News on The Baltimore Comic-Con, Batman/Avengers movies, Brink and more!

It's time for new about things!  Hooray!

- The Baltimore Comic-Con recently updated its website with a list of guests, including some of my favorite creators like Scott Snyder, Geof Darrow, Chrissie Zullo, Walter Simonson...and me (I'm on my own list of favorite creators?  How gauche).  The convention website not only listed me, but everyone I was planning on taking to the show with me as well.  I got four passes, but at the time I filled out the application I wasn't sure on what I'd do with the last one, so I just wrote down "George Newman", not knowing that it'd eventually be published (perhaps in the convention program, which would be fun).  George Newman, of course, is "Weird Al" Yankovic's character from the movie UHF:

Unfortunately, though, Weird Al will not be appearing at my table at the show.  Unless he reads this, thinks it's a funny joke, and decides to show up as if to say "I get it...and I approve".  In which case, there's a seat waiting for you, Al.

- I got a confirmation e-mail for the Saturday, August 6th filming date for "The Dark Knight Rises" at Heinz Field.  The grammar is atrocious as expected (apparently an apostrophe can be used...whenever) but there was some good information included in this mass mailing.  The scene being filmed is described as the "kickoff scene" which could be literal or could refer to this being the opening shot for the movie (though I doubt it).  We're encouraged to make signs and bring them (presumably as long as they don't say things like "BRUCE WAYNE IS BATMAN" or "watch Franks and Beans!"), colors to wear are black and gold, and the scene in the movie will take place in late fall or early winter.  So, yes, at the beginning of August we'll have to wear winter coats.  I'll update everyone on how many die of heat stroke on the set.

- Sean Kleefeld wrote a pretty cool blog (and took the above picture) about his experience for the recent "Avengers" casting call in Cleveland.  It sounds like, while there were fewer people to show up, it was pretty similar to the Dark Knight casting call in Pittsburgh.  Kleefeld writes, in part:

There seemed to me a refreshingly diverse mix of people there. I figured it would be heavily fanboyish and, while they were clearly represented well, there were all sorts of other people too. Obviously, the aspiring actors and actresses with resumes in hand but also a range of folks who just heard about this and thought it might be interesting and/or fun. Plus, one thing that I'm ashamed to admit hadn't occurred to me prior to going, someone mentioned that he was guessing about half of the attendees were simply out of work and needed a job of any sort.

Read his full blog here!  This movie will soon film for four weeks in Cleveland and for one week right outside of Pittsburgh.  Maybe I'll manage to sneak on as an extra at some point, if only because both Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion (of Firefly/Serenity fame) are both involved in the project.  And then we'll all become best friends and they'll bring the show back as a result of that new friendship.

- Paul Tucker is knocking our John Watkins: Phantom for Hire story out of the park.  Above is a panel from a recently completed page.  This is what happens when you smoke, kids.  You die.  So don't do it.

- Brink, the webcomic I'm currently lettering (by James Emmett and Daniel Erenberg), has recently updated with several new pages!  Check it out and follow along here!

- And finally, here's a picture of a sack of potatoes.  Enjoy.