Titled “Proof of Heroes,” the exhibit at Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery will feature nearly 300 comic book cover printer’s proofs from 1964 to 1974. These printer’s proofs were sent to Schwartz for final approval before going to press, and features artwork from such comics legends as Nick Cardy, Neal Adams, Mike Kaluta and Carmine Infantino. The exhibit is set to run from Jan. 20 to March 3 at Bear & Bird’s Lauderhill, Florida, location, just above the comic store Tate’s. On Jan. 21, DC icons Paul Levitz, George Perez and Alex Saviuk will be on hand from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a signing, followed by a reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The printer’s proofs will be available for just $100 each (certificate of authenticity included). All proceeds benefit The Hero Initiative.

The Dare Detectives: The Snow Pea Plot

It’s time once again for our monthly trip through Previews looking for cool, new comics. As usual, we’re focusing on graphic novels, collected volumes, and first issues so that I don’t have to come up with a new way to say, “ Life with Archie is still awesome!” every month. And I’ll continue letting Tom and Carla do the heavy lifting in regards to DC and Marvel’s solicitations.

Also, please feel free to play along in the comments. Tell me what I missed that you’re looking forward to or – if you’re a comics creator – mention your own stuff.

Ape

Richie Rich Gems Winter Special - In addition to their modern-look Richie Rich, Ape has also re-introducied the classic version in both new and reprinted adventures. I missed the solicit for Richie Rich Gems #44 last month (which picked up where the Harvey series left off in 1982), but the series continues with not only the Winter Special, but #45 as well.

Arcana

Dragons vs Dinosaurs - I haven’t had great luck with Arcana’s books in the past, but c’mon. The title alone…

Hero Happy Hour: On the Rocks - This, on the other hand, is no risk at all. I’m a big fan of Dan Taylor and Chris Fason’s superhero bar stories and this is an all-new, 80-page adventure. Not reprints; not even a printed version of the webcomic. It’s all-new and I need it.

Archaia

The Dare Detectives: The Snow Pea Plot Collected Edition – Archaia prepares for their publishing Ben Caldwell’s Dare Detectives: The Kula Kola Caper by re-publishing the first story that was originally put out by Dark Horse.

Andie and the Alien

Archie

Archie #637 – The first installment of the “Archie Meets Kiss” story. Not quite as odd as Archie’s meeting the Punisher, but gettin’ close.

Bliss On Tap

Andie and the Alien - An alternate-history story in which an alien prevented Europeans from colonizing North America and how that affected WWII. That’s a harrowing premise and I’m eager to see how Philip and Brian Phillipson and Alex Niño (the team behind God the Dyslexic Dog) tackle it.

Boom!

Outcast #1 – Undead (but not Zombie) Conan. I can get behind that.

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas - And my nine-year-old can get behind this. Just realized it’s written by Caleb Monroe too and that bodes well. I really liked his stuff on Hunter’s Fortune.

Dark Horse

The Strain #1 – Pandemic stories are too scary for me and zombies make me yawn, but this might just hit the sweet spot between the two.

Hellboy, Volume 12: The Storm and the Fury – The Death of Hellboy for trade-waiters.

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire – Iron Eclipse #1 – I don’t remember the last time I was interested in a Star Wars comic, but I’ve always supported the notion of using big, popular settings like that and Star Trek for other genres. James Bond in the Star Wars galaxy sounds kind of awesome just so long as it doesn’t turn into the same Empire vs. Rebels story I’ve already seen too many times.

Ningen's Nightmares

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago, Volume 5 - Wrapping up the reprints of Marvel’s 107-issue Star Wars series. I have fond memories of a lot of those comics and have been waiting to read them all back-to-back.

Dark Horse Presents #7 – Another excellent lineup of talent from Neal Adams and Howard Chaykin to Mike Mignola and Eduardo Barreto.

Empowered: Deluxe Edition - Collecting the first three volumes (and some extra material) of the critically-acclaimed superhero spoof.

Ningen’s Nightmares - A warrior-monk fights bounty hunters, a witch, and her demon-samurai with art that reminds me a little of Mike Oeming’s.

DC

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 – Grant Morrison continues his popular, pre-New 52 Batman Incorporated story in this one-shot.

Ray #1 – Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Jamal Igle bring out the New 52′s Ray and make him fight giant monsters.

Catwoman, Volume 1 - Collecting the first issues of Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke’s much-loved time with the character.

Resurrection Man, Volume 1 - This was a fantastic series and deserving of a collection. It raises the question though: why isn’t there a New 52 Aztek comic?

Dynamite

Lord of the Jungle #1 – It’s been too damn long since we had a Tarzan comic. I just wish they didn’t feel the need to retell the origin story again.

Romeo and Juliet: The War

Voltron #1 – On the other hand, since I know nothing about Voltron (except that it’s about a giant robot, which is really all I need to know), I can do with a re-telling of the origin story on this one. So, yes, I’m a hypocrite.

1821

Romeo and Juliet: The War - Stan Lee turns my least-favorite Shakespeare play into a sci-fi fantasy with cyborgs and genetically enhanced humans. So torn.

