Conventions

Batton Lash and Exhibit A Press are back again with a new book. Details below:

Sony Online Entertainment has a lot going on for this November's launch of the DC Universe Online game, including a fan event featuring Jim Lee and Marv Wolfman and a block party at SOE's hq. VIP Beta keys will be available at all the events, as well.

Legendary Judge Dredd writer Pat Mills will be at the show with 2000 AD, which is putting out new editions of Dredd collections. Mills will also be signing outside of the show, in Costa Mesa. read on for details:

Dark Horse's complete panel and portfolio schedule is up here, but here's their in booth signing schedule, with everyone from Denis Kitchen to Gerard Way to Milo Manara to Felicia Day.

Top Shelf will have a ton of creators including the Immonens, Jeff Lemire, Andy Runton and more -- and they re debuting one of the most eagerly awaited comics of the year -- the AX manga anthology. We've seen an advance copy, and this will blow your puny mind.

FREAKSHOW #1 by David Server, Jackson Lanzing and Joe Suitor highlights the offerings at Ape Entertainment.

Chronicle Books will feature some authors and a new James Jean fold-out book, AND this sweet, sweet tote bag with art by Sanjay Patel. Want.

Literary manga house Fanfare/ Ponent Mon pubishes some of the finest comics in the world. This year they have their first ever special guest, 3 times Eisner nominated Émile Bravo who will be signing as follows:  

The ever-growing slate of Wizard-branded convention swelled by one today with the addition of a spring show in New York, Wizard World Comic Con NYC, set for May 6-8, 2011, at the home of the Big Apple Con, which this resembles, Penn Plaza Pavilion in New York. If you'll note, the name "Comic Con New York" is similar to another comics-themed event, held in the fall.

Some tickets were available for Sunday --aka Brain-dead Zombie Day -- when last we checked! But hurry!

Scott Pilgrim promo fever is hitting 105˚ in advance of next week's San Diego Comic-Con, sure to be known in future years as "The Scott Pilgrim One." To wit, various Twitter feeds have been capturing the progress of a giant Scott Pilgrim banner being erected over the Hilton Bayfront hotel. Yowsa. Scott PIlgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has a thorough list of events he's involved with, including his midnight signing appearance in Toronto, where it all began. (We'll have more details on midnight events in a few days.)

At least one element that has made Comic-Con hell on earth in recent years has ended, namely the stampede each day to get those oversized walking billboard bags that Warner Brothers gives away each day. Brilliant from a marketing standpoint but functionally useless -- unless it's to make an emergency dress or shelter -- the bags were nonetheless highly sought after by congoers, resulting in mobs of people milling around the booth waiting for the distribution hours, clogging aisles and making posing with Stromtropper Elvis a real hassle. But no more! The bags are now part of the OFFICIAL CON GIVEAWAYS! with 11 different designs; one will be given to each con-goer. Don't like the one you got? Imagine the resulting swapping and trading! This could be a great way to make to make friends. Official pr below, with links to many other con-related sites.