Image Expo gets guests, more details

Image Expo, the February show that both fills the Northern California comic-con slot and gives Image a place to publicly celebrate their 20th anniversary, has announced more guests, including Blair Butler, Kevin Mellon, John Layman, Rob Guillory, and Nick Spencer.

In addition, Jennifer de Guzman interviewed the principals for PW Comics World:

Image Comics was founded by a group of high-profile freelance artists around the principle that creators should retain the ownership and legal rights to their work. In that spirit, Image Expo will focus on independent comics and feature programming offering advice to aspiring creators.

“Image Expo is a unique situation where people at all experience levels can hone their skills with top creators working in comics today,” Jay said of the creative workshops being planned. “The programming] will focus on all aspects of the business from story, to art, to even pitching your property.”

The convention is lining up a list of guests that Jay believes will inspire fans. “There’s nothing more powerful than meeting your favorite personalities and hearing them directly share their newest projects and perspectives,”he said.

Image Expo will be held February 24-26 in Oakland, CA.

IMAGE EXPO, the one-of-a-kind celebration commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Image Comics and celebrating creator-owned comics, is announcing many new guests! Joining the Image Comics partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino and Image founders Rob Liefeld and Whilce Portacio, are the following stars of creator-owned comics.

Blair Butler, the host of G4’s Fresh Ink and 2011’s break out writer of HEART, the comic that shows the human side of MMA, will be joining the line up, along with her co-creator Kevin Mellon (LOVESTRUCK). Writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory, co-creators of CHEW, everyone’s favorite Eisner Award winning gross-out detective comic will also be there. Add to that rising star Nick Spencer, the writer behind such hits as MORNING GLORIES, FORGETLESS, Ultimate Comics: X-Men, and soon Robert Kirkman’s THIEF OF THIEVES, and IMAGE EXPO already has a solid line up!

But that’s not all! Some of the other guests at IMAGE EXPO include:

Keu Cha (MAGDALENA)
Joshua Fialkov (ECHOES, THE LAST OF THE GREATS, I, Vampire)
Edwin Huang (SKULLKICKERS)
Joe Keatinge (POPGUN, GLORY, HELL YEAH)
Larry Marder (BEANWORLD)
Jim McCann (Return of the Dapper Men, MIND THE GAP)
Marat Mychaels (BLINDSIDE)
Jimmie Robinson (BOMBQUEEN)
Eric Shanower (AGE OF BRONZE)
Kurtis Wiebe (INTREPIDS, GREEN WAKE, PETER PANZERFAUST)
Jim Zubkavich (SKULLKICKERS)

Some of the other previously announced guests include:

Joe Casey (Ben 10, BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER, HAUNT)
Jay Faerber (Ringer, DYNAMO 5, NEAR DEATH)
Jonathan Hickman (THE NIGHTLY NEWS, THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS)
Ryan Ottley (INVINCIBLE)
Fiona Staples (SAGA)
Richard Starkings (Comicraft, ELEPHANTMEN)
Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Runaways, SAGA)

IMAGE EXPO is a three-day celebration of creator-owned comics happening at the Oakland Convention Center, and Northern California’s premier comic con experience in 2012. The Berkeley-based publisher will be filling the demand for a 2012 Bay Area comic book convention that was left unfulfilled when WonderCon announced their temporary relocation to Anaheim, California. The three-day event takes place at the Oakland Convention Center in the heart of the bustling nightlife and restaurant center of downtown Oakland, CA on February 24-25-26.

Experience the creativity of the men and women making the best creator owned comics in America at this one-of-a-kind celebration commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Image Comics! 

There are still some opportunities to be part of IMAGE EXPO available, but space is going fast, so sign up for your exhibitor or artist alley space today! Contact [email protected] for more information about how to exhibit or sign up for press passes. For more information about the show, visit www.imagecomicexpo.com.