Fantagraphics

Young Romance: The Best of Simon and Kirby’s 1940s – 1950s Romance Comics – Not only am I extremely curious from an historical standpoint, but damn it, sometimes you just wanna read about kissing.

Flannery O’Connor Cartoons - Growing up in the South like I did, Flannery O’Connor’s short stories were required reading. I had no idea she made comics too.

First Second

Mush! Sled Dogs with Issues - Sled dog soap opera! That’s so crazy it just might work.

Hermes

The Phantom: The Complete Series – The King Years – I really can’t seem to get enough Phantom.

The Hero Initiative

Justice League of America 100 Project - Great artists drawing great characters for an even greater cause.

Madman: 20th Anniversary Monster!

Humanoids

Before the Incal: Classic Collection – One of these days I’m going to get around to finally reading Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius’ The Incal and when I do, I’m going to include this prequel.

Muse – Terry Dodson draws the story of a beautiful (it’s Dodson; how could she not be?) governess to a mysterious family.

IDW

Memorial #1 – Magic shops are great settings for stories, but I rarely read one that lives up to my hopes for it. Maybe this one about an amnesiac girl (another favorite concept of mine, Starfire notwithstanding) will do the trick.

Magic: The Gathering #1 – I still get a little angry over the concept of a game where the advantage goes to the person most willing to spend a bunch of money on it (yeah, I’m looking at you too, baseball), but the art on the Magic cards did a great job of suggesting a cohesive world, even if I didn’t understand anything about it as I was playing. I’m hoping that this series can flesh out that suggestion while also telling a good story.

Curious Cases of Sherlock Holmes – I’m a big fan of Gary Reed and Guy Davis’ alternate universe Holmes in Honour Among Punks, so I’m pretty excited by the prospect of Reed’s doing a comics anthology of the “real” Holmes teaming up with and/or fighting Dr. Jekyll, the Phantom of the Opera, Oscar Wilde, and Toulouse Lautrec.

Image

Madman: 20th Anniversary Monster! - Madman’s already cool. He doesn’t need Peter Bagge, Kyle Baker, Peter Milligan, Darwyn  Cooke, Dean Haspiel, Los Bros Hernandez, Erik Larsen, David Mack, Mike Oeming, Paul Pope, Eric Powell, Frank Quitely, Steven T Seagle, Jeff Smith, Craig Thompson, Matt Wagner, and others to make him cooler. But he’s got them anyway.

Polly and the Pirates, Volume 2: Mystery of the Dragonfish

Last Battle - Dan Brereton does the art on this Rome vs barbarians one-shot.

Marvel

Defenders #1 – I wish this had Green She-Hulk in it instead of Red (and also that it had Valkyrie and maybe Hellcat), but it’s still a revival that’s past due.

X-Club #1 – The X-Men’s Science Team was always a cool idea and deserves a shot at its own series, but I’m kind of scratching my head over why Beast isn’t in this. Apparently it’s Second-Guess Marvel Team Lineups day.

Moonstone

Captain Action: The Complete Adventures – Including both Fabian Nicieza and Steven Grant’s runs on the series. Over 400 pages for less than $30. I’ll take that Action. (Sorry.)

NBM

Inner Sanctum – I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a single episode of Inner Sanctum, but I always get a thrill of recognition when I hear the title thanks to Bill Cosby’s name-dropping it in his “Chicken Heart” story. Anyway, if you’re going to do a horror anthology, you could do much, much worse than have it inspired by Inner Sanctum and completely created by Ernie Colón.

Oni

Polly and the Pirates, Volume 2: Mystery of the Dragonfish – Have I only been waiting six years for this? Feels like sixty. Volume 1 was wonderful and I can’t fault Ted Naifeh for only writing this one when he got someone as awesome as Robbi Rodriguez to take his place on the art. The preview pages look amazing.

Spontaneous – The mini-series that combines Spontaneous Human Combustion with conspiracy theory gets its collection.

Th3rd World

The Intrepid Escapegoat – Guys, it’s a paranormal-investigating escape artist who’s a goat. You’re welcome.

Titan

The Complete Flash Gordon Library, Volume 1: On the Planet Mongo – I’m still not sure I understand the difference between this volume and IDW’s (except that IDW’s also includes Alex Raymond’s Jungle Jim comics), but I’m mentioning it just in case there is a difference that I don’t figure out until later. Seriously though: if someone knows, please explain it to me.

That’s it for me. What did I miss?

Flashpoint

The San Diego Comic-Con kicks off with a preview night on July 20, then runs July 21-24. If you are a comics creator or publisher, and you’re planning to bring something new to the con — a sketchbook, a print, a graphic novel debut, anything! — then we want to hear from you. Drop me an email (before Wednesday!) and let me know if you’ll have something cool on hand that attendees should know about. Feel free to send any artwork as well.

In addition to the portfolio of DC relaunch covers I mentioned this past week, Graphitti Designs will also sell a variant cover edition of Flashpoint #1 at their booth during the show.

*****

Devastator

The crew from the humor anthology Devastator will be at booth L-05 in the Small Press Pavilion, where they’ll have their newest cat-themed issue. They’ll also have several of their contributors at the booth signing:

We’ve got some awesome stuff going on for our first year exhibiting in SDCC, including the most fun indie signings in Small Press. Meet some of our favorite headlining contributors, only at Comic-Con!

Thursday, July 21 @ 3 pm: Jon Schnepp
(Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force)

Friday, July 22 @ 3 pm: Jeffrey Brown
(Ignatz award-winning author of Clumsy, Funny Misshapen Body, Incredible Change Bots)

Saturday, July 23 @ 3 pm: James Urbaniak
(The Venture Bros., American Splendor)

Sunday, July 24 @ 3 pm: Becky Dreistadt
(Tiny Kitten Teeth, Tigerbuttah)

*****

Radical Comics will have variant covers, art prints and more:

In addition to the usual fare, Radical will be offering a selection of exclusives at this year’s SDCC. These special, limited edition items will include:

• Damaged #1, Leonardo Manco Painted Cover Variant
(Limited to 250 copies, only 50 available per day)
• The Last Days of American Crime SDCC Sketch Cover
(Limited to 500 copies, only 100 available per day)
• Damaged #1 Sketch Cover, SDCC Limited Edition
• Damaged #1 Virgin Cover with original sketch by Leonardo Manco
• Driver for the Dead, Time Bomb and The Last Days of American Crime trade paperbacks with mini SDCC-lithographs
• Hotwire Signed Hardcover
• Limited edition art print lithographs
• And more!

Only a set number of the first two exclusives will be available each day at Radical’s booth, #3735, so plan accordingly— when they’re gone, they’re gone!

*****

I listed Arcana’s exclusives a few days ago, and it looks like they’ve added another one — Becoming by Brook Burgess:

Becoming

Here’s more info, from Arcana:

Brook Burgess, creator of the animated epic, Broken Saints, is releasing his debut Arcana comic at San Diego Comic Con, starting on Wednesday, July 20th, where he will appear throughout the week alongside the artist of Becoming, Dane Cypel. Please refer to the updated signing schedule below for the latest signings.

Of his decision to work with Arcana, Brooke explains, “I was approached by Sean back in 2004, after finishing the original Flash motion comic Broken Saints and producing the 4-disc DVD upgrade of the series with Telefilm Canada. I had no idea there was such a prolific independent comic publisher in Canada, and was impressed with his savvy in developing original IP and packaging concepts for TV, film, and other media.”

At SDCC 2005, Brooke signed a deal with “20th Century Fox to distribute Broken Saints worldwide, which was an amazing opportunity. It was launched the following year in San Diego, and Sean was one of the first to swing by and offer congratulations and support! Arcana was growing by leaps and bounds by then, and I knew he had several feature films in development. I wanted to start writing a new story asap, but some other motion comic projects – Will Smith’s I Am Legend, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy – owned my life for the next year+.”

*****

And finally, the Hero Initiative will have all sorts of cool stuff going on at the show:

The Hero Initiative, the charitable organization dedicated to helping veteran comic creators in medical or financial need, is rolling into Comic-Con International: San Diego in a BIG way.

Hero will be at booth #5003 at the San Diego Con, July 20-24 at the San Diego Convention Center with a variety of great activities for attendees.

• Hero’s exclusive hardcover edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #41 will make its world premiere at San Diego! The limited edition of only 500 copies, with great and exclusive new art by comics legend John Romita, Sr., will be available at $35 a copy. Last year’s exclusive Guides FLEW out the door, so get to booth #5003 QUICKLY!

• San Diego is also the world premiere for Hero Comics 2011 from IDW Publishing and comics’ most beloved editor, Scott Dunbier. The new fundraising book features 32 pages of all-new material, including an exclusive “Elephantmen” story by Richard Starkings and Dougie Braithwaite, and a NEW “Chew” story from John Layman and Rob Guillory. But MOST importantly, Hero Comics reunites the original “Sandman” creative team of Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg and Sam Kieth for “My Last Landlady,” their first collaboration in more than 20 years! Hero Comics 2011 is available with covers by J. Scott Campbell or Adam Hughes at a mere $4. A small amount of Campbell sketch variants will be available for $8 each.

• Hero is your EXCLUSIVE conduit to get your books submitted under CGC’s prestigious Signature Series when signed by Dave Gibbons or Joe Quesada! See CGC’s Website or drop off at the CGC booth at San Diego NO later than Friday, July 22 to take advantage of this special, limited offer!

• Hero’s famous “fantasy camp” eBay auctions can get you private time with Joe Quesada, a sketch from Dave Gibbons, or secrets from the Fables team of Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham, all aboard Hero’s luxury yacht with some great food and drink, besides! Check out Hero’s eBay auctions to bid NOW!

