BACC HOLIDAY CON NOVEMBER 23 2024 ****************GUESTS*****************

<div></div> <div>Aaron Reynolds is thefive-time Webby Award-winning author of Effin’ Birds, a comic strip<span id="m_-3284012046735976329gmail-highlight-tooltip-target">pairing intricate artwork with mundane daily frustrations read by over a million people every</span>day. His first book, Effin’ Birds: A Field Guide ToIdentification, hit bookstores in 2019 and forseven whole days was the bestselling book by any Canadian author not named MargaretAtwood. Prior to writing Effin’ Birds as his full-time gig, Aaron was the creative director for apodcast network, a software trainer for Apple, and a Santa Claus photographer at the worst mall in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada..</div>

With our show partner <strong>Crash Media Partners</strong> a very special guest <strong>Al Kahn</strong> Al is a giant, he has had an enormous influence over the toy industry, the way we see the world of comics and games, and on most of our lives. As a licensing executive, Kahn brought <strong>Pokemon</strong> out of Japan and then continued with the <strong>Cabbage Patch Kids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, James Bond and Yu-Gi-Oh.</strong> But let's let Al speak for himself: "I ran a company called <em><strong>4Kids Entertainment,</strong> </em>which was responsible for producing and licensing some of biggest kids’ properties in history – <strong>Pokémon, Yu Gi Oh!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, World Wrestling</strong> <strong>Federation, Nintendo, Super Mario Bros, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Monster Jam,</strong> just to name a few. <strong>I</strong> <strong>actually discovered Pokémon in Japan when it was still Pocket Monsters and changed the name to</strong> <strong>Pokémon before bringing it outside of Japan</strong>. Before my days at 4Kids, as the head of Coleco Industries, I found and renamed Cabbage Patch Kids, which set industry records for toy sales in North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand following its launch. I’m in both the <strong>Murray Altschuler</strong> <strong>Licensing Hall of Fame and the Kidscreen Hall of Fame.</strong> I’ve dedicated my life to improving the lives of children and families all over the world&quot;.

<h4 class="subheading guest-known-for">Black Panther, X-Men, Voltron, Fearless</h4> Alitha Evelyn Martinez is the Eisner Award Winning artist of the Black Panther: World of Wakanda series. Her professional career began in 1999 penciling Iron Man for Marvel Entertainment. Since then, she has worked on X-Men: Black Sun; Marvel Age Fantastic Four; Black Panther and Black Panther: World of Wakanda; X-Men Gold Annual; Moon Girl, Mark Morales Spiderman, and Fearless; Voltron; NBC’s Heroes; New 52 Bat Girl; Archie Comic’s New Crusaders and Riverdale; and WWE Superstar, WWE Slam City, and Barbie for Paper Cutz. Larger projects that required more than just penciling and inking include graphic novels like Vampire: My Boyfriend Bites; Kung Fu Masters; Quest for Dragon Mountain for Lerner Publications; also, Political cartooning for the New York Post. She also works on her creator-owned titles Yume and Ever, and Foreign, which is published through her company, Ariotstorm Productions, LLC. Current projects include Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur for Marvel and Humanoid’s new American title, Omni. Alitha says the most rewarding part of her career is participating in the US State Department’s World Speaker Program. Traveling to parts unknown to teach comic book workshops and bring the art of storytelling to people who would have no other way of getting such information. "I was once in the same position, practicing a craft that I didn’t know was a profession. I love representing my country and my industry."

Bill Plympton is the King of Indie Animation, and is the first person to hand draw an entire animated feature film. Bill moved to New York City from Portland, Oregon in 1968 and began his career creating cartoons for publications such as New York Times, National Lampoon, Playboy and Screw. In 1987, he was nominated for an Oscar® for his animated short <a href="https://archive.org/details/your-face"><em><strong>Your Face.</strong></em></a> In 2005, Bill received another Oscar® nomination, this time for his short <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=300548376638424"><em><strong>Guard Dog</strong></em>.</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA_IgVAHaKA">P<em><strong>ush Comes to</strong></em> <em><strong>Shove</strong></em></a> won the prestigious Cannes 1991 Prix du Jury; and in 2001, another short film, Eat, won the Grand Prize for Short Films in Cannes Critics' Week. Of course there is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqiJTgORBLc"><strong><em>Twenty-five Ways To Quit Smoking</em></strong></a> His latest feature <strong><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYOpnjhQlJg">Slide</a></em></strong> Won the best feature film prize at the 2023 Los AngelesAnimation Festival and the Remi Award at the 2024 World Fest Houston. After producing many shorts that appeared on MTV and Spike and Mike's, he turned his talent to feature films. Since 1991, he's made eleven feature films. Eight of them, The Tune, Mondo Plympton, I Married A Strange Person, Mutant Aliens, Hair High, Idiots and Angels, Cheatin', and Revengeance are all animated features. Bill Plympton has also collaborated with Madonna, Kanye West and Weird Al Yankovic in a number of music videos and book projects. In 2006, he received the Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award from The Annie Awards. He also animated <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL022D27CB9866EEBA">6 opening "<em><strong>couch gags" for FOX-TV's "The Simpsons"</strong></em></a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/opinion/trumps-bites-worst-nightmare.html"><em><strong>6 "Trump Bites" shorts</strong></em></a> using real audio from Donald Trump, which won a 2019 Webby Award.

