[David Henry]

The Wizard World Chicago 2008 Experience

Wizard Magazine's latest stop on its country-wide comics tour was the brilliant Wizard World Chicago, which ran from June 26 - 29. The convention served up a festival-like environment, and was a successful promotion of comics and all things comic-related. However, the convention will be remembered for the death of Aspen Comics founder and artist Michael Turner, who died Saturday, June 28, after a long fight against cancer. Turner was 37.

Comixfan writer/reporter David Henry, a newbie to Wizard World, gives his first-hand account of the convention in scrapbook format. Spoliers ahead! But plenty of fun stuff, too, including videos of the creators.

DAY 1 - THE WARM-UP ACT

A light, casual Thursday afternoon kicked off the first day of Wizard World Chicago at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosement, IL.

Located a single train stop from O’Hare airport, the convention center played host to what was advertised as Wizard’s largest Chicago convention to date.

The first day was expectedly light. Scheduled for just four hours, Thursday was a practice run, of sorts, allowing on-site prep for the busier weekend. Artist Alley (which included writers, as well) was missing many of its biggest stars on Day 1, but there still was plenty to experience.

Fans, creators, and other press encountered during Wizard World Chicago Day 1 were more than happy to share their time. Here is what I experienced:

The Georges family made the trip from Peoria, a few hours south of Chicago. The trio checks into the Hyatt, the convention’s upscale host hotel.

Futurama's Beast With A Billion Backs greeted fans as they entered the convention center hall.

Thirty minutes before the convention opened its doors to the public, a few folks, such as the press, were able to meander into the hall to view the setup.

With its theatrical release only weeks away, Batman swings into the consciousness of Wizard World attendees.

And the Hulk, in this incredible statue, demands the attention of convention attendees.

Comic-themed t-shirts, anyone? Stylinonline.com, with its plethora of superhero tees, more than likely has you… covered.

Independent artist Terry Huddleston and colorist Leia Huddleston pose in front of their stylish, DC-inspired collaborations.

Freddie Williams III flashes a smile for his fans.

Rock on, Franchesco, you Wizard cover artist, you! Rock on! (Unless, of course, that symbiote costume of yours rocks you first!)

Lucky for artist Brian Shearer, his head blocks Aquaman's wife’s tush. Otherwise, the King of Seas might have a slight problem with Shearer, who also goes by Gravy Boy.

Trio of artists Jeffrey W (of Blue Line Pro), Ryan Kent Paule, and Anthony Hochrein pose for our cameraman (who, er, just happens to be our reporter, too).

Veteran inker Al Vey provides a rare photo op and gives a quick pronunciation lesson on X-Men artist Chris Bachalo's name. Mr. Vey says it’s pronounced Bu-CHA-low. All these years, I’d been pronouncing the name as Bock-a-low. (Sorry, Chris. And thanks, Al!)

Captain American: The Chosen artist Mitch Breitweiser poses with his star making rendition of the Capster.

Independent artist James Lynch shows off his recent G.I. Joe work. His company Hero Universe is seeking a penciler for a teen superhero series. He’s also looking for other artists to contribute to a Christmas anthology book.

He Who Shall Go Unnamed (cough, cough – Chris Rich McKelvey), head of Bald Guy Studios, hides behind the star-spangled might of Miss America, the only character for which Marvel and DC share a codename. (The Miss America on the left is the Marvel version, the one on the right is the DC version.)

Captain America artist Mike Perkins signs autographs for fans and shows off his past and his future. His left hand holds his groundbreaking working on Captain America. His right hand holds his future project for the next three years – Stephen King’s The Stand.

Sean McKeever is currently writing DC’s Teen Titans. He’s also got another project in the works – a 6-issue Terror Titans limited series.

Fan-favorite Jim Calafiore displays his detailed breakdowns and inks from Gotham Underground. What’s in the works for Jim? “A 6-issue Batgirl mini series to re-establish the character.”

Independent artist Phil Machi shows off his Animal Apathy serial graphic novel, which he describes as a yearbook, of sorts. The art inside shows his progression from a young artist in high school through adulthood.

Christopher Uminga shows off his highly stylized renditions of Batman, Robin and Joker. (See cuminga.com for more details.)

Matthew Fletcher (of mjfletcher.com) looks up from inking a sketch – just in time to catch a flashbulb in the eye!

We’ve got to stop meeting like this! X-Factor writer Peter David and artist Dennis Calero share a quick photo op. Just goes to show that not every Marvel team-up must include Spider-Man.

