Baltimore Comic-Con, 2008

Yes, we know it's been quite a while since our last post, but it's been a trying summer for the KLC crew. A few of us have had some family illnesses, and that, as well as work obligations, have kept us away. However, we're very pleased to let you all know that Kids Love Comics will be exhibiting at The Baltimore Comic-Con, this weekend, September 27-28. KLC members and friends at the KLC booth include:

Jimmy Gownley
Scott Sava
John Gallagher
Rich Faber
Steve Conley
Mark McKenna
Art Baltazar/Franco Aureliani/Jamie Cosley
Dean Trippe/Jason Horn
Scott Cohn/Scott Neely
Ted Tucker
Frank Cammuso

... and some other surprise guests! There will also be some special items we'll be giving away free, as well as the books and merchandise we normally have for sale. Please come by the show and say hello. Marc Nathan puts on a spectacular family-friendly show, and we know you'll want to bring the kids!

We hope to see you this weekend!

Some pictures from NYCC '08

Hey there, everyone! Things have been crazy here at KLC Central, but we're all working very hard to bring you the best and the latest about kids comics. A lot of great things came out of this year's New York Comic-Con, so please continue watching this space for some exciting announcements in the coming weeks and months!

We all had a terrific time at the show, and recruited some spectacular new members to KLC! We'll have some announcements about membership in the near future, so keep checking back.

Thanks to everyone who came by the KLC booth to chat and show support. We really love hearing all the fantastic suggestions and words of encouragement, and appreciate you all stopping by to say hi! We met so many great supporters of Kids Love Comics and look forward to seeing all the kids, educators, librarians, and retailers at upcoming shows!
For now, we'll leave you with these pictures of the KLC booth and members:


A young fan stops by the KLC Kids Day table.


Todd Webb sketches for the kids!


Josh (Mail Order Ninja) Elder, John (Buzzboy) Gallagher, and Scott (Dreamland Chronicles) Sava take a break for a photo op!


Rich (Roboy Red) Faber and John Gallagher manning their booth!


Jimmy Gownley with Amelia! (photo by Dan Kois, and borrowed from this nice NYCC interview with Jimmy on the Hermenautic Circle Blog)

We'll see you all in Charlotte, NC next month for Heroes Con!

Kids Love Comics Comes to Beantown!

Comic Book Question & Answer with Josh Elder
April 22, 7 p.m.

I'll be hosting a session on all things comics at the main branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square where I'll be answering any and all questions about comics: how they're made, how they work, how you can make your own, etc.

I will also be leading workshops for children and teens earlier in the day as well as giving a mini-symposium on graphic novels in schools and libraries for any interested teachers and librarians.

For more information call 617.536.5400 x 2334 or visit www.bpl.org

Hope to see you there!

News Release - KLC at New York Comic-Con '08!

Excerpted from the official press release; link to full release here:

NEW YORK COMIC CON NAMES PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Kids’ Day Among First of New Initiatives; “Kids Love Comics” a Key Contributor to Programming Events and Ideas

Norwalk, CT, September 30: New York Comic Con (NYCC) has announced that it has appointed senior staff member Jay Williams to the post of Manager of Programming & Education.

In a related announcement, show organizers note that one of Williams’ first initiatives is the launch of Kids’ Day, a significant all-day program on Sunday, April 20 which will focus on events and activities designed to attract and entertain young fans. A key partner in the development of this program is Kids Love Comics (KLC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development and growth of children’s comic books in North America.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone like Jay to step to the plate,” notes Greg Topalian, Show Director for the Con. “Our kids’ stuff is only one small part, though a very important part, of a comprehensive schedule of approximately 125 special events that we’ll be offering, including author activities and conversations, screenings and premiers, and many panel discussions,” Topalian concludes. “As always, our goal is to provide something challenging, entertaining and educational for everyone who attends New York Comic Con.”

New York Comic Con will be held April 18 – 20, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.


We at Kids Love Comics are very excited about this news, and can't wait to share updated info about the programming! Check back here for new information, as it happens! See you in New York in April!

Baltimore Comic-Con Wrap

Kids Love Comics at the Comic Book Diner in Baltimore. Left to right, Harold Buchholz, Jimmy Gownley and Steve Conley.



Well, it's been over a week since the Baltimore Comic-Con wrapped up, and we at Kids Love Comics are only just now catching our collective breath! The Comic Book Diner was a huge hit, and the free posters we had were flying off the tables! In all, we had 15 all-ages creators at the Diner, and folks were clamoring to have each and every one of us sign their posters! The coloring stations for kids were extremely active throughout the two day show, and kids of all ages, crayons flying, were creating new drawings by the minute! Many of the creators at the Comic Book Diner remarked that they'd never had so many kids visit their booths before, with KLC proving once again that kids really DO love comics! All in all, it was an outstanding weekend, both in terms of outreach to kids and families, as well as sales of the all-ages material we all had at our tables.

