Mark Cronan @ Rancho Cucamonga

Final Thoughts from 4 Color Fantasies

On chatting with store owner Chris about the day, he felt the turnout was slower than last year, but still adequate at over a thousand attendees. Sales seemed pretty brisk inside the store, and (as seen below) the selection of free comics was quite extensive. There were around sixteen different issues offered for free to patrons, including at least one photocopied ashcan of “Been Better Comic Books” by Jimmy Purcell. The 501st legion of storm troopers had a strong turnout this year, along with the Inland Empire Fan Force (seen here in a group shot along with Tony Stark and The Joke). The day ended with plenty of hugs and handshakes for all, and hopes for a great Free Comics Day next year!

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Superheroes, Zombies, and Squirrel Boy, Oh My!

The living and the dead came out to take pictures with the fans.
Sci-Fi Channel’s “Who Wants to be a Superhero” Feedback (Season 1) and Hygena (Season 2, and purely coincidentally my wife), seen here signing for the fans and taking pictures with them. Always a hit with the crowds, the two of them took hundreds of pictures and talked at length about Stan Lee’s show and their experience with reality television.
Not to be outdone, Marvel’s Zombie Hulk and Zombie Captain America hung around with the fans, in a less animated form.
I also managed a quick chat with Melody Fox, one of the lead writers on Sci-Fi’s recently canceled Flash Gordon show. Fox expressed disappointment in the cancellation, feeling that the show had started to hit it’s stride around episode 8 or so as an A Story started to thread it’s way through the episodes, but by then fans had tuned out.
Fox’s Roomate Stephanie Lesniak (pictured below) was also on hand with her own booth. Lesniak is a former graphic designer with Top Cow, and worked on layout for books such as Witchblade, Tomb Raider, Battle of the Planets, Cursed, and The Darkness. Lesniak is currently working with Scrap Pictures (pencils, inks, colors), and with Cartoon Network overseeing their design department on shows such as Squirrel Boy.

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Interview with Amy Wolfram - Teen Titans Year One

Grabbed a quick interview with writer Amy Wolfram, whose credits include the animated series TEEN TITANS as well as episodes of STORMHAWKS, LEGION OF SUPERHEROES, AMERICAN DRAGON: JAKE LONG, XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN and BEN 10, along with several others.
CBR: So you were writing for the Teen Titans Animated Show, and now for DC’s Teen Titans Year One?
WOLFRAM: That’s right, I wrote 15 episodes for the animated show, and now I am working on Year One [Note - Currently on issue 5 of 6].
CBR: What do you find to be the biggest difficulty or difference between writing for the show, and writing for comics?
WOLFRAM: The pacing is a little bit different, figuring out what goes on the page, how many panels go on the page. When you’re writing for television you don’t know what happens in scene two. But when you’re working on a comic book you have to know what’s happening on page 2 in the breakdown up front.
CBR: Are you enjoying that process?
WOLFRAM: I’m having a great time. I’m working with Karl Kerschl , who is awesome, and Serge Lapointe. I had a colorist who recently passed away. But, we have a great team. We actually collaborate I think a lot more than traditionally in comic books because I’m used to that with the TV show.
CBR: So what brings you out to Free Comic Book Day today?
WOLFRAM: You can’t miss it!
CBR: So did Chris contact you, or…?
WOLFRAM: Yeah Chris contact me. I think it’s a great day, I think it’s wonderful to see people getting involved with comic books and seeing all the kids and seeing them get excited about it.
CBR: I’ll let you get back to talking with your fans. Thank you very much Amy.
WOLFRAM: Thank you!

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Charitable Collections and Tony Stark

Grabbed a quick interview with Chris Brady, store owner (pictured here giving away some free comics to kids in attendance).
Chris is selling various signed comics and collectibles gathered over the years to donate to three charities in equal shares: Sam Loeb Scholarship fund, Hero Initiative and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Attendance for the first two hours or so is around 500 people, and Chris Brady is expecting a total of 1500 for the day.
Employee Chris (not to be confused with Owner Chris) is seen here as Tony Stark, and then as Iron Man, here to chat with folks in line for free schwag and food.

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Cool Displays @ 4 Color Fantasies

Just a few of the fantastic displays here in Rancho Cucamonga (say that name four times fast, Cucamonga, Cucamonga Cucawforgetit!)

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Lines around the storefront!

The parking lot is packed here at 4Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, with the line wrapping around the building. Easily 200 enthusiastic comics fans here already. Tables full of local artists, writers, costumed heroes and villains, kids areas, and tons of comic books and displays.

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Live Blogging from 4Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, California

I’ll be live blogging today from 4Color Fantasies in lovely Rancho Cucamonga, CA today. We’ll be there from 11am to 4pm. If you’re in the area, come on by and say hello. We’ll be joining Feedback and Hygena from the Who Wants to be a Superhero TV show (season 1 & 2), Kirk Kushin of Super Teen Topia Graphics, TV writer Amy Wolfram of the Teen Titans animated series and Teen Titans Year One, and sci-fi author Geoffrey Greer.
-Mark Cronan CBR Live


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