HeroesCon 2010: G.I. JOE Roll Call

I did this last year, and I figured I would do it again for anyone planning to attend HeroesCon 2010, our local convention here in Charlotte. Some of the bigger guests include Mark Bagley, Cliff Chiang, Frank Cho, Tommy Lee Edwards, Cully Hamner, Adam Hughes, Steve Niles, Tim Sale, Ben Templesmith, Ethan Van Sciver, and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

Superheroes dominate the scene, but for G.I. JOE fans, here's some of the talent associated with the property over the years:

• Robert Atkins - Artist on IDW's 2009 G.I. JOE reboot.
• Jeremy Dale - Artist on several of the comics released in 25th Anniversary two-packs.
• Marc Deering - Inker on G.I. JOE: Snake-Eyes.
• Tom Feister - Cover artist on IDW's G.I. JOE Origins.
• Christos Gage - Cowriter of G.I. JOE: Cobra.
• S.L. Gallant - Artist on IDW's G.I. JOE and the movie prequel books.
• Michael Golden - Artist behind the incredible cover of G.I. JOE Yearbook #2 (which he signed for me last year).
• Merrill Hagan - Writer on IDW's G.I. JOE Origins.
• Rick Ketcham - Inker on IDW's G.I. JOE.
• Eric Layton - Inker in DDP run.
• Chris Stevens - Artist on G.I. JOE: Master & Apprentice II.
• Rod Whigham - Artist on about two dozen issues of Marvel's G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero.
• David Wohl - Editor on several of the later issues in Marvel's G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero.
• John 'Waki' Wycough - Inker on IDW's G.I. JOE.

Unlike last year, it doesn't look like any of the larger publishers are going to have much of a presence this time. Check out the complete HeroesCon guest list, and get ready to enjoy one of the best weekends Charlotte has to offer all year.

Sign Here, Please: Rod Whigham

Up next for me on Friday was Rod Whigham, artist on issues 31, 34-36, and 38-56 of Marvel Comics' 1980s G.I. JOE title. This was a great period for the book, and Mr. Whigham's art was a big influence on my ideas of what the property should be. While chatting with him, he mentioned wishing he'd done a better job with these books, but I loved every panel of every page. In fact, my display of loose 25th Anniversary/Modern Era G.I. JOE figures is going to consist mostly of a large diorama inspired by his artwork and Larry Hama's stories. I took a couple of my favorite issues, #45 and #46, to HeroesCon to have him sign.




It was a real treat to meet Mr. Whigham after so many years of enjoying his contributions to the G.I. JOE universe, especially when he was so friendly and outgoing with his fans.

Sign Here, Please: Rod Whigham

21 Days

With just three weeks to go before HeroesCon 2009, here's a breakdown of some of the guests who'll be at this year's convention:

• Mark Bagley
• Brian Michael Bendis
• Ed Brubaker
• Cliff Chiang
• Frank Cho
• Tommy Lee Edwards
• Matt Fraction
• Cully Hamner
• Adam Hughes
• Jamal Igle
• Steve Niles
• George Pérez
• Karl Story
• Ethan Van Sciver
• Dexter Vines
• Mark Waid

You can check out some of what Steve Niles and Ethan Van Sciver were kind enough to do at last year's HeroesCon.

Both of the Big Two publishers will have a presence there, and hopefully lots of information and goodies for everyone.

• DC Comics
• Marvel Comics

And for G.I. JOE fans, this year's convention is going to be fully stocked with talent who've contributed to the property over the years:

• Robert Atkins - Artist on IDW's 2009 G.I. JOE reboot.
• Jeremy Dale - Artist on several of the comics released in 25th Anniversary two-packs.
• Marc Deering
• Tom Feister - Cover artist on IDW's G.I. JOE Origins.
• S.L. Gallant - Artist on IDW's G.I. JOE and the movie prequel books.
• Michael Golden - Artist behind the incredible cover of G.I. JOE Yearbook #2 (which I can't wait to get signed).
• Rick Ketcham - Inker on IDW's G.I. JOE.
• Eric Layton - Inker in DDP run.
• Pat Quinn - Artist on G.I. JOE Declassified.
• Rod Whigham - Artist on about two dozen issues of Marvel's G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero.
• John 'Waki' Wycough - Inker on IDW's G.I. JOE.

And that's just a sample of who will be there. See the complete guest list for yourself, and start making plans to attend.