The World's Largest Queer Comic Con
The World's Largest Queer Comic Con
Terry Blas is an illustrator and writer based in Portland Oregon. His auto bio comics Ghetto Swirl and You Say Latino were featured on NPR, OPB, Vox.com and New Now Next. Some of his writing credits include the comics: The Amazing World of Gumball, and Steven Universe. His first graphic novel, a murder mystery set at a weight loss camp, is titled: Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom. Hotel Dare is his second book and a love letter to his childhood memories of Mexico.
Magdalene Visaggio is the Eisner and GLAAD Media Award-nominated writer behind Kim & Kim, Eternity Girl, Vagrant Queen, Dazzler: X Song, and Morning in America. A lifelong comics reader, she studied English at Virginia Commonwealth University and did graduate work in Ethics & Moral Theology at Seton Hall before dropping out to focus on writing comics where people hit each other with guitars. When not writing, she’s probably passed out on her couch at three in the morning with a cat on top of her while Netflix asks if she wants to continue watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. She lives in Manhattan.
Vita Ayala is a queer Afro-Latinx writer out of New York City, where they live with their wife and cat sons. They have written for Black Mask Studios, DC, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW, Image, Marvel, Valiant Comics, and Vault Comics. They’re non-stop, like Hamilton!
Steve Orlando writes and produces comics, including VIRGIL (IGN’s best Graphic Novel of 2015), Undertow and stories in the Eisner Award Nominated Outlaw Territory at Image Comics. As well, he launched 2015’s Midnighter and 2016’s Midnighter and Apollo, both nominated for GLAAD awards, and took part in Justice League: Gods and Men, Batman and Robin Eternal and most recently Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batman / The Shadow, Justice League of America and The Unexpected for DC Entertainment, as well as The Shadow/Batman for Dynamite Entertainment, CRUDE for Skybound Entertainment, and Dead Kings for Aftershock Entertainment. His 2018 sold-out launch Martian Manhunter was one of Tor’s Best Single Issues of 2018.
Tana Ford is a comic book artist and writer. She won the Queer Press Grant, and was a Lambda Literary Award finalist for her lesbian comic book series Duck! and Duck! Second Chances.
Tana is best known for her work on Marvel’s Silk, though she has also drawn for Black Panther, The Amazing Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek, Jem & the Holograms, and Gwenpool.
Most recently Tana teamed up with sci-fi writing superstar Nnedi Okorafor to create LaGuardia at DarkHorse, a series that examines literal alien immigration set against the backdrop of times as dark and trying as our present timeline.
You can find out more at tanaford.com or follow her on twitter @tanaford and instagram @tanaford.designs”
Co-creator and Artist of BLACKBIRD Announces Artist Collaboration
Brooklyn, New York – March 1, 2019 – Flame Con, created by the LGBTQ non-profit Geeks OUT, is announcing the debut of an artist mentorship program, created and led by illustrator and comic artist, Jen Bartel. The program will launch at Flame Con where Bartel will mentor and guide two artists through the process of preparing to table at a comic convention.
“When I was invited to Flame Con as a guest this year, I began to think about ways that I could give back to help other artists succeed, and I decided that a community driven show like Flame Con was the perfect convention to launch a mentorship program,” said Bartel, “I’d like to share the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over the past few years with newcomers—my hope is that it will help foster a culture of sharing information and that the artists I work with will pass on what they learn to others.”
The artists will be selected through an application process, of which only accepted half table lottery submissions will be eligible. Two artists will be selected by Bartel with the help of experienced convention organizer Andrea Demonakos, with the goal of financially supporting and preparing the artists to table at Flame Con. Upon selection, Bartel will work with each artist and guide them in the process of selecting vendors, product development, creating promotional materials, and more.
“We were so excited when Jen approached us with the idea of launching an artist mentorship at Flame Con”, said Nicole Gitau, Geeks OUT President & Special Guests Lead for Flame Con. “Flame Con has always been an event by our community and for our community. Seeing creators come together to celebrate each other’s work and support each other’s careers has been absolutely inspiring over the last four years. Artistic and economic solidarity is vital in this cultural climate and we couldn’t be happier to see relationships like these bloom at the convention. We cannot wait to see the final product of Jen’s mentorship and hope it lives on beyond Flame Con.”
Eligibility is limited to vendors who have been selected for a half table at Flame Con and have an active portfolio to share. Applications for the mentorship are open from March 1, 2019 through March 20, 2019. Acceptances will go out on March 25, 2019 with the mentorship beginning in April. To apply, please visit: www.jenbartel.com/mentorship.
Tickets for Flame Con are available now via Eventbrite, with full weekend and individual day tickets for sale. For more information on Flame Con, please visit www.flamecon.org and for more information on Geeks OUT, please visit www.geeksout.org.
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About Geeks OUT
Geeks OUT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to rallying, empowering and promoting the queer geek community. Founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing a positive queer presence to local comic conventions, Geeks OUT now hosts events in five major cities, attends conventions across the nation and produces the world’s largest LGBTQ comic convention – Flame Con. Geeks OUT is also the publisher behind Power and the forthcoming Serving Pride: The Queer History Dinner Party Handbook. For more information please visit www.geeksout.org.
Media Contact: Michelle Rose Micor, (312) 618-4792, michelle@geeksout.org
sister selva, co-founder of brASS Burlesque, born and raised in the East Village, leaves a sticky trail of fermentation and glitter on every stage. Catch her every 3rd Thursday of the month at Starr Bar for brASS’s monthly show COMPOST BIN! A RadicalASS Cabaret to Deal with the World!
Pearl Harbor, OHYUNG, and Ancient Toddler join forces again as the Golden Shower performance trio to serve you a vision of galactic betrayals, dark-sided synths, and the fucked up miracle of life.
My name is John Andrade. For 9 years i’ve gone from convention to convention cosplaying as my favorite heroes but that wasnt enough. I alongside the amazing Batwoman NYC use our talent and knowledge to inspire a new generation of cosplayers and heroes. I am The Quiver Cosplay .
Erika Klash is a San Francisco-based drag queen originally from New York City. A self-professed video game, anime, harajuku drag monster, she is known for a mix of drag cosplay looks, cartoonish makeup style, and her unique blend of punk drag and Japanese street fashion. She is best known as a contestant on Season 2 of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Search for the World’s Next Drag Supermonster. where she placed 6th, competing in the most extermination challenges of any contestant in the history of the show. Erika continues to tour the U.S., has performed in Canada and Europe, and is the creator and co-producer of Pastel Gore, a nerdy, punk drag show in San Francisco.
