MSP Comicon (Formerly SpringCon) This Weekend!

This weekend is Midwest Comic Book Association’s MSP Comicon, formerly known as SpringCon. It is a convention that means a lot to me. Not only if is my home turf and a vibrant and inclusive community of comic creators and fans, but it was the first convention I ever exhibited at, and the con I was first treated like a professional so many years ago.

So when they asked whether they could use my “Trinity” art for their promotion materials this year, I was more than happy to give my blessing!

I’ll have my full selection of prints available, of course, and be doing sketch commissions as usual. I may have some comic books available too, as well as Young Justice trade paperbacks.

I do have a few new pieces of art since last year, including one very special print I created to memorialize someone who seemed larger than life. (I shared some of my thoughts on Nick in another blog post.)

I have 100 copies of this 8.5×11″ full color print and will be selling them for $5.00 for as long as they last. 100% of the sales of “Kingpin of Comics” will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota.

I’ll also have no shortage of fun new Superhero art for Minnesota fans to take home.

Lastly, I have a new free mini-print for my Minnesota Facebook and Twitter followers!

Okay, I think that’s it. I’m heading to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds to set up my table. Looking forward to seeing all of you this weekend! Viva la MCBA!

Nick Post, the Kingpin of Comics

Last summer marked the passing of someone very important to the local comics community here in Minnesota. Dominic Postiglione (Nick Post) left us all too soon, and I still find myself mourning him frequently.

You see, Nick was a larger-than-life personality, driven by a deep passion for comics. He was a steadfast supporter of local talent, always happy to use his resources as an organizer of the Midwest Comic Book Association (MCBA) conventions or as one of the owners of Source Comics and Games to help struggling creators out.

Nick had been an enduring presence in my life since the early days of my comics career. It was one of Nick’s MCBA conventions where I first set up at a table at a con. Nick gave me the chance and treated me as an established professional even though I hadn’t yet earned any clout. That made a lasting impression on me and generated a great deal of my loyalty to Nick and MCBA.

I’d never had the opportunity to get to be really close friends with Nick. I was always seeing him fleetingly at comic book conventions—either one of the MCBA shows he organized or at one of the other conventions where Source Comics and Games was exhibiting. Grabbing dinner with Nick outside of a convention was a rare treat, and the time he joined some friends and me for an hour in the hotel bar one convention weekend is still a source of oft-told tales.

When Nick passed last year, it was a shock that hit me surprisingly hard. Nick had been a constant presence in my career. I looked forward to sharing milestones of progress with him or picking his brain about things I was trying to work out. He seemed like the kind of giant who would go on forever. I know I wasn’t alone in the way I felt about Nick, so I’m sure his legacy will go on forever.

But I still miss you, Nick.

I had been tossing around the idea of drawing Nick as Kingpin for a while before he left us. It just seemed so . . . right. And amusing. And perfect. This week, I finally did it. I will have prints of this available exclusively at MCBA’s MSP Comicon this weekend.

Prints are 8.5×11″, full color, and just $5 until they run out. (URL watermark not on actual print.)

100% of the sales of this print will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota, Nick’s charity of choice and one of the charities MCBA cons support.

Dominic Postiglione, Nick Post, the Kingpin of Comics.

Christopher Jones at C2E2 2015

I’m headed to Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekend! C2E2 is a con I’ve made a point to get to every year, partially just because it’s driveable for me—an 8-hour road trip but still driveable—which means I can actually bring short boxes of comics. So if anybody is looking for apparently-hard-to-find issues of The Batman Strikes!, you’re in luck! I also like C2E2 because it’s run by ReedPOP, who have always been good to me, and on top of that, seem to try to prioritize positive fan experiences and safety. (Seriously – just have a look at their anti-harassment policy.) I like that in a con.

I’ll be at Artist Alley table U10 for all three days of the convention. Here’s a handy map to help you find me!

2015 Con Exclusive Free Mini-Print

Those who have been following me for a while know that C2E2 is also where I unveil my new free mini-print for the year! These are convention exclusive 4″x6″ signed prints that can only be obtained by visiting me at a convention and showing me that you follow me on Facebook or Twitter. It’s a way that I can say thank you to my fans for sticking around. And they’re sort of starting to become collectible, apparently.

For this year, all three mini-prints are still free (choose one per visit) but next year I may start charging for previous years’ so get yours while you can! Anyway, without further adieu, here’s my 2015 free convention exclusive mini-print!