• And of course, no convention is complete without a bountiful bevy of talented writers and artists parked at the Hero booth to sign autographs and do sketches. Check out your faves at these times:

WED., JUL 20 (con hours 530-900)

600-900: Scott “Kaiser” Koblish

THUR., JUL 21 (con hours 900-700)

930-1030: Bill Morrison
1030-1130: Jamal Igle
1130-130: Mark Buckingham
130-330: Albert Morales and Victor Olazaba
330-530: Tim Seeley
530-630: Roy Thomas

FRI., JUL 22 (con hours 900-700)

930-1130: Dan Jurgens
1130-1230: Jimmy Palmiotti
1230-130: Sage Michael
130-330: Tony Parker
330-430: Andy Smith
430-530: Frank Tieri
530-700: Kevin Eastman

SAT., JUL 23 (con hours 900-700)

1000-1100: Albert Morales and Victor Olazaba
1130-100: Kevin Eastman
200-330: Greg Pak
330-430: Andy Smith
430-530: Marv Wolfman
530-700: Ken Lashley

SUN., JUL 24 (con hours 900-500)

1000-1130: Alan Davis
1130-130: Albert Morales and Victor Olazaba
130-230: Sage Michael
330-430: Walt and Louise Simonson

Bufkin the Hero

If you read Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham’s work on Fables, you know the real star of the show isn’t Bigby or Boy Blue or even Flycatcher — it’s the little winged monkey Bufkin. Buckingham captures his majesty in the above print, which has a very small print run for a very small hero.

Only 25 were created, and five of them will be given away to the winners of the Hero Initiative‘s “Meet Willingham and Bucky on the yacht” auctions. Five fans will get to chat with the duo about Fables, get the print and ask one question that the creators will answer with “no hokum, no equivocation, no bush-beating and no balderdash.”

Another five will be given away at the Fables panel at the San Diego Comic-Con to the folks who ask the five best questions. How the remaining 15 will be distributed has yet to be determined, according to the Hero Initiative’s Jim McLauchlin.

Jayms Blonde

Legal | The Second Circuit Court of Appeals backed the 2010 decision by a federal judge to dismiss a comic writer’s claims that Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Columbia Pictures and parent company Sony Picture stole his idea for a hairdresser-turned-hero and transformed it into the movie You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. Robert Cabell filed a copyright-infringement lawsuit in February 2009 accusing the moviemakers of ripping off his comic The Hair-Raising Adventures of Jayms Blonde, about a Navy SEAL-turned-hairdresser who fights crime armed with a blow dryer. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Creators | The Hero Initiative reports that comics creator Josh Medors, who has a rare form of cancer, has been released from the hospital after being treated for a lung infection. [Hero Initiative]

Creators | Dave McKean discusses his most recent work, the erotic graphic novel Celluloid. [Suicide Girls]

Rachel Rising

Creators | Terry Moore talks at length about his upcoming comic Rachel Rising, the end of Echo and and the in-the-works film by Lloyd Levin and screenwriter Kerry Williamson. He says the idea for Rachel Rising came from an unused idea he had while working on Birds of Prey for DC: “The rough idea was a woman committing a crime, like burglary, when Batrat drops in and a minute later she’s dead. A terrible accident. He pretends to care, blah, blah. He’s in the morgue watching them slide her drawer shut. That’s that. The next night he’s taking a leak off a rooftop or whatever it is a guy with his underwear on the outside does at night on rooftops, and there she is. The girl from the morgue is back, robbing the shop below. He engages the suspect. Damn if she doesn’t get killed again. Swear it wasn’t Fatman’s fault. Morgue. Next day, she’s baaaack. Get the idea? That was Deadgirl. I loved her. Unfortunately, I left Birds of Prey before I could use my secret weapon, so I put her in a drawer for later. Meanwhile, the name of Deadgirl was copyrighted at Marvel, so when it was time for my new series I re-titled it Rachel Rising. And that’s where she came from.” [PopMatters]

The Lives of Sacco & Vanzetti

Creators | Rick Geary reveals the roots of his fascination with true crime. [NBM Blog]

Commentary | Melinda Beasi thinks publishers, and readers, should take more pride in manga that is created by and for women, rather than apologizing for that fact or brushing it aside. [Manga Bookshelf]

Comics | As the final issue of Mome rolls off the presses, Brian Heater talks to editor Eric Reynolds about the anthology’s genesis and the purposes it served. (Part 1 of 4.) [The Daily Cross Hatch]

Movies | Daniel Snyder lists five fatal errors for comic book movies. [The Atlantic]

Criticism | Jason Thompson takes a long look at Junji Ito’s Uzumaki, a horror manga that relies on creepiness rather than shock. [Anime News Network]

Conventions | The Miami New Times profiles this weekend’s Florida Supercon. The show’s guest list includes Dennis Calero, Charlie Adlard, Paul Gulacy, Ariel Olivetti, Tony Bedard, Duncan Fegredo, Sean McKeever and musical guest Motion City Soundtrack. [Miami New Times]

Comics | Stan Lee gets the Bluewater treatment. [Bluewater Comics]

The Hero Initiative announced yesterday that in order to help artist Josh Medors continue fighting a rare form of cancer in his spinal column, they and Marvel have created a limited edition print featuring Medors’ recreation of the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #33. The print will be available at Medors’ hometown comic store, Packrat Comics (both online and at the physical location in Hilliard, Ohio) on Free Comic Book Day.

You can click the link above for more details, but The Hero Initiative’s Jim McLauchlin also sent us a couple of behind-the-scenes scans depicting stages in the poster’s creation.

