Final Unknown BPAL packages up for sale…now!

Get ’em while they're still here!

A mere 27—that's right, we said 27!—packages of BOOM! Studios' Unknown hardcover and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Cat Allingham Unknown perfume are left, and they're for sale on Hero Initiative's eBay page!

Only 100 copies of this great combo that debuted at 2010's San Diego Comic-Con were created, and only a VERY few remain! Buy now and you get BOTH:

• A hardcover edition of The Unknown with an original bookplate illustrated by artist Minck Oosterveer and signed by Oosterveer and Mark Waid. Each copy is a signed-and-numbered edition of only 100 copies!

• A 5ml bottle of Cat Allingham from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. The fragrance features distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand.

Only a few limited edition sets remain at $50! Did we mention it makes a great gift? Well, it does.

Get to Hero's eBay page QUICKLY! They'll likely be gone soon!

Jim McLauchlin

Mid-Ohio auctions for Hero Initiative!

Our pals over at the Mid-Ohio Con were gracious enough to get a buncha top-drawer artists to pony up some great art for Hero Initiative. And they've even gracious enough to auction ’em off via eBay! So check ’em out! Great stuff from Sergio Aragones (above), Matt Wagner (below), Billy Tucci, David Peterson, Todd Nauck, and the ever-popular "many, many more."

And did we mention next year's Mid-Ohio Con will be Oct. 22-23, 2011? Well, it will. Be there!

Jim McLauchlin

Tim Sale at Golden Apple's Hero Member Party!

The mighty Golden Apple on L.A.'s fabulous Melrose Ave. hosted a Hero Initiative membership party with the stellar Tim Sale on Nov. 12!
The first six lucky fans to sign up for a Silver-lever Hero membership even got a BONUS Tim Sale inkwash sketch for their $99, in addition to all their regular Hero goodies.
A splendid time was had by all. You can check out even more pics from the event at Hero Initiative's page at PopCons.com .

Jim McLauchlin

Mid-Ohio Charity Auction Coming Nov. 26!

Folks,
The kind fellas at Mid-Ohio Con are having a post-con charity auction benefiting Hero Initiative set to launch the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26.

Check out the Mid-Ohio blog for a cool preview, and do your Christmas shopping from your computer come Black Friday!

Jim McLauchlin

Go get you some Black Phoenix Heroine!

It's available to yon general public!

Heroine, the new scent crafted specifically for Hero Initiative and sporting the super-cool Adam Hughes label art seen here, is now available at the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website! It make a wonderful gift, as do all the Black Phoenix scents.

Heroine features Nepalese amber, East African patchouli, dark musk, apple blossom, petitgrain, aged leather, skin musk, and rhubarb. And did we mention the super-cool Adam Hughes label art seen here?

$26 the bottle and a bargain at that!

Jim McLauchlin

Hero Initiative Original Archies, Week 4

Art lovers take note: Hero Initiative's original Archie #600 auctions continue right now on eBay! And did we mention it's the giving season? Wouldn't a Joe Jusko (above) look nice under the tree? Or a Jim Mahfood or Mark McKenna (below).

Don't do it for yourself. Do it for the loved ones in your life.

Jim McLauchlin

Hero Initiative 2011 Memberships…and parties!

Hero Initiative's 2011 Memberships are up and running! You can become a yearly member to fly your freak flag for Hero, and get some great goodies at the same time!

And for those of you in Chicago or Los Angeles…
The mighty Graham Crackers of Chicago will be hosting artist Angel Medina at their Plainfield location on Friday., November 12 at 7 PM. You can pick up your Hero membership, get 25% off EVERYTHING in the store, indulge yourself in food and drink, AND if you sign up at the $99 Silver level, get an original sketch from Angel as well!

L.A.'s legendary Golden Apple will host booze, food, and even Tim Sale on Friday., November 12 at 6 PM. The first six folks signing up at the $99 Silver level will also get an original sketch from Tim. And hey—as this deal is limited in nature, you may wanna check out Golden Apple's Web store to reserve your spot!

Jim McLauchlin

Hero Initiative Party at Long Beach!

My name’s Steve and I’m a 64-year-old fanboy (or fanman, I hope), and I’m here to tell you about the best part of Halloween weekend’s 2nd annual Long Beach Comic Con: The Hero Initiative’s Friday night meet-and-greet cocktail party!

I got to hang out with the Reverend Dave Johnson, comicdom’s funnest couple: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, the cool Tim Bradstreet and the hot (in my wife's opinion) Tom Jane. Trust me, there are no introverts in that group, and there were only 20 party attendees altogether, so it was easy to get one-on-one time with everyone.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much and heard as many cool inside-the-world-of-comics stories. A few of the things that happened won’t see print here, so you’ll just have to attend the next one, but the highlights for me were when I did a little cigar smoking outside with Tom Jane, after he rocked the house singing with the local guitar-wielding troubadour, Keith… …and when Amanda gave everyone a signed print of their choosing (like I could pick anyone other than Power Girl!), and the Reverend Dave marrying several couples. No, wait, wait, I made that last one up.

In case you haven’t met the Hero guys in person, let me assure you that they’re dedicated and serious about what they do, but a heck of a lot of fun to be with. So keep watching their website for their next get-together event, and jump on it!

Original Archies, second week!

The hits just keep on comin'! The second week of Hero Initiative's original Archie #600 covers are now up on eBay! There are beauts such as Joseph Michael Linsner's, above...

Agnes Garbowska's right here, and Leonard Kirk's below!
Get you there!

Jim McLauchlin

More Heroine at Mid-Ohio!

Good news for the BPAL fans out there—and we know you're out there!

Heroine, the new scent from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab featuring the great new Adam Hughes label, will be available at Mid-Ohio Con, Nov. 6-7!

Heroine is the first scent created specifically for The Hero Initiative, and features Nepalese amber, East African patchouli, dark musk, apple blossom, petitgrain, aged leather, skin musk, and rhubarb.

Heroine will be available for $25 at Hero's booth at Mid-Ohio Con, and will be $26 when it goes live on the BPAL site in late November.

Jim McLauchlin