Update Magazine 2005 #2 - (now Comic-Con Magazine) by Comic-Con International

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CONTENTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President John Rogers Secretary Mary Sturhann Treasurer Mark Yturralde Vice Presidents Events Robin Donlan Exhibits Beth Holley Operations William Pittman Directors at Large Frank Alison Ned Cato Jr. Dan Davis Eugene Henderson Eddie Ibrahim Martin Jaquish James Jira Executive Director Fae Desmond Director of Marketing and Public Relations David Glanzer HR/Guest Relations Sue Lord Talent Relations Maija Gates Director of Programming Gary Sassaman Eisner Awards Administrator Jackie Estrada Exhibits Managers Justin Dutta Professional Registration Maryanne Snell Anna-Marie Villegas Exhibitor Registration Kevin Hatch EVENTS At-Show Newsletter Chris Sturhann Films John Cassels Games Ken Kendall Masquerade Martin Jaquish Japanese Animation John Davenport Josh Ritter Technical Services Tristan Gates EXHIBITS Art Auction/Artists’ Alley Clydene Nee Art Show LaFrance Bragg Autograph Area Katherine Forster Morrison Exhibit Floor Manager Andy Manzi Convention Services Taerie Bryant OPERATIONS Archivist Eugene Henderson Disabled Services Saphora Horinek Hospitality Suite Mikee Reynante Logistics Dan Davis Materials Chief/Blood Drive Craig Fellows Registration Frank Alison & John Smith Volunteers Luigi Diaz & Wayne Hyde Information Coordinator Bruce Frankle UPDATE Richard Andreoli Fae Desmond Jackie Estrada David Glanzer Tommy! Goldbach Scott Saavedra Gary Sassaman Dan “The Man” Vado

The Hot Sheet ...............................................................................................................2 A Universe’s Loss .........................................................................................................4 Unveiling the Corpse ..................................................................................................6 Tuning in to Programming ....................................................................................10 Action Figures in Action! ........................................................................................10 Comic Arts Conference ...........................................................................................11 Beyond the Printed Page .......................................................................................12 A Very Important Question ...................................................................................13 Film Fun For Everyone.............................................................................................13 Ghosts in the (Convention) Shell ........................................................................14 Gaming Galore ...........................................................................................................15 Go Back to School This Summer! ........................................................................15 Harry Potter: Uncovered! ........................................................................................16 The Masquerade: Unveiled ...................................................................................18 Masquerade: Fast Facts! ........................................................................................ 20 Super-Friends: Guests 2005 ..................................................................................21 The Titanic Twosome .............................................................................................. 27 Keeping the Wheel of Time Turning ................................................................... 30 The Maker of Magic ................................................................................................. 32 Understanding Web-Comics ............................................................................... 34 Awesome Exhibitors! .............................................................................................. 36 Join Comic-Con International’s League of Extraordinary (Ladies and) Gentlemen .................................................................................................................. 38 Check Out Comic-Con’s Attending Professionals ........................................ 39 The Principles of Portfolios ...................................................................................41 An Amazing Installation ........................................................................................ 42 Give Us Your Blood! ................................................................................................. 42 Childcare Made Easy ............................................................................................... 43 Freebies! Freebies! Freebies! ............................................................................... 43 Attending with Special Needs? .......................................................................... 44 Scoring Big at Preview Night! .............................................................................. 44 Looking for Some Grog and Vittles? ................................................................. 44 Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy ........................................................... 45 Autographs! Autographs! Autographs! ........................................................... 45 Artist’s Alley................................................................................................................ 45 Eisner Awards ............................................................................................................ 46 Meet the Judges ....................................................................................................... 48 Super Sponsors!........................................................................................................ 49 Awards! Awards! Awards!...................................................................................... 49 Give Yourself a Break: Pre-Registration ............................................................51 How Do I Get There??? ........................................................................................... 52 Parking Map ............................................................................................................... 53 Hotel At-a-Glance Chart ........................................................................................ 54 Where to Stay ............................................................................................................ 55 Hotel Happenings.................................................................................................... 55 Multi-Purpose Form ................................................................................................ 56 MISSION STATEMENT: Comic-Con International is a nonproﬁt educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. ABOUT THE COVER: The New Teen Titans #1 © 2005 DC Comics. All rights reserved. Used with permission from DC Comics. COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2005 UPDATE #2 Published by Comic-Con International. All material, unless otherwise noted, is © 2005 Comic-Con International and may not be reproduced without permission. All other artwork is TM & © 2005 by respective owners. Printed in Canada. Comic-Con International, P.O. Box 128458, San Diego, CA 92112-8458. www.comic-con.org Fax: (619) 414-1022, Comic-Con Hotline (619) 491-2475

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THE HOT SHEET

EXCLUSIVES*REVEALED! Exclusives are the Holy Grail for many convention attendees, and Comic-Con International 2005 will have scores of them! Here’s a preview of some of the awesome items that will be for sale to CCI attendees. COOL COMICS! Arcana publishing presents these three variant comics for attendees at Comic-Con International: • Criss Cross is a special oneshot dedicated to the late Doug Miers. His daughter Valerie Miers is overseeing and editing Doug’s last published work in a book that will celebrate his life and his amazing contributions. Doug will be remembered for his passion and love of comics, but most of all he will be remembered as an incredible husband, father, and friend. • 100 Girls #5B, drawn by Humberto Ramos. Sylvia and the other Girls need to come up with a plan to get the last Girl out of GSI’s hands. Fighting their way through a small army of soldiers won’t be easy, but Sylvia may just be up to it. We also learn more about Dr. Tabitha Carver’s plans for the Girls—plans that even her masters at GSI don’t know. • El Arsenal #1B, with the penciled version of the original cover. Simon Masiosare is the best mercenary in the business and he has

recently accepted a mission to steal cockroaches containing a powerful biological weapon. But Simon quickly realizes that his timing couldn’t be worse, because when he arrives at “Las Tristezas de Tutankhamen” he realizes that a bounty has just been put on his head. Now every top mercenary is looking for him . . . and they all have full rounds of ammo! SUPER SHIRTS! From Charles Shultz’s Peanuts comes two Peanuts silk-screened

Peanuts © UFS

tees, based on art from the Fantagraphics Peanuts books. Peanuts © UFS

KILLER CARDS! This Pikachu Pokémon TCG Card is brought to you by the Pokémon trading card game. It features the CCI logo and will be available only from the Nintendo booth at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Three hundred will be given out on Preview Night, and 800 will be given per day on Thursday through Sunday.

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TOTALLY TOXIC! Shocker Toys is offering this Glow in the Dark Toxic Avenger Comic-Con International: San Diego Exclusive; they’re limited to 500 pieces. BLOODY COOL! From one of the year’s biggest movies comes your first look at what is sure to be one of the hottest convention exclusives this summer: NECA presents Bloody Marv, a newly sculpted Marv figure without coat and covered in blood splatter from his final confrontation with Kevin. Marv features a ball-jointed neck and shoulders along with swivel wrists, waist, and legs. Accessories include handcuffs, hacksaw, Gladys pistol, and Kevin’s severed head with broken glasses. HELL-A NEAT! Electric Tiki presents this Hellboy Jr. Teeny Weeny minimaquette; this is a 500count limited edition.

AWESOME AMOEBIC Gnome International is oﬀering this So What “Amoebic” 2005 Comic-Con International: San Diego Edition. Each ﬁgure stands 110mm tall and comes with a newly designed window box. RAD REDMOND From Apple Head factory comes this Redmond Gore Morgue Mini Comic-Con International: San Diego Exclusive 2005. CREATIVE CRAFTS From 21st Century Toys are three 1:18 scale P-51D Mustangs that will be uniquely hand-painted and given away in a drawing during Comic-Con International. One

tion. Comes with elven armor, cape, sword, and scabbard. • Lt. Jadzia Dax The first action figure assortment under the new Diamond Select Toys (DST) and Art Asylum agreement will feature characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as depicted in the “Trials and Tribble-ations” episode. The 7” figures, which boast between 18 and 20 points of articulation and episode-specific accessories, will be released in the summer of 2005. Dax includes a pad, tricorder, communicator and tribble. •Frosted Sub-Zero Variant This is going to launch the Mortal Kombat line due out August/September. This variant is a “Frosted” SubZero. Please note that images of products may be prototypes and may change before shipment.

of the three planes will feature original art of a 50’s fashion pinup girl. Available for sale will be a limited run of an authentic 1:18 scale WWII aircraft, painstakingly re-creating the plane a famous Fighter Ace flew during WWII. Visit the booth to find out who it is! FOREVER FIGURES AFX presents: • Elrond Minimate Brought to you by Art Asylum via AFX is this 2 1/2” mini figure featuring 14 points of articula-

CON-QUERING QUEEN! The Exclusive QEE-CARD, QUEEN is made for the 2005 Comic-Con International by Tower Records and Toy2R. Limited to only 900 pieces, this QEE will be the fourth QEE released in the QEECard series.

when they’re gone, they’re gone. But don’t fret. There will be many more exclusives, including additional items from Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys, plus cool things from Monogram Direct, Palisades Toys, SOTA Toys, Stevenson Entertainment Group, Wizkids, and more. Getting killed while trying to score a variant action ﬁction or special comic is a really lame way to begin your four-day convention, so be prepared and save yourself some stress!

I WANT ONE … NOW! Limited-edition giveaways and CCI exclusives turn fans crazy—like when Wolverine goes feral on a bunch of baddies—and, since crowd control and safety concerns for attendees are CCI’s first priority, exhibitors are not always allowed to let products go out on a “first come, first served” basis. Exhibitors offer various methods for folks to purchase or win these items, so before the convention do one or all of the following: • Visit the exhibitor’s web site for info. • Visit www.comic-con. org for exhibitor info. • Read your onsite Events Guide while waiting to get into the Exhibit Hall.

Just like that fabled treasure from Arthurian Legend, the number of exclusive items is limited, so

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UNIVERSE’S LOSS A

SCIENCE FICTION ARTIST FRANK KELLY FREAS, 1922-2005 Frank Kelly Freas, the most prolific science fiction artist in the world, died in his sleep on January 2, 2005. Freas stood out from other artists of his generation not simply because he illustrated stories by many of the giants, including Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt, Poul Anderson, and Frederik Pohl, but because of his decision to move away from obvious SF imagery of rayguns and flying saucers. His ability to create brilliant thematic images that elevated these stories to new levels truly influenced the SF community, and as a result he was the first person to receive ten Hugo Awards—the World Science Fiction’s version of the “Oscars”— for Best Professional Artist.

Born in 1922 in Hornell, New York, Freas was raised in Canada by his photographer parents. After spending time in college and the military, Freas gave up his pursuit of careers in medicine and engineering for the world of art, and soon enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In 1950 he was encouraged by a fellow student to submit an art class assignment to Weird Tales magazine. This picture of Pan dancing in the moonlight was his ﬁrst professional sale and eventually led to his monumental Astounding Science Fiction cover that depicted a pleading, childlike robot holding a dead man’s body in its hand. “Freas’s long association with John W. Campbell and Astounding [which later became Analog] began with this poignant and powerful cover,” says Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. on the Bud Plant website. This hauntingly emotional painting so inﬂuenced popular culture that even the band Queen used this artwork in 1977 as the cover for their album News of the World, with a picture of the band replacing the body. “He was still painting covers for Analog as recently as June 2001,” Vadeboncoeur continues. “Forty-eight years is an incredible ten-

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ure in any occupation, let alone with one client.” While Freas’s magazine work was seen in Planet Stories, Fantastic Universe, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and others, his cover art could be seen on books from DAW, Signet, Ballantine, and Avon, on all 58 Laser Books, and on over 90 Ace books alone. He was an oﬃcial NASA mission artist commissioned to create the Skylab I insignia design, and his space posters now hang in the Smithsonian Institute. Freas even painted pinup girls on the noses of World War II bombers, portraits of ﬁve hundred saints for the Franciscans, and numerous other projects. “It’s easy to provide a litany of talents that Freas brings to his art,” says Vadeboncoeur, “but besides his consummate abilities to design and render, his obvious love for the genre, and his attention to detail— besides all that— are his sense of humor and skill at depicting individuals in his art.” This skill landed him a job at Mad magazine, where he created Alfred E. Neuman covers along with dozens of advertising parodies, including his bestknown work, “Presenting The Bill,” from 1959.

ABOVE: “Presenting the Bill” from MAD #48. BELOW: The cover for Robert A. Heinlein’s The Green Hills of Earth.

Kelly was a long-time supporter of Comic-Con International, attending the convention long before it was popular for SF professionals to mingle with the masses. He was known among the convention staﬀ as an impressive force with a fast smile and as someone who greeted fans as though they were family. As such, a tribute panel is planned for the 2005 show to honor the man who could place cosmic ideas into stellar artwork and shaped how the public will forever see science ﬁction.

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UNVEILING THE CORPSE

COMIC-CON’S CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER TIM BURTON

Tim Burton sees things like no one else. From the zaniness of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure to the isolationism of Edward Scissorhands, he is a filmmaker who can capture universal truth in worlds that are distinctly different from our own. Perhaps this is why people in general, and Comic-Con fans in particular, gravitate so strongly toward his work: He knows how to show both physical and emotional triumphs in the most unlikely of heroes. His latest film, Corpse Bride, returns to the world of stop-motion animation used in Nightmare Before Christmas. COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: Have you ever attended Comic-Con before? TIM BURTON: I used to go when I was a student. I’ve been a few times. I used to enjoy going, just walking around and looking at things, and it certainly had a great spirit. CCI: So how did you come up with the idea for Corpse Bride? TB: It was around the time of Nightmare, when I was looking for something else to do in the stop-motion technique, and a friend of mine who works at Pixar, and who I went to school with and worked with at Disney for awhile, sent me this tape. It was like a paragraph, from some old folk tale. I don’t

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even think it was the full thing. But it was the seed of an idea that I really latched onto, and expanded from that. It [also] felt like the right type of material for stop motion. It’s such a special medium. It’s like casting—you like to marry the medium with the material—and this seemed like a good match. CCI: The main character of Corpse Bride is reminiscent of “Vincent” from your short film. Was this or some other film/person an inspiration for how you designed the character(s)? TB: I think subconsciously that it was. One of the challenges on this, I mean differently than on Nightmare, is that there are human characters in this. I always find that in stop-motion it’s a little more difficult to achieve human characters because somehow they either look too realistic or there’s something . . . It’s just hard to find the right design. So I kind of did go back to Vincent. That design worked for that, so there was a kind of slightly subconscious connection. Also, it’s just the way I draw. I can’t help it. CCI: From Pee Wee to Batman to Nightmare and now Corpse Bride, you have a theme of “the outsider” running through your films. What draws you toward this idea?

TB: I don’t think it’s about being drawn toward it. I think when you grow up feeling that way it doesn’t ever really leave you, it kind of burns in your subconscious. It has more to do with, I think, how you feel early on and as you’re growing up. And again, if you connect with people or find happiness or success, you still keep that. It stays with you, those feelings. So I think it’s something that simply is there, as opposed to being drawn towards it. CCI: You’ve worked with Johnny Depp on a number of projects. What is it that draws you toward Depp as an actor? TB: Each time I’ve worked with him he’s something different. He’s a good character actor. He’s somebody who’s interested in being a character and not interested in his persona, necessarily. And I find it very exciting to work with actors like that—especially ones who are perceived by the public as being, you know, “People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People” or whatever. [Johnny’s] really a character actor and willing to take risks that don’t have to do with image or money or anything like that, and each time is just different and better. It’s great to find people you can communicate with like that, on a kind of subconscious level.

CCI: You also seem to enjoy working with Danny Elfman. What made you initially think that a guy from Oingo Boingo was the perfect match for scoring your ﬁlms? TB: That’s a good question. Long before I ever got into movies or ever thought that I would have the opportunity, I would go see Oingo Boingo in clubs in L.A. I didn’t know Danny, but their music was very theatrical. It was kind of weirdly like movie scores in some ways. So I always remembered that, and when I had the opportunity to make a movie, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, I just asked him. It was great because he’d never really done a movie. I hadn’t really done a movie. So it felt like we were embarking on this at the same time, doing things we’d never done before, and I think that made a connection between us that has lasted. CCI: With so many studio heads claiming that CGI and computer animation are the only way to tell an animated story these days, why do stopmotion animation for Corpse Bride? What does this form give you that something like computer animation doesn’t? TB: I’ve always loved stop-motion animation. It started with the Ray Harryhausen stuﬀ. One of the

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sonality—but in the way he’d make them die, always dramatic and gave them a presence like an actor. CCI: Are you surprised by the way Nightmare Before Christmas has been given a “second life” if you will, years after it was originally released? TB: It’s been an interesting journey with that movie. I designed it about 10 years before we actually got the opportunity to make it. It makes me happy because it’s a project that’s really important to me, so I’m happy that it has that sort of life, that people are genuinely interested in it. It’s not about mass popularity; it’s just about certain individuals connecting to it, and that I find to be really the most special thing to me. CCI: Any final thoughts you want to leave fans with about Corpse Bride? TB: It’s still in the process of being made. It’s done in the spirit of the kind of artistry that I grew up liking. All you can hope for is that somehow it connects to people. And see. While Tim Burton will not be attending the 2005 CCI, you can find out more about Corpse Bride at this year’s show.

beautiful things about Ray Harryhausen’s work is that no matter what it is that he was doing—a monster, a low-budget science fiction film—you always felt there was an artist at work behind it. You always felt someone’s personality. It’s like bringing an inanimate object to life. It’s moving a three-dimensional object frame by frame, and you think, wow, there’s something really beautiful and old-fashioned, hand-made and artistic about that. To me, there’s something very special about that. You can do beautiful work on a computer and you can do beautiful hand-drawn animation. All of it has its own quality. But there’s just something special to me about that medium. CCI: Speaking of Ray Harryhausen, he’s one of the guests at Comic-Con International this year and his work is said to have influenced many filmmakers. TB: Those were the first movies I ever really remember seeing. I wouldn’t look for the actors’ names but if I saw Ray’s name I knew I had to see it. I knew his name before most actors’ names. There’s a real artistry and humanity in his work, even if [it] was just a monster that didn’t necessarily even have a per-

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TUNING IN TO PROGRAMMING Comic-Con International Offers the Latest News on Comics, Cartoons, Movies, TV and More! Each year Comic-Con International is the source for breaking news in the world of comics and popular culture. In 2004, comics fans got sneak peeks at the shocking twists in Avengers and Green Lantern: Rebirth, while movie fans were treated to Lucasﬁlm’s exclusive announcement of the third Star Wars title, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The 2005 convention promises even greater surprises, with

the largest programming schedule covering the most diverse topics of any popular arts convention in the world. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COMICS! Because CCI has the largest gathering of comics fans in one location, the show also features the largest contingent of comics publishers anywhere. That means such companies as DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, IDW, Oni Press, SLG, TwoMorrows, and countless other independent and small press publishers will be on hand to discuss their upcoming titles. Past programming events have also featured super cool giveaways you couldn’t ﬁnd anywhere else, so you never know what these publishers will have in store for 2005. But Comic-Con programs encompass much more than company projects. They focus on the whole spectrum of the comics world, from current and classic mainstream and alternative comic books to graphic novels, newspaper comics, web comics, and more. Hands-on seminars and demonstrations about the craft also add to CCI’s educational mandate, including workshops on everything from writing and drawing comics to coloring and selfpublishing your own books.

