Tag: Image Comics

Missing San Diego This Year

On July 22, 2025

In 2025, Agent, Auditions, Blog, Blog writing, Book Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, Comic-Con, San Diego Comic Con, Taking Classes, Voice Acting, Voice Over, Webcomic, Writing

Won’t be at San Diego

This is the second year in a row (not counting Covid) that my wife and I won’t be attending the San Diego Comic Con International.

I’m really disappointed in this, but it comes down to finances. Though I still have a “Pro-Badge” (thank goodness to illustrations I’ve done for Airship 27 Productions), and we can’t afford the hotel rooms down there.

Attending the San Diego Comic-Con each year was a high point in my life since high school (if not earlier). The city itself has a special place in my family’s life, but became all the more so once I started attending Comic-Con.

I attended every year for at least twenty years, while my family enjoyed the sites of the city. I enjoyed the con itself, and did my best to get to know the companies and my fellow artists and writers.

That would not be easy, as I am a terrible introvert and very shy. Trying to talk with people and company representatives. I know I am my own worst enemy when it comes to presenting myself to others. But I didn’t give up and kept going to con every year.

As I’ve told you in a previous post, through school I met up with a professional comic book artist and became his assistant for about a year or so. It was a great learning experience. He was working for Image Comics at the time, and so I did background illustrations for several of his books, as well as doing color compositions for them as well. This got me my first professional credits and it also got me my very first Professional Badge to attend San Diego Comic Con.

I even pitched our webcomic FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY there one year and got a positive response (see previous post).

I’ve had a professional badge ever since. From continuing to do comic work, animation script, our webcomic, and book illustration.

When my wife (before we were married) first moved down to the Los Angeles area, I invited her to go to Comic-Con with me only weeks after she first arrived. I probably shouldn’t have done that. I basically through her into the deep end of the pool with San Diego as her very first Con. We should have started off with one of the smaller local Cons. But she survived, and kept coming with me every year since. Receiving her own pro-badge, the very next year after working in animation.

We’ve both had our pro-badges ever since. We’ve attended every con, not counting Covid, since.

She now as a Master in Library and Information Sciences, and one year recently she got to attend San Diego with me and spent most of the time at the San Diego Library where some special panels were going with SDCC.

As I’ve been training and doing auditions for Voice Acting over the last several years, I’ve been enjoying going to Voice Over related panels at the Con as well. I’ve never had the courage to do one of the Live Reads at the Bang Zoom panel (BZ being a Voice Over recording studio that specializes in Anime, I have taken several classes with them). Plus, the one panel we love to attend every year (at both SDCC and Wonder Con) hosted by Writer/Director Mark Evanier called Cartoon Voices where professional Voice Actors are the panels, and after talking about their own careers (and Evanier talks about the history of animation voice acting), they put on a cold read of a script that he has provided. It is always fun, especially as they change their voices with each new line of dialog.

There are a lot of other VO panels this year, and I’m really sorry I’m missing them all.

We still love going to this Cons, WonderCon has become far more affordable since it is nearby and we can take public transit part of the way.

God willing, we will both be working professionally again soon and renew our badges for next year. Hopefully, I’ll be attending as a Professional Voice Actor next year.

My Career In Comics, So far…

By Kevin

On January 31, 2025

In 2025, Airship 27, Author, Blog, Blog writing, Book Illustrations, Book Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, Fullerton College, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech, Writing

This is probably going to be the more boring and least interesting post in this series, but let’s give it a try.

As mentioned, I was a young kid discovering comic books when I knew I wanted to be a comic book artist, and being an artist, I soon discovered that I was a story teller so that meant I was a writer as well. I emulated the artists and writers I loved in the comic.

Thoughts on An Irish Marathon

By Kevin

On October 9, 2018

In Uncategorized

In 1909 my grandfather won the Belfast Marathon.

On Halloween of that year he left for America where he would run in both the New York and Boston marathons. Eventually traveling across country with his family to settle in Fullerton, California. Yet, our family has never been far from Ireland, having visited many times. We call it ‘Heaven on Earth.’

