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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30th
THE WALKING DEAD PREVIEW AND MORE
- 10:00am Comic City Room
Come and check out this preview of the highly anticipated new series from AMC. In addition to some preview shots, there will be some behind the scenes action and perhaps some surprises. What better way to top off the slow, rambling zombie walk in the morning?
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JACK KIRBY INTERVIEW
- 11:00 am Comics & More Room
Greg Theakston was a good friend of Jack Kirby and has set out to collect virtually all of Jack’s work. At the convention, he will show the rare video interview with Jack Kirby. As everyone knows, Jack was the “king” of comics and his illustrative style and storytelling has influenced the current generation of comic illustrators.
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DETROIT TRIPLE FAN FAIR: The Beginnings
- 11:00 am Comic City Room
Detroit has a very strong connection with comic conventions and fandom. Some of the earliest fandom magazines came out of the Detroit area in the late 1960’s and the Detroit Triple Fan Fair was the first convention of its kind. Detroit Fanfare is both proud and excited to bring back home some of the major participants that helped to grow the comic industry into the behemoth it is today. An open discussion where the people who started so much will have a chance to reminisce on the early days and reflect on their memories of the great stars that attended the convention.
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HISTORY OF CALIBER COMICS
- 12:00 am Wonderworld Comics Room
Caliber Comics was the largest comic publishing house to ever come out of Detroit. By the end of its 12 year run, Caliber had introduced many top talents into the comics field. The talents that started or established themselves at Caliber reads like a who’s who in the industry. Gary will chronicle the history of Caliber and provide personal reminiscences of one of the leading independent comic companies of the 1990’s.
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KIDS READ COMICS
- 12:00 am Green Brain Comics Room
Organizers of the Kids Read Comics events moderate a panel of comic creators, and educators.
Subjects include the of using comic books and graphic novels in the classroom. Graphic novels as gateways to reading. Schools and libraries as incubators for the next generation of writers and artists.
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GOING ONLINE WITH YOUR COMIC
- 1:00 pm Green Brain Comics Room
The Digital Age is upon us! Proponents of this new form of media say that the future of the comics art form will be in the digital format, not print. Here, some of the creators involved in doing online comics will discuss the applications as well as the strategies involved. Make sure to check out the follow-up panel which is the next step of taking online comics to print.
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CRAZY ABOUT COMICS- MIKE NETZER
- 1:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
Mike Netzer covers how his comics career dictated big decisions that sent him around the globe and into countless adventures. He discusses how the growing influence of comics fandom affects the wider culture scene. Netzer is the creator of the Facebook ComicCon which now numbers over 7,000 members.
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CLERKS AND BEYOND: BRIAN O’HALLORAN
- 1:00 pm Comics City Room
Brian is best known for his role as Dante in the classic film, Clerks. Kevin has acted in a number of Kevin Smith movies including Clerks II. He was portrayed in the comic series of Clerks as the Dante character but Brian has a much more extensive resume than just Clerks. He acts in numerous stage productions, primarily on the East Coast. Here, Kevin will discuss his career, the impact of Clerks, and take questions from fans.
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MICHIGAN COMICS: MIRTH, MOCKERY AND MAYHEM
- 2:00 pm Green Brain Comics Room
“Michigan Comics: Mirth, Mockery and Mayhem” is an exhibition comprised of original art for editorial cartoons, gag panels, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels and more, focusing on artwork by Michiganders at Eastern Michigan University. One of the curators, Richard Rubenfeld, Professor of Art at EMU, will host a group of artists including Dave Coverly, Jef Mallett, Mike Thompson, and Jay Fosgitt to discuss their works.
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OFF THE MAINSTREAM
- 2:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
Whether you call them underground comics or simply independent, through the history of comics, there has always been comics that don’t quite fit in with the rest of “the stuff”. Some of the creators from Detroit Fanfare will discuss their days in creating comics that don’t quite fit into the mainstream.
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MARVIN GILES
- 2:00 pm Comics & More Room
Marvin Giles was one of the originators of the Detroit Triple Fan Fair and is the subject of a documentary by retailer and film buff, Chris Brown. Here, Chris and Marvin discuss the early days of the conventioneering and fandom plus show a clip from the upcoming documentary and take questions from the audience.
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THE UNIVERSE ACCORDING TO JIM STARLIN
- 2:30 pm Comics City Room
Jim Starlin has shown us his enormous talents over the last three decades and here he discusses his career as well as his future plans. With stunning examples such as Dreadstar, Adam Warlock, Breed, Batman, Thanos, Infinity Gauntlet, and Captain Marvel…Jim has always had expansive themes. In addition, Jim will have his retrospective book, “A Life in Words and Pictures” available and will likely discuss that as well.
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MAN BEHIND THE SCENES-PAUL BURKE
- 3:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
Paul is one of those “behind the scenes” people who gets things done. Some of the projects that Paul has spearheaded include: Stan Lee’s video series, “Comic Book Greats”; McFarlane Toys; International Museum of Cartoon Art print series and The Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary and products. Plus, remember all those comics you used to be able to find at Wal-Mart? That, too, was Paul. Here, Paul will discuss his many activities and share some insightful and humorous stories with the folks he worked with
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WRITE OR WRONG: THE LIVE VERSION
- 3:00 pm Green Brain Comics Room
Dirk Manning is the author of the inspirational “how to” column for writers that is called "Write or Wrong:” and is regularly featured on Newsarama. Here, Dirk will do a “live” version of the column, one that you can participate in! Dirk is the also writer/creator of nightmare world for Shadowline at Image Comics, and the co-creator of Farseeeker for ACT-I-VATE.
