COMICS TAKE CENTER STAGE FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE AS FANS, PROS CELEBRATE MASSIVE CONVENTION CREATED IN THEIR NAME
By all accounts, last week’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, the Mecca of fandom, was a tremendous success, so much so it has been heralded as the greatest SDCC ever.
“Creators like Adam Hughes and Billy Tucci told me they had their best year ever. It was a real joy to see the people that created the comics once again become front and center to the con created in their name,” said Harley Quinn writer and Painkiller Jane creator, Jimmy Palmiotti.
SDCC’s success astonished the motion-picture industry as their presence was significantly diminished due to the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild ongoing strike. So much so that a perplexed Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit asked, “This was the year that San Diego Comic-Con was supposed to collapse. After all, with Hollywood studios pulling out and stars not able to promote their work, all due to the double whammy of the actors and writers strikes, why would people even bother to attend?”
Attend they did, and in record numbers. Over 175,000 guests, exhibitors, and attendees, rejoiced in Comic-Con returning to its roots with the most foot traffic in years and increased sales and visibility. Tucci and Crusade Comics, alongside many other exhibitors sold out of comics, prints and product, moving most to restock graphic novels and comics.
EXCLUSIVES, EXCLUSIVES, EXCLUSIVES!
Crusade Comics’ biggest seller was the Shi: Art of War Anniversary Glitter Edition. Showcasing Ana Ishikawa in a gorgeous Retro Barbie swimsuit ensemble, Shi pays homage to the iconic childhood and collectible classic in true Southern California fashion. The 32-page book is limited to just 99 signed and numbered editions and sold out on the floor on Day One.
For those unable to attend, Comic-Con, Crusade has set aside a choice few of the limited editions in their website store. SDCC exclusives can be found here:
PANELS!
Tucci participated on several panels, Comics for Ukraine, Happy Hour with The Comic Book Couples, and Shi: The Warrior Returns. The panel rooms were filled with entertainment as the panelists gave great insight into the creative process and shared many stories and laughs with the audiences.
JOIN BILLY TUCCI TONIGHT FOR HIS SDCC RECAP LIVE ON YOUTUBE!
Tucci will offer his Comic-Con recap tonight LIVE on his PopXP Youtube channel, 9pm EDT/6pm PDT here:
Special Thanks to the Hollywood Reporter.
About Billy Tucci
Inkpot Award recipient Billy Tucci is a cartoonist best known for his modern-day samurai saga Shi. Through his company, Crusade Fine Arts, Shi has been printed in five languages and sold more than 3 million comic books. The graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology has earned the prestigious Diamond Comics Gem Award and has been nominated for four Eisner Awards. In addition to his own creations, Billy’s DC Comics’ graphic novel, Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion, was awarded the Military Writers Society of America Gold Medal for its depiction of the real-life 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was comprised of Japanese American soldiers. His earnest retelling of the Christmas story in A Child Is Born has quietly turned into an international blockbuster, winning the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award. Billy’s critically acclaimed Miss Fury: Joy Division saw the return of the Golden Age Icon for Dynamite Comics. He recently released Shi: Return of the Warrior, Shi: Haikyo, Shi: Sakura, Shi: Way of the Warrior Omnibus, Shi: Senryaku Omnibus, Zombie-Sama vand Zombie-Sama: Dorm of the Dead via Kickstarter and Indiegogo uniting backers from over fifty countries and bringing Crusade Comics’ crowdfunding campaign totals to over $1,375,000.00.