Paradise Comicon 2007 - June 8-10, 2007

[SignatureSelect]

Bernie would be a great guest and we'd love to have him up and he has expessed interest - it all depends on his schedule. Kris' comment is very confusing to me, Bernie has done a few shows this last year (Dallas, Maine, San Diego and in a few weeks he'll be in NYC).

 

I didn't know bernie did a show in Maine this year. Bernie always does San Deigo. I knew about the NYC Show. So he did 4 shows this year. That is alot for him. I was basing my comment in comparison to other people.

[Kevin Boyd]

New Guests for the 5th Annual Paradise Toronto Comicon 2007, confirmed late last week:

 

BILLY TUCCI (Shi, Heroes for Hire)

 

MARK SPARACIO (Heroes for Hire)

 

[Jason Truong]

David Petersen added?

[Kevin Boyd]

Confirmed this morning!

 

DAVID (MOUSE GUARD) PETERSON is coming to the Paradise Toronto Comicon 2007

www.mouseguard.net

 

[Jason Truong]

oy!

 

Sorry Kev, I didn't mean to do that.

[Kevin Boyd]

No worries Jason. For those who don't want to scroll through pages of posts, here's the full guests and artists alley list as of this morning.

 

2007 Paradise Comicon: JUNE 8-10, 2007

 

GUESTS AND ARTISTS ALLEY INCLUDE:

* COMING IN FROM OUTSIDE OF ONTARIO FOR THE EVENT

 

ADORJANY, Attila

BELANGER, Andy

BLACK TOWER STUDIOS

BONE, J.

BURLES, Kent

CHANTLER, Scott

COLT, Saul (SSS Comics)

* CONNER, Amanda

* COOKE, Darwyn

* CORSETTO, Danielle

COUGHLER, Rob

CRAIG, Jim

CRAINE, Nick

DANNYS, Rich

* DEL RIO, Tania

FATTAH, Suley

FAWKES, Ray

FOWLER, Tom

GARBOWSKA, Agnes

* GOLDEN, Michael

INJEJIKIAN, Azad

KASMAN, Ron

KEOWN, Dale (Schedule permitting)

KIM, Eric

* MACDONALD, Heidi

MACHNICKI, Alana

MANAPUL, Francis

MARINKOVICH, Nick

McCARTHY, Tyrone

McCUSKER, Paul

* McPHERSON, Tara

MILLER & MULLET

MOHAMMED, Matthew

* MOORE, Robyn

* MOORE, Terry

* MULVIHILL, Patricia

* NORRIE, Christine

ODJICK, Jay (Darkwing Productions)

* OEMING, Michael Avon

ORDOLIS, Jim

* PALMIOTTI, Jimmy

PEREZ, Ramon K.

PERKINS, Alexander

* PETERSON, David

POSTIC, Nick

RICHTER, Shawn

* ROBERTSON, Darick

ROSS, Dave

* SAYGER, Stuart

SCOTT, Nicola

SIM, Dave (friday and saturday)

* SIMONE, Gail

* SPARACIO, Mark

STEWART, Cameron (schedule permitting)

TAMBLYN, Diana

TORRES, J.

TUAZON, Noel

* TUCCI, Billy

WARD, Sean

* WITTERSTAETTER, Renee

* WOLFE, Mark

ZAJAC, Richard

ZDARSKY, Chip

 

Guest list is subject to change, as you know more guests are being added regularly!

[Kevin Boyd]

New Guests Added:

 

TOM GRUMMETT

(artist, Thunderbolts [until #109], upcoming: THUNDERBOLTS PRESENTS: ZEMO - BORN BETTER, Marvel Comics)

 

WES CRAIG

(artist, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, DC/Wildstorm)

[Ares]

New Guests Added:

 

TOM GRUMMETT

(artist, Thunderbolts [until #109], upcoming: THUNDERBOLTS PRESENTS: ZEMO - BORN BETTER, Marvel Comics)

[Kevin Boyd]

Just added!

 

THE PARADISE TORONTO COMICON IS HONOURED TO WELCOME

INDUSTRY LEGEND MARV WOLFMAN

www.marvwolfman.com

 

Bio courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marv_Wolfman (revised for content).

