International Cryptozoology Conference 2024

 

Cryptids have appeared in my work for some time, so this weekend I'll be attending the International Cryptozoology Conference. 

The ICM's International Cryptozoology Conference will feature engaging talks and presentations by leading Cryptozoology experts on a variety of topics as well as access to the our vendor rooms, hosting over two dozen cryptozoology, science, curiosity, and Fortean themed vendors. This one of a kind event is an important program and fundraiser supporting the non-profit scientific and educational mission of the International Cryptozoology Museum (ICM) - it's also a lot of fun! Get your tickets today: https://cryptozoologymuseum.simpletix.com/

Special rates for kids under 13, as always babes in arms and strollers are free.

Friday Night VIP Event Schedule:
3:00-6:00pm - Vendor Room Early Access (not all vendors may yet be present)
4:30-6:30pm - Meet & Greet Tea Time Fundraiser for Herp Haven - touch reptiles, chat with cryptozoology experts and other enthusiasts
6:00-7:00pm - Casual Pizza Dinner with VIP seating - eat and mingle with over a dozen cryptozoology celebrities! Celebrities include most of our speakers and: Nathaniel Brislin author of "Crawlers: A Conclusive Casebook,” Aleksandar Petakov of Small Town Monsters, Michael Familant of In the Shadow of Big Red Eye, Jeff Foran of Strangeology Podcast, Sam Baltrusis author of Ghosts of Salem, Travis J Hill - artist, and more!
7:00-8:00pm - Keynote Address: J.W. Ocker, author of The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters
8:00-10:00pm - Screening of BIG FUR, a feature documentary movie about taxidermist Ken Walker, Bigfoot and the value of wilderness. Meet taxidermist Ken Walker, filmmaker Dan Wayne, and "Patty" the bigfoot.

Saturday Main Conference Schedule:
9:00-6:00pm - Vendor Room Fully Open Come See Live Reptiles
9:45-10:00am - Official Conference Welcome
10:00-10:45am - "Bigfoot in Maine: Back into the Woods" - Michelle Souliere, author of Bigfoot in Maine & Strange Maine
11:00-11:45am - "Cryptozoology Adventures" - Pat Spain, host of Travel Channel's Legend Hunter, Nat Geo's Beast Hunter
12:15-12:45pm - "Mystery Cats" - Jean Tewksbury, Eastern Cougar Researcher
12:00-1:00pm - Lunch at the Food Trucks, vendor room open
1:00-:1:45pm - "Big Cats are Scary: A case study of cryptozoology & folklore" - Christopher Packard, author, biologist, and folklorist
2:00-2:45pm - "My Favorite 25 Cryptozoology Facts" - Wen Eldridge, cryptozoologist and creator at Facebook's "Cryptozoology Facts"
3:00-3:45pm - "Cryptozoology, Cthulhu, and Lovecraft" - David Goudsward, author and cryptozoologist
4:00-4:45pm - "Digging into Skinwalker Ranch's Cryptozoology: Bigfoot, Dogmen, & Dinobeavers"" - Loren Coleman, author, cryptozoology legend, and founder of the ICM
5:00-5:30pm - Official Closing Remarks

Dinner on your own - offsite - see what Portland has to offer.

Optional Add-on - The International Cryptozoology Museum is open during the conference and Sunday 10-6 and is only a short distance away from the conference and come tour the museum! Separate ticket purchase required.

Special rates available in our block of rooms at the Clarion - room availability is limited so book your reservation now, only rooms in the block include free breakfast.
Reservation link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/YH91V6

Midnight, Mass. Trade Paperback Collection Coming In Fall 2024

 

Through it's Black Label imprint, DC Comics will be releasing a 208 page trade paperback collection of the 8-issue series, Midnight, Mass. on October 1, 2024. It will sell for $16.99 retail. You should be able to pre-order it through your local comic book store in the next few months. 

Midnight, Mass. follows the adventures of paranormal investigators Adam and Julia Kadmon from their home in Midnight, Massachusetts. It was written by me with pencils by Jesus Saiz, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, colors by Noelle Giddings and Kevin Somers, letters by Ken Bruzenak and John Costanza, and covers by Tomer Hanuka. It was edited by Heidi MacDonald and Zachary Rau. 

Here's DC's press announcement:

The Best Cryptozoology Books 0f 2023

 

Loren Coleman has released a list of the best Cryptozoology related books of 2023 which included issue #121 of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You. You can see all of the books on the list here. 

The Milestone Compendium - Volume 3 Now Available

The third huge volume collecting all of the Milestone Media comics from the 1990s is now available. Among the varied chronological contents are issues 1-14 of Kobalt,a series I created and wrote, with art by Arvell Jones, Eric Battle, Jamal Igle,and others. You can order the Milestone Compendium Book 3 through Amazon, and a percentage of that sale will come back to me, by clicking here: Milestone Compendium Book 3 .

Milestone Compendium Book 1 which contains Xombi 0-11, also written by me and drawn by Denys Cowan and J..J. Birch is also available here: 

Milestone Compendium Book 1

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #125

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #125 is now available at a comic book store near you. It contains a new story I wrote, as well as a reprint of an older story I also wrote. The complete credits can be found in the previous post. You can read a preview of this issue's main story here.

Available Next Week

On December 5th at a comic book store newar you, the Mystery Inc. gang investigates the Hyena Man in "No Laughing Matter" written by me, with art by Randy Elliot (who also did the cover), colorist, Silvana Brys (who also colored the cover), lttered by Saida Temofonte, and edited by Courtney Jordan. This issue also reprints "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" by myself, Robert Pope on pencils, Scott McRae on inks, Heroic Age coloring, Randy Gentile, lettering, and Jeanine Scheaffer editing. This story was originally published back in May, 2008 in Scooby-Doo #132.

The Grim Gallery Enters Year 13

Do you like monsters? My companion blog, The Grim Gallery is full of them. Over 4300 of them, posted one per day. The Grim Gallery has just entered its 13th year of surving up all sorts of horrors on a daily basis. Go check it out.

Signing at the International Cryptozoology Museum

On May 6th, famed Cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman and I signed 300 copies of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? #121 at the International Cryptozoology Museum in Bangor, Maine. The comic book, which I wrote, features a thinly veiled version of Loren and his museum.

It was a fun day overall. I got to poke around in the museum library. We met some great people who attended the signing, and afterwards Loren took me on an abbreviated Stephen King tour. (The King household is right around the corner from the museum). Loren also showed me the future museum site and generously sent me home with a pile of loot.

If you were unable to attend, copies are still available at the International Cryptozoology Museum at both its Bangor, and Portland, Maine locations. They are free with a $10.00 donation to the museum. Shipping is additional. Thank you to Loren Coleman and Jean Tewksbury for hosting me. Signing photos by Jean Tewksbury Photos outside the King house by Loren Coleman