David Finch began his career in comics as the artist on the Top Cow Productions title, Cyberforce before co-creating the series Ascension. While at Top Cow, Finch also worked on such titles as Aphrodite IX, The Darkness, and Tales of the Witchblade.

In 2003, Finch began working with Brian Micheal Bendis on a year-long story arc for Marvel’s Ultimate X-Men before the duo moved on to Avengers and New Avengers. During his 8 years at Marvel Comics, he worked on such titles as Moon Knight, Ultimatum, Wolverine, and Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America – Spider-Man.

In 2010, Finch announced that he was leaving Marvel to become an exclusive artist with DC Comics and was one of several artist who worked on the bi-weekly title, Brightest Day. In January of 2011, Finch began writing and drawing Batman: The Dark Knight.

After DC’s launch of the New 52, he continued writing and drawing the second volume of the Batman: The Dark Knight, as well as providing cover art for Justice League, Justice League International, and Birds of Prey. He is currently the artist on the recently launched, Justice League of America.

“David is one of the most talented artists working in comics today and we couldn’t be happier to have him returning to Baltimore again this year,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “He’s a fan-favorite creator so this will be a real treat for everyone attending the show!”

Finch joins our other confirmed guests for the show including: Brian Bolland (Dial H); Mark Buckingham (Fables); Jimmy Cheung (Avengers vs. X-Men); Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine); J.M. DeMatteis (Phantom Stranger); Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service); Keith Giffen (Masters of the Universe); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Barry Kitson (Empire); Roger Langridge (Popeye); Paul Levitz (World’s Finest); Kevin Maguire (World’s Finest); Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell); George Perez (World’s Finest); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Joe Prado (Earth 2); Ivan Reis (Aquaman); Chris Samnee (Daredevil); Louise Simonson (X-Factor); Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); and Mark Waid (Indestructible Hulk).

The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce that the British Invasion will be returning to Charm City for the second year in a row! Thus far, we can confirm that Brian Bolland, Jimmy Cheung, and Roger Langridge will all be joining previous announced British Invasion guests Mark Buckingham, Dave Gibbons, and Barry Kitson for this year’s show. The show will be held on September 7-8, 2013 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Brian Bolland, who is best-known for his meticulously detailed line work, is one of the artists who helped define the look and feel of Judge Dredd for the British anthology series 2000 AD, and spearheaded what has become known as the “British Invasion” of the American comic industry in the early-’80s. Bolland won three Harvey Awards in 1989 for Best Artist, Best Graphic Album, and Best Single Issue for The Killing Joke. His most recent work includes covers for DC Comics’ Dial H.

Jimmy Cheung began his career in the mid-1990s at Marvel Comics, working on titles such as X- Force, Force Works, and Spider-Man Unlimited. In 2000, he left Marvel to join the team at CrossGen Comics, heading up the art duties on one of their flagship titles, Scion. In 2005, Cheung returned to Marvel where he worked on Secret Warriors, Young Avengers, and Wolverine. Most recently, he illustrated the covers to Marvel’s big Avenger/X-Men event, Avengers vs. X-Men and Spider-Men.

Roger Langridge is a New Zealand-born cartoonist who makes his home across the pond in Britain. He got his start in comic working in the early-’90s with his Fantagraphics titles, Art d’Ecco and Zoot!,  but has become known for his work on the British anthology series The Straightjacket Fits for Judge Dredd Megazine. Throughout the last ten years, Langridge has worked on several titles for both DC and Marvel, including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight; Bizzaro World; Marvel Monsters: Fin Fang Four; and Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Most recently, he has written a drawn several Muppets books for Boom! Studios and is currently writing the Popeye mini-series for IDW.

“We are delighted to have these talented creators joining us again from across the pond,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “Their contribution to the world of comics extends farther than that of American comics, and with Brian, Jimmy, and Roger joining Mark, Dave, and Barry, this year’s British Invasion is already shaping up to be one of the best – and it’s only February!”

In addition to Bolland, Cheung, and Langridge, other confirmed guests for the show include: Mark Buckingham (Fables); Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine); J.M. DeMatteis (Phantom Stranger); Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service); Keith Giffen (Masters of the Universe); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Barry Kitson (Empire); Paul Levitz (World’s Finest); Kevin Maguire (World’s Finest); Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell); George Perez (World’s Finest); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Joe Prado (Earth 2); Ivan Reis (Aquaman); Chris Samnee (Daredevil); Louise Simonson (X-Factor); Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); and Mark Waid (Indestructible Hulk).

