Industry Giants Bendis, Cho, Chaykin, King, Simonsons, and Yang at Baltimore in 2020

The Baltimore Comic-Con returns to the Inner Harbor this October 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Baltimore Comic-Con is pleased to present giants of the comics industry Brian Michael Bendis, Howard Chaykin, Frank Cho, Tom King, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, and Gene Luen Yang.  Tickets are now on sale!

Brian Michael Bendis is a Peabody Award-winning comics creator, Amazon and New York Times bestseller, and one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. The announcement of Brian’s multi-faceted move to DC Entertainment after a near twenty year run at Marvel made international headlines and trended worldwide. Brian made his DC debut in the landmark Action Comics 1000, and currently writes Superman, Action Comics, Batman: Universe, Legion of Superheroes, and curates Wonder Comics, featuring the return of Young Justice, Dial H for Hero, Wonder Twins, and the breakout original new character… Naomi. The new deal brings the Jinxworld line of creator-owned comics to the DC fold. These new titles include the Yakuza epic Pearl with Jessica Jones co-creator Michael Gaydos, the comic book industry spy thriller Cover with award-winning multimedia sensation David Mack, Scarlet with co-creator Alex Maleev, and the alternate history mob story United States of Murder Inc. with Powers co-creator Mike Avon Oeming. Brian is Executive Producer and consultant of the Academy Award-winning hit Sony feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (and its coming sequel in 2022). Miles Morales was co-created by Brian and Sara Pichelli.

Howard Victor Chaykin is a longtime veteran of the comic book business. As a cartoonist — both writing and drawing — he has been a major influence on the direction of comics, referred to frequently as one of the principle architects of the modern comic book. His signature creation, American Flagg!, introduced a new level of narrative complexity, depth of character, and point of view in its text, not to mention a previously unseen level of design and craft to the visual nature of an all-too-frequently staid and timid medium. Chaykin continues to produce work that pushes the envelope of concept, context, and content in comics…in last year’s The Divided States of Hysteria for example, a comic book which, thanks to social media, enraged an entire new generation of the willfully ignorant who might have had a better case if they’d actually read the damned book. Chaykin’s new series, Hey Kids! Comics!, is a fictionalized history of the comic book business, a love letter written with just a frisson of acid in the ink, to the field he’s loved and called home for over four decades.

Ringo Award winner and Harvey and Eisner Award nominee Frank Cho launched his career as a comic strip artist at the University of Maryland-College Park student newspaper, penning University2, which was the predecessor of his creator-owned syndicated strip and comic series, Liberty Meadows. His body of work also includes Marvel Comics’ New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Shanna the She-Devil, New Ultimates, and X-Men: Schism, as well as Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment. His recent work can be seen on covers from DC’s Harley Quinn and Image’s Savage Dragon.

Ringo and Eisner Award-winning Tom King was the long-term writer of Batman at DC Comics, where he has also written Mister Miracle, Grayson, The Omega Men, DC Nation, Swamp Thing Winter Special, and has stories in Action Comics #1000 and Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular, not to mention his award-winning work at Marvel on The Vision. King’s first book, A Once Crowded Sky, a postmodern super hero novel, was recognized by USA Today as one of the best Graphic Novels of the year. He was named by the Hollywood Reporter as one of the five comic creators to watch in 2015. He is scriptwriting the New Gods movie with director Ava DuVernay.

Winner of the Hero Initiative Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year at the 2020 Ringo Awards, Louise Simonson has, like her husband Walter, contributed significantly to the comic book industry. “Weezie”, as she is known, began her comics career as an editor at Warren Publishing before leaving for Marvel to edit titles including X-Men, New Mutants, and Star Wars. Departing the editorial role in favor of writing, Weezie has contributed to storylines in Marvel’s Marvel Team-Up, Web of Spider-Man, and Red Sonja, and was responsible for the introduction of Apocalypse in X-Factor as well as the launch of Power Pack. At DC Comics, she worked on Superman: The Man of Steel and The Adventures of Superman.

Walter Simonson has made vast contributions to comics publishing, as a writer, an artist, and even in founding publishing imprints. He was recognized in 2012 at the Harvey Awards in Special Award for Excellence in Production/Presentation and Best Domestic Reprint Project for Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor, Artist’s Edition from IDW, and in 2013 for Alien: The Illustrated Story from Titan Books for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work. He also received the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 at the Harvey Awards. Walt’s career began in the 1970s at DC Comics, where he worked on titles such as Weird War Tales, Manhunter, Metal Men, Orion, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Vigilante, and Hercules Unbound. Over at Marvel Comics, Simonson has had numerous noteworthy runs, including The Rampaging Hulk magazine, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, and Thor, on which he was responsible for the introduction of Beta Ray Bill and Thor as a frog.

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. As the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the L.A. Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His other works include Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), Superman from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. His most recent books are Dragon Hoops from First Second Books and Superman Smashes the Klan from DC Comics. Gene will be appearing Friday and Saturday only.

“What an amazing way to start our 2020 guest announcements,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con, “It’s still very, very early, but we’re extremely happy to be able to bring in these mammoth names for this year’s event. We’re thrilled, we know our fans are going to be thrilled, and hang onto your hats because we’re just getting started!”