<div> Brian Kong  started his career at Marvel Comics in 1994, working on iconic characters such as the X-Men, Captain America  & Fantastic Four.  In 1997, he worked in advertising doing storyboards & preliminary/pitch art for the Universal Studios/Marvel theme park opening. <div>From 2000-2004 ,Brian produced over 25 custom comics for MLB & NBA franchises ( including the Yankees & Mets  ) for promotional giveaways at arenas & stadiums across the US.</div> <div>He continues to work on some of the hottest  properties including the Walking Dead, Marvel ,DC, Star Wars, Stranger Things & MLB  for the top card companies today. He has been regularly commissioned by The Topps Company since 2007  to illustrate art for their  MLB , NFL & NBA  card brands & their entertainment division.</div> <div>Brian has  been featured in the Beckett Sports card monthly annual " the Art Issue, "  as well as Non-sport update magazine.</div> <div>He is currently working with Fanatics, and Blackbox comics</div> <div>He will be displaying his sports, comics & pop culture art as well as accepting commissions, sketch covers can be ready for pick up  & submitted at the show to grading companies. Contact : <a href="mailto:bckongart@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bckongart@gmail.com</a></div> </div> <div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"> <div dir="ltr"> <div> <a href="http://www.briankong.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.briankong.com&source=gmail&ust=1670364315111000&usg=AOvVaw2a-iXCGmLIlTF1LoDGojat">www.briankong.com</a> <span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;"> </span> </div> </div> </div>

<div>Charles Forsman is a 2008 graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies and a three-time Ignatz Award winner. His comic books include Revenger, Celebrated Summer, Slasher, and Automa. His comics, I am Not Okay With This and The End of the Fucking World, have been adapted into Netflix Original Series.  He lives in Western Massachusetts.</div>

Jamal Igle is the recipient of the 2011 Inkpot Award for outstanding achievement in Comic Art. He is writer/artist/Creator of <strong>MOLLY DANGER </strong>for Action Lab Entertainment, the co-creator of <strong>VENTURE</strong> with <strong>Dynamo 5 </strong>creator/writer Jay Faerber, and the penciller/ co-creator of <strong>THE WRONG EARTH</strong> with writer and Editor in Chief, Tom Peyer for Ahoy Comics. Jamal is a comic industry veteran whose detailed pencils have graced books as varied as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the all-ages action miniseries "Race Against Time" as well as mainstream hits such as G.I.Joe, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern. Jamal has served as the series artist for popular runs on Firestorm the Nuclear Man, Nightwing, and Tangent: Superman's Reign, Superman, Supergirl and Zatanna for DC Comics, Noble Causes for Image Comics, and a four-issue run on New Warriors for Marvel Comics. Jamal recently completed the sequels to the hit series BLACK called <strong>WHITE </strong>from Black Superpowers/ Black Mask Studios, and <strong>THE WRONG EARTH: NIGHT AND DAY</strong>, <strong>THE</strong> <strong>MYSTERIOUS MICRO-FACE </strong>for NPR Planet Money and <strong>MILESTONES IN HISTORY </strong>for DC Comics. Currently, Jamal is working with legendary Batman writer <strong>SCOTT SNYDER </strong>on his new creator-owned series, <strong>DUDLEY DATSON AND THE FOREVER MACHINE </strong>for Comixology.  

  Kristen Gudsnuk is a comics writer and illustrator. She got her start with the webcomic Henchgirl, which was later published by Scout Comics in single issue and Dark Horse Comics as a collection. Her other works include the middle grade graphic novel series Making Friends from Graphix, the Minecraft: Wither Without You trilogy, co-illustrating Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch by Emily Hampshire, and illustrating Modern Fantasy by Rafer Roberts.

