Starting on Friday May 23rd freaks and geeks will flock to Traverse City, Michigan for Cherry Capital Comic Con. A annual Memorial Weekend comic and pop-culture event held at scenic Grand Traverse Resort. Leading up to the event we will highlighting some of the artist and creators to seek out at C4. We will also post some tips and tricks to enjoying C4. For more information about Cherry Capital Comic Con visit here.
C4 has attracted quite a few comic industry leaders from the start. This year is no exceptions. These creators will be available to talk to at their booths or during numerous panels during the conventions. Some artist will be doing commission pieces or sketches for a nominal fee. If you do bring something to be signed or get artwork created plan ahead with the proper storage (such as a archival album or art tube) so you can continue to enjoy the convention without anything getting damage.
Charles Soule
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Charles is the current writer of Swamp Thing, Red Lanterns, Superman/Wonder Woman (DC) Thunderbolts, She-Hulk, Inhuman (Marvel) and Letter 44 (Oni Press). He also wrote the acclaimed graphic novels 27 (Image), Strange Attractors (Archaia) and Strongman (SLG). Words, words everywhere!
Dirk Manning
DIRK MANNING is best known as the writer/creator of the horror comic series NIGHTMARE WORLD from Image Comics/Shadowline and the inspirational/“how-to” online column WRITE OR WRONG, which has inspired the print collection WRITE OR WRONG: “A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS” from Transfuzion Publishing. He is also the writer of LOVE STORIES TO DIE FOR (Image Comics/Shadowline), TALES OF MR. RHEE, and upcoming stories in both CRITTER and THE LEGEND OF OZ: THE WICKED WEST from Big Dog Ink. Aside from writing comics Dirk has written several short films for the popular YouTube horror series BlackBoxTV, including “The Hunger,” “The Night Shift” and “Zombie.” Any visit to the comic con is not complete without stopping by to talk to Dirk, especially for those interested in learning the ins-and-outs of creating comics. Dirk lives on the Internet and can be found online at http://www.DirkManning.com as well as at Facebook and Twitter. Cthulhu is his homeboy.
Ryan Browne
Ryan Browne (pronounced Brown) is an American comic-bookmen who once used his own sock to wipe pizza from his face when no napkin was present. When not cleaning his face or his pizza stained socks, he writes and draws the questionable comics “God Hates Astronauts” and “Blast Furance: Recreational Thief”. In addition, he co-created and drew the spaghetti and western free Spaghetti Western known as “Smoke and Mirrors” for IDW and is the often confused fill-in artist on “The Manhattan Projects” from Image Comics. Currently he is taking over as second banana artist of “Bedlam”—which coincidentally is also published by Image Comics. As of writing this his face is happily pizza free, but the day is young my friends. The day is young…
You can check out his highly questionable web-comic at http://www.godhatesastronauts.com and follow his wild swearing on Twitter and Instagram @ryanbrowneart
Jamie Snell
Jamie is a freelance illustrator who can do just about anything you need. From penciling and inking, to paints, to sculpting, to etching, etc. He has worked on various sketch card sets from Topps and Posters for LFL and Acme Archives: Celebrations V and the 30th Anniversary of ESB. Along with Topps, he has worked on sets from Marvel to Transformers with Upperdeck, Rittenhouse and Breygent. He has also worked for IDW publishing doing various covers for IDW’s Godzilla #1 and various characters for the Transformers Beastwars Source book.
Adam Talley
Adam Talley has been self publishing his own comic books for close to twenty years now. He started out as a Freshman in High School with various anthology work and he printed his first indie comics on the offset press in his graphic design class. He then went to Central Michigan University where he got a degree in 2-D design, Painting and Drawing with an Art History minor, focusing on Greek, Roman and Egyptian art history. During this period he started self publishing his series Pleasant Life, which he did four full length graphic novels. In 2011 he launched a new graphic novel called Anna Pocalypse. He has done many side projects with various companies and friends and has released sketchbooks, artbooks and even wrote a full length Ebook called In the Trenches: How to Survive as a Small Press Comic Book Artist and Publisher. He runs podcasts through his Podcast Nationbrand and they are available on Itunes. Recently he has been doing sketchcards for such companies as Upper Deck, Cult-Stuff, Cryptozoic and Topps, working such sets as: Marvel Avengers, Marvel Beginnings II, The Walking Dead, Mars Attacks, White Star Line: Titanic, CBLDF Liberty and Star Wars Galactic Files. He is now working on a sequel novel to Anna Pocalypse and runs weekly adult webcomics at his website: http://www.idiothead.com
Ryan Stegman
Ryan Stegman is a professional comic book artist currently working for Marvel Comics. His credits include ”Wolverine, “Superior Spider-Man”, “Fantastic Four”, “Scarlet Spider”, “Incredible Hercules”, “Riftwar”, “Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man,””Incredible Hulk (Red She-Hulk)”, “Sif”,”She-Hulks”, “X-23″, and “Midnight Kiss”. And lots and lots of covers. Oh, and he likes people.
Joseph Cooper
Joe is an American artist from Detroit, MI. After getting his start doing storyboards for local advertising agencies, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he started working in the comic industry on titles like Baby’s First Deadpool Book and Ka-Zar for Marvel Comics. He has worked on The Flash for DC Comics, various projects for Image, Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin for Dynamite Entertainment and most recently, Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps for Valiant Entertainment. You can find him lurking around the internet at http://www.josephcooperart.com.
Daniel Way
Daniel Way’s first publication as a writer was titled Violent Lifestyle #1, for which he received the “Xeric Grant” award from the Xeric Foundation. This led to Way meeting Marvel Comics’ editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed with his work. Alonso hired Way to write a Deathlok mini-series that was cancelled soon after. He then wrote the series Gun Theory, which was cancelled after only 2 issues, along with the imprint it was under, titled Epic Comics. Way then continued writing various titles for Marvel, as he still does. He is known for writing volume 2 of Deadpool and Astonishing X-Men
DEVIL’S DUE ENTERTAINMENT
Devil’s Due is coming to Cherry Capital Comic-Con! This year Devil’s Due ringleader Josh Blaylock brings their entire line-up of new titles as Cherry Capital’s featured publisher of 2014. Including MERCY SPARX, PLUME, TALES OF MR. RHEE, and sneak peeks of some new titles. They’re also bringing limited edition Mercy Sparx exclusives illustrated by Jen Broomall & Talent Caldwell!Devil’s Due is a comic book publisher and pop culture content creator based out of Chicago, IL. Many hundreds of issues of comic books carry the Devil’s Due brand name since its initial creation by Josh Blaylock in 2000.
Devil’s Due Guest Artist:K. Lynn Smith found her start in the comic world as a freelance cartoonist for her university newspaper. Currently, she is a freelance photographer (shameless plug), a designer at her local Chamber of Commerce, and a ye olde storyteller of the Western persuasion, via Plume.When she’s not shooting, designing, or writing, K. Lynn enjoys traveling, yoga and occasionally seeing the sunlight.
Josh Blaylock
Blaylock Josh’s most recent work is Mercy Sparx, the story of a no-nonsense punk rock girl who’s actually a devil in disguise, hunting rogue angels for Heaven. His how to book on self-publishing comics has influenced thousands and his history of catalyzing the resurgence of ’80s properties (G.I. Joe, Voltron) as well as a new licensing boom in the early 2000s is a permanent fixture in comic history. Now Josh runs Devil’s Due Entertainment with a focus on personal and creator-owned projects.
Kenny Porter
Porter Kenny Porter is a comic book writer from West Michigan. He spends his days singing in his car, walking people’s dogs, living on a steady diet of iced coffee and apple slices, and spends the rest of his time scripting and writing prose until his fingers fall off. Winner of the Top Cow Talent Hunt in 2012, Porter wrote “Artifacts #33” for Top Cow Productions. His other credits include creating the comic book review blog “Sequential Review,” writing as a columnist for Cosmic Book News, publishing a one-shot crime manga with Visionary Comics called “Ink Ribbon,” and working as an associate editor for Viper Comics. He’s currently working on creator-owned projects like “Bluster” and “Craig Farmer: Astronaut!” You can learn more about Porter and his comic book ramblings at http://www.portercomics.blogspot.com or follow him on Twitter @KenBlakePorter.
Scott Rosema
Scott Rosema’s legendary career in the comic book industry spans over 30 years. He has worked for the Big Two, and his pencils and inks have touched just about every character large and small during his long career. He is a graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design, and he currently resides in Muskegon MI where he and his lovely wife Suzie continue to pursue their love of art and creation. Suzie will be accompanying Scott.
Jay Fosgitt
Fosgitt Jay is the creator of the graphic novel Dead Duck (now found as a web comic), and has worked on The Marquis, Old McMonster’s Haunted Farm, and his newest book: Bodie Troll. http://www.jayfosgitt.com
Lee O’Hanlon
Lee O Hanlon Lee O’Hanlon is a graphic artist and a computer animator from Milwaukee, WI. While working in the video game industry for the past few years as a character animator and rigging artist on such games as Call of Duty: Black Ops and Bioshock Infinite, he has been doodling adorable characters and breaking into comics. He is the creator of the upcoming book, Monster Beats, a comic about a young monster that wants to stop scaring people and become a DJ and the artist/occasional writer on Roaring 20s, a comic about mobster cavemen and dinosaurs set in the 1920’s.
http://www.leeohanlon.com
http://www.roaring20scomic.com
