Well, another HEROES CON has come and gone… and this one was a great one.

Actually, they’re all great– but for several reasons, this one felt especially fun to me. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t taking on full commissions for the show. As I’ve said in previous posts, it’s become somewhat impossible to draw more complicated full-figure stuff at shows simply because of all the signing I do during the day. In past years, I’d take on a list of about a dozen or so pieces for folks who wanted sketches in the first half-hour of the first day of the show and then immediately stress about getting them done. Even in the evening and night of each day of the show, I’d have the nagging worry over finishing them in the back of my mind while out at dinner or hanging out in the hotel bar when I should have been enjoying myself. The show is, after all, not only a place to meet and greet those folks who might enjoy my work– but for me, it’s also supposed to be a bit of a vacation. HEROES CON is usually the one of two times a year I get to see my brother Matt and his wife Suzanne. Lucky for me, we’re all going to be visiting my parents this coming weekend… so this year, I’m hitting the jackpot. The show is also one of the one or two times I get to hang out with my bestest buddies Todd Dezago and Craig Rousseau. HEROES CON has become somewhat of a tradition for the three of us where we become a sort of ‘3 Musketeers’ and spend as much time together as we can during the show. We’ve also begun to do that at BALTIMORE COMICON. We’ve all agreed that we wish we lived closer to each other… because we all get along so well. We don’t live near each other, though… so those two shows are our time to be ‘hanging buds’.

This year was also very special because we were able to spend a lot of time with Nick Cardy. Nick was seated in the same row with me, Todd and Craig… and it was so much fun with all of us sitting there together. Nick has always been one of my favorite artists…. his work on TEEN TITANS, AQUAMAN, BATT LASH and all the wonderful cover work he did for DC absolutely thrilled me when I was a kid. So to become friends with Nick over the past few years and to be able to spend time with him at HEROES has become a highlight of my existence. We also had a wonderful brunch with Nick and his niece, Marianne, on Sunday for Father’s Day in the Westin restaurant. It was an amazing meal– and Nick’s stories from his long and eventful life were fascinating to hear. Nick’s a terrific artist, storyteller and person… and it’s an honor to be able to call him friend.

I also got to have breakfast with my good buddy Cully Hamner during the show. Cully and I don’t get the chance to talk nearly as much as we used to in the ‘old days’ when we were both getting into the comic book biz… but we still call each other once in a while. Cully’s one of the coolest, funniest and nicest guys I’ve ever known… and he’s an incredible artist to boot. I could go on and on about how much fun I had at the show… but I’ve got limited time because I’ve got to get back to the drawing board. I’ll just say it was a fantastic time– and I was thrilled to get to meet guys like Dean Trippe, Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, Eric Powell, Jonboy Myers and Robin “Pepe” Mitchell face-to-face. I’ve interacted with them online for years… and it was great to be able to see and talk with them in person. It was also terrific to see folks like Jeff Parker, Keron Grant, Ed McGuinness, Nathan Massengill, Tim Townsend, Brandon Peterson, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story….. I could go on and on. It’s probably the biggest reason I love this show so much– I get to see so many artists who have become friends who’s work I admire so much. It’s the most special part of being a part of this business.

So, to wrap up– HUGE thanks to Shelton Drum for starting and hosting HEROES CON for the past 25 years…. and for letting me be a part of it. It’s become a touchstone for my life. Here’s to 25 more…!

OK… back to work.

This is Entry 390 (the countdown to 400 posts begins…!)

Mike

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This will be my last post of this week. I’m picking up my good buddy and TELLOS-partner-in-crime, Todd Dezago, from the airport tomorrow around noon… and we’ll be heading down to Charlotte for HEROES CON in the evening. I’m really looking forward to the show this year. I’ll make an admission about HEROES: there have been times in past years that I’ve given serious consideration to not attending. NOT because of anything negative about the show itself or anyone associated with it– not at all. I think the main reason I considered not going those times was simply to shake things up. I’ve felt like the many regular fans who attend the show every year had gotten so used to seeing me there that it had become somewhat ‘old hat’ and rote after so long. Perhaps it was my imagination– but I could have sworn I could see a boredom in the eyes of fans who had gotten used to seeing me there. After 22 years in a row…. as both fan and pro… who could blame them? The past couple of years, though… I’ve been seeing many new faces and lots of enthusiasm. Not for me — but for comics in general. Maybe that’s an indication of a bit of a resurgence of the industry– I can only hope. That has made me feel energized about comics and the show as well. This year feels different as well because I’ve been an almost virtual prisoner in my home for MONTHS working on this SPIDER-MAN/FF mini series. It’s got to be the most labor intensive thing I’ve ever had to draw… and it’s been brutal. So I’m really looking forward to seeing many friends in the comics biz face-to-face– talking and relaxing with these folks. This feels like a much-needed vacation, even if it’s a work related getaway.