 

Active in comics fandom before he broke into professional comics at DC Comics in 1968, Marv Wolfman often collaborated with his friend Len Wein.

In 1974 Wein and Wolfman moved to Marvel Comics, working under EIC Roy Thomas. When Thomas stepped down, Wein and Wolfman took over as editors, the former initially in charge of the color comics and the for latter black and white titles. After about a year, Wolfman succeeded Wein as editor-in-chief of the color line.

 

During his time at Marvel Wolfman wrote lengthy runs of Amazing Spider-Man (where he co-created The Black Cat); Fantastic Four; and Doctor Strange. He co-created Nova in that character's namesake first issue. His best-received work was Tomb of Dracula, a fledgling horror comic which Wolfman turned into a rich, complex piece of high gothic, well matched with the moody shade-and-light pencilling of Gene Colan. Taking Bram Stoker's basic story, Wolfman created his own vampire mythology and introduced a set of new characters, including Blade.

 

In 1980, Wolfman returned to DC. Tteaming with penciller George Pérez, he relaunched DC's Teen Titans. The New Teen Titans added the Wolfman-Pérez creations Raven, Starfire and Cyborg to the old team's Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash and Beast Boy (renamed Changeling). The series became DC's first hit in years, and its first serious competitor to Marvel since the late 1960s.

 

During the early 1980s Wolfman also collaborated with artist Gil Kane on a run on Superman, and rejoined Colan (who had also moved to DC) on the short-lived Night Force.

 

In 1985, Wolfman and Pérez launched Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 12-issue limited series celebrating DC's 50th anniversary. Featuring a cast of thousands and a timeline that ranged from the beginning of the universe to the end of time, it killed scores of characters, integrated a number of heroes from other companies to DC continuity, and re-wrote 50 years of DC universe history in order to streamline it.

 

Wolfman was also involved in the DC Comics relaunch of the Superman line, reinventing nemesis Lex Luthor and initially scripting the Adventures of Superman title.

 

After Pérez left The New Teen Titans in 1986, Wolfman continued with other collaborators - including pencillers Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Eduardo Barreto and Tom Grummett.

 

Wolfman's writing for comics decreased as he turned to animation and television, though he wrote the mid-1990s DC series The Man Called A-X.

A decade later, he began writing in comics again, scripting Defexx, the flagship title of Devil's Due Productions's Aftermath line. He also wrote an "Infinite Crisis" issue of DC's "Secret Files", and consulted with writer Geoff Johns on several issues of The Teen Titans.

 

Wolfman also wrote a novel based on Crisis on Infinite Earths, but rather of following the original plot, he created a new story starring the Barry Allen Flash that takes place during the original Crisis story. Wolfman wrote the novelization of the film Superman Returns, and worked on a direct-to-video animated movie, Condor, for Stan Lee's Pow Entertainment.

 

In 2006, Wolfman was editorial director of Impact Comics, publisher of educational manga-style comics for high school students.

 

As of October 2006, Wolfman began writing for DC's Nightwing series.Initially scheduled for a four-issue run, his run has been extended to at least twelve issues. He will also pen a miniseries starring the Teen Titan Raven, a character he and Perez co-created during their legendary run on the New Teen Titans.

 

He is also currently working with George Perez on a direct-to-DVD movie adaptation of the popular "Judas Contract" storyline from their tenure on Teen Titans. (Wolfman is the second 2007 Paradise Comicon guest whose work is being adapted to a direct-to-DVD animated movie. Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier is also in development with Warner Bros. Animation).

[rob_allan]

Oh that's exciting!!! Marv Wolfman! Sweeeet

[Kevin Boyd]

Thanks Rob!

 

There will be more guest announcements in the New Year!

[Kevin Boyd]

Announcing 2007 Paradise Comicon guest:

 

KAARE ANDREWS

The Canadian superstar writer/artist of the smash hit mini-series Spider-Man: Reign, published by Marvel Comics. An accomplished filmmaker and artist, Kaare won a Joe Shuster Award in 2005 for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artist for his work on Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One.

