The GREAT ALLENTOWN COMIC CON Returns November 23-24

 

Buy Tickets NOW! Brennan Mejia Born in 1990, Brennan Mejia is of Honduran descent, and guest starred over the years on TV shows like CSI Miami, iCarly, 90210 and American Horror Story and also had a role in the indie film Kaboom!. He has competed on American Ninja Warrior prior to and after his debut on Power Rangers Dino Charge.  Most recently he has appeared on The CW’s Hit show Supergirl as well as The Dead Girls Detective Agency which you can watch on Snapchat.! GRITTY COMES TO ALLENTOWN! Free photos and Autographs with Gritty and the Official Philadelphia Flyers Ice Girls Fans may purchase Official Philadelphia Flyers Merchandise as well! Gritty  will be appearing for Limited Times each day so arrive early! RETRO GAMING AT ALLENTOWN! Leave your quarters at home, and come play at our "Mini" gaming arcade.  Play against your friends and show just who is the "King of 'Cade" in your group! DAMEON CLARKE The Canadian actor and voice actor has appeared in Supernatural, 24, Without a Trace, and the 2009 film I Love You Philip Morris. He’s voiced more than 200 characters, most notably Cell in Dragon Ball Z and Handsome Jack in the Borderlands games. PHIL LAMARR An American actor, voice actor, comedian and impressionist. He was one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series Mad TV and has had an extensive voice acting career, with major roles spanning animated series Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Futurama, Samurai Jack, Static Shock, and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. He has also done voices for video games such as Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the Jak and Daxter series, Darksiders, Final Fantasy XII, Infamous, Dead Island and the Kingdom Hearts franchise. GREG BALDWIN Baldwin voiced Iroh for the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender and for The Legend of Korra. He can also be heard as the ancient Jedi Master Tera Sinube and as Casiss on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He provided the voice of multiple characters in Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, most notably, the voice of Furlac. He voiced Aku in the fifth season of Samurai Jack. CHRIS HARRIS 'WildCat' Best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was formerly one-half of the tag team America’s Most Wanted along with partner James Storm. Harris is recognized as a seven-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, having won the belts with Storm six times and with Elix Skipper once. He wrestled with the WCW, NWA Cyberspace, and the WWE where he wrestled under the name Braden Walker. GRINDHOUSE RADIO  Grindhouse Radio, also known as GHR is an internationally syndicated, award winning, pop culture talk radio series that is featured on iHeartRadio, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and 19 other syndicated networks with between 3.5 – 4 million listeners weekly worldwide. The Grindhouse has been ranked as high as #15 on the Overall worldwide charts for iTunes, with a weekly spot in the Top 20 Best Comedic Podcasts worldwide ranking highest at #6. Since 2015, GHR has become a trusted, daily destination for the fans. Beth Martin Beth Martin is a science fiction author. She has her degree in mathematics, enjoys all things numbers, and is always up for a board game. Other hobbies include playing the piano and sewing. Although she’s terrible at video games, she loves watching her husband play. Most of her time is spent chasing her two adorable children. She also has two fluffy cats. Junior Hernandez Junior Hernandez is a local artist born and raised in Allentown, PA. Art has always been a passion of his and he has taken his love for art and passed it onto many through his unique style. Chris "Cross" Williams A comic book illustrator that has worked in the industry for 25+ years. Even though he’s done a surmountable amount of work outside the industry, the bulk of his works have been for comic and graphic novel giants like DC Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment. He’s best known for his work on Captain Marvel in the late ‘90’s and early 2k, and his work for Blood Syndicate and Heroes for Milestone Media, XERO, Firestorm, JLA, the Final Crisis Aftermath: DANCE miniseries,  Mark McKenna Mark McKenna is a 32 year veteran of the comic book industry. In that time he has worked on Batman, Wolverine, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and more recently on Star Wars, counting close to 600 comics in all. SEEKING VOLUNTEERS! Anyone interested interested in helping at The Great Allentown Comic Con! November 23-24th Click the above image to fill out an application today!   