Posted in: Comics | Tagged:

Aspen Comics Gets Jesse Jamesed

Published Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:48 -0500

Jesse James will be at San Diego Comic Con for Bleeding Cool. Keep an eye on him, don't let him out of your sight!!!

The big dance is coming next week. The creators are going through their checklist and checking it twice. The Publishers though, are going through that checklist ten times and next week will do the same. This is the time for Publishers to showcase who they are and what they have for the fans, not just at San Diego, but the rest of the year. I asked a very busy Vince Hernandez of Aspen to give us a insight on what their Dance floor is going to look like at S.D.C.C 2012.

Tells us when Aspen started? How many years has Aspen attended San Diego Con?

Aspen started in 2003 and we've been attending Comic Con every year in our existence! Looking back, it's been a fun and challenging show that we look forward to year-in and year-out. Our fans are some of the most supportive ones in the industry and there's always a spirited demand for our Comic Con exclusives and announcements that in turn excites us to deliver on that demand. We think this year we made it happen.

Did you ever imagine you would have so much going on at this years Con?

Haha! Good question. Actually, every year I think that we can't possible top what we did the year before—and every year I'm proven wrong. Last year we debuted our Executive Assistant crossover, "The Hit List Agenda" at Comic Con along with other popular series launches, and I thought THAT was difficult. Well, this year, we're releasing ALL FIVE of our Soulfire: "Search for the Light" one shots at the show, and it was seriously quite a challenge to ensure that it happened. AND, not only that, but fans will be able to get a world premiere look at the first issue of J.T. Krul, Mike DeBalfo and Nei Ruffino's Soulfire: Volume Four, as we'll be releasing it early at the show. Add those 6 books to the new series such as the zero issue of new titles Idolized and the launch of Homecoming, along with the debut issue of our first ever ongoing series Executive Assistant Assassins, and you can see we'll have plenty of new and exciting items for fans to devour.

You have a whole new team joining you this year. Your thoughts on how you have really expanded your team in late 2011 and 2012?

I recently thought the same thing, that our new talent has really stretched our creative boundaries as a publisher. Especially in the present, we have what I consider to be the most creative, professional and hard-working group of artists in our history. And this is just something that makes us excited to see where it can lead, and what we can accomplish.

Your core team is really strong. How has that helped Aspen build its name into a stronger publisher?

I think it solidifies to our audience that they can expect a level of quality and ambition with every project we put our stamp on. If fans see an Aspen logo on a product, they know we've dedicated ourselves to ensuring that item lives up those standards our fans have come to expect. It's why we've tried to be selective and thoughtful in our approach to the talented artists and writers we work with.

The launch of your new titles and prints at this Con is huge. Is it cool just to know its only the beginning?

If you only knew—and you will soon enough! As mentioned earlier, there's a ton of new titles and products for Aspen fans to check out, but rest assured, our plans for the rest of 2012 and beyond will take it to the next level!

Any extra surprises that you can tell the B.C. fans for S.D.C.C. or the rest of the year?

See above and buckle your seatbelts. We have a wild ride planned for the future—so wild in fact, I've resorted to cliché phrases such as the preceding statement! But seriously, if you've supported Aspen from day one or if you're simply a new reader to the Aspen universe, I think now is going to an exciting time :)

I'll let you get back to prep time,with one last question. One word to describe what the fans are going to see at the booth this year?

Pandemonium!