One of my favorite beer pairing events was Great Lakes Brewing Company’s comic books and beer night

When I hear the phrase “beer pairings,” my thoughts – as yours probably do – immediately go to beer and food. From cheese and chocolate to bacon, seafood, and sushi.

However, this post is not about that kind of pairing. (If you’re here looking for that, save the date for Cleveland Beer Week 2014 October 10-18, which promises to be full of great food and beer events.)

Instead, I’m talking today about beer paired with some unexpected activities. From comedy to science to art, here are 3 upcoming events if you’d like to do something different while drinking your favorite pint.

Did you miss Great Lakes Science Center’s Yuri’s Night? I have good news for you:

This Thursday, June 26, GLSC is continuing their series of 21-and-over ‘Science After Dark’ events with HOME BREW from 6:30-9:30 pm.

• Do you know what happens to beer when you take away air pressure? Witness it firsthand when the Science Center staff tests it out with different kinds of brews. 
• Want to learn about home brewing? Meet Paul and Reed from Cleveland Brew Shop at their “Yeast: The Workhorse of Beer” demonstration.
• Ever wondered, as I have, why your speech sounds funny after you start drinking? Dr. Amee Shah of CSU’s Speech Acoustics & Perception Lab will discuss your brain on booze.

There will also be hands-on activities including LEGO-building and science board and card games created by Cleveland Institute of Art students. Or you can try creating a putt-putt golf hole using everyday materials.

And, of course, beer and coffee samples from Fat Head’s Brewery, Crafted Artisan Meadery, Jackie O’ Brewery, Great Lakes Brewing Company, and Phoenix Coffee will be available.·

Tickets are $18 in advance/$21 at the door (only $12 for members). Buy tickets online here or call 216-621-2400.

“Avengers Artists, Assemble!”

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional, amateur, or completely-out-of-practice artist like me. Join the Cleveland Drink & Draw Social Club at one of their twice-monthly meetups. They’re at Great Lakes Brewing Company the first Wednesday and Lava Lounge the third Thursday of every month.

That means the next one is July 2nd in GLBC’s Rockefeller Room (7-11pm).

Started in 2012 by the Rust Belt Monster Collective, the Drink & Draw Social Club is “a place to exchange techniques, build contacts, and most importantly; bond over what is far too often a solitary passion.”

All you have to do is bring your art supplies. Every event also includes group “jam pieces” and prizes from long-time supporters Carol And John’s Comic shop. 

Not into science or art? Well, everyone likes to laugh.

On July 10, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s YP Pantry group will be hosting the inaugural BrewHaha – Lager and Laughs for Hunger Relief.

From 6-9pm at the Food Bank’s distribution center, enjoy the talents of Last Call Cleveland and local comedians Josh Womack, Mary Santora, and Jake Solomon while sampling beer from Chardon BrewWorks, Great Lakes, Market Garden, Willoughby Brewing Company, Platform Beer Company, Deschutes Brewery and others.

The comedy show will be hosted by the always-hilarious Bill Squire, co-host of the Alan Cox Show and live music will be provided by Newshoes.  

Individual tickets are $25, which includes 20 samples of beer in a souvenir beer tasting glass and the evening’s entertainment. Tickets for two are discounted at $45 and designated drivers can enjoy water, non-alcoholic beverages and all of the performances for only $10. Get them here.

All proceeds from the evening go to benefit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s mission to provide food to those in need.

***

I hope you check out at least one of, if not all of these events. The Cleveland beer scene is incredible, and it’s exciting to see the city not just embrace it, but do so in such eclectic ways.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Great Lakes Science Center’s HOME BREW with a guest. I also used to be on the YP Pantry board. However, I chose to blog about these events independently of those decisions and the opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you’re an avid comic book reader, a fan of superhero movies and television, or just curious about what the fuss over comics and graphic novels are, this Saturday is a day for you.

Free Comic Book Day, the first Saturday in May, is one of my favorite days of the year. Sadly, I can’t attend any of this year’s festivities because we’re hosting family from out-of-town. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out.

What is Free Comic Book Day, you ask?

