Category Archives: Books/Comics/Graphic Novels

Armadillocon 2016 Schedule

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As mentioned in the previous post, I’ll be at Austin’s Armadillocon the weekend of Friday July 29 – Sunday July 31 (with a break on Saturday to attend a comic con at Pflugerville Public Library). My schedule could not be more awesome! It’s a great variety of subjects and I’m on panels with some of my favorite friends, colleagues, and co-panelists!

Harry Potter
Fri 9:00 PM-10:00 PM Ballroom D
Benjamin, Frank, Jacobs, Maresca, Swendson*, Wilson
New novel, upcoming 20th anniversary of publication of Sorcerer’s Stone, etc.
Comic Books You Should Be Reading
Fri 10:00 PM-11:00 PM Ballroom F
Benjamin, Humphrey, Porter*, Rogers
What comics should we be reading, and why?
Writing for Movies or TV
Sat 10:00 PM-11:00 PM Ballroom D
Benjamin, Cargill, de Orive, Goldsmith, Williams*
Tips and tricks for writing film and television.
Comic Books on TV
Sun 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Ballroom E
Benjamin, Bennett, Ewing*, Klaw, Oliver, Rountree
Panelists talk about comics we are seeing on TV, which ones they like and why, plus any hot rumors as to what is coming up.

 

Here’s the full schedule for this, the 38th annual Armadillocon and a full list of Armadillocon 2016 guests. It’s going to be a blast!

Summer appearances

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Want to meet a supermodel in person? Here’s a few places you’ll be able to find me this summer.

PFLUGERVILLE COMIC CON AT THE PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY

Saturday July 30, 2 PM – 5 PM

Celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Program at the Pflugerville Comic Con beginning at 2 p.m. on July 30. There will be drawing workshops, kid-friendly costume contests, crafts, games, and an awesome group of creators!

I’ll be there along with famed X-Men writer Chris Claremont (via Skype), Tanya Davis and her steampunk animal figures, Joe Eisma, artist for comics like Flash and the NY Times bestselling Morning Glories, animator and Austin Chronicle illustrator Leah Lovise, Emmy award winning TV producer Mari Mancusi, cosplay specialist Jim Conditt, Sean McKeever, Eisner award-wining comics and Star Wars: The Old Republic video game writer, FUNimation! voice actor Alex Moore, New York playwright and actor Vanessa Shealy, web comic and print artist Elisa Wikey, and My Cats Are Jerks artist and writer Cait Zellers.

Need more details? Check out the Statesman here.

ARMADILLOCON

Friday July 29 – Sunday July 31

When I’m not at the Pflugerville Comic Con, I’ll be at Armadillocon (full schedule coming soon). This is an amazing convention with some of the greatest Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror writers and artists in the world of books, comics, and video games in attendance. You’ll get to meet talented writers and artists and learn not only their tips and tricks for incredible writing, but also their insights as fans of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and more. A full list of guests is here. I challenge you to look at that list and not find half a dozen creators you’d love to meet.

See you soon!

Staple! 2015 – Visit the show this weekend!

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I’ll be at Table #1 with the incredible Rick Klaw and the inimitable Mark Finn. Also, today is Will Eisner’s birthday! We’ll be celebrating at Austin Books and Comics with this awesome cake and I’ll be interviewing comics creators about Eisner’s influences on their work.

Another highlight:  I’ll be moderating a panel on diversity in video games! http://staple-austin.org/2015-…/spawning-diversity-in-games/ Let’s get more non-white hetero males making video games for a wider variety of audiences! (It’s a little known fact: bigger audiences = more $$)

 

40 Years of D&D

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Among my many panels at this year’s (always) fantastic ArmadilloCon literary convention was my 40 Years of D&D panel. The room was packed thanks to the high charisma stats of my fellow panelists (listed in standard marching order): Mark Finn, Marshall Maresca, Barbara Ann Wright, and Patrice Sarath.

D&DPanel

Mark Finn, friend, author, and Robert E. Howard scholar (that’s the guy who created Conan, for those not in the know), published his own brilliant blog post on the 40th anniversary of D&D. In it, he mentions the list of recommended reading in Appendix N of the 1st edition Dungeon Master’s Guide. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and get my teenage self to just flip past all those awesome magic item charts and use that list as a guidebook of required reading.

And for those who don’t want to click over to read Finn’s brilliance, I’ve posted the list below. It’s a veritable who’s who of authors whose work I wished I’d discovered as a teen. Of course, I’ve read plenty of these books, like Lord of the Rings, Elric, Hawkmoon, Conan, Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser, etc., but there are plenty I still haven’t read. Looks like my reading list just got that much bigger!

Anderson, Poul: THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN
SWORD
Bellairs, John: THE FACE IN THE FROST
Brackett, Leigh
Brown, Frederic
Burroughs, Edgar Rice: “Pellucidar” series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin: “World’s End” series
de Camp, L. Sprague: LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al
de Camp & Pratt: “Harold Shea” series; THE CARNELIAN CUBE
Derleth, August
Dunsany, Lord
Farmer, P. J.: “The World of the Tiers” series; et al
Fox, Gardner: “Kothar” series; “Kyrik” series; et al
Howard, R. E.: “Conan” series
Lanier, Sterling: HIERO’S JOURNEY
Leiber, Fritz: “Fafhrd & Gray Mouser” series; et al
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A.: CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al
Moorcock, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; “Hawkmoon” series (esp. the
first three books)
Norton, Andre
Offutt, Andrew J.: editor of SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III
Pratt, Fletcher: BLUE STAR; et al
Saberhagen, Fred: CHANGELING EARTH; et al
St. Clair, Margaret: THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; “Ring trilogy”
Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al
Weinbaum, Stanley
Wellman, Manley Wade
Williamson, Jack
Zelazny, Roger: JACK OF SHADOWS; “Amber” series; et al

 

The Mythical Pantheon High vol. 3 is finally available!

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Did you enjoy reading Pantheon High 1 and 2? Have you wondered what happened to Griffin, son of Hades or Grace, daughter of Tyr and all their friends? Your wait is over! All three volumes of Pantheon High are now available on Comixology.com!

Pantheon High vol. 3. Cover by Steven and Megumi Cummings

It was way back in 2011 that Tokyopop announced it was shutting down its U.S. publishing operations. As a result of the publisher’s difficulties, Pantheon High volume 3 never made it into bookstores. It was briefly available for free via browser on the TP website and for a few months via print on demand. Then nothing.

Because Tokyopop ended its publishing endeavors but never actually closed down or went bankrupt, they retained the rights to many of their original-English-language properties, including Pantheon High. As a result, the third volume was basically consigned to limbo (or some other mythical realm, many of which the kids visit in this book). Over the last few years, fans have emailed me hoping to get a chance to read the third book in the trilogy. Now, thanks to the rise of digital publishing, all three books are available on your computer, tablet or phone via Comixology.com.
https://www.comixology.com/Pantheon-High/comics-series/1284

Here’s the copy I wrote back when the book was first released:

Gimme a T-R-O-U-B-L-E! What’s that spell? Trouble, with a capital T. And that’s what Pantheon High’s got going for it as we head into midterm season. Fortunately our students have been hitting the books extra hard to earn their marks in heroism, and when you throw in an extra-curricular excursion to fine tune their fighting skills, there’s no doubt that Griffin, Grace, Aziza and Yukio are going to get an A+ in saving the world!

Honestly, it’s been a while since I wrote this and I’m looking forward to reading the book again. Here’s what I do remember: there are more mythological gods in this book than in either of the first two, so you’ll get to see many of your favorites in action and learn about some you may never have known. There’s also a series of jaunts from realm to realm, so you’ll get glimpses of some of the coolest worlds from a variety of world mythologies. Plus there’s some kissing. And mind control. Enjoy!

Come see me at Staple! – Austin’s Indy Media Expo

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Want to hang out with a supermodel this weekend? I’ll be rocking a table at Staple! It’s the tenth anniversary of Austin’s #1 independent media convention, where awesome people sell their awesome comics and other awesome stuff. When my pal Chris Nicholas started this show, it was just a small, single day event. Now it’s grown to fill the entire weekend, complete with a Saturday Night live art show at Shangri-la that is not to be missed!