A little schooling goes a long way. Ask professional artists and professors Erik Rose (l) and Thomas Gianni of the newly formed Chicago-based art school, Harrington College of Design.

 

Former Hulk scribe Peter David gives his impressions on the new Hulk film.

And what's up next for Peter David? A one-shot with a tentative title of Stuff Happens, featuring Layla Miller. Peter David, he knows stuff. I wonder if he knows where original X-Factor artist Ryan Sook is? Haven't seen or heard Sook's name for quite a while, now.

Artist Jim Su (l) and colorist Kijin Jung share a cosmic connection, thanks in large part to their collaboration under the Alpha Kosmic comic line on the title Lung Mei, Dragon Current.

That wild and crazy guy David Petersen takes time out, mid-John Hancock, to give Comixfan his, er, signature look. The Mouse Guard creator certainly signed his fair share of autographs on the day.

And don’t give artist Ande Parks a cross look. Not unless you want a Green Arrow between the eyes.

Shaolin Cowboy creator Geof Darrow takes a quick break from his iPod to give Comixfan some attention. What was he listening to? The Dandy Warhols’s “Not If You’re The Last Junkie On Earth.”

The Wizard TV crew swoops in on Chicago-based artist Gene Ha, who made it to the convention, despite some car troubles. Lucky for Gene, Cap’s got his back (unless, of course, this occurred after Captain America #25, in which case Gene’s on his own!). Ha! is hard at work on Top 10. Ha's favorite collaboration? With Archie Goodwin on DC's Spotlight '95 #11.

Spider-Man has rarely ever looked as good as artist Angel Medina’s Marvel Knights rendition of the character. Think he knows it? Yep. Just can’t keep that grin off his face! (Medina is on the right.)

 

Independent artist Steve Palencia was a popular man on the day, hosting a raffle and giving away prizes. But illustration is his main gig, as evidenced by his MySpace page: myspace.com/hellbent77.

Patrick Gleason is known for his breakdowns on Green Lantern Corps and his great cover art for Robin.

Patrick Gleason talks about his current, in-progress projects.

Warren Ellis, world-class scribe and Wizard World Chicago guest of honor, always has an idea in his mind and a pen in his hand. (All right, all right. He just happened to be signing autographs for his fans.)

On my way to visit Warren Ellis, I first ran into his newest femme fatale creation, Anna Mercury. Gun in hand, she didn’t seem to be in a joking mood.

These days, Marvel superstar scribe Brian Michael Bendis is just, as they say, all over it. And his legions of fans are just about all over him. They spiral around his booth – bending it like Bendis – to seek autographs. (Hope you have a lot of ink in that pen, Mr. Bendis!)

No, it’s not CNN or ESPN. It’s Wizard TV! Princess Leia, she of the cinnamon roll-inspired hairdo, is back. But where is the rest of her Star Wars crew? Oh my (Granny) Goodness! What a big chin you have!

Independent creator John Gamalinda poses beside his new character Nickelplate, whom he describes as a mix between Batman, Bruce Lee, and James Bond. His arch nemesis? Cashflow, a villain with a strong desire for money at any cost.

Institute of Art instructor and artist Jiba Molel Anderson also has his own team of heroes. The launch of The Horsemen occurs this fall. More info can be found at Anderson's website: griotenterprises.com.

 

Recent Iron Man artist Adi Granov signs a quick fan autograph and readies a repulsor blast against all comers.

Granov also was 100% responsible for the Iron Man armor designs in this summer's blockbuster Iron Man flick, as he explains in his short video interview. To see more of Granov's work, go to: www.sofos.com/adi/

Fresh off his cameo appearance in this summer's The Hulk movie, former 70’s TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno (center) keeps the ball rolling in Chicago.

DAY 2 - THE WARREN ELLIS SHOW

I chose a different approach to the convention on Day 2. I would stay away from the convention floor the entire day. There would be no floating around Artist Alley wide-eyed with wonderment, looking to see which big name creator had arrived on the day. Instead, I decided to attend the panel discussions in the other wing of the building.

For the non-journalist, panels tend to be the most overlooked aspect of any comic convention. The main buzz and pulse of the convention tends to be on the main floor. Folks chatter away while waiting in long lines to obtain autographs and sketches from their favorite creators. They also ravage comic book vendors looking for great deals on back issues and trade paperbacks.