Aaron Lunger Aaron Lunger is an Electrical Engineer by day, husband, father, prop builder and cosplayer by night. Working within the confines of his “Batcave” as he likes to call it, he designs and builds props and cosplays for friends and family, as well as for the cosplay community at large. Having only started in 2015, he shot for the moon and built his dream cosplay right from the start, and built an Ironman suit. He then moved onto other anime, game, and comic characters from pop culture and has become best known for his portrayal of Rinzler/Tron. Having an interest in Fallout, he decided to use the name “Wasteland Creations” for all his cosplay fun. He has also been active in various regional cosplay charity groups such as the Central PA Avengers and Cosplayers Care, usually wearing a Spiderman costume. His favorite part about cosplay is meeting other cosplayers and prop builders, talking ‘shop’, and helping others build their costumes.” Kayley Marie Kayley Marie is a Central Pennsylvanian cosplayer, artist, gamer, lover of books and comic books alike, and all-around geek girl. She has been featured in Geeks Are Sexy and Comic Book Resources, among numerous geek culture media sites, and was selected as Cosplay of the Month by SciFiNow Magazine in 2016, and featured multiply on Marvel.com. Kayley is a vocal advocate of cosplay incivility and body positivity, and she encourages cosplayers to be supportive of their fellow cosplayers and be respectable representatives for those new to the hobby. When she isn’t in her studio covered in paint, glue, and eva foam, Kayley can be found working as an Art Teacher, sipping on tea, and spending time with family. Philadelphia Avengers The Philadelphia Avengers is a tri-state based cosplay group who came together for their love of cosplay, charity work and promoting the importance of cospositivity and anti-bullying. They have cosplayed for hospitals, schools, children’s charities, shelters and where it all began for the founder’s comic cons. The group also tries to find fun and creative ways to incorporate cosplay into fundraisers for children charities, veterans, medical research to combat cancer and other illnesses. The founding members are Lady J Cosplay, Kevin D Cosplay, Big Daddy Cosplay, Lava Cosplay and Phoenix Rising Cosplay who were brought together by Eric “the Smoke” Moran who all can be found individually promoting cosplay is for everyone and when are brought together as the Philly Avengers they prove it! Straight Outta Cosplay The Philadelphia Avengers is a tri-state based cosplay group who came together for their love of cosplay, charity work and promoting the importance of cospositivity and anti-bullying. They have cosplayed for hospitals, schools, children’s charities, shelters and where it all began for the founder’s comic cons. The group also tries to find fun and creative ways to incorporate cosplay into fundraisers for children charities, veterans, medical research to combat cancer and other illnesses. The founding members are Lady J Cosplay, Kevin D Cosplay, Big Daddy Cosplay, Lava Cosplay and Phoenix Rising Cosplay who were brought together by Eric “the Smoke” Moran who all can be found individually promoting cosplay is for everyone and when are brought together as the Philly Avengers they prove it! Be Sure To Check Our Website For Tickets And More Guest Announcements! Buy Tickets NOW! ATTENTION PANELISTS! Anyone interested interested in hosting a panel at The Great Allentown Comic Con!  We have added an additional panel area and can now take some possible submissions!  Please go to the official show web site for all the details.     ATTENTION ARTISTS & DEALERS! Anyone interested interested in purchasing a Vendor or Artist Table act quickly as remaining tables are limited in quantity!  Please go to the official show web site for all the details.    You may also contact us through the website with all your questions.    SAVE THE DATE! Don't miss out on the Largest Comic & Pop Culture Convention in PA! The Great Philadelphia Comic Con! Returns April 2020

