I've said before that each day I receive several messages...   From either contestants that are entered in the Small Press Idol 2009 contest, or from the Small Press Idol organizers themselves.

And yeah, I still don't consider them spam messages... in fact I am quite interested in this Small Press Idol contest, to tell you the truth!

There were 27 entries that have made it out of Round 1 and are now into Round 2.  Why does this matter and why am I blogging about it again?   Well, in Round 2 it is not only the 3 initial Judges that are doing the voting... it is also registered persons, like YOU or me could be, that are voting in this round!

I have already blogged about two entries in the SPI contest so far....

Another one of the early entries that caught my eyes was that of the 'Mr. Man' comic book project. The project was submitted by Scott Alan  of Mountlake Terrace, Washington. It is now in Round 2 of the competition.

The Small Press Idol 2009 has 4 rounds:

Round 1 is already over. It was to present the Basic Concept / Talent.

Round 2 ends on April 30th. It is more about showcasing the characters with illos and background text.

Round 3 goes from May 18th - June 7th.  It is on the 'sequential primers'.

Round 4 goes from July 15 - ??? It is the Origin or the #0 issue.

Below is the Basic Concept shown in Round 1 from the 'Mr. Man' Comic Book project:

Jim Dandy is an out of work actor in a failing economy who has one last chance to make it, an audition for a tv series based on the popular comic book hero Mr. MAN. Despite Jim’s thorough preparation for the role he fails the audition. This sinks him into a deep depression which is compounded by a blow to the head that causes Jim to suffer amnesia. Still looking just like the hero Mr. MAN, events lead Jim to believe that he IS this hero allowing him to perform super human feats. Now Jim struggles with his new identity, trying live up to the legend of Mr. MAN and learn what it really means to be a hero as the city begins a trend of costumed villains and oddball criminals looking to take him down.

Taking it’s roots from the days when comics weren’t so dark and broody and had no fear of having fun with the characters and stories, Mr. MAN is the tale of mind over matter, the faith of a child, and a hilarious look at modern life through the eyes of a man who would be a hero … if he could only get his mind on task.

Round 2 shows the characters from 'Mr. Man'.  He is shown at the top of this blog post, along with a character outline / bio. The other characters are shown at the web site.

For more on 'Mr. Man' I invite you to check out his entry on the Small Idol Press web site.   After viewing his progress so far, and liking it, Scott would definitely appreciate your vote!  If you are not yet signed up to vote at the Small Press Idol 2009, feel free to do so!

If you have signed up to vote at Small Press Idol, you can vote for 'Mr. Man' at:  http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/forum-t34874.html

To read more about the 'Mr. Man' comic book project go to:    http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/content306.html  

If you haven't signed up yet for Small Press Idol, the 'sign up' page to vote for Faction or any of the SPI entries is at:   http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/signup.php

Lee Roy Lopez is just one of several creators... That are going to be exhibiting at SPACE this upcoming weekend!

So for those of you that don't know what 'S.P.A.C.E.' is all about... it is the 'Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo',  which is held each year in Columbus, Ohio.  This year it is celebrating its' 10th Year!  The event is organized by Bob Corby of Back Porch Comics.

Several of my Facebook Friends have told me that it has grown in size over the years since it first started, and has become one of the best shows for finding comic book creators all in one place, without all the 'mainstream distractions' that are seen at major conventions.

Plus for those that are not comic book writers, pencillers, inkers, etc., this is the show where you will find... "the old school zinesters, mini-comic makers, and lots and lots of the up-and-coming indies, all under one roof"!

I'm centering on just one comic book creator right now for this blog post, and that is Lee Roy Lopez.

Lee Roy is currently the penciller for "Into The Dark". Here is his 'bio' in his own words:  

"I've been with Speak Easy around the same time as Nathan Baker since early '08. Best group of talent ive been lucky enough to work with. This is the 2nd comic ive drawn the 1st still unpublished "Young Vindicators" with Ken Stutsman."

"Im a Muslim of Puerto Rican descent born and raised in Brooklyn, East New York but ive been living in Lakewood, Ohio for the past 5 years. You can catch my artwork on Facebook, myspace.com/lafamilialopez4 or comicspace.com/allpencils . Im looking forward to see everyone at Columbus."

Lee Roy mentions his work on "Into The Dark" which is also shown above at the top of this post.  Here are the details on this project:

Into the Dark - Ashcan edition

Created by Nathaniel Baker
Cover by Lee Roy Lopez & David Marshall
Pencils by Lee Roy Lopez
Inks by Roger Price
Written by Nathaniel Baker
Lettered by David Marshall

Welcome to Woodrow Asylum

Story One: Into the Dark

Into the Dark is a horror/suspense story that follows Kaleb Grey. Kaleb is your everyday under appreciated father, husband, fellow employee, and human being. Unbeknownst to him however he’s also something else. As the worst day plays out in front of him a minor lapse in time brings him to a room locked away from the world. What happened? How did I get here? Is this real? Am I going crazy? As Kaleb faces nightmares in every form, he must also face the truth that’s hidden somewhere deep in the darkness, maybe even his mind. So many questions, so little light...!

