CONvergence 2013 is not yet imminent…

CONvergence 2012 is over, and my thanks go out to everyone who helped make it such a fabulous success yet again. The metrics are that total memberships rose to the staggering number of 5,980, with a little over 5,600 members actually managing to attend and occupy the building (AKA the “warm body count”).

The true measure of the convention’s success any year isn’t in those numbers or even in the money that is generated for our non-profit parent organization Convergence Events, but rather in the anecdotal stories of the experiences had by our members. Here’s one official photo gallery, but there are plenty more out there if you search for CVG2012 or #CVG2012. That #CVG2012 hashtag will also lead you to an epic number of CONvergence-related tweets on Twitter. If you’re wanting to get over the post-con blues by immersing yourself in all things CONvergence, the following links should help:

Official Page – http://www.CONvergence-con.org
CONvergence YouTube Channels – http://convergence-con.org/media/videos
Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204992216
Connie’s Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/CONvergenceCon
CONvergence on Twitter – https://twitter.com/convergencecon
And finally, the epic video teaser for CONvergence 2013

So for my last batch of images for CONvergence 2012, here’s a little more artwork I did for the convention this year.

Souvenir Program Guide cover

Here was the cover art for the Souvenir Program Guide. The Kill Bill image seemed like a nice alternative to the omnipresent Wonder Woman imagery for our 2012 “Wonder Women” theme, and I knew there was going to be a Kill Bill-themed sketch at the Opening Ceremony. I didn’t realize there was ALSO a Kill Bill sketch being organized by a different group for the Closing Ceremony. Maybe that’s Overkill Bill.

Mark 2 as Elle Driver

As a companion piece to that cover featuring CONvergence mascot Connie, I drew Connie’s evil sister Connie Mark 2 as Elle Driver from the same film. I don’t know if anyone else was as amused as I was by the eye patch over the Cylon eye, but it cracks ME up…

CVG 2012 Grid Cover

This was the cover art for the pocket-sized programming book, which presents our programming schedule in condensed grid form. It’s cleverly referred to as “The Grid,” and it’s a running gag that I try to do cover art for this each year that both reflects the theme and has some sort of “grid” reference as well. This year we went for the Ms. Pac-Man treatment. That’s a Connie-fied Ms. Pac-Man chasing around the maze with Mark 2-style Ghosts.

CVG 2013 Ad

And finally, here’s the ad for CONvergence 2013, which will have the theme of British Invasion. I managed to pack quite a few references in here, but I still didn’t manage to include The Prisoner, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and so many others! Well I’ve got a year to come up with something to work them into!

Now, back to work on Young Justice!

CONvergence Badge Art: #CVG2012 Guests of Honor

Happy CONvergence everybody!

Here’s THIS YEAR’S Guest of Honor batches, which were handed out to the #CVG2012 Guests of Honor at the hotel last night. I say last night, but I’m pre-scheduling this post on Wednesday, so they don’t have them yet and I’m still hoping they’ll like them! This is the grand finale to several days worth of posts sharing the art I’ve done for badges for the past several years of CONvergence.

#CVG2012 – Bonnie Burton

#CVG2012 – Jennifer Clarke Wilkes

#CVG2012 – Judith Walcutt

Jennifer Clarke Wilkes is an editor, notably of the book The Last Supper. So you can see what I did with a parody of that book’s cover. I hope she finds this joke funny.

Among her other credits, Judith Walcutt was Executive Producer of the The War of the Worlds 50th Anniversary Production.

#CVG2012 – Lyda Morehouse

#CVG2012 – Ruth Thompson

#CVG2012 – Sharyn November

Ruth Thompson’s badge is a Connie-fication of Ruth’s print Eye of the Storm.

Sharyn November is the author of the Firebirds series, including the award winning Firebirds Rising.

#CVG2012 – Sophie Aldred

#CVG2012 – Tamora Pierce

And finally Tamora Pierce’s badge is a reference to her Songs of the Lioness series.

So these guests are walking around the Double Tree hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota wearing these badges. Hopefully they like them.

Once again, watch for all the CONvergence-related tweets at #CVG2012. I hope to see many of you there! Look me up at one of my signings or panels!

I promise to return with some Young Justice blog posts soon!

CONvergence Badge Art: #CVG2011 Guests of Honor

It’s TOMORROW! CONvergence is as IMMINENT as it gets!

Here’s the last batch of art I’ve done for badges for the Guests of Honor of CONvergence 2011.

