Englishman In San Diego

There are a handful of people that you could elevate to the class of ‘comic book giants’, those that have made a lasting impression on the art form and the industry with their incredible creations, along with their indelible art and writing; there are even fewer that you could say have shaped the face of pop culture as we know it. However, with the creation of the Mad Titan Thanos in February 1973, in the pages of THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #355, writer/artist Jim Starlin – even though he may not have known about it at the time – was going to come up with a character that would go on to form the backbone on central threat to the hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although, curiously enough, he didn’t learn that his maniacal and homicidal behemoth was even going to feature in the Marvel Studios films until days before he reared his head in the post-credits scene to 2012’s MARVEL’S AVENGERS, directed by Joss Whedon. As fans gear themselves up to witness the final battle between the beloved heroes that

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH JIM ZUB & MAX DUNBAR (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon (29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Samantha Maybe who had the chance to talk to comics superstars Jim Zub and Max Dunbar who have come together to produce a new title for digital distribution

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH LYSA HAWKINS (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon(29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Samantha Maybe (@SamanthaMaybe) who had the chance to sit down with Valiant Entertainment Editor Lysa Hawkins, who has been on administrative duties for Cullen Bunn and

In Conversation with Tom Akel (Stan Lee's POW Entertainment's BACKCHANNEL), 8th April 2018 by Englishman In San Diego

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH RYAN BENJAMIN (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, 31st MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon (29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Dan Berry (@fatj00) who met up this weekend with comics artist and self-publisher Ryan Benjamin, who has a lot on his plate at the moment: not only is he showcasi

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH ROB LIEFELD (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, 30TH MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon (29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is our resident comics guru Samantha Maybe (@SamanthaMaybe) who met up this weekend with comics legend Rob Liefeld who returns to the X-MEN fold with a new book and a

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH TESS FOWLER (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, 30TH MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon (29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Dan Berry (@fatj00) who met up this weekend with comics artist Tess Fowler, who has been on the most incredible creative ride in recent years: not only being part of

WCA 2019: IN CONVERSATION WITH TERRI LUBAROFF OF LEGION M (RECORDED AT WONDERCON ANAHEIM, 30TH MARCH 2019) Comic-Con International‘s sibling convention, WonderCon (29th-31st March 2019, Anaheim Convention Center), has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive ‘experience’ delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content – we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Dan Berry (@fatj00) who met up this weekend with Terri Lubaroff, the COO of multi-platform community-based entertainment company LEGION M, an organis

WCA 2019: In Conversation with Joshua Dysart (recorded at WonderCon Anaheim, 30th March 2019) Comic-Con International's sibling convention, WonderCon, has over the years grown and developed into a truly epic event in the North America comic convention calendar, selling out over its entire weekend and bringing thousands of talented creators, publishers, artists, writers, cosplayers, actors and actresses and much more to Anaheim in California. WonderCon has developed and evolved from what was primarily a passive 'experience' delivering show into one which companies and creators can now bring new projects and share updates on brand new content - we have been lucky to have a couple of correspondents visiting the show as Press, catching up with a number of these fresh stories. One such correspondent is Dan Berry (@fatj00) who met up this weekend with esteemed and prolific, award-winning and best-selling comic book writer Joshua Dysart, someone who has had quite the career to date - and still it just keeps grow

MCM Comic Con Birmingham, 24th March 2019: Felicia Day Spotlight Panel MCM Comic Con, under the auspices of that convention behemoth that is ReedPOP, continues to bring grand and exciting events to the UK, along with some world-class talent... Yes, the Hollywood razzmatazz was represented nicely, with the likes of Asa Butterfield (SEX EDUCATION / ENDERS GAME), video game voice talents Charles Martinet (the voice of MARIO and LUIGI) and Veronica Taylor (POKEMON, YU-GI-OH!), Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman (THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY), Osric Chau (SUPERNATURAL), and Felicia Day (SUPERNATURAL / THE GUILD) were all in attendance and had quite the crowd keeping them occupied throughout the day. Felicia's panel was the one panel that I did make myself available for on the Main Stage and, buzzing from a full nights sleeps and too much coffee, she answered plenty of questions from both the MCM panel host and audience members with her trademark charm and wit. (No swears, mind, she kept herself in check, the cheeky tin

ReedPOP’s Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer – our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. One of the many independent comic publishers that stood out to him was Miami, Florida based Mad Cave Studios (https://madcavestudios.com/), who are going on their second year of distribution through Diamond Comics. Dan spoke with Chris Sanchez (Communication & Digital Media Manager for Mad Cave) about the origin of the company, their current titles, as well as what they have planned moving forward. Thanks to the team from Mad Cave for giving up their time during what was a very busy convention, and to Dan for bringing the interview to us. Intro music: 'Punky', benso

ReedPOP’s Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer – our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. BAKUGAN is a manga and a property which has had a strong and dedicated fanbase for many years, starting with BAKUGAN BATTLE BRAWLERS in 2007. While not being an immediate success, BAKUGAN has since that time grown and developed into an amazing entertainment platform with developers Spin Master evolving the franchise over the last few years into new ways for fans to experience the story and characters, from animation and manga to gaming. It's this last one that caught the attention of Dan, as he was given the chance to talk to the developers at Spin Master at ECCC - in

