The official "The Avengers" movie trailer premier is finally here. This highly anticipated movie brings together some of the most successful comic book heroes adapted to film with the much loved director Joss Whedon.

The trailer sets the stage for the defense of Earth against Loki by this magnificent team of super heroes. 

The Avengers, which is being directed by Joss Whedon, will open on May 4, 2012 and star Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgård.

Press Release: The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the schedule of Autograph and Photo Op Sessions with Guest of Honor Stan Lee taking place this weekend at the show. The show will be held on August 20-21, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The schedule for the weekend is as follows (ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE):

Saturday, August 20

10:30am -11:00am - Photo Op

11:00am - 12:30pm - Autograph Session

1:00pm - 2:00pm - Autograph Session

2:00pm - 3:00pm - Photo Op

3:00pm - 4:30pm - Autograph Session

4:30pm - 5:00pm - Photo Op

Sunday, August 21

10:00am -10:30am - Photo Op

10:30am - 12:00pm - Autograph Session

1:00pm - 2:00pm - Photo Op

2:00pm - 2:45pm - Autograph Session

3:00pm - 4:00pm - Stan Lee Spotlight - Face Front, True Believers! This is a panel no comics fan will want to miss as Jimmy Palmiotti sits down with the one and only Stan "The Man" Lee! He is a Founding Father of the Marvel Universe and the face of Marvel Comics to legions of fans. Join the writer, editor, actor, and legend as he discusses his illustrious career. Excelsior! (ROOM 307-308)


* All Stan Lee autograph sessions are managed by Desert Wind Comics and all photo ops are managed by Froggy's Photos. Times and events are subject to change.

In addition, fans can pick up some limited-edition Stan Lee memorabilia at the show this weekend, including: a lithograph by artist J. Scott Campbell; a lithograph by artist Jason Palmer, courtesy of POW! Entertainment; and a collectible pint glass courtesy of Toon Tumblers.

VIP Ticket Holders should report to the Will Call Registration Booth when the convention center opens at approximately 7:00am or whenever they arrive.

VIP Ticket holders will receive priority line access when claiming autograph and photographs so please make sure to get into the special VIP line at the photo and signature booth (#2401). Lithographs and other items will be on sale at this booth.

Full Guest List 
A complete list of confirmed guests for this year's Baltimore Comic-Con can be found here.

Third Annual Costume Contest at the Baltimore Comic-Con - UPDATED
The 3rd Annual Costume Contest will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 3:00 pm. With $1,000 up for grabs for the best overall costume and prizes for each of the 10 categories, this is one event all of you cosplayers don't want to miss! For more information and a complete list of catagories, visit our website's Costume Contest page.

Harvey Tickets Still Available
Time is running out, but there is still an opportunity to attend the party! Join our MC Scott Kurtz, nominees, presenters, Stan Lee, and other fans at the Harvey Awards Banquet! Tickets available until Wednesday at baltimorecomiccon.com/harvey-awards. 
  
Stan Lee VIP Packages Sold Out!  Autographs and Photos Still Available! 
Please Note: Although the Stan Lee VIP Packages are officially sold out, individual autographs and photographs are still available and can be purchased by visiting http://baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/.

Save the Date! Baltimore Comic-Con 2012!
That's right! Mark your calendars now for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con, which will take place the weekend of September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center, and we'll see YOU in Baltimore!

Twitter Hashtag
Will you be tweeting this year from the show floor? Make sure you use the #BCC2011 hashtag! See what the latest news and excitement at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con is about by tracking #BCC2011!

Attending the Baltimore Comic-Con? Show your support online!
Simply change your social network (Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc.) avatar pictures to the "See You in Baltimore!" image and let the world know you're attending the show!

In 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 at our website, Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 21st.

Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
[email protected] - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
[email protected] - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
[email protected] - for inquiries about submitted registrations
[email protected] - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
[email protected] - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries


About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 12th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 6 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

Marvel has released new posters for The Avengers movie during San Diego Comic Con. The posters feature Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). The posters can be found at the Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. booth. 


  {gallery}Gallery/Avengers_SDCC2011{/gallery}

Marvel will be hosting "The Avengers" signing sessions at their booth Thrusday and Saturday at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Check out the schedule below posted on their website.