Panels tend to be informative for fans that want a little glimpse into the future. With the right mixture of creators at the table, panels also can be a riot. (Ask anyone who attended a panel featuring Brian Michael Bendis or Dan Didio.)

In lieu of waiting hours in line, attending a panel that features your favorite creator might be the easiest and fastest way to gain some face time. Though they’re typically in a rush to move on to the next panel or signing out on the main floor, creators tend to give a few minutes to fans who ask quick questions, or want quick a photograph with their idols.


Marvel: Ultimate Universe Panel

The first panel I attended on Day 2 was the Marvel: Ultimate Universe panel. Brian Michael Bendis headed the panel, along with Ultimate line editor Bill Rosemann.

The main focus of the panel was Ultimate Origins, which carries the tantalizing tagline, “It’s all connected.”

Ultimate Origins will be written by Bendis and drawn by Marvel legend Butch Guice (formerly Jackson Guice, for those who weren’t reading Flash in the 80’s). Cover art will be provided by Gabriele Dell’Otto, who collaborated with Bendis on Secret War. Simone Bianchi will handle the variant covers.

Dell’Otto covers of Captain America, Hulk, and Magneto (above) were shown during the panel. In typical Dell’Otto fashion, each cover is perfection and a stunning work of art.

What is the purpose of Ultimate Origins? What is Bendis trying to achieve?

Typically labeled as the “architect of the Ultimate universe,” Bendis, who shies away from the title, said he wanted to update the origins of the heroes by making them more contemporary.

“The Marvel Universe was created from nuclear paranoia. Everyone gained their powers by being radiated,” said Bendis. “Today, it’s about genetic paranoia. Therefore, a genetic follow-through is the way to go.”

During Origins, readers will be shown how Steve Rogers was transformed into Captain America using the Super Soldier Serum. Bendis wants the event to be explicitly shown so readers understand why it can’t be done again.

With each new Ultimate series, fans clamor to see which new character will be introduced to the Ultimate lineup. Bendis was happy to announce that Ultimate Origins will mark the debut of the Ultimate Watcher.

What’s on the horizon after Ultimate Origins? A Jeph Loeb-penned miniseries to end all Ultimate miniseries and push the universe in a new, different direction. Events from Ultimates 3 will lead directly into Ultimate Ultimatum, a universe-defining event for the Ultimate universe from which certain major players are guaranteed not to walk away. Superstar David Finch will lend his breakdowns for the five-issue series.

Loeb, it was mentioned, also is planning an X-Men/Avengers book.

Also on the horizon is Ultimate Beetle, who will get an updated look from Stuart Immonen. Also, Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra will not get their own book, but instead will appear in Ultimate Spider-Man. Bendis said fans have seen the last of symbiote stories for the foreseeable future. Up next for the web-slinger? The Ultimates will appear in a flashback story.

Bendis has enjoyed working with Stuart Immonen, whom he considers the best facial expression artist in comics.

Marvel Sales Manager Jim McCann wasn't bad with facial expressions, himself. McCann is a comical, quirky character who is obsessed with Gilmore Girls. Turns out McCann can't get enough of the series and is playing catch-up on DVD.

Insider Tidbit: Earlier in the year, Brian Michael Bendis was awoken by a telephone call at midnight. It was someone from Marvel. He was told Samuel L. Jackson was flying in to do a cameo as Nick Fury in the upcoming Iron Man movie. However, nothing was written for Jackson to recite, so Bendis was tapped to create a quick script for Jackson to read.

A sneak peek at Stuart Immonen's upcoming cover for Ultimate Spider-Man, featuring the Ultimates.

DC Nation Panel

The next panel was DC Nation, which was run by the funny, spirited and irrepressible Dan Didio, who gave and allowed only minor clues about upcoming DC events.

1) During the heralding of the 5th World, Darkseid twists it for his own needs, which is how “evil wins” in Final Crisis.

2) For her new Secret Six series, Gail Simone will round out the team with an “A-list Batman villain,” as well as a new villain of her own design.

3) Contrary to Internet rumor, Bruce Wayne will not lead the Black Lantern Corps after his R.I.P. arc ends.

4) Kerry Bates will be returning to DC to write a new Elseworlds tale.

5) Cyborg, Lex Luthor, and Superman will duke it out.

6) Ethan Van Sciver will be joining Gail Simone to do a Wonder Woman story.

7) Lobo is coming back and will be appearing in a new book, the title of which wasn’t dropped.

