Fan Expo guest list: Arts and crafts

Comic creators, concept designers, and cover artists galore!

By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor

Though not as flashy or eye-catching as the celebrities of film and television, it seems that this year Fan Expo has refocused to bring convention-goers closer to the brilliant minds behind it all—the artists and creators! Unfortunately, it would be impossible to go into an in-depth examination of all the amazing artists and creators who will be present, so I’ll only be focusing on the heavy hitters.

Headlining we have notable name Jeff Parker! Parker does double duty as both a writer and an artist. He has over 100 titles under his belt, including the critically acclaimed The Interman and—my personal favourite—X-Men: First Class Finals. As a writer, Parker is known for putting a new spin on familiar characters as well as for his intense amounts of crossover and retro-inspired imaginings, such as the series Batman ’66.

Matt “Batt” Banning will be returning to Fan Expo. Banning is a permanent artist with DC Comics and is responsible for some of DC’s most iconic covers from the new 52, including the Red Hood and the Outlaws omnibus, Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 4, and Countdown 37.

Talking about cover artists, if you’re a Teen Titans or Damian Wayne fan than you know the name Jonboy Meyers! Meyers has worked with countless studios, including comic industry giants DC and Marvel. Some of his most recent works can be seen on the front pages of Ame-Comi Girls, Teen Titans, Telos, and Royals.

Cartoonist Peter Bagge will also be in attendance. Best known for his rubber hose animation inspired style, Bagge has won two Harvey Awards—an award celebrating comics and achievements within the comic genre. In 1991 he received an award for Best Cartoonist as well as an award for his creative work, Hate.

Renowned artist Bob McLeod will be joining the Fan Expo crew. In 1982 McLeod worked alongside Chris Claremont and together they created the New Mutants within the X-Men franchise—characters that will be hitting the big screen in August of 2019 in a horror film of the same name. Besides New Mutants, McLeod was also the artist and writer behind the children’s book Superhero ABC, a superhero-filled quest to learn the alphabet.

If you’ve ever admired a piece of trading card art from Star Wars Galaxy or Batman: Saga of the Dark Knight, then you could be a fan of Eisner Award winner Dave Dorman. Recognizable for his oil-painting-like aesthetic, Dorman is a photorealistic illustrator of the highest calibre. His work can be seen gracing the covers of franchise trade paperbacks Aliens, Young Jedi Knights, and Han Solo. He’s also worked on Dark Horse’s Indiana Jones and Star Wars comic series, as well as Dead Heat by Del Stone Jr.—the 1996 award winner for best first novel from the International Horror Guild and a Bram Stoker Award finalist from the Horror Writers Association.

Needless to say, these few are just a sampling of the talent that will be present. The list is still growing, so get your tickets soon! Fan Expo Vancouver will be taking place from October 12 to 14 at the Vancouver Convention Centre near Waterfront Station. See you there!