More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/story/16340/sdcc_2011_marvels_the_avengers_signing_schedule

Press Release: Before it opens anywhere else in the world, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER will open first in Comic-Con. Convention goers in San Diego will be the first audience to see one of the summer’s hottest super heroes beginning at noon PST on Thursday, July 21st, 1-day ahead of its US opening. The movie will play exclusively at the UA Horton Plaza with Captain America-themed festivities happening throughout the day. To help kick-off the day, Paramount and Marvel will host an exclusive free fan screening at 10 A.M. with the movie’s star Chris Evans on-hand to introduce the screening.

In addition to being among the first to see the movie, all CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER ticketholders will receive RealD® 3D Collector's Custom red, white and blue CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER glasses and a limited edition poster designed exclusively for the fans. A grand prize package of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER merchandise and other Marvel items will be given away to a select audience member at each screening. USO-costumed women will be standing at the American Flag Pole in the Horton Plaza passing out free tickets every hour beginning at 11:00 A.M. to the first 10 people who come dressed as Captain America.

Press Release: Marvel takes San Diego by storm this July during Comic Con International! Marvel will be in full force to provide an exclusive look into all things Marvel (Booth #2329)! No one can compare to what Marvel has planned because we’re running a veritable cornucopia of panels that will span the four daylong event.

Press Release: Walter Simonson, legendary comics writer and artist of an overwhelmingly impressive catalog of books, will appear at the IDW booth every day during the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, signing copies of WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: ARTIST’S EDITION. In addition to the regular edition available in July at comic stores, IDW will offer a limited Comic-Con exclusive edition featuring a variant cover, only available through IDW at the convention. Readers can now pre-order both editions direct from IDW Publishing for pick up at Comic-Con. The regular edition is also available for mail delivery, and orders will be filled after San Diego Comic-Con. The Comic-Con exclusive edition will only be available at the convention. Please click here to pre-order.

“I wrote and drew The Mighty Thor for Marvel more 25 years ago now, at a time when it was the fate of old comics to be deployed to the back issue bins in comic shops and at conventions. No one had any expectations of reprints or trade collections. Now, it’s a new day,” said Simonson. “I’m pleased that IDW and Marvel have seen fit to go back and revisit this work as they have. I couldn’t be more delighted to know Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and all their friends turned out to have a much longer shelf-life than I would ever have imagined.”

An oversized, hardcover collection, WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: ARTIST’S EDITION will present Thor 337-340, Simonson’s first classic story arc, which introduced Beta Ray Bill, and Thor 360-362, Simonson’s choice for the second arc in the book. All the pages in the ARTIST’S EDITION have been scanned from Simonson’s personal original art to ensure the highest possible quality reproduction. While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for instance, white-out corrections and blue pencil notations.

“Walter’s run on The Mighty Thor is one of the best ever in comics—period,” said editor Scott Dunbier, “and to be able to see it now as an Artist’s Edition, printed the same size as drawn, and scanned from all the originals… well, I just can’t wait to get my paws on it!”

Press Release: The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to officially announce that Stan "The Man" Lee will be the Guest of Honor at this year's convention. The show will be taking place at the Baltimore Convention Center the weekend of August 20-21, 2011.

Marvel is taking WonderCon by storm! Over the course of the three day convention, beginning April 1st in San Francisco, fans will have the opportunity to visit some of the most exciting and informative panels Marvel has to offer!

Check them out here!

FRIDAY

2:30 – 3:30 PM MARVEL: BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY – Are you an aspiring writer or artist? Have you always dreamed of working for Marvel? Well, here’s your chance to pick the brains of some current House of Ideas employees who were once in the same shoes! Join C.B. Cebulski , SVP Creator & Content Development, Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Mike Pasciullo, SVP Business Development & Communications, and Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television as they answer any and all questions about how to get a foot in the door at every level in the creative process and how to make your job MARVEL. Room 250/262

SATURDAY

1:00 – 2:00 PM MARVEL: WELCOME TO THE X-MEN – Marvel’s most uncanny heroes have emerged bloodied…and not altogether unbowed…in their war against the vampire nation. But what will be the monstrous legion’s next move against mutantkind? And what secrets are at the heart of the mysterious timeline known as the “Age Of X”?? Pop your claws into all the answers as Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force), C.B. Cebulski, SVP Creator & Content Development and a slew of surprise guests as they explore the present landscape and multiple futures of the X-Men. Room 104

2:30 – 3:30 PM MARVEL TELEVISION PRESENTS: THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES AND MARVEL ANIME – Don’t miss Marvel Animation’s exclusive look at an all-new, action-packed episode of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Plus catch a full-length episode screening of the highly anticipated Iron Man Anime! Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb, will be there to launch you into this action-packed hour featuring your favorite Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains battling it out! Make sure to check out The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, now airing on Disney XD, and the all-new Iron Man Anime series, coming this summer to G4! Room 103