Stan Lee is just one of many comics greats who attend Comic-Con International.

In 2005 the indomitable Mark Evanier returns with a full roster of events, including a groundbreaking special panel on comics blogging. He’s also presenting the ever-popular Quick Draw, cartoon improv at its ﬁnest; this is one of CCI’s most lively and fun events, so expect another great turnout.

ACTION FIGURES IN ACTION! At Comic-Con International, toy and action figure manufacturers meet directly with the consumer, and that means more fun for attendees. In addition to their presence in the giant Exhibit Hall, many of these same companies, designers, and sculptors—such as McFarlane Toys, Hasbro, and many others—participate in action figure programs along with ActionFigureInsider.com’s Daniel Pickett (aka Julius Marx). These folks provide inside info on the entire toy-making process and sneak peeks at upcoming products. So whether you want to get a glimpse of new prototypes or score those hard-tofind and variant action figures, Comic-Con is a central location for any toy fan.

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Evanier will also moderate his usual assortment of animation-oriented discussions as well as spotlight panels featuring CCI’s Golden and Silver Age comics guests. Speaking of history, Comic-Con is committed to celebrating both current and past comics with panels spotlighting special themes. In 2005 these themes include the 50th anniversaries of Little Archie, the Martian Manhunter, and Krypto the super dog, the 25th anniversary of the New Teen Titans, and the 10th anniversaries of both Stray Bullets and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Very specially, Comic-Con will be celebrating the long life, career, and enduring contributions of Will Eisner with multiple events. Eisner, the dean of graphic novels, was a guiding force in comics and a mainstay at Comic-Con International; he passed away on January 3, 2005. SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND BEYOND! An incredible selection of SF/Fantasy authors and illustrators from Random House, Del Rey, Penguin, Pocket Books and other publishers will be in attendance. Special SF and fantasy programs are also abundant, with the added bonus of possibly scoring your favorite authors’ autographs in Comic-Con’s Autograph Area or at publisher booths in the Exhibit Hall. What’s more, the dean of American SF writers, Ray Bradbury, returns to Comic-Con on Saturday along with his dear friend, Ray Harryhausen. We’ll also celebrate the life and career of the “Dean of Science Fiction Artists” and a great friend to Comic-Con International, Frank Kelly Freas. Mr. Freas is recognized as the most prolific Science Fiction artist, and he passed away this past January. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE, MORE, MORE! CCI offers a vast array of other programs related to popular culture. Demonstrations on topics such as mold-making for plastics, panels on Mars exploration and voice-acting, seminars covering costuming and performing in masquerades, gaming workshops, art and writing panels—you name it, you can probably find it at Comic-Con. Check out the rest of this Update for more cool events, and definitely watch the website, www. comic-con.org, for a complete schedule as we get closer to the event. Once at the show, be sure to study the Events Guide and check out the room signs in the hallways for updated info onsite. The CCI

Golden Age artist Sy Barry, who worked on the classic Phantom comic strip, is a special guest for 2005. staﬀ works right up until the ﬁrst day of Comic-Con planning programs and events, so you never know what—or who—you might see!

COMIC ARTS CONFERENCE During the Comic Arts Conference (CAC), the leading academic format for discussions on comics, papers and seminars are presented on a variety of comics-related topics. This year’s topics tentatively include: • The Superhero Deﬁned • Super-villains in Pop Culture • The Visual Language of Comics • Superheroes and Philosophy • Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature • Comics and Cinema • Interrelationship of Industry and Art • A Look at the Work of Art Spiegelman • Masculinity and Adulthood in Comics • Sin, Transgression and Redemption in Comics • Comics’ View of the World • Telling Comic Stories over Time

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BEYOND THE PRINTED PAGE CCI’S

CINEMA

FUN

2005

ABOVE: The cast of this summer’s Fantastic Four movie was just one of the major Hollywood surprise appearances at the 2004 convention. BELOW: Gromit stars in Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. TM & © 2005 Aardman Animations Ltd. © 2005 Dreamworks Animation L.L.C. and Dreamworks L.L.C.

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH! Since the 1970s, Hollywood has found a summer home at Comic-Con International and we are already speaking with major studios about the following ﬁlms for 2005. While nothing is conﬁrmed, and all of this is subject to change, here’s the amazing list: Aeon Flux Casshern The Cave Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride Doom Eragon The Exorcism of Emily Rose Flushed Away The Fog

Over the Hedge Red Eye A Scanner Darkly Serenity Superman Returns Transformers Wallace & Gromit –The Curse of The Were-Rabbit Underworld: Evolution X-3 Zathura

The Fountain Ghost Rider Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire The Island Legend Of Zorro Monster House

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THE SMALL SCREEN… ENLARGED! Last year CCI had Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, a sneak peek with the stars of Lost, and much more. In 2005, many popular net-

works with genre television series will be back, including the folks from SCI FI Channel. Expect some old favorites and other sneak peeks of new shows coming in the Fall TV season. ANIMATION CONFRONTATION! Craving cartoons? CCI is in talks with Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, Warner Bros. Animation, Fox, the Jim Henson Company, and many others for exclusive 2005 events and sneak previews. ASIFA, the worldwide organization dedicated to the art of animation, is also oﬀering exclusive Comic-Con programs. Animation expert Jerry Beck returns with his popular nighttime program “Worst Cartoons Ever!” Also returning is Mark Evanier with his fan-fave “Cartoon Voices” event, this year focusing on the legendary Gary Owens. And for you late-night adults, Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation are back with another mind-blowing screening! COMIC-CON’S OWN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL! From its humble beginnings as “Film Fest Friday” in 2000, the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival enters its sixth year and continues to evolve. The CCI-IFF is now a juried event including trophies and prizes, and it features special programs geared toward both the new and seasoned indie ﬁlmmaker, such as Comic-Con Film School and sneak

And now… A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION! Does my membership get me into everything? All event spaces have limited capacity as set by the Fire Marshall. So even though a badge is needed to get into all programming events, it does not guarantee you access to any event if it has reached its capacity limit.

FILM FUN FOR EVERYONE There was a time when film screenings were major aspects of pop culture conventions, but even though many other organizations have removed films from their schedules, Comic-Con International is committed to supporting these cornerstone events. Indeed, 2004 was a landmark year, not only because the film programs became evening-only events, but for the first time beautiful digital screenings were held at the San Diego Convention Center. The positive fan response was so tremendous that in 2005 digital film screenings are being expanded, with two on Thursday evening and three each on Friday and Saturday nights. Looking for a more authentic films room feel? Screenings at the Manchester Grand Hyatt’s Randle Ballroom are projected from 16mm prints. Last year’s successful midnight movie screenings of The Wall and Wizards are prompting more of the same for 2005, so expect some obscure classics and kitschy favorites to come your way. So what’s scheduled? Well, my friends, that would be telling. But pre-registered 4-day membership holders can find out by logging onto the password-protected pages at www.comiccon.org. Everyone else will have to wait until they pick up their Events Guide onsite. But as a little tease, let’s just say that an epic trilogy is scheduled for Thursday night at The Hyatt, and you will be thrilled! So stock up on your sleep, and be prepared to hang out with fellow film fanatics in the dark.

peeks at other indie ﬁlms, plus some special nighttime screenings. So whether you get your kicks from watching movies or making them, Comic-Con International

is your one-stop shop for all the fun. Make sure you check out www.comic-con.org, the onsite Events Guide, and posted signs for all the latest Hollywood happenings in 2005!

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GHOSTS IN THE (CONVENTION) SHELL THREE FULL ROOMS OF ANIME PROGRAMMING JUST FOR YOU!

Artwork from the 2004 Japanese Animation Programming Guide.

Japanese anime is bigger than ever in the United States, and each year its continued growth is reflected within the halls of Comic-Con International. The three screening rooms operate late into the night and offer a magnificent audio and visual experience that allows viewers to truly submerse themselves in all the epic battles, heartwarming romances, and complex storylines that have become hallmarks of this medium. What’s more, Comic-Con International always has its finger on the pulse for the hottest series, specials, and feature films, and we have been working with numerous U.S. anime distributors to bring you over 100 classics, fan favorites, and recent releases. CCI has also become a key location for companies premiering their latest work, and the 2005 show promises more surprises. As a bonus, CCI produces its own guide for attendees. This snappy publication offers room locations, screening schedules, and brief synopses of selected titles for those interested fans who are unfamiliar with a particular program. It’s all yours and it’s all free with your 2005 membership. Stop by and check it out! Lum, Urusei Yatsura, Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan- Kitty Films-Fuji TV, AnimEigo Nuku Nuku, All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, Yuza Takada/Project Banneko. TV Tokyo Packing Design, A.D. Vision Chi, Chobits, CLAMP. KODANSHA/”CHOBITS” PARTNERSHIP, Pioneer Entertainment (USA)INC, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) Lina Inverse, Slayers, Kanzaka Hijime,/Araizumi Rui/Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. Ltd./TV Tokyo/SOFTX/Marubeni Corp./TV Tokyo Medianet/Enoki Films. Bandai Visual Co. Ltd. King Records Co. Slayers Production Committee. Toei Company. “Slayers Premium” Production Committee, SOFTWARE SCULPTORS/Central Park Media, A.D. Vision Milfeulle & Ranpha, Galaxy Angel, Broccoll. Bandai Visual. TVO, Bandai Entertainment Naru, Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu. Kodansha/Love Hina Onsen Kumai. TV Tokyo. Love Hina Again PC. Production IG, Bandai Entertainment

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GAMING GALORE Ever wanted to get into gaming but were too intimidated to attend an actual gaming convention? With major companies offering demo stations on the Exhibit Hall floor and a dedicated space for players of all levels and abilities, Comic-Con International is the perfect spot for both first-time novices and hard-core players seeking a challenge. The 2005 event is promising to be just as exciting as last year, with games and tournaments taking place on the Mezzanine Level of the Convention Center and at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Adding to the mix are some live-action demos, companies premiering new gaming systems, and company-sponsored tournaments with cash and merchandise prizes. Stop by the gaming rooms, make some new friends, and find out for yourself why Comic-Con International is a hot spot for gamers of all levels. TAKING A RISK: Gamers take on Risk Godstorm at the Wizards of the Coast booth.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL THIS SUMMER! Comic-Con International is offering a whole summer curriculum of classes at this year’s event! In addition to the traditional Comic Book Law School 101, 102 and 103, featuring noted attorney Michael Lovitz’s seminars on copyright and legal issues, we’ll be offering the following seminars (And don’t worry---there will be NO pop quizzes!): • Comic-Con Film School: Interested in making your own indie film? This popular feature of last year’s Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival offers a daily 90-minute class concerning filmmaking on all levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. From the nuts and bolts of getting started to how to promote and market your film, this is the place to get the info you need! • Webcomics: For the first time, CCI offers a major series of seminars involving this growing industry. Expect 3 classes over 3 days on getting started and featuring valuable info from seasoned professionals. • Comic-Con Self-Publishing School: One of our most popular ongoing features is this series of seminars produced by our friends at Cold Cut Distribution. Learn how to go about self-publishing your own comics. Valuable tips and info from people who have been there, done that—and in a good way!—will help you make your own decisions on getting started or continuing on. In addition, you can count on seminars and demonstrations on many areas of craft, including writing, drawing, coloring and more! Check www-comic-con.org for updated information or the onsite Events Guide for a complete schedule!

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HARRY POTTER:

UNCOVERED! An Interview with Director Mike Newell

(L-R) DANIEL RADCLIFFE as Harry Potter and EMMA WATSON as Hermione Granger in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. ©2004 Warner Bros. Ent. Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.

During the 2005 Comic-Con International, two related magical events will occur. On July 16, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released, while during the convention weekend Warner Bros. is promoting its new feature film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Because Sundays at CCI are all about our young attendees, we called in junior reporter Brianne Cisneros, a 14-year-old from Austin, Texas, who has attended two Comic-Cons and is a huge Harry Potter fan. She interviewed Mike Newell, the director of this latest film, for some inside scoop. BRIANNE CISNEROS: You have to make sure some stuff is used in this movie because it is important in the future movies. How much does J. K. Rowling actually tell you about the other stories? MIKE NEWELL: J. K. Rowling keeps each story absolutely insulated from all the other stories so

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that nobody but J .K. Rowling knows about Book 6, which is to be published in three months’ time. So, other than what I read in Book 5, I have no special knowledge of the future needs of the story. I simply do what seems to be sensible for setting up the next film. BC: How do you film the underwater parts of the Triwizard Tournament? Is it really underwater or is it computer? MN: The underwater sequence is both filmed naturally underwater and also heavily computerized. We built a huge tank, the biggest in Europe, specially to make this sequence. We made very careful drawings/illustrations of every moment of the sequence and we then shot the human being action exactly to those illustrations but against an underwater bluescreen with which the tank was lined. So Harry’s in the tank, doing all the movements he has to do but

not against real underwater scenery. Just against blue. Then the computer people come along and put in all the backgrounds—the rock, the weeds, the fish and of course the Mermaids and Grindylows. BC: Are the dragons in the first task of the Triwizard tournament computer-generated graphics or machines? If they are computer generated, how do you direct something like that? MN: The dragons in the first task are CG entirely. The process is: First, imagine your dragon, take your imaginings to an illustrator called a concept artist and get him to draw and draw, making constant changes at my direction until I feel the dragon is convincing. Then those drawings are made into models. They’re modeled in clay, changes are made to make them even more real, and then they’re painted. So that, at the end, you have a full-sized inanimate sculpture of the dragon. This is then photographed from every angle and the photos [are] scanned into the computer, which works out every tiny measurement of the sculpture. Then the sequence of action is again drawn out with an illustrator and the computer takes those drawings and turns them into the real picture, adding the dragon as it goes. BC: Who decides what to leave out of the movie and what to change from the book so that it works in the movie? MN: This is a very difficult matter and is worked out in huge discussions between representatives of Warner Bros, the scriptwriter, the producer, the director and sometimes J. K. Rowling. It takes a long time, and while it’s happening you constantly seesaw back and forth on certain things—Dobby should be in, Dobby should be out, Dobby should be in, Dobby should be out—and so forth. After a while everybody gets a feel for what would work in a movie as opposed to what works in a novel. BC: In all the other movies, Hermione is not as plain, big toothed, or bushy haired as she is in the books. In the book, nobody recognizes Hermione at the Yule Ball because she is so dressed up and beautiful. Is there going to be a lot of time spent on that? MN: I think Emma Watson is a pretty girl but I don’t think she’s super-model beautiful. She’s just like a real ordinary person. When she goes to the Ball, we’ve made her look as beautiful and stylish as we knew how but still recognizably herself. We don’t spend a huge amount of time on it but the way she

looks does very much surprise Harry and Ron. And she’s very excited to be invited by the great Quidditch hero, Viktor Krum. He takes a real shine to her and it’s a very sweet relationship even though Ron is tortured by jealousy. BC: The Dursleys are not a big part of this book, but I really like the letter with all the stamps and Mr. Weasly blowing up the living room after he gets trapped in the fireplace. Are they in the movie at all? And secondly, I initially heard that this book was going to be two movies (Yay :)), but that they decided to just make one (Boo :( ). What’s good about it being one movie and what’s bad about it being one movie? MN: I’m very sorry the Dursleys are not in the film at all. I, too, found the little scene very funny but it’s not necessary for the telling of the story of Book 4, as it was in Books 1, 2 and 3. So because we were making one and not two films, and something had to be let go, we decided that the Dursleys were one of those things. We were sad about it. What’s good about it being one film is that the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Voldemort’s plot to get to Harry become very taut and exciting because a lot of the purely descriptive stuff in the novel must be let go. That means the main story becomes a very tight, exciting, fast-paced thriller. Of course, what you miss is the fascinating little details, which in some cases there just isn’t room for. So it’s swings and roundabouts, what can I tell you? For more information on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, check out the programming at the 2005 ComicCon International.

Comic-Con International’s junior reporter, Brianne Cisneros.

