Baltimore Comic-Con 2009 First Annual Costume Contest, More!

Baltimore Comic-Con 2009 First Annual Costume Contest, More! Baltimore, Maryland - September 30, 2009 - In addition to the all-star line-up of talent scheduled at this year's gala 10th anniversary Baltimore Comic-Con, the show will host it's first-ever costume contest ... with a $1,000 grand prize!   "We wanted to take Sunday up a notch, which is normally the more laid-back day," said Marc Nathan, Baltimore Comic-Con promoter.  "We've been asked for years and years to have a costume contest - so we're kicking it off with a bang!"   The $1,000 grand prize will be awarded to the best over-all costume at the event, including pro and amateur costumes.  Other award categories will win DVD prize packages, comic book packages, and gift certificates to Cards, Comics and Collectibles of Reisterstown, Maryland.  Everyone who enters the contest will win passes to the advance screening of Summit Entertainment's newest film, ASTROBOY, which opens nationwide on Friday, October 23rd.   A panel of celebrity media judges will determine the contest winners, including Baltimore's own Ed Norris, and some world-famous comic book creators!   The contest will start at 3pm on Sunday, October 11th at the Baltimore Convention Center!   Ed Norris Signing Baltimore celebrity and media personality Ed Norris will be signing on Saturday, October 10th from 2pm-4pm!  Stop by the HC Noel booth in Artists Alley, check out his mini-comic, and get autographs while he's at the show!   AWAKENING Halloween Signing Tour Stops in Baltimore Archaia is making the first stop of their AWAKENING Halloween Signing Tour the Baltimore Comic-Con!  Stop by and by a copy or get your copy signed and receive a free print created exclusively for the signing tour.  In addition, attendees who provide Archaia with their e-mail address will receive a special link and login info at 12am on Halloween morning which will grant them exclusive access to the first chapter of AWAKENING volume two, due out next summer.   Art Auction The 2009 Baltimore Comic-Con Art Auction will be held Saturday, October 10th at 6pm in the main convention center lobby, and will feature pieces by artists including Adam Hughes, Frank Cho, Joe Kubert, and many more.  Futher details will be made available in a future press release. Guests The Baltimore Comic-Con guest list for 2009 includes:  Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Neal Adams (Batman), Mike and Laura Allred (Madman), Josh Alves (Arachnid Kid), Dick Ayers (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos), Paul Azaceta (Amazing Spider-Man), Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers), Ryan Bodenheim (Red Mass for Mars), Doug Braithwaite (Wolverine: Origins), Pat Broderick (Vincent Price Presents), Harold Buchholz (Apathy Kat), Buzz (Atomika), Jim Calafiore (Batgirl), Eric Canete (Iron Man:  Enter the Mandarin), Nick Cardy (Aquaman), Jerry Carr (Cryptozoo Crew), Tommy Castillo (Kong:  King of Skull Island), Mike Cavallaro (ACT-I-VATE), Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman), Jo Chen (New Avengers:  The Reunion), Sean Chen (Dark Reign:  Fantastic Four), Jimmy Cheung (New Avengers: Illuminati), Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow & Black Canary), Frank Cho (Ultimates 4), Chris Claremont (X-Men Forever), Steve Conley (Star Trek:  Year Four), Jamie Cosley (Tony Pony),  J.M. DeMatteis (Metal Men), Todd Dezago (Marvel Adventures:  Spider-Man), Michael Dolce (Descendant), Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden), Jim Dougan (ACT-I-VATE), Jan Duursema (Star Wars:  Legacy), Sarah Dyer (Superman Adventures), Chondra Echert (Sunday only, KILL AUDIO), Steve Englehart (Avengers), Rich Faber (Roboy Red), Jay Faerber (Noble Causes), Tom Feister (GI Joe:  Origins), Michel Fiffe (ACT-I-VATE), David Finch (Ultimatum), Bob Fingerman (Recess Pieces), Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men), Franco (Tiny Titans), Simon Fraser (ACT-I-VATE), John Gallagher (Buzzboy), Bryan J.L. Glass (Mice Templar), Michael Golden (Spider-Man 1602), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules), Sanford Greene (Marvel Adventures Spider-Man), Jenni Gregory (Ka-Blam), Allan Gross (Cryptozoo Crew), Tim Hamilton (ACT-I-VATE), Cully Hamner (Detective Comics), Tony Harris (Ex Machina), Dean Haspiel (ACT-I-VATE), Jennifer Hayden (ACT-I-VATE), Mark Hempel (Absolute Sandman), Greg Horn (Cover Stories:  The Art of Greg Horn), Adam Hughes (Power Girl), Jamal Igle (Supergirl), Kathryn Immonen (Runaways), Stuart Immonen (New Avengers), Joe Infurnari (ACT-I-VATE), Rebekah Isaacs, sponsored by Laughing Ogre Comics (DV8), Chris Ivy (Beast Boy), Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Van Jensen (Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer), J.G. Jones (Final Crisis), Joe Jusko (Kolchak:  Tales of the Night Stalker), Karl Kesel (Marvel Apes), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man), Scott