Some may know this, but others might not. Talented artist Josh Medors has been fighting cancer for several months now, and the staff at the Emerald City Comic Con, as well as many comic creators, have worked to bring together a fantastic group of art and signed items for auction. You can see more of it at the ECCC site under the Josh Medors Benefit section. There is a lot of great stuff, original art from many comic talents such as Norm Breyfogle, Phil Hester & Ande Parks, Jim Mahfood, Ben Templesmith, Michael Avon Oeming, and some fantastic pieces of art by Joseph Michael Lindser, not to mention a great sketch by comics legend John Romita Sr. The cool thing about this auction is that you don't have to be present to win. You can email the staff at medorsauction@emeraldcitycomicon.com. They say to, "include the lot number, your bid, name, address, and phone number so we can contact you. Please note that the minimum bid is $20.00." Either way, this is a great way to get some original comic book art and to help someone out at the same time. Don't miss out on this chance for some one of a kind comic book items.

The Emerald City Comic Con happens this weekend in sunny...scratch that...mostly rainy but ever beautiful Seattle, Washington. This is Northwest's largest convention and is running strong in its sixth year. The convention is in a new home though, in the Washington State Convention Center, so time will tell if the move is a wise one or not. Having been to last years convention in the Qwest center and seeing what is planned for this years con, I am excited to explore the grounds and it looks like the space will be much more suited for a comic book convention like Emerald City. The guest list is huge and there are more events that look like a lot of fun. Before you go, take a look at what this convention has to offer comic book fans in the Emerald City Comic Con Profile

Image - ECCC Exhibitor
Copyright Eli Loehrke

The Emerald City Comic Con is going to happen this weekend in the heart of the Northwest - Seattle, Washington. This con has quickly become a favorite of many creators and fans for its focus on comics, intimacy with creators, smooth operation, and the ability to draw big and small names. There has been a man behind the con all this time, and that man is Jim Demonakos. Some might think that name is familiar, and you would be right. The one time PR man of Image Comics and owner of the largest chains of comics in Washington state has been in and around comics for quite some time now. I got a chance to interview Jim about the con - what to expect, what it's like to run a convention, and many other topics you might want to know coming from the man who is running the largest comic book convention in the Northwest. Read an interview with Jim Demonakos, commander in chief of the Emerald City Comic Con.

Image - Emerald City Comic Con 07
Copyright Eli Loehrke

I had a blast this last Saturday at Free Comic Book Day, and went to not one, not two, not even three, but four different comic book stores in Portland, Oregon. I met some great store owners, patrons, creators, and got some neat comics. My favorites so far are the sketches from Colleen Coover and Anne Timmons, both very talented ladies. You can see my journey through the different comics, as well as some scenery of the city of Portland on the way. All in all it was a great day and I was glad to be a part of this very cool event. What about you? What did you get from Free Comic Book Day? Post below.

Image - Guapo Comics
Copyright Aaron Albert

The Iron Man movie opened this last Friday and I got a chance to see it. I went in excited for another comic book movie, but with somewhat lower expectations in respect to how many comic movies deal with the continuity of the characters. This is a fact I have resigned myself to for a while now, and it has helped me enjoy more comic book movies as of late. I have to say, I left the theater feeling very impressed with the new Iron Man movie. There was much that this movie has to offer the comic book fan, paying homage to the characters and stories told by Lee, Kriby, Heck, and Lieber. Take a look at what I liked and even didn't like about this latest comic book movie in my Iron Man review.

Image Copyright Paramount Pictures

Free comic book day is tomorrow! This now yearly event coincides with the latest comic book movie, this year being Iron Man. The movie looks fun but free comics? Even better. I have many stops planned on my Free Comic Book Day tour of Portland, Oregon. If you don't know, Portland has become one of the top comic book cities in the United States. Many creators and publisher call this place home, including Bendis, Busiek, Brubaker, Top Shelf, Oni Press, Dark Horse, Bowen Designs, Jim Valentino, Douglas Wolk, Periscope, and many many others, big and small. I plan on hitting up Cosmic Monkey Comics, Guapo Comics, Excalibur, and Floating World. Not for the free comics, but rather to see how they experience Free Comic Book Day. This is a fantastic day for comic book collectors, families, and creators to celebrate this beloved art form. Be sure to check out some of my picks from Free Comic Book Day, as I went through and picked out some things that I was interested in for adults and kids for this years Free Comic Book Day.

Free Comic Book Day!

• Free Comic Book Day Profile
• Picks for Adults
• Picks for Kids

Image - Cosmic Monkey Comics Portland, OR
Copyright Aaron Albert

The Stumptown Comics Fest was a blast this last weekend, and if you missed it, you missed a great time revolving around comics. While it was mostly an indy comic fest, the convention had something to offer to everyone. Werewolf cowboys, girly girl diaries, ghosts of the past, combat librarians, you name it. The con was pretty smooth and everyone seemed to be have a great time, especially at the after hours events. Tales of the Top Shelf martini party, the Trophy Awards, and the Comic Art Battle has filled the interwaves. Check out some of the highlights from this years Stumptown Comics Fest.

• Stumptown 08 Report
• Stumptown 08 Trophy Awards
• Stumptown 08 Comics Picks
• Stumptown 08 Comic Art Battle
• Stumptown 08 Picture Gallery
• Stumptown 08 Comic Art BattleHost Parkerstar of the Comic Art Battle
  Image Copyright Aaron Albert

I attended this years Stumptown Comics Fest with some hard cash in hand and prowled the aisles looking for some comics to buy. Buying comics can be a hard thing as especially at a convention like this there are hundreds if not thousands of comics a person could pick up. Some I had in mind before I went, but I tried to look for things that just caught my eye. I came away with some cool stuff and thought I'd pass on my new items in case you were looking for something to pick up on your next visit to the comic store. I took the risk so you didn't have to this time around. Take a peek.

Image Copyright Aaron Albert

The Stumptown Comics Fest was this past weekend and it was a rousing success. They had more attendees in the first day than the last year's attendance combined, the con floor was always busy, the panels were full, and the events were a blast. The thing I think I enjoyed about this show was that it didn't seem to take itself too seriously and really put the emphasis on comics, art, and camaraderie. The creators were all very pleasant and willing to share their comics and even the "big name" creators were very accessible and talkative. Take a look at some of the pictures I got during my time at the fest. More coming later.

Nicholas Gurewitch of Perry Bible Fellowship

Image Copyright Aaron Albert

The Stumptown Comics Fest is this weekend in Portland, Oregon and I am going to attend. It started out only a few years ago as a small press show that focused on the creators of comic books and not just the publishers. It has quickly grown into a good sized convention that still focuses on the creators of comics, but is now incorporating some big names in the comic book industry as well. Major guests such as Brian Michael Bendis, Scott McCloud, and Mike Richardson are just a few of the big guests this year. I'm really excited to attend so look forward to reports, photos, and more from this years Stumptown Comics Fest. For those wondering, Portland gained the nickname "stumptown" during a huge growth in population in the mid 1800's, where trees were cut down at an alarming rate to make room for homes and roads. The stumps were left behind until workers could come along and remove them. The scene coined the nickname, "stumptown," and it has had that name ever since.