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THE MASQUERADE:

UNVEILED FROM ARMORED GHOULS TO DANCING FOOLS, THE 2005 M A S Q U E R A D E P R O M I S E S T O B E A N O T H E R S H O W- S T O P P IN G E V E N T !

2004 Anime Pavilion Prize of $150 for Best Anime costume: “Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,” made and worn by Kimberly, Lily, Marissa, Rebecca, Wayne, Hai, Rey, Jean, Lynleigh, Daryl, Chris, & Kimi.

Superman’s “S” symbol, Darth Vader’s menacing helmet, and even Pee Wee Herman’s suit and tie are all elements that help deﬁne those characters in popular culture. Indeed, no matter what genre, costumes introduce us to characters, places, and experiences in ways that words and setting cannot

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do on their own, and every year Comic-Con International celebrates these fabrics of fright and fancy during the Masquerade competition. The Masquerade isn’t a dance party but rather a live-action show set on an elevated stage, where

2004 Trophy winner for Judges’ Choice: “Forest Creatures,” original designs created and worn by Paloma and David Candelaria.

2004 Trophy winner for Best Presentation: “Electric Venus,” original designs worn and created by Venus DeMille and Buzz Merkin.

participants parade before a captivated audience. Some contestants rely on flashy fight sequences or humorous sketches to wow the crowd, while others simply allow their intricate sewing skills to speak for themselves. It’s a unique experience for both the audience and competitor alike, as theatrical flair and breathtaking showmanship commingle to form a totally new viewing experience. And yes, some performers are even rewarded for taking us on this fantastic journey. A panel of guest judges, gathered from among Comic-Con International’s attending professionals, bestow trophies in nine categories: Best in Show, Judges’ Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Workmanship, Most Humorous, Most Beautiful, Best Presentation, Most Imaginative, and Best Young Fan. In addition, representatives from various companies are on hand to select winners of their own cash and merchandise awards. These include: DC Comics will award $300 to the best entry portraying a DC Comics character or characters. Dark Horse Comics is offering $200 booth or website credit for the best costume based on a Dark Horse character or characters. Comic Gallery Stores of San Diego will award $150 cash for what they choose as their favorite entry or entries. Anime Pavilion is offering $150 booth credit for best anime costume, $50 credit for runner-up, and $40 credit for the best young fan anime costume.

2004 Trophy winner for Most Beautiful: “Queen Amidala & Her Handmaidens, from Star Wars,” made and worn by Bethany Roullett, Amanda Meerdink, & Lillian Schruhl.

Lucasﬁlm Ltd. has dug deep into its licensing archives to supply a special award in the Star Wars costume category in this year’s show. The entry with the best attire from the Star Wars galaxy as selected by a Lucasﬁlm representative will receive a special, limited edition collectible. The Stevenson Entertainment Group will award a prize of $150 to what they select as the best noncomic book entry in the show.

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All genres are welcome, whether inspired by ﬁlms, comics, history, mythology, anime, or completely original ideas from your own imagination. But no cheating! Purchased or otherwise commercially obtained costumes are not allowed, and you’ll be given the boot.

RETURN OF THE MASTER! Writer/artist Phil Foglio returns to San Diego in 2005 as the Masquerade’s Master of Ceremonies.

Lynn Perry of DarkestDesires.org will award $150 to the best costume inspired by the horror or other dark genres, such as vampires, demons, creatures of the night, and so on. Barry Brown and Dawn Devine-Brown will present the “Ibexa Press Technology Prize” of $150 to the costume most inspired by high technology, such as electronics, robotics, and advanced gadgetry. (www.ibexa.com) ConDor and Conjecture, San Diego’s annual science fiction conventions, will present a “Con-Tour” prize to the best first time, solo entry. The prize will consist of memberships to Conjecture IV in October, ConDor XIII in 2006, and Comic-Con International 2006, plus $100 in cash. The Heinlein Society will present a $200 prize for the best re-creation of a character from a Robert Heinlein story. The Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Heinlein’s works and to paying the debt forward to future generations. San Diego FX Studio, Inc. will present an award of $200 to the costume entry they judge as best utilizing make-up. The Testmarket Evolution will award $200 in prizes: $100 for the best anime costume as selected by their anime division, and $100 for the best videogame costume as chosen by their video game division. READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP? Being a contestant is a thrilling experience, but space is limited, so if you’ve made a costume you’d like to present on stage you should sign up as soon as possible; last year all slots were filled nearly two weeks before the convention, so get moving!

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To be accepted as a contestant you must submit an entry form and meet the criteria set forth in the rules. For rules, an entry form, and all the pertinent information contact the Masquerade Coordinator via mail, fax, e-mail, or by marking the appropriate space on the Multipurpose Form in this booklet and returning it to us. You can also download everything you need at www.comic-con.org.

MASQUERADE: FAST FACTS! • When & Where: Saturday, 8:30 PM, in Ballroom 20 of the Convention Center. • Doors open at 7:45 PM for audience seating. Tickets are required for ballroom seating, but they’re given out FREE beginning at 4:30 PM to people waiting in line. • Last year’s audience filled the 4,300-seat ballroom, and the line formed hours before showtime, so plan ahead. • Don’t worry about the view! The Masquerade is projected on large screens suspended above the audience. • Running late? Hate crowds? No ticket? You’ll find overflow seating in the Sails Pavilion 6A, where the contest will be simulcast. • Program participants, press, and exhibitors can get their tickets before Saturday afternoon at the Masquerade Desk. Reserved seating is available for special guests of the convention and for the disabled. • Don’t be a flasher! Because of the complexity of some costumes and performances, no flash photography is permitted in the ballroom; photographers wanting access to the flash-friendly photo room should contact the Masquerade Coordinator in advance and request a reserved spot. •The Masquerade is FREE to both participants and attendees, but you must have your Comic-Con International badge to get in.

SUPER-FRIENDS Even More Special Guests Confirm For Comic-Con 2005 Check out this current list of confirmed guests; names with asterisks (*) have been added since the last Update. FORREST J ACKERMAN Known for his love of all things fantastic and HORROR-endous puns, Forrest J Ackerman is one of fandom’s most beloved figures. He was an early literary agent for science fiction writers such as Ray Bradbury and was editor of the fondly remembered Famous Monsters of Filmland, which was a source of inspiration to many filmmakers, including Joe Dante, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. *LALO ALCARAZ The son of Mexican immigrant parents, Lalo Alcaraz has been furiously drawing cartoons since he was a child in San Diego. His ability to mix wit with “jalapeño-biting” satirical observations continually feeds into his daily comic strip, La Cucaracha, and has earned him international fame. In 2000 Alcaraz illustrated the book Latino USA: A Cartoon History, and his work has appeared in LA Weekly, The New York Times, The Village Voice, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Variety, Hispanic Magazine, Latina magazine, Mexico City’s La Jornada, BUNTE

(Germany’s People magazine), and numerous other publications. LEE AMES After working in animation in the 1930s, artist Lee Ames joined the Eisner-Iger Studio, where he worked alongside Johnny Cassone (Lightning), Andre LeBlanc (The Phantom), Mort Leav, and numerous other comic book legends. In the 1940s his hand could be seen on Firebrand stories in Police Comics, as well as on Kid Patrol, Stuart Taylor, and Dusty Rhodes for Fiction House’s Flight Comics. He also worked for Stan Lee at Timely (Marvel) Comics on Homer the Brave, Marvel Science Fiction, and other titles; on The Chessmen with Burt Frohman and War Against Crime for EC Comics; and on The Kewpies comic strip for Will Eisner. He left comics in the mid1950s and eventually created the hugely successful Draw 50 series, beginning with Draw 50 Animals (1974) for Doubleday. There are now 26 titles in the Draw 50 series that primarily use visual instructions, rather than text, to teach. MURPHY ANDERSON Murphy Anderson’s skills as a penciller and inker made him one of the Silver Age’s most recognizable

Sergio Aragonés

David B.

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Bob Bolling

Tim Bruckner

and favorite artists. He drew the Buck Rogers comic strip for newspapers, he pencilled and inked such books as The Spectre and Hawkman at DC, and his crisp inking added a lush veneer to the pencils on such series as Adam Strange, Flash, The Atom, Superman, and many others. *SERGIO ARAGONÉS Fan favorite Sergio Aragonés is an annual CCI guest. He is most famous as the creator/cartoonist of Groo, and his work on Mad magazine is legendary. He’s also known as being the fastest, friendliest, and funniest cartoonist in the world, and we’re lucky to have him around. DAVID B. French cartoonist David B. has been hailed by The Comics Journal as one of Europe’s most important and innovative comics artists. His internationally acclaimed graphic novel Epileptic is a stunning and emotionally resonant autobiography about growing up with an epileptic brother; with its recent U.S. release from Pantheon (a division of Random House), David B.’s following in the States is skyrocketing. *SY BARRY Golden age cartoonist Sy Barry is best known for illustrating the syndicated strip The Phantom for 33 years. His artistry was also seen in the Flash Gordon strip and on such comic books as Gangbusters, Daredevil, Air Boy, Johnny Thunder, Pow Wow Smith, Johnny Peril, Superman, Batman, and Romance Comics. He is an active member of the “Berndt Toast Gang” (the Long Island Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society) and has recently seen some

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Bob Fujitani of his oil paintings published as comic covers and internationally distributed prints. BOB BOLLING Making his first appearance at Comic-Con, Bob Bolling is one of two writer/artists behind the classic Little Archie series, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2005. Little Archie focuses on the highly imaginative childhood adventures of everyone’s favorite teens, and has built a huge cult following that continues thriving to this day. RAY BRADBURY The dean of American science fiction writers returns to Comic-Con as one of the show’s most beloved guests. Bradbury is the author of such classics as The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Fahrenheit 451 (currently in its 50th anniversary year), many of which are continually adapted into comic book and cinematic form. In 2004, Avon Books published a collection of his short stories titled The Cat’s Pajamas, as well as an immense volume of his best-remembered stories. He was given The National Book Award in 2001 for his contribution to American Literature, and President Bush awarded him The National Medal of Arts in 2004. *TIM BRUCKNER One of DC Direct’s most acclaimed talents, Tim Bruckner has sculpted numerous statues, snowglobes, action figures, and other items. Bruckner has also created action figures for ToyBiz and has worked as an illustrator and sculptor for a number of other companies. He has sculpted over 100 action figures for DC Direct, bringing to life the creative

visions of such artists as Alex Ross, Jim Lee, Adam Hughes, Brian Bolland, Michael Turner, and many others. (Courtesy of DC Direct) *J. SCOTT CAMPBELL Initially discovered in the ﬁrst Homage Studios talent search, J. Scott Campbell co-created the topselling Gen13. His dynamic storytelling and animated style lent themselves perfectly to his follow-up project, Danger Girl. Campbell returns to comics this summer with the all-new miniseries Wildsiderz. He currently resides in Colorado with his wife, Keyke. (Courtesy of Wildstorm) GENE COLAN Artist Gene Colan began his comics career in 1944 drawing Wings Comics at Fiction House. He was soon hired by Stan Lee to illustrate for Timely (Marvel) Comics and has worked in the industry ever since. His art has graced the pages of such classic titles as Journey into Mystery at Marvel, Sea Devils and Hopalong Cassidy at DC, as well as on such popular characters as Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Howard the Duck, Wonder Woman, and Sub-Mariner to name just a few. He is perhaps best known for his runs on Daredevil, Iron Man, and Tomb of Dracula. GREG EVANS Winner of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) Ruben Award for Cartoonist of the Year in 2003, local San Diego cartoonist Greg Evans created the Luann syndicated comic strip, which has run in newspapers since 1987. Evans has also been instrumental in bringing NCS to Comic-Con International. *BOB FUJITANI Artist Bob Fujitani got his start in comics when his friend and former American School of Design classmate “Tex” Blaisdel hired him to work in the Eisner-Iger studio. There he worked on many of “Busy” Arnold’s Quality Comics characters, including Black Condor, Dollman, The Ray, and Uncle Sam. He worked for many Golden Age publishers, including Ace, Avon, Harvey, and Lev Gleason to name a few, and he’s often remembered as the deﬁnitive illustrator of MLJ’s Hangman. He co-created Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom at Gold Key, and he worked on the Flash Gordon and Rip Kirby daily strips before retiring in the early 1990s. JUANJO GUARNIDO Spanish-born Juanjo Guarnido is the artist and colorist behind Blacksad, a series of graphic novels

featuring feline private detective John Blacksad. The first volume of the U.S. edition of Blacksad earned three nominations in the 2004 Eisner Awards, including Best Painter. Before Blacksad, Guarnido worked on Spanish editions of Marvel comic books and as a layout artist for the Walt Disney studios in Paris. (Courtesy of iBooks) PIA GUERRA After 10 years of struggling to break into the comics industry, penciller Pia Guerra became an “overnight” success with the critically acclaimed VERTIGO series, Y, The Last Man. She’s appearing at the 2005 show with Y co-creator and fellow Comic-Con special guest, Brian K. Vaughan. RAY HARRYHAUSEN The undisputed king of stop-motion animation, Ray Harryhausen took some time to chat with Comic-Con Update. You can find his interview on page 32. *PHIL JIMENEZ Born and raised in southern California and trained at NYC’s School of Visual Arts, Phil Jimenez has worked in comics since 1991. He first gained recognition for his work on the DC Comics miniseries Tempest. His later work included penciling The Invisibles, JLA/Titans, and Planetary/Authority. Jimenez wrote and drew a two-year run on Wonder Woman, followed by New X-Men with writer Grant Morrison. After contributing pencil art to the recent blockbuster Countdown To Infinite Crisis, Jimenez is working on two projects for DC: Otherworld, which he writes and pencils for VERTIGO, and DC Special: The Return Of Donna Troy, a four-issue miniseries written by Jimenez that begins in June. (Courtesy of DC Comics) *ROBERT JORDAN With 23 books to Robert Jordan’s name and a fan following that would stun even Conan (whose adventures Jordan chronicled in 7 novels), we thought it only appropriate to interview this prolific author—see page 30. DAVID LAPHAM Eisner award–winning writer/artist David Lapham began working in the comics industry at Valiant Comics, where he helped illustrate and create titles such as Shadowman and Harbinger. In 1995 he and his wife Maria launched El Capitan Books to publish his award-winning self-published crime series Stray Bullets, which is celebrating its 10th year in 2005. While continuing to write and draw Stray Bullets, he

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is also writing a 12-issue Batman story arc for Detective Comics. JIM LEE Jim Lee exploded onto the comics scene in the mid 1980s with his eye-catching, innovative artwork in X-Men and Uncanny X-Men at Marvel. He was considered one of the industry’s Young Turks when he helped form Image Comics in 1992, and his Wildstorm Productions Image imprint launched numerous successful titles, including Wild C.A.T.S., Stormwatch, and GEN13, among others. He later worked with Marvel during the revamp of Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Avengers and Captain America, and then moved Wildstorm to DC Comics. This summer he’s illustrating a new Batman series for the DC All-Stars line. SCOTT MCCLOUD Scott McCloud is the writer/artist behind Zot!, Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and many other titles. He’s also a leading proponent of web-based comics, and you can read some of his thoughts regarding the topic on page 34. *RICHARD MORGAN British born Richard Morgan found his writing career shooting to new heights when a Hollywood studio optioned his first novel, Altered Carbon. Since then, he’s written the novels Broken Angels, Market Forces, and Woken Furies, and he just finished working on Black Widow, his first comics miniseries, for Marvel. With two more novels in the pipeline and ongoing relationship with Marvel, Richard currently lives in Scotland with his Spanish wife, Virginia, and, in his own words, “is about as happy as it’s possible for a mortal soul to be in Tony Blair’s Britain.”

Phil Jimenez

GARY PANTER Illustrator, painter, and designer Gary Panter is probably best known for his work as head set designer on the Pee Wee’s Playhouse TV series, a job which earned him three Emmy Awards. His distinct artwork on album covers, most notably for Frank Zappa, earned him the title “King of Punk Art.” He’s also a well-known underground cartoonist, best known for his Jimbo character, most recently seen in the deluxe hardcover collection Jimbo in Purgatory, published by Fantagraphics. GEORGE PÉREZ One of comics’ most beloved artists, George Pérez co-created The New Teen Titans, which is celebrating its 25th year in 2005. He and fellow creator, Marv Wolfman took some time to talk about their shared history, and you can read all about it on page 27. ERIC POWELL Eric Powell has been a writer and illustrator in comics since 1995, having worked on a number of titles for Dark Horse, Marvel, and DC. However, his career shot into orbit with his critically acclaimed humor/ horror series The Goon. Originally self-published, The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics. Powell and The Goon were nominated for four Eisner Awards in 2004; The Goon #1 won the award for Best Single Issue (in a tie with Conan #0). *LOU SCHEIMER Filmation founder Lou Scheimer is responsible for bringing to television screens a multitude of beloved series based on comic books, toys, and original concepts. Filmation’s earliest series, The New Adventures of Superman, appeared in 1965 and was followed

Richard Morgan

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Lou Scheimer

J.J. Sedelmaier by the animated adventures of Batman, Aquaman, and other DC heroes. These were followed by the Star Trek animated series, the Archie shows (which netted Filmation several gold records), the Emmynominated Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and the live-action Shazam!, Isis, and Space Academy shows. In 1983 he revolutionized the syndicated television market with the toy-based He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which will be rereleased on DVD by BCI Eclipse at Comic-Con International. (Courtesy of BCI Eclipse and Tower Records) J.J. SEDELMAIER Making his ﬁrst appearance at a comics convention, J.J. Sedelmaier is co-founder of the cutting-edge animation studio that produced the pilot for Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, which helped initiate Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block of cartoons. He has produced numerous TV show and commercials, and through a partnership with Robert Smigel created Saturday TV Funhouse for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, thus establishing such pop culture icons as “The X-Presidents,” and “The Ambiguously Gay Duo.” KEVIN SMITH Filmmaker, author, and comic book retailer Kevin Smith is no stranger to comics fans all over the world. From his success with such ﬁlms as Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Dogma to his award-winning work on Daredevil and Spider-Man at Marvel and Green Arrow: Quiver at DC, Smith has shown a keen ability to meld current fan sensibilities with solid storytelling techniques.