The hall will be packed with super talented people like Francesco Francavilla http://www.francescofrancavilla.com/, Chip Zdarsky http://stevetastic.com/chip/, Shannon Wheeler http://www.tmcm.com/tmcm/, and many, many more.

I’ll be at table 47A, so swing on by the show, check out the comics and geek swag, talk to people who make comics and video games and art and all sorts of cool stuff. I hope to see you there!

About

http://staple-austin.blogspot.com/

(Not so) Wonder Twins

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Today one of my friends (not a comic book person) named her favorite super heroes as: The Wonder Twins.

I never could stand the Wonder Twins. When I watched the Super Friends cartoon, I knew, even at the age of 9ish, that they were not “real” because they weren’t in the comics. Since they were created just for the cartoon, they didn’t “count” the way the other characters did. I realize this reveals deep flaws in my perception of reality.

Also, their powers were stupid. Jayna turning into any animal was fine, but Zan…

Here’s a list of some of the forms taken by Zan, who could turn into any form of water:
Form a super-cooled ice door.
Form of giant ice handcuffs.
Form of water. (which would then jump into a bucket so his pet monkey could carry him on the back of his sister in the shape of an eagle)
Form of an ice boat.
Shape of a giant wave.
Shape of a giant water hand.
Shape of an ice spear.
Form of an ice giant.
Shape of an ice plane.
Seriously. An ice plane. With a jet engine. Made out of ice. I was willing to believe a dude from Krypton could lift a car and fly with no apparent means of propulsion, but the idea that Zan could choose such a complex shape seemed ridiculous. I mean, c’mon.

Ridiculous powers, activate!

Also, and this is what annoyed me most, they were just super hero failures. Whenever they went on separate missions, they did a fist bump to activate their powers so that they’d have one transformation charge ready in case of an emergency. That was pretty smart. However, on every other episode (like, 99% of them), the twins got separated, often by just a jot over the length of their pet monkey, Gleek, who could complete their activation circuit. Even as a little kid, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just fist bump every morning so that they’d be ready for the inevitable forced separation.
Those of you who grew up with shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League (and Justice League Unlimited) so totally win.

Austin Comic Con is here!

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Here’s my Wizard World Austin Comic Con schedule (or “Where is Paul when he’s not selling his books at Table B-47?”) Come see me and meet folks like Stan Lee, William Shatner, stars from Buffy, Serenity/Firefly, WWE and more!

austin-comic-con-2013-wizard-world-convention-november-22-23-24-2013-fri-sat-sun-2

SATURDAY
5:00 – 6:00PM HOW TO WRITE COMICS WITH DENNIS O’NEIL, DANNY FINGEROTH AND PAUL BENJAMIN
Accomplished comics writers and editors Dennis O’Neil (Batman; Iron Man), Danny Fingeroth (Spider-Man; Darkhawk) and Paul Benjamin (Pantheon High; Spider-Man) show and tell you how to write comics and graphic novels, going from initial idea to outline to script to finished story. Plus, the panelists will answer your questions about both the creative and business sides of the comics writing profession, including how to find an artist to work with (hint: a comics convention is the number one place!) and how to write exciting dialogue! (MEETING ROOM 12)

SUNDAY:
1:30 – 2:15PM SUPERVILLAINS AND PSYCHOLOGY
Every great superhero faces a rogues gallery full of colorful supervillains. What makes a great supervillain? How evil do they have to be? Do they resemble real criminals in any way? Are they truly insane or just having fun? Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight) assembles of super-team of experts to explore what it means to be a supervillain and what kind of person could become one: Paul Benjamin (Amazing Spider-Man,) David DeGrand (MAD Magazine,) Mark Schmidt (Stratum Comics,) Matt Sturges (Salvation Run,) Jay Nitz (The Batman Strikes!,) and maybe a villain or two. You’ve been warned! (MEETING ROOM 12)

3:30 – 4:15PM WORKING WITH WRITER GROUPS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN SUPER TEAM
Writers Paul Benjamin and Matt Sturges have worked in a variety of writers groups together and separately. Come learn how a group of your peers can improve your storytelling skills, force you to work, teach you to accept criticism and make connections in the biz. (MEETING ROOM 12)