Marvel arrives this April for the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo and Chicago will never be the same again! Marvel isn’t coming alone; it’s bringing its top talent to town as well!. Among the myriad of exciting events and panels Marvel (Booth #758) has planned for C2E2, there will also be a whole slew of signings over the course of the three day event!

FRIDAYMarvel at C2E2

1:00 – 2:00 PM

REILLY BROWN

JONATHAN HICKMAN

JIM MCCANN

FRED VAN LENTE

2:00 – 3:00 PM

MARJORIE LIU

PAUL PELLETIER

MIKE PERKINS

DANIEL WAY

3:00 – 4:00 PM

JOE QUESADA

4:00 – 5:00 PM

PETER DAVID

VALENTINE DELANDRO

BUTCH GUICE

SEAN MCKEEVER

5:00 – 6:00 PM

BOB LAYTON

KHOI PHAM

FRANK TIERI

PAUL TOBIN

5:30 – 6:30 PM

JEPH LOEB

GREG PAK

SATURDAY

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

MITCH BREITWEISER

RON GARNEY

ADAM KUBERT

12:00 – 1:00 PM

JOE QUESADA

1:00 – 2:00 PM

REILLY BROWN

PETER DAVID

VALENTINE DELANDRO

KHOI PHAM

2:00 – 3:00 PM

RACHEL DODSON

TERRY DODSON

STUART MOORE

MIKE PERKINS

3:00 – 4:00 PM

JEPH LOEB

4:00 – 5:00 PM

DENNIS CALERO

GREG PAK

PAUL PELLETIER

FRED VAN LENTE

5:00 – 6:00 PM

SEAN MCKEEVER

FRANK TIERI

PAUL TOBIN

DANIEL WAY

6:00 – 7:00 PM

MIKE CHOI

JONATHAN HICKMAN

ALESSANDRO VITTI

SKOTTIE YOUNG

SUNDAY

10:30 - 11:30 AM

JEPH LOEB

1:30 AM – 12:30 PM

C.B. CEBULSKI

GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI

MARJORIE LIU

DANIEL WAY

12:30 – 1:30 PM

ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

MITCH BREITWEISER

PETER DAVID

BUTCH GUICE

1:30 – 2:30 PM

REILLY BROWN

GREG PAK

KHOI PHAM

FRED VAN LENTE

2:30 – 3:30 PM

JIMMY CHEUNG

JIM MCCANN

PAUL PELLETIER

SKOTTIE YOUNG

This is the first C2E2 ever and Marvel plans to start off with style! Join Marvel (Booth #758) and its talented creators at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place April 16th to the 18th. You really don’t want to miss out on the fantastic line up of superstar talent, exciting panels, and loads of top secret information that Marvel will be dishing up at C2E2!

Press Release for April 13, 2010

On Saturday, April 17, Neil Gaiman will be giving his only reading in 2010 to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2)! To commemorate this extraordinary event, Tony Harris, the award-winning artist of STARMAN, EX MACHINA, and WAR HEROES has illustrated an all-new print based on the unpublished poem "In Relig Oran," which Gaiman will premiere for the first time at "An Evening With Neil Gaiman!"

Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin, and Max Brooks are Among Many Guests of Publisher!

“Avatar Friday Night” event to feature special presentations and mingling opportunity

Norwalk, CT, March 10, 2010: Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) have announced that Avatar Press will play a huge role at the new pop culture convention where the renowned independent publisher will not only have a significant presence on the show floor but will be bringing many notable writers and creators including Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin and Max Brooks. Other leading Avatar guests who will be on hand at the convention will include: Jacen Burrows, William Christensen, Christos Gage, Matt Martin, Gianluca Pagliarani, Brian Pulido, and Mike Wolfer. All of these personalities will be at the Avatar Press booth, and will be participating in a variety of activities ranging from panel discussions to autographings.