Dave Stevens J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI Best known as the creator/writer/executive producer for Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski currently writes The Amazing Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Supreme Power, and The Book of Lost Souls for Marvel Comics, as well as the maxiseries Silver Surfer: Requiem and Dream Police. His new radio drama series, The Adventures of Apocalypse Al, debuts on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this summer. DAVE STEVENS Fan-favorite artist and creator of The Rocketeer Dave Stevens is known for his incredible attention to detail and design, as well as his wonderful renderings of women (particularly Bettie Page). His work, including portfolios and limited-edition prints, is highly sought after by collectors around the world. DEXTER TAYLOR Besides Bob Bolling, Dexter Taylor is the other artist associated most with the Little Archie series. This year marks both Little Archie’s 50th anniversary and Taylor’s ﬁrst appearance at Comic-Con. MICHAEL TURNER One of the most popular writer/artists working in comics today, Michael Turner helped create and launch the Witchblade series for Top Cow in 1995. In 2002 he started his own publishing company, Aspen, which featured his hit creations Fathom and Soulﬁre. He most recently completed his critically and commercially acclaimed run on DC’s Superman/ Batman series, which featured the return of the one true Supergirl.

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Dexter Taylor

Jhonen Vasquez

*JHONEN VASQUEZ Jhonen Vasquez created the popular Invader Zim cartoon for Nickelodeon, but he is best known in the comic book industry for creating Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Originally a comic strip for his school newspaper and later appearing as a single-page strip in Carpe Noctem magazine, Johnny evolved into a longer form comic book through Slave Labor Graphics. With the series now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the graphic novel collection Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Directors Cut is consistently in the top 100 graphic novels in sales year after year. Other titles by Vasquez include Squee, I Feel Sick, and Filler Bunny, and he is currently directing a music video for Mindless Self Indulgence and working on several other projects both in and out of the comic book industry. (Courtesy of SLG) BRIAN K. VAUGHAN Brian K. Vaughn has become one of the top writers in comics through his work on such successful comics as Runaways, Swamp Thing, and SpiderMan/Dr. Octopus. The co-creator/writer of the Eisner Award–nominated VERTIGO series Y, The Last Man, Vaughan currently writes Ultimate X-Men and the new Wildstorm hit Ex Machina, as well as Y. JIM WARREN Starting oﬀ as the publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland in the late 1950s, Jim Warren jumped

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Bill Willingham

headﬁrst into the comics world in 1964 with the publication of Creepy. He began utilizing a stable of outstanding artists, essentially resurrecting the horror comics genre, and eventually went on to add Eerie and Vampirella to his line, as well as bringing Will Eisner’s The Spirit back into active publication. *BILL WILLINGHAM Bill Willingham has been writing, and sometimes drawing, comics for more than twenty years. During that time he’s had work published by nearly every comics publisher in the business and he’s created many critically acclaimed series, including Elementals, Coventry, Proposition Player, and Fables. Along with Fables, Willingham currently writes Robin and the miniseries Day of Vengeance. His work has been nominated for many awards, including the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz comic industry awards and the International Horror Guild award. Willingham lives somewhere near a good poker room. (Courtesy of Vertigo) MARV WOLFMAN This year marks the 25th anniversary of the New Teen Titans comics series and the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Inﬁnite Earths, both of which were written by Marv Wolfman. Comic-Con Update got Wolfman together with George Pérez for a reunion of sorts, and you can read it on page 27.

THE TITANIC

TWOSOME Marv Wolfman and George Pérez Celebrate 25 Years of The New Teen Titans at Comic-Con International!

In 1980, everyone was looking for change. DC Comics was experiencing a slump in sales, and fans were interested in seeing their superheroes embark on more complex adventures. Meanwhile, on the creative side, author Marv Wolfman wanted to move away from writing two-man team-up books like World’s Finest and The Brave & The Bold, while artist George Pérez was interested in leaving Marvel Comics for DC. Wolfman figured that by creating his own comic he’d find his opportunity, so he approached DC editor Len Wein, whom he’d worked with on the Teen Titans in the late 1960s, and pitched his take on The New Teen Titans. Problems solved? Not quite. “We pitched it to [then President] Jenette Kahn, who wasn’t all that thrilled, because she didn’t really like the previous version,” explains Wolfman. “To which we said, ‘We’ll do it better.’” Kahn agreed to give them a chance, and Wolfman set about finding an artist to solidify the deal. He came across Pérez, who was known for working on team-oriented action books, but Pérez had other aspirations. “The only reason I said yes at all was because I was interested in doing the Justice League of America,” laughs Pérez. “I said if I could do an issue or two of the JLA, I’d do Titans.”

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George Pérez

Marv Wolfman

Most of DC’s new titles were being cancelled after six months so everyone assumed The New Teen Titans would be destroyed by poor sales faster than Brother Blood could ever hope to accomplish. But fans immediately ﬂocked to the multifaceted characters, intricate artwork, and pulse-pounding plotlines that elevated Wolfman and Pérez’s “Justice Little League” beyond what was currently being published. Soon the title was rivaling the X-Men books at Marvel—indeed, the companies eventually published an epic crossover starring the two teams— and DC’s fortunes began turning around. Today, the Teen Titans have seen a dramatic resurgence, with an animated series on Cartoon Network, a best-selling comic written by Geoﬀ Johns, and toy lines based on the team’s various incarnations. But none of those beloved characters would be saving the universe at all if it weren’t for Wolfman and Pérez’s success 25 years ago, which is why ComicCon International is celebrating the Titans’ anniversary at this year’s convention. We took a moment with this dynamic duo to discuss their early work and the elements that turned a group of teen heroes into comic book legends. Comic-Con International: Unlike most team books at that time, Titans took great pains to focus on the characters’ everyday lives as well as their adventures. MARV WOLFMAN: You need the real life to make the hero life that much more special, [and] my belief is that Stan Lee got it right in the very beginning. Peter Parker had a real life and you cared more about the supporting characters than you did about

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Spider-Man’s villains, as good as some of them were. I felt that we were getting away from that, and thought that comics needed to be grounded [like they] had been in the ’40s and ’50s. CCI: That grounding affected other books, particularly the Batman titles with Dick Grayson’s transformation from Robin into Nightwing. How did that come about? MW: From the very beginning I was interested in making all the Titans stand on their own, so I had been aging Dick Grayson intellectually as well as physically, and George had visually turned him into a young man as opposed to a young boy. At the same point in the Batman books, their feeling was that Robin needed to be young, [but] because Titans was the number-one book, I convinced them that they should create a new Robin and let me keep Dick Grayson. That was the reason for the change into Nightwing. GEORGE PÉREZ: The name Nightwing was already used in the Superman/Jimmy Olsen stories, but it was such a good name that Marv and I settled on it because we couldn’t think of anything better. One of the things I did do, which I don’t know if Len [Wein] agreed with, was giving him a deep plunging V-neck. I’m a firm believer [that because] we do a lot of cheesecake in comics that a little beefcake was definitely in order. Nightwing had an enormous female following who loved him as Robin, I guess it must have been the bare legs, so I had to compensate for the fact that I was covering up his legs and gave him a little more chest. So the Robin Rooters, which were the names of the Robin groupies, became Wing Nuts.

CCI: What’s it like seeing these characters brought to life as an animated series? MW: I’m thrilled and I love the show. What I really like is that they found their own take the same way George and I did when we came onto Titans. By having it so far off and yet at the same time having Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and all the villains—and I’d say 95% of those villains are characters created by George and me or by me after George left— it’s a thrill because they’re finding new ways of doing what we had done, and they’re doing it with respect. CCI: This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the miniseries that revamped the DC Universe. Did that come about because of Titans? MW: No, Crisis was something that conceptually goes back to when I was a kid. I always wanted to see all the characters get together but I didn’t have any storylines. Years later I [got a letter] from a fan saying DC continuity makes no sense, and I said something like, one of these days we need to fix this. That afternoon, while waiting to go to a convention, the idea came. [DC] had not been thinking of this at all. CCI: Did the idea of drawing almost every character in the DCU intimidate you? GP: No one has ever accused me of saying, “Oh my God, I can’t do this!” [he laughs] I always wanted to do a lot of characters and as many costumes as I could. When I heard about Crisis on Infinite Earths I said I would love to draw it. Suddenly it upped the ante for them because now it was with somebody who could do a more complicated story and who wouldn’t try to find the easy way out. On the contrary, I would find the hardest way to do a scene in order to put more information on the printed page. CCI: How do you each think the other person’s work has influenced the comic book industry as a whole? MW: George was the first person, I believe, who really worked at giving characters completely different body types and body language. If you had silhouettes of all of George’s characters you could tell who they were even if they were dressed in different clothing simply by the way they stood. Secondly, George’s absolute love for the material, for doing comics, just came through like nobody’s business. This was not somebody who did it as a profession and had gotten staid with the material. It was not boring, it was constantly exciting because

George was constantly excited about doing it. I think that really reflected on the next generation of comics [artists]. GP: I think Marv has proved that you can be intimate and earth shattering at the same time. One of Marv’s greatest gifts is his handle on characterization. He was able to do it so successfully, not only on a team book like Teen Titans, which had essentially seven lead characters, but even on a book like Crisis on Infinite Earths where you had hundreds of characters. It’s the same thing in comics as it is with movies. We sometimes lose sight of character-driven stories in exchange for a lot of flash and bombast, and I think if people reread some of the [comics] that Marv and I worked on together, even now, they see that there was a great love for the characters [and that] ends up producing a far better story. And there never can be enough good stories in comics. And speaking of good stories, Wolfman and Pérez are finishing a New Teen Titans graphic novel that they began back in 1987; in addition, Wolfman just published a new novelization of Crisis on Infinite Earths in April. You can find out more about their history together as well as upcoming projects at this year’s Comic-Con International.

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KEEPING THE

WHEEL OF TIME

TURNING Robert Jordan Brings His Best-Sellers to Comic-Con International in 2005

Robert Jordan is the author of 23 books, including the internationally best-selling Wheel Of Time cycle. In this series, The Path of Daggers, Winter’s Heart, and Crossroads of Twilight reached number one on The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers’ Weekly, and The London Times best-seller lists. Knife of Dreams, book eleven in The Wheel Of Time, is scheduled for release in October 2005, and a comic book adaptation of New Spring: The Novel is being produced by Roaring Studios in conjunction with Red Eagle Entertainment. Jordan enjoys hunting, ﬁshing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting, and he says he intends to continue writing until they nail shut his coﬃn.

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We contacted him at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, to ask him some questions about his writing career. COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: For those who don’t know, can you tell us what the Wheel of Time is all about? ROBERT JORDAN: In a world that never was, a world that exists both in our future and in our past, a young man is born who is prophesied to be the savior of mankind in a battle against The Dark One. The prophesy says that he will be a man who can channel The One Power, [but] in this world it isn’t women who are limited in some ways it’s men, because if a man tries to channel The One Power he will go mad and die of a rotting sickness. Before he dies, [however], he will be a madman who can tap into the power that turns the Wheel of Time and drives the universe. So it’s not something you want. This is a prophesy of someone who is going to save the world and break it at the same time. That is the ﬁnest thread of what is going on here. It’s [also] the story of three young men and three young women, and the three young men and one of the women are from a very small place in the country, the Back End of Beyond. So they begin as true Candides trying to make their way in a world that seems completely strange. It’s a story of the clash of civilizations, of nations undergoing change faster than anybody wants, trying to control the change, trying to stop the change, trying to ride the change, [and for some] trying to use the change. CCI: How does a man with a background in physics, whom the U.S. government employed as a nuclear engineer, decide that he wants to become a major fantasy writer? RJ: Well, simple, when I was 5 I wanted to be a writer, but by the time I was 9 or 10 it seemed to me that you couldn’t make a living writing and I thought I would fall back on my second love: science and mathematics. Then when I was 30 I tore up my left knee very badly; there were complications from the surgery, I almost died, and I decided it was time to get on with [writing]. CCI: When you started Wheel of Time, did you intend for it to become a major series? RJ: Did I intend it to be a best-seller? Good God, no. I thought, I’m going to write the best book I can

Robert Jordan photo by Jack Alterman

and we’ll see what happens. I thought it was going to be five or six books, and I realized by the time I finished The Eye of the World that I didn’t know how many [books] it was going to be. I was very nervous about that, because it’s almost a 700-page hardback, it’s not a small book, and with each succeeding book I would realize that I hadn’t gotten as much of the story into the book as I had wanted to. I’ll tell you, when I realized [with the upcoming] Knife of Dreams that I could, indeed, do everything I wanted in two more books, I got up and did a little dance. CCI: So you’re ready for a new project? RJ: Oh, yes. I’ve already signed a contract for it, a three-book deal with Tor for a series called Inifinity of Heaven. CCI: When you’re at Comic-Con this year will you be giving us any tidbits on Knife of Dreams or this new series? RJ: I don’t like to spoil things for people. I think my fans would say my favorite response to questions is RAFO—which is something that was created on the [fan] websites—it means Read And Find Out, which is what I used to tell them when they’d ask something that was going to be coming up in one of the future books. CCI: Why don’t you have your own official website? RJ: There are so many fan sites that it seems redundant for me to put up something. On top of that, it would take time. After breakfast I sit down and start writing. I’m supposed to stop for lunch. I generally remember that I should have stopped for lunch about four in the afternoon because I’m really focused on the writing. At six I stop and go into the house to help my wife get dinner together. I normally do this seven days a week. Now, because I do it seven days a week, I’m willing to take any day off that I want to go fishing or play golf. But having said that, last year I went fishing three times and played golf once. If I’m in the boat and I’m not playing a fish, I find myself thinking, Why am I here? Why am I not at my desk writing? And I like fishing. CCI: But you like your work too. RJ: I do, I do. Comic-Con International is honored to have Robert Jordan as our guest, and you can find out more about him and his work at the 2005 show.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO

MAKER G

THE

MAGIC OF

A Look at Ray Harryhausen’s Animated Life The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Jason and the Argonauts. Clash of the Titans. These aren’t titles known only to hardcore fans—they’re the classic movies that students study and learn from in film history classes throughout the world. These films have ignited imaginations and have inspired numerous modernday directors, writers, and special effects artists to enter the film industry. And none of these classics would have had such an impact without the wizardry of that master of stop-motion photography, Ray Harryhausen. Inspired at age 13 by Willis O’Brien’s King Kong, Harryhausen was considered the quintessential special effects guru for over four decades. Indeed, Harryhausen’s name still holds an incredible amount of influence, and he has been approached to work as a consultant on director Rob Cohen’s latest project, The 8th Voyage of Sinbad starring Keanu Reeves; however, his representatives confirm that as of Comic-Con Update’s May deadline, no deal had been put into place. That said, Harryhausen is far from resting on his laurels. Last year saw the publication of his autobiography, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life, while in early 2005 he released the two-DVD set, Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection. We recently spoke

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with Harryhausen about his life and work from his home in London. COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: Do you realize that your name is all over the Internet? RAY HARRYHAUSEN: (laughing) Really? I’m not connected, so I don’t know. I don’t want to be connected. That all confuses me. CCI: How can someone who created so many special effects not like technology? RH: It’s not that, it’s just that it’s so complicated. When you’re over 65, your memory isn’t quite what it used to be. CCI: Well, let’s talk about the past for a minute. How did you and a young Ray Bradbury and Forrey Ackerman meet? RH: We connected through King Kong. I saw [it] at Grauman’s Chinese [in Hollywood] when it first came out, and I haven’t been the same sense. For some reason that film just swept me off my feet. Some years later I saw this replay of Kong and I saw these beautiful 11 x 14 stills out in the foyer. I asked the man who ran the theater if I could borrow them to photograph because they were inspirational to me, and he said they belonged to somebody called Forrest Ackerman. So he gave me the number, I called him, met Forrey, and he kindly loaned me the stills. Then he told me about this science fiction meeting in the little brown room at Clifton’s Cafeteria [in downtown Los Angeles]. That’s where I met Ray Bradbury.

