Thirteen Award Winner and Nominees To Attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, June 17-19

Winners Sienkiewicz, Maguire, Aureliani, Klein, Among 200+ Top Creators At Philadelphia Comic Con

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA – Thirteen Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards winners or nominees are among the more than 200 comic creators already scheduled to attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, part of North America’s largest pop-culture tour, June 17-19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The winners include Franco Aureliani (“Billy Batson And The Magic Of Shazam!,” “Tiny Titans”); Todd Klein (“Green Lantern,” “New Talent Showcase”); Kevin Maguire (“Justice League,” “Batman Confidential,”) and Bill Sienkiewicz (“Elektra”).

Eisner nominees scheduled to attend are Farel Dalrymple (“Papercutter,” “Pop Gun War”); Edgar Delgado (“Spider-Man,” “Ultimate Thor); Jimmy Gownley (“Amelia Rules!,” “Reading With Pictures”); Brad Guigar (“Evil Inc,” “Phables”); Humberto Ramos (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Spectacular Spider-Man”); Carlos Pacheco (“X-Men,” “Green Lantern”); J.G. Jones (“Final Crisis,” “Wanted”); Ethan Van Sciver (“Green Lantern,” “Superman/Batman”); and J. David Spurlock (“Art of Roy Krenkel,” “Life & Death of Wally Wood”).

The creators will be on hand to meet fans, sign autographs and sketch. Many Greater Philadelphia-based artists will be in attendance as well.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry. Established in 1987, they are named for renowned cartoonist Will Eisner (creator of “The Spirit” and several award-winning graphic novels).

Bill Sienkiewicz – “30 Days of Night” – Issue 2, pg. 11Other superstar artists scheduled to attend include Doug Braithwaite (“Heroes for Hire,” “Chaos War: X-Men”); Jim Cheung (“Avengers,” “Uncanny X-Men”); Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”); Minck Oosterveer (“Zombie Tales,” “The Unknown”); Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “Hero For Hire”); Phil Jimenez (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “Astonishing X-Men); Mike Grell (“Green Arrow,” “Green Lantern”); Tom Raney (“Avengers Academy,” “Incredible Hulks”); and Shane Davis (“Bruce Wayne – The Road Home,” “Green Lantern”).

Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, now in its 11th year, will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, comics, toys, video gaming, television, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Among the most popular celebrities scheduled to attend are Bruce Campbell, Adam Baldwin, Bill Goldberg, Pam Grier, Vivica A. Fox, Julie Benz and Billy Dee Williams.

Philadelphia Comic Con is the sixth stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour. Hours are Friday, June 17, noon – 8 p.m., Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 19, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworld.com/philadelphia.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($35 on site); three-day weekend tickets are $45 ($55 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

For the most recent event information please visit www.wizardworld.com and become a Philadelphia Comic Con Fan on Facebook.