one you want to write into a fully-formed story?
Amy: Like a lot of creators, I have many ideas that float in the ether, at various stages of completion. If I have an interesting idea, I usually start writing it out until I hit a snag. On rare occasions, I’ll actually vomit out a complete story in one setting, but usually it’s a lot of back and forth. But every story has a different backstory in its genesis.
For example, the tweet story “Big City” was actually an improv experiment with artist Sean Von Gorman at Carmine City Comics in front of an audience. We basically came up with the story as people came in and out of the store and Sean sketched it out.
Steve: You also move from genre to genre, and tell stories from a range of different perspectives and viewpoints. Was it always your intention to use the theme of love to play around in different genres and styles?
Amy: I like playing with different genres and styles, but needed something to tie the stories together. I did this with”Tales of New York” and I think it worked creatively for me, and for the readers.
Steve: A six-page story is one of the most difficult things to pull off in comics. Is it daunting to tell a complete story within such a relatively short space? Or do you prefer that feeling of compression?
Amy: I never really thought of it that way. Some stories are suited to shorts, and others to arcs. I try to go with what feels right. You don’t want to squeeze in something that doesn’t fit.
Steve: Do you find that you tend to focus in more on character or story – or do you feel you hit both equally?
Amy: Hmm… I think the character needs to be fully fleshed out for the story to work most of the time, but the story needs to have a structure to go somewhere. I guess I’d ask the reader if they feel I hit both or not.
Art by Larry Hama and Trish Mulvihill
Steve: There’s a whole range of impressive artists here – The Date has Larry Hama and Trish Mulvihill as the artistic team! How did you find collaborators to work with on the stories?
Amy: As a self publisher I can pick and choose who I want to work with, so long as they are interested in working with me. But every situation is different, sometimes it’s “let’s do something together!” like with Janet Lee over drinks at the Marvel holiday party. Or with Louie Chin I walked by his table at MoCCA Fest and loved his stuff immediately. And with Trish I begged! I just couldn’t see anyone else doing the colors on Larry’s story.
Steve: Did you come to your collaborators with a completed script; or pitch a story to them and then write with their artistic style in mind?
Amy: It works both ways. If I don’t have a completed script that I think they would be interested in or matches their style, I’ll definitely write one for them.
Steve: This Kickstarter also brings a wholly new story to print as well – one written by Marta Tanrikulu and illustrated by Paulina Ganucheau. How did that story come about?
Amy: I have been thinking about including other writers in the Girls Night Out anthologies, and since the crowdfunding campaign started off strong, I figured this would be a good issue to add someone else’s story as a bonus. I had met Marta in the Comics Experience forums. She sent me the script for “Enduring Love” awhile back – the theme was right, but it needed an artist. When I saw Paulina Ganucheau’s work I thought it was a perfect matchup.
Art by Paulina Ganucheau
Steve: As mentioned at the start, this isn’t your first Kickstarter, as you also successfully crowdfunded the original comics which make up this collection. How has your experience been with crowdfunding?
Amy: I love it for various reasons, and not just the ability to fund the project. It really does help build a fanbase and a level of awareness about the stories I do. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you’re somewhat organized and have some decent project management capabilities you should do just fine.
Steve: Have you changed the way you approached running this second Kickstarter, having already gone through the whole experience before? What advice would you give for anyone looking to run their own campaign?
Amy: Yes, not in huge ways, more like fine tuning. I have a better sense this time of what people like and don’t like. Set reasonable goals and develop your reward tiers carefully – do your research and look at other successful (and not successful) campaigns. You’ll see many campaigns meet their goals because of original art and commissions and not the actual book! Also, treat your backers as stakeholders in your project, not just sources of cash.
Steve: Once this Kickstarter wraps up, are there any plans for future Girls Night Out stories? Is there anything you can tease us about?
Amy: As long as the stories aren’t played out and people want them, I’ll write them. I’m actually working on the lineup for the fourth volume – the working theme is “Lost and Found.”
Steve: What else do you have coming up? Where can people find you online?
