Enter the Javits

Above is the view from my hotel room, just a block and change from the Jacob Javits Center, where New York Comic Con is about to begin. It's actually going to begin for me in about an hour, when I'll be part of a signing at Jim Hanley's Universe (4 West 33rd Street) with C.B. Cebulski, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Gabriele Dell'Otto, Stefano Caselli, Jonathan Hickman and Glen Brunswick. Not sure I'll be doing much posting here, but you can follow late-breaking updates (and pics) over at my Twitter page (twitter.com/swierczy). And if you happen to be here for NYCC, definitely stop me and say hello.

New York Comic Con 2009

Yes! I am attending! Even if the NY Comic Con website doesn't seem to think so.

You'll be able to catch me at two events, the first being an off-campus event at Jim Hanley's Universe on Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m. I'll be signing with Giuseppe Camuncoli (my collaborator on Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California), C.B. Cebulski, Gabriele Dell'Otto, Stefano Caselli, Johnathan Hickman and Glen Brunswick. I had a great time when I signed at the store last year, and I'm looking forward to hanging out again.

And then as part of the official Con programming, I'll be on the X-Men Panel the next day, from 3:15 until 4:15 p.m. And then signing at the Marvel Booth (#1141) from 5 until 6 p.m.

Beyond that, I'm sure I'll be wandering the floor in a daze, recording little snippets for this blog (thanks to the wonders of the HD Flip camera). Be sure to stop me and say hello.

NY ComicCon Hangover: Parting Shot

This one goes out to my literary agent, David Hale Smith. Oh like you don't know why. (Photo, incredibly, by the Bride.)

NY ComicCon Hangover: A Shameless Product Placement

This was taken at the "Make Mine Marvel" panel Saturday morning. If you squint, you can see X-Men editor Nick Lowe at the desk, and me to the right. I had no idea they were showing book covers as I spoke. For all I knew, Nick could have had "I'm With Stupid <----"-style images up on that big screen. For all I knew, he did. (Photo by The Bride.)

NY ComicCon Hangover: How I Almost Shook Stan Lee's Hand

I say almost, because I am a dumb ass.

See, here's what happened: I was at Saturday's "Cup O' Joe" panel, where Marvel ed-in-chief Joe Quesada made a few announcements, then fielded questions from a long line of fans. It's a funny, freewheelin' kind of panel. Early on, Joe announced the new Punisher MAX news, and called me up to tell the audience about it. "And then get the hell off the stage," he joked. I said something about Frank being my kind of character: "He's old, he's bitter, and he likes to kill people." Then, as per Joe's instructions, I got the hell off the stage.

"Hey, wait," Joe said. "I was kidding. You can stay up here."

But I felt weird about that; I mean, it was Joe's panel. So I sat back down.

"Now I feel bad," Joe said, then waited a beat before adding: "Okay, I'm over it."

It was a funny moment.

Announcements ended, Joe started taking those questions, and then halfway through the session... STAN LEE WALKED INTO THE ROOM.

To a lifelong nerd like me, there's no bigger celebrity on earth. In fact, Stan Lee was the first person I ever attached the label "celebrity" to. Even The Bride gasped when he walked into the room... and she's a far cry from a comics fan. Everyone knows Stan Lee. And to know him is to worship him.

Then came the moment that now sticks in my back and twists: Stan Lee proceeded to shake the hands of everyone gathered on the dais: Joe Quesada, Marvel's marketing and PR honcho Jim McCann, publisher Dan Buckley, writer/editor C.B. Cebulski, executive editor Axel Alonso...

And only later did I realize that the list could have included super-geek Duane Swierczynski... if only I had remained on stage.

So yeah. Big dumb ass here.

NY ComicCon Hangover: Stormtroopers

Or Homeland Security. Not quite sure. (Photo by The Bride.)

NY ComicCon Hangover: Red Hulk, Green Hulk

Seriously, the green/Ed Norton Hulk is there, standing way in the back. This was the throbbing, pulsating core of the Marvel area at the con. (Photo by The Bride.)

NY ComicCon Hangover: Tim Roth

Tim Roth at the Marvel booth, just after signing Incredible Hulk posters, and, presumably, naked chests. Or perhaps mine was the only one. (Photo by The Bride.)

NY ComicCon Hangover: A Punishing Weekend

The Bride and I spent the weekend at the New York ComicCon (or Comic Con or Comic-Con); in fact we're still here at the hotel, enjoying the relative quiet of Manhattan on a Sunday morning. (That would be relative to our two kids, who are usually up and singing and screaming by this time.) There's a lot to report, and a lot of photos to share, thanks to the Bride.

Also, two bits of news were announced this weekend: one, that I'll be writing an arc of Punisher MAX, right between arcs by Gregg Hurwitz and the one and only Victor Gischler. My story's called "Six Hours to Kill," and kicks off early in 2009. You can read more about this right here.

And two: I'm now an exclusive Marvel writer. Which, goddamn, feels so good to type.

Anyway, stay tuned for more later today, after we make it back to Philly and upload a bunch of photos. Including some with actual celebrities! And (I say this for David Hale Smith's benefit) ass crack!

It's the Con, Man

This Friday I'll be headed to my first comic convention ever: New York ComicCon (or Comic-Con or Comic Con, depending on who you ask... stuff like this drives the former fact-checker in me nuts). Anyway, if you'll be around for any of the con, please do stop by and say hello—especially if you're a Secret Dead Blog reader. Here's where I'll be Friday and Saturday:

Friday, April 18
Mondo Marvel Panel, Room 1E12-13-14 – 4:30 to 5:30 pm

Saturday, April 19
Make Mine Marvel Panel, Room 1E08 – 11 am to 12 pm
Signing At Marvel, Booth #1141 – 2 to 3 pm
Cup O’ Joe Panel, Room 1E12-13-14 – 5:30 to 6:30 pm

There are also a bunch of additional appearances in the coming months—for comic stuff, but also Severance Package, which is a little more than month away. Right now I'm firming up dates for book tour stops in Philly (of course), New York City, Los Angeles and Houston, with more to come. Sadly, I don't think I'll be signing in Dave White's parents' backyard this time out; it's become way too trendy lately.

Update (4/16): I'm on another panel I totally forgot about. It's Friday at 4:30 (see above.)