Notably, Avatar Press will play host to the “Avatar Friday Night”, a special event from 8pm – 10pm, Friday April 16 which will feature Max Brooks and George R.R. Martin in their first ever joint appearance. Brooks, whose Zombie Survival lectures are a world-wide hit, will provide his own unique form of humor and entertainment while George R.R. Martin, one of the most acclaimed wordsmiths of the day, will provide a reading from one of his favorite works. Other Avatar Press guests and creators will be on hand to meet and greet fans.

“I am blown away by everything that Avatar Press is doing at our show,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “The quality of these guests is absolutely incredible and I am hugely grateful and pleased to see that Avatar finds such value in our event. Our show is going to be massive AND fun and it is in no small measure because of exhibitors like Avatar Press who build excitement and anticipation on our show floor and throughout the convention by making talented personalities and creators available to meet and greet the thousands of fans who will be on hand at C2E2. I am sure the ‘Avatar Friday Night’ event will be packed and I encourage people to buy their tickets fast!”

Other Avatar Press events that will take place during C2E2 are three panels, including a Max Brooks Q & A, as well as numerous autographings with all the Avatar guests at the Avatar Press booth. For ticket purchases and more information about the “Avatar Friday Night” event, fans should go to http://www.avatarpress.com/conventions/c2e2.

Organizers for C2E2 also note that tickets for the convention itself are selling fast and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit http://www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at http://www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/c2e2.

AVATAR GUESTS:

MAX BROOKS: New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks has become one of the world’s leading authorities on zombies with his Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z titles. He has also written the graphic novel Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks which was produced in cooperation with Avatar Press. Brooks was a member of the Saturday Night Live writing team from 2001 to 2003, for which he won an Emmy. He also has a number of acting credits, including appearances on Roseanne and 7th Heaven, and voice work for Batman Beyond and Justice League. Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights for World War Z.

JACEN BURROWS: A 1996 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1996, Burrows has worked with several comic companies over the years including Caliber Press and London Night Studios, and is currently working under an exclusive contract with Avatar Press. Outside of comics, his work as included contributions to Rockstar Games’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons.

At Avatar, Burrows has worked with the best writers in the industry, praised for his detail and free-flowing story-telling, he has just finished CROSSED with writer Garth Ennis and is currently working on NEONOMICON with Alan Moore. Previously he has illustrated graphic novels by Warren Ellis (SCARS, BAD WORLD, DARK BLUE), Alan Moore (COURTYARD, YUGGOTH CULTURES) and Garth Ennis (303, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD).

WILLIAM CHRISTENSEN: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen’s 20-year career in the comics has included contributions in publishing, writing, and comic industry journalism. Christensen was a prolific freelancer for Wizard during the magazine’s formative years in the early 90’s, and went on to work with 90’s indy powerhouse Chaos! Comics in various capacities. His first comic book writing credit was in the 1995 series Chaos! Quarterly. After founding Avatar in 1996, Christensen became the architect of much of the early company line, including Pandora and The Ravening. As Editor-in-Chief of Avatar, he has become known for establishing Avatar’s famous policy of creative freedom as well as his knack for working with the industry’s best writers, including Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, and Garth Ennis.

Garth Ennis GARTH ENNIS: Comic Book writer Garth Ennis is the creator of Crossed, Preacher, and the Boys. Among his numerous writing credits, he is also known for his work on Marvel’s Punisher and DC’s Hellblazer. Ennis has won Eisner and Eagle awards for his work on Preacher. After getting his start in comics in legendary UK anthology 2000AD in 1988, Ennis took on long-running DC/Vertigo title Hellblazer in 1991 and under his tenure the comic stood alongside Gaiman’s Sandman as DC/Vertigo’s best series. But his 1996 launch Preacher was to prove an even better showcase for Ennis’ unique talent. A compelling cast of characters in an eyes-wide-open drama unafraid to explore any subject quickly made Preacher one of the most important and controversial titles of the 1990’s. Ennis’ work on The Punisher subsequently became a cornerstone of Marvel’s direction in the Quesada era. At Avatar, Ennis has written 303, Dicks, Chronicles of Wormwood, and Crossed.

CHRISTOS GAGE: Christos Gage has written numerous screeplays and was a writer for the TV show Law & Order: SVU before he added comics to his impressive resume. He’s done several top -selling series like World War Hulk: X-Men, Thunderbolts, Iron Man, Avengers: The Initiative for Marvel and co-wrote GI Joe: Cobra for IDW. He created a whole new universe for his acclaimed series Absolution at Avatar and he is current working on the sequel to that series.

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Award-winning author George R.R. Martin is the creator of the epic fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice and A Game of Thrones. Martin has written a number of other books and short stories in genres as diverse as horror, science fiction, and military fiction. As an editor, he was the creator and primary architect of the Wild Cards shared super-hero universe. Martin was active in early comics fandom and credits the attention he recieved from a letter to the editor in Fantastic Four #20 (1963) and fanzine activities with his interest in writing. His television writing credits include The New Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. His lengthy list of awards includes Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards. Martin’s A Game of Thrones is now in production at HBO. His Fevre Dream is about to begin at Avatar Press and The Skin Trade is also in production at Avatar.

MATT MARTIN: Writer/Artist Matt Martin is best known for his creator-owned title Snowman, a supernatural tale of revenge in the form of a creature of ice and snow. Martin has also written and drawn The Coven: Dark Sister for Avatar and drew a story for the Yuggoth Creatures collection of Lovecraft-inspired tales. Martin is a prolific cover artist at Avatar, with work on titles such as Lady Death, Alan Moore’s Glory, Warren Ellis’ Anna Mercury, and much more. He is currently working on an upcoming title written by Garth Ennis.

GIANLUCA PAGLIARANI: An artist on several Warren Ellis titles, Gianluca Pagliarani’s precise, detailed linework and retro sci-fi/fantasy influences have won him acclaim on Avatar books such as Ignition City, Aetheric Mechanics, and Wolfskin: Hundredth Dream.

BRIAN PULIDO: Brian Pulido has created and written hundreds of comic books including Lady Death and Evil Ernie, and licensed comic such as A Nightmare on Elm St. and Friday the 13th. As the founder and president of Chaos! Comics, Pulido was the leading independent comic publisher of the 1990’s

He is on The Hero Initiative’s fundraising board, has received the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Defender of Liberty Award and is the Chief Creative Officer for Mischief Maker Studios. Pulido also wrote and directed the feature film “The Graves”, starring Tony Todd (Candy Man) and Bill Mosley (The Devil’s Rejects). He is the co-writer, with Mike Wolfer, of the upcoming Lady Death monthly series, slated to debut in fall 2010.

MIKE WOLFER: With the self-publication of DAIKAZU #1 in 1987, Mike Wolfer began a comic book career which has spanned over 20 years. After creating and publishing 14 issues of WIDOW for his own Ground Zero Comics, Wolfer moved on to work on various series such as Dark Horse Comics’ GODZILLA, Chaos! Comics LADY DEATH, and many others. Wolfer’s largest body of published work has been for Avatar Press, where his unique brand of graphically illustrated horror and violence has been on display in Warren Ellis’ STRANGE KISS/STRANGE KILLINGS, Alan Moore’s YUGGOTH CREATURES and Garth Ennis’ STREETS OF GLORY. In addition, Wolfer has contributed to several licensed comic series, serving as both writer and illustrator on such well-known properties as George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, New Line Cinema’s FRIDAY THE 13TH and John Russo’s ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD. Wolfer is currently serving as co-writer with Warren Ellis on Avatar’s GRAVEL and WOLFSKIN, and with Brian Pulido on the new LADY DEATH series.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.

