Yesterday was the first actual day of Comic Con. I spent a lot of time selling books in the IMPACT books booth, and trying to interview authors.

I attended a panel by renowned comics editor Andy Schmidt who runs www.comicsexperience.com where aspiring comic writers and artists can take classes to learn the ropes and find out what it takes in the comic business.

I also met with 100 Days of Monsters author Stefan Bucher, who does a lot of great work to promote his book. Check out his website at www.dailymonster.com

Lots of cool stuff going on at the show. I had dinner with legendary Tolkien artist John Howe, conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movies who talked about designing the gates of Mordor, which on screen are big enough for an army to walk through. John talked about his creative approach to researching and conceiving the images he comes up with, which are amazing.  Check out his book Fantasy Art Workshop: http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/1609/1

Here are some pics: