Trina Robbins
Appearing Friday, Saturday and Sunday!
Robbins’ first comics were printed in the East Village Other; she also contributed to the spin-off underground comic Gothic Blimp Works.
In 1970 Robbins left New York for San Francisco, where she worked at the feminist underground newspaper It Ain’t Me, Babe. That same year she established the first all-woman comic book, the oneshot It Ain’t Me, Babe Comix. From this period on, Robbins became increasingly involved in creating
outlets for and promoting female comics artists, through projects such as the comics anthology Wimmen’s Comix, with which she was involved for twenty years.
Robbins was artist co-creator of the Warren Publishing character Vampirella, designing her costume and hair for writer Forrest J. Ackerman’s story “Vampirella of Draculona” in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969).
In the early 1980s Robbins created adaptations of Sax Rohmer’s Dope and Tanith Lee’s The Silver Metal Lover. In the mid-1980s she wrote and drew Misty for the Marvel Comics children’s imprint Star Comics. The short-lived series was a reinterpretation of the long-standing character Millie the Model, now as an
older character running her own modeling agency and minding her niece Misty.
Robbins’ official involvement with Wonder Woman, a character she had long admired, began in 1986. At the conclusion of the first volume of the series (in conjunction with the landmark series Crisis on Infinite Earths), DC Comics published a four-issue limited series titled The Legend of Wonder Woman, written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Robbins. The series paid homage to the character’s Golden Age roots. In the mid-1990s, Robbins criticized artist Mike Deodato’s “bad girl art” portrayal of Wonder Woman, calling
Deodato’s version of the character a “barely clothed hypersexual pinup.” In the late 1990s, Robbins collaborated with Colleen Doran on the DC Comics graphic novel Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story, on the subject of spousal abuse.
Recently, Robbins has been writing the comic book adventures of Honey West, notable as being one of popular fiction’s first female private detective.
In addition to her comics work, Robbins is an author of nonfiction books, including several with an emphasis on the history of women in cartooning. Her first book, co-written with Catherine Yronwode, was Women and the Comics, on the history of female comic-strip and comic-book creators. As one of the first book on this subject, its publication was covered in the mainstream press in addition to the fan press. Subsequent Robbins volumes on the history of women in the comics industry include A Century of Women Cartoonists (Kitchen Sink, 1993), The Great Women Superheroes (Kitchen Sink, 1997), From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women’s Comics from Teens to Zines (Chronicle, 1999), and The Great Women Cartoonists (Watson-Guptill, 2001) Robbins was a co-founder of Friends of Lulu, a nonprofit formed in 1994 to promote readership of comic books by women and the participation of women in the comic book industry.
Jamal Igle
Appearing Friday, Saturday and Sunday!
Jamal Igle is the recipient of the 2011 Inkpot Award for outstanding achievement in Comic Art. He is writer/artist/Creator of MOLLY DANGER for Action Lab Entertainment, the co-creator of VENTURE with Dynamo 5 creator/writer Jay Faerber, and the penciller/ co-creator of THE WRONG EARTH with writer and Editor in Chief, Tom Peyer for Ahoy Comics. Jamal is a comic industry veteran whose detailed pencils have graced books as varied as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the all-ages action miniseries “Race Against Time” as well as mainstream hits such as G.I.Joe, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern. Jamal has served as the series artist for popular runs on
Firestorm the Nuclear Man, Nightwing, and Tangent: Superman’s Reign, Superman, Supergirl and Zatanna for DC Comics, Noble Causes for Image Comics, and a four-issue run on New Warriors for Marvel Comics.
Jamal recently completed the sequels to the hit series BLACK called WHITE from Black
Superpowers/ Black Mask Studios, and THE WRONG EARTH: NIGHT AND DAY, THE
MYSTERIOUS MICRO-FACE for NPR Planet Money and MILESTONES IN HISTORY for DC Comics. Currently, Jamal is working with legendary Batman writer SCOTT SNYDER on his new creator-owned series, DUDLEY DATSON AND THE FOREVER MACHINE for Comixology.
Social Media:
Authors Bonnie Siegler and Helene Stapinski, The American Way
Appearing Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Family lore had it that author Bonnie Siegler’s grandfather Jules crossed paths in Midtown Manhattan late one night in 1954 with Marilyn Monroe, her white dress flying up around her as she filmed a scene for The Seven Year Itch. Jules Schulback had his home movie camera with him, capturing what would become the only surviving footage of that legendary night. Bonnie wasn’t sure she quite believed her grandfather’s story…until, cleaning out his apartment, she found the film reel. That discovery would prompt her to investigate her grandfather’s seemingly tall tales —and lead her in pursuit of a remarkable, poignant piece of forgotten history bridging old Hollywood, the birth of the comic book, and the Holocaust.
The journey began when Siegler contacted reporter Helene Stapinski in 2017, which led to a viral internet hit in The New York Times — “The Lost Footage of Marilyn Monroe.” Stapinski and Siegler connected instantly and spent years researching and hand-crafting The American Way. The result is a colorful, vivacious story of two very different men both striving to make their way in New York – their lives intersecting with a glittering array of luminaries, from Billy Wilder and Joe DiMaggio to Superman creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. The American Way is a kaleidoscopic tale of hope and reinvention, of daring escapes and fake identities, of big dreams and the magic of movies, and what it means to be a real-life Superman.
