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By Nicholas Eskey Taking his regular seat in front of the all too familiar line consisting of convention goers, Comic-Con International’s President John Rogers readies himself for the inevitable. The “Talk Back Panel” always signifies the end of a convention, giving the chance for attendees and vendors alike to voice their opinions on their experiences; […]

By Nicholas Eskey If you label yourself a “nerd” and wear it with pride, undoubtedly you already follow Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist News. The quick witted comedian and mega-nerd took heads the podcast driven news network for nerds with a wonderful collection of colleagues and special guests, discussing everything from the current state of all things […]

By Nicholas Eskey San Diego publisher IDW have grown steadily beyond their beginnings of comics. Though comics are still their main focus, the company in recent years has expanded beyond that and into other forms of entertainment. At this year’s Wondercon, IDW Entertainment represented by Dirk Wood, Vice Present of Marketing,  David Hedgecock, Managing Editor, […]

For over a decade now, Aspen Comics has been a familiar name on Comic-Con International’s program guides. It’s always one of the loudest panels of any convention even when the house is less than packed. Saturday at Wondercon was no exception. The publisher ran down a few current series while showing a few raw pages from […]

by Pamela Auditore               The Spawn of Satan arrived on Good Friday at WonderCon, —A&E’s Damien. You know Damien from the classic horror film The Omen. The chubby cheeked child, born of a jackal, who inspires nannies to hang themselves and Rockweilers to appear mysteriously, threatening to tear apart […]

DC pulled out all the stops for their WonderCon event on Saturday, announcing creative teams on more than 20 titles!

On Friday, in a small back meeting room of the Los Angeles Convention Center we talked for a few minutes  with the executive producer Sam Catlin from AMC’s Preacher along with Jesse Custer and Tulip O’Hare themselves Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga. Along with development from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, executive producer Sam Catlin knows […]

By Nicholas Eskey During the tail end of last year’s Wonder Con, it was announced that the convention which had spent the last three years in Anaheim would instead next be hosted by the city of Los Angeles. The change was for a simple reason; the Anaheim convention center already had another event booked for […]

Tonight fans at Wondercon got to see the entire pilot episode of Preacher. While we gather our thoughts after talking with Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and producer Sam Catlin from AMC’s new show; here’s a first look at character fans of Garth Ennis story will undoubtedly recognize.

What started as a game for the PlayStation 2 is now a movie spawning the same game for the PlayStation 4. When it comes to paradox no characters have had bigger ones than the furry lombax named Ratchet and his tiny robot friend Clank. Games, comics, and now a movie; Wondercon was treated to a […]

Chalk it up to weird timing or bad planning. Even before DC Comics makes all their big REBIRTH announcements at Wondercon on Saturday, the publisher didn’t mind holding panels. DC All-Access opened their big weekend. Even with such a fantastic line up of creators one has to wonder why you’d ever let the words “ALL ACCESS” […]

After a road trip to the wildly successful Silicon Valley Comic Con, it is good to have a local con (even if it means putting up with the dreaded downtown LA traffic) this weekend. So WonderCon has moved for this year from Anaheim, which is in the middle of some heavy renovations and expansions, to downtown Los Angeles. Some will say this is good, others will say it is bad; nonetheless we shall be there ready to go on Friday.

Our booth will be set up in artist alley this year at D-16. We will being trying to cram our ever expanding wares upon a single table, which we may expand to two tables for next year. One of the new items will be 13″x 19″ sizes of some of our more popular prints due to growing interest in the larger sizes. These are printed on high quality paper and will sell for $30 apiece or 3 for $70. Due to limited space we will only have a limited amount of prints in that size available.

More to come next week as we will have a small break before we head up to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon.

– Shawn and Diana

The post WonderCon and new sizes of (certain) prints… appeared first on Ghoulish Bunny Studios.

