On the Scene: MoCCA Fest 2013, Words from the Market-Wise at the ‘Art as Profession’ Panel

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Tweet Holding panels in the wood-panelled bowels of the Armory this year at MoCCA Fest did bring a certain gravitas to the proceedings even if the location was a little difficult to locate for the unfamiliar. When I arrived at the “Art as Profession: Creating, Promoting, and Making Money in Comics” panel at 11:30 on [...]

Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer Go “Live” at Bard College

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TweetThe Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in Red Hook, New York, hosted “An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer” on the 6th of April, an event packed with poetry, prose, and musical performance numbers from Gaiman and Palmer alike, frequently in combination. Here are some photos and a few choice [...]

Cartoonists on Tour: Gilbert Hernandez

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Tweet Few cartoonists can hope to have as great a year as Gilbert Hernandez is having, with two upcoming releases of majestic power: JULIO’S DAY and MARBLE SEASON. And you’ll be able to meet the man and get them signed at the following stops: Monday April 15th, 5:30 pm 101 Mattin Center, Johns Hopkins University [...]

MoCCA Party Poop

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TweetAs usual, you will need many metro cards or cab fares to get to all the social events surrounding MoCCA, this weekend’s indie comics festival. I’m not sure I have them all so if your event is missing, email me. THURSDAY Kickstarter MoCCA Meetup! 8 pm If you like comics and are in Brooklyn, come [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013 Recap and Photo Gallery

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TweetAs I suggested in my early con impressions, WonderCon had a reasonable amount of space and handled the numbers of attendees pretty well. It was no surprise that Saturday brought bigger numbers than Friday, and the crowding was more obvious, but still never reached that feeling of pushing and shoving that can easily erupt at [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti Are ‘Interactive’

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Tweet“I’m sorry I’m late with my book”, Jimmy Palmiotti said rather humbly, opening a “spotlight” panel on March 31st 2013 at WonderCon, and asked the audience if he ought to put on some “background music”.  Amanda Conner, his co-spotlighter, and Palmiotti explained, tongue in cheek, that if the panel appeared “random”, months of deep thought [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick Pushes Fan Empowerment

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TweetWhile the Nerdist Industries’ arena event at WonderCon this year was ostensibly about the future of the Youtube based pop culture conglomerate, and, indeed, plenty was said about upcoming projects, the question and answer period really expanded into a call to arms for fans to help directly determine the future of pop culture. Nerdist founder [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, Ann Nocenti and Jim Lee Enthuse about Comics

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TweetOn March 30th, WonderCon attendees got treated to a bonus feature in a Spotlight panel with Ann Nocenti, Jim Lee acting as her interviewer. The two had so much shared history that they reminisced about the “good old days” at Marvel as well as plunging into the current artwork that most impresses them on their [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, Matt Kindt on MIND MGMT and Being Happy

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TweetYou’d be forgiven if you think of Matt Kindt as a breakaway success, since the “slow and steady” approach that’s defined his career so far looks like a sprint to the finish line with the explosive success of MIND MGMT from Dark Horse. Educator and author Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology) sat down with Kindt [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, Indie Marketing Tips from ComiXology, Dark Horse, IDW, Archaia, Valiant

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TweetComiXology’s Chip Mosher of Marketing and PR moderated a panel with Jeremy Atkins of Dark Horse, Dirk Wood of IDW, Mel Caylo of Archaia, and addition Hunter Gorinson of Valiant Comics with the goal of sharing tips and pro experience with indie creators and future marketers on Friday, March 29th at WonderCon. The result was [...]

On The Scene: WonderCon 2013, THE VIKINGS Invade!

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TweetAny illusion I had that I was the only human being watching the new History Channel drama THE VIKINGS was shattered walking into a fully occupied large capacity convention hall, already packed fifteen minutes before the panel actually started. The description for the panel stated that some of the cast members would be there, but [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon 2013, ‘What Makes an Icon?” with Nocenti, De Matteis, Mahnke, Slott, Waid

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TweetA panel on Friday, March 29th, the first day of programming at WonderCon brought together a rather iconic cast to discuss “iconic characters” and what keeps a character “true” to their origins over long periods of time. Mark Waid opened as moderator by pointing out that the table full of seasoned pros had more than [...]

On the Scene: WonderCon Hasn’t Lost Its Mojo

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TweetThe biggest topic of discussion leading up to WonderCon has been the location. Most WonderCon goers have been very disappointed by the move to Anaheim, CA, over San Francisco. There’s ongoing chatter about whether it will move back to San Francisco in 2014, but no clear news on that possibility yet. If location alone is [...]

On the scene: The Center for Cartoon Studies

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Tweet The Beat is going to be hung up for the next day or so with Industry Day here at the CEnter for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT. We arrived late last night, missing out on the pizza party, but still charmed by this quirky town and the Hotel Coolidge. It was too [...]

MEGA-INTERVIEW: Cliff Galbraith on the Meteoric Rise of the Asbury Park Comicon

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TweetIf you’ve been following the history of the Asbury Park Comicon, which opened only a year ago in March of 2012, you know it’s been a strange, yet rather astonishing ride, but imagine how much stranger it must be for founder and indie comics creator Cliff Galbraith. What started in a bowling alley turned music [...]

On the Scene: Sparks Fly at ‘Surely You’re Joking, Dr. Wertham’ Event

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TweetAs the first of several “Comic Book Roundtable” events to be held at the Soho Gallery of Digital Art under the auspices of gallery owner John Ordover and former Marvel editor, author, and educator Danny Fingeroth, this event exploring the life and legacy of Dr. Frederic Wertham was planned for the occasion of Wertham’s 118th [...]