Detroit Fanfare is a Working Convention
Full schedule of seminars and workshops part of the programming

Detroit Fanfare is this week…September 24-25!  After the inaugural show last year was a huge success and featured over 100 comic guests including Stan Lee and Jim Starlin, the 2011 version has been super-sized!

Fanfare has brought in some media guests, those with strong tie-ins with comics, to complement the over 250 comic creators at the show.  Bruce Campbell, Peter Weller, Kelly Hu, Adam Baldwin, Steven Yeun, and Brian O’Halloran are featured as is a 30^th Anniversary gathering for the cult hit film, Evil Dead.

Headlining the comic guests are such notables as Kevin Eastman, Tony Moore, Tommy Lee Edwards, Phil Hester, Tim Bradstreet, Ron Marz, and more including many self publishers.

“Detroit Fanfare celebrates the comic convention as it should be because after all,” says Dennis Barger, co-organizer of the event, “this is where comic cons all started way back with Shel Dorf before he went to San Diego.”  Barger says that the emphasis at Fanfare is on the creators of comics and the front entry is publishers and creators first.  “Our Artist Alley is at the front, as soon as you walk in.  It’s the creators that make conventions special.”

In addition to featuring the comic creators first and foremost, scheduling of seminars and workshops focus on a “how to” atmosphere at the convention.  There are workshops on preparing comics for printing, writing secrets, tips on coloring and lettering, understand how to do print on demand, construction of story elements, and much more.  Gary Reed, former publisher of Caliber Comics, and now a co-organizer of the convention, felt that the working aspects of the convention were key.  “Comic creators like to learn from each other and I was surprised how many creators were not only willing, but actually eager, to share their tips and secrets with other creators.  There is a full schedule that anyone wanting to learn more on many aspects of comic creation, would find a lot of great information here.”

Another co-organizer, Tony Miello, echoes Reed’s sentiments.  “Even fans are interested in how things work and many fans are also considering entering the comic creation field.”  Miello said that there were many opportunities for artists to show their skills at the convention.  “We have many of the creators volunteering their time to do portfolio reviews.   We have a room where there will be at least two creators at all times reviewing.”  In addition, Lauren Sankovitch of Marvel Entertainment will also be reviewing portfolios throughout both days and the Center for Creative Studies, a college art school, will also be conducting reviews for both days.

Barger also brings up that in celebration of Shel Dorf, there are the first annual Shel Dorf Awards which will honor creators and titles that the fans have chosen.

The Detroit Fanfare Convention is held at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit on September 24 and 25.  For more information, visit detroitfanfare.com.