Free State Comicon: Behind the Table

Guest Column By CW Cooke

CW Cooke
Writer CW Cooke and his wife Katie enjoy talking to comics fans at the 2011 Free State Comicon.

Saturday, September 10, 2011 was a fantastically enjoyable day. A special thanks goes out to Craig Klotz first and foremost for allowing me to take part in the Free State Comicon show and have fun out in Lawrence on that lovely day. Seriously, the only way it could have gone better is if I had a big announcement following the con.

I spent the entire day behind my table, watching people pass by, meeting fans, shaking hands, talking with other creators, meeting creators, signing autographs, selling books, and laughing. There was a lot of laughing. A lot of mischief was had on my side of the room, which we’ll discuss briefly in just a moment. Continue reading “Free State Comicon: Behind the Table”

Free State Comicon Report – Part Two

Kevin Nowlan
Kevin Nowlan was a featured guest at the 2011 Free State Comicon. (Click to enlarge.)

The 2011 Free State Comicon was held on Saturday, September 10th. This is our second recap and report on the show.

One of the highlights for the other comics creators at the show was the appearance of long-time comics artist Kevin Nowlan. Nowlan, who lives in south central Kansas, has been a fan favorite since his work on Marvel’s Moon Knight in the early 80’s, and his fan base includes many of the artists and writers in the area. Over the years, Nowlan has drawn dozens of comics stories and illustrated hundreds of covers. His most recent sequential work was in the one-shot Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish.

Continue reading “Free State Comicon Report – Part Two”

Fans flock to Free State Comicon

Craig Klotz at Free State Comicon 2011
Craig Klotz is the promoter of Free State Comicon. (Click to enlarge.)

Hundreds of comics fans attended the Free State Comicon in Lawarence, Kansas, on Saturday. Promoter Craig Klotz and his team managed an event that featured more than 30 special guests and more than 20 vendors for a day of fun.

Event highlights included the first area convention appearance of comics artist Terry Beatty since he moved to the Kansas City metro area this summer. Beatty was surprised to be greeted by a real life cosplay version of his comics character Wild Dog.

The guests included veteran comics creators such as Ande Parks (Green Arrow, Capote in Kansas) and Steve Lightle (Legion of Superheroes, Marvel Comics Presents) as well as newer creators,  webcomics cartoonists, and small press publishers..

Check out the photo gallery after the jump.

Continue reading “Fans flock to Free State Comicon”