Comic Book Candy

Over at my photography site I've posted pictures from the Rogues Gallery's most recent opening for artist Eduardo Risso . The exhibit will remain on display through this week into next, then it will come down shortly before September 9th when Challengers welcomes Wizard of Oz artist Skottie Young . Stop in and see Risso's work for yourself while you can! Among others, there are pages from 100 Bullets as well as Flashpoint mini Batman: Knight of Vengeance , Risso's most recent collaboration with Brian Azzarello . Did I mention these pages are always on sale for prospective art collectors? If you have yet to visit the Rogues Gallery for an opening, these images may entice you to stop by in the near future; fun, free events where you get to view comic book art and meet top creators in the industry. What more could you want? Above, cover artist Dave Johnson curiously looks at the camera. ( See more over at my photography site! )

The month of May brings more than just warm weather and summer blockbusters. For comic book fans the world over, especially those in Chicago, Free Comic Book Day is the shining beacon that marks the end of a long, cold winter. FCBD means those much touted event books from the Big Two are right around the corner, and comic book movie adaptations aren't far behind either. This year saw the release of Thor the same weekend as FCBD, while past releases have included Wolverine and Star Trek . Despite a large amount of store participation across the world, many fans still do not know what this wonderful event is about. Speaking from retail experience, many casual comic readers see posters for FCBD and think, "What's the catch?" Though every store has different criteria, the main idea remains the same. Stop in to your local comic book store on the first Saturday in May and you can get 1 or more free books specifically released for FCBD, no purchase necessary. These books ...

Chicago winters are a very resilient disease. All of the symptoms disappear and then BAM; you have an outbreak of blustery wind and freezing rain. It is nice to have more excuses to stay inside and read comics on a Friday night, and also make chai tea from a recipe found in a graphic novel. That narrows down the list of books right away, but in this case the recipe is from fellow Chi-town resident Lucy Knisley's collection Make Yourself Happy . If you aren't familiar with this up and coming writer / artist, you can check out her webcomic series titled Stop Paying Attention . She also contributed to Marvel's recent Girl Comics anthology (her story is in the first issue and features an adorable Doc Oc). I first became familiar with Knisley's work when she chronicled her attempt at a cleansing diet in "The Fast" which was linked on BoingBoing , and it's also collected in Make Yourself Happy. Her numerous nerdy references and self-deprecating humor make her ...

Only a week after C2E2, there are already several comic book related social events here in Chicagoland. Whether you missed the recent convention or you went and were left wanting more, we locals here in Chicago are lucky enough to seemingly always have opportunities to indulge our love for comic books. Here are a few noteworthy events happening this very weekend (March 25th-27th): Becky Cloonan Signing and Gallery Opening Where: Challengers Comics + Conversation in Bucktown When: Friday 7pm - 10pm Website: Challengers "Demo" Gallery Event with Becky Cloonan If you have yet to attend one of Challenger's Rogue Gallery openings, this is your chance to finally see what all of the hub-bub is about. Art collectors get the chance to see pages in person before they purchase pieces for their collections, and fans get the chance to meet and greet with the artist herself, all the while everyone enjoying snacks and refreshments: just like a real art opening! Pick up the n...