HEROES COMIC CONVENTION 2009 (19-21 Jun 2009)

Kicking off the Day in Charlotte!
Friday, June 19, 2009

(excerpt)

George Perez signing for the Hero Initiative

HEROES COMIC CONVENTION 2009 (19-21 Jun 2009)

Ten reasons why HeroesCon 2009 will rock
Published 06.16.09 By Carlton Hargro

Why is Father's Day such a big deal for comic book and pop culture fans who live in and around Charlotte? Simple: The coming of America's dad-centric holiday heralds the return of the massive, annual celebration of comic culture known as HeroesCon.

Started in the early 1980s by Shelton Drum -- owner of the local comic retail shop Heroes Aren't Hard to Find -- as a small gathering of comic professionals and enthusiasts, HeroesCon has grown into one of the industry's most respected conventions, complete with hundreds of guests, vendors and visitors. And this year may be the best edition of the event ever. Why?

Well, we perused the guest list, studied the schedule of events and talked to Drum himself to come up with the top 10 people, publishers and programs (in no particular order) that promise to make HeroesCon 2009 so great.

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George Perez: Artistic legend George Perez isn't exactly new to the Con -- he was, after all, a guest at the very first HeroesCon -- but he hasn't been in a few years. And with his trademarked ultra-detailed drawing style, he's a guy all comic fans need to meet. "He was hot in 1982, doing the Teen Titans, and whatever he does is still hot," says Drum.

HeroesCon runs from June 19-21 at the Charlotte Convention Center. For a complete list of guests, vendors, events and more, visit www.heroesonline.com.

HEROES COMIC CONVENTION 2009 (19-21 Jun 2009)

Hero Initiative @ HeroesCon with Perez, Epting, Etc.
June 15, 2009 by Brian Pate

Hero Initiative attending Family Friendly Heroes-Con: where comics come first!

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 12, 2009) for Immediate Release: Hero Initiative is travelling across The country to attend Heroescon June 19-21 in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Charlotte Convention Center, center Hall A. Stop by our booth at 532/631 and be a lucky fan to get a signature or sketch from George Perez or Steve Epting. Ask our helpful volunteers about becoming a Hero Initiative member, and all new members who sign up on site will get a FREE Punisher #1 Hero Initiative/Atomic variant!

Also make sure and check out the special Hero Initiative panel hosted by Hero Board members George Perez and Brian Pulido on Friday, June 19 at 3:30 PM! Hope to see you there! Hero’s booth schedule is as follows:

FRI., JUNE 19 (HOURS 11AM-7PM)
1130-1230: Steve Epting
130-230: Cully Hamner
330-430: Hero panel, Perez and Pulido
330-430: Chris Moreno
500-530: George Pérez
530-630: Matt Fraction

SAT., JUNE 20 (HOURS 10AM-6PM)
1030-1200: Steve Epting
330-500: George Pérez

SUN., JUNE 21 (HOURS 11AM-6PM)
1100-1145: George Pérez
130-230: George Pérez + Mark Waid

About The Hero Initiative

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit http://www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.

HEROES COMIC CONVENTION 2009 (19-21 Jun 2009)

A Hero Initiative Update with Jim McLauchlin
By Matt Brady posted: 12 June 2009 02:36 pm ET

For the Hero Initiative, 2009 has already been a whale of a year - and we're just reaching the halfway point.

The non-profit charitable organization, whose mission is to help older comic book creators in need, has played host to many convention appearances, parties, and they're just getting warmed up. For more, we spoke with Hero's Jim McLauchlin.

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NRAMA: Speaking of conventions, you’ll be at both Heroes Con and Wizard World Philadelphia the same weekend. How do you swing two events like that at the same time?

JM: It’s easy for me—I just don’t go! Christina will be running the show at Philly, and we have an absolutely aces volunteer who handles a lot of stuff in the Southeast named Chris Klamer who will take care of business in Charlotte for Heroescon. George Pérez will be the anchor for us in Charlotte, and George and Brian Pulido—both of whom are on our Board of Directors—will be doing a Hero Initiative panel at the con Friday at 3:30.

HEROES COMIC CONVENTION 2009 (19-21 Jun 2009)

Frank Cho, Brandon Peterson Added to Hereos Con Guest List
by CBR News Team, Editor
Thu, April 2nd, 2009 at 1:16PM PST

Official Press Release

Always a destination stop on the summer comics convention circuit, this week Heroes Convention added luminaries Frank Cho and Brandon Peterson to its 2009 Guest List. The two join a who’s who of comics’ biggest names, including Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, George Perez, Jeff Smith, and dozens more.

Frank Cho has become one of the highest-profile artists working in comics today, and has worked across the comics industry on titles including Mighty Avengers, Conan The Cimmerian, and the upcoming New Ultimates, written by Jeph Loeb. Frank is returning after his first appearance at HeroesCon in 2008.

Brandon Peterson has also worked across the comics industry, most recently on titles at Marvel including Ultimate Vision, Ultimate Extinction, and as cover artist on the current War of Kings. Brandon has become a perennial fan-favorite guest at the convention over the years, and part of the tight-knit family of creators that consider HeroesCon their “home” convention.

"I've been going to the Heroes show since 2004,” says Peterson, “and was always trying to convince my buddy Frank Cho to go. Last year I finally convinced him and he attended for the first time. He had such a great time at that show, this year it was easy to get him to attend again. That's what the Heroes show is like in a nutshell: once you attend it you never want to miss it again."

The two join a guest list that is growing by 5-10 names each week, and regularly tops 300 guests by the time of the convention itself. This year’s HeroesCon will take place on Father’s Day Weekend, June 19-21, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Charlotte tradition since 1982, HeroesCon has quietly become one of the most popular comic book conventions in the nation, annually drawing over 10,000 fans to uptown Charlotte. With a guest list including the industry’s best artists, writers, and publishers, this year’s HeroesCon seems poised to exceed all the organizers’ expectations. Says owner Shelton Drum, “It’s humbling, the amount of support we receive from the comics community. It proves that there’s still a place for a fun comics convention that you can bring your whole family to.”