Recently rated as worlds best city for conventions by Torontos Globe and Mail, Denver will play host to one of the most diverse and academic arts communities in the world: the comic book and pop culture community. Known for attracting celebrity guests, regional talent, and world-renowned artists alike, Denver Comic Con will be like no other convention currently out there. The three day convention will take place in the heart of Denvers bustling theater district in the modern Colorado Convention Center.
Frank Romero, President of Comic Book Classroom, stated that One of the most amazing things about forming the Comic Book Classroom and Denver Comic Con has been the galvanizing effect it has had on the Denver arts and comic community. We look forward to being able to showcase all the local talent that resides in Denver and I guarantee that the artists in Denver are up to the challenge of showing that Denver is an incredible city when it comes to talent and service to the community.
In just a few short months, Denvers inaugural Comic Con has already booked acclaimed artists and writers including Bob Layton, celebrated for reinventing Iron Man and his work with the movie franchise. A creator, writer, artist, designer, and entrepreneur, Layton is one the comic industry's true visionaries. The three-day event will also feature Jason Aaron, a writer best known for his Native American crime noir series Scalped (Vertigo), Wolverine: Weapon X, PunisherMAX and Amazing Spider-Man. Aaron has been the talk of the industry after joining forces with legendary artist Marc Silvestri to redefine the Hulk in an all new ongoing series. Additionally, Sean Gordon Murphy recently confirmed for the event, and he is known for his work on several Vertigo projects such as Hellblazer, Joe the Barbarian (with Grant Morrison), and the recently acclaimed miniseries American Vampire Survival of the Fittest, written by Scott Snyder. Rising star Rebekah Isaacs was one of the first to commit to the event and is currently working on Angel & Faith with executive producer Joss Whedon, for Dark Horse Comics.
DCC/LC is unique in that it will be simultaneously hosting a full-scale literary conference (LC) and education program for students and professionals in a variety of academic fields, who will present scholarly work on the subject of comics and graphic novels, as well as teaching, from K-12 to the college classroom, and beyond. Christina Angel of Metropolitan State College will head up this exciting program, in conjunction with other local university and college professors. The literary conference has already confirmed renowned comic book academic, Charles Hatfield, Associate Professor of English at California State University, Northridge. Hatfield has been published widely in the theory and criticism of comics, most notably in the form of his seminal text, Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature (2005) and recently finished a monograph for the University Press of Mississippi titled Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby. A Call for Papers is posted at http://www.denvercomiccon.com/literarycon for anyone interested in submitting proposals.
Tickets, Exhibitor and Vendor packages, and all Artist Alley tables will go on sale September 15, 2011. All of the profits will directly benefit the nonprofit, after-school program Comic Book Classroom (CBC). The CBC will also be on site at the Convention Center to provide family and youth-centered activities and programming throughout the weekend. For more information about the Denver Comic Con check out http://www.denvercomiccon.com and for more information about Comic Book Classroom check out http://www.comicbookclassroom.org
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