8) Geoff Johns said he convinced James Robinson, or Starman fame, to return to comics and write for DC again. The result is Robinson writes one heckuva Superman series.

9) James Robinson will not, however, be writing a Silver Age limited, as rumored years ago. It was said that Robinson feels Darwyn Cook took care of the concept with his New Frontier series, and that it needs no further explication.

10) Linda Danvers will be returning to the DC fold next month, although the title in which she will appear was not dropped.

11) With the return of Barry Allen, the original Flash, Wally West will be spending time with the Titans for the foreseeable future.

As audience members lined up to ask the creators questions, DC Senior VP - Executive Editor Dan Didio, the character he is, decided to step down and joke with questioners at the microphone. In one instance, a man with a few dozen pinnable buttons on his light blue shirt came up to ask if DC had any plans to publish and Amethyst trade paperback. Didio read a few of the buttons aloud, including: "I am the flower of femininity." The guy wearing the button turned the publicity back on Didio, suggesting he never would have known. The DC panel of creators had fun putting Didio on the wrong foot and having a good laugh with him.

DC's top dog Dan Didio reigns supreme during DC Nation, while his talented crop of creators looks on (from right to left, Geoff Johns, Gail Simone, Ethan Van Sciver, and ???).

Brian Michael Bendis vs. Geoff Johns (Marvel vs. DC)

The third panel of the day was the first-ever battle between DC and Marvel at a convention. The panel originally was intended to be a verbal sparring session between Marvel’s Brian Michael Bendis and DC’s Geoff Johns, but the pair decided to bring their cohorts up on stage to help them out.

But first, the pair of writers had a mock-fight on stage that had them rolling on the stage, leaving Bendis slightly out of breath -- something Johns was quick to note.

As with each previous panel, audience members were able to ask questions of the creators.

For Wizard magazine’s 200th issue, the staff listed what they felt were the top 200 characters of all time. The top two characters were Wolverine and Batman.

Geoff Johns’ response to Wolverine being ranked No. 1 over Batman: “No offense to Wolverine, but Batman’s a much better character.”

Current Wonder Woman scribe Gail Simone said she was surprised to hear that Kitty Pryde was the first female on the list over Wonder Woman. Simone said she prefers Wonder Woman over Kitty Pryde because the character can have “surprises,” like talking monkeys in her apartment. Kitty Pryde is too grounded in reality for Simone’s tastes, and therefore her “path is too narrow.”

When asked which books the creators would like to do from their competition’s stable of books, many interesting answers arose.

Simone said she would write Spider-Man. Geoff Johns would write the Hulk. Ethan Van Sciver would draw Ghost Rider. Olivier Coipel would pencil Legion of Superheroes. David Finch, without a doubt, would take Batman.

One question from an audience member rocked the house. A young teen approached the microphone and asked the panel: "Which Marvel character would you like to make sweet love to?"

The panel of creators laughed, but were hesitant to take the question. When the questioner pushed the question in Bendis's direction, the majority of the audience laughed and yelled, seeming all at once, "LUKE CAGE!" Bendis seemed to blush as the crowd broke out in laughter. Bendis laughed right along with them.

The funniest moment of the panel occurred at the very end. Bendis was asked about his relationship with his artists. Bendis said the relationship could be considered "a lot like dating." Writers and artists can form a strong bond that's hard to sever.

Bendis described his relationship with Olivier Coipel, who also was on stage for the panel. When their run on House of M was over, Bendis said he was upset because he and Coipel "were having such a blast. But now Coipel is on Thor, and I’m like, ‘Great, now JMS [J. Michael Straczynski] is ****ing my girlfriend.’”

Good-natured as he is, Coipel, whose French-Canadian accent and soft spoken nature belie the aggressiveness of his art, had a healthy laugh, along with the rest of the audience.

It was another successful panel and another great performance by Bendis, who adeptly maneuvered all questions with deft humor. The Marvel scribe is extremely likeable in person, and one thing was certainly clear: Brian Michael Bendis eats these panels for breakfast.

Geoff Johns sits on panel beside Tony Daniel, while, on the other side of the podium, Brian Michael Bendis sits with "girlfriend" Olivier Coipel.


Warren Ellis Unplugged Panel

The biggest and most anticipated panel Saturday occurred at night, when Wizard World Chicago guest of honor Warren Ellis held court to a wildly packed house. The panel began at 9:30 pm and lasted over three hours. It was an outpouring of love and affection tainted with naughty bits of humor, readings, odd questions, point-blank answers, funny anecdotes, and more love.