As McLauchlin points out on The Hero Initiative blog:

Keep in mind, and we really hope you get the gravity of this situation…Josh did all this with cancerous tumors in his spinal column. It being the spine, Josh is having some difficulties with and numbness in his extremities.

And he was still able to do all that!

Get yourself a print.

Medors isn’t the only comics creator though who needs to raise money for cancer right now. Jake Black, who co-wrote the Helen Slater story in Supergirl #50 (featuring a cover by Michael Turner, who died from complications related to bone cancer in 2008) as well as the magazine for Eaglemoss’ Supergirl figurine and a Supergirl documentary overcame a fight with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but is now faced with $25,000 in medical bills. Check out his GiveForward site to learn how you can help and potentially win some prizes.

Take artist Nick Bradshaw.

The piece that grabbed me was this great piece of original art he donated for the Hero Initiative’s 100 New Avengers project (at right). This isn’t the first time I’ve seen his name — but it’s the first time I’ve seen it like this.

Bradshaw came onto the comic scene back in 2004 when he illustrated a miniseries based on the cult movie Army of Darkness. After that he was hand-chosen by J. Scott Campbell to illustrate new tales in Campbell’s signature series Danger GIrl – and with good reason! Much like Campbell burst onto the scene showing shades of Art Adams inspiration, Bradshaw’s line work shown a real appreciation for Campbell’s line.

After that he fell off my radar, but this new piece really threw me for a loop — in a good way. Looking it up, Bradshaw just did the lead story in last month’s Uncanny X-Men Annual #3 — a comic I just asked comic shop to put on hold for me.

At current count there are six artists’ contributions on the bottle, with more planned by the time of its official premiere. Admission into the debut event at C2E2 not only gets you in the event — duh! — but also a free raffle ticket for a chance to win the bottle.

Head over to The Hero Intiative’s blog for more information and to see more shots of the bottle.

Greg Pelkofski and Joe Quesada

If Greg Pelkofski have anything to say about it, he’ll be making comics for years to come. Hoping to get some advice on how to do that, the 21-year-old fan and aspiring comics editor paid $536.51 to have lunch with Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada as a part of one of the Hero Initiative’s fund-raising efforts.

“Almost immediately, Joe began asking me questions about myself and I was able to explain my desire to be a comic book editor,” he wrote. “With an attentive ear, he patiently listened to me speak of my college studies and my experience as an intern at AARP. He explained how tough it is to actually break into comics, especially in today’s job market, but he also told of how rewarding the work is. We discussed editorial work in comics and what a typical day at Marvel is like, and I found myself wanting to work there now more than ever.”

Head over to the organization’s blog for a guest post by Pelkofski about the experience.

Jimmy Palmiotti (photo by Seth Kushner)

If you’re attending Long Beach Comic Con next weekend, here’s a fine way to support a good cause while getting to hang out with some industry notables: Tickets are available on eBay for a meet and greet with writer Jimmy Palmiotti, artists Tim Bradstreet, Amanda Connor and Dave Johnson, and actor Thomas Jane from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at Gladstone’s Restaurant.

Your $65 benefits The Hero Initiative, and gains you access to the private party — only 20 people can attend — with the five, who will be available for conversation and autographs (tickets include appetizers and two drinks). Sales close on Friday. Ticket buyers should bring a photo ID to the Hero Initiative booth at Long Beach Comic Con at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 29, where they will be escorted to Gladstone’s.

“Misery loves company, and I’m happy to share this experience with three lucky fans,” said Azzarello. “The Hero Initiative is an important cause, and I’d like to thank the great Chicago comic retailers for making this all happen. Take it from me, the beginning of September is the perfect time to begin waiting for next year. Go Cubs!”

For two bucks, you can buy a raffle ticket at several Chicago comic shops for the chance to win, including Challengers Comics, Chicago Comics, Comix Revolution and Graham Crackers Comics. Tickets will also be available at Hero Initiative’s booth at Wizard World Chicago at the Rosemount Convention Center, Aug. 19-22.

The Hero Initiative

You have about 21 hours left if you’d like to bid on one of the Hero Initiative’s San Diego Comic-Con auctions, which include the chance to hang out with Dan DiDio, Joe Quesada, David Lloyd and more. One of the is with Tom DeSanto, who produced the X-Men movie, and he’s bringing Wolverine’s jacket and dog tags for the winner to try on.

In addition, the Hero Initiative will host several signings at their booth during the con and will sell an exclusive edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40, featuring a cover by John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White. Read their full press release after the jump.

*****

Los Angeles, CA (July 14, 2010) Hero Initiative, the nonprofit organization that creates a financial safety net for comic creators in need, will be heading to THE biggest event in the entertainment industry, San Diego Comic-Con International, July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. This will be your FIRST chance to get Hero’s VERY limited edition Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40, plus you can attend exclusive cocktail parties with Joe Quesada, Dan DiDio, Robert Overstreet, David Lloyd and Tom DeSanto. And don’t forget our great lineup of special guests at the booth!

Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide

GET YOUR OVERSTREET! Hero Initiative is proud to announce the release of its exclusive “Conan” Edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40. Only 500 Hero-exclusive hardcover copies will go on sale on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at Comic-Con International, the same day the regular editions of the Guide go on sale nationwide. The book features John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White’s recreation of the cover for Conan The Barbarian #1, also celebrating its 40th year. Price is $35, and books are available only at the Hero Initiative booth, #5003. Get yours while supplies last!

Who would want to pass up the opportunity to have cocktails with Dan DiDio, Joe Quesada, Robert Overstreet, David Lloyd or Tom DeSanto in an amazing luxury hotel suite across the street from the Con? You can bid on a spot by going to http://qurls.com?i=49286. Nothing would make your con experience complete quite like attending one of these special events!

And our amazing line up of special guests at booth #5003 is:

WED., 21 JUL (Con Hours 530-900);
600-900: Scott Koblish

THUR., 22 JUL (Con hours 900-700):
1230-130: Dan Jurgens
130-230: Josh Dysart
230-330: Kurt Busiek
330-430: Ken Lashley
430-530: Dave Gibbons

FRI., 23 JUL (Con hours 900-700):
1000-1130: Cully Hamner
1130-100: Ron Marz + Michael Broussard
130-230: Denny O’Neil

330-430: Darick Robertson

SAT., 24 JUL (con hours 900-700):
1200-130: Dan Jurgens
130-330: David Lloyd
400-530: Phil Hester

SUN., 25 JUL (con hours 900-500):
1030-1130: Tony Parker
330-430: Darick Robertson

Daredevil #7

If news about Superior isn’t enough to pique your curiosity about this week’s issue of Wizard, then maybe this will — the magazine, guest-edited by Mark Millar, includes an article by the Hero Initiative’s Jim McLauchlin on the late, great Wally Wood.

“I found the piece very difficult to write,” McLauchlin says. “The subject matter is not always very pleasant. But I hope that in the end, you as a reader will get a circumspect view of Wood, and see the amazing warmth and his genius that accompanied his tragic, but very human, flaws.”

Wizard gave him permission to post the article on the Hero Initiative website; you can find it here.

All-Star Superman #1

Publishing | The big news of the day, obviously, is DC Comics’ entry into the digital-distribution arena with its comiXology-developed application for the iPad, iPhone and iPad Touch. CBR’s Kiel Phegley gets the details from Co-Publisher Jim Lee and John Rood, executive vice president of sales, marketing and business development. (ComiXology is already updating the app to fix a bug that apparently caused early iPhones and iPods to crash.)

David Brothers has early analysis, looking as day-and-date digital release for Justice League: Generation Lost, and a tiered pricing structure. Meanwhile, Matthew Maxwell writes: “… This does mean that both of the Big Two are now officially putting pinkie toes, if not entire feet into the pool. But who will jump in along with them?” We’ll round up more reactions later today. [Comic Book Resources]

Organizations | Mark Waid has joined the board of directors of The Hero Initiative, replacing Guillermo del Toro. [press release]

Passings | Clifford Meth remembers his friend Adrienne Colan, who was found dead on Monday: “… There are truths I’d like to share about Adrienne Colan, and chief among them was her and Gene’s love for each other. It read like an epic poem. The hardships and tragedies and obstacles were too numerous to count, but for half a century they remained at the center of each other’s universes. For richer or for poorer. In sickness and in health. For better or worse.” [ComicMix]

Charmed #2

Publishing | Calvin Reid spotlights five-year-old publisher Zenescope, which recently moved into licensed properties and launched an imprint for children’s and young-adult titles. [Publishers Weekly]

Creators | J. Michael Straczynski briefly discusses the 13-part “Grounded” storyline that begins in July’s Superman #700, which takes the Man of Steel on a walk across America. [USA Today]

Creators | The Eastern Edge posts the first part of a promised six-part translated conversation between Takehiko Inoue and Eiichiro Oda. “Around the time One Piece had just begun serialization, I saw a survey in a magazine asking famous people what comics interested them,” Oda said. “In that survey, you had chosen One Piece and commented, ‘The creator really believes in his work.’ I almost literally jumped for joy, I was so happy. I had a copy of that page pinned up at my work place for the longest time.” [The Eastern Edge]

Art Out of Time

Creators | Dan Nadel talks about PictureBox, Art Out of Time and learning about comics while working at Big Planet Comics. [Washington CityPaper]

Creators | Brian Young briefly spotlights Utah creators Ryan Ottley and Derek Hunter. [In Utah This Week]

Comics | Good Comics for Kids unveils its 2010 summer reading list for children, tweens and teens. Selections include Mercury, Kill Shakespeare, Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, The Adventures of Tintin, and Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. [Good Comics for Kids]

Final Crisis #2

Comics | David Brothers rereads DC Comics’ 2008-2009 miniseries Final Crisis: “Everything about the Flash, any of them, in Final Crisis is dead on. The Flash is the best hero in the DC Universe. He’s got the best enemies, best power, and he’s flexible enough to work on both a street level and cosmic level. More than anything else, though, the Flash is a confident hero. They’re consummate professionals, very experienced, and their very power gives them an edge of everything else. It seems like a contradiction, but their superspeed lets them process things faster than any other hero, which means that they are among the few that can afford to take it slow. They should make being a hero look effortless.” [4thletter!]

