DPCC ’19 Showcase (Round Two)
This week I’ll be talking about three more of the comics creators who will be guests this year at the Denver Pop Culture Con! DPCC has already put together some of the panel appearances so I’ll be noting those for each of the creators as well as the info about them and their work. Without further ado, here’s this week’s line-up!
Afua Richardson
Afua Richardson is a New York City native with loads of creative talent. A skilled musician and dancer, Richardson is also a self-taught artist. While working on other music projects, she taught herself to sketch and use Photoshop on the fly. As an illustrator, Richardson is known as one of the few African-Native American women who have been hired by the large comic book companies. In particular, Richardson is most well known for her work on the Marvel series World of Wakanda with Roxane Gay, Yona Harvey and Alitha E. Martinez (who is also appearing at DPCC this year). Richardson was also selected as the main artist for Run, the graphic novelization of John Lewis’ journey during the Civil Rights movement. As a minority in the industry and a very creatively talented individual, it will be interesting to hear about Richardson’s experiences and she’s currently listed on two panels, both on Saturday: Drawing Demo with Afua Richardson, Andy Kubert & Khary Randolph and Marvel Comics Creators Assemble!
What to read:
If you’re a Marvel fan, make sure you check out World of Wakanda! The series focuses on two women recruited to be part of the Dora Milaje, Wakandans who are tasked with protecting the royal family and Wakanda from danger. It’s an exciting and compelling Afrocentric story which takes full advantage of the world of Wakanda which we got to see small bits of in the Black Panther stories and movie. Richardson’s art tends toward realistic and vibrantly colorful. It’s a beautiful story which is well worth picking up!
Greg Capullo
If you’ve been reading comics for very long, particularly if you’re a Batman fan, chances are good you’re already familiar with Greg Capullo. For those who don’t know him, Capullo is an illustrator who’s been active in the industry since the 90’s and has worked for Marvel, Image and DC at various points. For the last seven years, he’s been the main artist for Batman, including the entire New 52 run and Dark Nights: Metal. He’s also recently worked with Mark Millar on the Reborn comic. Capullo is a well-known creator in the industry and it’s very exciting to see him at DPCC again! He’s currently scheduled for two panels: Drawing Demo with Greg Capullo, Ben Bishop, Mark Brooks on Saturday and the DC Comics Creators panel on Sunday. I’m looking forward to hearing more about his work with DC and maybe getting a chance to see his drawing in action!
What to read:
Since Capullo was at the con last year (when it was known as DCC), I’ll just mention that his work with Scott Snyder on the Batman New 52 run was nothing short of amazing. But since I talked about that one last year, I’ll also mention his work on Reborn with Mark Millar. It’s hardly a secret that I’m not Millar’s biggest fan but even his writing didn’t keep me from enjoying Capullo’s work on the edgy, violent sci-fi romp about what happens when you die. Spoiler alert: it’s a little more complicated than your black and white heaven or hell scenario.
Fred van Lente
Fred Van Lente is a writer on the comics industry who is well known for his work on Archer and Armstrong, Action Philosophers! and even Cowboys & Aliens (upon which the sci-fi movie of the same name is based). He is also one of the co-founders of Evil Twin Comics (the other co-founder being Ryan Dunlavey who will also be at the con this year), which combines graphic novels with historical details for stories which are both fun and educational. Recently, Van Lente branched out into prose novels with his murder mysteries Ten Dead Comedians and The Con Artist. As someone who’s worked both independently and with some of the big publishers, Van Lente should provide an interesting perspective on working in both areas and with non-fiction graphic novels. He’s appearing on a number of panels at the con this year: Graphic Novel Zeitgeist and Capes and Blights: Teaching History with Graphic Novels (both on Saturday) as well as Writing and Drawing ‘History’, Bridging the Gap: Writing (and Adapting) in a Visual Genre and Graphic Nonfiction: An Introduction (all on Sunday).
What to read:
Since many of his panels are focused on his work in non-fiction graphic novels, it’s well worth checking out Action Philosophers! Comics are a great way to introduce non-fiction to kids in a way that’s fun and educational, perfect for use in the classroom. Action Philosophers combines humor with the biographies of philosophers like Socrates, Nietzsche, and Derrida for an entertaining introduction to philosophy!
That’s it for this week! Join me next for round 3 and let me know in the comments if you have any comics or author guests you’re excited to see this year!
– Cait