Press Release: Robert Kirkman, the Eisner Award-winning creator of The Walking Dead and Invincible, will be a Guest of Honor at this year’s New York Comic Con, which will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, Thursday, October 13 – Sunday October 16, 2011.

Mr. Kirkman is the first guest to be announced for this year’s convention. Show organizers note that Mr. Kirkman will have a prominent role and will participate in panels as well as appear at the Image Comics booth. Further details about his participation will be posted on the NYCC website as soon as they become available.

Meanwhile, as previously announced, New York Comic Con will be extended by an extra day in 2011 in order to accommodate even more attendees. Nearly 100,000 fans, guests, and professionals attended the 2010 edition of the annual pop culture gathering. For the first time, the convention will be open to the public for three full days – Friday (10/14), Saturday (10/15), and Sunday (10/16). NYCC’s additional day of convention activity will take place on Thursday (10/13) with academic programming beginning at 12 noon. The convention floor will officially open for professional hours and a new fan preview night for 4-day ticket holders and VIPs on Thursday from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

“Robert Kirkman is one of a handful of highly acclaimed and prestigious creators who raises the bar and sets a standard of excellence for our show,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for New York Comic Con. “We are extremely grateful to him for agreeing so early to participate in our show. He is a superstar and we will have thousands of fans who will be incredibly anxious to see him. This is a terrific announcement as it signals the type of exciting guest appearances that we will be revealing in the coming months as we prepare for an even longer and more comprehensive New York Comic Con. The fun is just beginning!”

About Robert Kirkman: Robert Kirkman is a New York Times bestselling author known for being a cultural zeitgeist of the comic book industry. Following the grassroots success of the self-published Battle Pope (2000), Kirkman caught the eye of Image Comics founding partner Erik Larsen. After several short-term projects (SuperPatriot and TechJacket), he achieved superstar status in 2003 with Invincible and The Walking Dead. During a subsequent stint at Marvel Comics, he gained many new fans with the haunting and hilarious Marvel Zombies. MTV translated Kirkman’s Invincible into a motion comic — one of the first in a growing industry trend. Kirkman’s SKYBOUND imprint, under the Image Comics umbrella, is committed to fostering up-and-coming talent in the industry, and all acquisitions are hand picked by Kirkman himself. Kirkman won the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series for The Walking Dead. AMC’s interpretation of the comic, helmed by Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd, has received glowing reviews from critics and fans alike and continues to garner the highest ratings for the network, making it a game changer for groundbreaking television on cable.

For more information about Robert Kirkman’s SKYBOUND imprint at Image Comics please visit www.skyboundent.com.

Tickets for NYCC are now on sale via the website www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Limited 4-Day tickets are available. For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.MediumAtLarge.net. Convention organizers note Mr. Kirkman is the first of many guests to be revealed and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements in the coming weeks.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.