Mico Suayan Variant Cover of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #1 Debuts at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con

Skybound and Wizard World’s Seventh Limited Edition Cover in the Wizard World series Free to Full-Price Attendees; VIPs To Receive Additional B&W Sketch Cover

Rising star artist Mico Suayan will create the seventh in a series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #1 comic, provided for free to all full-price attendees at the inaugural Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, October 18-20 at the Music City Center. Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics, have teamed to produce the line based upon the Eisner Award-winning groundbreaking comic book series and best-selling graphic novels written and created by Robert Kirkman.

Suayan will be on hand at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con to sign copies of the limited-edition comic, produced in extremely limited quantities and available to fans only while supplies last. The first six covers, illustrated by superstar artists Michael Golden, Arthur Suydam, Julian Totino Tedesco, Neal Adams, Ethan Van Sciver and Mike Zeck, respectively, were huge hits at Wizard World events in Portland (February, Golden), St. Louis (March, Suydam), Philadelphia (June, Tedesco), New York (June, Adams), Chicago (August, Van Sciver) and Columbus (September, Zeck). Another creator will draw the variant cover art for Wizard World Austin Comic Con in November, the final remaining scheduled event in 2013.

After taking the comics industry by storm in 2007 with his work on “Moon Knight,” Suayan elevated his art even further with his breathtakingly detailed pencil work on “Dead of Night” featuring “Werewolf by Night” and “Immortal Weapons”. He has since followed that up with acclaimed work for “Thor” and “Rage of Thor,” and is currently on his next major project for Marvel.

Independent third-party comic book grading service CGC, a leader in the industry, will accept TWD #1 variant and Signature Series submissions at its Wizard World Nashville Comic Con exhibitor booth.

The 2013 Wizard World Nashville Comic Con will also feature Eisner Award Hall of Famer Stan Lee, Norman Reedus and Chandler Riggs of “The Walking Dead,” WWE® Superstar Daniel Bryan® and pop culture icons Billy Dee Williams and Henry Winkler among a standout roster of top celebrities, as well as an array of superstar comics creators including Suayan, Adams, “Mr Garcin,” Guy Gilchrist and many others.

The Walking Dead graphic novels accounted for seven of the 10 bestselling titles of the year and were #1 overall for both 2011 and 2012.

Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Admission is free for kids 10 and under. Event hours are Friday, Oct. 18, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.