As panels go, it was a virtuoso performance, more theater than informal discussion, with Ellis adopting a personality that was part stage comic/part sermon-giving priest, dressed totally in black, all the while sipping on Southern Comfort and Red Bull (he loves the stuff) and puffing on silk-cut fags (cigs).

Ellis hadn't been back in the States since last year's ComiCon in San Diego, California. I'd never met Ellis, so his in-person persona was an enigma. I certainly didn't see this coming, but boy was I glad to saddle up for the ride. What I learned was this: in comics and in real life, Warren Ellis is nothing but surprises -- and a seasoned pro to boot.

Having swung by Ellis's signing table yesterday, it was clear that Avatar Press (www.avatarpress.com) played a large role in getting Ellis to fly to Chicago. Ellis has been a hit for Avatar, having pushed the imprint into the big time with several notable titles under his Apparat line: Doktor Sleepless, Anna Mercury, Gravel, Wolfskin, No Hero and Freak Angels, a free web comic, are all Ellis creations. Freak Angels, in particular, displays some glorious art. And the good news for fans of the web title is that it will be collected into a print edition around Christmas. (Check out Freak Angels at www.freakangels.com)

Back to the panel.

Ellis entered the room to raucous applause, lifting his arms into the air to acknowledge his fan base, before disappearing behind stage for refreshments. It was a concert atmosphere, and Ellis had everyone ensnared the moment he entered the room, and certainly when he took the stage.

Ellis told the crowd how much he disliked flying to the States. Why?

Well, maybe his efforts on Black Summer were taken a little too seriously, some years ago. Turns out Ellis caught the F.B.I.'s attention with the series and was told that were the U.S. president ever to be assassinated, he would be the primary suspect.

An F.B.I. agent was poised to appear on TV denouncing the book a few days before Ellis was to fly into the U.S. So when Ellis encountered a hold-up at the airport that turned out to be a gate malfunction and not a terror alert flag against his name, he was more than elated to enter the U.S. without incident. But it certainly was an experience that made him sweat.

Speaking of television, Ellis mentioned that Entertainment Weekly twice offered to pay him to come across the pond and meet Hunter S. Thompson so they could report on the meeting; Ellis twice declined.

That's how loathe Ellis is to travel to the States. That, and Ellis has a penchant for not wanting to meet people for whom he has a great amount of respect; in most cases, he said, your idol can be ruined in your eyes should you ever meet him. Ellis strives to leave the image unblemished.

After explaining his American woes, Ellis dipped into reading from his recently published first novel, A Crooked Little Vein, a madcap story of a character named Mike McGill, who encounters everything from macroherpetophiles (people who have a fetish for dinosaurs, or as Ellis put it "want to **** Godzilla) to leather men who fill their testicles with saline solution for purposes 100% unrelated to cleaning their contact lenses. The swollen testicles, Ellis offered, resemble "watermelons in a kangaroo pouch," a visual that made the audience cringe, whether they had testicles, or not.

Madcap and vulgar with a capital V, Ellis's novel echoed the science and comedic sexual explicitness of American writer Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. Of course, Ellis's personality comes through when reading his comic book material, but for fans who want that something extra, reading Ellis's novel gets fans more firmly inside Ellis's head. A Crooked Little Vein is a wicked little book.

After the reading, members from the audience lined up behind a pair of microphones to pepper Ellis with accolades and questions. This is when most of the real fun started.

An audience member asked Ellis if he considers all of his creations his "children," and if so, which was his "favorite child" and which was his "red-headed stepchild." Ellis wasn't so sure if he considered his characters as his children (he has an actual 12-year-old daughter), but said that if he did, Spider Jerusalem definitely would be his red-headed stepchild. Furthermore, if his characters were his children, Ellis said he probably deserved "to be arrested for abandoning [his kids] all across the world." (Ellis tends to cut certain characters and their storylines short or abandon them altogether.)

When asked about Desolation Jones, Ellis said the book should be returning to publication by year's end. Whether artist Daniel Zejzel -- who replaced J.H. Williams III -- will be on the book was unclear.

A young man asked Ellis how the long-awaited Planetary #27 ends. Ellis didn't reveal the story's ending. However, after being poked and prodded by the questioner to reveal the last word on the last page of the script, Ellis jogged his memory and responded. The answer: "Why."

While most audience members had questions regarding their favorite Ellis works, some just wanted abuse from their comic-book master.