CCI: If your book covers the details of your life, is this new DVD set a visual history of you career? RH: Yes. Before I started in features I made six fairy tales on 16mm, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences recently restored them because they were quite old. They’re all on the DVD along with a number of other things: my early work, experiments with 16mm, and the second disc has interviews with a lot of people and a reunion with Forrey, Bradbury, and myself at Clifton’s. So get a big bag of popcorn when you see it and it will last for about four hours. CCI: Were the fairy tales contracted by a company? RH: No, I did them on my own. I had 1000 feet of unopened Kodachrome that the navy threw out because it was about six months over of date. I retrieved it from the junk pile and stuck it in my garage for another three or four months. Finally I decided to try and make some tests on it and, low and behold, it was okay. The color came back beautiful. CCI: What made you think of doing stop-motion animation? RH: Well, it fascinated me. I didn’t know how it was done when I saw [King Kong], but over a period of six months there were articles in magazines, some mis-

leading, and over the years I started experimenting in my garage with 16mm. I made little animals out of wood, armatures, covered them with rubber, and it took a long time. It wasn’t just “eureka” over night. CCI: Do you see movies now-a-days? RH: No, I seldom do. They’re not my cup of tea. They forget the story and it’s just a series of eﬀects or one violent situation after another. I think the last pleasing thing I saw was Jurassic Park or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Of course, Lord of the Rings, I did see some of them. They were very impressive. I understand Peter Jackson is doing his interpretation of King Kong with CGI, and it should be good because he loves the ﬁlm as much as I do. We’re kindred souls in that respect. (He laughs.) CCI: Before calling you, we asked friends if they had any questions they wanted is to ask you. But across the board they didn’t have questions, they just wanted us to say, “Thank you,” for your work. RH: Well, it was a pleasure. I’m one of the lucky few who got to do something they really loved right from the beginning. Ray Harryhausen is a featured guest at the 2005 Comic-Con International.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO

UNDERSTANDING

WEB-COMICS Writer/Artist Scott McCloud Explains All

LEFT: A panel from McCloud’s web-comic, Monkey-Town. RIGHT: Self-portrait by Scott McCloud

Scott McCloud ﬁrst came onto the comics scene as the writer/artist of the 1980s series ZOT! for Eclipse Comics. He went on to gain attention both within and outside the comics ﬁeld with his groundbreaking Understanding Comics, a book in comics format in which he explored and explained comics as a valid art form. McCloud followed this book with Reinventing Comics, and his new book Making Comics, is being published in 2006. Now McCloud is breaking new ground as a leading proponent of web-based comics. But don’t think that the name implies simply clicking your way through the latest Fantastic Four adventure. A whole new area of cyberspace is being colonized by innovative creators today. McCloud took a couple minutes to chat with us about his work and about this exciting new medium.

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Comic-Con International: What made you think that Understanding Comics needed to be written? Scott McCloud: I had been trying to figure out how comics worked for as long as I’d been making comics, and the idea of putting that knowledge into comic book form seemed [obvious]. I started taking notes as early as 1985/86, and by 1991 that file folder was so heavy it was tearing off its hooks. So I thought, Okay, it’s time to make a book. Understanding Comics traveled quite a bit [after that] ,but it simply had to be done and I’m glad I did it. CCI: What are the sequels about? SMcC: Reinventing Comics is about the external life of comics, the different ambitions people had had for comics over the years and how [they] tried to move comics forward. Making Comics is for Harper/

Collins [and] this time I’m talking about it with an eye toward the art of actually doing [comics] as a profession, as a craft, and especially I’m focusing on the unique aspects of comics storytelling, the sort of things you need to think about before the pen even hits the page. That’s extremely exciting, and it’s something that applies equally to print comics and web comics. CCI: Such perfect transition! Tell us, what are web-based comics? SMcC: Most terms, even pretty early in their life, will sprout a couple of alternate definitions. Plenty of people feel that “web comics” refers to any comic that appears on the web regardless of its purpose or origin. In a somewhat more narrow sense, the word is sometimes used to describe comics that are specifically intended for the web, or even comics that are designed to take advantage of the web’s unique capabilities and could only exist on the web. I think that the last instance is something that’s important for us to explore, but there’s plenty of exciting, wonderful work being done on the web that could also function in print. CCI: Talk about the community of web comics creators. SMcC: They are in communication with each other all the time, competing with each other, seeing each other’s work and trying to better themselves on a daily basis. Any one of the men and women making comics on the web could probably tell you what any of the other ones had for breakfast because they’re all reading each others’ blogs. It’s like a 24-hour, 365-day convention with all the good parts and none of the irrelevant stuff. It’s just an [amazing] scene, and the level of creativity, especially in the most recent freshman class—the 25 and under set—is astonishing. You can see a lot of them on display in the Flight anthology, which was edited by Kazu Kibuishi (www.flightcomics.com) and came out at [Comic-Con International] last year. The second issue [came out in April 2005]. CCI: But how can web comics compete when they’re not like other books? A clicking mouse

isn’t really the same thing as holding paper in your hand. SMcC: We come to associate the pleasures of reading stories with whatever device delivers it to us, and if that’s a handful of flat, dead, wood pulp, then we’re going to romanticize that kind of delivery. It’s like the way the smell of popcorn can make you think of motion pictures, but you shouldn’t confuse the smell of popcorn with the essence of what cinema really is, which is the art of moving images. I think we probably have some young readers of comics who have already come to associate the click of a mouse or the tapping of a keyboard with the experience of reading comics. At the heart of it all, it’s just a very simple idea of putting one picture after another, and that’s the comics that will never go away, and that’s the comics that I love. All the rest of it is just a sideshow, ultimately. CCI: Anything that’s surprised you about the genre? SMcC: Who would have thought that one of the contributions of the [Internet] might have been to actually increase the level of warmth and community in comics? This is something that people don’t necessarily associate with technology, but that’s the plain, irrefutable result of the last five years. The bonfire that people gather around in comics is burning brighter than it ever was, and the love, fellowship and collegiality of comics professionals in that environment is like nothing I’ve ever seen. These are life-long friends and colleagues, and it’s an incredibly supportive environment. I’ve seen very little rancor, very little of the bitter competitiveness that we see in other places, and one of the reasons is because people’s creative urges are not frustrated by banging on the door to [publish their work]. Anyone can get in. Their work is either embraced or politely ignored, but nobody can be forbidden to be part of that scene. Anyone’s work, no matter how strange or innovative, will be available for those who want to see it, and that’s really great. You can find out more about Scott McCloud and webbased comics at www.scottmccloud.com and during the 2005 Comic-Con International.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO

A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N

AWESOME EXHIBITORS! Want to get a jump on which Exhibitors will be in the hall at ComicCon? Here’s a conﬁrmed list as of mid-April.

A Commitment To Our Roots A Mystic’s Garden A-1 Comics, Inc. a.k.a Comics A&G Comics ABISMO/ Nerve Bomb About Comics Abstract Studio, Inc. Academy of Art University Acme Archives Limited Action Figure Xpress Active Images & Comicraft Activision c/o Ignited Minds Neal Adams Transcontinuity AdHouse Books Adult Swim Adventure Retail /Atlas Games AiT/Planet Lar AK Entertainments Inc. Akibaotaku Albert Moy Artworks Alcatraz High Alderac Entertainment Group AlexRossArt.com Alias Enterprises Alien Entertainment Company All Star Auctions Allen Spiegel Fine Arts Altair-4 Collectibles Alternate Universe Amazing Adventures American Association of Comic Book Collectors (AACC) Andrews McMeel Universal Animation World Network, Inc. Anime Depot Anime Pavilion Anime Wild/Toyza AnimeEd.com Animeigo, Inc. ANIMEPLAY Antarctic Press Anthony’s ComicBook Art

Anti-Ballistic Pixelations Ape Entertainment Applehead Factory dba Teddy Scares Arcana Studios, Inc. Archaia Studios Press Art Asylum The Art Institute of California ArtWithDesigns ASIFA - Hollywood Aspen MLT, INC. Atomic Art & Music Austin Leather Works Backbone Entertainment Bag of Chips Kyle Baker Publishing Bandai Entertainment, Inc. Bare Bones Studios Basement Comics BBI/Merit and Dust/Merit Beckett Comics Beckett Media LP Bedrock City Incorporated The Behemoth bennettblacklight.com Beyond Time Comics Big Wow Art Bijou Bill Cole Enterprises Billy Galaxy Black Gold Comics & Graphics Black Velvet Studios Blambot Comic Fonts + Lettering Bleeding Edge Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Bloodﬁre Studios Bolt Gallery, Inc. Bongo Comics Group Booty Babe Art /100 MEOW! Bored Inc., Miss Mindy & CJ Metzger Broccoli Books/Synch-Point Broken Saints Brom Bud Plant Illustrated Books Buena Vista Games Bunky Brothers Bob Burden Productions Jim Calaﬁore/Mark McKenna/ Banana Tail/ Mike McKone Ben Caldwell Celia Calle /Albert Ruiz California Comics California Hot Shots Cards and Comics Central Cartoon Art Museum Cartoonists Across America Cellar Door Publishing Central Park Media Century Media Records CFQ Media Chessex Manufacturing Chimera Publishing Choice Collectibles Chronicle Books Cinemachine, Inc.

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Circus Punks Ciruelo - Fantasy Art Claypool Comics Coastline Comics Cobblestone Books Coheed & Cambria - Evil Ink Collectibles Insurance Agency Comic Book Legal Defense Fund The Comic Cellar Comic Collector Shop Comic Gallery Comic Heaven Comic Madness Comic Relief Comic X Comic-Central.com Comicage.com Comicbase/Atomic Avenue Comicquest Original Art Comics Buyer’s Guide Comics Conspiracy Comics Guaranty, LLC (CGC) Comics-N-Stuﬀ Comiculture/Mad Science Media ConDor Conventions

Conjecture IV Conspiracy Productions Consumer Systems Company Cool Lines Art/ Creative Interests Agency Cool Stuﬀ/Reel Art Craig Elliott Gallery Crazy Cat Comics Critterbox/Baseman Crusade Fine Arts, Ltd. Crystal Caste CrystalEtching.com Curious Labs, Inc. Curtis Broadway D.F. Productions Dale Roberts Comics Dan Bois Graphics Dark Horse Dayfree Press DC Comics Bill Deegan Del Rey Books/Random House

Design Studio Press Devil’s Due Publishing Diamond Comics Distributors Digital Disks Digital Manga Publishing Digital Webbing Disney Consumer Products Disneyland Disney Publishing Worldwide Don’t Eat Any Bugs Productions Donato Arts Drawn & Quarterly Dreamwave Productions Dreamworks Animation Dreamworks S.K.G.—Transformers Drunken Master Duirwaigh Gallery & Publishing Dumbrella echobasetoys.com Electric Eye Electric Spaghetti Electric Tiki Design, Inc. Electronic Arts Elmore Productions, Inc. Emily the Strange Endless World The Entertainment Art Academy Entertainment Earth Epic Proportions Conrad Eschenberg Eva Ink/Suydam Studios Evergrow, Ltd. Ewik & Mayamo Exhibit A Press Eye Candy Goods Fantagraphics Books & Eros Comix FantAsia Toyz Fascination St. Gallery Felix, Grunn & Sadler Fetish-Realm.com & Hope Works Fx Film Threat The 501st Legion Forbidden Planet International Forgotten Treasures Fossil FrankenRhine/Asylum Press Friends of LuLu FunCore Comics Funko Inc. Gagne International Game Signs.Com Garstar Cards Gen Con LLC Geneon Entertainment Genesis West Gentle Giant Studios, Inc. Gettosake Entertainment Gianni Illustration Giant Robot The Gift GiftsBySmallFry.com God The Dyslexic Dog GoDaddyO’s Comic Book Hideout

A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N Good Duck Military Art Graham Crackers Graphic Collectibles Graphitti Designs Grimm Grotto Goods Haberlin Studios/Avalon Studios Gary Ham/ Dean Yeagle/ Scott Tolleson Ham Entertainment Comix Happy Pencil Happy Tree Friends Harley Yee Rare Comics Hasbro, Inc. HASH, INC. Heavy Metal Rich Henn/Club 408 Graphics Hermes Press Heroes Heroes & Dragons Heroic Fine Art Gallery Heroic Publishing, Inc. HighGradeComics.com Hoarse and Buggy Productions Hollywood Book/Poster Co. Hollywood Comics Holzheimer’s Distribution Honeck Sculpture Hot Wheels House of Anime/J Pop House Hungry Tiger Press/Eric Shanower Damon Hurd/Rick Smith Hurricane Entertainment Hutchison Books Hydraulic Leg, Inc. IDW Publishing Illusive Arts Entertainment, L.L.C. Imaginosis Imperium Comics Indy Island/Cold Cut Inkworks Insight Studios It’s A Chick Production, L.L.C. J-List Jamie Graham Jane’s World Janesko Fine Art Jay Company JC Collectibles JHV Associates Jim Balent’s Broadsword Comics John Knight Comics & Magazines Jones Bones Joyride Entertainment Julio’s Collectibles Kaiju Big Battel Keenspot Entertainment Khepri Comics/ Khepri.com Kidrobot, Inc. Kinokuniya Bookstores Linda Knight KOCCA Komic Company Konsequential Studios Kookie Enterprises Koops Comics Kotobukiya Co. Krankin Komix

Kurt S. Adler Kwoon La Luz Comics/Douglas R. TenNapel Inc. LA Williams’ Law Art Last Gasp Lazy Bonz, Inc. Lee’s Comics Lego Systems, Inc. - Star Wars Steve Leialoha Leith Adams Movie Posters Lewis Galleries Lightspeed Fine Art, Inc. Lions Gate Films Little Cartoons Aaron Lopresti/Terry Dodson Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society LucasArts Lucasﬁlm, Ltd. Luminous Mad Creator Productions Mad Yak Press, LLC Maerkle Press Major Comics Mammoth Art Supply Man of Action, LLC Manga Entertainment Mark’s Non-Sports Cards Marrs Media, Inc. Marty Hay Comics Master Replicas Inc. Mattel Maverix Studios Maximum PC McFarlane Toys McMann & Tate Media-Blasters Angel Medina Mercury Studio Metropolis Collectibles, Inc. Mezco Toyz MGM Studios Midway Games, Inc. Mile High Comics Modern Tales Monogram International The Monument Project Moonstone Morse, Mahfood, Huddleston, Seda Motor City Comics, Inc. MP Collectables Mu Press/Carnal Comics Muttscomics.com MVP My Back Pages Mysterious Galaxy Ted Naifeh Naked Fat Rave National Cartoonists Society National Training Institute NBM Publishing NC Soft Neat Stuﬀ Collectibles NECA NEKO Press Dave Nestler Pin-up Art Neth Comics New England Comics, Inc.

Nichibei Anime Nickelodeon NightmareToystore.com Nintendo of America, Inc. Nite Owl Comix Novaris Entertainment OffWorld Designs Omega Books OneSickIndividual Oni Press Overdue Media Ozone Productions, LTD. Palisades Toys Paper Gallery Papercutz Paramount Parks Sabers, Inc. Party Partners Peanuts Pencilism Penguin Group (USA) Penny Arcade Pix Poster Cellar Play Magazine Playground Maniacs Pocket Books Popular Naughty Poster Pop, Inc. Posterparty.com Eric Powell Powerful Press Privateer Press Profiles in History Protech Products Inc. Quality Comix LLC/ Howard’s Rare Comics Radio Comix Inc. Rak Graphics Ravenwing Wearable Art The Rebel Legion Red Eye Press Red Tango Redbeard’s Book Den Region Free - Japan Artist Network Rising Sun Anime RJP-Pro/SupertechnoArts Robert Beerbohm Comic Art Stephanie Roberts - Faerie Queen Creations Robot Publishing Co Rock America/Screw Loose Toys Rocket World Rogue Creations/Ever Laughter Rotten Cotton Graphics Rubies Costume Co. Steve Rude Ruppel Wakefield Ruth Thompson’s Tarnished Images Sabertooth Games/ BL Publishing Saizon/Stikfas Stan Sakai Salt Peter Press/ Caveman Robot San Diego Comics San Diego Film Festival Sarka-Navon Design/Montalbano Illustration

Schanes Products Scheiman’s Comix Scholastic, Inc. Sci Fi Channel Score Entertainment Scott Eder/Comicbookart.com Scott Hudlow Comics Sea International Company SEG, LLC Senti-Pin USA SG-Command.net Shocker Toys LLP Shooting Star Comics, LLC Sideshow Collectibles Sigh Co. Graphics Jim Silke/Hot Chocolate Silpak, Inc. Silver Age Comic, Inc. Six Guns Sketchbooksessions.com Slave Labor Graphics Sony Computer Entertainment America SOTA Toys Soundtrack Southern California Comics SOZ Studios Space Debris, Inc. Sparkplug Comic Books Spidey’s Web Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation SQP Inc. SSS Comics.com Starbucks Stickman Graphics Willam Stout, Inc. STRANGEco Streamline Illustrations Street Legends Ink Terry Stroud Stuart Ng Books Studio Foglio LLC Studio G Stuﬀe & Nonsense Stylin’ John P Suarez/Jay Bejot Summertime Comics Sun Magico Inc. Super 7 Superworld Surf City Comix

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A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N Surger of Power Enterprises, LLC The Sword and the Stone Tartan Films Terminal Press TerriSoppRae.net Terry’s Comics Michael Thibodeaux Things From Another World The Those Guys THQ Thrill Books Tofu Records TOKYOPOP Tony Raiola Too Much Coﬀee Man/Adhesive Press Top Cow Productions Top Shelf Productions, Inc The Topps Company, Inc.

Tower Records ToxicToons Toy Hungry Toy Tokyo Toynami Inc. Traingle Cards Tranquility Base Treasures of Youth/Supercon Triangle Cards Troma Entertainment, Inc. 21st Century Toys, Inc. 2 Red Rabbit Films TwoMorrows Publishing Tyrell Corporation UCC Distributing Ultimate Collectible Experience, The Upper Deck Entertainment Urban Ministries, Inc.

