Just announced – I’ll be a Guest at Hal-con in Halifax, Nova Scotia this November 8-10! This will be my first visit to Canada ever and my first convention outside the USA! I couldn’t be more excited!
I’ve been intrigued by Hal-Con since they first got on my radar. Hal-con describes itself as the largest Sci-Fi/Comics/Gaming/Fantasy convention in Atlantic Canada, and they sound to me like something of a cousin-to-the-North of CONvergence, the convention I helped start here in Minnesota back in 1999. They’re a big, friendly fan-run convention, with programming and year-round community events that sound a lot like what I know from my years of involvement with CONvergence.
I think Nelson and CONvergence’s Connie may need to meet…
Hal-con’s Nelson
Connie, Max Misfittle and Friends
Hal-Con also has a robust YouTube channel, with the slogan “not quite entirely unlike live coverage.” Check out the Superhero Workout.
I’ll have more information about my appearance at Hal-con as the dates get closer. In the mean time you can check out their website for more information about the convention.
By the way, my appearance at Hal-Con as a Guest came about because of a conversation that started because a fan asked the convention about having me there. If you want to see me at a convention near you, letting the convention organizers know is the best way to make it happen. Most conventions have a survey or other channels for input from fans/members/attendees. Let them know if you want to see me there!
You can check out all my planned convention appearances for the coming year on my Appearances Page!
In honor of Curiosity’s successful landing on Mars last night, I thought I’d share this piece of artwork. This was originally done as a Souvenir Program Guide cover for CONvergence, back in 2006 for the convention theme of “Boldly Go.” It features the CONvergence mascot Connie and a few familiar friends. Can you identify them all?
Congratulations to everyone at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on this fantastic accomplishment!
If you were at CONvergence last weekend, you probably saw this promotional art for next year’s convention and it’s British Invasion theme. I wanted to post a key to the references it contains for those that might not have gotten all of them.
Connie as Emma Peel from The Avengers
Professor Max as John Steed from The Avengers
Connie Mark 2 as Nathan from Misfits
That Smiley Planet Guy from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
God from Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Liberator from Blake’s 7
Starbug from Red Dwarf
Harry Potter from… uh… Harry Potter
An alien walker from John Christopher’s Tripods
Thunderbird 1 from Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds
The TARDIS from Doctor Who
Graffiti from V for Vendetta
A Triffid from Day of the Triffids
Not numbered, but visible in the background: The London Eye, Big Ben, and a Double-Decker London bus.
I considered adding a reference to The Prisoner or Sherlock Holmes or James Bond… but I didn’t want to over-clutter it. There’s a whole year ahead to reference the works of H.G. Welles, Sapphire and Steel, 28 Days Later, Quatermass…
I was reminded that I neglected to include the badge art for CONvergence 2011 Guest of Honor Lynne M. Thomas, who along with Tara O’Shea edited the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords from Mad Norwegian Press, a collection of essays offering a female perspective on Doctor Who.
The badge art features CONvergence mascot Connie inserted into the Chicks Dig Time Lords cover art by Katy Shuttleworth.
I’ve done a little Doctor Who-related artwork over the years for CONvergence, the SF convention I helped start back in 1998.
Here’s Connie (the CONvergence robot mascot) dressed as all of the first 10 Doctors (yeah, I know I need to add Matt Smith).
Connie as the 10 Doctors
And here’s Connie’s slightly evil sister Connie Mark 2 dressed as the 6 incarnations of The Master.
Connie Mark 2 as the 6 Masters
CONvergence 2003 had the time travel theme of “Time Flies.” The highest on-duty authority at the convention got a badge that said “Exec on Duty,” and every year I tried to find an authoritarian, theme-appropriate image to put on them. This is what I came up with in 2003.
CVG 2003 Badge - Exec on Duty
And finally, this was the badge that year for the convention Directors, who were then also the the Board of Directors of the non-profit parent organization MISFITS.
Christopher Jones is a comic book artist who has worked on DC's Young Justice, The Batman Strikes!, Marvel's Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Dr. Blink: Superhero Shrink & more!
Conventions | Christopher Jones | 
May 4, 2013 12:00 pm | 
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