Brazilian artist Ivan Reis began his career in American comics in 1996 working on the Dark Horse series, Ghost, beginning with issue 17. After stints on The Mask, Time Cop, and Xena: Warrior Princess, he left Dark Horse to work on several Lady Death mini-series at Chaos! and several fill-in issues at Marvel and DC Comics. While having worked on several books for both Marvel and DC, including Captain Marvel, Avengers, Rann/Thanagar War, and Infinite Crisis, he s most widely-known for this work with Geoff Johns on Green Lantern and Blackest Night. After the launch of DC’s New 52, he worked with Johns again on the relaunch of Aquaman and has since taken over art duties on Justice League.

Joe Prado, who also hails from Brazil, broke into the American comic scene in 2004 while sharing art duties with Reis on DC Comics’ Action Comics. Since then, Prado has worked on such DC titles as Superman, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, and Rann/Thanagar War (again working with Reis). His work has also been featured on the covers of such Dynamite Entertainment books as Red Sonja and Battlestar Galactica. His most recent work includes covers for DC Comics’ Resurrection Man, Aquaman, and Earth 2.

“We are so pleased to have both Ivan and Joe joining us here in Baltimore this year,” said Marc Nathan, Show Promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “Their art has graced the pages of some of the best comics published in the last decade, and their art styles have helped shape the look and feel of the modern DC Universe.”

In addition to Reis and Prado, other confirmed guests for the show include: Mark Buckingham (Fables); Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine); J.M. DeMatteis (Phantom Stranger); Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service); Keith Giffen (Masters of the Universe); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Barry Kitson (Empire); Paul Levitz (World’s Finest); Kevin Maguire (World’s Finest); Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell); George Perez (World’s Finest); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Chris Samnee (Daredevil); Louise Simonson (X-Factor); Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); and Mark Waid (Indestructible Hulk).

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

Writer J.M. DeMatteis began his career in the late-’70s working on DC Comics’ horror line of books. In 1980, he moved over to Marvel, where he worked on The Defenders and Captain America. Over the next 30 years, DeMatteis would write nearly every major character in both the DC and Marvel Universes, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, Daredevil, and Doctor Strange. DeMatteis is currently co-writing the Phantom Stranger along with Dan Didio for DC Comics.

Keith Giffen is a writer/artist who has worked on such titles as OMAC, Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and his creator-owned series, Hero Squared. Giffen is currently working on Threshold and the recently announced Masters of the Universe ongoing series for DC Comics.

Artist Kevin Maguire, who has worked with both Giffen and DeMatteis on several books, began his a career in 1987. He has worked on such high-profile titles as Batman Confidential, Captain America, and X-Men, and he is currently working with Paul Levitz and George Perez on DC Comics’ World’s Finest, which stars the Huntress and Power Girl.

DeMatteis, Giffen, and Maguire are well-known for their run on DC Comics’ Justice League in the late ’80s, which added a humorous brand of storytelling to the superhero team dynamic and brought a lighthearted tone with fantastic humor – something different in a comic landscape that was filled with “grim and gritty” books.

“We couldn’t be happier to have these three creators reuniting once again at this year’s show,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “Their appearance together at the show in 2011 was a real treat to fans who attended the show and who attended their panel. Their work in comics in the late-’80s helped to lay the groundwork for many of today’s modern characters.”

Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire join already announced guests: Mark Buckingham (Fables); Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine); Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Barry Kitson (Empire); Paul Levitz (World’s Finest); Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell); George Perez (World’s Finest); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Chris Samnee (Daredevil); Louise Simonson (X-Factor); Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); and Mark Waid (Indestructible Hulk).

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

Signing up is simple and information will be available at the Baltimore Comic-Con exhibit booth. The process begins with creating your own profile page and then connecting with additional users to create your own personal network. With Facebook interfaces, ComicWow! allows its users to share links, videos, and photos with the click of a button. ComicWow! content is uncensored and allows users to sound off their opinions via their own posts, videos, and blogs.

“This is our hometown, so Baltimore Comic-Con is the perfect place to launch ComicWow!.  We are thankful to Marc Nathan and his staff for putting on such a great event,” says CEO & Founder Josh Geppi. “As comic lovers ourselves, we have put great thought into exactly the type of fan forum that the industry needs and wants.”

With over 3,000 fans on their Facebook page even prior to the official launch, ComicWow! is gaining momentum rapidly with industry professionals already offering their support.

“This was an idea years in the making but now is the perfect time for it to happen,” says co-founder Michael Kacala. “And we are really excited to be a Silver Sponsor for this year’s Harvey Awards.”
ComicWow!’s exhibit at Baltimore Comic Con will allow visitors the opportunity to sign up and be among the first to explore the site.

Launching later is year will be ComicWow! Marketplace where users can buy and sell items.

For more information visit ComicWow!’s booth #1909 at Baltimore Comic Con and Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ComicWow.

