Had a great time at this year’s Heroes Convention in Charlotte! This is a really fantastic convention for those who appreciate not just the books but also the craft of comic making. Of course there are the traditional heroes-in-a-cape type comics but there’s a sizeable independent publisher attendance, which is the real heart of this convention. The chance to chat with and connect with these artists is just really priceless! Here’s a list of just some of the stuff I got to do:
SCAD Workshop: Basic Maquette Making with John Larison. This was a partial refresher for me…I attended this workshop last year but had to leave before the end. I’m sure I’ll try building another maquette soon!
The Art of the Comic Strip with Jim Scancarelli (Gasoline Alley), Marcus Hamilton (Dennis the Menace) and June Brigman (Brenda Starr). I found it interesting that Gasoline Alley and Brenda Starr are owned by Tribune Media (Chicago Tribune), rather than either of the two big cartoon syndicates. Sadly Tribune Media does not give these properties a proper website, promotion, or even reprints in book form. Marcus Hamilton was just one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and I was super impressed by his approachability and professionalism.
Making Comics for All Ages with Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl), Roger Langridge (The Muppet Show comic, Fred the Clown), David Peterson (Mouse Guard) and Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Vengeance). It was really cool to listen to these artists talk about the state of all-ages comics in the industry.
In Conversation: Jeff Smith & Alec Longstreth (Phase 7, Basewood). Besides getting to hear Jeff Smith once again, this was my first opportunity to meet Alec Longstreth, who is an instructor at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, where I will be attending a workshop in August.
Screening of “The Cartoonist“ with Jeff Smith and Colleen Doran. The best part was listening to Colleen laugh and watching Jeff cringe at some embarrassing moments! Be sure to catch this film if you have any interest in the comics self-publishing movement.
There were many more events I would like to have attended which overlapped. For example, I had to choose between standing in line for Jeff Smith’s autograph or attending the panels, so early on I chose the panels. Hearing him speak was worth more to me than a signed book. I did actually run into him in the hallway at the convention and gave him a quick “hi,” so that was pretty cool.
I got a signed copy of Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Crogan’s Vengeance (check out Crogan with his rapier above!), plus a signed sketchbook by Angel Comics artist Rod Thornton and lots of other fun stuff. You can count on me attending again next year for sure!
Links:
Heroes Con Panel Audio Recordings (at The Dollar Bin)
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