3:30 – 4:30 PM MARVEL: CUP O’ JOE: This is it, Mighty Marvel fans – the no-holds-barred, anything goes, full of surprises panel you wait all year for, and it's here! Marvel's Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada takes on all questions, shocks the audience with jaw-dropping announcements, and keeps you guessing with superstar guests Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television and C.B. Cebulski, Marvel's SVP Creator & Content Development. You better be here, because this is the panel that everyone will be talking about! Room 103

SUNDAY

12:00 – 1:00 PM MARVEL TELEVISION PRESENTS: THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW AND IRON MAN ARMORED ADVENTURES – Catch fan favorites The Super Hero Squad Show and Iron Man Armored Adventures as Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb, introduces an action-packed, full-length episode of each exciting series! Fire up those jet repulsors and Hero Up to witness your beloved Iron Man’s high-octane adventures and The Super Hero Squad’s hilarious exploits. Don’t miss brand-new episodes of The Super Hero Squad Show on Cartoon Network and tune in to Nicktoons for new episodes of Iron Man Armored Adventures premiering this summer! Room 103

Can’t make it to WonderCon? We’ve got you covered-- keep track of all the news via the Marvel Events app for free on the iPad, iPhone & iPod touch and at http://events.marvel.com/ for mobile web browsers!

Press Release

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, who will be playing the title role of Thor in Kenneth Branagh's highly anticipated film version of the Marvel comic book Thor, scheduled for a May 2011 release, will be appearing at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) for an exclusive Q & A on Saturday, March 19th, 2011. The Q & A, which is open to all fans attending C2E2, will take place in the IGN Theater, 11:45am – 12:45pm. Hemsworth is one of several notable personalities whose appearance at C2E2 has recently been announced. It was revealed last week that Patton Oswalt will be performing at the convention on behalf of Comedy Death-Ray on Friday evening, March 18th and noted chef Rick Bayless will be participating in a unique Food and Comics panel on Friday afternoon, March 18th.

Other notable personalities who will be appearing at the convention include Eliza Dushku, Sam Trammell, Tahmoh Penikett, Brian Michael Bendis, China Mieville and Garth Ennis, to name just a few. Officials at C2E2 note that still more personalities and guests will be announced in the coming week. C2E2 will take place March 18 – 20, 2011 in the West Hall of the McCormick Place Convention Center.

Chris Hemsworth’s Q & A is open to all C2E2 attendees, and for those fans wishing to meet the man up close, C2E2 is offering a limited Chris Hemsworth VIP package. The Hemsworth VIP tickets will go on sale tomorrow, March 3, 2011 at 1:00pm EST at www.c2e2.com. Highlights of the package include:

• Exclusive Photo Opportunity and Autograph signing with Chris Hemsworth
• Guaranteed seating in the Chris Hemsworth Q & A panel
• A 3-Day pass to C2E2 providing access to show floor and other events

Please note, Chris Hemsworth will not be holding a public signing at C2E2. His private VIP meet and greet will be his only C2E2 autographing.

ABOUT CHRIS HEMSWORTH: Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is quickly becoming one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. He made his U.S. film debut in JJ Abrams' Star Trek, playing the pivotal role of George Kirk alongside Chris Pine, Eric Bana, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Karl Urban.

Hemsworth landed the coveted title role of Thor in Kenneth Branagh's highly anticipated film version of the Marvel comic book Thor, scheduled for a May 2011 release. He will also star in Dan Bradley's remake of Red Dawn in the role originated by Patrick Swayze in 1984 and the Joss Whedon scripted Cabin in the Woods opposite Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, both for MGM. He will begin production on Marvel's The Avengers this year, once again starring as Thor.

Hemsworth made a name for himself in Australia as a series regular on the popular television series Home and Away. His performance garnered him the "Most Popular New Male Talent" award at Australia's TV Week Logie Awards in 2005, in addition to two previous nominations in 2004. His other Australian television credits include Fergus McPhail, The Saddle Club, Marshall Law, Guinevere Jones and Neighbours. Additional film credits include Stephen Milburn Anderson's Ca$h and the independent short film Tom and Nancy Go Boating.

Hemsworth was born and raised in Australia.

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.

Press Release for March 1st, 2011