For the first time, we are expanding our Saturday hours, allowing you more time to squeeze panels, comics and comics-related products shopping, the Costume Contest, the auction, and collecting autographs and commissioning sketches from your favorite comics pros and newfound rising talent. We will be open from 10am to 7pm on Saturday (and the same 10am to 5pm on Sunday that we’ve had in years past).

We are also announcing further details about the 2012 Costume Contest: Registration will be taking place in booth #2606, and will cost $5 for adults 18 and older (children 17 and younger are free!). There are 10 categories with prizes for each, and $1,000 up for grabs to the person with the best overall costume! The Costume Contest, presented by StylinOnline.com, will be held on Sunday, September 9th in Room 307-310 upstairs from the convention center floor. Don’t miss it!

Keep your eye on our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for last-minute up-to-the-minute announcements about the show, and We’ll See You In Baltimore!

TICKETS
Tickets are now available for VIP GOLD, VIP, and General Admission at the Baltimore Comic-Con!

Buy your convention tickets now and save time at the show! – http://baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/
For Harvey Award Tickets – http://baltimorecomiccon.com/harvey-awards/

The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce that John Romita Sr.will join Stan Lee for his panel, to be held Saturday afternoon, September 8th at 4:30pm. John is appearing on behalf of the Hero Initiative.

Best known for his work at Marvel Comics on the Amazing Spider-Man, John began working for the company at Atlas Comics in the 1950s on war, romance, horror, and other genres. He freelanced at DC Comics in the mid-1950s on romance titles and cover art, eventually leaving to work as a commercial artist before being lured back to Marvel full time where he spent time working on Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and eventually his long run on Amazing Spider-Man, defining for many the look of the Spider-Man characters.

In addition, Stan Lee Collectibles is pleased to announce that they will have a limited edition poster for sale at the show. A small number of these limited edition posters have been reserved for VIP and VIP GOLD ticket holders to ensure they are able to purchase one. Limited quantities are available for purchase by attendees. The posters may be purchased at booth 1507-1508 on the showroom floor.

Finally, we are pleased to announce Stan’s Appearance Schedule while at the Baltimore Comic-Con:

Saturday (times are approximate)
10:30 -12:00 – SIGNING
12:30 – 1:30 – PHOTOS
2:00 – 3:30 – SIGNING
3:45 – 4:25 – PHOTOS
4:30 – 5:30 – PANEL
5:45 – TBD – SIGNING

Sunday (times are approximate)
10:00 – 11:00 – PHOTOS
11:00 – 12:00 – SIGNING
1:00 – 4:00 – SIGNING & PHOTOS – EXACT TIMES TBD

The Hero Initiative is a federally charted not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping comic book creators in their hour on need. By providing financial safety nets for medical aid, financial support for the necessities of life, and an avenue back to paying work, the Hero Initiative, through the support of its donors, has been able to grant more than $500,000 to over 50 comic veterans.

For more information about how to help support the Hero Initiative, please visit www.heroinitiative.org.

General Admission
General Admission tickets for Saturday, Sunday, and the weekend are available at baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/.

VIP PACKAGES:
Stan Lee will now be appearing both days at the show. While one Stan Lee autograph and one Stan Lee photograph is included with each VIP Admission and each VIP GOLD Admission, attendees can now purchase individual autographs from our website. In addition, VIP and VIP GOLD attendees can purchase additional individual autographs from Stan Lee with these autograph tickets. Purchase yours at http://baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/.

VIP Ticket holders receive:
* 30-minute early admission on both days of the show
* One (1) item SIGNED by Stan Lee
* One (1) PHOTOGRAPH with Stan Lee
* Fast track access to for Stan’s signing line and his photo line
* Priority Seating at Stan’s panel on Saturday
* Stan Lee t-shirt courtesy of StylinOnline
* Frank Cho Liberty Meadows Calendar

VIP GOLD Ticket holders receive:
* EXCLUSIVE Friday-night Q&A panel at the hotel of Stan Lee and friends, including Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson, Herb Trimpe, Frank Cho, Barry Kitson, Mark Buckingham, Larry Hama, and Roger Stern. JUST ADDED — Mark Waid will now moderate the Stan Lee and friends panel!
* EXCLUSIVE “meet and greet” with Stan and Guests following the panel.
* EXCLUSIVE signing time where Stan will sign the VIP GOLD member’s ITEM at the Friday event! (Skip the Saturday line entirely!)
NOTE : VIP GOLD TICKET HOLDERS RECEIVE 1 SIGNATURE. THEY MAY CLAIM IT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, OR SUNDAY.
Plus all benefits of the VIP Ticket holder:
* 30-minute early admission on both days of the show
* One (1) item SIGNED by Stan Lee
* One (1) PHOTOGRAPH with Stan Lee
* Fast track access to for Stan’s signing line and his photo line
* Priority Seating at Stan’s panel on Saturday
* Stan Lee t-shirt courtesy of StylinOnline
* Frank Cho Liberty Meadows Calendar

VIP and VIP GOLD Ticket purchasers will receive details (times, places, etc.) approximately 1 week before the show.

