Surprising Comic Con Stories Unveiled in New Anthology

Who better to ask what actually goes on at a comic book convention than comic book folk? That’s the thinking behind Dark Horse Comics’ upcoming anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons, announced Tuesday by the Oregon-based publisher.

The collection will combine prose and comic book stories from a number of creators including Brian Michael Bendis, Kieron Gillen, Greg Pak, Amy Chu, Tini Howard and Jenn St-Onge, with the publisher promising “surprise celebrity run-ins, fan encounters that changed creator’s lives, costume malfunctions, and practical advice for both new and experienced convention attendees” in what it’s calling a collection of “funny, sad, sweet, embarrassing, and heartfelt stories” that happen at comic book conventions.

Pros and (Comic) Cons was assembled by editor Hope Nicholson of Bedside Press, and follows her previous anthologies with Dark Horse, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls and The Secret Loves of Geeks. Nicholson also co-edited Angel Catbird, written by Margaret Atwood, for the publisher.

On Twitter, Nicholson unpacked a little more about the project, writing, “I always try to select a good variety of comics people for my books. Not just artists and writers, but editors, retailers, historians, journalists, academics, publishers. It's my way of trying to get everyone connected and see we're in this together.”

The title, featuring a cover from Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Colleen Coover, will be released May 29.