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SKETCHING THOSE SKETCH CARDS
- 3:00 pm Comics & More Room
Sketch Cards have become a staple of the comic convention scene. Here, some of the Fanfare creators will discuss all aspects of the cards and how they prove to be something not only economical at the conventions but collectible as well. Bill Pulkovski, Brian Gerlach, Tony Miello, and others.
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PURE IMAGININGS OF GREG THEAKSTON
- 4:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
Greg has produced 100’s of illustrations for most of the major comic publishers and magazines. He was one of the forerunners of the comic convention scene in the Detroit area and is known for his restoration of classic comic art. Here, Greg will showcase his enormous artistic talents as he spotlights some of his artwork.
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FROM WEB TO PRINT
- 3:00 pm Green Brain Comics Room
Cliff Van Meter will lead the discussion in taking online comics to the print format. Whether its traditional printing or printing on demand, there is much more involved that just posting web screen shots into comic book format. Cliff, with his extensive experience as production Manager for Valiant and his current company, Arctos Comics, will share his ideas.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31st
KID’S COSTUME CONTEST
- 12:00 Pm Comic City Room
It’s Halloween and that means costumes. Detroit Fanfare is proud to sponsor a costume contest for “the kids” and here’s your chance to see some of the great costumes that the little ones are wearing. The judges will vote on the winners so come and celebrate the imaginations of the youngsters and pick your favorites as well.
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CREATOR WORKSHOPS- All Day Event
- 12:00 pm Green Brain Comics Room
A full day filled with tips, suggestions, guidelines, and just shared experienced from a bevy of Fanfare’s creators as they discuss the making of a comic book from the beginning to the end. Starting with the idea process, the idea of a comic will be discussed through each various stage with expert creators helping to explain the process. There will be a number of creators involved in this process including Guy Davis, Rebecca Buchman, Cliff Van Meter, Jay Jacot, Eric Hodson, Jay Fosgitt, and many more.
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WRITING FOR MARVEL
- 1:00 pm Comic City Room
What’s it like to write for Marvel Comics. To many, it’s a dream from childhood to have the opportunity to create worlds and situations for your favorite characters. Here, some of the Fanfare creators who have worked for Marvel and had their chance to write, will tells you their stories of telling stories for the largest publisher. Join Sean McKeever, Paul Storrie, Rafael Nieves, and others.
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TWO GUYS FROM DETROIT
- 1:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
Two of today’s noted illustrators in the comics field currently have embarked on different career paths but they started off together in Detroit and both have gone on to successful careers following their art desires. Carl Lundgren, noted for his posters, continues to showcase his painted art and Greg Theakston, noted comic preservationist as well as illustrator, discuss their early days and how their choices took them to different arenas yet brought them both back here for Detroit Fanfare.
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BILL MORRISION DRAWS
- 2:00 pm Comics City Room
Creator of Bongo’s Roswell, Bill has illustrated The Simpsons for years and is the art director of the hit television series, Futurama. He has also painted many of the promotions for Disney’s films and is currently working with singer Jane Weidlin on a new comic series.
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PROMOTION IS MORE THAN LIP SERVICE
- 2:00 pm Comics & More Room
Whether you have an online comic, one in print, or are just fascinated by why some comics seem to explode on the scene whereas others just whiter and die, here are some of the experts who will discuss what they’ve done to ensure that their titles continue on and perhaps even grow in stature. Join Thom Zahler, Rob Worley, and others as they give some of their promotional stores.
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PERSUADING WITH PIN-UPS
- 2:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
There’s no denying that an exotic pin up can turn just about any one’s head. Pin Up art has become almost a genre in of itself from the early Vargas days to modern super heroine pinups in spandex. Here, some of Fanfare’s guests, known for their pinup work, will discuss what is involved with illustrating pinups. It’s just not putting pretty girls into suggestive poses.
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BREAK INTO THE BIZ with Matt Busch
- 3:00 pm Comics City Room
Join Star Wars artist Matt Busch for an intimate get-together as he covers all the tricks of the trade. Not only will Matt talk shop about creating dynamic illustrations, but how to break into the industry of comics and pop culture as well. Matt will share adventures and give unique insight into how you can make your own dreams of working for your favorite publisher or Hollywood property come true. Matt will also show some entertaining videos and have prizes for those with great questions!
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OPENING A COMIC STORE
- 3:00 pm Wonderworld Comics Room
So, you want to open a comic store, hey? What’s involved with that and just how do you go about something like that. Well, let the experts tell you. After all, these folks have gone through the process and can elaborate on some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a comic store owner.
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JACK KIRBY INTERVIEW
- 3:00 pm Comics & More Room
Greg Theakston was a good friend of Jack Kirby and has set out to collect virtually all of Jack’s work. At the convention, he will show the rare video interview with Jack Kirby. As everyone knows, Jack was the “king” of comics and his illustrative style and storytelling has influenced the current generation of comic illustrators.
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THE WALKING DEAD PREVIEW AND MORE
- 4:00 pm Comic City Room
Come and check out this preview of the highly anticipated new series from AMC. In addition to some preview shots, there will be some behind the scenes action and perhaps some surprises. What better way to top off the slow, rambling zombie walk in the morning?