The first FCBD was held in 2002. And in the last 12 years, it’s grown and sparked a nationwide movement around comics and literacy. This year, Diamond Comics Distributors estimates 2,000+ shops will be giving away more than 4.6 million free comics in one day.

Archie, Hello Kitty, GI Joe, Batman, Rocket Raccoon and The Guardians of the Galaxy will all be in attendance — as well as a bunch of comics you may not know about, but should be reading. Over 60 titles are represented in this year’s haul.

USA Today has an awesome primer on which Free Comic Book Day books to read, based on your non-comic tastes.

However, Free Comic Book Day is about more than reading comics. It also spotlights your local comic book shops and the incredible community these brick-and-mortar small businesses build.

Sure, you can just find your local shop using the FCBD store locator, pick up your free books on Saturday, and leave.

But that misses the point of FCBD, in my opinion.

Instead, stick around for a few minutes or a few hours. Talk to the other comic book fans and the shop’s staff if they’re available. Take part in any of the day’s activities that the store has planned – many of them do. You’ll learn a lot and meet the nicest, coolest people.

My local shop, Comics Are Go in Elyria, will have Cleveland artist John G signing copies of “The Lake Erie Monster.” It’s a fantastic comic (read my review here).  Even if you aren’t into comics, you’re likely familiar with John and his work, as the artist of Melt’s monthly special posters.

Carol and John’s will be hosting not one, but two parties for Free Comic Book Day. Their annual Midnight Early Release party starts at 10 pm on Friday and goes til 2 am on Saturday. They’ll have free comic books (10 per person), free graphic novels, photo ops (including this TARDIS!), rewards for costumes, free sketches, food and drink including a special FCBD micro brew from Cleveland Action Brewery.

The day event goes from 10am til 7pm. Mark Sumerak will be autographing 200 free copies of his book Franklin Richards Son of a Genius. There will also be free sketches for kids and the live creation of a mural by the Rust Belt Monster Collective.

You can read all about Carol and John’s event here.  They’ve also distributed comics to every single branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library for Saturday.

For other shops and FCBD events closer to where you live, check out Michael Sangiacomo’s column on Cleveland.com.

When it comes to the loves of my life, it goes

1. Scott
2. family and close friends
3. Cleveland
4. comic books 

Scott and me celebrating his birthday at a beer and comic books event

While that may be a slight exaggeration, my love for comic books and graphic novels goes beyond the act of enjoying the latest issue of Fables. I think about how I used to draw comics as a kid and jump at the chance to visit the local baseball card store to read up on the X-Men.

I think about how Scott re-introduced me to comics when we started dating. It’s the first activity we shared as a couple, and every time I can help Scott with his own webcomic writing, it brings us even closer in our marriage.

I also think about all of the people I’ve met who share this love – both in the Cleveland community and at conventions from Minnesota to Maryland.

All of this is why I was thrilled to learn The Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel is coming to PlayhouseSquare. I saw another live-action graphic novel last year – Kill Shakespeare at C2E2 in Chicago.  It’s an incredibly immersive and entertaining experience.

Intergalactic Nemesis at PlayhouseSquare on January 30

I was even more thrilled when PlayhouseSquare offered me the chance to ask Jason Neulander, Intergalactic Nemesis’ writer, producer and director, a few questions about the show.

Read on to learn more about the show’s history, the unique experience of producing and seeing the show, and why non-comic book and sci-fi fans will enjoy Intergalactic Nemesis.

Intergalactic Nemesis onstage

Clue Into Cleveland: I love that this started as a radio show reading. While they’re becoming slightly more popular as podcasts, you don’t often see people doing serialized radio fiction. What was the reason or the circumstances around starting Intergalactic Nemesis as a radio show?

Jason Neulander: Great question. Back in the mid-90s, when this project got its start, I had founded a small theater company with the mission of developing and producing new plays that pushed the envelope of what theater could be. Part of achieving that mission was making theater happen in unusual venues. For example, we produced most of our work in the first couple of years in a rock club.

Anyway, a friend of mine, Ray Colgan, worked at this coffeehouse in downtown Austin and approached me with the idea of creating a sci-fi radio play to be performed and recorded in front of a live audience at that coffeehouse. I thought it was a great idea, so we went ahead and did it.

Immediately, people really responded. They came out in droves for the performances and our local NPR affiliate actually broadcast it serially–originally it was ten 20-minute episodes! I had so much fun, that I decided to keep the project alive and bring it back every few years.

Clue Into Cleveland  Had you ever scripted a comic book before this?  How did the writing process for the graphic novel differ from the radio/live show or were there any unexpected challenges of turning it into a graphic novel?

Jason: I hadn’t written a graphic novel before, but by the time we got into that phase of the project we had really worked the radio play. Every time I brought that back (2000, 2002, 2007), we revamped the material to make it stronger.

In 2007, Chad Nichols and I rewrote it top-to-bottom replacing the serialized structure with a more cinematic one. By that point, I knew the story backward and forward. So it was pretty easy to envision it as a comic-book. My main reason for making that transition, actually, was that I was very interested in how the story could be told visually, rather than orally.

I was lucky that I had Tim Doyle to work with. He had always wanted to draw a full-color comic book series and was (and is) a serious collector and expert on comic books.  So he really helped me develop a language for writing a script that a comic-book artist could work with to draw it.

This has helped a lot with the sequels since I’m now working with David Hutchison who is a really professional comic-book artist (versus me, who is merely a hack comic-book writer!).

Clue Into Cleveland: You didn’t just adapt a story for the stage or film, but actually melded two mediums into one thing. It’s a unique idea. Where did the idea come from to combine the visuals of the graphic novel with the radio show performance?

Jason: Another great question! In 2008, I had left the theater company I founded with the strong impression that we were going to open the radio version of Intergalactic in New York on Broadway.

The economy collapsed and I was out of work and as the months went on I became more and more desperate for a job. So in July 2009 I set up a meeting with Cliff Redd, the Executive Director of the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, to basically beg him for work.

Instead of hiring me in the office, Cliff offered me their big hall to present Intergalactic. At that time it was just a radio play and I felt that that venue, which has 2400 seats, was way too big for the intimate experience of watching a radio drama be performed.

In a flash, I had a vision of comic book artwork projected on a screen the size of the proscenium arch, and literally within 2 seconds of Cliff suggesting we perform there, I replied by asking him if he was interested in this radio-play-comic-book hybrid.

Cliff replied by saying that the venue had just purchased a very fancy cinematic projection system and was looking for ways to use it! So in an amazing 20-minute meeting the project had this huge evolutionary leap and my professional life turned around.

Clue Into Cleveland: Compared to more traditional theatre productions you’ve done, how does the experience of a live action graphic novel differ for the actors and crew?  What are the challenges for them?  How does the experience differ for the audience?

Jason: You’re killing me with these great questions. I love being able to field new questions. It really gives me great perspective on what I do. Thanks!

For me, The Intergalactic Nemesis has been truly a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. From a production standpoint, it’s pretty rare that every performer gets the opportunity to flex their artistic muscles  so consistently and in such a fun way.

For example, when Cami performs the sound effects, she not only recreates the sound, but she throws her personality into it as well. It’s totally captivating.

The cinematic score is mostly improvised and Kenny Redding just freakin’ kills it.

The actors get to switch roles within scenes and because the show flows seamlessly, thanks to the visuals on the screen, it becomes a complete tour-de-force performance for them.

And from the perspective on the audience, I’ve never been a part of a show that people seem to love so much. They laugh, clap, and cheer through much of the show and then after we actually get to meet them because we sign the books after every performance. So we get to chat with folks who have absolutely had the time of their lives.

It’s incredibly rewarding and humbling at the same time. Humbling because the work has taken on a life far beyond the individuals involved with the creation of it. I’ve never had more fun working on a project.

Clue Into Cleveland:  How has audience reaction been to this? As comic books become more mainstream, have you seen the show grow in popularity?

Jason: We’ve definitely seen audiences grow over the past two-and-a-half years of touring. We’re actually trying this spring to figure out why that is so that we can help venues who are struggling with ticket sales. At the shows themselves, the audience response is just amazing.

Clue Into Cleveland: I’m always trying to convice non-comic readers to pick up a comic book and try something out — and this seems like a fantastic way to introduce someone to the medium. Why should someone, who’s not into comic books or science fiction, see this show?

Jason: The Intergalactic Nemesis definitely is more than the sum of its parts. At its most fundamental level, it’s simply three actors at microphones, a bunch of toys on a big table, a piano player, and some images on a screen. But together it seems to transcend what you’d think that combination of elements would amount to.

I think that’s because we really allow the audience to bring their imagination as a creative element of the show. And this is why I think it appeals beyond the comic-book crowd.

Nowadays, almost everyone has grown up in the post-Star-Wars pop culture environment, which means that a certain type of storytelling is the mainstream. Not necessarily sci-fi, but character-driven adventure.

Because the show itself is so very theatrical–all the production elements are exposed on stage, it’s an auditory and visual spectacle. It really has an appeal that extends to anyone who loves live performance and has a sense of humor.

One of my favorite audience stories was this mom who came with her son. She felt she was doing him a favor because he really wanted to see it, but she was dreading coming. She was neither a fan of sci-fi nor comic-books. But in the signing line after, her son was ecstatic from the experience and she told me after that she thought she might have had more fun than he did.

Clue Into Cleveland: And because I’m always on the look out for new things to add to my pull list, what’s the last good comic book or graphic novel you read?

Jason: It’s not the latest one I’ve read, but I keep coming back to it: the original Japanese 28-book Lone Wolf and Cub series. Just absolutely incredible.

Many thanks to Jason for answering these questions. You can purchase tickets for Intergalactic Nemesis on PlayhouseSquare’s site. Stay updated on the show’s tour at theintergalacticnemesis.com/blog.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the show in exchange for previewing the event. It was my choice to write a second post about it.

The Intergalactic Nemesis Live Action Graphic Novel at PlayhouseSquare, January 30

UPDATE: After removing 2 pingbacks, congratulations to entry 9, Michelle @tinktastic for winning this giveaway. Please reply to my email confirming you can attend by 1/27.

Imagine this: It’s 1933. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Molly Sloan is chasing down a story with her intrepid assistant Timmy Mendez and a mysterious librarian from Arizona named Ben Wilcott. A terrible threat is facing the Earth: an invading force of Zygonians – sludge-monsters from outer space.

In The Intergalactic Nemesis (coming to PlayhouseSquare on January 30), our fearless trio travels the Earth and beyond to defeat the Zygonians and hopefully save the day.

The Intergalactic Nemesis was conceived 17 years ago in an Austin, Texas coffee house.  The science fiction epic started as a serial radio drama — performed by three actors and a sound-effects specialist over five weeks. It was recorded on cassette and later aired on Austin’s NPR station.

The Intergalactic Nemesis mashes up period radio drama with the badass visuals of the science fiction comic book

The Intergalactic Nemesis was rewritten and re-recorded in 2000 by Jason Neulander. However, it wasn’t until 2009 that the show got a facelift – literally – when Neulander approached artist Tim Doyle about developing the story into a graphic novel.

Through a series of adventures that rival the characters’ journey to the Robot Planet, the comic book’s artwork was combined with the radio drama’s performance concept.

The final result was The Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel.

Three actors voice dozens of characters; one Foley artist creates hundreds of sound effects; one keyboardist performs a score of thousands of notes; while on a two-story high screen they project more than 1,250 individual, full-color, hand-drawn, hi-res, blow-your-mind comic book images to tell the story visually. Live.

Since the Live-Action Graphic Novel made its debut in 2010, it has been featured on Conan O’Brien, NPR’s All Things Considered, and Ain’t It Cool News. It’s toured to more than 80 venues around the US, UK, and Canada.  It’s played at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway and sold out The Kennedy Center. Now it’s coming to PlayhouseSquare!

For one night only, book one of The Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel will be performed at the Palace Theatre. The show starts at 7:30 pm on January 30.

Tickets range from $10 to $25; however, you can win a pair of tickets to The Intergalactic Nemesis right here on Clue Into Cleveland.

How to enter: Do one, some, or all five of the entries. A separate comment is needed for each.

But that’s not all! Come back tomorrow for a Q&A with writer, producer, and director Jason Neulander.

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) What’s your favorite science fiction story, comic book, or radio drama? Leave a comment on this post with your answer.

2) Follow @PlayhouseSquare and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave one comment on this post telling me you did both.

3) If you’re a fan of Clue Into Cleveland and PlayhouseSquare on Facebook, leave one comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

4) Tweet the following and leave one comment letting me know you tweeted:

I want to see @IntNemesis when it comes to #CLE’s @PlayhouseSquare. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to win 2 tickets: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2nv

You can tweet once per day for additional entries. Just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.

5) Subscribe to Clue Into Cleveland via a feed tracker like Bloglovin’ or Feedly and leave one comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Wednesday, January 22 at 11:59 PM to enter. Random.org will select the winner, which I will announce on Thursday, January 23. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend The Intergalactic Nemesis in exchange for hosting a giveaway. I am also a board member of PlayhouseSquare’s young professionals organization. However, with my love of comic books and science fiction, I would have written about this show and purchased tickets regardless.

Showing our love for my homestate of Virginia

Before Scott and I could welcome in fall with last weekend’s clambake, we needed to say so long to summer. At the very end of August we packed our CRV and headed on the road for a bit of family, a bit of comics, and two weeks of vacation fun.

Things started off similar to our last vacation in May – with stops in Virginia to see my sister and parents. Although we’ve spent the last few Augusts in Culpeper where my sister lives, we still seem to discover new things every time we visit.

Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with my sister being an excellent tour guide and going out of her way to find fun things to do.

Candy shopping at downtown Culpeper’s My Secret Stash

Highlights of this stop in Culpeper included:

• A day of shopping in downtown Culpeper where I picked up: Blood Orange EVOO and Tangerine Balsamic from Taste Oil Vinegar Spice, Maple Bourbon Pickles from Culpeper Cheese Company, and candy from My Secret Stash.

• A tour of the Copper Fox Distillery, home of Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky and Copper Fox Rye Whisky. Both were 2013 International Review of Spirits Gold Medal winners achieving 92 and 94 points, respectively.

• And visits to nearby Taste of the Mountains and Cedar Point’s sister park Kings Dominion. We splurged on a couple of Fast Passes for Kings Dominion, which were worth the $50 – allowing us to get in a very full day of rollercoasters. I was glad to make use of my CP Platinum Pass on vacation. After reading that Kings Dominion is celebrating their 40th anniversary next season, a return trip is in order for next spring!

Kings Dominion, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next season

I think my favorite part of our stay in Culpeper was getting afternoon tea at Culpeper’s Miss Minerva’s Tea Room. Voted the #2 tea house in Virginia, we enjoyed an hour of trying a variety of unusual loose-leaf teas in a quaintly beautiful setting. Even Scott and Gabbie, who aren’t huge tea drinkers, enjoyed the Ice Wine Tea, English Caramel, and rose-petal-infused Mademoiselle Grey. The very friendly service and a selection of delicious cranberry scones, small sandwiches and desserts complemented this calming afternoon activity.

Miss Minerva’s Tea Room in Culpeper – The #2 Tea Room in Virginia

This was one of the longest vacations we’ve taken so Scott and I had to seriously pace ourselves to avoid vacation burnout. After four busy days at Gabbie’s, it was nice to just unwind for a couple days at my parents’.

Scenic views overlooking the Cheseapeake Bay and Ingleside Vineyards

While we did take a tour of Ingleside Vineyards, the rest of the time in the Northern Neck was spent lounging by the Chesapeake and hanging out with my parents and their feline friends. Scott even squeezed in a driving lesson with my dad:

Left to Right: Visiting with Batgirl, one of my dad’s 6 cats; Scott takes dad’s antique Chevy Coupe for a drive

It was hard to say goodbye to my folks, but knowing that they plan to visit this winter helped. Plus, we were excited for the next leg of our trip – Baltimore Comic Con!

After four years of Chicago’s C2E2, Scott and I decided to mix up our comicbook convention-going by attending this year’s Baltimore Comic Con instead.

It also gave us an excuse to briefly see Scott’s sister Laura and her fiancee Max on our drive from Virginia to Maryland. Lunch in DC was followed by a visit to the International Spy Museum, where Laura works on their exhibitions and programs. I couldn’t have asked for a better first time at the museum as Laura gave us her personal tour through their current James Bond Villains exhibit. I really enjoyed hearing how they put the exhibit together.

Scott’s sister Laura (top-right) at the International Spy Museum

I even had time to introduce Scott to one of my favorite restaurants from when I was a kid – Il Porto in Old Town Alexandria. Their escargot and frutti di mare dishes were as good as I remembered. Afterwards, we walked around Old Town, visited the coolest vintage cocktailware store, and enjoyed glass harp and polynesian dance shows by the waterfront.

We couldn’t stay out late because we had to wake up early the next morning for two whole days of comic book goodness.

Clockwise from top: Gateway to Baltimore Comic Con; awesome Doctor Who ballon sculpture; Scott and I with Mark Buckingham, one of my favorite artists; an epic Hulkbuster costume

Presented by Cards, Comics and Collectibles of Reisterstown, Maryland, the Baltimore Comic Con is dedicated only to comic books instead of other forms of entertainment like many other conventions.

This meant excellent panels dedicated to learning about the process behind our favorite (and new favorite) comic books from the writers and artists. The panels were less about selling books and more about sharing a love for them. On top of that, the convention floor boasted one of the larger Artists Alleys I’ve seen – dedicating much of its space to up and coming artists.

After Sunday’s show, we squeezed in a couple hours at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum. In addition to a mind-blowing collection of comic books (including Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics #1), the museum features toys and memorabilia spanning from the 1920s to today.

From left to right: Incredible Hulk Toilet Paper, Action Comics #1, Howdy Doody exhibit, Hulk #1, the Ms. Pac-Man Colorform I created at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Baltimore

Although I enjoyed reminiscing over many of my favorite childhood toys, I loved seeing things like the Howdy Doody display from when my parents were kids. If you are in Baltimore, Geppi’s and its floor-to-ceiling pop culture is a must-do.

After a whirlwind weekend in Baltimore, a stopover in New Jersey to say hi to Scott’s parents and grandmother was a nice break before driving back to Cleveland. Although my car may not be happy that we put so many miles on it, we had a fantastic time!

How super are you? Show the world tomorrow, April 18, 2013:
Cleveland’s official Superman Day!

(source)

Long before Avengers filmed here, young Clevelanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster put our city in the pop culture history books with their creation of the Man of Steel.

When Action Comics #1 was first published on April 18, 1938, Krypton’s son set the stage for so many other comic book greats from Cleveland.

To celebrate, the City of Cleveland has declared tomorrow Superman Day and wants you to show off your Super spirit.

Snap a photo of your best Superman pose, costume, landmark, paraphernalia or collection. Then Tweet or Instagram your photos with the #SuperCLE hashtag. 

Not on Twitter or Instagram? Email them to communications@city.cleveland.oh.us.

Learn more about this and other Super stuff at http://tackk.com/supermanday2013.

This year, Scott and I gave each other a trip to Rochester, Minnesota as our anniversary gift.

Sure, it may not sound very sexy, but we had good reason: the inaugural Fabletown and Beyond Convention.

Although our shared love for comic books is no secret, it may surprise some that my favorite title doesn’t feature cape-donning superheroes.

Ever since I got back into comics 8 years ago, Bill Willingham’s Fables is the only title that’s kept me enthralled the entire time.

Going strong for 10+ years with a few spin-offs and a novel to its name, the intricate world that Willingham and his collaborating artists have built has never disappointed.

As @CLEYogi can personally vouch – it’s a very effective gateway into comic books.

Mike Oeming, Adam Hughes, David Petersen, Matt Sturges, and Conor McCreery discuss the ethics of storytelling – just one of the engrossing panels at Fabletown and Beyond

So when Willingham announced a convention dedicated solely to mythic fiction like Fables, Mouse Guard, and The Unwritten AND we learned it was taking place around our fourth wedding anniversary, Scott and I had a feeling this roadtrip would be the perfect gift.

At some point during the weekend, Fablescon managed to exceed even the mythic-sized expectations we had set for it.

Mark Buckingham – the wildly talented artist of Fables and the convention’s guest of honor – set the mood for the weekend with a plucky, touching, and musical keynote:

The weekend overflowed with enriching and entertaining conversations around mythology, the challenges of storytelling, and a couple of Barbarians.

We added a few books to our reading list like Kill Shakespeare, Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer, The Mice Templar and Matt Sturges’ upcoming Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse.

And we had just as much fun outside the panel rooms at the Kill Shakespeare Bar and rooftop pool party (I don’t think Scott will ever recover from playing volleyball with Buckingham and Gene Ha).

So…this happened. (In his best Bane voice, Conor McCreery narrates a pushup showdown between his Kill Shakespeare co-creator Anthony Del Col and a Fablescon team member)

With the help of dedicated volunteers, friends and colleagues, Bill Willingham set out to create a different type of comic convention.  And it was, in all the right ways.

There was a generous camaraderie between Fablescon’s guests and attendees more so than I’ve experienced at other conventions.

It broke down the barrier that the printed page has a habit of creating between a book’s artists and fans and will make reading these stories much different and more rewarding in the future.

Because we HAD to get a photo of Traveling Hulk with Mark Buckingham, the dapper and delightful guest of honor

Unfortunately, as we learned at the closing panel, this may have been the first and last Fabletown and Beyond.

Not for lack of interest (it sold out), but because putting on a convention like this is demanding. As a fan, I want to see Willingham get back to the projects he had to put off during Fabletown prep. Namely, there’s an upcoming collaboration between him and Frank Cho I’m very excited for.

Even though I would LOVE to attend more conventions like this, if this was our only Fablescon, the cherished memories will be enough.

The bar menu Brad Thomte gave us featuring my Hex on the Beach and Bloody Mary Quite Contrary puns didn’t hurt either.

If you want to read a recap of Fabletown and Beyond that put it much better than me, check out Timothy Callahan’s When Words Collide on Comic Book Resources.

THANK YOU to everyone who made Fabletown and Beyond such a wonderful experience

Growing up, one of my favorite trips each month would be to the baseball card store. My mom would usually take me there after my orthodontist checkup so I could pick out a new pack of Topps. And without fail, each time I’d convince her to also let me get a copy of Tales from the Crypt.

I loved these horror comics and their pun-ey GhouLunatics hosts – especially the CryptKeeper. Nothing could take my mind off another month of braces like the one-two punch of a good scare and laugh.

In the same vein comes this month’s CLE Read: The Lake Erie Monster, a Cleveland-based horror anthology comic.

The book is written and illustrated by John Greiner and Jake Kelly.

Separately, the two have created murals and posters for Cleveland indie institutions like the Beachland, Grog Shop and Melt (check out this time-lapse of Kelly’s mural for the Cleveland Heights Melt).

Then in 2011 the two collaborated on an exhibit for Heights Arts. Ten Imaginary Movies featured a series of movie posters inspired by 1970s horror films. Kelly and Greiner created fictional actors and directors, reviews and movie memorabilia.

Two pieces of this exhibit were comic book covers for film #1 The Lake Erie Monster. After the  exhibit ended, they decided to move forward with an “adaptation” of it. First published last April, each quarterly issue features the ongoing Lake Erie Monster story, followed by 2 stand-alone tales.

The inspiration for the comic – The Lake Erie Monster movie poster. www.thelakeeriemonster.com

In The Lake Erie Monster, pollution from a decaying 1970s Cleveland has found its way into the waters of Lake Erie. And something menacing has grown in the murk.

A pair of journalists, a group of nosey kids and a van of worried hippies have realized something’s up as Clevelanders are found brutally murdered by the lakeside.

It’s a campy trip – with plenty of gore rolled into a sardonic look at this era in Cleveland history.  Although the grainy illustrations and palette were a little difficult to jump into at first, I got used to it by the end of issue 1 and found its rough-around-the-edges, vintage aesthetic lent itself very well to the tale’s grislier parts.

Although I enjoy the simmering suspense of the ongoing main story, it’s the backup tales I most look forward to when I pick up a new issue.

My favorite from these has been “Greens,” which tells of a trip to the farmers’ market that turns very strange when one unsuspecting shopper picks up some mysterious vegetables.

These stand-alone stories give me that quick horror fix I seek.

Cryptkeeper fans will also rejoice that Lake Erie Monster is home to its own GhouLunatic: the fantastically frightful Commodore.

From thelakeeriemonster.com, the Commodore’s Cleveland Clippings

With a middle name like Hazard, it’s not surprising that Commodore Perry has been haunting Cleveland since the 1800s. Sure, he’s lost a few teeth (and a bit of skin), but he’s retained the same style and swagger that brought him victory in the War of 1812.

The Commodore currently makes his residence on a secret floor of the Terminal Tower where he answers fan mail and pens his one-page “Commodore’s Cleveland” story for each issue.

From the most-cursed three acres of land in Cleveland to the Tree Man of Train Avenue, you’ll learn a few tall-tales from Cleveland’s past. And the Commodore’s wise-cracks alone are worth the $5 for the comic.

The Lake Erie Monster is published once a quarter. After inquiring at Comics Are Go!, whose recommendation got me hooked on the first issue, I was told the fourth issue should be out in the next couple of months and I’ll update when I learn more.

In the meantime, though, you can purchase digital and print copies of previous Lake Erie Monster issues from the Shiner Comics online store.

The newer installments can also be found at area retailers and comic book shops like Big Fun, Joy Machines and Comics Are Go! (many of whom are also featured in the comic with hilarious ads designed by the comic’s creators).

I’ll be back in April with James Renner’s The Man from Primrose Lane. Described by the Associated Press as “a thriller and detective story, plus science fiction and romance with a little near-future dystopia thrown in,” I’m looking forward to it.

I could also use some more recommendations.  If you have any Cleveland-area books you’ve enjoyed reading, please leave a comment below.

This is the latest in my CLE Reads series. Check out my previous installments:

• Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland (September 2012)
• Les Roberts’ Whiskey Island (October 2012)
• Rust Belt Chic (November 2012)
• Damn Right I’m From Cleveland (December 2012)
• Women Behaving Badly by John Stark Bellamy II (January 2013)

After removing one pingback and placing the entries in Random.org, we have a winner:

Congratulations to entry #14 – Katie K. Email me at clueintocleveland (at) gmail (dot) and I’ll let you know how to redeem your tickets for tomorrow night’s event.

If you still need to purchase tickets for Lorain County’s premier wine and food tasting event, get them before it’s too late. L’Amour du Vin will take place tomorrow night from 6-9pm at the Avon Oaks Country Club. General admission is $60; $90 for the VIP Lounge. Learn more and purchase tickets at http://lamourduvin2012.eventbrite.com.

Now onto today’s primary business:

Cheers to you, Scott – Happy 30th!

Behind most of the photos taken on this blog is a fantastically silly, sweet, not-so-subtle and all-around swell guy: the one and only Scott T. Hicken.  And today’s a day of celebration in our household because Scott turns 30 (I know, I’m robbing the cradle).

All Scott wanted for his birthday this year was the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Collector’s Set, complete with the briefcase and Teseract cube from Avengers. But then this happened, leading to a change in packaging and release date tentatively scheduled for Spring 2013.

Birthday Fail!

So I got crafty:

Take one and a half shoeboxes, some electrical tape and a pair of scissors…

…print out a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. logos…

…glue it all together and – voila – my (very) makeshift take on the Avengers briefcase:

Add in a few gifts and a note from Scott’s favorite no longer deceased S.H.I.E.L.D. agent about a certain cosmic cube…

…and you have one mostly salvaged birthday.

The only thing that’ll make it better is when the full collector’s set does come out and Scott gets his actual birthday gift. In the meantime, we’ll be watching the Avengers Blu-ray that Amazon kindly sent to everyone who pre-ordered the collector’s set (EXCELLENT customer service move, by the way, Amazon!).

Happy birthday, Scott!

Among many, many other things, thanks for sharing your love of comic books with me and getting me back into something I was obsessed with as a kid.  And thanks for always putting up with this blog and me in general.

At the risk of crossing my Marvel film references, you’re my own Mr. Fantastic.

(Feel free to send your birthday wishes to Scott on Twitter @Husbanonymous.)