Brooklyn Defender Launch Party!

Photos by Graig Kreindler. Written by David Henehan.

Last night, New York Comic Con had their Brooklyn Defender Launch Party at Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. For the past three years, Brooklyn Brewery has produced a limited edition beer in honor of New York Comic Con, the Brooklyn Defender.

Brooklyn Defender beers

The recipe of the beer changes each year. Every year so far it’s been a different variation on an IPA, but Brooklyn Brewery founder and brewmaster Garrett Oliver said during his speech last night that it’s not guaranteed to always be an IPA.

Brooklyn Defender Garrett Oliver

Besides the recipe changing every year, so does the design of the Brook Defender’s superhero persona the artist who designs it. The first Brooklyn Defender was designed by Tony Millionaire. Last year’s was designed by current Wonder Woman artist Cliff Chiang. This year’s Brooklyn Defender was designed by Rocketgirl’s Amy Reeder.

Brooklyn Defender party Amy Reeder

Amy Reeder was at the event last night. She gave out free copies of Rocket Girl #1 and signed them as well. Besides the comic, everyone in attendance received a Brooklyn Defender pint glass, sticker and t-shirt, all designed by Reeder. And the NYCC crew raffled off a bunch of NYCC passes.

Brooklyn Defender Amy Reeder cake

Oh, and did I mention that the event was totally free to get into and was open bar all night! That’s right, free Brooklyn Brewery beer all night, and not just the Defender. Anything on tap was yours for the asking, including the delicious and deadly Brooklyn Blast!

The one thing that did surprise me about last night’s event was the lack of cosplayers. There was one very awesome Rocketeer, and that was it. I was shocked.

brooklyn defender rocketeer

If you missed out on Brookyn Defender Launch Party in the past three years, make sure you attend next year! Last night was a lot of fun, especially considering that no one dressed as Batman puked on anyone (It’s happened there before…)

Special Edition: NYC – Sunday Panel Guide

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11:15 – 12:15 – Marvel Unlimited+ Members Only Event – I went to the Marvel Unlimited+ member event at NYCC 2013 and can vouch for the quality of these events. Members received an exclusive variant cover comic, an exclusive print and an acetate production proof cover of Origin II #1. Plus, we saw an extended trailer of the Guardians of the Galaxy  movie months before anyone else.  And Marvel talent will be on hand to answer fans questions (and possibly sign some comics). These events, and the exclusive action figure that Plus members receive when signing up, definitely make the Plus option worth getting when you sign up for Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital comic version of Netflix. If you’re a member, make sure you attend this. I definitely will. (Theater B – 1E21)

 12:15 – 1:15 – Self Publishing – Do you have an idea for a comic that you’d love to make? Yes, you could pitch it to a publisher. Or you could publish it yourself. Hey, it worked for Jeff Smith! He won’t be here, but Greg Pak, Amy Reeder and a few other creators who have had success with self publishing will be getting down to the nuts and bolts of self publishing. Be prepared to take notes. (Theater B – 1E21)

12:15 – 1:15 – DC Comics – Batman 75th Anniversary – Did Bob Wayne already retire? It’s going to be weird going to a DC panel without him moderating. Many Batman current Batman creators, including Gail Simone, James Tynion IV and Francis Manapul will talk about what’s coming  up in the Batman family of books in this special 75th anniversary year. (Theater A – 1E19)

1:45 – 2:45 – Sexy, Strange and Silly – Lost Superheroes of the Golden Age – This has the potential to be the most fun panel at Special Edition: NYC. Ben Saunders, the director of the Comics Studies program at the University of Oregon, will moderate this panel that highlights some of the most unique comic book characters who were spawned in the Golden Age and then faded into obscurity. (Theater B – 1E21)

2:45 – 3:45 – Marvel: 75 Years of Marvel – It’s not just Batman’s 75th birthday. It’s also the 75th anniversary of the publication of Marvel Comics #1, which featured the first appearances of Marvel’s oldest superheroes, Namor the Submariner and the Golden Age Human Torch. Marvel plans to celebrate their 75th anniversary in a big way. Come to this panel to find out the details. Panelists include Chris Claremont, Peter David and Ryan Stegman. (Theater A – 1E19)

3:00 – 4:00 – Creator-Owned Comics (vs. Corporate-Owned Comics) – I bet if this panel was called “Come Listen to Kurt Busiek and Mike Allred Talk About  Astro City and Madman” it would bring in more people. Just sayin’. Seriously though, come to this panel and listen to Kurt Busiek and Mike Allred talk about Astro City and Madman. (Theater B – 1E21)

 

 

 

Special Edition: NYC Saturday Panel Guide

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Special Edition: NYC is right around the corner, taking place at the Javits Center in New York City on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15. Unlike New York Comic Con, Special Edition: NYC is going to be strictly comic book focused. Don’t mistake this for a lesser show though. The Big Two publishers, Marvel and DC, will both be at Special Edition: NYC, and they (and others) are planning some very cool panels. Here’s our picks for the best panels happening on Saturday at Special Edition: NYC.

11:00 – 12:00 – DC Comics: Art Masters – Francis Manapul, Joe Prado and other DC artists will be talking art in this panel. I’m hoping this panel involves some live drawing on a big screen for fans to see. (Theater A – 1E19)

12:15 – 1:15 – Marvel’s All-New Young Guns – Once the DC art panel wraps, stay in your seat and listen to Marvel’s artists talk about their craft and upcoming projects. Mahmud Asrar, Sara Pichelli and Ryan Stegman will be on the panel, among others. (Theater A – 1E19)

1:30 – 2:30 – Mike Allred Spotlight – Okay, at this point, you can just stay in Theater A – 1E19 all day and witness some awesome lectures on comic book art. Any listener of the Tuesday Night Comics Podcast knows that I am a HUGE Mike Allred fan. This is must-attend for me, and should be for you as well. PS – Allred’s new Silver Surfer comic is a must-read. (Theater A – 1E19)

1:45 – 2:45 – Archie: Life, Afterlife and Beyond – Afterlife with Archie is one of the most unique comic books to debut in the past year, and takes Archie and the Riverdale crew into all-new territory. The creative team of Afterlife with Archie, Robert Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla, will both be at this panel. (Theater B – 1E21)

3:00 – 4:00 – Rocket Girl: Past and Futures – Rocket Girl was one of the coolest books to debut at NYCC 2013. Creators Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare will be at this panel to talk all things Rocket Girl. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, I highly recommend you do! (Theater B – 1E21)

4:00 – 5:00 – Reimagining the Female Hero – Some of the best female creators in comics today, including Amy Reeder, Jenny Frison and Marguerite Bennett, will be on this panel discussing evolution of the female hero in comics. (Theater A – 1E19)

4:15 – 5:15 – Comic Book Club – Live! – I’ve attended Comic Book Club – Live! shows in the past and absolutely love them. These guys produce one of the best comic book related podcasts around and are very entertaining. They also tend to give away comics at their shows, so…bonus! (Theater B – 1E21)

5:15 – 6:45 – Creator Connection – Are you a writer looking for an artist? An artist looking for a writer? Check out this networking event and you may find your next creative partner. It will be interesting to see what comics spawn from this event. (Theater A – 1E19)

Tickets are currently available to Special Edition: NYC at specialeditonnyc.com