Phoenix Comicon 2012
KickOff This Week
Boxboy from Phoenix Comicon 2011. Image by Dusty Draper.
By Brad Hamilton
Modern Times Magazine
Jan. 31, 2012 — Phoenix Comicon is hosting a KickOff Thursday night at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd Street where additional guests and exclusives will be announced for this year’s event.
The KickOff will be in ballroom 120D from 7 to 10 p.m. Registration for this free event can be completed here. The event will begin with a presentation from the Convention Director Matt Solberg that will include a recap of already released guests and many new announcements. There will be information on improvements for 2012 and open volunteer positions. The event will conclude with a walk through of the convention center space being used this year.
“Phoenix Comicon 2012 still has a few surprises coming.” said Marketing Director Jillian Squires “The kickoff event will let everyone in on them.”
Although several new announcements will be part of Thursday’s KickOff, many top names in sci-fi, comics, anime and cosplay have already committed to the May 24 to 27 event. Legendary Actor/Entertainer William Shatner will undoubtedly be the top draw, as he will make an appearance May 26.
“Shatner is very diverse in his contributions to pop culture and we hope our attendees will be as excited as we are that he is attending our convention,” stated Joe Boudrie, the Director of Programming.
Some of the other guests scheduled to appear at Phoenix Comicon include:
Comic Books
George Perez: Legendary artist, "Superman," "Wonder Woman,""Brave and the Bold"
Arthur Suydam: Cover artist "Marvel Zombies," "Ghost Rider," "Moon Knight," "Wolverine"
Billy Tucci: Creator and Artist "Shi," Artist "Sgt Rock: The Last Battalion," "Heroes for Hire"
Greg Horn: Artist "Blackest Night," Cover artist "Flash," "Green Lantern Corps," "Wonder Woman," "Green Arrow"
Stuart Immonen: Artist "Ultimate Fantastic Four," "Ultimate X-Men," "Nextwave," "New Avengers”
Film & Television
Ed Asner: Voice of Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's "Up," "Lou Grant" on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Erin Gray: "Colonel Wilma" on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, "Kate" Silver Spoons.
Gil Gerard: "Buck Rogers" Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Jeremy Bulloch: "Boba Fett" Star Wars Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Tony Amendola: "Geppetto" Once Upon a Time, "Master Bra-Tac" Stargate SG-1
Anime
Vic Mignogna: Voice actor "Edward Elric" Fullmetal Alchemist, "Tamaki Suou" Ouran High School Host Club, "Zero" Vampire Knight, and "Yoshimori" Kekkaishi.
Authors
Kris Neri: Author "High Crimes on the Magical Plane" and "Magical Alienation"
Kevin Hearne: Author "The Iron Druid Chronicles," "Tricked," "Hounded," "Hexed"
Weston Ochse: Author "Empire Salt," a zombie novel. "Blood Ocean," "Scarecrow Gods"
Tom Leveen: Author young adult novel, "Party". Gini Koch - Author "Touched by an Alien"
James A. Owen: Author "Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica" series
Janni Lee Simner - Author "Bones of Faerie," "Faerie Winter"
Jon S. Lewis - Author "Grey Griffins" series
Sam Sykes - Author "Tome of the Undergates," "Black Halo"
Yvonne Navarro - Author "Highborn," "Concrete Savior," "AfterAge," "deadrush," "Final Impact"
Jeff Mariotte - Author "Cold Black Hearts," "The Slab," "Witch Season" plus novels set in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "CSI," "Supernatural," and "Star Trek"
For more information, visit http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.
Brad Hamilton lives in Tempe, Ariz.
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