Case in point: One young man approached the microphone and asked Ellis to tell him to "**** off." Ellis laughed and told the young man to "go have a seat and try your best to die, will ya?" More laughter.

A little later, Ellis was asked if he had carte blanche status in the industry. Ellis replied that he did indeed. Ellis receives 100% carte blanche for any title he writes, regardless of the publishing house for which he produces work. In short, Ellis can do whatever he likes with the characters without having an editor breathing down his neck telling him, No. Although, I'm sure, there are some minor rules. For instance, he couldn't kill Superman because he felt like it.

Finally, when asked which title or set of characters he would return to writing -- something Ellis says he never does -- Ellis said perhaps Daredevil. Ellis said he also, from time to time, thinks of returning to The Authority, "but then I beat myself in the face until the feeling goes away."

Warren Ellis is a strange man. Never lose sight of that.

  

Warren Ellis on Transmetropolitan and Patrick Stweart; on Fell, herpes, Bill Hicks, and Billie Piper; and on his reason for writing Planetary.

 

Warren Ellis talks about writers block and gives a solid tip for aspiring comic book writers.


DAY 3 - HAIL, HAIL THE GANG'S ALL HERE

After Warren Ellis's sterling performance late into last night, I slept in. I certainly couldn't be up and running first thing at 10 a.m., so I worked the afternoon shift, instead.

After a quick perusal of the convention floor, I checked my Wizard World guide and decided I'd have more fun attending more panels. Turns out I was right.

My title for today -- "Hail, hail, the gang's all here." -- is a Nightwing (perhaps Robin) quote from the Marv Wolfman/George Perez days of New Teen Titans. In this case, it's applied to the Image founders' reunion (even though Jim Lee could not attend).

Marvel: Secret Invasion Panel

THE INVASION IS NOW! Embrace change! Brian Michael Bendis headed this panel to discuss Skrulls in the Marvel Universe.

Bendis' construction of Secret Invasion was five years in the making and was inspired, in part, by conspiracy writer Jim Marrs's Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us and cult-classic film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Why use the Skrulls instead of creating a new Marvel threat? Bendis said he loved the Skrull legacy and wanted to achieve the Cold War paranoia that made Body Snatchers a classic.

Bendis wanted to "scrape off the cheese" with which the Skrulls generally were presented. He wanted to get to the scariest thing the Skrulls could pull off, without resorting to a formal guns-a-blazing, full-frontal invasion. So Bendis chose subterfuge, instead.

It was decided very early on (as in years ago) to "lock down" certain characters as Skrulls. Elektra, Spider-Woman, Hank Pym, and Jarvis (the Avengers butler) were not last-minute decisions.

Now that the Skrull threat is well-known throughout the Marvel Universe, it makes sense that the Skrull Kill Group would show up to help tackle the threat. In fact, they make their re-appearance in Avengers: Initiative #16.

Last, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos will now be known as the Secret Warriors to combat the Secret Invasion.

Brian Michael Bendis provides more panel madness with Jim McCaan and C.B. Cebulski.

A Cup of Bendis Panel

Brian Michael Bendis is a tirelessly busy man. Aside from writing Marvel's Secret Invasion, and a host of other titles, the scribe has a few side projects on his plate:

Powers

A Powers TV show at a major network is in the works. And now that the movie rights for Powers are back in Bendis's hands, perhaps a film is not far behind?

A Powers Encyclopedia, also is in the works.

Spider-Woman

A Spider-Woman series is set to ship one week after Secret Invasion ends. Bendis promises whomever is behind the mask, she will take the reader through a unique perspective of the dark places in the Marvel Universe. Bendis's right-hand man Alex Maleev will perform the art chores, in what will be the pair's first ongoing series since Daredevil. Considering the mysterious angle and the always perfect creative collaboration between Bendis and Maleev, Spider-Woman sounds like a sell-out waiting to happen. The title of the book will be Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.

Jinx

Bendis just wrote a Jinx screenplay for Universal Studios, but said he is unlikely to revisit the franchise in comic format.

All in all, Bendis is looking to do more creator-owned work... and perhaps give out a few sandwiches and pickles along the way.

Bendis fielded questions from the audience and awarded large sandwich wedges to anyone who asked a good question. When the sandwiches ran out, Bendis fed pickles to those brave, or hungry enough, to carry on.

His patented humor always was on display. Bendis nudged absent superstar writer Mark Millar, who once joked that Stan Lee's brilliance was attributed to his being, in some way shape or form, Scottish. In response, Bendis made it known that guys "with uncut Jewish penises are better writers."