Van Eaton Gallery Vanguard Productions Versatile Fashions Vicious Circle Project Viper Comics Viz, LLC Wandering Star (Gary Gianni, Mark Schultz) Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC Weatherly Studio - Gnass Studios What’s Hot Comics & Cards William Wu Wizard Closet Wizard Entertainment Wizards of the Coast Wizkids, Inc. Wonderful World of Animation

World’s Best Comics & Toys www.haloweentownstore.com www.killertoys.com X-Treme Toys Xipster Yamato USA Dave Yaruss Yes Anime, Inc. Willow Zarlow Zeleznik Illustration

JOIN COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL’S LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY (LADIES AND) GENTLEMEN Without a doubt, the real heroes of Comic-Con International are the volunteers. They’re the crew that not only keeps this massive ship running, but also help prevent it from crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Last year, over 1,200 folks answered CCI’s cries for help, and because 2005 is shaping up to be another big year, we could use your services, too! You can volunteer from one to four days—it’s up to you! You are expected to help out for about 3 hours out of a day; the rest of the time you’re free to crawl the convention walls as much as you’d like. The volunteers coordinators will do their best to accommodate your schedule. WHY SHOULD YOU VOLUNTEER? Because with great power, comes great responsibility… Oh wait, wrong hero. Because it’s an awesome show and you get some really cool perks, too! •Free entrance to the convention! That means no waiting in line, and extra cash to spend. •Super troopers who complete four shifts get a free volunteer T-shirt. Not sold in stores, this shirt allows fellow convention heroes to spot you while in your secret identity. And the super bonus? •If you pre-register to volunteer you’re invited to attend Preview Night! That’s early admission to check out the massively cool Exhibit Hall before the general public. •And ask former volunteers, some of their best friendships were formed while working at CCI! HOW CAN YOU VOLUNTEER? Pre-registration forms are being accepted through June 18, 2005. To secure a form or obtain more info, contact the Volunteers Department via mail, fax, or e-mail (volunteers@comic-con.org) or by marking the appropriate space on the Multipurpose Form in this booklet and mailing it. You can also download everything you need at www.comic-con.org. And yes, you can register onsite—just make the Volunteer Desk your first stop when landing at the Convention Center. But remember, without preregistering there will be no Preview Night for you. So rip off that reporter’s suit, bust out of your clothes while turning green, spin in an explosive circle, and tap your cane into a magical hammer because now is the time for action!

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A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N

CHECK OUT COMIC-CON’S ATTENDING

PROFESSIONALS These professionals from comics, animation, ﬁlm, and related ﬁelds had signed up to attend Comic-Con as of early March. Note that the list doesn’t necessarily include pros who are exhibitors or who are appearing courtesy of their publishers. Many more names will be added, so be sure to stop by www.comic-con.org for updates closer to the convention.

Ted Abenheim Pete Abrams Arthur Adams Jim Alexander Donald Allen Alan A. Amaral Gary Amaro Lopan Amor Della Anderson Kathy Anderson Bryan Andrews Matthew Angorn John Aoshima Sergio Armendariz Erik Arreaga Manuel Arreaga Edward Artinian Cameron Austin Brian Azzarello

Thomas D. Bacho Corey J. Baham Frank Balkin Gary Barnum Nick Barrucci Maureen Beatty Jerry Beck Sara Beeves Ryan Behnke Mary Bellamy Dori Belmont Ed Benes Joe Benitez Joe Bennett David Berge John Berman Amy Berner Todd Bishop Shane Bitterling Jake Black Jersey Black Chris Blackwood Bill Blair Phil Bloom Colby Bluth Jorge Bobadilla Jr. Joe Boeing Craig Boldman Wm. DeWayne Booker Stephen Borasch Aaron Borjas

Rick Bowman Becky Boxer Michael Boyce Jay Kuya Brandenburg Enrique Braxton May Scott Brick Gabe Bridwell Johnny A. Briedis Brett Brinson Kevin Paul Shaw Broden Jim Brooks Eric Brown Reilly Brown Ron Brown Raymond Buckalew Bear Burge Jamie Burton Shon C. Bury Adam Byrne Thomas Byrne

Chiara Caballero Dominick Cabalo Daryl Cagle Jennifer Calbi Barry Caldwell Celia Calle Ben Camberos Urbina Patrick Canning Christopher C. Canole Joe Caporale Philip J. Carbonaro Robert Cardoso Christine M. Carmichael Sean Carolan Frank Caruso Irene Char Aman P. Chaudhary Richard P. Chavez Hong Cheng Matthew Cherniss Joyce Chin Fabian Chow Brett W. Chronerberry Phebe Chronerberry Randy Chua Ian Churchill Leif Clark Ron Clements Scott Cohn Steve Collins Debra Colvin Darwyn Cooke

Joe Comstock Christopher Cook Christopher Moonlight Mark Coon Coop Don Coscarelli Steven Cote Erik Courtney Steven Cragg Gregg “Ace” Crockett Alan Cross Carlos Jose Cruz Aguilera Gilbert Cuevas Jesse G. Cunningham Lowell Cunningham

Alex Dai Kyle Dakota Ben Dale Farel Dalrymple Scott Dalton Joseph M. Damon Drew Daywalt Brad De Moss Greg DeCuir Jr. Magdiel DeLeon George O. DeLorenzo Pierre-Andre Dery Albert Deschesne Jason Diaz Mariano Diaz Sean Dicken Ron E. Dickinson Anthony Diecidue Jonathan Diesta Andy Dill Greg DiMase Garrick Dion Frank Dixon Djief Tony Donley Michael Dooley Mark Drop Dub Steve Dubb John “Judgeman” Dugan Ed Dunning Suzy Dyer John Dymer Wes Dzioba

Scott Easley Caroline Egan Bernhard Eichholz Eric T. Elder Scott E. Elder Tom Ellery Matthew Ellis Jim Emmerson Steve Englehart Eric Erdek Maximo Escobedo Kenneth Estes Brian Eun Mark Evanier Holly Evans Khari Evans Scott Evans

Mark Farquhar Andrew Feinstein Mitchell Ferm Pascual Ferry Fink James A. Fino Seth Fisher Sean Fitzgibbon Julia M. Fitzmaurice Peter Flanagan Paul Fletcher Harbell Flustre Dr. John L. Flynn Andrew Foley Tom Ford Joshua Franks Guido Frazzini Manzano Frederic Rayel Friesen Gabe Frimmel

Dana Gabbard Sean Galloway Tom Galloway Dave Garcia Silvia Garcia Keven Gardner Geoﬀ Garrett Scott Gearin Grant Geissman John Gervais

Dave Gibbons Ford Lytle Gilmore Henry Gilroy Dana Ginsberg Stephanie GisondiLittle Sam Glanzman Angela Glasby Steve Gold Kristy Gomes Jorge Gonzalez Diana Goodwin Johnny Granado Steven Grant Lennie Graves Charles E. Gray Mike Gray Kevin Grazier Timothy Green II Eric Greene Rick Greene Michael Greenholt Amber “Glych” Greenlee Kevin Grevioux Jason Grode Miguel A. Guerrero

Steve Haas Erin Haggerty Rie Hagihara Aaron Hamilton Kenneth R. Hamlin Cully Hamner Bob Hanon Christina “Smudge” Hanson Kirk Hanson Eric Harms Marcus Harris Marlan Harris Ramey Harris Chris Hart Maryelizabeth Hart David Hartman Dean Haspiel M. Leander Hasty Richard Hatch Chris Hawkes Cutter Hays Richard Hays Tabitha Heidkamp Michael Hemmingson Dale Hendrickson

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Chris Hepler Jeanie Herger Virginia Hey Laura Hickman Tracy Hickman Christopher Higginson Louis Hirshorn Jason Hite Garrett Ho Tom Hodges Michael Hofacre Erin Hoﬀman Jason Hoﬁus Marty Holthaus John Hom Kevin Hopps Kraig Horigan Karen Horne Michelle E. Houle Kirsti Howell Michael Huang Hunger Paul Hungerford Jonathan H. Hussey Dennis Huynh

Kenneth Ibrahim Peter Ignacio Bob Ingersoll Marty Isenberg

Jane Jacobs Matt Jacobs Collin Jacques Robert James Tiﬀany James Mulele Jarvis Matthew I. Jenkins Geoﬀ Johns Barbara N. Johnson Dave Johnson Cherie Jomoc Leif Jones Scott Jorden

Annie Kaprelian Bart Kaufman Tedd Keith Dov Kelemer Malaki R. Keller

A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N Michael Kelley Joseph Kelly Michael M. Kelly Tom Kenny Ian Kerner Irwin Keyes Paul Kidd Ingin Kim Juvaun Kirby Kyle Kleefeld Todd Klein Steven Kloepfer Kevin Koch John Kohlbrenner Brian Kong John Kong Eleni Konstantinopoulos Scott Kraft Scott Kramer Earl Kress Kyle Kulish Jon Kurohara

Steve Laﬂer Kenzie LaMar Michelle Lander Courtney Lane Kevin LaNeave Batton Lash Lynn Lau Paul Lau Shaunn Lawrence Michael Lazzo Bill Leach David Lee Lenny Lee Young Lee Josh Lesnick Mark Lewis Gregory Little Gordon Liu Glen Llorin Colin Lorimer Michael Ludy Robert Luedke Brandon Luyen

Jimmy Ma Rich Ma Andy MacDonald Sharon Mack Anwar Madrigal Stacy Maes Bernard Mahe Gustave Mahe Russ Maheras Faisal Mahmud Steven D. Mahoney Timothy Mahoney Guy Major Yukon Makoto Dennis Mallonee Eugene Mandelcorn Greg Mannino Cindy Marcus Marvin Mariano

Jeﬀ Mariotte Barbara Marker Jay Marks Heather Martin Jason Martin Steven Martin Mark Masterson Gramm Matthew Todd Maugh Mike May Jerry McAﬀee Eric McAvoy Bruce McCorkindale Scott McCullar Bryce McDougall Ron McFee Betsy McGowen Shadow W. McKenna Brandon McKinney Sean McNally Darrell ‘Big D’ McNeil Lawrence McQuaide Lisa Melcombe Kelly Mellings Charlene Mendenhall Mark Merlino Stacy Meyn Matt Micone Joshua Middleton Yoseph Middleton Ashley Edward Miller Harris M. Miller II Jim Miller Kurt Miller R.J. Mino Tom Misuraca Debby Mitchell Jim Mitchell Bart Mixon Bret Mixon Troy Molander Paul Molnar Michael Moore Vincent Moore Steve Morris Doug Morton Lori Morton Adrian R. Mosco Phillip Mosness Francis Moss Paul Moya Shannon Muir Kevin Andrew Murphy

Ken Nakata Dan Nakrosis Suriya Nasir Victor Navone John Patrick Nelson Ernesto Nemesio Louise Nemschoﬀ Rachel Nevins Justin Newberry Jennifer Newman Malane Newman Randall Ng Nicholas J. Nicolella Michael G. Nielsen Tim Niver

Gregg W. Noon Justin Norman Chris Norpchen Ronny North Susan Notarides Philip Noto Nutopia Tom Nuzzalo

Brian O’Neal Rod O’Riley David Olbrich Santosh Oommen Joseph Orrantia Phil Ortiz Rob Osborne John Ott

Troy D. PackRat Augie Pagan Dan Panosian Tintin Pantoja Thom Parham Joseph Park Sam F. Park Robert Mark Pavlovich Stan Pawlowski Don Payne Michael H. Payne Albert C. Pena Brandon Perlow Rochon Perry David E. Peters Brandon Peterson Bryan Petyan Stephen John Phillips John Picacio Kathy Pillsbury WIlliam Pinney Fran Pinney Christine Pinto David Pipgras Billy Pittard Tom Pniewski John Polwrek Andrew C. Post Eve Powell-Orio Fedel Preudhomme Roger A. Price Shane Prigmore Ruben Procopio Chris Provinzano Edward Pun

Phillippe Queveau

Eryq Ram Pablo Ramos Nik Ranieri Jeﬀ Ranjo Charles Ratteray Aimee Ray Joshua Ray

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Jeﬀ Rector Alan Regan Ivan Reis Dave Reyes Claudio Riba Jamie S. Rich Mark Richmond Tom Richmond Ford Riley Enrique Robledo Mitchell Roche Scott Rogers David D. Ross Josef Rother Rudy Rozales Greg Rucka Paul Runyan Solomon Russell

Johnnie Saiko Stan Sakai Paul J. Salamoff Angel Salinas Louis Scarborough Bill Schelly Christopher Schenck Warren Scherffius Marc Schirmeister Richard Allen Schleifer Laurent Schmidt Daisy Lee Schofield Matthew Schofield David B. Schwartz Dan Scott Richard A. Scott Julie Ann Scznesny Steven T. Seagle Marc Selz Yuriko Senoo Todd Severin Reuben Shah Susan Shannon Herman Rashad Sharaf Monica Sharp Joshua James Shaw Scott Shaw! Dave Shelton Jenny Shen Shawn Sheridan Timothy Shields Denise Shimabukuro Joe Shoopack David Siegel Lilly Silbert Steven Simon George Singley Erik Simenis Annie Skiles Robert N. Skir Roger Slifer John Smallwood-Garcia Andrew Smith James Smith JD Smith Mel Smith Michael A.S. Smith Needham Smith Terrie Smith Ira Sokoloff

Eugene Son Ryan Sook David Spears Matt Spencer Joe Spicer Robert Spina Sigbjorn Stabursvik Oliver Stacubli Alison Star Locke Pete Stathis Aimee Major Steinberger Brian Stelfreeze Mark A. Stevens Duval J. Stowers John Stracuzzi Dennis Strand Ward Sutton Arthur Suydam Peter Svab Bill Swartz Brian Swenlin Kenneth Swift Jeﬀerson Swycaﬀer

Paul Tallerday Tom Tataranowicz Mark Tavares B. K. Taylor Crystal Ann Taylor Sean Taylor Carolyn Tejirian Christopher Thomas Brett Thompson Eldon Thompson Matt Thompson Raphael Tiberino Shannon Tindle Arturo Toledo Anthony Torella Tim Tran Peter Tumminello

Bill Ulbrich Edwin K. Ushiro

Brad Vancata Nadine Vander Velde Donna Vanderhye Vera VanGuard Salvador Vazquez Tony Vella Shelley Venemann Maiya Verrone Patric M. Verrone Debbie Viguie Antelmo Villarreal Charles Visser Neal Von Flue Peter Von Sholly Jonathan Vos Post

Jeﬀrey Wachs

Doug Wagner Wendy Belt Wallace Mark Walton Joseph Watson David B. Webb Jr Tom Webb Paul Wee Euralis Weekes Matt Weinhold Margaret Weis Marlowe Weisman Robert Weisman Darien Welch Brad West Sean Wicks Alfred M. Williams Freddie E. Williams II J.H. Williams III John Williams Michael Williams Robert M. Williams Wally Wingert Judd Winick David Winstead Renee Witterstaetter David Wolter Sammy Wong Perry Woo Frank Woodward Jason M. Woodward Howard Woolfolk Micah I. Wright Bill Wylie

Phillip Yates Richard C. Ybarra Karen Yin Alex Young Stan Young Leif Youngquist

Rodrigo Q. Zafe, Jr. Robert W. Zailo Richard Zajac Al Zequeira Marc Zicree

A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N

THE PRINCIPLES OF

PORTFOLIOS Comic-Con International’s Portfolio Review is the must-hit spot for aspiring professionals because this is their chance to have editors and art directors offer feedback, critiques, and in some cases, work. And while these reviews are old hat to certain attendees, many more are making their first moves and need to learn the ropes. “You can be the best guy for the job, but if you’re not good at getting your name out there, you’re not going to work,” says Andrew Pepoy, a 15-year veteran inker who moderates the annual “Professional Networking” panel at CCI. “It’s basic common sense in most cases,” he says, “but as I tell people in the seminars, if there’s even one thing I give you that you haven’t thought of, maybe that’s the thing that will help get you the job.” Here, then, is Pepoy’s prep list for visiting the ComicCon International Portfolio Review. 1. Be prepared. If you make a good impression in those first few seconds, the reviewer is going to pay a lot more attention to what you’re doing. That means making sure that what you’re showing them is prepared and ready to go, because they’re not going to have a whole lot of time. 2. Keep it neat. Having a portfolio helps. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something you can easily lay in front of the editor or art director and they can flip through. If you just have a stack of pages, they’re going to get messed up over the course of the day. 3. Start at the top. Place your best pieces up front; if they want to see more, have a few extra pieces, but don’t overwhelm them. 4. Okay? No way! Don’t show stuff you think is just okay. A lot of guys will show me their portfolios, they’ll have two great pages and then they say, “Here’s something I did two years ago.” Only show the best. There’s no real magic number for how

many pieces but they’ll be able to tell from 4 to 7 good pages. If they want to see more, they’ll ask.

5. Show variety. Don’t just have Captain America punching someone in the head over and over. Have people walking down the street, some cars, traffic, buildings, and then all of a sudden the Red Skull attacks. That way you’ve shown you can do something other than fight sequences. 6. Make it “To Go.” Have a sample packet with a cover letter and business card so that if the editor shows interest, you can leave that with him. He’ll remember you, and you’ve also left him a way to get back to you. If it’s going well, ask him for his card. 7. Network 24/7. Extend your network while standing in that portfolio line. Talk to the people around you, find out what kind of luck they’ve had at other review tables, who’s looking at what, who’s looking for what. Start trading suggestions and swapping cards, because you never know where that tip is going to come from that’s going to land you a job. 8. Be polite. Even if the editor or art director you’re talking to is a huge jerk, even if you don’t agree with anything he’s saying about your work, even if you think he’s completely wrong, don’t start arguing. Just nod your head and say, “Okay, thank you for your suggestions,” shake his hand, and politely leave. There’s nothing that can make a worse impression on the guy reviewing portfolios at the next table—where you’re going to be in line next—if you are arguing with the guys you’re showing your work to. I’ve seen people shoot themselves in the foot over and over again because they argue. Ready to make your move? The Portfolio Review is located under the Sails Pavilion, and you’ll find a complete schedule and list of participating companies in the onsite Events Guide or at www.comiccon.org. Interested in learning more about networking? Come to Andrew Pepoy’s Thursday session at the 2005 Comic-Con International.