ReedPOP’s Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer – our correspondent on the ground, Samantha Maybe, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning she's got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. Here at The Convention Collective, we really like THE SEQUELS. Like, *really* like THE SEQUELS! Published by Fanbase Press, written by Norm Harper, with art by Val Halvorson and Bobby Timony, it has been ticking all of our boxes in terms of '80s nostalgia, sci-fi, horror and action tropes and a wonderful sense of empowerment and self-analysis that you don't often find in modern comics. (Seriously, we've flipped for this book: do check out Samantha Maybe's reviews for Issues #1 and #2, here http://theconventioncollective.com/sandbox/the-sequels-1-holy-8

ReedPOP’s Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer – our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. Skybound Entertainment are continuing to bring new and exciting books to the shelves, with one of their upcoming titles very much piquing our interest: THE OBSOLETES is by Washington-based writer and cartoonist Simeon Mills, who has been carving out a path of thought-provoking and brilliantly told stories, kicking off with his book BUTCHER PAPER in 2012. Here, Simeon talks about THE OBSOLETES, due to hit stores in just a few months, about what inspired him to write the story, and what else he's got working on for 2019 and beyond. Enjoy! Find out more about THE OBSOLET

ICE International Comic Expo 'Winter Edition': Holiday Inn Bayfront Brighton, Saturday 9th March 2019 I was very lucky and honoured to have been invited down to the South Coast of England to participate in the Winter Edition of Shane Chebsey's ICE International Comic Expo in Brighton. A satellite event of the larger Birmingham event, it allows fans of comics in the area to meet with some incredible talent that they might not usually be able to so and see without braving the horrors of the M25. You could argue that the headlining panel of the day was the collection of esteemed talent gathered for this retrospective - and forward-looking - panel, looking into the Past, Present And Future of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, 2000AD, a publication that has thrilled and chilled comics fans and kids since its first 'prog' in 1977. It's an anthology that has had featured in its pages pretty much every major comics talent that this country has produced, including our panellists: Glenn Fabry (SLAINE / PREACHER), Clint La

ICE International Comic Expo 2019 'Winter Edition': Holiday Inn Bayfront Brighton, Saturday 9th March 2019 I was very lucky and honoured to have been invited down to the South Coast of England to participate in the Winter Edition of Shane Chebsey's ICE International Comic Expo in Brighton. A satellite event of the larger Birmingham event, it allows fans of comics in the area to meet with some incredible talent that they might not usually be able to so and see without braving the horrors of the M25. One of the talents that I got to chat with was comics writer and illustrator Rachael Smith, someone I've been a follower and admirer of for some time - and I'm not on my own. Since creating her first book, CLARA'S SHADOW in 2013, Rachael has garnered quite the following, drawn to her forthright and bold characters, her appealing art style and her passionate approach to personal issues and individual challenges within her stories. This has led to award nominations, plaudits and a legion of dedicated fans, eager t

ECCC 2019: In Conversation with Camilla d'Errico (Emerald City Comic Con, March 2019) ReedPOP's Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer - our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. Dan has been a fan of artist Camilla d'Errico's work for quite some time, following her progress as she releases incredible and distinctive work. When the two last met up in November, there was some great projects in the pipeline - here, Dan and Camilla speak in Seattle about what she's been up to since and what she has planned for 2019. Thanks to Camilla and Dan for taking time out of their busy con, and to Dan for bringing the interview to us...

ECCC 2019: In Conversation with Erica Henderson and Kyle Starks (Emerald City Comic Con, March 2019) ReedPOP's Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer - our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. Erica Henderson and Kyle Starks are two of the most critically acclaimed and popular creatives in comics today, with massive hits like THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, JUGHEAD and SEXCASTLE garnering them awards and fans across the board. And more recently, the pair have been knocking it out of the park with two excellent - and wildly tonally differing - books, ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN and ASSASSIN NATION (Image Comics/Skybound). ASSASSIN NATION has been a massive success from

ECCC 2019: In Conversation with Khary Randolph (Emerald City Comic Con, March 2019) ReedPOP's Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer - our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. One such talent is the excellent New-York-based artist Khary Randolph, someone who continues to make quite the impression on many books of varying scale and tone, from the likes of SPIDER-MAN, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and TEEN TITANS for the majors, to comics for the independents such as TECHJACKET (Skybound), NOBLE (Lion Forge) and CHARISMAGIC: THE DEATH PRINCESS (Aspen). Randolph provided the covers for the acclaimed BLACK series, published by Black Mask Studios - he returns to t

ECCC 2019: In Conversation with Vita Ayala (Emerald City Comic Con, March 2019) ReedPOP's Emerald City Comic Con once again takes over the immense WA State Convention Center in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of comic book and pop culture fans from across the globe, by showcasing some of the best creative talents there is to offer - our man on the ground, Dan Berry, has been very lucky to be invited along as Press, meaning hes got the chance to speak one-on-one with members of this outstanding creative melting pot. One of the freshest and vital voices in comics in 2019, Vita Ayala is a truly exciting new comics talent. Making an impression on books such as SUICIDE SQUAD; SECRET FILES and SUPERGIRL for DC Comics, TWISTED ROMANCE and BITCH PLANET for Image Comics, and THE WILDS for Black Mask, Vita builds on that experience in 2019 by taking on one of Marvel's young and intriguing characters, SHURI, in a guest two-issue story, in which the Wakandan meets up with Miles Morales, SPIDER-MAN, in Brooklyn.