Press Release
On Saturday night, September 6th, the comic book industry, including professionals, retailers, and fans, will gather at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore to honor the 2014 Harvey Award Nominees for 2013 comic work and present the Harveys to their recipients. This is an exciting evening, highlighted by our host Michael Uslan, Originator and Executive Producer of the dark and serious Batman film franchise, from 1989’s “Batman” through “The Dark Knight Trilogy” to the upcoming “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Harvey Awards tickets are on sale NOW! Tickets to the event, which includes full cocktail hour (cash bar), full service dinner (featuring a Baltimore Crabcake!), awards ceremony, and a gift bag, are now available for $125. Tickets are available at our website via credit card at baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets.
Host Michael Uslan is a titan in the entertainment industry. His projects have won Emmy Awards, Oscars, Peoples Choice Awards, and Annie Awards. His involvement in comics and big- and small-screen adaptations is both broad and long.
As a comics writer, Uslan’s work dates back to the 1970s and has included works such as DC Comics’ Batman: Detective #27, Batman: Black and White, Just Imagine Stan Lee, The Shadow, The Question, Will Eisner’s The Spirit, Archie Comics’ Archie Marries and Life with Archie, TokyoPop’s The Mysterians, a revival of the syndicate comic strip Terry and the Pirates, and, most recently, Archie Comics’ Farewell Betty & Veronica, Dynamite Entertainment’s The Shadow & Green Hornet: Dark Nights, and its new Justice Inc.
Perhaps more broadly, Uslan is recognized as Executive Producer on numerous comic adaptations to film and DVD, including such films as Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Batman, Batman Returns, and The Lego Movie. He is also an Executive Producer of the Batman animated movies on DVD, and a Producer on Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Constantine, as well as the upcoming Doc Savage.
On the small screen, Uslan has served as Executive Producer of the comic book documentaries, The Marvel Super-Heroes Guide to New York City and Legends Behind the Comic Books.
Beyond writing comics, he has written about comics, including his recently published memoir from Chronicle Books, The Boy Who Loved Batman.
He is a recipient of numerous industry accolades and awards, both in comics and entertainment.
A seasoned speaker for a wide range of award shows, comic conventions, commencement ceremonies, and industry conferences, Uslan says: “Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I was fortunate enough to amass the complete collection of MAD Comics and witness the genius of Harvey Kurtzman. As I grew up and matured, so did Harvey’s magazine work, with his HELP Magazine ushering me through my high school years. And, I might add a special thanks to him for my seeing his work in PLAYBOY on “Little Annie Fannie,” just as I turned 13. Harvey Kurtzman represents the very best of the comic book industry, its creators, and craftsmen. In that light, the Harvey Awards represent the significance of such people being recognized strictly by their peers. This makes it a double honor for me to be MC’ing this year’s very special Awards night.”
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards. The Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Additionally, the Hero Initiative will present 2 awards to outstanding members of the comics community!
The Hero Initiative was established to aid comic creators with a financial safety net when in need of emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. In the years since its inception, the board has created an award to recognize those individuals in the industry that have dedicated their talent over the lifetime of their careers to the comic book community at-large, achieving the status of Hero. Previous recipients include Sal Buscema, John Romita, Joe Kubert, Nick Cardy, Neal Adams, and George Perez. Who will be this year’s lifetime Hero?
The Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award will also be presented at the Harvey Awards Banquet. Giordano, who passed away in early 2010, was part of Hero Initiative’s Board of Directors. He was also a legendary artist, a guiding force at Charlton Comics and DC Comics for many years, a mentor to his colleagues, and a friend to all who knew him. His legacy epitomizes the caring and commitment Hero Initiative strives to achieve. In his honor, the Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award will recognize one person in comics each year who has demonstrated the generosity and integrity Dick brought to the charity, and to the comic book community at large.
In the coming week, 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, and Facebook pages.
This year’s Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 5-7, 2014. Convention hours are Friday 1pm to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 7pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, September 6th.
About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 14th 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 September 5-7, 2014. 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 9 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.
