K.C. Comics – Page 13 – Kansas City Comics

Free State Comicon guest list grows

The 2011 Free State Freecon is scheduled for September 10th in Lawrence, Kansas.

A slate of additional comics guests have been confirmed for the Free State Comicon scheduled for September 10th in Lawrence, Kansas. Show promoter Craig Klotz has recently announced six additional creators who will appear.

Hector Casanova, cover artist of Screamland (Image Comics)
Alex Grecian, novelist and writer of Proof (Image Comics)
Chris Grine, the writer/artist of Chickenhare (Dark Horse)
Brian Koschak, artist of Narcoleptic Sunday and Star Wars: Clone Wars
Jai Nitz, writer of Tron,
Steven Sanders, artist of S.W.O.R.D. (Marvel) and The Five Fists of Science.

The 2011 Free State Comicon is scheduled for September 10th. It will be held in Building #21 of the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 Harper Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Admission is $3.00.

Kansas City: the birthplace of Hollywood animation

Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks met as teenagers in Kansas City, where they learned animation while working for the Kansas City Film Ad Company.

Did you know that Walt Disney learned the craft of animation in Kansas City? Or that his close friend (and Kansas City native) Ub Iwerks later followed Disney to Hollywood, where Iwerks created Mickey Mouse?

The pair met while working as commercial artists and learned the craft of animation while working at the Kansas City Film Ad Company. They also worked with a number of other Kansas City cartoonists who went on to become legends in the animation business.

Find out more in our newly updated the biographies of Disney and Iwerks in the “Creators” section of the site.

Free State Comicon planned for September

Plans continue to come together for the annual Free State Comicon. Promoter Craig Klotz is currently seeking established comics creators. “We’re soliciting comic book creators to come as guests to this year’s Lawrence show, Klotz wrote on the Kansas City Fan Conventions page on Facebook. “If you’re an established comic book creator or cartoonist, please drop us a line.”

Klotz has held the convention annually since 2006. Last year’s guest list included more than 25 creators, including Ande Parks (Union Station, Green Arrow), Jai Nitz (Tron, The Green Hornet), Kevin Mellon (Gearhead, S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Stephen Sanders (Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age, S.W.O.R.D.)

The 2011 Free State Comicon is scheduled for September 10th. It will be held in Building #21 of the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 Harper Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Admission is $3.00.

Here’s a video from last year’s event.