New Comics This Week: Preview of DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN

 IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m not usually excited about superhero comics, simply because I’ve read so many I’m a bit jaded. It takes something unique or a really engaging storyline to get my attention. I still read superhero titles, but not as much anymore. However, THE WRONG EARTH was a big winner. It was humorous and entertaining with a good storyline and the best art I’ve seen from Jamal Engle. DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN marks the return of these characters in a new story arc. Here’s some preview information on the new title. A review of it will be featured on this blog very soon . . . . . .

From the official press release . . . . . .

(November 4, 2019) From the pages of the breakout hit comic book magazine THE WRONG EARTH by writer Tom Peyer and artists Jamal Igle and Juan Castro, comes DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN by Peyer, artist Peter Krause, colorist Andy Troy and letterer Rob Steen. On gritty Earth-Omega, Dragonfly prowls the darkness for his evil prey; on sun-splashed Earth-Alpha, Dragonflyman protects the status quo. DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN will be available at finer comic book stores everywhere on November 6, 2019. 

“These are the stories of two identical heroes, different as night and day,” said Tom Peyer, AHOY Comics’ Editor-in-Chief. “On sunny Earth-Alpha, upstanding millionaire Richard Fame dons the disguise of Dragonflyman to wage a campaign that's wholesomely anti-crime and pro-authority. The version of Richard Fame born on shadowy Earth-Omega is secretly The Dragonfly, an ultra-violent vigilante who operates beyond the reach of corrupt police.”

This prequel to THE WRONG EARTH follows gritty vigilante Dragonfly and his innocent, campy counterpart Dragonflyman--before they became trapped on each other’s earths! Can two versions of the satanic Devil Man corrupt both of their souls?

Like all AHOY Comics Book Magazines, DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN’s debut issue will feature an assortment of extras, including: 

• “Not Required Reading: The K-T Boundary” by writer Matt Brady and illustrator Joe Orsak;
• 
  
  “Franklin Vs. the Minotaur” by writer Tyrone Finch and illustrator Shawn Crystal; 
• “British Sports Explained” by writer KEK-W and  illustrator Joe Orsak.

Since its launch in May of 2018, AHOY Comics has been shaking up the publishing industry with a bold new format: comic book magazines. The startup company is the brainchild of Publisher Hart Seely, an award-winning reporter whose humor and satire has appeared in The New York Times and on National Public Radio; two original editors of DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, Tom Peyer and Stuart Moore; and Chief Creative Officer Frank Cammuso. 

Here’s what readers are saying about THE WRONG EARTH:

“If you love superheroes, you NEED this. If you HATE superheroes, this will change your mind.” ― Mark Millar

“This series contains more entertainment than most contemporary comics and serves to remind readers of what they were always intended to be: fun.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Fun take on the classic and modern superhero.” — GRAPHIC POLICY

“Delightful.” ― CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER

“Makes good on the original promise of AHOY Comics to deliver more, and more diverse content for your buck.” — COMICON

“There’s so much right about THE WRONG EARTH.” ― GEEK DAD

“Wildly entertaining"  — 13TH DIMENSION

“Peyer and Igle knock this one out of the park.” — AiPT COMICS

“Exciting…a fun parody of the floppy costume heroes of the Golden Age of Comic heroes and the gritty reboot era comics of the 2000’s” — EVERYTHING ACTION

“Interesting.” — io9, This Week’s Best New Comics

“Entertaining and compelling.”  — IMPULSE GAMER

“I haven’t felt this excited about a new series in a long time.”  — READING WITH A FLIGHT RING

“Laugh-out loud funny.” ― WORLD COMIC REVIEW

“A fun and funny mash of silver age goofiness and grim & gritty superheroics. Such a fun idea and well done.” — John Layman

GARY SCOTT BEATTY's Brave Encounter With The NECRONOMICON

EDITOR'S NOTE: GUEST COLUMNIST AND INDIE COMICS CREATOR GARY SCOTT BEATTY GIVES US A GLIMPSE INTO HIS CREATIVE PROCESS, INCLUDING A VISIT TO THAT INFAMOUS FICTIONAL DOCUMENT AND SOME ACTUAL BOOKS AS WELL

