As many of you know, I’m going to be covering DragonCon this year from September 2-6 in Atlanta, Georgia.  For those of you unfamiliar, DragonCon is actually one of the largest fan-based comic book conventions in the country, and it is a mecca for cosplayers. The con’s Annual parade is so epic that this year, the CW will be covering the parade live.  Read on for all of the latest info from DragonCon headquarters in Atlanta. 

If you are attending Comic-Con in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center this weekend, and you support Black Lives Matter, then pack a white shirt, black pants and a black tie. Because this Saturday, July 23, 2016 a group of artists, bloggers, fans and con attendees will cosplay as cast members of The Book of Mormon plus name badges that say “Black Lives Matter” (instead of your name) for a Flash mob photoshoot. Organized by award-winning African-American comic book artist David Walker (Cyborg, Power Man and Iron Fist), the event will be held Saturday, July 23 at 2pm at the Upper Level at the Outside Promenade adjacent to the Sails Pavilion.  In usual flash mob fashion, anyone who shows up can participate. No you don’t have to be African-American to participate and no you don’t necessarily have to cosplay, but Walker is asking that everyone wear a BLM badge. Click the image below for a download link to make your own.

The Glyph Comic Awards were created by and held in conjunction with The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in Philadelphia, PA. The Glyphs goal is to recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the previous calendar year. The awards are not only for African-American creators, nor are they only for comics featuring Black characters. However, past winners have all created comics with at least one major character of color. (For more information on ECBACC check out my previous post here).

The Award Nominee list is as follows:

If you missed the 2nd Annual Women In Comics Collective Convention on March 12 you really missed out on something special, here is a wrap-up of the events and some links for you to check out so you can check out what you missed!

LockettDown Productions and BronxHeroes are back with the 2nd Annual Women in Comics Collective NY International (WiNC for short) Convention. It’s held at Bronx Library Center (NYPL) 316 East Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10458  Saturday, March 12 from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM and admission is FREE. One of the most awesome things about Bronx Heroes is that they are dedicated to the indie comic world. They give indie artists a chance to shine like industry veteran Alitha Martinez , who is currently working on Batgirl for Marvel but has her own project Yumi and Ever which she self-publishes through her company Artiststorm.  Regine Sawyer, owner of LockettDown Productions and creator of the Women in Comics Collective International as well as the Women In Comic Convention,  has several titles under her own publishing company. Which means she is not only creating comics herself she HIRES artists to work for her. LockettDown titles include Eating Vampires and The Rippers. These women have a wealth of real-world knowledge about the business of comics, art and what it takes to succeed in the largely white male-dominated comic book industry. If you are a woman or POC you really need to get ot this convention not just to support, but learn something.  This year the schedule and artists line up looks AMAZING. Check out the details below.

On Saturday, February 2o, from 10am-7pm will be the Second Annual Khem Comic Book Fest.  The small indie event was created by Naseed Gifted (PB Soldier) for youth in the Newark, New Jersey area. The focus of the Festival is Youth Literacy for people of color through the fundamentals of sequential media. The event boasts a marketplace, workshops, music and cosplay. The event is free, and open to the public. A downloadable flyer, a list of some of the featured comicbook artists as well as program info can be found below:

The Women in Comics Collective is presenting an exhibition in conjunction with Medialia Gallery called “Our Voices: Women in Comics”. A showcase of original comic and cartoon art, process work, and illustrations. According to Regine Sawyer, WiNC Founder, the work showcased will be from 21 of the group’s 100 plus members and will be a chance to showcase their work in an intimate gallery setting versus an often crowded convention locale. Please come out and support! There are so many talented women who are working in comics today who are not getting the attention that they deserve!
The details:

Medialia Gallery

3356 West 38th St.

4th floor

New York

Dates: February 20, 2016 – March 26, 2016

(Opening Reception Feb 27, 4-7pm)

For a full list of the members of members of Women in Comics NYC Collective International check out the WiNC Facebook page and the WiNC twitter members list.

The black nerd community is really excited about the grand opening of Amalgam Comics and Coffee owned and operated by Ariell Johnson the first female black-owned comic book shop on the east coast. So many of our small businesses need our support to thrive, especially in their infancy. So in support of Amalgam, blerd podcasters will be having a meetup at her shop in Philly for the express purpose of bringing in business and showing support to fellow blerds and bleeks. If you are in the Philadelphia area on March 19, you MUST stop by the store and buy a latte (or tea) AND a comic!