Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013 featured an amazing roster of special guests. Here's the list.
Comic-Con 2013 Special Guests
Fred Perry
Writer/artist, Gold Digger
Fred Perry began his professional career in 1989 by sending submissions to the Ninja High School Yearbook anthology. His very first published work appears in the first NHS Yearbook. After serving in the Marine Corps in Operation Desert Storm, Fred began working on his new series idea, Gold Digger. The first Gold Digger story was published in 1991, and after a four-issue miniseries, the regular monthly series began in 1993. Since then, for Gold Digger alone, Fred has produced over 5000 pages of story—written, penciled, inked, and (since the series went to color) colored—and 30,000 frames of animation!
Wendy and Richard Pini
Writer/artist/co-creators, Elfquest
Wendy and Richard Pini are the co-creators of America's longest-running fantasy graphic novel series Elfquest. Wendy writes, pencils, inks, and colors (traditional and digital); Richard sometimes-writes and full-time edits. Wendy has worked for every major comics company, has scripted and painted two Beauty and the Beast graphic novels based on the original TV series, and recently completed a critically acclaimed 400-page erotic, futuristic reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's Masque of the Red Death, currently in development as a Broadway-style musical thriller. Beyond Elfquest, Richard has published books on Alex Schomburg (Chroma), and Wendy Pini (Law and Chaos and the upcoming Line of Beauty). Elfquest celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
John Romita Jr.
Artist, Captain America, Kick-Ass, Hit Girl
John Romita Jr. remembers watching his father draw Daredevil at home. It obviously had a great effect on him, as JRJR went to become one of the leading comics artists of his generation. His first work was for Marvel UK, followed by a story in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #11. He went on to illustrate just about every Marvel character, including Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Daredevil, Punisher, the Avengers, and X-Men. His own creations include Kick-Ass (co-created with Mark Millar) and The Gray Area. He currently draws the new Marvel Now relaunch of Captain America.
Chris Samnee
Artist, Daredevil, Captain America
Chris Samnee is an Eisner Award–nominated and Harvey Award–winning comic book artist who has drawn for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, IDW, and Oni. He is best known for his work on Daredevil, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, Captain America & Bucky, and Thor: The Mighty Avenger. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, daughter, and cat.
Ruth Sanderson
Illustrator
Ruth Sanderson has retold and illustrated many award-winning fairy tale picture books. She is also a highly regarded fantasy illustrator and was artist guest of honor at the 2011 World Fantasy Convention. Her paintings have been nominated for the Cheslea Award, have been published in Spectrum, and have been included in museum exhibitions around the country. A solo show of all her original oil paintings from her book The Twelve Dancing Princesses is scheduled for November 2013 at The Norman Rockwell Museum. A life-long fan of comics and graphic novels, she is currently developing a graphic novel for children. Her website is www.ruthsanderson.com
Scott Shaw!
Cartoonist, Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew
Scott Shaw! is an experienced professional cartoonist/writer in the fields of comic books, animation, advertising, and toy design. His first published comics story appeared in the underground comic book Gory Stories Quarterly. He co-created—with Roy Thomas—the funny animal superhero series Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! (DC). Scott was one of a handful of local comic fans who helped organize the first San Diego Comic-Con. He regularly performs his popular Oddball Comics slide show at Comic-Con, and he wows the audience along with Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier at the annual Quick Draw! event.
Christopher Shy
Writer/artist, Soul Stealer, Dead Space graphic novels
Christopher Shy is the artist or author of 16 graphic novels. He formed Studio Ronin in 1996 and emerged as one of the leading figures of this early movement of digital painters. He went on to co-found Ronin Arts, Artemis Publishing, and Black Watch Comics, with Michael Easton. Under his direction, Studio Ronin branched into visual design and completed work on a dozen feature films. In 2005 Christopher started the graphic novel Soul Stealer with Michael Easton. This trilogy took five years to complete and was published with critical acclaimed. For his latest graphic novel, Christopher Shy traveled to Alert Bay in British Columbia to research The North End of the World, a fictionalized account of Edward Curtis, written by Dave Hunsaker.
Louise Simonson
Writer/editor, Superman: Man of Steel, Power Pack
Louise Simonson has written and edited comic books for many years, including those in the superhero, science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres. Her Marvel work includes the award-winning Power Pack’ the bestselling X-Factor and New Mutants; Wolverine: Meltdown, co-written with her husband, Walter Simonson; and Web of Spider-Man. Her DC Comics work includes Superman: Man of Steel, featuring the Death and Return of Superman, Steel, and World of Warcraft. She has also written 27 books for kids and adults, many featuring comics characters, including the nonfiction DC Comics Covergirls. She is currently writing a Young Adult dark urban fantasy novel.
Jeff Smith
Creator, writer/artist, Bone, RASL, Little Mouse Gets Ready
Jeff Smith is the author/cartoonist of the BONE graphic novels, which won numerous awards around the world, including 10 Eisner Awards & 11 Harvey Awards, the Alph Art for Best Foreign Book in France, as well as awards in Spain, Germany, and Italy before being chosen to launch the first graphic novel imprint for children by Scholastic in 2005. In 2009 he was the subject of an Emmy Award winning documentary called The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics. Most recently, Smith was guest editor of The Best American Comic 2013, and continues to make and promote comics around the world.
Nick Spencer
Writer, Morning Glories, Secret Avengers
Nick Spencer is a New York Times bestselling comic book writer, best known for the creator-owned hits Morning Glories, Bedlam, and The Infinite Vacation, as well as his work at Marvel and DC Comics on Secret Avengers, Cloak & Dagger, THUNDER Agents, and Jimmy Olsen. He also collaborated with Robert Kirkman on the inaugural arc of Thief of Thieves (currently in development for television at AMC). His first book, Existence 2.0, has been optioned for feature film development by Paramount Pictures and Platinum Dunes.
J. Michael Straczynski
Writer, Superman: Earth One, Before Watchmen
J. Michael Straczynski is the JMS behind Studio JMS, a multimedia ministudio launched at last year's Comic-Con International. (He is not, however, the JMS behind “Just My Size,” a company that sells ladies' undergarments, and you should ignore all rumors to the contrary.) He has written nearly 400 comics, over 300 television episodes, and four movies, picking up the Eisner, Hugo, and Ray Bradbury Awards along the way. He also has a new line of thongs and bikini briefs coming out in the fall. No, wait . . .
Duane Swierczynski
Writer, Godzilla, Birds of Prey, Bloodshot
Duane Swierczynski currently writes the DC Comics series Birds of Prey, IDW’s Godzilla and the forthcoming Judge Dredd, and Valiant’s Bloodshot. Since his debut in 2007 with a one-shot Moon Knight issue, he’s written Punisher, Cable, The Immortal Iron Fist, Werewolf by Night, Black Widow, and Deadpool for Marvel. Duane is also the author of several crime thrillers, including the Edgar-nominated and Anthony Award–winning Expiration Date, as well as the Charlie Hardie series and the bestselling Level 26 series with CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker. He’s a Philly boy, but you can say “yo” at www.secretdead.com