With stunning artwork by David Petersen, screen-printed on a khaki colored shirt, the t-shirts will be available for $20 each at the Show Exclusives booth (#2507). Petersen, who will also be appearing at the show, is a cartoonist and children’s book illustrator best known for his work on Mouse Guard, a series of mini-series published by Archaia Studios. The t-shirt design features characters from the Eisner-Award winning series along with the logo for the Baltimore Comic-Con..

The t-shirts were produced by StylinOnline, the exclusive vendor of licensed t-shirts at this year’s convention. In addition to the Baltimore Comic-Con t-shirts, there will be a very limited number of Stan Lee VIP t-shirts, which features art celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Spider-Man, available at the StylinOnline booth (#1509).

“We are so excited to be able to offer the fans these beautifully designed t-shirts at this year’s show,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “David and StylinOnline did such an amazing job that we couldn’t be happier with our first-ever convention t-shirts!”

Neal Adams is no stranger to the world of Batman at DC Comics. His work on such DC Comics characters as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Green Arrow redefined an era of comics, bringing a photorealistic feel to the pages their respective books. In April of this year, Adams wrapped up writing and drawing the 7-issue second volume of Batman: Odyssey, a self-contained story following up on the first volume that takes place outside of DC’s New 52 continuity.

Greg Capullo began his mainstream comic career in the early ’90s, working on the Marvel titles Quasar, X-Force, and What If? In 1993, he left Marvel for the Image Comics series Spawn, where he took over regular art duties with issue #26. Over the course of his career, Capullo has provided covers and interior art for such Image titles as Spawn, Angela, The Creech, and Haunt. In 2007, his artwork was collected in the hard cover book, The Art of Greg Capullo, published by Image Comics. Most recently, he has handled the art duties on Batman, the New 52 title which launched last September from DC Comics.

David Finch began his career in 1994, working on Image Comics’ Cyberforce. After working at Image through 2001, Finch moved over to Marvel Comics where he worked on such titles as Ultimate X-Men, Wolverine, New Avengers, and Moon Knight. In 2010, he became an exclusive artist for DC Comics, where he began writing and drawing the new ongoing title, Batman: The Dark Knight, which has continued as a second volume following the events of Flashpoint and the start of DC’s New 52.

Scott Snyder, who is currently writing DC’s Batman (with artist Greg Capullo) and Swamp Thing, made a huge impact on the comic industry last year with his ground-breaking work in both series in DC’s New 52. In 2011, he received a Harvey Award for Best New Series for his work on American Vampire. In addition to these three titles, Snyder will be co-writing the upcoming series Talon, which spins off directly from his critically-acclaimed “Court of Owls” storyline from Batman.

Peter Tomasi is a writer and editor best known for his work at DC Comics. He began his career in 1993, editing such titles as Green Lantern, the Batman titles, Aquaman, Hawkman, and JSA before being promoted to Senior Editor in 2003. In 2007, Tomasi decided to move from editing to writing full-time and, in 2010, took over writing Batman and Robin with issue #20. Since the launch of the New 52 last September, Tomasi has helmed the new volumes of both Batman and Robin and Green Lantern Corps.

“With the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and the popularity of the character over the last few years, it’s great to be able give fans the creators that bring Batman to life on the printed page month-in and month-out,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “We’re thrilled to have Neal, Greg, David, Scott, and Peter returning to the show this year!”

In his 15-year career, Mike earned the admiration of fans and the respect of his fellow artists for his lively drawing style – on such books as The Flash, Fantastic Four, and his own creation with writer Todd Dezago, TELLOS – and his kind, generous nature. Mike happily encouraged aspiring artists and it is in the hope of continuing that spirit of encouragement that the scholarship was founded. The scholarship continues to grow through the tireless efforts of Mike’s friends, colleagues, and fans, including Marc Nathan and the staff of the Baltimore Comic-Con. Money for the fund is raised through donations and the sale of Mike’s artwork and books.

Any full-time student at SCAD who has declared a major of Sequential Art is eligible to apply. Since its inception, there have been three recipients of the annual award, which currently stands at $2,300. Two of them, NICKY SOH and ERYK DONOVAN, are very excited to be attending the 2012 Baltimore Comic-Con as guests. They will be available for sketches and look forward to answering questions about their experiences as ‘Ringo Scholarship recipients.

For more information regarding the fund, please go to www.ringoscholarship.com.