The great unsanctioned print crackdown we predicted a few weeks ago may be roaring down the highway. The following letter has been sent to exhibitors and Artist Alley tablers for next week’s WonderCon: Dear xxxx, WonderCon takes the issue of copyright infringement very seriously. Exhibitors who violate copyright law run the risk of arrest and […]

Comic-Con International has released the floor plan for WonderCon 2016, scheduled for March 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. After four years of steady growth in Anaheim, CCI has moved WC to downtown Los Angeles. Some wonder if the site is suited, given the lack of hotel rooms and the location. (Yes, these are […]

Take a good look at the Anaheim Convention Center, It might be the last WonderCon sees of it.

By Nick Eskey

For the three years that WonderCon has been in the Anaheim convention center, I’ve been very fortunate to attend it. I say fortunate because compared to my local San Diego Comic Con, this one is much more relaxed. Replacing the large media influence and the sardine-cramped spaces, there is ease and Fandom. Easily one of the industry’s conventions that is more beloved by fans.

The convention itself is very well run, usually smooth-as-silk. A few hiccups that occurred this year were the downed elevators used for celebrity talent (which was of course not the fault of WonderCon) and the last minute change of entrances for badge pickup (my press email said Hall H, only to find out I had to go all the way back to A). I did like the addition of the turn-styles at the entrance of the fountain. This did add a redundancy in checking badges, but it kept the people who were passing out advertisements and postcards away from the main doors.

I can’t really say how long I walked the convention sales floor, I just know my feet got a workout. Artists, independent publishers, and exhibitors inhabit much of the booth spaces.
Though the right side is designated as Artist’s Alley, the far left also seemed like a secondary one, with people showing off their original comics or sketches for sale. Quite a few booths were also selling handmade “geekery” like cartoon-inspired dolls, 3D printed figures, and even tentacle kitty plushies. I spent most of my allotted money on art prints (and said tentacle kitty plush).

I really do wish there was more in the way of panels this year. Last year there were a few big movie announcements shown in the Arena area, but for this one it was all smaller panels on the 2nd and 3rd floors. This is where I think SDCC is far superior. It always has the big talent and over the top showings. It is still nice to have the “how to get into the industry” or documentary panels, but a dash of excitement here and there definitely would add considerably to the lineup.

The big announcement was of course that WonderCon would not be in Anaheim next year, but in LA. From what was told at the talkback panel on the last day of the convention, lack of availability surrounding that time period forced the hard decision on the board. As luck would have it, LA’s convention center had a cancellation, and welcomed WonderCon to fill the spot. We all might be a little spoiled in how the Anaheim convention center sits in between two large hotels, as well as being in walking distance to and from Disneyland Park, but isn’t that part of the fun?

LA does boast a collection of hotels and other attractions, but come on; Disneyland. DISNEYLAND!

I’ll still be heading to WonderCon 2016, believe you me. The convention survived it’s San Francisco birth, and flourished in its Anaheim move. Because of this, I am optimistic that it will become even better in this next move. After the explosion of SDCC, CCI has learned that they need to build on WonderCon piecemeal.

Who knows, 2017 might have the convention back in Anaheim. As of now, nothing is set in stone for the far future.

By Nick Eskey

The guys of CME in front of “Deadeye”

Known for being the fan favorite of major conventions, with its relaxed nature and lines, WonderCon has been gaining in popularity over the last few years.

For this last WonderCon, I was a little underwhelmed with the pick of panel selections, so I decided to spend more time on the sales floor than I usually do. The diversity of vendors, artists, and publishers gathered here are always wonderful to see and explore. During my long exploration, I came across a few booths that I felt deserved a shout out.

C.M.E. (Creative Mind Energy LLC): I’ve seen these guys for a few years now, at both WonderCon and Comic-Con. Every time I do, it’s a great pleasure. CME is a

Design Studio Press

family business that come up with original creative content for various avenues, such as print, television, movies, and video games. The artwork of their comic books are so unique, featuring beautifully, hand drawn scenes. The work stands out and makes a name for itself. One of their latest works, Deadeye, will be coming out this June. Find a copy for yourself. [http://creativemindenergy.com/]

Design Studio Press: This publisher has been around for 15 years. The level of workmanship in each book shows why they’ve been around this long. Design
Studio Press’s content is mostly beautiful reference materials for making art and designing. A couple books of theirs that really impressed me were “How to draw” and “How to render.” Each one’s a thick piece of work; highly detailed, lots of pictures, and very simple to follow. But what really was impressive is that if you download the company’s app on your phone, and train the camera on certain pages, an AR tutorial will appear on the paper, including more than what is there. This is truly the next step in books and technology. [http://designstudiopress.com/]

Abraham Lopez himself

Abraham Lopez: A picture is worth a thousand words, so goes the saying. This artist’s work is indeed worth that many words, creating a hilarious work of fiction. Using a combination of comic and Disney characters, his drawings place them in farfetched, but yes very amusing scenes and situations. During the entire convention, his booth was consistently surrounded. I myself had to buy a few of his prints. They are just that good. But beyond their subject matter, his art is well done and polished. [http://artistabe.deviantart.com/]

Even though WonderCon is over, still check these guys out. They all deserve some patronage in my book. I’d love to see them again at this year’s SDCC.

Daniel Pickett and Scott Neitlich

By Nick Eskey

When toy collecting started to become popular, prices were relatively cheap. Now with increased gas prices, higher standards of living, rise of product control, and other associated costs, prices have been steadily on the rise.

As a whole, Americans purchase toys for a number of reasons: For their kids, for their collection, or for profit. If you fall in the collecting bracket, then you know how taxing of a hobby it can be.

Discussing the current environment for collectors at the “Toy Collecting for the Modern Age” panel were a number of people involved in the toy industry. Present at the panel were Daniel Pickett, of “Action Figure Insider”; Scott Neitlich, a “Toy Guru” and also of Action Figure Insider; Jason Lenz, of “Bif Bang Pow”; Jeff Trojan, of “Playmates Toys”; Jim Fletcher, DC Collectibles; Kevin Kiniry, DC Collectibles; and Justin Donaldson, writer for “Funny or Die” and “Keen and Peel.” David Vonner, who works in designing toys, could not make it due to traffic unfortunately.

The men first discussed how they became attracted to, and involved in the game industry. Scott shared that he always wanted to work with toys, but thought he’d have to first get involved with television and movies first before he could have that option. He “skipped a step” as he put it by getting hired by Mattel after applying for 4 years. Kevin Kiniry claims it was an early experience of his mother taking away all of his toys and donating them to teach him a lesson that convinced him to work with toys for a living.

After sharing about themselves, Scott spoke of the state of the toy industry. Toy collecting is getting bigger, especially because we are finding more ways to display our collections, as well as the internet helping to create more interest. With things like videoed “unboxings,” more people are become involved in the fandom.

But prices are getting tougher to swallow. Many factors these days are contributing to this, like dock strikes, labor prices in China, cost of oil, politics, and others.

“These things are forcing [us] to make the toy smarter,” said Kevin. “How me make toys and the packaging mainly.”

Economically, many toy manufacturers are packaging toys in simpler boxes to keep costs low. Environmentally, this is also good, because it creates less waste.

These cost-cutting practices are especially good for smaller companies, as Jeff Trojan points out. “It’s a Big Fish versus Grass Roots. The big companies have more ability to absorb and to source cheaper labor. Small ones that haven’t made connections have to be really smart about their product.”

Scott Neitlich discussed that there are also the politics that go behind the toy veil. “Sometimes it’s an everyday struggle. The I.P. holder can decide to delay the product… Do you know how hard it is sometimes to get a toy to market?”

And though the toy might be out in stores, doesn’t mean it’s readily available. Resellers can be vicious in their hitting up stores, buying up as much product as possible, creating a scarcity for the consumer and collector alike. “This makes the price of the item even higher, sometimes making it near impossible financially to collect whole sets,” said Jason. “It’s not going to get any better unless both consumers and retailers works against their practices… [Even] in the digital age, toys are still going to be still going to be sought after… Toys are unique. They are physical. There’s no way you can touch a digital toy.”

“Book and DVD collections are disappearing because of digital,” said Kevin Kiniry. “And toy collections are getting bigger.”

So what are we to do about this ballooning toy situation? “We have to become smarter with what we buy,” said Scott Neitlich. “We’ll have to decide more selectively what we will collect.”

With toys becoming more geared towards adults as well as kids, creating a collectible toy market, they are being plagued with the same issues as any other commodity. But the excitement and joy a collection can bring definitely won’t sway fans away. If I’m to take one thing away from this panel, it’s that we all need to become responsible and smart in what we choose to buy.

Lately the words “All-Ages” have become a buzz phrase without a clear definition. Some publishers use it to brand their comics for kids, while others have geared it towards a polarizing audience outside of anything branded “Mature”. BOOM! associate editor Whitney Leopard has recently led discussions at various cons about the importance of all-ages comics. Sunday at Wondercon the latest informative session was held; among her group for this particular one was Derek Fridolfs (Lil Gotham), Shelli Paroline (Adventure Time), Mairghread Scott (Transformers), and Melissa Paglucia (Above The Clouds).

After a rundown of the groups first experiences as comic fans (ranging from Bone, Star Wars, and even Manga), the panel delved into the meaning of what all-ages books should be. These topics are something all comics fans that want to see the industry thrive and be around for future generations to read should be talking about. Today’s market caters towards older readers (age 18-49). Places like Boom! and IDW, who are publishing a fair amount of inclusive comics, are still too rare of an occurrence. Fridolfs talked about how children’s bookstores are carrying graphic novels and how they demonstrate how important that audience will be once the older generation phases out. When you think about it, regular Batman books aren’t even for kids. Children who’ve only heard about the Nolan movies don’t always get to see them cause some parents might not feel like it’s appropriate for their kids, but every child has heard of the character and might want to see it in whatever form they’re allowed.

Typically words like “silly and fun” are associated with all-ages, but can there be heavier stories in this genre? One of the points made by the group is how polarizing this type of book is suppose to be. Even though books like these should be inclusive for kids; if the heavy stuff is handled responsibly then the story is even more valuable for that piece of its intended audience. Editors are around to decide if you’ve gone to far or not far enough as a storyteller. Paglucia gave the example about how David Peterson’s Mouse Guard nails an all-ages aspect by how immersive the world is for kids to look at while teaching them about real issues in life they’ll have to encounter.

Another stereotype of all-ages books is there association with licensed properties such as Adventure Time, My Little Pony, Skylanders, etc. Is there room for original material in the world of all-ages? While the group believes there is a market for it; licensed properties have a “joy” according to Scott.  One of their latent effects is the ability of the books to sort of trick kids into reading. In today’s –YouTube let’s play– world most young children have dismissed the pleasures of reading, but they’d be open to reading a comic about their favorite licensed property and that could be a gateway into reading other things.

According to the group another challenge in pushing all-ages comics lies with the retailers. Every shop is different and some merchandise smarter than others. Some shops separate them out from the rest of their catalogue, while others hide them in the back. According to Leopard, smarter shopkeepers make sure they’re featured and within reach of the audience they’re intended for. One problem that still puzzles creators who want to do all-ages books is the trepidations shown by publishers. Scott’s first issue of Guardians of the Galxy animated sold out in stores to everyone’s surprise but her’s. Most major publishers spend much of their time enticing older readers that they find themselves afraid of alienating them by making comics geared towards younger audiences. “I’m surprised it took DC years to grasp the idea that little kids like Batman,” according to Scott.

