There’s something really electrifying about meeting the very legends of industry who you’ve spent hours, months or years idolising their work. Like me, most fans will find it liberating to talk a writer about a scene that touched them, or an art panel that blew them away, having them turn the page back and re-read it a few more times.
This week in Perth, Supanova Pop Culture Expo will host a phenomenal lineup of writers, artists, and collaborators from the Comic industry. These Silver, Bronze and Modern Age comic creators are a definite must-see.
If you’ve ever been a fan of X-Men stories The Dark Phoenix Saga, Days of Future Past, or even nostalgically recall the 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, you’ve got to meet Chris Claremont, the writer responsible for so much of Marvel’s X-Universe. Claremont’s time on X-Men holds the record for the longest stint (running from 1975 to 1991), and during this time he created and expanded not only the cast, but also explored a variety of social issues not being covered at the time in the comics industry. Claremont will be hosting a seminar (Saturday 3:10pm), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend.
Many more... after the jump!
From a similar school of costumed butt-kickery, legendary artists George Perez and Alex Saviuk are in town. Perez has a mountain of credits to his name, and has visually wowed the imaginations of readers time and time again, with his iconic takes characters like Superman, Teen Titans, and The Avengers. Not to mention, quintessential comic crossovers like Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet and DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths are also some of Perez’s handiwork. Perez will be hosting a seminar (Sunday 2:20pm), an Artist Masterclass (Friday 7:00pm - Supa-Fan Ticket entry only), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend. Also, Perez has already pre-sold out of commissions, but is reported to be taking sketches at the expo; anyone with a ‘Comic-Book King’ entry pass is automatically entitled to a free sketch.
For fans of Spider-Man, The Flash, or The Phantom, Alex Saviuk is another go-to-guy during this weekend. Saviuk’s is versed on all-things Spidery, having spent over 15 years on various Spider-Man titles, and has also had a hand in art duties on many DC character titles. Saviuk will be hosting two seminars (Saturday 11:00am, Sunday 3:10pm), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend. Saviuk is also reported be taking commissions on request (see Capey’s post on Commission Etiquette here).
The last of our international comic guests, but potentially one of the most talented artists of the modern age of comics is Mark Brooks. If you’ve ever seen a comic with Brooks’ art on the cover, it’s immensely enticing to pick up a copy; his art is absolute gorgeous! With a variety of cover art, and several interior artwork duties under his belt, Brooks is one of THE artists of this generation that you’ll want to meet. He’ll be hosting two seminars (Saturday 4:00pm, Sunday 3:10pm), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend. Brooks is also reported be taking commissions by a request list (which he’ll select his choice of commissions to do).
From our own backyard, a multitude of talented Australian artists and writers who have hit big on the international scene are also worth meeting.
The newly appointed writer on DC’s Earth 2, Tom Taylor, will be welcomed back to Perth. Taylor’s popularity has exploded in the last 18 months, with several well-received releases including DC’s Injustice: Gods Among Us, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Death Sentence, and Star Wars: Blood Ties - Boba Fett is Dead. Taylor also writes a series of titles, including The Deep for Western Australian publishing house, Gestalt Publishing. Be sure to meet Taylor, and get him to deface your precious comic covers (he’s an expert). Taylor will also be hosting a seminar (Saturday 4:00pm), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend.
The Gestalt Publishing table will also be hosting Perth artists, Justin Randall and Emily Smith. Fans of Silent Hill and 30 Days of Night will be astounded by Randall’s gritty, surreal style; his ongoing Changing Ways graphic novel series is a must-read. Emily Smith has been working on a few secret projects at Gestalt at the moment, which we’ll have to wait to hear about; her run on digital comic Unmasked shows that Smith has true promise in the comic scene. Come past and show these two your support.
To complete our list, established artists Ashley Wood and Tristan Jones will return to Supanova Perth. Most renowned for co-founding and designing popular collectibles manufacturer, ThreeA, Wood has had memorable runs on titles such as Hellspawn, Metal Gear Solid, and Ghost Rider 2099. Wood will be hosting a seminar (Sunday 11:50am), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area on Sunday only.
Going by the nickname, ‘T-Rex Jones’, artist Tristan Jones is gaining prominence with his comic covers for IDW’s Ghostbusters, Image’s Hoax Hunters, and collaborative project Sebastian Hawks with Greg Mclean, director of Wolf Creek. Jones will be hosting two seminars (Saturday 4:00pm, Sunday 3:10pm), and will be in the Supa-Star Signing Area over the course of the weekend.
With this list of superstars in tow, it’s hard not to want to meet these legends, get a sketch of commission, and attend their always insightful seminars.
On a final note, if you’re keen to cram in some bodies of work from these comic legends, here’s a list of recommended reading (most are still in print, with some in Graphic Novel format, others in single issues; alternatively most will be available digitally):
- Chris Claremont: Wolverine, by Marvel Comics
- George Perez: Infinity Gauntlet, by Marvel Comics
- Mark Brooks: Uncanny X-Force: The Dark Angel Saga Book One, by Marvel Comics
- Alex Saviuk: Spider-man: Maximum Carnage, by Marvel Comics
- Tom Taylor: Injustice: Gods Among Us, by DC Comics
- Tristan Jones: Ghostbusters, by IDW Publishing
- Ashley Wood: Hellspawn, by Image Comics
- Justin Randall: Changing Ways, by Gestalt Publishing
- Emily Smith: Unmasked, by Gestalt Publishing
Post by Cem Selamet.
This is cool Cem. Very cool. Welcome on board!
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