Conventions

The response to our call for new books at this weekend's Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest was incredible and overwhelming, with new work by Kim Deitch, Jason Little, Austin English, Mark Alan Stamaty, and MANY MORE. We're still sorting through it. Consider this only part 1! Bring a full wallet.

From November 9th to 14th, I had the honor and pleasure (duh) of being a Guest of the RIO Comicon, the first comics convention in Rio de Janeiro since 1993. The seven-day arty/indie comics fest took place at the Leopoldina Central Station, a cavernous former railway station, built in 1925, the sheer grandness of which lent the proceedings an epic surreality. Also instantly impressive was the mindful 360° design of the space. U.S. con-runners take note: art direction matters! From a cheerfully pervasive purple and orange color-scheme, to an upliftingly exquisite superbly-curated art exhibition of international masters & independent Brazilian artists, to a specially-constructed “castle” showcasing Italian living legend Milo Manara’s art, guests and artists alike were transported upon arrival.

It was another busy day for Mark Millar, who is quickly becoming the Oprah Winfrey of comics, using his success in one platform to become a world wide mogul of cross-platform entertainment. Not content just to script best selling comics that turn into successful movies, he's launched a magazine and now...a comic-con: Kapow Comic Con, which will be held April 9-10 at the London Business Design Centre in Islington, a venue which holds about 5000 people a day.

Thought Bubble is the favourite UK comics event for many, both fan and creator alike, and it’s easy to see why. The event is...

Despite hiring an outside firm to handle badge sales, the San Diego Comic-Con has once again been forced to halt ticket sales. The Epic...

After a computer meltdown last time, four-day and one-day passes to the San Diego Comic-Con are going on sale again today. 9 am EST,...

As we head off for a weekend of rest and relaxation work and transcribing, a reminder: we've already gotten some notes of books coming...

We know everyone is just settling in with some peppermint sticks and grog for the holidays, but next year's convention schedule is fast approaching,...

After some mysterious seeming confirmations, Wizard has made official its purchase of the Mid-Ohio-Con, which will be held October 22-23, 2011 in Columbus, OH. Official PR below.

In five years we'll be sunning ourselves outside on the San Diego convention center roof park while we complain about douchebags. Plans were unveiled today for the planned expansion of the San Diego Convention Center. Denver-based architect Curt Fentress won a design competition for upgrade, with a plan that includes an additional 780,000 sq. ft of meeting, exhibit and ballroom space. Budgeted at $710 million dollars, the expansion is a key element in keeping Comic-Con International in San Diego beyond the 2015 currently contracted -- the expansion could possibly open in time for the 2015 Con.

In the runup to King Con, the Brooklyn-based comics show held at the Lyceum in Park Slope this weekend, it was asked many times, "Do we NEED another New York comics show?" Starting with the Big Apple Con back on October 1, running through New York Comic Con the next week and on to the Brooklyn Comics and Graphic Fest on December 4, King Con made a total of four cons in three months, not really a heavy workload for a comics town as huge as NYC, but definitely a strain on the wallets of attendees, especially after the NYCC epic. (New York's fifth show is MoCCA Fest in April.) So from the outset you have a show with big questions hanging over it. Friends had asked me to come out for various events and I was slotted for the Kids Comics panel on Sunday morning so I ended up going out on three out of four days. What I saw was a scene with enough energy to overcome a lot of logistical mistakes and misconceptions to still create a fun and informative afternoon activity. But it didn't answer the fundamental question of what King Con's mission should be.

San Diego Comic-Con is trying again. Registration for four-day passes and one-day passes go on sale Monday, November 22nd at 6 am Pacific Standard Time. This is three hours earlier than the last, abortive attempt, perhaps curtailing the onslaught of locals with an earlier starting time.