Edward Gross
Appearing Friday, Saturday and Sunday
EDWARD GROSS is the author of Voices from Krypton, the complete 85-year oral history of Superman. He is a veteran entertainment journalist who has been covering film, television, comic books and more for the past 40 years while serving on the editorial staff of such publications as Cinescape, Starlog, Movie Magic, Cinefantastique, Femme Fatales, Life Story, Super Hero Spectacular, Film Fantasy and Geek Monthly. Additionally, he was US Editor, Empireonline; Film/TV Editor for closerweekly.com, lifeandstylemag.com, intouchweekly.com and j14.com; and Nostalgia Editor for doyouremember.com. He has written two dozen non-fiction books, among them seven previous oral histories, including titles on Star Trek (the two-volume The Fifty-Year Mission), James Bond (Nobody Does It Better), Star Wars (Secrets of the Force), John Wick (They Shouldn’t Have Shot His Dog) and Stargate SG-1 (Chevrons Locked). On top of all of that, he’s spent the vast majority of his life as a fan of the Man of Steel.
Steven Walden
Appearing Friday and Saturday
Steven Walden discovered art by accident; although he drew in high school, the first time he picked up a paintbrush was in January of 2014. While pursuing his MA in Professional Counseling, Walden took an art therapy class as an elective and began to paint. Walden has a passion for painting as well as giving back to charities. Since partnering with charities in the summer of 2015, his art has raised nearly half of $1 million at various events.
Walden’s favorite subjects are sports and pop culture so living in St. Louis gives him plenty of material.
Also Appearing
Peter Melonas
“Art for the sake of art” What your looking upon is the Drawing of an artist’s most direct and spontaneous expression and his passion by creating a visual effect. Since early childhood, Peter Melonas was privately tutored by his father who encouraged his fascination with all aspects of the Arts. Along the way, he had found a fondness in book and magazine illustrations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
Nathaniel Henley
A 23 year-old film major from Metropolis! Henley sells original drawings and doodles, in all sorts of forms and creates LEGO stop-motion animations for fun on the side!
Jim Pinkstaff
Jim Pinkstaff is an artist and musician living in Terre Haute, IN. Jim fell in love with art at a young age. He received his Associate’s Degree in Art Education from Vincennes University in 2000 and received his Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from Oakland City University in 2003. In 2009, Jim started Atomic Monster Art. He has been a featured artist at several Indiana and Illinois conventions ever since. Jim is also an active member of the Terre Haute arts and music community.
William Hood Illustrator
William Hood is a pop culture illustrator from Louisville, KY. Honing his craft since childhood William illustrates posters and prints of favorite iconic characters, creating a wide variety of geeky, nerdy, items in an ever evolving quest to conquer the world one piece of art at a time.
Always happy to talk about geek fandom, or debate who’d win between Superman and Thor, William is a fixture on the convention circuit and a high quality art creator.
Matt Schorr
Matt Schorr writes and publishes spooky comics and novels for readers of all ages. To date, his most widely recognized series are Dino Horrors, Moby Dick: Back from the Deep and Jesus Christ: Demon Slayer. As a child who grew up watching “Tales from the Crypt” and reading “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” Matt writes what he loves and feels right at home surrounded by monsters, spooks and the macabre.
William Conder
William Conder is a Gulf War veteran who served four years in the Navy at HSL-42 NAS Mayport, Florida, working on SH-60B helicopters. His time in the Navy took him half way around the world aboard the USS Normandy and USS McInerney, allowing him to see and do many things.
Trevor Hawkins
Trevor believes that art can and should be made based on what the artist perceives as relevant. Taking an image that moves him and then applying his own style, he creates art that goes several steps beyond the original subject. While most artists tend to focus on one certain style, Trevor demonstrates the ability to work successfully in several genres simultaneously. Recognizable influences on his unique style include Impressionism, Expressionism, Pop Art, and classical portraiture. About His Style Trevor works in a process method, using layer upon layer of paint and mixed media. Mostly using acrylics. He uses color, line and texture as tools to express energy, mood and atmosphere in his work. He jokes that his work would be the result of Claude Monet and Andy Warhol being involved in an automobile accident, and their works mashing together.
Sean Dulaney
Shy and unassuming, Sean doesn’t like to promote the fact that he’s been a successful Radio program director, building audience with miniscule budgets for promotion. Nor does he go out of his way to talk about his work in comics with includes various serials in the DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS anthology, 2007 Comic Book Challenge qualifier “The Misguided Travels of Earl O. Possum,” the upcoming 51 DELTA from Arcana and the soon to be officially announced MISS VICKY & HER CUTIE COMMANDOS. No. Sean likes to let the work speak for itself.
Rob Witzel
A self-proclaimed nerd, Witzel’s obsession of nerd culture led to a love of telling stories and creating his own characters. Super Penguin was started in the study hall of Danville High School. When Witzel should have been doing homework or studying for an exam, he instead doodled a silly comic strip starring Super Penguin that he would share with hisfriends at the lunch table for laughs.
Todd Black
Todd Black is a writer of comics and novels with over 45 published works under his name. He loves to create new stories and is always looking for that new project to start!”
Molly Daniels
Molly Daniels resides in the southwestern corner of Indiana with her spouse, three children, two grandchildren, and various household pets. A student teacher in her fifth-grade class showed this avid reader how to unlock the creativity in her brain and to write down the stories in her own head. She began writing her Women’s Fiction/New Adult series The Arbor University Tales while in college, and other short stories and poetry have been featured in several anthologies.
