Boston Comic Con 2012

Boston Comic Con has a long list of guests planned for the weekend of April 21-22. There will be a special focus on MAD Magazine, with appearances by Al Feldstein, Paul Coker Jr., Al Jaffee, and Sergio Aragones. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website at http://www.bostoncomiccon.com/.

Maine Comics Arts Festival 2012

The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held on May 20th in Portland, ME. Guests announced so far include Kate Beaton, creator of “Hark, A Vagrant,” and Kazu Kibuishi, creator of “Amulet”; many more guest writers, artists and publishers are expected. You can find out more at http://mainecomicsfestival.com/.

[Tip via Convention Scene]

Imagination 101 Writing Workshop

Comic book author J.M. DeMatteis will be leading a writing workshop called “Imagination 101″ the weekend of April 13-15 at Modern Myths in Northampton, MA.

Join master storyteller J.M. DeMatteis for a weekend exploring the realms of imagination, from the metaphysical to the practical. We’ll ponder the big questions…

~ Where do ideas come from?
~ What part does will play in the creative process?
~ Is the best writing actually an act of channeling?
~ Do we create the story or does the story create us?

…and tackle the day-to-day realities of a career writing superhero sagas, fantasy epics and animation:

~ What’s the difference between “Marvel style” and “full script”?
~ What’s the value of editors?
~ Are agents necessary?
~ How do you handle rejection without jumping out the nearest window?

Come prepared to listen—as JMD shares stories and insights gleaned from more than thirty years writing comics, television, film and novels—but be prepared to work: you’ll pitch ideas, dialogue artwork and help create a story from the ground up.

The cost of the class is $415.00. Pre-registration is required. Learn more at http://www.jmdematteis.com/2012/01/far-reaches-of-imagination.html and http://www.modern-myths.com/.

[Tip via Convention Scene]

Artist Apperance: Andy Kubert

Comics artist Andy Kubert, who has worked on such titles as Batman, X-Men, Captain America, and Green Lantern, will appear at A Timeless Journey in Stamford, CT on February 4th from 4:00-6:00pm. Visit http://atimelessjourney.com/ for more details.

[Tip via Convention Scene]

Author Appearance: Joe Mulvey

Comics writer and artist Joe Mulvey will present his new comic book series “Scam” at the following events:

February 4, 11:00am, at Friendly Neighborhood Comics in Bellingham, MA

February 4, 3:00pm, at Larry’s Comics in Lowell, MA

[Tip via Convention Scene]

BAMCon 2012

BAMCon is the Berkshire Anime and Manga Convention, a new convention, and it will be held May 4-6 in Pittsfield, MA. The event features guests, panel discussions, contests, vendors and artists, music, and of course lots of costuming. Learn more at http://bam-con.com/.

Nauticon 2012

Nauticon is a convention for adults over 21 years old scheduled for May 18-20, 2012 in Provincetown, MA. What’s it all about?

Nauticon is primarily an Anime Convention, as many of the staff are hard core anime fans, and come from a wide variety of anime convention backgrounds, most notably Anime Boston, AAC, Bakuretsucon, Connecticon, and Otakon. And PAC is definitely the forerunner to Nauticon as many of us staffed or attended PAC and we do not want the dream of a 21+ convention to die.

Second, even though Nauticon is primarily an anime convention, we also want the flexibility to offer our attendees programming choices that may not be strictly anime, but that they might find appropriate or entertaining. Especially as some of our staff come from mixed media conventions such as Arisia. So we want even non anime fans to feel that Nauticon may have something to offer them, since at it’s heart, Nauticon is a giant 3 day party where you can kick back, relax and have fun with your friends.

Third, Nauticon is a re-imagining of the con experience, a “boiling down” if you will, of what makes cons fun to those over the age of 21. So to that end, you may not see some of the things traditionally associated with conventions. It really is going to be Not A Con as you know it. We are going for some real creative, outside the box thinking on this one.

Finally, in the end, Nauticon will be very much what you make of it. If you want to spend the weekend partying, getting drunk and cutting loose, you can do that. Or, conversely if you want to spend the a weekend sitting on the beach, sipping mai-tais and relaxing with a few close friends, well you can do that too!

See the Nauticon website at http://www.nauticons.com/ to find out more about this event.

Author Appearance: James Kakalios

Northeastern University’s College of Science in Boston, MA will present a lecture by Profesor James Kakalios of the University of Minnesota, The Physics of Superheroes, on February 26th at 2:00pm. According to http://physicsofsuperheroes.com:

In The Physics of Superheroes: Spectacular Second Edition, Professor James Kakalios explains in a fun and accessible manner a broad range of physics, from Isaac Newton to the transistor — but there’s not an inclined plane or pulley in sight! Rather, all of the examples come from superhero comic books and in particular, those cases where the superheroes get their physics right!

Inside you’ll discover the real science behind Krypton’s explosion, learn why Spider-Man’s webbing couldn’t save his girlfriend’s life, and see solid-state physics at work in Iron Man’s armor!

In this totally revised and updated second edition, Aquaman explains fluid mechanics, the Human Top and Whirlwind teach angular momentum, Watchmen’s Nite Owl elucidates conservation of energy, and the entire Justice League and the Avengers explain materials science!

Learn more about the event at http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/pdfs/physicsofsuperheroesposter.pdf.

The Rusty Gear 2012

If you are a fan of the Adult Swim shows Metalocalypse and The Venture Brothers, there’s a convention just for you! The Rusty Gear convention will be held in Natick, MA the weekend of June 28 to July 1. Here’s what the website has to say:

It’s a… convention, if you will, that aspires to be much more than just that. It’s a place where dethheads and superscience nerds alike can come together to explore the many fascinating aspects of these two shows and their characters. A place where artists, writers, crafters, and musicians can let their talents shine…

It’s also a place where a guy can walk around in a rubber butterfly bodysuit or a bright red dreadlock comb-over and finally feel at home.

Please note that all attendees must be at least 18 years old. Visit the convention’s website at http://www.therustygear.org/ to learn more.

Author Appearance: William Gibson

Bestselling author William Gibson, author of Neuromancer, Pattern Recognition and other cyberpunk stories will present his new collection of non-fiction essays, Distrust That Particular Flavor, on January 11th at 6:00pm. The event is sponsored by Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA; Gibson’s appearance will actually take place at the nearby Coolidge Corner Theatre. Tickets are required. Visit http://www.brooklinebooksmith-shop.com/event/william-gibson-distrust-particular-flavor to purchase a ticket.