AMC's "Comic Book Men" Invade Baltimore Comic-Con to Tape an Episode of Their Series and Launch Their Comic Book, "Cryptozoic Man"

Stash Boys Sign Con-Exclusive Copies of the Comic Book at Autograph Signing in Booth #2414 on Sunday, September 8

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 30, 2013 - AMC's "Comic Book Men" will be filming an episode for the upcoming third season of the series (premieres Sunday, October 13 at midnight ET/PT) at the Baltimore Comic-Con, where the cast will launch their first collaborative comic book "Cryptozoic Man" and sign Con-exclusive copies for fans. Cast members Walt Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Michael Zapcic, and Ming Chen will be at Booth #2414 for the filming and signing throughout the day, and the legendary Executive Producer Kevin Smith will even stop by to help celebrate the launch.

"Comic Book Men" cast. Front Row: Kevin Smith; Back Row: Ming Chen, Bryan Johnson, Walt Flanagan, Michael Zapcic

"Cryptozoic Man" follows Alan Ostman, a middle-aged husband/father, who sees his life quickly unravel when his daughter goes missing on a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest...Bigfoot country. After Gray aliens abduct him from a roadside bar, he learns that the fate of the world is dependent on trapping the world's most legendary cryptids...not to mention defeating a psychopath in a pig-shaped leather bondage mask. Alan knows he has his work cut out for him.

AMC's "Comic Book Men," a half-hour unscripted series, captures the world of comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, and its fanboy staff and customers. The Secret Stash comic book and novelty store in Red Bank, New Jersey serves not only as a place for people to buy, sell, or trade cool stuff; but also to hang out and be part of a community that loves comics. "Comic Book Men" documents the daily banter of The Secret Stash and its employees and devoted customers, as well as the emotion of buying and selling collectibles and comic memorabilia. Season three will step back into the lives of these hilarious Stashers and follow them as they celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Superman, re-visit the devastation of Hurricane Sandy a year later, and even explore the festivities of the launch of their own comic book!

"Comic Book Men" cast members include:

 
* WALT FLANAGAN
Walt Flanagan was appointed Store Manager of The Secret Stash upon its inception in 1997 by his high-school friend and store owner, Kevin Smith. Flanagan has penciled for several comic books including Karney and War of the Undead written by Bryan Johnson, as well as Batman: Cacophony and Batman: The Widening Gyre, both written by Kevin Smith. Flanagan may be most well-known for his small, but memorable appearances in several of Smith's films including Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma, always uttering the immortal line, 'Tell 'em, Steve-Dave!'. Flanagan is currently working on the sequel to The Widening Gyre.

* BRYAN JOHNSON
Bryan Johnson has appeared in a number of his long-time friend Kevin Smith's films including Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. In 2000, Johnson wrote, directed and starred in Vulgar which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was based on the clown cartoon featured in the intro of Smith's first movie, Clerks. Bryan has also penned comic books including Karney and War of the Undead. Currently, Johnson is the host of the podcast, "Tell 'Em Steve-Dave!" along with Walt Flanagan and Brian Quinn. In 2010, the show won two Podcast Awards: People's Choice and Best Comedy. It was also named a Best of 2010 audio podcast by iTunes. Although he is not officially an employee at The Stash, most days, Johnson can be found holding court on a stool behind the front counter.

* MICHAEL ZAPCIC
Michael Zapcic has an encyclopedic knowledge of every issue of every comic known to man. Zapcic began his career at Secret Stash in 2000 and is still in awe that he is able to make a living doing something he is so passionate about. In addition to helping Walt run Secret Stash, Zapcic hosts a weekly podcast called "I Sell Comics" with Ming Chen on Smith's radio network S.I.R.: SModcast Internet Radio. Zapcic, who resides in Long Branch, NJ, met and married his beautiful wife, Julia, after she noticed him reading a copy of Wizard: The Magazine of Comics. Together, they have two boys, Mitch and Daniel.

* MING CHEN
Ming Chen's road to the Stash all began in 1995 when the Kevin Smith follower developed a fan website based on the movie Clerks. Smith, who appreciated Chen's work, reached out and asked him to create a website for his production company, View Askew Productions. Fifteen years later, not only does Chen continue to work on all of Smith's online projects, but has also ventured into several other areas within the Kevin Smith empire, most recently hosting a weekly podcast called "I Sell Comics" with Michael Zapcic on Smith's radio network S.I.R.: SModcast Internet Radio. Chen is not only the technical expert for The Stash, but also the perfect person to ask to do the jobs no one else wants to do. During his free time, Chen does pro bono website work for two non-profit organizations, Street Poets Inc. and The Kenny Gordon Foundation. Chas been married to his wife, Debbie, for 9 years and has two children, Lillian and Harrison.

* Executive Producer KEVIN SMITH
@ThatKevinSmith spent nearly twenty years making filthy movies like Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and, most recently, Red State. When not working in movies, Smith can be found podcasting every waking moment of his life over at his online empire, SModcast.com. If he's not hosting shows like Hollywood Babble-On, Jay & Silent Bob Get Old or Fat Man on Batman, Smith can be found on a stage, answering for his crimes in lotsa different Q&A DVD's: An Evening with Kevin Smith, An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder, A Threevening with Kevin Smith, Too Fat for Forty, Kevin Smith Burn in Hell, and Jay & Silent Bob Get Old: Teabagging in the U.K. He's also the happy host of several shows at his YouTube channel, YouTube.com/SeeSMod, as well as the front man and creator of SPOILERS, a movie "revue" show on Hulu.

Smith has also written no less than three New York Times best selling books: TOUGH SHIT: LIFE ADVICE FROM A FAT, LAZY SLOB WHO DID GOOD, My Boring-Ass Life and Batman: Cacophony - the latter of which was improved dramatically by Comic Book Man Walter Flanagan's artwork. These books sit beside Smith's other published works, which include Silent Bob Speaks, Shootin' the Shit with Kevin Smith, and Batman: The Widening Gyre (also with Flanagan).

Smith has written Green Arrow for DC Comics and Daredevil for Marvel Comics, as well as adapted his un-produced screenplays for The Green Hornet and The Bionic Man into comics series for Dynamite. He's also written several comic books based on his movies, including Clerks, and The Adventures of Bluntman and Chronic, starring Jay and Silent Bob.

  

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.