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It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since HeroesCon<\/a> 2019 kicked off.\u00a0 We’ve been going to the show for decades and it’s always a treat.\u00a0 Here are the highlights…<\/p>\n I went to the show hoping…<\/p>\n Friday<\/span> I was also able to get on Pan Quinn’s and Dan Panosian’s lists.\u00a0 Matthew Childers’ had my sketch ready and also shared some cover commissions that he was doing for fans.\u00a0 Little John had ordered a cool one to add to his Search for Superman theme.\u00a0 Matthew also was working on a Batman & Godzilla cover.\u00a0 Inspired pairing, that one!<\/p>\n I met Shane Douberly<\/a> for the first time and commissioned a Rocky head sketch from him.\u00a0 I then spent the bulk of the day visiting with old \/ new friends and walking the convention floor.\u00a0 My sketch commissions were set up, so the pressure was off.<\/p>\n Little John and his wife Patricia, along with my better half, Doralya, and son Chris headed over to the Red Ginger<\/a> for a great hibachi dinner.\u00a0 LJ repeated his feat of draining the saki sprayed from the bottle.\u00a0 Luckily, there were no college kids at our table this year to try to replicate this feat.<\/p>\n After dinner we headed over to the HeroesCon Drink and Draw for charity.\u00a0 LJ and Patricia scored a few very nice pieces.\u00a0 Chris Flick<\/a> created 3 sketch cards for the charity.\u00a0 LJ picked up two and I scored the other (Stallone from Expendables).\u00a0 Yeah, Chris knows what I like.<\/p>\n Saturday<\/span><\/p>\n Because of flight issues (detailed at ME’s blog<\/a>), Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones weren’t able to arrive until Saturday.\u00a0 So ME was my first stop.\u00a0 I was able to meet Mark Evanier and get his autograph in my Kirby hardcover.\u00a0 I also attended a panel that ME moderated.\u00a0 The panel featured my best bud, John Beatty along with Mike Royer and Klaus Janson.\u00a0 The panel was informative and it was nice to see so many people there to hear inkers talk about their craft.<\/p>\n Today was art pick-up day.\u00a0 Richard Cox had a great Rocky (III) painting waiting for me.\u00a0 Dan Panosian’s piece was ready as well (Rocky II).\u00a0 Dan’s sketches are second to none. (By the way, Dan was turning all of the proceeds of his head sketch commissions over to the Heroes Initiative charity.)\u00a0 When I picked up my sketch, I also purchased Dan’s second sketch book.\u00a0 Pat Quinn created a very cool Jack Carter sketch for me.\u00a0 Chris Visions was still working through his sketch list but assured me it would be ready by Sunday.<\/p>\n Hainanu Saulque goes by the name Nooligan<\/a>.\u00a0 I’d never met him before, but after seeing his Rocky: Once and Future Champ print<\/a>, I knew he was an artist I wanted to meet.\u00a0 Nooligan is an amazing artist with a unique style.\u00a0 We spoke about Stallone, films, comics and more for the better part of an hour.\u00a0 I usually don’t buy prints, but I purchased both Nooligan’s Rocky and John Wick prints.\u00a0 Hopefully some day I’ll get a Nooligan original for my Stallone art collection.\u00a0 Meeting Nooligan was a definite HeroesCon highlight this year.<\/p>\n Dinner that evening was at the Redeye Diner<\/a> with my wife, son, Little John & Patricia, Richard Cox and his wife.\u00a0 My only regret about eating at the Redeye Diner is that we only made it there once this trip.\u00a0 Great atmosphere and food.<\/p>\n Our next stop was the HeroesCon Art Auction.\u00a0 LJ showed a lot of restraint purchasing just one piece — a painting by Josh Greathouse<\/a>.\u00a0 I made it most of the way through the auction but called it a night before it was over since we were heading home early Sunday.<\/p>\n I proud to say that I was able to complete all of the things I had hoped to get done.\u00a0 It was great meeting Mark Evanier after following his blog daily for nearly 20 years.\u00a0 I was happy that my son Chris joined me at the show on Saturday.\u00a0 Comics aren’t his thing, but he had fun at the panel (he’s known John Beatty his whole life) and art auction.<\/p>\n\n
\nMy first stop was Richard Cox’s table.\u00a0 My buddy, Little John had told me that Richard’s list filled up on Thursday night.\u00a0 I thought LJ was messing with me and it turns out he was.\u00a0 I was able to get on Richard’s list.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stallonezone.com\/zone\/2019\/z062119heroescon_inkers_panel.png\")
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