Lots and lots going on this week, with four separate comic conventions spread across the continent, and appearances from the likes of Michael Chabon, Chris Claremont, Chris Onstad and others. Read on!
Monday, April 13
Evanston, IL, 7:30 PM – Michael Chabon at Northwestern University
Novelist Michael Chabon (THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & KLAY) will speak about Edgar Allan Poe in a free, public lecture at Northwestern University, followed by a book signing.
Tuesday, April 16
Portland, OR, 6 PM – 8 PM – Meredith Gran at Floating World Comics
Cartoonist Meredith Gran will meet fans and sign books at this release party for the third collection of her webcomic OCTOPUS PIE.
Wednesday, April 15
Winter Park, FL, 4 PM – 8 PM – Oliver Coipel at A Comic Shop
Artist Oliver Coipel (THOR, HOUSE OF M) makes the trip from France to sign at A Comic Shop, presented by FX International.
See the rest of the events after the break!
Wednesday, April 15
Portland, OR, 5 PM – Chris Onstad at Things From Another World
ACHEWOOD creator Chris Onstad makes an appearance at Things From Another World in NE Sandy to celebrate his move from San Francisco to Portland.
Wednesday, April 15
Boston, MA, 6 PM – Chris Claremont at Barnes & Nobel
Popular X-MEN scribe Chris Claremont makes an appearance at Boston’s Prudential Center Barnes & Nobel.
Friday, April 17
Portland, OR, 5:30 PM – CBLDF and Stumptown Comics Foundation benefit dinner
This ticketed event will feature dinner and cocktails with comics luminaries including Jeff Smith, Craig Thompson, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Farel Dalrymple, Derek Kirk Kim, Pollyanne Birge and others, and an appearance by Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who will read a proclamation marking April as Portland’s Comics Month. Tickets are $100 a plate.
Friday, April 17 – Sunday, April 19
Orlando, FL – FX International sci-fi and comic book convention
Comic book creators from far and wide descending on Orlanda for FX International include Michael Golden, Oliver Coipel, Ben Templesmith, Mark Texeria, Matt Fraction, Arthur Suydam, Frank Brunner, Jim McCann and others. Tickets start at $25 per day, or $50 for a three-day pass.
Friday, April 17 – Sunday, April 19
Denver, CO, – Comicfest 2009
Part of Denver’s StarFest convention, Comicfest 2009 includes guests Amy Reeder Hadley, Brian Wood, Jason & Heather Martin, Scorpio Steele, Kevin J. Anderson, Armando Durruthy, Mike Baron, Stan Yan and more, as well as video teleconferences with DC and Marvel. Tickets are $10 per day or $15 for a three-day pass.
Saturday, April 18
Alhambra, CA, 9 AM – Kazu Kibuishi kicks off graphic narrative course
Gallery Nucleus presents a course on graphic narrative storytelling taught by Kazu Kibuishi (AMULET, FLIGHT, DAISY KUTTER) which will be held each Saturday morning from April 18 to May 19. Tuition for the class is $500, and registration is online.
Saturday, April 18
Round Rock, TX, 2 PM – Matt Sturges at Barnes & Nobel
Comics scribe Matt Sturges (JACK OF FABLES) makes an appearance at the Round Rock Barnes & Nobel at La Frontera Village to promote his new prose novel MIDWINTER.
Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19
Columbus, OH – Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo
S.P.A.C.E. celebrates its 10th year as the Mid-West’s largest exhibition of small press, alternative and creator-owned comics. Admission is $5 for one day or $8 for both.
Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19
Portland, OR – Stumptown Comics Fest
Portland’s fifth-annual indie-centric convention takes over the Lloy Centrer Doubletree hotel, featuring guests Jeff Smith, Jim Valentino, Farel Dalrymple, Gail Simone, C. Spike Trotman, Carla Speed McNeil, Keith Knight, Craig Thompson, Hellen Jo, and many more! Admission is $6 per day. April is also Comic Month in Portland, and a complete listing of PDX events can be found at the Stumptown website.
Posted by Aaron Humphrey.
Crap. What a day for the site to go down. If I’d have seen the Chabon post earlier, I’d have gone down there.
Saturday April 18 – Sunday, April 19
Toronto, ON – Canada – The Toronto ComiCON 5th Annual Fan Appreciation Con – http://hobbystar.com/upcomingevents/torontocomicon2009fae.html
with Bill Sienkiewicz, Steve Epting, Doug Mahnke, Joe Benitez, Todd Nauck, Chris Sprouse, Alex Maleev, Jeff Lemire, Michael Cho, Ramon Perez, Willow Dawson, Paul Rivoche, Dave Ross and many others. Admission is $10 on Saturday, with free admission (with coupon from a Toronto area comic book store) on Sunday.
FIVE comicbook festivals in one weekend? Truly this is a Golden Age! (And no one blogging about how one will cause another to collapse because they occur on the same weekend.)
It helps that they are in different parts of the country.
The Con Wars seem to be “on” in earnest, though, huh? Reed goes after Chicago/Wizard, & Wizard responds by buying the Big Apple cons & scheduling at the same time as Reed’s NYCC in 2010 – but a year earlier. Ambitious.
Joe & I will be at the FX show this weekend! Hope to see some Orlando-area fans down there, booth #1226. I
HUMBUG at the Strand Tuesday night!
Kiel: My feelings exactly re: Chabon.
Those eyes! I fear Michael Chabon is becoming the Hypnotoad…
Michael looks like a Mafia hit man in this photo!
Sixth Annual Stumptown. The first was in 2004. (Holy cow.)