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AN AMAZING INSTALLATION CCI’s 2005 Art Show Grows Again Few areas intermingle professionals and fans in as unique a way as the Art Show. Located in the Sails Pavilion, the Art Show displays everything from oil paintings and watercolors to three-dimensional art pieces such as jewelry, puppets, sandstone etchings, masks and more; basically, anything that can be displayed is welcome within this hallowed space, and wandering through this installation is a welcome respite from the frenzy that ﬁlls the convention halls. What also makes the Art Show so exciting is that many of these works are for sale by silent or voice auction, or through certain pieces marked for quick sale. Bidder numbers and art show information can be obtained from the administration table inside

the Art Show. You must be 18 years of age and have legal identiﬁcation to purchase artwork, and payments may be made with cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. As an added feature, the Art Show also displays nominated items for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, as well as having a special section devoted to the Will Eisner Awards Hall of Fame inductees. Hours of operation and auction times are available in the Events Guide. Interested in showing your work? Visit the Art Show link at www.comic-con.org or turn to the Multipurpose Form on page 56, mark the Art Show box, and mail it in.

GIVE US YOUR BLOOD! In the early 1970s, famed science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein had a life-threatening illness and needed many pints of a rare blood type. He felt he owed his life to the donors, and from that point on he stated that he would only attend conventions and sign autographs for people who donated blood. This was how CCI’s relationship with Heinlein began, and for 29 years we’ve honored this great writer through the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive. The 2005 event will be held Friday July 15th and Saturday July 16th, from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM in the Convention Center. To give blood, you can sign up at the Blood Drive booth in the Convention Center lobby. BONUS! Besides contributing to a great cause, you’ll receive a T-shirt and bag of goodies donated by our generous exhibitors. BIGGER BONUS! You’ll also be eligible for a raffle of special prizes, which will be on display at the Blood Drive booth. Drawings are held at the end of each day’s drive, the winning numbers will be posted at the Blood Drive booth. Prizes will be available at the Freebie Table until Sunday at 4:00PM. TOO BUSY AT COMIC-CON? You can donate prior to the convention by visiting the San Diego Blood Bank and designating your donation to Comic-Con International. Save that receipt, because you can get the same benefits as onsite donors when you present it at the Blood Drive booth. Remember, stored blood lasts only a short while, and with the various tragedies of 2004 it has become more important than ever to keep the blood banks stocked. So take a couple minutes out of your weekend and give one of life’s greatest gifts.

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CHILDCARE MADE EASY Babysitting is Child’s Play with KiddieCorp and CCI We love our children—we really do—but sometimes it would be nice to sit in Hall H and enjoy the many Hollywood preview panels without having that little one tugging on our pants leg and asking why we can’t return to the Sony Playstation booth and play video games for another four hours RIGHT NOW! <Sigh… Okay, inhale with us . . . Deeeep breeeathing . . . Good. Very good.> Fortunately, KiddieCorp is here to save the day. A long-time presence at Comic-Con International, KiddieCorp is committed to providing your children with a comfortable, safe, and happy experience. They provide ageappropriate activities that include daily themes, arts and crafts, group games, music and motion, board games, story time, dramatic play, and much more. Heck, it’s so much fun you’ll be tempted to hang out there yourself . . . but only tempted. KiddieCorp does provide snacks and beverages, but parents must supply all meals, as well as diapers,

baby formula, and a change of clothes if necessary. KiddieCorp’s hours fit with the daytime Comic-Con schedule: Wednesday – 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM Thursday through Saturday – 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Sunday – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM KiddieCorp’s fees are also kind to your pocketbook: Children 3 months to 2 years: $9 per hour if pre-registered, $11 per hour if registered onsite; children 3–12 years: $7 per hour if pre-registered, $9 per hour if registered onsite. To enroll a giblet in this program you must fill out a childcare registration form and a childcare consent form. You can obtain these forms through the CCI office, on the website www.comiccon.org, or directly from the KiddieCorp program manager at 858-455-1718 or comic@kiddiecorp.com.

Artwork © Steven K. Thompson, 2002

FREEBIES! FREEBIES! FREEBIES! Take it from this young attendee: freebies are fun! And nowhere can you find more cool stuff than at the Freebie tables in the Sails Pavilion. Last year companies donated posters, buttons, flyers, videos, T-shirts, bags, comics, and other great treasures. New items and special giveaways are constantly added, so check back throughout the weekend and score big! WHEN: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Thursday through Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday

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A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N ATTENDING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? CHECK OUT DISABLED SERVICES The Disabled Services Department has a long-standing tradition of assisting attendees with special needs so that they can fully enjoy themselves at Comic-Con International. These friendly fans provide: • A rest area for the disabled, the elderly, and expectant or nursing mothers. • Wheelchairs for the mobility impaired, which are available for loan in 3-hour increments, on a first-come, first-served basis; simply present your photo ID and a $20 cash deposit. • Assistance with special seating for programming events and the Masquerade; please let Disabled Services staff know in advance. • American Sign Language interpreters for the hearing-impaired. WHERE: Disabled Services is located in the Convention Center lobby. WHEN: 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM Thursday and Friday 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM Sunday

LOOKING FOR SOME GROG AND VITTLES? Whether you’re Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of merry mates or just a regular fan seeking some solace, you’ll find soft drinks, munchies, and your fellow convention rascals in the Con Hospitality Suite. But hear this, ye ripe ruffians! This isn’t some buffet for you to ransack in the wee hours, so don’t come lookin’ to pillage! For that y’can feast yourself silly at any of the fine downtown dining establishments. Got it? Good! The Hospitality Suite is located near the film rooms at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and be open 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM, Thursday through Saturday. Check the Events Guide for where X marks the spot.

SCORING BIG AT PREVIEW NIGHT! Do you dream of hitting Comic-Con International’s massive Exhibit Hall before all those other fans? Would scoring the Events Guide early make your weekend planning so much easier? Well, turn those visions into a reality through CCI’s exclusive Preview Night! DATE: Wednesday, July 13 TIME: 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM HOW: Preview Night is open only to pre-registered 4-day members and industry professionals. There will be no onsite registration available during Preview Night, so if you want in on this supercool perk, check out page 48.

LOOKING TO FILL THOSE HOLES IN YOUR COLLECTION? Fans get ﬁrst-dibs on all the deals during Comic-Con International’s Preview Night.

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A R O U N D • T H E • C O N V E N T I O N ARTIST’S ALLEY Check out who’ll be setting up shop in this special area of the Exhibit Hall!

All the excitement and majesty of Final Fantasy is brought to life in Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy. Presented by the San Diego Symphony Summer Pops, this spectacular evening will feature composer Nobuo Uematsu’s epic score as images from Final Fantasy are projected above the audience. If you’re looking for a unique experience, this one is definitely worth checking out. Thursday, July 14, 8:15 PM Embarcadero Marina Park South (not far from the Convention Center) Although this is not a Comic-Con International program, Comic-Con attendees receive $5 off regularly priced tickets. Call the San Diego Symphony box office (619-235-0804) and mention Comic-Con International, or use discount code 3759 on the Symphony’s website (www.sandiegosymphony.com). The San Diego Symphony is a nonprofit 501c3 organization.

AUTOGRAPHS! AUTOGRAPHS! AUTOGRAPHS! What are all those people standing in line for under the Sails Pavilion? That’s Comic-Con International’s Autograph Area, where last year top comics professionals, writers, artists, and more held court alongside classic TV stars and movie personalities. Many of the convention’s panel participants and special guests also make the Autograph Area the place for meeting and greeting their fans. Check www.comic-con.org for some advance announcements of signings, and be sure to pick up the Events Guide at the show for a more complete list.

Jason Alexander Gary Amaro Brent Anderson David Barron Donna Barr Thomas Baxa Moose Baumann Scott Beneﬁel Lee Bermejo Patrick Block Shelly Block Tim Bradstreet Ron Brown James Bryson Matt Busch Buzz Zander Cannon Richard Case Paul Chadwick Sean Chen Matthew Clark Tommy Coker Joe Corroney Tommy Castillo Walt Davis Sue Dawe Thomas Denmark Frank Dixon Jan Duursema Randy Emberlin Glenn Fabry Jason Felix Ramona Fradon Tom Fowler Rich Friend Jon Foster Randy Gallegos Dave Garcia Ale Garza Rick Geary Roberta Gregory D. Alexander Gregory Chris Giarrusso Michael T. Gilbert Sam Glanzman Al Gordon Mick Gray Peter Gross Rebecca Guay Paul Guinan David Hahn Matt Haley Bo Hampton Tony Harris Russ Heath Chachi Hernandez Gabe Hernandez Sandra Hope Adam Hughes Matt Hughes Jeremy Jarvis Eric Joyner Michael W. Kaluta

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Karl Kesel Leonard Kirk Scott Kollins Rich Koslowski Peter Kuper Jim Lee Mike Lilly Ron Lim Barbara Marker Chis Marrinan Gary Martin Randy Martinez Angel Medina Monte Moore Jeff Moy Phil Moy Terese Nielsen Steve Oatney Patrick Oliffe Jason Palmer Jeff Parker Dan Parsons James Pascoe Ken Penders Joe Phillips R. K. Post Ron Randall Jordan Raskin Bill Reinhold Darrel Riche Roger Robinson Ed Roeder Brian Rood Duncan Rouleau Paul Ryan Michael Ryan Stephen Sadowski Tim Sale Alex Saviuk Stuart Sayger Jarrod Schifilett Brandon Schifilett Gregg Schigiel Terry Shoemaker Howard Simpson Ted Slampyak Arthur Suydam Angela Talbot Durwin Talon Mark Texiera Ben Thompson Heather Theurer Bleu Turrell Jerry Vanderstelt Cyril Van Der Haegen Mike Vosburg Matt Wagner Russell Walks Sean Wang John Watkins-Chow Weebl Leo Winstead Chuck Wojtkiewicz Pete Woods Rebecca Woods Eric Wright Bernie Wrightson Thomas Yeates

EISNER AWARDS THE 2005 NOMINEES HAVE ARRIVED The submissions were gathered and the nominees announced for the 2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which honor the industry’s best and brightest talents based on works published in the previous year. Voting ballots have now been sent to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers, and the results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 18, in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center; attendance at the Eisner Awards is open to anyone with a Comic-Con badge. (For a full breakdown of the Eisner Awards, visit www.comic-con.org.) 2005 Eisner Awards Nominees (for 2004 publications) Best Short Story “Eve O’ Twins,” by Craig Thompson, in Rosetta 2 (Alternative) “Glenn Ganges: Jeepers Jacobs,” by Kevin Huizenga, in Kramer’s Ergot 5 (Gingko Press) “God” (story on wrap-around dust jacket) by Chris Ware, in McSweeney’s Quarterly #13 (McSweeney’s) “The Price,” by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli, in Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books) “Unfamiliar,” by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (Dark Horse Books) “Where Monsters Dine,” by Troy Hickman, Angel Medina, and Jon Holdredge, in Common Grounds #5 (Top Cow/Image) Best Single Issue (or One-Shot) Demo #7: “One Shot, Don’t Miss,” by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/ Planet Lar) Eightball #23: “The Death Ray,” by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics) Ex Machina #1: “The Pilot,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC) Global Frequency #12: “Harpoon,” by Warren Ellis and Gene Ha (WildStorm/DC) The Goon #6: “Ilagarto Hombre!,” by Eric Powell (Dark Horse) Best Serialized Story Astonishing X-Men #1-6: “Gifted,” by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel) Ex Machina #2-5: “State of Emergency,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC) Fables #19-27: “March of the Wooden Soldiers,” by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC) Planetary #19-20: “Mystery in Space/Rendezvous,” by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (WildStorm/DC) Y: The Last Man #18-20: “Safeword,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC) Best Continuing Series Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel) Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC) The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse) Stray Bullets, by David Lapham (El Capitan) Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

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Will Eisner

Best Limited Series DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC) Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar) 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow, by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith (IDW) WE3, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC) Wanted, by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones (Top Cow/Image) Best New Series Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel) Doc Frankenstein, by the Wachowski Brothers and Steve Scroce (Burlyman) Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC) The Shaolin Cowboy, by Geof Darrow (Burlyman) Best Publication for a Younger Audience Amelia Rules!, (Renaissance Press) and Amelia Rules! What Makes You Happy (iBooks) by Jimmy Gownley Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, by Ted Naifeh (Oni) Owly, by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)

Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC) Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image) Best Humor Publication Angry Youth Comix, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics) Birth of a Nation, by Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, and Kyle Baker (Crown) The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse) Kyle Baker, Cartoonist, by Kyle Baker (Kyle Baker Publishing) Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC) Best Anthology Common Grounds, by Troy Hickman and others, edited by Jim McLauchlin (Top Cow/Image) The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, edited by Scott Allie (Dark Horse Books) The Matrix Comics, vol. 2, edited by Spencer Lamm (Burlyman) McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, edited by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s) Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, edited by Diana Schutz and David Land (Dark Horse) Best Digital Comic (new category for 2005) Athena Voltaire, by Steve Bryant www.athenavoltaire.com Copper, by Kazu www.boltcity.com/copper_home.htm Jonny Crossbones, by Les McClaine www.evilspacerobot.com/ comics/jonnycrossbones/index.htm Mom’s Cancer, by Brian Fies www.momscancer.com/eisner.htm ojingogo, by matt forsythe www.comingupforair.net/comics/ ojingogo.html Best Graphic Album—New Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks) It’s a Bird . . ., by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen (Vertigo/DC) The Originals, by Dave Gibbons (Vertigo/DC) Suspended in Language, by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis (GT Labs) Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image) Best Graphic Album—Reprint Age of Bronze: Sacrifice, by Eric Shanower (Image) Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books) The Book of Ballads, by Charles Vess and others (Tor) Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly) In the Shadow of No Towers, by art spiegelman (Pantheon) Locas, by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics) Best Archival Collection/Project The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker, edited by Robert Mankoff (Black Dog & Leventhal) The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics) DC Comics Rarities Archives, vol. 1, edited by Dale Crain (DC) Krazy and Ignatz, edited by Bill Blackbeard and Derya Ataker (Fantagraphics) Russ Manning’s Magnus, Robot Fighter, vol. 1, edited by Katie Moody, Mike Carriglitto, and David Land (Dark Horse Books) Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima, vols. 1-2, by Keiji Nahazawa (Last Gasp) Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks) Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical) Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon) Tokyo Tribes, by Santa Inoue (TOKYOPOP) Best Writer Steve Niles, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow; 30Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales; Aleister Arcane (IDW); Freaks of the Heartland; Last Train to Deadsville (Dark Horse) Greg Rucka, Queen & Country (Oni); Gotham Central (DC) Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel) Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel) Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist Paul Chadwick, Concrete: The Human Dilemma (Dark Horse) Dan Clowes, Eightball #23 (Fantagraphics) David Lapham, Stray Bullets (El Capitan) Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse) Adrian Tomine, Optic Nerve #9 (Drawn & Quarterly) Best Writer/Artist—Humor Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing) Phil Foglio, Girl Genius (Airship Entertainment) Scott Kurtz, PvP (Image) Eric Powell, The Goon (Dark Horse) Johnny Ryan, Angry Youth Comix (Fantagraphics) Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team Charles Adlard, The Walking Dead (Image) John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC) Geof Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman) Cary Nord/Thomas Yeates, Conan (Dark Horse) Frank Quitely, WE3 (Vertigo/DC) Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art) Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad, Book 2: Arctic Nation (iBooks) Teddy Kristiansen, It’s a Bird . . . (Vertigo/DC) David Mack, Kabuki (Marvel) Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (IDW) Michael Zulli, Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books) Best Coloring Peter Doherty, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman) Steven Griﬀen, Hawaiian Dick: The Last Resort (Image) Laura Martin, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Ministry of Space (Image); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC) J. D. Mettler, Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC) Dave Stewart, Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America (Mar vel); Conan, BPRD (Dark Horse); DC: The New Frontier (DC) Best Lettering Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong’s Terriﬁc Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse) Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse) Dave Sim, Cerebus (Aardvark Vanaheim) Craig Thompson, Carnet de Voyage (Top Shelf); “Eve O’ Twins” in Rosetta 2 (Alternative) Best Cover Artist Kieron Dwyer, Remains (IDW) James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC) Tony Moore, The Walking Dead (Image) Frank Quitely, Bite Club; WE3 (Vertigo/DC) Michael Turner, Identity Crisis (DC) Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition Frank Cammuso (Max Hamm, Fairy Tale Detective) Bosch Fawstin (Table for One) Matt Kindt (Two Sisters; Pistolwhip) Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place; Mary Jane; Inhumans; Sentinels) Raina Telgemeier (“Smile,” Takeout) Best Comics-Related Periodical Comic Art, edited by M. Todd Hignite (Comic Art) Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf) Draw!, edited by Mike Manley (TwoMorrows) Indy Magazine online (www.indyworld.com), edited by Bill Kartalopoulos (Alternative) Best Comics-Related Book The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse Books) Chris Ware, by Daniel Raeburn (Monographics/Yale University Press)

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MEET THE JUDGES Here are some observations from the judges of the 2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. (from left to right) Tom Russo (writer, Entertainment Weekly, Premiere): “The industry will probably point to, say, Brian Bendis’s absence from this year’s list of nominees as proof of the silly vagaries of the nominating process. But really, that’s just an indicator of how many tough calls were involved in the judging. You had great talents continuing to do great work—Brian Vaughan and Eric Powell come to mind—but then you had Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan doing a standout book like Demo. Many categories were agonizingly diﬃcult to decide.” Katharine Kan (graphic novel librarian and reviewer): “The Eisner judging weekend was one of the most intense yet fun times I’ve ever experienced. The other judges were true gentlemen, very knowledgeable and passionate about comics. We debated the merits of various titles and creators, but everyone respected the viewpoints of each other.”

