Comic Con International: Ultraverse & Malibu Comics

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials,

Okay, so this is happening.

My good friend Paul O’Connor who used to write for Malibu Comics back in the day and is now one of the founder partners of the app company Appy Entertainment (and creator of the Longbox Graveyard blog), dropped me an email a couple of months ago. He wanted to host a Malibu Comics panel at this year’s Comic Con in San Diego.

2012, it turns out, marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Malibu Comics; the company opened its doors in January 1987 and released its first three books in July of that year: Libby Ellis #1, Stealth Force #1 and Dark Wolf #1.

2012 also marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Ultraverse, Editor-In-Chief Chris Ulm's big idea to launch a writer-based super-hero universe. He started to implement his UV vision in the summer of 1992. The convention season that year was spent rounding up the seven creators who would become the Ultraverse Founders - Len Strazewski, James Hudnall, Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Mike Barr, Gerard Jones and James Robinson - which culminated in the first Ultraverse Founders Conference in Scottsdale, AZ.

Click to continue reading Comic Con International: Ultraverse & Malibu Comics

Comic Book Jobs: Comic Con International Edition

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials,

In the world of comic books, there are writers, artists, colorists, letterers and editors. But don’t be discouraged if you lack those skills - there’s always work for anyone with a good personality and a hard body hard enough to fit into a tight-fitting costume, especially during convention season.

Comic Con International in San Diego is the biggest U.S. convention and this year it’s being held from July 11-15th. Already the ads are popping up on Craigslist for models, cosplayers, costume performers, booth babes and my favorite: “Brand Ambassador.”

Let’s check out some of them:

Reality star and KISS frontman Gene Simmons wants male and female cosplayers for the con to appear as Dominatrix and Zipper.

GMR Marketing is having a gaming promotion at the con and they need 2 brand ambassadors with gaming experience.

Here’s a company looking for models for the con: $70/hour.

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Comic Con International Edition

Comic Book Jobs: Comic Con International

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials,

Attack Marketing is looking for some outgoing folks to work as promotional talent at Comic Con International in San Diego this year, July 11-15.

They want “friendly and personable brand ambassadors, costume characters, and street team members.”

The weather is always great, the crowds can be a lot of fun and you’ll definitely have stories to tell as you massage your aching feet.

The temp jobs pays between $16-$30 per hour - I’m guessing the costumed performers get the higher dollar.

Good luck, job seekers!

[Artwork: Comic Con International photo by and © Tom Mason]

Read More | Ebay Classifieds

Comic Book Jobs: Lucasfilm @ Comic Con International

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Movies,

Hey, Art People, listen up! If you're going to attend the 2012 Comic Con International in San Diego next month, you might consider contacting Lucasfilm.

Their Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) division is going recruiting for a Concept Artist, and what does that mean exactly?

"The Concept Artist creates concept art for visual effects in feature films and television to include: characters, vehicles, environments, matte paintings, shot elements, and/or storyboards."

The job will be located at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco. The position comes with benefits, which usually means health and other little wellness perks.

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Lucasfilm @ Comic Con International

Weekend Reading: Ray Bradbury, Alex Toth and Before Watchmen

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Reviews,

The countdown to San Diego has begun. You can tell because Mark Evanier is starting to post his great stories about San Diego cons of the past.

I’ve really been enjoying his tales of the con that involve Ray Bradbury and Julie Schwartz (and MAD Magazine’s Al Feldstein). One of the things that’s being revealed is that Julie, a longtime DC Comics editor and later company ambassador, doesn’t come across as a likeable guy.

This will not come as a surprise to anyone who’s read about Evan Dorkin’s repeatedly unpleasant encounters with Schwartz.

Or to people who are familiar with Colleen Doran.

Speaking of Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl remembers his friend of 75 years.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Ray Bradbury, Alex Toth and Before Watchmen

Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide 2012

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, DC Comics,

I don’t know how he does it, but somehow editor J.C. Vaughn is able to assemble his team each year and whip together a new edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. This year it’s #42 (!) and it’s just as big and wonderful as ever. This year’s version is available with three different covers: Joe Jusko, Adam Hughes, and (my favorite) Matt Wagner. Just beautiful-looking stuff.

As always, in addition to the latest go-to prices for comics new and old (and really old, like the 16th Century), the Guide has a ton of great articles on comics history, plus market reports from their advisers, the Overstreet Hall of Fame, and even a new look at one of the best graphic novels ever, Batman: Son Of The Demon.

For me, I love the articles, but I also like flipping through the pages and looking at covers of old comics to see how they've changed over the years. I get a real kick out of all the funny (and strange) titles and the trivia (artist appearances and character first appearances and stuff like that). It's like an annual history book of comics and in each volume I always find good stuff that makes it a worthwhile purchase.

Click to continue reading Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide 2012

Phoenix Comic Con - People Watching

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Independent,

In the world of instant digital books, this was bound to happen sooner or later.

Paul Moore went to the Phoenix Comic Con over the Memorial Day weekend, and took a bunch of photos. Then he created a three-volume series of Kindle e-books reproducing those photos. I got the first one from Amazon for free during a promotion (it may still be going on).

People Watching Comic Con Phoenix 2012 - Volume 1 is approximately 75 pages, and 70 of them are photographs from the con. According to Moore’s description, “There is nothing quite as fun as people watching that is not either fattening, illegal, or immoral.”

Click to continue reading Phoenix Comic Con - People Watching