Amy: End of this month I have a bunch of stuff coming out- a short in the Vertigo/DC Comics anthology “CMYK” that hits the stores April 30. I also have two stories – one with CP Wilson III, and the other with Brian Shearer in ComixTribe’s SCAMthology I think also out around the same time. I’m also working on something with Wendy Xu and Larry Hama that will be available this fall.
I’ve been asked to pitch on a bunch of different titles- there’s definitely stuff in the works but I don’t want to jinx anything by talking about it until it happens. I try to post updates on my work on my site, I’m on twitter here and on Facebook here!
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Many thanks to Amy for her time! To find out more about Girls Night Out: The Way Love Goes, you can find her Kickstarter here!
MegaCon cosplay: Catman and Captain Universe
By Amy Chu
Last week’s MegaCon in Orlando marked my third convention in three weeks. Seattle’s Emerald City and Toronto ComiCon were fantastic, but I was looking forward to some warmer weather down South.
MegaCon is the mama bear of the three conventions – bigger than Toronto, smaller than Emerald City, and just about the size of Chicago’s C2E2. While many aspects of the conventions look similar (oh look! It’s Sir Patrick Stewart and his TNG crew for the THIRD week in a row) they have their own personalities, differing in the range of cosplay, guests, gaming, and for me, FOOD.
Every con should have a cupcake truck
Arepa con todos
In my previous Toronto ComiCon Beat article, I mentioned with awe the two food trucks on the convention floor. MegaCon had TEN. Granted they were not on the floor, but parked outside in a nearby lot. Still, when they pulled up at 4 pm offering a wide range of cuisines – fresh seafood, Jamaican patties, pastrami, and cupcakes I was not one to quibble. I had freshly fried conch fritters and an incredible creation called “arepa con todos.” For those unable or unwilling to go outside the Orange County Convention Center, there were some still some decent options inside, including a Cuban cafe where I purchased cafe con leche and a guava pastry for breakfast the next day.
an all brick banner
With the slew of “celebrity guests”, stellar displays by the Greater Florida Lego Users Group, and the wide range of cosplay, perhaps lost on the average MegaCon attendee is the legacy of CrossGen. MegaCon was, at one point in its venerable 20 year history, owned by the upstart publisher. On the guest list were a few notable names formerly employed by the bankrupt company that still reside in Florida. CrossGen made a splash in the industry by offering salaries with benefits instead of the usual freelance contracts. After its bankruptcy in 2004, some creators stayed behind. Florida, after all, aside from the comfortable weather, also happens to be one of the few states without a state income tax. Marvel artist Jim Cheung actually had a few old issues of CrossGen titles at his table. Near Cheung was another ex-CrossGen artist Mike Perkins, who inked many of their titles between 2001 and 2004 and now works on Astonishing X-Men with Marjorie Liu.
Inker Jose Marzan, Jr. at MegaCon
There were also some rare convention appearances by industry veterans like Chuck Dixon, the creator of the popular Bane character, and writer on several CrossGen titles. Eisner award winning Jose Marzan Jr., the inker known for his work on the entire run on “Y the Last Man” also worked on CrossGen titles. I was also thrilled to see along the back wall the legendary artist Jose Delbo making one of his three convention appearances this year. His wife showed me some original Detective Comics and Batgirl pages from the late ’70s and early ’80s. You can view some of them on his website josedelbo.com.
Legendary Jose Delbo
At the end of the day, the unofficial “BarCon”, where comics guests unwind after hours on the floor and on panels, achieved a new level of surreality. The Doubletree Seaworld, where most of the comics guests stayed, was also host to a high school technology conference that weekend so teenagers swarmed about, not in cosplay, but in blue blazers. One the first night, outside on the patio Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner held court with Justin Gray, Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian and other friends. At the next table were the likes of Adam Hughes enjoying a cigar, and Francesco and Lisa Francavilla.
The icing on the MegaCon cake is visiting the Magic Kingdom or one of the other many theme parks. I learned that many artists like to have their fun after conventions when they have made money off of their commissions. On Monday, EPIC Comics proprietors Almando Rodriguez and Kenny Hosey led our small group on a trip to the various Disney theme parks. Less than two years old, the store in East Orlando recently got a shout out from BBC America for their TARDIS soda vending machine. Now on my bucket list: getting a Mountain Dew from that machine. MegaCon, I will be back.