As for the future of all-ages comics, Fridolfs feels small companies are picking up the slack of the bigger publishers, but keeping the books accessible is paramount. In addition to making them easy to find, it also means keeping the stories short and always welcoming to new readers. Scott would like the medium to expand beyond the boundaries of the page, making them have a level of activity or immersion that lets people play with the story. Even if imploding Transformer cupcakes would never be done in the book, kids should be able to express that idea somewhere if they really like the characters. Paroline wants to see more educational comics and long form stories such as the coming of age nature of a Harry Potter type story. Paglucia had ideas for shops to be more inviting for younger readers by having rewards programs such as “tell us what you like” and “read so many and you’ll get a free one”.

When the subject of recommendations for books came up; the mix was eclectic ranging from Gotham Academy to Reed Gunther. In a way Gotham Academy is a true all-ages book even though it isn’t marketed that way.

The panel was a great subject for comics fans.  By no means is all-ages a new concept. When you think about it, the medium itself began as all-ages. Superhero comics were intended for kids but military soldiers in war time were reading them on the front lines in WWII and back then the books were always geared towards attracting new and young readers.  As an industry, comics should return to that aim. Once the industry figures out how to really once again say comics are for everyone, they can start saying comics go beyond all-ages to all-races and all-sexual orientations.

I hope this panel appears at every show. If you’re a fan that wants to voice your opinion on the future health of comics publishing, it’s an opportunity to engage with one of the most responsible gatekeepers in the industry.

The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog reports:

In the Talk Back panel, which closes out the convention annually and where attendees can ask Comic-Con International officials questions and offer feedback, a fan asked if the convention would be returning to Anaheim next year.

And the answer, it turns out, is no — likely due to planned construction to the Anaheim Convention Center and its expansion, which breaks ground in October. Instead, it will be moving to Los Angeles, specifically to the Los Angeles Convention Center. No word on dates yet, though unofficially, we’ve heard Easter weekend is likely again.

The expansion, the center’s seventh, is scheduled to commence this Spring, with a tentative completion date of 2017.  Estimated to cost $190 Million, the city has authorized the selling of up to $300 Million in bonds. As with many such expansions (including San Diego), it is because of big shows contemplating moving elsewhere.  In this particular locale, the National Association of Music Merchants (96K attendees) and Natural Products Expo West (60K).  The annual $15 Million payment would be financed by a special 2 percent hotel tax on nearby hotels.  Of course, a possible taxpayer lawsuit is possible/probable.

The project, sited to the east of the arena and north of the Hilton, on the northern edge of the convention center, will produce two floors, each with 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, with the top floor being column-free.  (By comparison, Hall H in San Diego is 64,842 square feet.)  In addition to 1400 parking spaces, there will also be a connecting bridge to the existing convention center.

Here’s a video showcasing the architecture:

(Nice touch with the Disneyland fireworks!)

Where does this place Anaheim on the big list of convention centers?  Well, it’s already the largest on the West Coast.  Total space, it would tie with New York City and Houston for 13th place.  By exhibition space, totaling 1.015 Million square feet, it ranks…eleventh?

The Los Angeles Convention Center is about 100,000 square feet smaller, but WonderCon only used 524292, square feet of exhibition space this year (Halls B-D, and half of Hall B was used for the “stockyards” queue hall), so there should be plenty of space for exhibits in L.A.  WonderCon has experience with changing locations, as this will be the fourth city to host the event, which started in Oakland in 1987 before moving to the Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2003.  (It was the renovation of the Moscone which forced WonderCon to move to Anaheim in 2012.)

As for the reason(s) for moving…well, NAMM, which is even bigger than WonderCon (the meeting rooms on the Second and Third Floors are utilized as exhibition space!) is scheduled to return to Anaheim in January 2017, so construction might not be the reason.  It won’t affect the building that already exists, as the site under construction is a parking lot to the north of the Hilton hotel.  The convention center calendar shows nothing scheduled for March or April 2016, so space appears to be available.

