Twelve Eisner Award Winners and Nominees To Attend Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con, October 22-23, 2011

Four Winners Including 10-Time Honoree Jeff Smith, Bill Sienkiewicz, Christopher Sprose, Eric Wight Plus Eight Nominees Among 150+ Top Creators At Mid-Ohio Comic Con

NEW YORK and COLUMBUS, Ohio – A total of 12 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards winners and nominees are among the more than 150 comic creators scheduled to attend Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con, part of North America’s largest pop-culture tour, October 22-23 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.  Winners include 10-time honoree Jeff Smith (“Bone,” “RASL”), Bill Sienkiewicz (“Elektra,” “Assassin”), Christopher Sprouse (“Tom Strong,” “The Return of Bruce Wayne”) and Eric Wight (“The Escapist,” “Action Comics”).

The eight Eisner nominees scheduled to attend are Eliza Frye (“The Lady’s Murder,” “Lucky House”), Steve Hamaker (“Bone,” “RASL”), David Mack (“Kabuki,” “Daredevil”), Ed Piskor (“Wizzywig,” “American Splendor”), Thomas Scioli (“Godland,” “American Barbarian”), Marc Sumerak (“Power Pack,” “Franklin Richards”), Carol Tyler (“You’ll Never Know: Book I & II,” “Late Bloomer”) and Dave Wachter (“The Guns of Shadow Valley,” “Scar Tissue”).

The creators will be on hand to meet fans, sign autographs and sketch.  Many Greater Columbus-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).

Other superstar creators scheduled to attend include Pasqual Ferry (“Thor; Ultimate Fantastic Four,” “Ultimate X-Men vs Fantastic Four”), Gerald Parel (“S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Captain America), Stephanie Hans (“Journey into Mystery,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”), Mike Grell (“Green Arrow,” “Green Lantern”), Rob Liefeld (“Deadpool,” “Youngblood”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “Hero For Hire”),  Phil Jimenez (“Amazing Spider-Man,”  “Astonishing X-Men”), Michael Golden (“Batman,” “Spider-Man”), Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”), Mark Texeira (“Wolverine,” “Spider-Man”) and Ryan Ottley (“Invincible,” “The Walking Dead”).

Mid-Ohio Comic Con is the eighth stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour.  Hours are Saturday, October 22, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, October 23, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworld.com/midohio.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door.  Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($35 on site); weekend all-session tickets are $40 ($50 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.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2011/12 DATES *****
October 22-23 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con
November 11-13 – Austin Comic Con
January 28-29, 2012 – New Orleans Comic Con
March 24-25, 2012 – Toronto Comic Con
May 19-20, 2012 – Big Apple Comic Con
June 1-3, 2012 – Philadelphia Comic Con
August 9-12, 2012 – Chicago Comic Con