Crime | The strangest comics-related newspaper headline you’ll see today: “City police step up dinosaur patrols.” [Press & Sun-Bulletin]

The X-Men, as seen by Chris Schweizer

HeroesCon is just getting under way at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. Here’s a sample of what you have to look forward to if you are going—and what you will miss if you’re not.

Chris Schweizer, creator of Crogan’s Vengeance and Crogan’s March, will be there, and he’ll have some sweet art to sell.

Jeff Parker has created a handy map to make it easier for fans to find him.

Raina Telgemeier will be in Indie Island, and you can also spot her on the panels on Comics as Career and Autobio Comics.

Atomic Robo co-creator Scott Wegener sums up the show:

you should come down and say hey to Brian and me this weekend in disgustingly hot and steamy Charlotte NC, where the weather sucks balls, but the people are the best. Last year was my first time at Heroes and I loved it. It’s a fairly big show with a very down home small con feel to it. Unlike the massive spectacles that are NYCC (this October!) and SDCC, things are mellow enough at Heroes that we can actually hang out and shoot the breeze with folks.

Ben Templesmith will be there and will be taking part in the panel on Horror and the Macabre in Comics.

Rob Anderson's Animal Control comic

Rob Anderson will be debuting Animal Control: Special Creatures Unit at the con; look for him at Table SP-35 in the Artists Alley.

Brad Guigar will be debuting a new Power Girl print.

Nick Mizgala of Think Weasel arrived at his first convention ever and… his site went down. Happily, it’s up again,

The publishers who will be there include Archie Comics, which will have a truckload of creators there, BOOM! Studios, IDW, and Top Shelf.

In light of the recent, sad news about Thundercats creator Steve Perry, it’s worth mentioning that Hero Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to helping comics creators in need, will have a booth at Heroes Con, and Jimmy Cheung will be sketching there most of the weekend, so stop by and drop them some coin.

(If you’re on the fence, Heidi MacDonald has a more exhaustive list at The Beat, and the full guest list is here.)

Stephen Perry

Police in Zephyrhills, Florida, have confirmed that ThunderCats writer Stephen Perry, who has been missing for more than two weeks, is the victim of an apparent homicide.

His van was discovered on May 16 at a Tampa motel, reportedly near a severed arm. More remains were found in a dumpster at a gas station two miles from his ransacked home. Perry’s roommates, James Davis, 45, and Roxanne Davis, 49, were missing as well. However, police later arrested the couple on unrelated charges. They’re now considered “persons of interest” in the case.

Perry, 56, suffered from bladder cancer and had been jobless, without health care and, for a time, forced to live in his van with his 5-year-old son Leo. Over the past eight months he received assistance from the Hero Initiative, which helped him to line up work and pay rent, utilities and medical bills.

The Tampa Tribune reports that Krystal Carroll, his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend and the mother of Leo, was told on May 19 that Perry was dead. The two had a tumultuous relationship, with Carroll seeking emergency custody of their son and Perry getting a domestic violence injunction against her, all in late April.

Earlier this week the newspaper spoke with Perry’s longtime friend, artist Steve Bissette, who had been instrumental in bringing the writer’s plight to the attention of the comics industry. Since Perry was reported missing, Bissette has devoted his blog to remembering his friend’s life and career and tracking news reports of his disappearance.

Perry was best known for his work on the mid-1980s animated series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, both developed by Rankin/Bass. However, he also wrote comics like Timespirits and Psi-Force for Marvel and Wally Wood’s THUNDER Agents for Deluxe. Nat Gertler revealed that, to help the writer, he recently purchased the rights to Salimba, the jungle-heroine comic that Perry created in the 1980s with Paul Chadwick.

Timespirits #9

Police have released few details of the investigation into the possible murder of ThunderCats writer Stephen Perry, who disappeared from his home in Zephyrhills, Florida, at least nine days ago.

However, in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Perry’s roommate James Davis, considered a “person of interest” in the case, recounts details of what may have been the writer’s final months.

Perry, who suffered from bladder cancer, had been jobless, without health care and, for a time, forced to live in his van with his 5-year-old son Leo. Over the past eight months, the writer’s plight was brought to the attention of the comics industry by the likes of artist and longtime friend Steve Bissette and the Hero Initiative, a charity that helped him to line up work and pay rent, utilities and medical bills.

But on Sunday police discovered Perry’s van abandoned at a Tampa motel with a severed arm nearby. More remains were found in a dumpster at a gas station two miles from his ransacked home. On Friday police arrested James Davis and his wife Roxanne Davis, who shared the house with Perry, on unrelated charges.

In the interview, James Davis contends Perry had a crippling addiction to oxycodone, which he was prescribed for cancer pain. But he also questions whether the Timespirits creator was actually ill, and accuses him of hatching eBay scams to support his drug habit. However, Bissette assures the newspaper that Perry underwent surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed in March 2009, and quit painkillers “cold turkey” that summer.

Davis also claims he received a text message from Perry on May 14, two days before police discovered the van, thanking him for watching the house and saying “he was going somewhere.”