I have been thinking a lot about how far my grandfather traveled and ran through out his long life and how it relates to my own race of a job search.

Life is a marathon. Everything you do is part of that race, there are no sprints, and hundred yard dashes. Marathons are long races in which you have to pace yourself, there will be long straightaways, up hill climbs, and sharp hairpin turns that take you in unexpected directions or make it feel like you are running in circles and heading back the way you came. You have to be willing to keep at it for the entire run, ever focused on the goal even if you can’t see the finish line.

My marathon began when I was young and fell in love with comic books and television animation. I wanted to be a part of that! Run that race. After all the run to Hollywood from my home was relatively short, but I didn’t realize just how far that run would actually be. The slow jog through school was a struggle until I stumbled upon a university professor in art who understood what I was running for.

My first real milestone came when I was hired as a background artist on the pages of the first issue of SUPREME for Image Comics. I thought that would lead me on a long straight away working in the comic book industry, but a turn too soon had me going in another direction.

Miles would pass and I kept on running. Along the way I would meet another running nearly the same race as I. She became the love of my life. Together Shannon I would run and create the webcomic FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY which has become a major part of our race for many years and miles. Though Shannon’s race had already lead her to work in television animation production, we soon found a mile stone together writing episodes of an animated series in Japan called MIDNIGHT HORROR SCHOOL, though very few people have ever seen it in the U.S. Along the road we have both written short stories and novels, and I have been hired to do book illustrations. After running our race for what seemed like forever Shannon and I were finally married.

Last year my marathon lead me to working as an Associate Producer on an animated feature film. Again I thought I was on a straight away towards my goal. Unfortunately, it was a short run when the project got canceled. I learned a lot from the experience and hope to use my skills as I race for another production job.

I just passed my latest milestone having a comic book published in which I both wrote and illustrated the story. All-Star Pulp Comics #4, from Airship 27 Productions, contains my story “The DA’s Dilemma,” staring the Veiled Avenger, a heroine out of the Golden Age of comics.

Many times I have run long distances with nothing around and feeling very alone, no one to hand me a cup of refreshing water when I need it or provide needed encouragement and direction, and yet I refuse to give up. This race is too important to me.

Now, with thoughts of my grandfather, I have begun to wonder if my marathon race may lead me back to Ireland. I have discovered there are many great animation production houses in Ireland and if I got a chance to work with them my race would bring together two of my great joys; Ireland and Animation.

Marathons are, as I have said, long races and I am nowhere near being able to see the Finish Line. For all I know it hasn’t been installed yet. Just know that my shoes are tied and I’m still on the road. It’s time to run!

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
October 6th, 2018

SDCC – Pre Con Blog 2012

By Kevin

On July 11, 2012

In Uncategorized

When I first attended the San Diego Comic Convention, I couldn’t believe there would be that many people interested in comic books and get together in one location. That year there was this shocking number of over 5000 people in attendance.

This year the Convention Center has capped the attendance at 130,000 people.

That’s quite a bit of a difference, and that’s a whole lot of years in-between.

Through those years my goal has been work in the industry; first as a comic book artist, then as a writer both in comics and in animation, and pursuing a career in production as both.

As Image Comics is celebrating a major anniversary in its existence I remember how it was through them I got my first professional credits (though my name only appears in one of the books I worked on), that year I got to sit in the company booth and I even signed my autographs on a few items.

I’ve only missed one year over all these year. And though I have never completely gotten over all my nerves each year I get better and better at talking with the professionals as I am one of them. I am.

So once again, I am heading down to San Diego to schmooze with my fellow script writers, authors, artists, editors, actors and producers. And Mission 818 is going with me.

This is the third year that I am taking the train down and riding it back home each night. It’s a relaxing trip, and it is a whole lot cheaper than any hotel you’ll find (or not find) in the entire city this weekend.