For the upcoming Welcome to Dunwich, I needed (of course!) a page from the Necronomicon. Miskatonic University is famously hesitant to allow inspection of the ancient relic, let alone cell phone photos, so I started with Mark Bloodworth art and a 13th century Bible in Latin to assemble this facsimile. Here are the steps I used. The Muskegon Museum of Art had an exhibit of ancient Bibles last year and that's the look I was going for here: timeworn and mysterious, but daemoniac. Mark's drawn and inked art was a fantastic starting point. I separated out two more colors so the page would appear to be printed with three plates, like it would have been in the woodblock printing era before cast, moveable type. I looked through one of my favorite references for old things, the Internet Archive's digital library, and searched for the oldest Bibles. I found a 13th century French Bible in Latin that was digitally workable. Note to all: I never lift art unless it is firmly in the public domain (I'm safe here with 13th century). Even then, if I am presenting it as my own, the art is reworked to be nearly unrecognizable from the source material. You should do this, too. Don't steal art. I needed two things from that Bible: words and page grunge. For the words, I used several pages that could be cleaned up sufficiently and pieced them together to form columns of type. I have no idea what this says. It could be a spicy shakshuka recipe or a spell to allow elder gods access to our celestial sphere. Or both. After much screwing around to clean up and messing with the levels, I layered it over what I had and cut away letters to wrap around the art. I used blank pages from the Bible with the right amount of grunge to them and pieced them together with feathered edges so they'd be seamless. I messed with blending and levels to get the look I was after. After overall assembly, the art was imported to Illustrator, where I added the word balloon. Anna is going to be quite surprised when she discovers what she has been sent. You will be able to peruse this art in Welcome to Dunwich, chapter (book?) two. I'm not sure yet how or when this publication will be released, because I have some options these days, but stay tuned to these very emails as I draw, ink and color my way through this noisome beast of a story. +++ How do YOU want to experience Welcome to Dunwich? Digital or printed? Four floppy comics or one graphic novel? Through a publisher or Kickstarter? Reply and let me know. +++ It's a strange Halloween week coming, but you know what to do. Enjoy the young ones having their holiday. Grin at the bullshitters out there and know the powers fear you. That's why they're always trying to get in your head. The choices are easier than they'd have you believe. Find your clarity in peace. Make time to laugh. Have a happy. In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords, Gary Scott Beatty StrangeHorror.com

Book Review: THE EYE OF THE WORLD by Robert Jordan

THE EYE OF THE WORLD (The Wheel Of Time #1) by Robert Jordan (Tor Books, November 1990) Mass Market Paperback, 814 pages.  ISBN # 0812511816 / 9780812511819  

Summary from the Goodreads website . . . .

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

My review on the Goodreads website . . . .

     This is an epic tale, indeed. I picked this out of my bookshelf to read during a February vacation and,after getting through several hundred pages as a airline read and then a poolside read, it took me a lot longer to finish. 

     I found myself getting a bit bogged down in the details and resisting the urge to rush through it, often pausing to reference the glossary in the back to refresh my memory of names and details. Halfway through I had to pause, put the book aside, and read some other genre (crime, horror, nonfiction) until the urge came back to return to this book. 

     I'm not trying to indicate it's not worthy of the effort. I just sort of begrudge the time it requires to absorb. The fact that there are so many equally lengthy books remaining is very daunting. The Eye Of The World is very good, and deserves all the attention and followers it has received. I did enjoy it and marveled at the incredible amount of detail and backstory that Jordan put together. I'm going to read the entire series, but I'm going to return to this first volume again (when I'm ready) to really immerse myself in the fictional mythology. I have a feeling it will be worth it. 

     In contrast to The Lord Of Rings, I read those books when I was in high school and was not as well-acquainted with fantasy of this type at that time. For that reason, those books will remain my all-time favorite. Despite the presence of equally dire threats and monsters of various types (just like in The Eye Of The World), the Lord Of The Rings (to me) seemed much more whimsical and light-hearted compared to Jordan's book. Maybe it's the absence of eccentric and endearing human-like creatures like hobbits and dwarves. I do like the characters and their personality quirks and concerns in Jordan's work, I'm just not as attached to them. 

     If you're reading this because you also haven't read Jordan's series yet, and are deciding whether to jump in - - I think you should. Just be prepared to be sucked in and wrapped up in Jordan's world-building for the next several years. 

    Now that Goodreads has added a way to track books you choose to read more than once, I feel better about my decision to return to this book at some unspecified future date.