Related:
• Bissette continues his remembrance of Perry.
• David Allen Jones writes about his interactions with Perry.
• Mark Evanier and Colleen Doran consider Perry’s financial plight, and “the roller-coaster-ride lives of those who freelance.”

Salimba 3-D (1986)

About Comics publisher Nat Gertler posted the following over the weekend in response to the news about writer Stephen Perry., and we thought it was worth posting on its own.

by Nat Gertler

I hadn’t known Steve over the years (although I am quite fond of some of his work), but over the last few months I’d been interacting with him, mainly via email – first with small amounts of charity, then with helping him through straightforward business, buying out the rights to the Salimba work he did with Paul Chadwick, then with buying a new Salimba prose story from him.

Steve struggled hard during those few months, from his physical failures, from problems of access to health care, and from the various other difficulties brought on by lack of money. But through all that, he continued expressed his appreciation for all that his supporters had brought, feeling that he only had a roof over his head and what health care had held him together this long thanks to that support, which came largely from those within the comics community, whether it was old friends like Bissette, or from both pros and fans he had not known, or from the wonderful Hero Initiative. He knew the end was coming (although not in the way it appears to have come), and was doing whatever he could to smooth the path for his son. (That concern permeates the prose story, which he felt was the last he would write; in it, Salimba struggles to care for a child that she is not equipped to handle.) It is such a relief that, whatever has befallen Steve, it has not befallen Leo.

Give to the Hero Initiative — they’ve got a lot of way to give, some quite painless. If you want to keep up your tough-guy image, they have a variety of cool products you can buy so you can pretend you’re not being charitable when you send them your money. They do a lot of good with what they get.

Stephen Perry

Police in Florida are searching for ailing ThunderCats writer Stephen Perry, who disappeared from his Zephyrhills home under suspicious, and possibly ghastly, circumstances.

His van was found Sunday abandoned in a motel parking lot. Nearby, FOX 13 reports, was a man’s severed arm. More remains were discovered at a gas-station dumpster two miles away from Perry’s home, which had been ransacked.

On Friday authorities arrested Perry’s two roommates, Roxanne D. Davis, 49, and James W. Davis, 46, who had been missing since Sunday. The St. Petersburg Times reports that James Davis is charged with trafficking of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia, possession of controlled substances and two warrants for failure to appear in court. Roxanne Davis is charged with violation of parole, grand theft and burglary.

Police have avoided publicly referring to the case as a homicide investigation, but signs obviously point to that. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement told The Tampa Tribune the agency had been called in to assist with an apparent homicide, but wouldn’t say whether it was related to the missing persons investigation. However, Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie said, “I assume it is the same investigation. I assume it is a homicide.”

Perry, 56, is best known for his work on the mid-1980s animated series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, both developed by Rankin/Bass. However, he also wrote comics like Timespirits and Psi-Force for Marvel and Wally Wood’s THUNDER Agents for Deluxe.

His struggles with bladder cancer and dwindling finances were publicized in recent months by the likes of Steve Bissette and the Hero Initiative, an organization that he credited with saving his “very life with its good will, generosity and kindness.”

“They allowed me to seek some medical help and enabled me and my son to put a roof over our heads — I was homeless with that little boy in my van last year,” Perry wrote in mid-March on the charity’s blog. “The Initiative gave me the breathing room to get some Medicaid and food stamps, and while we are always in danger of losing our home, electricity and belongings at any moment, I will always be grateful from the depths of my heart for the past six months of fairly solid home life I have had with my little boy.”

Perry talked more about Hero Initiative in a video posted just last week at Comic Book Resources.

Update: The St. Petersburg Times reports that Pasco County court records show Perry and his 5-year-old son Leo filed for a protective order against a woman late last month. However, the request was dismissed when Perry didn’t appear at a hearing on May 13, three days before the discovery of his abandoned van and ransacked house.

According to Zephyrhills police Capt. Robert McKinney, Leo is safe and with his mother. McKinney also acknowledged that Roxanne Davis and James Davis are people of interest in a “possible homicide.”

Update 2: Hero Initiative President Jim McLauchlin told Robot 6 that the organization had been in contact with local police, who at the time were treating this as a missing persons case. “Certainly, we hope for the best,” McLauchlin said.

Over the past eight months, Hero Initiative had assisted Perry by paying rent, utilities and medical bills. The charity also helped with medical referrals, lined up some paying work and brought him to MegaCon in March so he could reconnect with the comics industry.

Update 3: Steve Bissette writes about the life and career of his friend Stephen Perry.

Update 4 (May 23): An interview in today’s St. Petersburg Times with Krystal Carroll, Perry’s ex-girlfriend and Leo’s mother, all but confirms the writer’s fate: “Saturday, Carroll talked of Perry in the past tense. She would not say what detectives told her, as she doesn’t want to hurt the case. But she did say her son ‘knows that Daddy is in heaven’.”

Cliff Chiang rocks an Archie cover

Cliff Chiang shares his cover for the Hero Initiative’s newest cover project, which features artists drawing their own rendition of the cover to Archie #600. You can check out more covers and read more about the project here.