Northwest Press

Norwescon Panel: Charles “Zan” Christensen reads “The Plan”

// April 2nd, 2012 // // Events, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Part of Norwescon 35! Charles “Zan” Christensen  (The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within) reads his short story from The Lavender Menace from Lethe Press, a collection of stories about gay super-villains scheduled for release in 2012. In it, a flirtatious rivalry between a hero and villain (a la Batman and Catwoman) comes to a climactic finish. What kind of plan could a spurned villain concoct to exact revenge? Will the hero survive? Rated PG. Cascade 1

Norwescon Panel: Queer Voices in SF/F

// April 2nd, 2012 // // Events, Misc, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Part of Norwescon 35! Science fiction and fantasy authors often use the fringes of mainstream culture as plot material. How do authors portray gender and sexuality in their works; and how realistic are the works of those who write outside their own identities? Are the tales of early authors who played with gender still relevant? And have these works changed fannish attitudes, and made those in the QUILTBAG community feel welcome?

Charles “Zan” Christensen (co-creator of The Power Within) joins moderator Dennis R. Upkins and panelists Keffy R. M. Kehrli and Jeliza Patterson. Cascade 5

Norwescon Panel: Activism Through SF/Fantasy Writing and Art

// April 2nd, 2012 // // Events, Misc, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Part of Norwescon 35! Can art change the world? What statement can you make through science fiction writing and art? Panelists will share success stories and discuss strategies for effective activism through art and writing. Charles “Zan” Christensen (The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within) joins moderator Anina Bennett and panelists Paul Guinan and Todd Lockwood. Cascade 7

Norwescon Panel: Minorities in Comics

// April 2nd, 2012 // // Events, Misc, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Part of Norwescon 35! How do American comics differ from manga or European comics? When will there be less sexism in mainstream comics? Are token minorities better than none at all? What strengths and weaknesses are there in this medium for representing a unique look at these issues? Charles “Zan” Christensen (The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within) joins moderator Dennis R. Upkins and panelists Ashley “nerdtastic” Cook and Kate Merriwether Lynch. Cascade 7

Norwescon Panel: Fantasy, Science Fiction, & Speculative Fiction in Comics

// April 2nd, 2012 // // Events, Misc, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Part of Norwescon 35! Comics as a format has great potential for fantasy and science fiction. Here’s a look at some of the great work of the past and what’s being published currently, from recurring comics to graphic novels, and how the format affects the stories being told. Charles “Zan” Christensen  (The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within) joins moderator Ashley “nerdtastic” Cook and panelists Bryan Syme, Donna Barr, and Shon C. Bury. Cascade 5

Emerald City Comicon 2012

// March 30th, 2012 // // Events, Rainy Day Recess, Teleny and Camille, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Northwest Press will be once again partnering with Prism Comics to appear at a deluxe booth at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle from March 30th to April 1st. Stop by and meet NWP creators Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille),  Charles “Zan” Christensen (The Power Within, The Mark of Aeacus), Mark Brill (artist on The Power Within, The Mark of Aeacus) and David Kelly (Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics). Browse all the NWP stuff, plus discover a ton of great LGBT comics from a wide variety of talented folks!

WonderCon 2012

// March 16th, 2012 // // Events, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Northwest Press will be partnering with Prism Comics to appear at a deluxe booth at WonderCon in Anaheim, California from March 16th-18th! Stop by and meet The Mark of Aeacus and The Power Within co-creator Charles “Zan” Christensen and pick up some great NWP stuff, plus a ton of great LGBT comics from a wide variety of talented folks!

Nominate NWP Books for Harvey Awards!

// February 28th, 2012 // // A Waste of Time, Diary of a Catering Whore, Rainy Day Recess, The Power Within

Hey there, comics professionals!

The voting has opened for the 2012 Harvey Awards, and all comics industry professionals are welcome to submit their nominations for the best of 2011. I would be oh-so grateful if you could keep the four Northwest Press books from 2011—Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics, The Power Within, A Waste of Time and Diary of a Catering Whore—in mind when assembling your nomination lists.

Here are the categories that the books are eligible for; you can nominate up to five people/titles per category. (And if you’d like me to nominate your work from 2011, please let me know!) Download the email-able ballot, fill it in with your choices, and send it to harveyballots@hotmail.com.

Thanks for your support!

1) BEST WRITER
Charles “Zan” Christensen — The Power Within

2) BEST ARTIST 
Mark Brill — The Power Within

3) BEST CARTOONIST 
Rick Worley — A Waste of Time
David Kelly — Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics
Sean Seamus McWhinny — Diary of a Catering Whore

7) BEST COVER ARTIST
Rick Worley/Phil Good — A Waste of Time
Mark Brill — The Power Within

8) MOST PROMISING NEW TALENT
Rick Worley — A Waste of Time

14) BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM – PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics — Northwest Press

15) BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
The Power Within — Northwest Press

16) BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics — Northwest Press

18) BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK 
A Waste of Time — http://rickworley.com

19) SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Rick Worley — A Waste of Time

22) BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS
The Power Within — Northwest Press
Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics — Northwest Press

Image Expo 2012

// February 24th, 2012 // // A Waste of Time, Events, Glamazonia, Teleny and Camille, The Mark of Aeacus, The Power Within

Several Northwest Press creators will be attending the first annual Image Expo in Oakland on February 24th and 25th, including  Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille), Rick Worley (A Waste of Time), Justin Hall (Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny) and Charles “Zan” Christensen (The Power Within, The Mark of Aeacus). Look for us on the convention floor!

Christensen and Brill Named Two of Out Magazine’s OUT 100 for The Power Within

// November 17th, 2011 // // The Power Within

OUT Magazine revealed today that Charles “Zan” Christensen and Mark Brill—creators of the anti-bullying comic THE POWER WITHIN—have been recognized as two of 2011′s “OUT 100″, described by the magazine as an “annual salute to the year’s most inspiring people”. Other notable honorees this year include Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sandra Bernhard, Justin Bond, Dustin Lance Black, David Mixner, Harmony Santana, Chaz Bono, and Tim Gunn.

Christensen and Brill started work on THE POWER WITHIN in October of last year for 24-Hour Comics Day, an event where artists and writers attempt to create a complete 24-page comic book in 24 hours. Their story focused on a boy named Shannon who deals with bullying at school by escaping into a super-powered alter-ego but ultimately has to find the strength to face the harassment in real life.

The decision to do a comic that tackles antigay bullying was prompted by the previous month’s numerous reports of teen suicides linked to bullying and harassment. Those reports spurred Ellen Degeneres to speak out to raise awareness and Dan Savage to start the It Gets Better Project.
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