Because Millar is Scottish, Bendis joked it was the reason why the Scot couldn't "hold down a book for more than six months." Bendis, by the way, is Jewish.


Image Founders Panel

The Image boys re-unite a decade after forming their groundbreaking company, striking out on their own and defining creator-owned comics for the masses.

Because of a prior obligation, Wildstorm president Jim Lee was the only Image founder not present at the convention. Turns out Jim couldn't break away from a gallery opening he had planned before Wizard's last-minute effort to reunite the Image gang.

Before the panel formally began, Todd McFarlane announced Michael Turner's passing the previous evening, and asked for a moment of silence. Images of Turner's work, including covers he just handed in over the past week, were displayed on screen. Michael Turner wasn't an Image founder, but the Image crew certainly were very fond of him. He was family.

An interviewer on stage led the panel by asking the founders a series of questions. Jim Valentino discussed how Image was the first imprint to have a true, proper studio for its creative teams, as opposed to segmented creators in different parts of the country, doing their thing.

Todd McFarlane said he would never draw for a comic company other than Image. His reasoning was rational. He is the president of Image Comics. Marvel and DC are his direct competitors. From a business standpoint, it would be counterproductive of him to raise sales for his competitors against his own product.

Though Jim Lee was not in attendance, his name certainly did come up often, usually on the butt end of quite a few jokes and funny stories.

One notable tale came from McFarlane, who told the audience of an early cookout he and his wife hosted for the Image boys. Turns out McFarlane was a Pac 10 baseball player in college. The guys and McFarlane's wife were by some batting cages and everyone took turns hitting balls... everyone except Lee, that is. As it turns out, Lee can draw the lights out, but can't hit a baseball to save his life. Even after dozens of attempts, he only managed a single foul ball.

Afterwards, when Lee was back at McFarlane's place, tuckered out on the couch, McFarlane took Lee's hand placed it on his crotch. When a shocked Lee asked what McFarlane was doing, McFarlane replied, "Jim, that's as close as you've come to touching two balls today." Of course the crowd went... nuts!

I certainly hope Jim Lee enjoyed his gallery opening. I wonder if his ears were ringing?

 

Rob Liefeld is the youngest of the bunch. He was still a teenager when he broke into the comics business. Eric Larsen, Whilce Portacio, and Marc Silvestri share a moment. Image president Todd McFarlane discusses his Image co-founders, starting with Marc Silvestri.


DAY 4 - THAT'S A WRAP

The last day of the convention was light, which was good thing because I was exhausted! My location downtown in the Loop was quite a distance from the convention near the airport. The long train rides were fun, however, because other conventioneers were always onboard talking comics -- something you tend not to get in everyday life and only in comic shops. So, it felt good to be amongst fellow "geeks," basking in the delight of meeting our favorite creators.

Last night, I missed the Batman - Gotham Knight animated film, which made its world premiere at Wizard World. A creator panel followed the screening, but I was tapped out, dead exhausted, and went home.

So, my first order of business for toady was to catch the encore presentation of the screening. There was no panel today, but the creators, such as Bruce Timm, Brian Azzarello and Greg Rucka, attended a signing directly before the film, which allowed for a few quick snapshots and a few quick words.

Writer Greg Rucka gets up close and personal with Comixfan, while fellow scribe Brian Azzarello gives a quick How-do-you-do?


Batman - Gotham Knight (Encore Presentation)

The advertised purpose of Batman - Gotham Knight, which features six animation shorts, was to fill in the gaps between the Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight flick. (Think Animatrix in regard to what occurs between Matrix 2 and Matrix 3).

Though animated, Gotham Knight is not exactly for kids. It features more violence than your typical animation and the language isn't totally clean. The animation, however, is excellent, and the shorts build up with interesting intensity.

"Working Through Pain" by Azzarello and "Deadshot" by Alan Burnett were my two favorites. While Azzarello delved us deep into Batman's psychological state, Burnett's short gave us the best action, as Batman and Deadshot battle each other over a city train. The animation is fast and stylish, the action fierce.

On the way to the screening, I met some superhero types, hanging around the signing, and couldn't resist getting some snaps of them, too.

Star Wars: What's Coming With LucasFilm's Steve Sansweet

This summer, the Star Wars tradition continues. Only... it won't be a live-action affair.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a full length animation film that will hit screens August 15. LucasFilm's Steve Sansweet announced the film will be a mixture of computer graphics and animated 3-dimension.

