Gem City in Four Colors
Chuck "Big Cheese" Moore and "Big" Frank Raynor hamming it up at the Gem City Con pre-dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube, Saturday April 10 th.
The Comic Related family starts to gather at Studio Akumakaze. BJay Johnson, John Wilson, Frank Raynor, Chuck Moore, and Brant Fowler.
This time around it's Raichal Gladman, Jacob Newell, John Wilson, and Chris Hoskins. It was really cool to see how impressed people like Raichal, John, Chuck, and Brant were when they saw the studio for the very first time. I was equally impressed the first time I walked through the door. A top notch art studio crammed to the gills with incredibly talented creators.
Bill Thade owner of the Fearless Readers comic shop in Dayton Ohio and sponsor of the Gem City show talking to one of his customers at the dinner. Bill sat down and talked to Frank, Chuck, and myself telling us a great story of collecting comics when he was a young man. Bill has tons of these types of "Tales to Astonish". He should publish a book.
Also in this shot Chad Strohl (Did Someone Call For A Hero) doing his imitation of Hero Montgomery and Dan Taylor (Weird Muse Publishing) and his wife Carrie.
Artist, Chris Metzger thinking to himself "Man.....Bill told me the guy that was going to be lettering Half Breed for Dustin Carson was supposed to be at this dinner" and Brant Fowler thinking "Man...I bet Chris doesn't know I'm the guy lettering Half Breed for Dustin Carson"
In the background Jesse Noble (in the ball cap), organizer of Gem City Comic Con and his wife entertain X-Men Forever artist Steve Scott (in knitted cap)
Back at the Studio Akumakaze Pre-Gem City Party...things start to get rowdy. Most visible in this shot....John Goodman, Victor Dandridge, Dustin Carson, Dave Arhar, Jacob Newell, and BJay Johnson.
Darren Mueller of Ringtail Cafe fame having a good time. Darren was one of the last people I hung out with at the party before driving Fred Dukes and Raichal back to Springfield for the evening.
Gem City Comic Con the next morning...while standing in line to get a few books signed by Jim Valentino...an ex-girlfriend of mine happened to walk by. (well....okay she's not really my ex-girlfriend ...but I'm willing to work on that...just kiddin'. Man I'm glad my wife isn't around when I write these things.....oh crap.....how long have you been standing there, Hon? I love you....no I don't know who she is.....honest.)
Jim Valentino signing a few comics for me (which I had already pulled out of the back and boards and had ready for him to sign as any courteous comic fan should) And as always I had a few extra copies signed for my good friend and fellow Twilight Star artist Oscar "Big O" Pena....Yeeeee Haaawwww!
Now this is what being a part of the Comic Related family is all about! Victor missed out on the opportunity to get his own table at Gem City this year so Chad Strohl (artist of the AWARD WINNING WEB COMIC NEW COMIC DAY) offered to share his table with him all day Sunday. They had a great time and this picture of Chad is 100% better than the picture I took of him at the show last year! All kidding aside (hard to do with these two guys) Chad did rather well at the show and there were actually people that came up to his table to ask him to sign the Gem City program which featured an exclusive New Comic Day strip in it.
Why is this guy smiling? MAYBE because he sold out of every copy of his brand new No Gods trade paperback. Or Maybe because he just sold out of issue #6 of the No Gods limited series. Or MAYBE because he heard some of the overwhelmingly positive feedback about what some people were calling the "most awesome and complete ash can comics they ever read or purchased at a convention" Or MAYBE....this guy...being Dustin Carson....knows that 2010 is going to be a very good year for him if the response he gets at other shows equals the response he got Sunday at Gem City Comic Con 2010.
Yet another wildly successful outing for Ringtail Cafe' as artist Jackie Hernandez and colorist Krista Mueller sold over twenty copies of The Confectionaries. Some of their customers included the G-Man himself....and Batgirl!
If you don't know this man, or have yet to read any of his books....allow me to introduce you to a good friend of mine, Chad Lambert. One of the best writers out there. Don't just take my word for it....pick up a copy of Kill the Revisionist or Return to Point Pleasant and see for yourself.
Chad will be making an appearance at Main Street Comics and Games in June. Don't miss this opportunity to meet one of independent comics very own leaders in the field.
Scott Riley's sons (Dakota and Darien) getting marched off the garbage compactor. Tony Barry of Super Fly Comics and Games in Yellow Springs Ohio can be seen in the background, plotting their rescue.
Raichal's favorite comic book hero! Cassandra Cain/Batgirl!!! (who was threatening to beat me up if I didn't stop claiming her friend Helena was my ex-girlfriend).
Brian "Smallville" Latimer showing off a truly amazing piece of work that he did for a friend. (I'm not lying Brian....I want a copy of that too!) I'm very fortunate to be working with Brian along with Ron Fortier, Chris Hoskins, and Brant Fowler on the new web comic "Price for the Asking" that will soon be debuting on the Comic Related web site every week. Why be content with having just one incredible web comic...two's got to be better, right?
Brian and I are also working on another project together where he not only does the art, but he's helping out in the writing department as well, which means I guess I'm slacking off on this one.
It's called "Blue Murder". Let the Bill Gladman hype machine begin!!!!
Check out these handsome and talented guys.....I mean not counting Frank and that Gladman guy. I was talking about Dave Arhar and Chris Hoskins who dropped by to hang out with us over at the Hero Initiative booth.
The guys "Behind the Counter" over at the Underground Video Network...Peanut, Mike, and "Little" Richard. One of the great things about doing these shows is meeting incredible people like these guys and actually getting a chance to work with them and becoming friends.
I wish I could hang out with Peanut more, a super talented and incredibly cool young man!
You see that d.v.d in front of Mike? That's episode #1 and #2 of Geek Street on one d.v.d.....you know you want one!
Geek Street is filmed at Studio Akumakaze by U.V.N......check it out over at the U.V.N. website as well as episodes of Behind the Counter with Richard and Mike.
www.undergroundvideonetwork.com
Sean and Stephanie Forney....true comic book road warriors had yet another incredible show this year. A testimony to their hard traveling skills Sean and Stephanie will be appearing at both Main Street Comics and Games in Springfield Ohio and Pack Rat Comics in Hilliard Ohio during Free Comic Book Day, May 1 st of this year!
Josh Meadors, an incredible artist, drops by the Hero Initiative auction to inform the people that were attending the event how much the organization has helped him. It's not just for comic book veterans as many believe. Hero Initiative has helped pay for medical bills and to actually find Josh work.
Josh shared the fact that he was cancer and without Hero Initiative he would have things so much worse. His announcement changed the entire mood of the auction and people really went over the top to help the cause.
I'm happy to say that together we earned over $1,200 for Hero Initiative and Josh....you are in our thoughts and prayers.
I didn't get to shop in the vendors room at all, but guess what...I didn't mind...I got to help out a great cause, talk to some great friends, meet Jim Valentino, and spent all my money on the really cool stuff!
I can't wait to do it all again next year!
Until next time...see you in the funny papers!
Bill Gladman - Bill is a writer and illustrator and currently working on several different projects including the first issue of an ongoing comic book series (Prodigy), an illustrated fantasy novel (The Book of Noheim), and the first of four illustrated science fiction/fantasy novels (Jack the Rabbit, Living Legend of the Purple Plains) as well as a light-hearted on going mini-comic (Three Wise Men). Bill also pens a column for Comic Related and will be doing a mix of regional convention coverage.
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