Koblish (Final Crisis:  Legion of Three Worlds), Joe Kubert (Wednesday Comics), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Greg LaRocque (Peter Parker:  The Spectacular Spider-Man), Jerry "The King" Lawler(Headlocked), Norman Lee (GeNext), Steve Lieber (Underground), Luna Brothers (The Sword), Andy MacDonald (NYC Mech), David Mack (Kabuki), Tom Mandrake (The Outsiders), Mike Manley (Batman:  Brave and the Bold), Larry Marder (Beanworld), Laura Martin (Thor), Ron Marz (Witchblade), Michael McElroy (Ka-Blam), Sean McKeever (Teen Titans), Mark McKenna (BananaTail), Mike McKone (Amazing Spider-Man), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Pop Mhan (World of Warcraft), Mark Morales (Secret Invasion), Doug Murray (Jungle Girl Season 2), Scott Neely (Scooby-Doo), Jamar Nicholas (Leon, Protector of the Playground), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Phil Noto (Batgirl), Kevin Nowlan (The Spirit), Mike Oeming (Mice Templar), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jeff Parker (Agents of ATLAS), Dan Parsons (Star Wars:  The Clone Wars), Guest of Honor George Perez (Final Crisis:  Legion of Three Worlds), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Brandon Peterson (Ultimate Comics Armor Wars), Khoi Pham (Mighty Avengers), Whilce Portacio (Spawn), Eric Powell (The Goon), Buddy Prince (Night), Brian Pulido (Lady Death), Jack Purcell (Gotham Underground), Mike Raicht (Army of Darkness), Tom Raney (Dark Reign:  Hawkeye), Brian Reber (Captain Britain and MI13), Kat Roberts (ACT-I-VATE), Alex Robinson (Too Cool to be Forgotten), James Robinson (Superman), Budd Root (Cavewoman), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (Iron Man & The Armor Wars), Stephane Roux (Amazing Spider-Man), Andy Runton (Owly), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Tim Sale (Heroes), Coheed & Cambria's Claudio Sanchez (Sunday only, KILL AUDIO), Ian Sattler (Final Crisis:  Aftermath), Scott Christian Sava (Dreamland Chronicles), Alex Saviuk (The Phantom Generations), Mr. Sheldon (Sunday Only, KILL AUDIO), Marc Silvestri (Witchblade), Walt Simonson (Thor), Andy Smith (Dean Koontz's Nevermore), John K. Snyder III (Doctor Mid-Nite), Allison Sohn (Star Wars trading card artist), Taki Soma (Rapture), Richard Starkings (Elephentmen), Brian Stelfreeze (Final Crisis Aftermath:  Ink), Karl Story (Batman:  Streets of Gotham), Bobby and Peter Timony (Zuda Comics), Robert Tinnell (EZ Street), Peter Tomasi (Blackest Night:  Batman), Herb Trimpe (Hulk), Billy Tucci (Sgt. Rock:  The Lost Battalion), Ted Tucker (Captain Happy), Jim Valentino (Shadowline Comics), Rob Venditti (The Surrogates), Dexter Vines (Wolverine), Neil Vokes (The Black Forest), Doug Wagner (The Ride), Matt Wagner (Grendel), Mark Waid (The Incredibles), Todd Webb (Nick Magazine), Len Wein (Justice League of America), Mark Whealey (Lone Justice), Renee Witterstaetter (Tex:  The Art of Mark Texeira -- The Artist's Great Escape), Brian Wood (sponsored by Laughing Ogre Comics, Northlanders), Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing), Kelly Yates (Amber Atoms), and Thom Zahler (Love & Capes).   Regrettably, Amanda Conner, Al Feldstein, Ron Garney, Michael Lark, Jimmy Palmiotti, Eric Powell, James Robinson, Jim Starlin, Paul Storrie, and Mark Texeira have had to cancel.  We look forward to seeing all of the return in 2010.   Tickets Tickets are available at Cards, Comics & Collectibles of Reistertown, MD, Laughing Ogre Comics in Northern Virginia, or pick them up this Sunday, October 4th, at the Capital Associates Comic Show in Tyson's Corner, VA from the Cards, Comics & Collectibles tables.  You can also buy your ticket in advance via http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets.htm to avoid the ticket line the day of the show.   Hotels Our previously-announced deadline for discounted hotel rooms has been extended by the participating hotels!  A good number of rooms have been sold already, but there are some still available through this offer, so please take a look at http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/hotels.htm for details on room availability at hotels around the Baltimore Convention Center.    Harvey Awards Ticket Sales Ticket for the 2009 Harvey Awards and Banquet are now on sale.  Place your order with a credit card by calling 410-526-7410.     We will continue to providing details on guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming leading up to the show.  The latest developments can always be found at our website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and ComicSpace pages. This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 10-11, 2009. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, October 10th. As we continue to get ready for this year's show, we would like to remind you to mark your calendar for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con dates: August 28-29, 2010.