CN Tower from the convention site
by Amy Chu
Toronto ComiCon this past weekend was my first convention experience in Canada and a very positive one. Organized by FanExpo, it is much smaller than the massive Fan Expo in August. Since it was right on the heels of Seattle’s Emerald City Con and before MegaCon in Orlando, I could have taken a pass, but thought it would be a good opportunity to hang with Craig Yeung, inker on X-Men Legacy, and artist on Girls Night Out on his home turf. It doesn’t hurt that Toronto is a very pleasant city, the organizers generously comp table space for pro creators, and… POUTINE.
There it was – the fabled dish of fries, gravy, and cheese curds I had heard so much about, right inside the convention. Food options inside convention centers are typically pretty dismal and expensive. The Toronto Convention Centre was no different, except for two food trucks that were hard to miss as they were parked INSIDE the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. One was selling decent looking tacos, and the other doing pretty good business in pretty sizable beef brisket poutine and fried Nutella bombs. Yes, you heard me. Artists may be too busy drawing commissions and selling all day to think about food, but I am a writer, and I need to eat.
All comic cons seem to be experiencing a surge in popularity and Toronto ComiCon is no exception, having grown from a fan appreciation event into a two day convention of its own. The floor quickly got crowded and the show sold out, much to the surprise of many regulars, and to the dismay of some of the would be attendees who had traveled some distance. Artist Mike Zeck (Captain America, Punisher) made a rare appearance and signed many, many books for fans. Before the show opened, he chatted with some of the other artists, and shared some war stories in producing Marvel’s crossover series Secret Wars.
Mike Zeck making a rare appearance
Marvel artist Craig Yeung at work
To ward off the inevitable food coma after consuming a big bucket of poutine, I bypassed the convention center coffee stand and two intimidating Daleks, in search of the Second Cup, a Canadian chain similar to Starbucks. $2 bought me an excellent cup of rich coffee that beat Starbucks, and a wifi code that worked in the nearby convention lobby area as well.
8 pm rolled around quickly enough after that. Artist/writer Katie Cook (Gronk, My Little Pony), illlustrator Agnes Garbowska and I gathered at a nearby Thai restaurant with Craig and his friends Mike Del Mundo (Marvel cover artist) and Marco D’Alfonso (Deadpool). It was perhaps the opposite of Emerald City’s barcon, in that the server could only find three bottles of Sinha beer for the table, less than what many people have in their fridge. The conversation turned to talk of ponies and Bronies. I was astonished to find that Cook goes to 15 cons a year. Many comic fans are surprised to find out she is the writer on IDW’s hit My Little Pony, and not the artist. As Cook explained, it was the humor from her webcomic Gronk that got IDW’s attention.
The next day, Daylight Savings Time threw some people off, including myself (note to con organizers: always a good idea to remind people when they are about to lose an hour) Learning from the previous evening, we wrapped up Sunday by retiring to a different venue – this time the nearby Loose Moose, a large and friendly pub boasting an impressive variety of local beers and…bacon donuts.
Next stop: Orlando’s MegaCon
Bacon donuts and local beers at the Loose Moose
Here's the third part of our annual creator survey with a varied look from people in all aspects of the business from creators to publishers to journalists. As always, buried among the answers you will find a bunch of news items for the sharp eyed and also some preview art. In case you haven't noticed, our panel certainly did: 2015 was the year diversity broke around the comics industry, although much, much, much more needs to be done. Read on to see what our our respondents thought about the year past and what they have coming for 2016.
Presenting ARCHIE MEETS A BUNCH OF DEAD PEOPLE.
The Ramones — great in their time, but really? Archie has been taking about audience expanding lately, but is this the savviest path? How about teeming them with a band from at least the past ten or twenty years. Who’s next? The Cowsills? The Mills Brothers?
I think anyone who knows a lick about Alex Segura knows why this project is perfect for him. And Gisele Lagace ought to really shine here. She deserves the spotlight.