The movie will then lead into a weekly half-hour TV series of the same title on Cartoon Network and TNT. Sansweet promises the series will be the most cinematic animation on TV fans will ever see.

The summer movie will also lead into a LucasArts project -- a videogame titled The Force Unleashed. It's slated release is September 16th.

Besides simply being a videogame, The Force Unleashed, Sansweet said, will allow fans to learn what happened between Star Wars: Episodes 3 and 4 that puts them right in the middle of the story. (Need more info? Go to www.forceunleashed.com)

This Star Wars crew was in attendance. Look at R2-D2 happy over all the good news!

With the two panels I wanted to attend behind me, it was back to the convention floor to enjoy the remaining hours of Wizard World. I still hadn't gotten an autograph from Warren Ellis, just his photograph on Day 1. When the announcement on the loudspeaker went off that Ellis would be signing for only 45 minutes longer, I had to find some Ellis books on the fly.

I had good luck in finding a vendor that was selling most of its comics for 50 cents a piece. I was able to get Global Frequency #1, Desolation Jones #1, Planetary #16, Jinx Buried Treasures #1 (in which Ellis penned a story that Brian Michael Bendis penciled), Next Wave #1, and Planetary #26, the last published issue of the series to date.

Ellis couldn't sign all of the books. No surprise. He was flat out exhausted. He signed Nextwave and Planetary. I particularly love the Planetary autograph, as he wrote a small message on the cover, which has Elijah Snow holding the last piece of the Planetary puzzle: "It's a strange world.... Warren Ellis, Chicago 08." It's so perfect I need to frame it! To top it off, a woman from Avatar Press took a picture of me with my comic book hero. What could be better?!

The convention closed at 5 p.m., and like a nightclub that turns up the music to get folks to leave, Wizard World had to turn off banks of lights to send the message. People just couldn't get enough of Wizard World.

In closing, here are some extra photos from Wizard World Chicago. I managed to meet quite a few extra creators on the last day I hadn't met earlier on. And then there were those costumed wonders, who kick comic fanaticism up a notch, much to our amusement and appreciation.

We'll kick things off with Wizard World Chicago guest of honor, Warren Ellis, who poses with a fan. But what's up with Ellis creation Anna Mercury? Is she thinking company crossover, already? Mr. Sinister sure hopes so.

Marc Silvestri looking cool in his shades. Meanwhile, Jim Valentino critiques the portfolio of an aspiring artist. And Todd McFarlane takes time after panel to share a moment with a fan.

The DC art crew: Highly detailed Green Lantern artist Ethan Van Sciver; Batman artist Tony Daniel gives a smile but is mum about Batman: RIP; Titans artist Joe Benitez gives a quick smile. But who wouldn't, getting to draw Koriand'r every day.

The Marvel art crew: The omnipresent Mr. David Finch, who is onboard to draw the upcoming Ultimate Ultimatum. House of M and current Thor Artist Oliver Coipel shows some excitement. And recent X-Men artist Humberto Ramos is every bit as expressive and animated as the characters he draws.

 

David Finch also took time out to discuss what he likes about regular Marvel vs. Ultimate Marvel.

Powers artist Mike Oeming was just around the corner in Artist Alley. And don't forget about Bendis's other right-hand man, Alex Maleev, who is rarely seen sans hat. Long-time independent artist David Mack, he of the brilliant Kabuki, also had a prime spot in the Artist Alley.

And let's not forget about Alex Ross, who gives us his best iconic Superman pose, then reverts back to Clark Kent. Alex Ross is a super man. Thanks for Justice, Alex!

Why so serious? Oh, that's why! Ms. Marvel without her face mask! Emma and Cyclops were Wizard World's power couple, just edging out the powerhouse tandem of Colossus and Rogue.

Well, that takes care of my Wizard World Chicago Experience! Besides going to the comic convention, I had a chance to spend an extra week in Chicago, taking in the sites and walking many of the neighborhoods and eating very well, thank you. Chicago is America's #1 culinary city, so I put it to the test and ate out often -- it passed. The Windy City also has to be #1 for architecture, as well. I must have taken over 300 pictures. Most were from the river tour, which allows you to see Chi Town in all its beauty. Chicago has quickly become one of my favorite cities, and I can't wait to get back.

Hope to see you at ComicCon in San Diego!

Reporting and Photography by David Henry