I won’t be getting home until Monday… so my next post will probably be Wednesday of next week. I MIGHT do a Tuesday and Thursday post next week… we’ll see. So– some of you folks I’ll see down in Charlotte… the rest of you I’ll see here next week.

This is Entry 389.

Mike

HEROES CON 2007 is happening this weekend… and so I’m juggling work and getting things ready for the drive down to Charlotte on Thursday. This is the 25th (Silver) anniversary of the show… and it’s my 22nd year in a row attending the convention. HEROES CON was actually my very first ‘big show’ experience. I had been to many one-day shows at small hotels over the years… but the show in 1985 was the first time I had driven any kind of distance to a larger weekend show in (what seemed like) a distant city. My old buddy Paul Rogers and I made the trek down from Virginia and were both blown away by the experience. We’ve both been back every year of the show since that time. I’m now a comic book artist– and Paul is a comic book retailer in our home town area. Comics have had quite an impact on our lives– and HEROES CON has been one of the biggest components of why we love them so much. It’s a show with a wonderful family atmosphere– and it’s comics-centric. Shelton Drum (HEROES founder) has had some media folks as guests in the past– like Lou Ferrigno who played THE HULK on TV– but these folks have always had a comic book tie-in. Even Rosario Dawson, who’s returning to the show for her second year in a row– and is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood these days– has her own comic book out now and is attending the show to help promote it. HEROES CON is a really terrific show– so if you’ve got the time, head out to attend… you’ll enjoy yourself for sure.

This year I’m not even going to try to take commissions for sketches at the show. Over the years, I’ve had more and more difficulty getting any larger sketches done as I’ve had more comics published– and had more folks bringing those comics to me to get signed at cons. It really hit home last year when I took on a list of about a dozen folks who wanted sketches done– and I only got 2 done the entire weekend. There are also a lot of folks who try to get free head sketches at shows. I stopped doing those for a few years as well– but last year, I offered a sketchbook for sale, and I told everyone who wanted a head sketch that I’d do one for them if they bought the sketchbook. It worked out well for everyone– and so I’m doing that again this year. This year’s sketchbook– entitled ODDS ‘N’ ENDS– is a more elaborate product. It’s 48 black and white interior pages with a full color cover– and perfect bound. Rico Renzi and the great folks at INDIGO INK DIGITAL PRINTING did an amazing job… the book looks amazing. I’ll be selling it for $20… and like last year, everyone who buys one will get a head sketch with it. I’ll also have some prints and a little bit of original art for sale… but not much.

OK… I’ll have another post on Wednesday– and then that’ll be it for about a week while I’m at the show.

This is Entry 388.

Mike

In a recent CBR blog ‘editorial’, Jerry Ordway writes about his feelings about the ‘darkening’ of MARY MARVEL. I have to say that I agree with everything Jerry says in his writings. It truly astounds me that it seems as though there are no characters to be spared a transformation to a dark, grim and ‘extreme’ version of their former selves. Don’t get me wrong– I enjoy comic book heroes being put through their paces and facing dark and foreboding threats. I can even appreciate the death of a character or the experiences of a character making them cynical, jaded and … yeah, dark. However, when the entirety of a comic book company’s line of books becomes some shadowed mirror of their former incarnations…I just get tired and lose interest in everything that company might have to offer. That’s what’s happened for me with DC’s books. When I see the image of MARY MARVEL being struck by lightning and transforming into some dark kind-of-slutty teenager in a black cheerleader’s outfit… it makes me wonder why.

I would think that with DC’s new MINX line of comics aimed at girls, MARY MARVEL would have been a perfect candidate for introducing young ladies to a more superhero-themed character. It really doesn’t do DC any good, in my opinion, to guarantee that women of any age will be repelled by their attempts to cater to the ever dwindling male fan base who like their female characters scantily clad…. and dark.

Am I an old fuddy-duddy for feeling this way? I don’t think so. I feel like I’m someone who likes to see some balance in comics that will help them grow… not keep on the path of becoming a prurient niche market.

OK.. that’s it for another week. Have a great weekend, all.

This is Entry 387.

Mike