Celebrated Author and Industry Icon to Appear on Behalf of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo

New York, NY, March 5, 2010: Neil Gaiman, the award winning author of novels, film, and comics including the epoch changing graphic novel series The Sandman will take the stage for a benefit appearance on behalf of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). An “Evening with Neil Gaiman”, a paid ticketed event, will happen on Saturday night, April 17, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

The last time Gaiman performed theatrical readings was ten years ago when he did the “Last Angel Tour.” On that tour, he criss-crossed the country doing sold-out evenings reading stories and poems, new material and beloved tales in order to draw attention to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The “Last Angel Tour” was meant to have been the last ever such tour, and it produced the long-since sold out LIVE AT THE ALADDIN film. Even the posters from that tour now sell for hundreds of dollars. C2E2

That was ten years ago. A generation has grown up who have not seen an evening with Neil Gaiman. In these ten years he’s published such books as American Gods, Coraline and The Graveyard Book. He’s made movies and operas. He even started keeping a blog.

“Neil Gaiman is an enormous personality and it is a genuine privilege to have him perform at the inaugural C2E2 to bring attention to the important work that is carried out by the CBLDF,” states Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2.

“The Reed Pop Culture Group’s commitment to the CBLDF is tremendous, and we’re honored to work with them to create this unforgettable evening of storytelling to raise funds for the CBLDF’s important work,” says Charles Brownstein, the CBLDF’s Executive Director.

An “Evening with Neil Gaiman” will be Mr. Gaiman’s only public appearance at C2E2. Tickets for the event will be available at http://www.C2E2.com beginning Monday, March 8th at 12pm Central Time. You do not need a ticket to C2E2 to attend. Tickets for the general public start at $30 and C2E2 VIP Ticket Holders can attend for as low as $12. Ticket prices will increase at the door. Visit http://www.C2E2.com now for full details and ticket pricing.

For One Night Only. On the 17th of April 2010, at 7pm in the Arie Crown / IGN Theater at McCormick Place in Chicago. In support of the First Amendment. Neil Gaiman. You don’t want to miss this.

Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), which is set to debut in April 2010, have announced another round of guest appearances, further adding to a burgeoning guest list that now includes top talent from all areas of artistic and creative expression in the pop culture world. The most recent guest announcement focuses on preeminent writers including Peter David, Dan DiDio, Michael Easton, Seth Grahame-Smith, Paul Levitz, Greg Pak, and Daniel Way. Many of these notable writers have had stellar careers which have extended well beyond their talent as writers and which have impacted all areas of the comic and pop culture world. C2E2 will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 – 18, 2010.

In their first announcement of 2010, C2E2 officials have divulged the names of ten top artists to add to the line up of major guests who have already been announced for the new pop culture event which is set to debut at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 -18, 2010. The creators, who are among the leading and most progressive artists working in the graphic arts field today, will make themselves available to meet and greet the thousands of fans expected to swarm the McCormick Center as Reed Exhibitions launches the Midwest incarnation of New York Comic Con, which itself has quickly grown to be second largest pop culture event in America, and the largest pop culture event on the East Coast.

Organizers of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have announced that four more Guests of Honor and five more Featured Guests have been added to the growing list of special guest appearances by popular writers, creators and artists at the new pop culture convention which is being launched April 16 - 18, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. Chuck Dixon, Steve Epting, Bob Layton, and David Lloyd will appear as Guests of Honor and Gene Ha, Mark Morales, Joshua Ortega, Khoi Pham, David Uslan, and Dexter Vines will appear as Featured Guests. Officials note that this brings the total number of Guests of Honor appearing at the new show to 12. The number of Featured Guests who have been lined up is 10.

C2E2 “We are incredibly grateful to all the talented individuals, many of whom are the very best at what they do, who have committed to making an appearance at our show,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President and Show Manager for C2E2. “We’re going to deliver a spectacular show, a quality, professional event that brings top artists and creators from across the country together with their many fans - and this is still early in the game! As soon as 2010 kicks in we will have plenty more guests to announce so stay tuned!”

C2E2’s announcement comes at the start of its Holiday Tour in Chicago, where Show Manager Lance Fensterman and representatives of the C2E2 team will be delivering prizes and gifts during a week-long meeting with fans, professionals, and retailers throughout the greater Chicago area. Details about the Holiday Tour are available at http://www.C2E2.com.