In addition, many of the CBD participants and friends attended KLC-sponsored panels for kids. On Saturday, KLC co-founder Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!) and John Gallagher (Buzzboy) hosted a panel called "Kids Love Comics. Why Don't Comics Love Kids?" In it, they discussed the general industry trend of comics getting away from kid-oriented material, and what Kids Love Comics is doing to reverse that trend.

On Sunday, Rich Faber moderated the "Kids Love Comics" panel, featuring an interactive session of creating comics. Panelists were Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani of Patrick the Wolf Boy fame, and the brand new Tiny Titans from DC's all-ages Johnny DC imprint, as well as their super-enthusiastic editor, Jann Jones and their pal, Jamie Cosley; Jamar Nicholas of Tokyopop's Grosse Adventures; Thom Zahler of Love and Capes; and Mark McKenna, whose Banana Tail is a favorite of kids as well as Kids Love Comics. Kids and parents who attended the panel were treated to lessons on how a comic book is created from some of today's best all-ages creators, and were thrilled to be able to work with those creators to make their own comics and characters. All in all, it was a fun time for everyone involved!

Here are some pictures to hold you over until next year's show. We hope we'll see you there!


John Gallagher introduces the panel, as Mark McKenna looks on.


Jamar Nicholas teaches his new pals how to lay out the borders on a comics page.


"Aw, yeah man!" Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani show the kids how to create characters, as Jamie Cosley looks on.


Jamar got right into it with the kids!


Thom Zahler teaches the finer points of lettering and sound effects to Jann and the kids.



Even parents were getting into the act! Parents Love Comics too!


This young man is destined for museum work! Excellent dinosaur!


Art attempts to add to the Sky-Dog pantheon of characters with this entry... Roy Buzz Pink! Art will soon be hearing from Gallagher's attorney!

Rich Faber and John Gallagher show that even Babies Love Comics (and baseballs)!

Well, that's it for now. See you all soon!

Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes KLC at the Comic Book Diner!

News Release: Kids Love Comics hosts the Comic Book Diner in Baltimore!
Sept 8-9, Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes All-Ages Comics Pavilion, featuring Kids' Comics Creators.


Baltimore Comic-Con is recognized as a star-studded, family-friendly show; one of the few major conventions still focused primarily on comics. Kids Love Comics is a non-profit organization made up of comic creators, publishers, fans, educators and journalists, as well as those involved in the marketing, promotion, distribution, and retail end of the comic book medium. Together the Baltimore Comic-Con and KLC have formed the Comic Book Diner, an all-ages comics pavilion, offering up comics that are cool for all kids, from age 6 to sixty!


All-ages creators will be on hand in "The Diner" include Steve Conley (Star Trek, Astounding Space Thrills), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), John Gallagher and Rich Faber (Buzzboy, Roboy Red), Art Baltazar and Franco Aurleani (Patrick the Wolfboy, Tiny Titans), Scott Neely (Scooby Doo), Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja), Dean Trippe (Butterfly), Mark McKenna (Banana Tail, DC Countdown), Scott Cohn (Krypto, Ben 10), and Jamie Cosley (Fearnots). Also, Disney artist Ted Tucker will be on hand to draw super hero caricatures all weekend!


KLC will be presenting panels on the subject of the kids comics industry, as well as a special Sunday HowYaGonna comics tutorial session, with cool stations designed for kids and parents to learn how to create comic books. Comic Book Diner creators will be on hand to give personalized instruction in the process of creating a comic book, from initial ideas through completion. Also, a unique Comic Book Diner print featuring all of the Comic Book Diner creators' characters will be available for fans to have signed. Baltimore Comic-Con promoter Marc Nathan has been working with local libraries, as well as the Baltimore County Boy Scouts to make sure the Sunday panel is well attended, even offering up free admission to kids with a paying adult (Sunday Only).

"This is a great way to showcase the large variety of kids comics available," said Comic Book Diner organizer John Gallagher, whose own Buzzboy will be a part of the Comic Book Diner. "Marc Nathan has always supported kids comics, and when he offered us the opportunity to create an entire section at the Baltimore Comic-Con specifically devoted to kids, we jumped at the chance! Oh, and I almost forgot... we'll have an actual diner booth set up too!

There are plans for the Comic Book Diner to hit many of next year's comic shows, including the New York Comic Con, Charlotte's Heroes Con, San Diego's Comic-Con International, and of course, back to Baltimore for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con. But first, we'll save a seat for you this weekend, at the 'Diner!!

Pet Robots

More San Diego Comicon News!


We'll have more Comic-Con/ Kids Love Comics News and pics soon, but here's some breaking excitement: Scott Sava, KLC friend and super cool creator of Dreamland Chronicles, The Lab, and Ed;'s Terrestrials, has announced that his latest project had been optioned by Disney-- way to go Scott!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969503.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

While KLC's mission is to promote literacy through comics and GN's, it is always cool to see the valodation of how all-ages comics canb transition to other mediums.

Stay tuned for more KLC news soon!