New Prints Since Last Year 

I’ve got a few new 11″x17″ full color and 9.5″x11″ black-and-white prints for purchase since last year’s C2E2, too. I think you guys are going to like these. As usual, I’ll be offering all of my prints at a significant discount from my Etsy store prices.

 

C2E2 2015 At-the-Con Sketch Rates 

I will be doing sketches during the convention. Stop by my table, U10, on Friday or Saturday to get on my list! Here are my at-the-con sketch rates.

Full Figure: $80 for the first character + $60 for each additional character

Head Sketch (shoulders & up): $60

Don’t Forget to EAT SOMETHING

Yes, there’s a lot going on at a big convention like C2E2, and yes, the food court can be kind of expensive if you’re attending the con on a budget. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. But it’s important to eat, so if you for whatever reason need a snack during the convention, stop by my table (U10) and ask for a granola or breakfast bar. I’ve once again bought a couple big boxes from Costco to share with fans who need it. Free. I do this at all the big conventions because taking care of yourself is important, guys.

One Last Thing…

So, I don’t know the specifics, but Hal tells me that you guys probably will not want to miss Gene Ha’s spotlight panel on Friday at 12:30pm. I understand he’s announcing some big new project that will probably appeal to fans of all-ages works like Young Justice. Plus, “Special edition preview comic for Panel Attendees only!”

Okay, time to collect Hal and Jenna and hit the road in my fancy new-to-me-and-actually-made-in-this-century Dodge Caravan. This is my friend Jenna’s first forray to C2E2. I’m looking forward to her reaction to the thing. Please stop by at the con and say hi! Looking forward to seeing all you wonderful Chicago people again!

C2E2 2015 Sketch Comissions

 

C2E2 2015 Advance Sketch Rates 

I will be taking a limited number of advance sketch commissions at a reduced rate.

Full Figure: $60 for the first character + $40 for each additional character

Head Sketch (shoulders & up): $40

If you would like to commission a sketch in advance for my reduced rate, please email your request to chris@christopherjonesart.com no later than Midnight on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. The earlier, the better to get on the list.

C2E2 2015 At-the-Con Sketch Rates 

I will be doing sketches during the convention. Stop by my table, U10, on Friday or Saturday to get on my list! Here are my at-the-con sketch rates.

Full Figure: $80 for the first character + $60 for each additional character

Head Sketch (shoulders & up): $60

Student Sketch Rate Sweepstakes

I know many of you are students who can’t afford my regular sketch rates but really, REALLY want one of my sketches. I hear you, so I am going to hold a sweepstakes for 5 students to purchase a custom convention sketch at a special student rate.

Full Figure: $40 for the first character + $40 for each additional character

Head Sketch (shoulders & up): $20

Entries will be accepted until Midnight on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. Winners will be notified by email on Thursday morning. If you win, you must be present at C2E2 2015 and you must show me your student ID in order to get your sketch at the special student rate. Use the form below to enter the sweepstakes.

Student Sketches now closed for C2E2 2015.

 

The Digital Print I Created for Greg Weisman’s Rain of the Ghosts

I created this digital print as one of the rewards for the Rain of the Ghosts full-cast AudioPlay Kickstarter.

Rain of the Ghosts is the first in a Young Adult novel series by Greg Weisman, creator of Disney’s Gargoyles, and a writer and producer for numerous fan-favorite animated series including Spectacular Spider-man, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice, and Star Wars Rebels. Greg describes the novel this way:

These are the adventures of Rain Cacique, a young girl descended from the indigenous Taíno people of the Caribbean.  Rain lives on the Ghost Keys, a chain of islands on the edge of the Bermuda Triangle, where her parents own and run a Bed & Breakfast that is both Rain’s home and place of employment.  Over the course of the first book, Rain goes from making beds for tourists to learning she has the ability to communicate with ghosts.  Rain has a mystery to solve, a mission to accomplish and a destiny to fulfill.  I can honestly guarantee that if you enjoy the sensibility, characters, plotting and surprises I’ve brought to such series as Gargoyles and Young Justice, you’ll love Rain of the Ghosts.

Now Greg wants to bring the story to life as a full-cast audio drama. Not just an audio book with the text of the novel being read by a single performer, but a full cast of 20 actors with sound effects and music! Greg has already paid to record the vocals out of his own pocket, but funds are needed to complete the post-production work and bring the story of Rain Cacique and her friends fully to life.

I created the image you see above as one of many rewards being offered to supporters of the Kickstarter campaign. The digital download print you can earn as a reward is at much higher resolution than this preview version and doesn’t have the big “Rain of the Ghosts” text in the middle of the image! 

Here’s more on the Kickstarter: