Monthly Archives: July 2013

TwoMorrows Turns Twenty at Comic-Con International 2013

We begin the year-long celebration of our 20th Anniversary next week at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013! When I started TwoMorrows in 1994 with the release of The Jack Kirby Collector #1, I had no idea I’d ever do any other publications, let alone become the leading publisher of books and magazines for comics and LEGO® fans. And we’ve got quite a slate of stuff going on in San Diego next week…

In this year’s Comic-Con’s program book, they’ve got a special feature about our anniversary, where I reminisce about two decades of exhibiting there, with anecdotes about some of the crazy things that have taken place, and the great people we’ve met.

On Thursday at 11:00 am, I’ll be moderating a “TwoMorrows Turns Twenty” panel discussion with Jon B. Cooke (editor, Comic Book Creator), Keith Dallas (editor of TwoMorrows’ American Comic Book Chronicles series), and P.C. Hamerlinck and Bill Schelly (historians and associate editors of Roy Thomas’ Alter Ego magazine), offering a revealing look at the ins and outs of producing our publications. (Roy Thomas was originally scheduled to be on the panel too, but Comic-Con inadvertantly scheduled it for BEFORE?Roy arrives, so P.C. and Bill are filling in for him.) And everyone who attends the panel will receive a coupon with a code for a free Digital Edition or $3.95 discount at our website, and a few lucky attendees will win the publication of their choice or subscriptions to one of our mags.

We’ll be exhibiting at its usual location, Booth #1301 (up front, just inside the doors of Hall B near the Golden & Silver Age Pavilion), and will have signings by our top authors, including Comic-Con guest of honor Roy Thomas. We’ll also be offering an unprecedented 50% off most items at the booth, including a full assortment of back issues and books from throughout its 20 years of publishing.

These new titles will debut at the convention (all in limited quantities, weeks before general release):

Alter Ego #120 (secrets of the X-Men’s first decade)
Back Issue #67 (featuring time-traveling heroes)
Jack Kirby Collector #62 (spotlighting Jack Kirby as writer)
Draw! #25 (how-to draw comics magazine, featuring Lee Weeks)
Comic Book Creator #2 (a double-size Joe Kubert tribute)
American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s (latest volume in the ongoing history series)

TwoMorrows is up for two awards at Friday night’s annual Eisner Awards ceremony, where Roy Thomas’s Alter Ego magazine is nominated for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism, and Dewey Cassell’s book Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics is nominated for Best Comic-Related Book.

Saturday at Comic-Con will be LEGO DAY at Booth #1301, with a special display of custom LEGO sculptures, LEGO-related giveaways, and signings by renowned LEGO sculptor Nathan Sawaya and BrickJournal magazine editor Joe Meno. It’s all topped off with a panel discussion about BrickJournal magazine and LEGO building at 5:00 pm that day.

Below is the full schedule of TwoMorrows-related Comic-Con events:

Thursday, July 18:
11:00-12:00 – TwoMorrows Turns Twenty panel, Room 23ABC
12:30-1:30 – Keith Dallas and Bill Schelly signing, Booth #1301
3:00-4:00 – Andy Mangels signing, with free autographed Lou Scheimer “Filmation” signature plates, Booth #1301

Friday, July 19:
12:30-1:30 – Jon B. Cooke and Keith Dallas signing, Booth #1301
1:45-2:45 – Roy Thomas and Bill Schelly signing, Booth #1301
8:00-until: Eisner Awards ceremony

Saturday, July 20—LEGO DAY at Booth 1301:
1:00-2:00 – Spotlight on Roy Thomas panel, moderated by Jon B. Cooke, Room 4
3:00-4:00 – Andy Mangels signing, with free autographed Lou Scheimer “Filmation” signature plates, Booth #1301
5:00-6:00 – BrickJournal: LEGO as an Art Form panel, Room 23ABC
6:00-7:00 – BrickJournal editor Joe Meno and LEGO sculptor Nathan Sawaya signing, Booth #1301

Sunday, July 21:
10:00-11:15 – Jack Kirby Tribute Panel, Room 5AB
3:00-4:00 –  Roy Thomas and Jon B. Cooke signing, Booth #1301

I hope to see you there!

Wanna know why I do what I do?

Publishing’s hard work. Sometimes really, really hard (and someday soon I’ll tell you about what  happened last week that is making it harder than ever before…).

But when I read a blog post like this one:

http://whencomicbooksruled.blogspot.com/2013/07/twomorrows-twomorrows-i-love-ya.html

…it’s all worthwhile. Thanks to Joel Bryan for reminding me how much our publications mean to fans, and to Richard Bensam for alerting me to Joel’s blog.