[THE_BEYONDER]

[plitch]

Announcing 2007 Paradise Comicon guest:

 

KAARE ANDREWS

The Canadian superstar writer/artist of the smash hit mini-series Spider-Man: Reign, published by Marvel Comics. An accomplished filmmaker and artist, Kaare won a Joe Shuster Award in 2005 for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artist for his work on Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One.

 

Great, now my wife will want to go. She still talks about Kaare carrying her across the street.

[Kevin Boyd]

[Kevin Boyd]

Announcing 2007 Paradise Comicon guest and our 3rd Guest of Honour:

 

Celebrating GRENDEL's 25th Anniversary:

 

MATT WAGNER

 

Paradise Conventions is proud to welcome our 3rd Guest of Honour, Matt Wagner to the 5th Annual Paradise Toronto Comicon. 2007 is the 25th Anniversary of GRENDEL and we'll be celebrating this milestone in style at the Paradise Comicon.

 

Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over twenty-five years. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, his first published work was for the fledgling '80s company, Comico - a short story that would introduce one of comicdom's most respected creator-owned characters-the mastermind assasin, Grendel. Best known for this epic creation and his other, more personal allegory, Mage, Matt has also worked on a variety of established characters. These include his ground-breaking work on the character of Batman villain, Two-Face, in the graphic novel, Faces, as well as a five-year stint spent developing and generating the stories for the fan-favorite Vertigo title, Sandman Mystery Theater and the Dr. Mid-Nite miniseries for DC Comics.

 

Known for his character-driven stories and his obvious love of the world's mythologies, Matt has also enjoyed the distinction of being one of the only writer/artists allowed to team his own creation with one of DC's flagship characters in two successive Batman/Grendel crossovers.

 

Creatively prolific, Matt returned to familiar ground with the release of his long-awaited sequel, Mage: The Hero Defined, published by Image Comics. Fans and critics alike hailed the grand finale to this second installment in the adventures of Matt's alter-ego, Kevin Matchstick; a planned trilogy that will eventually culminate in the The Hero Denied.

 

1998 also saw Matt return to another of his best-known characters, the Hunter Rose incarnation of Grendel, in a star-studded Dark Horse miniseries - Grendel: Black, White & Red - winner of two Eisner Awards, for Best Anthology and Best Short Story. A sequel, Grendel - Red, White and Black followed a few years later.

 

Recently Matt returned to DC Comics to work on a series of high profile mini-series. Twilight featured the story of the first meeting of the three DC icons -- Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and Batman: Dark Moon Rising consists of two mini-series - Batman and the Monster Men (now available as a stand-alone graphic novel) and Batman and the Mad Monk (concluding this winter, with a stand-alone graphic novel expected in spring 2007).

 

In March 2007 the 25th Anniversary of Grendel begins with the re-publication of Grendel: Devil by the Deed by Dark Horse Comics as this seminal work by returns to print in a new hardcover edition with an introduction by Alan Moore! When Wagner first serialized Grendel: Devil by the Deed as a backup in his critically acclaimed title Mage, its innovative storytelling techniques, philosophical undertones, and charismatic anti-hero ignited a devoted following. Introducing Hunter Rose as the brilliant, twisted assassin Grendel, it gave birth to what would become a centuries-spanning epic exploring the roots and consequences of violence. This influential tale has been collected only twice in the past twenty years, quickly selling out each time. Now, for the first time in hardcover, Dark Horse presents the book that brought one of the most popular alternative comics characters to life and marked the auspicious arrival of one of the greatest visionaries of modern comics!

 

In May 2007 the 25th Anniversary of Grendel continues with the publication of the Grendel Archive Edition by Dark Horse Comics. For twenty-five years, the true origin of Matt Wagner's Eisner Award-winning anti-hero, Grendel, has remained largely unseen, available exclusively to collectors able to pay high prices for extremely rare, out-of-print issues. Now, for the first time anywhere, Dark Horse is collecting the original appearances of Grendel! A successful novelist by day, Hunter Rose becomes the unstoppable assassin Grendel by night, the leader of a vast criminal empire opposed by the mysterious wolf Argent. Containing the black-and-white interiors and full-color covers of Primer #2 and Grendel #1-3 originally published by Comico, this handsome hardcover volume is an essential piece of comics history, presenting the earliest work of Matt Wagner, the legendary creator behind such acclaimed projects as Mage, Sandman Mystery Theatre, and Batman: The Monster Men among many others. With new cover art by Wagner, the Grendel Archive Edition is a must-have for Grendel fans and the ultimate starting point for those interested in one of the most influential creator-owned comics of the last quarter century!

 

Matt Wagner lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Barbara Schutz, their two children, and three cats.

 

[Kevin Boyd]

I've received confirmation that the HERO INITIATIVE will be setting up a booth at the Paradise Comicon again this June.

 

Last year the Hero Initiative (at that time they were still known as ACTOR - A Commitment to our Roots) raised over $9000 at the Paradise Toronto Comicon thru their booth signing and sales, the charity art auction, the eBay auction lunches with George Perez and Frank Cho, and the shaving of my co-promoter Peter Dixon's head.

 

The year before that they raised over $10000 from the auction of a rare high grade Cerebus 1 from Dave Sim's personal file copies, along with additional revenues generated at their booth signings and the charity art auction.

 

There will be another charity art auction in 2007. Details on booth signings and other events will be announced closer to the Paradise Comicon.

 

For more information on the Hero Initiative: www.heroinitiative.org/

 

[Kevin Boyd]

Announcement retracted.

[Kevin Boyd]

Guest announcement:

 

JILL THOMPSON will be returning in 2007 to participate in Women of Comics II

 

Jill Thompson (1966 - ) is a comic book writer and illustrator. Probably best known for her work on Neil Gaiman's Sandman characters and her own Scary Godmother series, she has also worked on The Invisibles, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman and Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall.

 

 

www.womenofcomics.com

[Kevin Boyd]

Guest Announcement:

 

KEN STEACY

 

 

Canadian comic book legend Ken Steacy will be making his first appearance at a Paradise Comicon this spring at our 5th Anniversary show!

 

Ken Steacy is a Canadian Air Force brat who decided at age eleven to become a professional comic book artist. He pursued this intent until the magic moment occurred in 1974 with the publication of Super Student, a two page strip that he wrote, penciled, inked and lettered. This holistic approach has been a hallmark of his work ever since, true to his belief that specialization is for insects, not artists.

 

He studied film and video as analogies to the sequential narrative at The Ontario College of Art, but drove his profs crazy by turning in comic strips instead of film or video. They finally figured out what he was up to and awarded him a pile of scholarships, including the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal.

Since then he has written and illustrated the exploits of practically every popular character you could name, including Astro Boy, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the X-Men. A ground-breaking artist who helped create the original graphic novel format – Ken’s four major works in print are: The Sacred & The Profane (co-authored by Dean Motter), Night and the Enemy (stories by Harlan Ellison), Megapowers (written by physicist Jack Weyland) and Tempus Fugutive (which he did all by himself).

 

Ken spent two intense years at Sanctuary Woods Multimedia creating, producing, directing and illustrating The Awesome Adventures of Victor Vector & Yongo, an edutainment CD-ROM series for kids. He later produced a three issue comic book mini-series chronicling the further adventures of Victor Vector & Yondo in print. He has worked for many years with Lucasfilm, producing stories and computer-rendered illustrations for Star Wars children's books, and has collaborated on numerous occasions with author Douglas Coupland.

 

A series of his paintings depicting the peacetime activities of navigators in the Canadian Armed Forces is part of the permanent collection of the National War Museum in Ottawa. Chronicle Books has released Brightwork, a celebration of classic American car ornamentation which Ken wrote, designed and art directed. He recently produced all of the display artwork for the Space Place Gallery at Edmonton’s Odyssium, designed the sets and promotional material for a production of the musical West Side Story, and painted a stack of Harry Potter trading cards.

 

Ken is very happily married to artist Joan Stacy and they have two terrific kids, Alex and Raymond. Together they have launched Tom McBomb Productions, Inc. a content provider for digital video, books & periodicals, and other way-cool stuff and Ken Steacy Publishing. an on-demand imprint dedicated to connecting creators of the past, present, and future directly with their audience. By taking advantage of emerging technologies in digital reprographics we are able to create books whose print quality rivals that of offset lithography, at a very affordable price

 

www.kenspublishing.com

www.tommcbomb.com