Can’t promise that I’ll be blogging all through the weekend, but check out my twitter feed at @Kevinpsb00 I’m sure I’ll have something to say.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden

Four Names of Professional Creativity

Secret Origin of the Masked Ghost

By Kevin

On September 9, 2010

In Uncategorized

Secret Origins – Original vs Unique Characters

You didn’t really expect me to tell you the hero’s origin here did you? You’ll just have to keep reaching the chapters of “Revenge of the Masked Ghost” as I post them each week.

For those of you who aren’t following me on Twitter (@Kevinpsb00) or Facebook, I have begun writing a serialized novel which I am posting on my Facebook account entitled “Revenge of The Masked Ghost” You can find a link to it on the right side of this blog, as well as links to other important things in my online life. Check them all out.- – – > > >

‘Masked Ghost’, Ya, I know it’s not the most exciting name, but it says what it needs to. Like writer Mark Waid has admitted, I have a terrible time coming up with character names. Civilian names are actually easier to come up with than costumed nom de plumes. You try to come up with a really interesting name for a guy in a mask and tights that hasn’t been used a dozen times. At least this isn’t the 90’s when all I would have to do is find a way to use the words ‘Death’ or ‘Blood’. Only slightly a joke there.

I’m still proud of FLYING GLORY and her grandma I now call OL’GLORY.

Now on to the origin. Every kernel of a story idea isn’t always original. Especially if you want to tell a tale about mystery men and super heroes. Man puts on mask and fights crime, or avenges the murder of family members; whether he has super powers or just uses his fists, that’s basically it.

That character, his mask, tights, and cape, can be so much more than that depending on what the writer, and the artist, who brings him to life. What makes Peter Parker a great character? Is it his powers, or the death of his Uncle Ben teaching him to take responsibilities for his actions? The Fantastic Four are great team because they’re a family.

I could go on.

Each writer takes a shot at

Now I’m frightening myself, because there’s no way I can compare myself to the greatest writers of the last 75 years of super heroes. I wouldn’t dream of even trying.

The reason why I mention all is that I know at first glance the “Masked Ghost” will appear very familiar. I’ll admit that I really enjoy the original costumed mystery men like the Crimson Avenger, the Green Hornet, and the original Sandman. And my hero has the same type of business suit and fedora. Though he doesn’t have a stereotypical Asian sidekick like to of those did.

(Unimportant aside: The word ‘sidekick’ is in Word’s spell check. Did that word exist before the creation of masked heroes?)

I’ve wanted to write about one of these old style mysterious vigilante’s (realize that the term super hero wouldn’t come into existence for several years,) but didn’t want to do just any story. It had to have something unique about it.

Then about three weeks ago I had a thought; not about the hero himself but what would the family be like if they suddenly discovered he was a masked vigilante. That’s all I’ll tell you about that idea, except to say that from a single thought grew a whole concept. I first brain stormed for about a page, and then for three more pages I began to work out what the first story would be about. A day later I had worked out the beats for a 25 chapter long story.It grew quickly from there.

I don’t know everything about what’s going to happen to our hero and his family, and I know absolutely nothing about criminal he’s hunting. But it’s all coming together, and you will be discovering all his secrets as I do

So why this blog, besides promoting “Revenge of the Masked Ghost?” I want to tell all the new writers out there who want to get into comics and super heroes not to worry if your ideas aren’t a hundred percent original. Whether you get a chance to write for an existing mystery man (or woman) or create one of your own, make the story write come from your heart. That way your story will be unique and special. Make what’s been around for years new and make it your own. I’ve done that with Flying Glory, and hope I’m doing it with “The Masked Ghost.”

On a side note a ghost out of my own past showed up to haunt me last night…

Jordan Jennings (@JordanCJennings on Twitter) of CBO Productions did a review of the first issue of Image Comics SUPREME as part of his Field Guide To the Comic Book Bargain Bin series. He gives a very interesting look back at this character created by Rob Liefeld. What makes this a haunting to me is that comic was my very first professional job in the industry. I drew background and did color comps on several pages. I continued to work with Brian Murray on the next several issues of the series, and also did colors for other books as well. Thank you Jordan for reminding me of the great experiences I had.

Talk to you all next week.

KPSB