More probable?  CCI is using this to test the market (much like they used the construction at the Moscone to move to Anaheim). When cities first began courting CCI:SD in 2010, it was reported that Los Angeles was offering events free rental of the center.  If this is true, that’s another important consideration.  While the rental for the San Diego Convention Center would have been $410,850 in 2014, CCI paid a discounted rate of $150,000.  Of course, CCI isn’t hurting for money (approximately $12 Million in reserve), and each WonderCon show seems to not only be profitable, but expanding as well.  (This year, the entire Anaheim Convention Center was reserved, although Halls A and E were not utilized.)  If they can fill the entire building at Anaheim, they can do the same in L.A., and get free rent, which would cover any potential loses.  If it’s a successful show, then CCI brands it and adds it to their calendar (Fall?).  If it’s a colossal failure (unlikely) or not as lucrative as hoped, then CCI can return to Anaheim with little damage to their brand, allowing the media and Internet commentators to recycle the current criticisms about the center downtown.  (But consider that Anime Expo has been located in L.A. since 2008.)

Of note, CCI has trademarked the terms “Los Angeles Comic-Con”, “Anaheim Comic-Con”, and “San Francisco Comic-Con”, back when cities were courting CCI:SD.  Given the first two, might we see an event in San Francisco as well?

A cautionary note before you start reacting… read this post from 2011, especially the comments!  A bit funny, in retrospect…

UPDATE!  Beat operative Nick Esky attended the Talk Back panel, and reports that the reason for the move is that Anaheim did not have dates available.  Which raises the question… an annual show… it’s successful… they can’t plan dates two-three years in advance? (Other non-profits can schedule large events for the next decade…)  Or was it something else?  Costs?  Does it hurt the brand to see it constantly on the move?

President of CCI board of directors, John Rogers

By: Nick Eskey

Signaling the end of the three day WonderCon weekend, Comic-Con International’s board of directors president, John Rogers, was joined by Con-goers for the “Talk Back” panel.

As opposed to the SDCC Talk Back which normally has a litany of people with grievances, WonderCon’s is known to be almost completely made up of praises. This year wasn’t any different.

The first woman to speak said that she was disappointed that nothing big was in the Arena this year, but still had fun with the smaller panels. A few others came forward saying simply that they loved the convention, some even admitting to liking it better than SDCC.

Not all were compliments though. As it goes for questions and concerns, the issue of the why WonderCon always falls on Easter was addressed. Whether it was intentionally planned that way or not.
“Believe me, we would have preferred if it wasn’t Easter weekend,” said John Rogers. “It really comes to how everything falls when it comes to scheduling, availability, traveling, hotels… and it just turned out that we had to during Easter.”

A new addition to the convention was having badges first checked right before entering the front of the convention center with the fountain. It was asked what the intention of doing this was, as well as checking badges as you get into exhibit halls. “We were seeing that once you would get to the glass doors, people were being blocked by others with pamphlets and cards,” said Rogers. “It caused some congestion at the front. We felt that this would keep the doors free and accessible.”

Another concern was regarding the signature raffling, saying that it didn’t seem fair for those that would wait in line early, to find out that it was a raffle, putting them with equal footing for those who came later.

“The ticket raffling is the preferred method for CCI. We instruct all exhibitors that approach us regarding signings to do raffles… What we would foresee is that people would start lining up quite early, and then next time even earlier than that. This gives everyone an equal chance regardless of when they line up.”

But definitely the biggest question to come of the panel was, “Will WonderCon stay in Anaheim next year?” John Rogers straightened in his chair, and began with “Um… well.”

As it turned out, it was confirmed that WonderCon would not be returning to the Anaheim venue next year. “Unfortunately there wasn’t any availability next year for the convention center.”
Where then will it be?