Thanks Lee Roy for bringing your project to my attention!  For those not able to attend the Expo, you can see more at his web site at: http://www.comicspace.com/allpencils

Besides Lee Roy Lopez attending this Expo, the following are others that will be exhibiting there:

Marek Bennett, Doc Boucher, David Branstetter, Tim Broderick, Karen Chen, J.D. Elder, Tomm Gabbard, Howie Noeldechen, Randy Pare, Jonathan Hodges with Bad Place Productions, D Jason Meadows with Lead Slinger Studios, Bryan Borgman, and Bob Corby. 

Others attending but I'm not sure are exhibiting are: JK Carrier, Ian Shires, Brent Erwin, Allen Freeman, Carrie Cartwright, Matt Feazell, Darrell Goza, Tim Corrigan, Bruce Rosenberger, Heather Farr, and Molly Durst.

Expo Details:

SPACE 2009 April 18 & 19, 2009 at the Aladdin Shrine Center, Columbus.

10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday

Admission $5.00 for one day and $8.00 for both

For more information on this show go to:  http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm

(Please Note: A complimentary item for this mention was NOT provided by the artist nor the comic con!) 

Bobby Nash tells me...   That he is signing his works at the upcoming Boone Comic Con, a one day show being held in Boone, North Carolina.

He writes both comics and prose work.  Right now Bobby has more short prose bits coming out than comics, most of it with a 'pulpish flavor'.

Bobby will also have a graphic novel called Yin Yang, a super hero action adventure coming out sometime later this year from Arcana.

Besides the graphic novel, he also has other comics in production right now as well, including a Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic inspired by the pulp anthology he has worked on. 

Bobby is a pretty busy guy... He is also working on a couple novels as well, one is a sci fi thriller and another a suspense thriller.

You can see the covers and synopsis for the books at his websites: http://www.comicspace.com/bobbynash    or   http://www.myspace.com/bobbynash if you are not able to attend the comic con.

So what is Bobby bringing to this ComicCon for signing?  Well, he will have copies of his novel Evil Ways as well as Evil Ways shotglasses. Also, anthology books Domino Lady, Full Throttle Space Tales: Space Sirens, Sentinels: Alternate Visions, Real Magicalism, and Lance Star: Sky Ranger.  Plus... Comics Life In The Faster Lane, Doc Dreden: the Immortal, and his final copy of The Comic Book Scripts of Bobby Nash Vol. 1 !

Also, there are other exhibitors scheduled to join Bobby Nash at the Boone ComiCon.  They  include: Scott Nicholson, Bradd Parton, Billy Fowler, Evan Dahm, Buddy Prince, and several more!

By the way, if You haven't heard of this Comic Con before, it's because this is the first time it is being held!  Author Scott Nicholson has organized the inaugural Boone Comicon which is to be held at the National Guard Armory in Boone, and his vision is for the Con to offer a variety of related activities and opportunities to meet some of the area’s – and the medium’s – finest stars!

For more information on this show go to:   http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/BooneComicon.htm

(Please Note: A complimentary item for this mention / review was NOT provided by the writer nor the comic con!)  

Just a reminder that Jerry Beck... Will be presenting a talk at MoCCA on 6:30 PM, Friday April 17th 2009. Plus afterwards, he will be signing his books.

For those that don't know Jerry, he is an animation historian and cartoon producer.  His twelve books on the subject include The Animated Movie Guide, Looney Tunes: The Ultimate Visual Guide and The 50 Greatest Cartoons.  Jerry is also a former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney, and is currently a consulting producer to Warner Bros., Universal and Disney for their classic animation DVD compilations.

The Name of the exhibition at MoCCA is:  "From Richie Rich to Wendy the Good Little Witch  - The Art Of Harvey Comics".  With Exhibition dates running from December 18, 2008 - April 18, 2009!

Jerry's Talk on Friday Night will be on the following.... per the MoCCA website:  "Animation Historian Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew) will speak about the connection of Harvey Comics to the Paramount cartoon studio, and the creation of Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, Little Audrey, Buzzy Crow and Herman & Katnip. He will show clips from the classic cartoons, and discuss the relationship between the comic book company and the animation studio, which was located in Times Square.  Beck will also sign copies of The Harvey Comics Library, a series of reprint volumes which he co-curates for Dark Horse Books."

Info from the MoCCA web site at:  http://www.moccany.org

Admission: $5 | Free for MoCCA Members

'Normal' MoCCA Hours (Not including the special talk)
Hours: Tues. - Sat. 12:00 - 5:00pm,
Closed Sunday & Monday
Suggested Donation: $5.00
Members & Children under 12: Free

MoCCA is located at 594 Broadway, Suite 401 between Prince and Houston in New York, NY 10012

Don't forget to add this Fun Night to Your Social Calendar!

Plus please realize that the next day, April 18th is the LAST day for this exhibit to run!

(Note: A complimentary copy for this mention  was NOT provided by the speaker nor the museum.)

For those of you that are new to our blog today, we have an ongoing online 'Comic Con and Pop Culture Convention' here at "Make It So Marketing Inc.", what with our daily blog posts,  and new listings of items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!