18 Nov 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Extended version)

(New Bedford, MA – November 18, 2018) The Inkwell Awards is announcing that their annual live awards ceremony will be relocating to the Great Philadelphia Comic Con! at the The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA commencing April 12-14, 2019. Their awards ceremonies for the previous eight years, including 2018, were held at the June HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC.

According to Inkwell Awards founder and director Bob Almond, HeroesCon promoter Shelton Drum invited the non-profit organization to his long-running, family-friendly show in 2011. “We had been left hanging by a major convention,” Almond said, “and Shelton, who had endured similar problems, wanted to support a kindred spirit and show that this altruistic, annual event could be done and well-supported.”

Almond added, “Changing venues is both sorrowful and exciting. Our presence at Heroes’ industry-respected and community-loved show further boosted our credibility and exposure, which helped with fundraising in the long run. We can truly thank HeroesCon for where we are now. But the 16-hour drives and related travel expenses each season would leave our budget almost wiped out.”

When asked about the switch in locations, Almond explained, “When Great Philadelphia Con’s Creator Relations and Artist Alley Director Stan Konopka with promoter Christopher D. Wertz offered us their venue and funding support for all expenses, we were thrilled. A mere six-hour drive is a huge relief for us. Christopher’s convention has grown in a short time in reputation and attendance from both the celebrity/artist guests and the fans.”

Christopher gave the following statement:
“We at The Great Philadelphia Comic Con! would like to graciously thank the Inkwell Awards and Bob for honoring our show by choosing us to host the Inkwell Awards Ceremony and its nominees at our April 2019 event and beyond. From our beginning with a small, one-day family-run show in Allentown Pa, we have tried to focus on the celebration of the Sequential Arts. Since then we have grown to become the second largest Comic Convention in Pennsylvania, now held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks.

“Throughout our history, we have worked to keep our Artists an important focus of our events, being the first guests that all fans see as they enter the show, and the last as they leave. A key foundation for this focus has been our Director of Artists Alley and Creator Relations Stan Konopka, who has a background  in this arena as the creator and writer of “The Rejected” by Source Point Press. Similar to how a good inker can make or break the final quality of what a reader sees in a book, having an excellent team when planning an event is critical.

“Stan has been working with Bob in the background, planning, having meetings, and long phone calls with the ultimate goal and determination to create one of the best Awards Ceremonies in the business. We look forward to working together to make an amazing and enduring event that can grow with our show year over year. So, it is with great humility and welcoming arms we joyfully announce our relationship with Bob and the Inkwell Awards!”

In a statement, Heroes promoter Drum said:

”It’s been eight years since Bob Almond made Heroes Con the home of The Inkwells. We have been privileged to be host to Bob and his team as they honored the true unsung heroes of comics, the Inkers. The annual Inkwell Awards ceremony– the anchor of our opening day programming– has spotlighted and awarded many of the greatest inkers in comic’s history: Mike Royer, Rudy Nebres, Klaus Janson, Bob McLeod, Jerry Ordway and Joe Rubinstein, just to name a few.

“And now Bob is heading to Great Philadelphia Comic Con and taking the Inkwells with him. They will be missed, but it is wonderful knowing Bob Almond will still be at it making the world a more appreciative place for our black-thumbed brethren. Godspeed, Bob.”

Almond concluded, “Shelton graciously took us in at a low-point for me. Now, as we celebrate The Inkwells’ 10th anniversary, it’s like progressing from one chapter of growth to a new one as we boldly embark on our second decade with Christopher and Stan.”