#CVG2011 – Edward Douglas

#CVG2011 – Brain Van Camp

#CVG2011 – Jason Carter

Actor Brian Van Camp was in the film and sported a zombie look not entirely dissimilar from this badge art.

The film also features actor Jason Carter, best known to many sci-fi fans from his role as Ranger Marcus Cole on Babylon 5.

#CVG2011 – Lynne Thomas

#CVG2011 – Seanan McGuire

#CVG2011 – Catherynne Valente

Author Seanan McGuire is a Munsters fan and made the mistake of mentioning publicly that she identified with Marilyn Munster. Clearly she paid for her mistake.

I was at a bit of a loss for what to do for author and poet Catherynne Valente, and ended up referencing the fairytale element of her work very literally.

#CVG2011 – Brian Keene

#CVG2011 – Anthony Tollin

#CVG2011 – Greg Weisman

The first badge I had an idea for this year was Anthony Tollin’s. Anthony is a historian of The Shadow and other pulp heroes, and is publishing deluxe reprints of The Shadow and Doc Savage pulp novels. I first knew of Tony for his work as a colorist, specifically his work as colorist of Keith Giffen’s Ambush Bug series for DC Comics. Mash up! There you go.

And finally we had another returning Guest of Honor with Greg Weisman, who I was working with on the comic book version of Young Justice, based on the animated TV series for which is is head-writer and producer. Red Tornado is featured in Young Justice, a character Greg has a history with, so Connie got the Red Tornado treatment.

That’s it! We’re all caught up! I’ll be scheduling a post for tomorrow with the 2012 Guest of Honor badges, but otherwise I’m off to CONvergence! Watch for all the CONvergence-related tweets at #CVG2012. I hope to see many of you there! Look me up at one of my signings or panels!

CONvergence Badge Art: #CVG2011

CONvergence is IMMINENT! Like, it’s TOMORROW!

This is the final day of the countdown to CONvergence 2012 on July 5-8 this year, and sharing some highlights from past year’s badge art that I’ve done for the convention.

The CONvergence 2011 theme was Tomrrow Through the Past, not just a celebration of steampunk, but of all things retro-futuristic and of yesterday’s visions of tomorrow!

#CVG2011 – 5 & Under

#CVG2011 – 6-12 Badge

#CVG2011 – 13-17 Badge

Did you have a better time at CONvergence 2011 than some other years? Did it feel like a better experience? A better convention as a whole? It probably did, and it was because of how cohesive my badge design work was that year. Search your feelings. You know it to be true. Oh, that’s AstroBoy, Iron Giant, and the Rocketeer from left to right.

#CVG2011 – Adult Badge

And that’s a steampunk cutaway Connie schematic on the Adult badge.

#CVG2011 – Service Animal Badge

#CVG2011 – Party Badge

That’s K-9 on the Service Animal Badge and the Party Badge which was new that year. We asked Party Hosts to badge parties in 2011, and as a trade off Party Hosts were allowed a certain number of Party Staff who could come in to help using these badges.

#CVG2011 – ConCom Badge

I used the Connie-in-the-Metropolis-Chair image which had proved to be quite popular that year on the Convention Committee Badge.

#CVG2011 – Temp Thurs

#CVG2011 – Temp Friday

#CVG2011 – Temp Sat

If you couldn’t fathom based on Thursday through Saturday what the Sunday Temp Badge might have looked like…

#CVG2011 – Temp Sunday

If you’re coming to #CVG2012 be sure to look me up! I’ll be doing two signings and on a bunch of panels.

Special Offers at CONvergence Signings!

CONvergence is imminent! I have two signings this year! My first signing is Friday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm and my second signing is Saturday from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

Just like at other conventions, I’ll be offering a little something special for my fans at CONvergence! During either of my signings, show me that you “like” Christopher Jones Comic Art on Facebook, and you’ll get a FREE ChristopherJonesArt.com Batman button or Young Justice 3×5″ mini-print:

Free Swag!

In addition to signing whatever you bring me, I will have comics for sale (including the two most recent issues of Young Justice, which feature the CONvergence hotel and a giant snake attacking Minneapolis!) I will also be selling all of my prints for $20 each, which is a markdown from my Etsy store, and there’s no shipping charge! Lastly I will have a special Connie print for sale, exclusive to CONvergence! Only $5 while supplies last!

“Ten Connies” Print

Here’s my schedule for the rest of the convention; don’t be afraid to say “Hi” if you see me around over the weekend. See you at CONvergence!