“When we were looking for other venues and approached LA, it turned out that they had a cancellation and welcomed [the convention].” After being in Anaheim for three years, San Francisco before that, WonderCon will now be making the move to Los Angeles.

“This is going to be a whole new city, a whole new market, new facility… But we are thankfully foreseeing some fairly decent deals for the hotels.”

It’s sad to see Anaheim losing WonderCon. It personally makes sense to have it there with the abundance of hotels around it, and with Disneyland just being in fifteen minutes walking distance. But because the whole scheduling and negotiation of venues is a difficult business, I can understand the board’s decision to go.

With LA in the conventions future next year, we can rest assured to aspect some road bumps in its execution, and unfamiliarity from con goers. Let’s all hope for the best!

With so many shows to prep, art to make and projects to work on, it has been a challenge to keep up with blogging. But I wanted to jump back in here and post a recap of all the shenanigans that has been going on with our business and the many things to expect from us in the future. So here goes:

Following a prosperous if somewhat grueling marathon run of Knott’s Berry Farm Holiday Village that took up all of December, Shawn and I took a much needed hiatus from the business for a couple weeks. We took a road trip to Denver to visit Shawn’s family. After we returned, it was back to prepping for the first show of the year, Salt Lake Comic Expo. This was a much smaller event in relation to Salt Lake City Comic Con in September but our sales were only down by a little. Still, we had fun, ate great food and made some new friends.

Long Beach Comic Expo, I will have to admit, was a bit disappointing. I always try to be open and honest about my experiences at various cons. Many times I hesitate to publicly talk about the shortcomings of a given Con and will debate with myself as to the best way to describe an unsuccessful show without bashing it. But because I strive to be more transparent about my experiences running an art business, I will go ahead and share my experience. Long Beach has always been a tough area for me to cultivate a following. I am not sure why that is. My first Comic Convention was Long Beach Comic Con. That was 3 years ago. While in most shows my sales and fan base expends every year, in LB it seems to stay at the beginning level of that very first show. Last years LBCE was surprisingly good for us and that gave me a glimmer of hope it would improve for many years to come. However, I think that the show expended too quickly, adding significantly more vendors without bringing the attendance that would justify that expansion.  Again, I can only speak from my own experience. Although I spoke to many friends at the show who also saw a significant drop in sales.

Spookshow at the Halloween Club in La Mirada 

This was a fun, free one-day pop-up Halloween themed event that took place in the costume store parking lot. This has definitely become one of my favorites and I hope they continue to bring this show back every year. Despite the warm temperature that day, the turnout was pretty damn good and everyone was having a great time. Our sales were up from last year. It’s free for vendors with a $25 deposit that got returned to us a week later. The crowd was just really great and enthusiastic.

Emerald City Comic Con and Mosnterpalooza

Double show weekend for Shawn and I. I fly out to Seattle for ECCC, while Shawn tables at Monsterpalooza in Burbank. Like last year, this was one incredible weekend of sales for both of us. What can I say… Emerald City Comic Con is really great show for both vendors and attendees. The people Pacific Northwest seems to have a healthy appetite for unique and original art. Monsterpalooza is more of an industry show. It feels a lot more like a trade show that has evolved to include a healthy mixture of artists, writers and horror themed artisans.

Next Up: WonderCon in Anaheim. Dealers Table DSL- 10. Hope to See you there!

And now for more great news:

1. You might have already heard, Shawn and I are changing the business name to “Ghoulish Bunny Studios”. This new business will include my artwork, plus Shawn’s writing and videos.

2. We are working on a picture book. Me illustrating and Shawn writing. We will be setting up a kickstarter for it.

3. More new art. I am trying really hard to finish work that I have started a while back. And I try to produce at least one new piece for each show.

4. We are phasing out certain products to make room for more. Many of the mini prints we offer will be retired so that we can make room for…

5. Sketchbooks. I already put my first one out this year. my next one will have more pages, more drawings and a better quality print.

6. Spooky stores from Shawn. He as been working on his writing and coming up with some great little short horror stories. We are going to put together a book of his work that will also include illustrations from me.

7. New website and online store “Ghoulish Bunny Studios” where you can shop directly from us. More products will be added, more artwork available and Shawn’s stories and videos.

So far this is as much as I can share at this time. We are always expending, changing and evolving. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years. We strive to produce quality work and products for our fiendish friends.Thanks for reading!

The post Convention Recap and the Start of Ghoulish Bunny Studios appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Ladies and Gentlemen we are officially in convention season! After celebrating Emerald City Comicon last weekend, it’s already time for WonderCon! Luckily Valiant is headed to the Anaheim Convention Center to take part in the festivities alongside comics fandom. The publisher is bringing along a few giveaways and prizes to the upcoming event. A tease at Bloodshot: Reborn #1 is going to be distributed in Valiant’s booth numbered #405.

Also shared is the following teaser image drawn by Tom Fowler celebrating the Valiant 25th Anniversary Convention Tour. The art features a group of heroes owned by the superhero company with Archer & Armstrong, X-O Manowar, Eternal Warrior, Bloodshot, Dr. Mirage, Faith, Livewire, Quantum and Woody, and Vincent Van Goat.

Creators at the show include James Asmus, David Baron, Joshua Dysart, Ryann Winn, and Fred Van Lente. The first Valiant panel is for beginners labeled Valiant 101: The Story Starts Here. This gives new readers a chance to jump in on the fun in the Valiant Universe, and takes place on Friday April 3rd at 3:30pm at Room 208. The next panel is the Valiant 25th Anniversary Celebration where fans will hopefully learn more about the mysterious Book of Death down at the show. The panel takes place on April 4th at 12pm at room 211.

Babs Tarr is a core member of the new Batgirl creative team that has been making waves, lately, with their new interpretation of the character, and fresh, modern approach to superhero mythology. She works as the interior artist on the book, while artist Cameron Stewart provides story breakdowns, and cover art. Babs Tarr has drawn a number of dynamic comic book covers herself, like this week’s variant cover to another trailblazing book, Gotham Academy.

Babs Tarr is an accomplished painter, video game concept artist, and all around versatile freelance illustrator. Her many clients include Hasbro, Disney, DC Comics, Boom! Comics, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Boston Globe. Tarr received her BFA in Illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD.

You can catch up with Babs Tarr’s convention schedule, and more artwork on her website here.

For more comics related art, you can follow me on my website comicstavern.com - Andy Yates

Speaking of SDCC, did you know that WonderCon is thrown by the same folks and you can go to the website and buy tickets and book hotel rooms in a totally normal, non-anxious fashion RIGHT THIS MINUTE? It is true that you may not run into Travil Fimmel at the Hilton bar, but you are pretty much still going to have a good time. This years show is April 3-5 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and guests include Babs Tarr, Ed Brubaker, Neal Adams and other people you would probably like to see.

Speaking of Tarr, they just unveiled the program book cover art by her.

Could this be any more pleasant?

Soon 2014 will be a memory and 2015 will be an itinerary from Travelocity. And WonderCon Anaheim—to be held April 3-5 in Anahaim has announced its first five guests, Neil Adams, Becky Cloonan, Aaron Kuder, Kevin Maguire and Dustin Nguyen. I’m sure many more will be announced, as this has grown to be the SoCal full service co for people who don’t want to go to San Diego.

PS: If I’m not mistaken the photo of Neal Adams above is by Seth Kushner. As I was saying…

BTW for those planning travels, WonderCon is the same weekend as the MoCCA Festival here in New York. Emerald City Comic Con is the week before. Megacon is the week after. Big Wow is the week after, and C2E2 is the final week in April. I got a few of these dates from this list , but only some. Comics Reporter also has a useful but partial event listing.