Comics / Comics News

Local Talent Shines at Louisiana Comic Con 2015

By Leroy Douresseaux
October 27, 2015 - 18:37

I attended Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, Louisiana on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 17th and 18th, 2015.  This was the first comic book convention held in Lafayette since AcadianaCon in 1985.  Since then, there have been two anime conventions held in the “Hub City,” although one eventually relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana.

A good thing that a Louisiana comic book convention or comic-con can do is showcase the work of Louisiana-based and regional comic book creators, especially indie, small press, and self-published creators.  Lafayette Comic Con, the city's first “comic con,” did indeed feature local (to Lafayette) comic book creators as guests and also as vendors.

Kody Chamberlain with a small child who might be his son

Kody Chamberlain, a mostly self-taught comic book artist, became a professional comic book artist over a decade ago with work in IDW Publishing's 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales and in Digital Webbing Presents.  Kody has been a comic book artist-for-hire (on Marvel Comics' newuniversal), a writer-artist (on his creator-owned Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story), and a creator-artist (on Punks: The Series with writer Joshua Hale Fialkov).  Kody has also been a small businessman, being the owner of a Lafayette-based graphic design firm.  Kody was a guest at Louisiana Comic Con.

Image of Rob Guillory at Lafayette Comic Con 2015.

Rob Guillory is best known as the artist on Image Comics' Chew, which he produces with writer John Layman.  For the series, Guillory has shared two Will Eisner Awards (“Best New Series” and “Best Continuing Series”) with Layman, and Guillory also won a Harvey Award for “Best New Talent” one of his two Harveys.  Guillory drew a story included in Marvel Comics' Thor Annual #1 (2015).  Rob was a guest at Louisiana Comic Con.

Image of Roland Paris at Lafayette Comic Con 2015.

Roland Paris is from New Orleans and currently lives in Baton Rouge, LA.  He is a longtime professional comic book penciller, inker, and cover artist.  His credits include The Amazing Spider-Man, Black Panther, Storm, and X-Men, among many.  Roland was a guest at Louisiana Comic Con.

Image of Jason Bienvenu at Lafayette Comic Con 2015

Lafayette-based Jason Bienvenu wrote and drew the six-issue comic book miniseries, The Kingdom, which was published by Comix Tribe.  Jason had a table at Louisiana Comic Con, which he shared with another comics creator...

Image of Brandon Gary at Lafayette Comic Con 2015.

Lafayette-based Brandon Gary writes and provides the layouts for Dusk, a new science fiction comic book series.  Gary's partner on Dusk is Jason Bienvenu, with whom he shared a vendor's table at Louisiana Comic Con.

Last, I must apologize for my incompetence, dear readers.  I failed to procure convention photographs of a few local small press and self-published comics creators.  I met Alabama-based comic book artist Amanda Rachels (Arcana Studios’ The Book; Clown Town), who is drawing Erica J. Heflin's Flesh of White.  I also met New Orleans-based Michael Phillips.  He created the comic book series, The Draconis Project, which he writes and publishes through his MidCity Comics, LLC.

As Terrence Howard said in Iron Man, “Next time!”

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12