Kill Shakespeare Creators at Baltimore Comic-Con

I don't say this to be mean or condescending, but it's almost embarrassing how much Baltimore Comic-Con is getting in the way of talent and books. The latest addition to the show is Kill Shakespeare. That in itself is somewhat inconsequential, but the fact that its final issue will be at the show is sort of a big deal.

The 12th issues of the series was released yesterday and co-creators Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery will be on hand at the show.

"It's our first time in Baltimore and win or lose, we can't wait to meet Baltimore's comic fans and Shakespeare buffs," said McCreery. The entire Kill Shakespeare run will be on sale at the duo's booth (#2201).

The Canadian creators have also selected the Baltimore show, due to its great reputation and strong fanbase, to debut the "ShakesGeare" line, which will initially feature t-shirts and pins. Designs have been created by Kill Shakespeare artist Andy Belanger and top Canadian t-shirt designer Matt Medley. The creators worked with Kill the 8 Merch Co., one of North America's top apparel companies.

"Our readers have been asking us for over a year for t-shirts and other swag. We thought that Baltimore would be a great place to debut the line," Anthony Del Col states. "We will be rolling out additional goodies over the next few months that will appeal to not only readers of the series but fans of the Bard, comics, and great design in general."

The first eleven issues of the series, described by the New York Times as "gripping, violent and dark fun", have been released to great acclaim and attention. The first trade paperback, released last November, is now in its second printing and the creators have recently secured financing to develop the project into a feature film.

Again, the amount of talent at the show means you need to get there this weekend. There's a TON of good stuff on hand. Full press release after the jump.

Kill Shakespeare Celebrates Its Final Issue at Baltimore Comic-Con with Debut of 'ShakesGeare'

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 17, 2011 - The creators of IDW Publishing's critically-acclaimed Kill Shakespeare comic book series will appear at the 2011 Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend to celebrate the release of the final issue of their initial story arc and also debut their "ShakesGeare" merchandise line.

The 12th issue of the series, nominated for the Harvey Award for Best New Series, is being released today (August 17th). Co-creators Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery are excited to debut the series finale in Baltimore and eager to take part in the Harvey Awards festivities. "It's our first time in Baltimore and win or lose, we can't wait to meet Baltimore's comic fans and Shakespeare buffs," said McCreery. The entire Kill Shakespeare run will be on sale at the duo's booth (#2201).

The Canadian creators have also selected the Baltimore show, due to its great reputation and strong fanbase, to debut the "ShakesGeare" line, which will initially feature t-shirts and pins. Designs have been created by Kill Shakespeare artist Andy Belanger and top Canadian t-shirt designer Matt Medley. The creators worked with Kill the 8 Merch Co., one of North America's top apparel companies.

"Our readers have been asking us for over a year for t-shirts and other swag. We thought that Baltimore would be a great place to debut the line," Anthony Del Col states. "We will be rolling out additional goodies over the next few months that will appeal to not only readers of the series but fans of the Bard, comics, and great design in general."

The first eleven issues of the series, described by the New York Times as "gripping, violent and dark fun", have been released to great acclaim and attention. The first trade paperback, released last November, is now in its second printing and the creators have recently secured financing to develop the project into a feature film.

About the series:

Kill Shakespeareis an adventure story that pits all of Shakespeare's greatest heroes (including Hamlet, Juliet, Falstaff, Othello, and Puck) against the Bard's most menacing villains (including Richard III, Lady Macbeth, and Iago) in a quest to track down and kill - or save - a reclusive wizard by the name of William Shakespeare. Called by Aint it Cool News as "[a] great read", the series has been profiled by The New York Times, NPR, BBC, Wired.com, The Globe and Mail and The Washington Post. It also created controversy last year when Shakespearean scholar (and girlfriend of comics legend Frank Miller) Kimberly Cox railed against the title on popular U.K. comic blog BleedingCool.com, while others - such as Des McAnuff (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Jersey Boys) are fans of it.

Both Del Col and McCreery will be available for interviews during the Baltimore Comic-Con.

More information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com.

TO BOOK AN INTERVIEW IN BALTIMORE:

Anthony Del Col AnnaMariaWhite
(416) 388-8587 IDW Publishing
delcol@killshakespeare.com (858) 270-1313
annamaria@idwpublishing.com

Full Guest List
A complete list of confirmed guests for this year's Baltimore Comic-Con can be found here.

Third Annual Costume Contest at the Baltimore Comic-Con - UPDATED
The 3rd Annual Costume Contest will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 3:00 pm. With $1,000 up for grabs for the best overall costume and prizes for each of the 10 categories, this is one event all of you cosplayers don't want to miss! For more information and a complete list of catagories, visit our website's Costume Contest page.

Harvey Tickets Still Available
Time is running out, but there is still an opportunity to attend the party! Join our MC Scott Kurtz, nominees, presenters, Stan Lee, and other fans at the Harvey Awards Banquet! Tickets available until Wednesday at baltimorecomiccon.com/harvey-awards.

Stan Lee VIP Packages Sold Out! Autographs and Photos Still Available!
Please Note: Although the Stan Lee VIP Packages are officially sold out, individual autographs and photographs are still available and can be purchased by visiting http://baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/.

Save the Date! Baltimore Comic-Con 2012!
That's right! Mark your calendars now for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con, which will take place the weekend of September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center, and we'll see YOU in Baltimore!

Twitter Hashtag
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In 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 at our website, Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 21st.

Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 12th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 6 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.