Daily, Weekend, and VIP Tickets to C2E2 are now also available at http://www.C2E2.com Daily and weekend tickets are currently priced at a discounted, early bird rate. Fans wishing to take advantage of his lower rate must order their tickets before December 31st, after which the cost will rise to standard pricing. For more information on tickets, guests, or C2E2 in general, beyond the official show site, fans are encouraged to visit C2E2’s official blog, http://www.mediumatlarge.net, and follow C2E2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/c2e2.

Tickets are now on sale for Wizard World’s largest and longest running Comic Con with Special Guests William Shatner, Adam West and Julie Newmar at www.wizardworld.ticketleap.com/chicago

Join tens of thousands of fans as they converge at Chicago Comic Con 2010 Wizard World Convention to celebrate the best in pop culture. Chicago Comic Con brings it all - Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Anime, Manga, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles & More! Chicago Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!

Special Guests William Shatner, Adam West and Julie Newmar will meet fans and sign autographs at Chicago Comic Con.

Chicago Comic Con runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August19-22, 2010 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

Show Hours:
Thursday, August 19, 2010 – 5 pm - 9pm
Friday, August 20, 2010 - 12 NOON - 8pm
Saturday, August 21, 2010 - 10am - 7pm
Sunday, August 22, 2010 - 10am - 5pm

Tickets Details:
• All Tickets Gain Entry to Chicago Comic Con 2010 Wizard World Convention & Video Game Expo
• The only way to attend the show on Thursday evening is to purchase a Premier Weekend Ticket! All Advance Ticket Holders get in FIRST all weekend long.
• Important: Bring your printed out e-tickets to the event to gain admittance.
• Save $5 by ordering your ticket in advance.
• Tickets are non-refundable.
• Children 10 and under get in FREE when accompanied by a paid adult
• Credit card will be charged at time of purchase.
• All tickets have a convenience charge at checkout.
• Autograph fees may be required for some guests.

Go here for details about the special Magazine Subscription offer with Bonus Free Ticket to Chicago Comic Con: http://www.wizardworld.com/frtitochcoco.html

Organizers of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) and New York Comic Con (NYCC) have announced that they will be hitting the road this month to visit comic book retailers  and fans in Chicago and New York to spread holiday cheer.

Premium Ticket with Exclusive Access and Offerings!

Officials of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have announced that VIP tickets will go on sale November 19, 2010 at 12 noon Eastern / 11:00am Central. There will be a total of 500 VIP packages available at $200 per package. “We want to make our VIP program simple and straightforward so the fan knows exactly what they are getting when they buy this awesome ticket,” notes Lance Fensterman, who oversees C2E2 and is Vice President of the Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group. “We are offering one package which includes some terrific benefits and provides great value for the customer who is seeking a truly special and unique experience at our show.” C2E2 is a new pop culture convention which is being launched by the organizers of New York Comic Con (NYCC). It will take place April 16 - 18, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center.

C2E2 The C2E2 VIP package includes:
· Limited edition C2E2 sketch variant of original Alex Ross poster created especially for C2E2.
· Limited edition C2E2 Alex Ross T-Shirt.
· Special variant VIP badge.
· Guaranteed VIP seating in the IGN Theatre.
· Separate VIP entrance to show floor.
· First access each day to show floor
· VIP lounge/coat check area.
· 10% off all C2E2 branded merchandise items in the show store.
· 10% off all future special packages
· 48 hour early pre-sale access for all special packages before they go on sale to the general public.

Convention officials note that they are moving quickly to line up guests and announce programming at C2E2. Celebrated comic book painter and Chicago area resident Alex Ross will appear as a Keystone Guest of Honor. Additionally, other notable guests who have been announced to appear at C2E2 include: Jackson Guice, Geoff Johns, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Jeff Smith, and Ben Templesmith.

For more information on C2E2 or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.C2E2.com. For the latest announcements, please visit C2E2’s official blog, http://www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/C2E2.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 - 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched UFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC - the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization - and it formed a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.