<div dir="ltr"> <div>Mahdi Khene is a New York City-based cartoonist and publisher. in 2021, he co-founded an indie publishing company called Zuperhero Comics. Along with having been a score composer for short films, he dove into the world of underground comics and released acclaimed titles such as "Steel Streets" and "Bootleg Spider-Man". You can find his work, art, and future projects on the Zuperhero Comics website.</div> </div>

<div>Michel Fiffe is the creator / writer /artist of the action series COPRA. He’s worked with Marvel and DC on top of fully producing Panorama (Dark Horse), Bloodstrike: Brutalists (Image Comics), and Zegas (Fantagraphics).</div> <div></div>

Ming Chen is a podcaster, graphic designer, entrepreneur and reality TV cast member most known for the AMC TV show Comic Book Men. While in college at the University of Michigan he met filmmaker Kevin Smith when he developed a fan website based on the movie <a href="http://movies.amctv.com/movie/134586/Clerks/overview">Clerks</a>. Smith, who appreciated Chen’s work, reached out and asked him to create the Web site for his production company, View Askew Productions. Twenty Six years later, not only does Chen continue to work on many of Smith’s online projects, but he has also ventured into several other areas within the Kevin Smith empire, most recently hosting a weekly podcast called I Sell Comics! on Smith’s podcast network, SModCo. During his free time, Chen serves on the board for the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County and the Garden State Film Festival. He also co-owns a podcast studio called “A Shared Universe” and is a partner in a coffee, gaming and comics café called “Coral Sword” in Houston, Texas with former major league ballplayer Hunter Pence. Chen has been married to his wife Debbie for 19 years and has two children, Lillian and Harrison, a dog named Joy and a cat named Scallion.

Nik Virella is a native New Yorker and School of Visual Arts alumnus. Her previous work includes The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones graphic novel, IDW’s G.I. Joe, and Marvel titles such as Return of the Living Deadpool, 1872, Hyperion, All-New Wolverine, Star Wars &amp; Black Widow. In addition, she’s had her work featured in Marvel’s QuickDraw, VOGUE Italia, and Entertainment Weekly.

<div dir="auto"> <hr /> Peter Kuper is a regular contributor to The New Yorker<em>,</em> The Nation, Charlie Hebdo and MAD magazine where he has written and illustrated <em>SPY vs. SPY</em> since 1997. He has produced over two dozen books including <em>The System</em>, <em>Diario de Oaxaca, Ruins </em> and adaptations of Franz Kafka's works into comics including <em>The Metamorphosis</em><em>. </em> Peter has won the Eisner and Reuben Awards for best graphic novels and the 2024 Kennedy award for cartooning. <em>INSECTOPOLIS</em>, his graphic novel history of insects and the people who have studied them, will be published in 2025. He has lectured around the world and teaches comics at Harvard University. </div>

Tony Waldman is a voice actor who has brought life to characters like <strong>Mr. Monopoly</strong>, <strong>Genshin Impact's Marcel and Gulab,</strong> <strong>Transformer Boulder,</strong> the Hungry Hungry Hippo Bottomless Potamus, Sam in Guess Who, Mobile Legend's Gord, Claude, and Shah Torre, and many more. Additionally his voice can be heard on national commercials and radio campaigns like the return of Coca Cola's drink Surge to the Burger King freestyle machines. A native of Long Island, New York, Tony lived and worked in Japan for several years where he discovered the manga and anime One Piece. Upon his return to New York, he created what has become the largest public One Piece and anime Facebook group (One Piece - Two Million Fans) which now totals over 2.2 million members. He has continued to be an influencer in the One Piece arena as an event producer, promoter, and content creator with videos, especially anime acapella, totaling over 20 million views collectively with shares by social media titans like 9GAG and Crunchyroll's official One Piece page. Tony currently resides in Queens, NY. TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@wackogramswaldman" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tiktok.com/@wackogramswaldman&source=gmail&ust=1699223687897000&usg=AOvVaw0EA1He_JhMHrwB8hTPbV_Y">https://www.tiktok.<wbr />com/@wackogramswaldman</a> Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@OnePieceOneMillionFans" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/@OnePieceOneMillionFans&source=gmail&ust=1699223687897000&usg=AOvVaw2X3b1-TymKzbELDYhQYFUr">https://www.youtube.<wbr />com/@OnePieceOneMillionFans</a>