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO

Steve Conley (cartoonist/webmaster, Astounding Space Thrills, comicon.com): “It was a real thrill to take part in this year’s nomination process and I couldn’t be happier to have helped get digital comics their own category in the awards.” Tom McLean (writer, Variety, “Bags ‘n’ Boards” blog): “Judging the Eisner Awards was more satisfying and fun than I dreamed it would be. It was a diﬃcult task evaluating so much material, and there were some really hard choices to make. But the judges all happily took on this very serious responsibility and the ﬁnal result is one that I think we are all very proud of.” Gib Bickel (retailer, The Laughing Ogre, Columbus, Ohio): “After participating as a judge in the Eisner awards, I’m impressed with how fair they are. No process is perfect, but the Eisners truly try to be.” If you’d like to read the judges’ unabridged quotes, check out www.comic-con.org.

Give Our Regards to the Atom Smashers, edited by Sean Howe (Pantheon) Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books) Strangers in Paradise Treasury Edition, by Terry Moore (HarperCollins Perennial) Best Publication Design The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, designed by Cary Grazzini (Dark Horse Books) Clyde’s Fans, designed by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly) The Complete Peanuts, designed by Seth (Fantagraphics) In the Shadow of No Towers, designed by art spiegelman (Pantheon) McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, designed by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s) Hall of Fame Judges’ Choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo Voters will select four from: Matt Baker Wayne Boring Nick Cardy Yves Chaland Gene Colan Johnny Craig Reed Crandall Floyd Gottfredson Frank Hampson Graham Ingels Robert Kanigher William Moulton Marston Hugo Pratt Frank Robbins

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International: San Diego. Jackie Estrada has been administrator of the Awards since 1990 and can be reached at jackiee@mindspring. com.

SUPER SPONSORS! Sponsors for the 2005 Eisners include mycomicshop.com (major sponsor), Diamond Comics Distributors, Isotope and Quebecor Printing (principal sponsors), and Alternate Reality, Atlantis Fantasyworld, Comic Relief–The Comic Bookstore, Comics Unlimited, Flying Colors, and Star*Reach (supporting sponsors).

AWARDS! AWARDS! AWARDS! Each year Comic-Con International: San Diego is the site of a number of awards presentations. In 2005 most of these presentations take place on Friday night in Ballroom 20 at the gala Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony, which is open to all CCI attendees with a membership badge. Among the awards to be announced at this year’s Eisner ceremony are: • The 17th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, with celebrity presenters (see the list of nominees beginning on page 41).

• The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award, given to outstanding comics retailers who promote the comics medium and are active in their communities. • The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, presented by CCI and the West Coast Comics Club in memory of writer/artist Russ Manning (Tarzan, Star Wars), who died in 1982. • The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by CCI to an individual who exemplifies the humanitarianism of animator Bob Clampett, a Comic-Con favorite who died in 1984. • The Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, a brand-new award to be presented by the judging committee chair and originator of the award, Jerry Robinson. • The Friend of Liberty Award, presented by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to recognize and honor outstanding efforts by those in the comics community in support of the CBLDF and its goals. This year’s Eisner Awards evening is dedicated to the late Will Eisner and will include both filmed and in-person tributes to him. Will’s widow, Ann, will be in attendance. Comic-Con International also presents its own special awards, the Inkpots, which have been given out since 1974. The Inkpots will be conferred to outstanding individuals for lifetime achievement in their fields at various programs throughout Comic-Con. Check your onsite Events Guide for the names of the 2005 recipients as well as the times and locations of the awards presentations.

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GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK! WITH CCI’S PRE-REGISTRATION

Attending Comic-Con International is super-simple. You can just show up at the Convention Center and stand in line to register onsite, or you can maximize your time by registering in advance. Pre-registration grants you entrance into the Exhibit Hall during Wednesday’s Preview Night and saves you some of that all-important green! How does it work? Check out the Multipurpose Form on the next page. It shows prices, discount cutoﬀ deadlines, and other important information. Fill it out and fax or mail it in. It’s that simple. What about one-day memberships? One-day pre-registration memberships are available, but only on-site or through the CCI website, www.comic-con.org. When can I pick up my badge? Registration hours for Comic-Con 2005 are: Wednesday July 13: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday July 14 through Saturday July 16: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM Sunday July 17: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

What will I need when I arrive? Bring your confirmation receipt and photo ID. You’ll receive your badge, badge holder, Souvenir Book, and Events Guide. What’s the cut-off? Purchase memberships by June 8 and you save $10 off the at-the-door rate. Can’t make that deadline but still want to avoid the lines? Full-price registrations will be accepted until June 20. And as always, pre-registration memberships are transferable or refundable until June 20. Anything else? No memberships are sold on Preview Night (Wednesday, July 13), so only those attendees who have pre-registered for a full 4-day membership can gain admittance to this exclusive evening.

REGISTER ONLINE You can register for all four days, or any one day, online. Please go to www.comic-con.org for more information.

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED: Our team rocks at getting attendees into the convention, but save yourself the hassle by pre-registering for Comic-Con today!

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HOW DO I GET THERE??? Feel like you’re in The Land of The Lost? Unfortunately, we don’t have any magic pylons to mark the way home, but we do have some handy directions and bits of advice if you’re heading toward San Diego.

San Diego Convention Center 111 West Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101

FROM THE NORTH Drive South on Interstate 5. Take the Front Street exit. Continue on Front Street until you hit Harbor Drive and turn left. Take Harbor Drive to Convention Center Place. FROM THE SOUTH Drive North on Interstate 5. Take the Cesar Chavez Parkway exit and turn left. Follow Cesar Chavez Parkway to Harbor Drive and turn right. Take Harbor Drive to Convention Center Place. FROM SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (Save yourself the headache! Take a cab, or shuttle service, or ﬁnd out if your hotel has an airport shuttle.) Still want to drive? Leave the airport parking lot and follow signs to I-5/Downtown. The ramp will put you onto Harbor Drive going South. Take Harbor Drive to Convention Center Place. Need more help? Have to meet someone in the city and don’t know your way around? •The San Diego Convention Center (www.sdccc.org) has a lot of essential maps and information. •Chart out your trip with Yahoo (http://maps.yahoo.com) and Mapquest (www.mapquest.com).

•Tune in to 1620 AM. This is the Convention Center’s radio station and it provides updates on daily traffic and parking for the Center. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Traffic is stressful. Parking is murder. Take public transportation to the convention and give yourself a break! Metropolitan Transit System www.sdcommute.com San Diego’s trolley and bus lines are some of the best in the country, and they bring you right to Comic-Con’s doorstep. This site offers all the schedules and stop locations. North County Transit District www.gonctd.com The North County Transit District operates the Coaster train, which brings travelers from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Sorrento Valley and Old Town right to a few blocks from the Convention Center. Amtrak www.amtrak.com The train station is only a few blocks from the Convention Center. The Pacific Surfliner route goes up the California coast and train travel is a breeze. PARKING ANYONE? Don’t park downtown. Seriously. Park somewhere like Mission Valley and take the trolley to the Convention Center. You’ll be happy and want to buy us pretty gifts to say, “Thanks.” Still determined? Fine, here are some websites.

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Downtown San Diego www.sandiego.gov/eventsparking A great starting point for transportation and parking info. Gaslamp www.gaslamp.org/location.php More parking info, but the site also contains write-ups on restaurants and navigating through the downtown area. Plus, we constantly update our own website with useful tidbits about parking, so visit www.comic-con.org.

SHUTTLE SERVICE Another way to conquer your parking problems are by taking advantage of Comic-Con International’s free shuttle service. These buses run between various convention hotels and the Convention Center, so your best bet is to stow your car at a structure away from the Convention Center and shuttle in. You won’t have to deal with the traffic or finding parking downtown, and after a long day of walking the Exhibit Hall you’ll enjoy having someone else chauffer you away. A complete route list and schedule will be on the transportation section of our website (www.comiccon.org) closer to the event, and in the free onsite Events Guide.

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PARKING MAP

Parking CCP Convention Center parking is $8 per day.

Trolley stops TD Amtrak Santa Fe Train Depot

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HOTEL AT-A-GLANCE CHART Hotel

Distance to

Shuttle 1 Bed/1 person 1 bed/2 people sgl rate

Convention Center

dbl rate

2 Beds

3 people

4 people

Parking Per Day

twin rate

tpl rate

quad rate

(Subject to Change)

500 West

7 blocks

YES

$74.00

$84.00

n/a

$20 self

Bristol Hotel

7 blocks

YES

$140.00

$150.00

$170.00

$190.00

$18 self

Courtyard by Marriott Downtown

9 blocks

YES

$169.00

$179.00

$189.00

$22 valet

Embassy Suites

5 blocks

YES

$175.00

$185.00

$205.00

$225.00

$20 valet

Hacienda Hotel Old Town San Diego*

4 miles

Trolley

$133.00

$18 self

Hilton Gaslamp

Across street

YES

$192.00

$212.00

$232.00

$21 valet

Holiday Inn on the Bay

13 blocks

YES

$152.00

$167.00

$182.00

$18 self/$22 valet

Holiday Inn Select San Diego*

4 miles

Trolley

$119.00

$5 self

Horton Grand

3 blocks

YES

$169/$229

$189/$249

$209/$269

$20 valet

La Quinta Inn Old Town*

4 miles

Trolley

$129.00

Free

Manchester Grand Hyatt

2 blocks

YES

$175.00

$200.00

$225.00

$20 self/$28 valet

Marriott Gas Lamp Quarter

2 blocks

YES

$189.00

$209.00

$219.00

$239.00

$22 valet

Omni San Diego

Across street

YES

$189.00

$199.00

$219.00

$239.00

$22 valet

Radisson Harbor View

13 blocks

YES

$140.00

$150.00

$160.00

$12 self

San Diego Marriott Mission Valley*

4 miles

Trolley

$132.00

$142.00

$152.00

$10 self/$17 valet

Sheraton SD Hotel & Marina*

1/2 mile

$184.00

$194.00

$204.00

$15 self/$20 valet

Sheraton Suites

10 blocks

YES

$140.00

$150.00

$170.00

$190.00

$20 valet

Staybridge Suites Riviera

10 blocks

YES

$159/$179

n/a

$159/$179

$15 self

W San Diego

6 blocks

YES

$269.00

$279.00

$299.00

$319.00

$29 valet

Westgate

7 blocks

YES

$169.00

$189.00

$209.00

$229.00

$15 self and valet

Westin Horton Plaza

6 blocks

YES

$154/$169

$164/$179

$184/$199

$204/$219

$19 self/$25 valet

Wyndham Emerald Plaza

8 blocks

YES

$149.00

$159.00

$169.00

$179.00

$24 valet

ALL HOTELS HAVE LIMITED AVAILABILITY, PLEASE CALL THE COMIC-CON TRAVEL DESK FOR MORE INFORMATION .

Note: * Hotels not serviced by shuttle routes do not charge shuttle fees. While most hotels on the list are on shuttle routes hotels added in the future may not be. Please check with the Travel Desk. Hotel rates for hotels with shuttle routes include a $5 per night reimbursement to Comic-Con to help defray shuttle costs. San Diego city blocks are small compared to other cities and take 2-3 minutes to walk. Important Information (Please read carefully) All reservations require an advanced deposit equal to one night’s room and tax. Deposits can be made by credit card, check, or money order. The hotels will process advance credit card deposits on June 2, 2005. *Deposits are non-refundable beginning July 3, 2005. Reservations made after July 3, 2005 will require the deposit at the time of booking. The deposit is non-refundable. To Make Reservations Make reservations online at www.comic-con.org or by phone at 1-877-555-COMIC (1-877-552-6642) or 212532-1660, M-F 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST. To make changes/cancellations: Call the Comic-Con Travel Desk at 1-800-221-3531. Changes must be received 14 days prior to arrival, changes are on a request basis and are subject to availability/discretion of the hotel. Responsibility and liability: Comic-Con International and/or its agents act only in the capacity as agents for customers in all matters pertaining to hotel accommodations and transportation whether by railroad, motor car, airplane or any other means, and as such are not responsible for any damage, expense, or inconvenience caused by train or plane arrivals or departures, or by any change of schedule or condition from any loss, injury, or damage to any person or property from any cause whatsoever. Baggage handling throughout the program is entirely at the owner’s risk. The customer agrees that show management and/or its agents shall not be held responsible in the event of any error or omission in any promotional material.

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WHERE TO STAY

Hotels on the oﬃcial Comic-Con International San Diego program. This list includes brief hotel descriptions. All hotels on this page are on our shuttle route. For more detailed information and to book your reservations, click on the hotels tab at www.comic-con.org. If you prefer, call the Comic-Con Travel and Housing desk at 87755-COMIC. Outside the U.S. please call 212-532-1660. Reservation deadline date is June 2, 2005.

Please see page 54 for instructions about confirming your hotel reservation. Some hotels may sell out early. Inventory is constantly monitored for availability and updated frequently. Please check www.comic-con.org for updates. MANCHESTER GRAND HYATT Comic-Con headquarters First-rate luxury hotel with outdoor pool, tennis courts, health club, and spa. Hosts Comic-Con hospitality suite, films and gaming. WESTIN HORTON PLAZA Full-service deluxe hotel with spa and outdoor pool. Next door to the exciting Horton Plaza shopping and entertainment complex. WYNDHAM EMERALD PLAZA Ultra-modern deluxe hotel with lap pool and fitness club. HILTON GASLAMP QUARTER Located in the heart of the historic Gaslamp District in Downtown San Diego within walking distance to shopping, restaurants, and the Convention Center. OMNI SAN DIEGO San Diego’s newest luxury hotel is ideally located directly across

the street from the San Diego Convention Center. Guestrooms are decorated in elegant contemporary style with spectacular views. RADISSON HOTEL HARBORVIEW Newly renovated moderately priced hotel with a heated pool. Most of the rooms have balconies and coﬀeemakers. COMFORT INN DOWNTOWN A tourist class hotel located in the heart of Downtown. THE QUALITY INN & SUITES Has many rooms with city and harbor views, many rooms with balconies. Located in midtown San Diego minutes from many of San Diego’s main attractions, Balboa Park, and worldfamous zoo. EMBASSY SUITES SAN DIEGO BAY Full-service all-suite property with indoor pool and made-toorder breakfast daily. HOLIDAY INN ON THE BAY Full-service moderately priced hotel located on San Diego Bay with an outdoor pool and health club. MARRIOTT HOTEL & MARINA First-rate luxury hotel with a lagoon-style outdoor pool and tennis courts. BRISTOL HOTEL Moderately priced hotel oﬀering complimentary continental breakfast. SHERATON SUITES Deluxe all-suite property featuring 264 suites, business center,

health club with heated indoor pool and upscale lobby bar and restaurant.

HORTON GRAND A full-service Victorian-era hotel in the heart of the Gaslamp District. WESTGATE Luxury hotel with elegent 18th Century French decor. Located across the street from Horton Plaza.

HOTEL HAPPENINGS Comic-Con International has gotten big—way big—and as such the hotels are ﬁlling up faster than usual. The Travel Desk is currently securing more hotel rooms for the weekend, but meanwhile spaces are still available around San Diego, especially at the convention hotels not located in the immediate downtown area. If you’re having trouble getting a room at your preferred hotel: •Check in regularly at the CCI website (www.comic-con.org) to see whether your hotel of choice has added accommodations, to book a room at an available hotel, or to put yourself on the waiting list for a preferred hotel. Attendees cancel rooms and switch hotels all the time, so persistence can pay oﬀ! •Call the Comic-Con travel desk and ask to be wait-listed for a particular hotel listed on page 54; the number is 1-877-55COMIC. •You can also use www. quikbook.com to make your Comic-Con International hotel reservations.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO

SAN DIEGO JULY 14-17, 2005 Full Membership At-the -Door Prices

Adults Juniors (7-16) & Seniors (60+)

$65.00 $30.00

Only 4-day pre-registered members can attend Preview Night. No onsite registration will be available for Preview Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;only badge pickup for pre-registered full members.

Pre-Registration Prices (check one) Must be postmarked by JUNE 20, 2005 Adults Juniors (7-16) & Seniors (60+)

Need Info? (check as needed) Please send me information on exhibiting in the Art Show. Please have your Disabled Services Department contact me about my special needs.

$65.00 $30.00*

Please send me a volunteer application and information.

Active Military with ID can pay the Jr/Senior price. This deal does not extend to dependants.

Please send me information about participating in the Masquerade.

BADGES WILL NOT BE MAILED OUT IN ADVANCE. All pre-registered badges will be available for pickup at Attendee Pre-Registration in the Convention Center's Sails Pavilion (Upper Level), beginning Wednesday, July 13 at 4:00 p.m.

Note: All prices subject to change. *Children under 12 free with PAID adult membership.

Forms postmarked or faxed after June 20, 2005 will NOT BE PROCESSED. No e-mail registration will be accepted. Sorry, NO REFUNDS after June 20, 2005. First Name

ONLY ONE MEMBERSHIP PER FORM PLEASE. THIS FORM MAY BE COPIED.

2005 Badge # Check # Total Amount $

Adult

Check One

Junior (7-16)

Senior (60+)

Last Name

Company Name

Address

City

Phone

State

Zip

Fax

Payment Type Please make checks and money orders payable to COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL.

Country Code (if not USA)

Check or Money Order

Country (if not USA)

Visa

Credit Card Number

Signature

MasterCard

American Express

Expiration Date (mm/yyyy)

Do not write below this line - Office use only

Comic-Con International PO Box 128458 San Diego, CA 92112-8458 www.comic-con.org

Comic-Con International Update #2 • 2005

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL