Red Hook Local Hero

En Garde Arts benefit for The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny’s Bar. A Super-Sized Skrull, and a Scrappy Reading.

Dino, Eddie Campbell, and Jose Villarrubia at Baltimore Comicon 2024 (photo by Whitney Matheson).

Another soul mollifying Baltimore Comicon in the books. As always, it’s an honor and pleasure to take part in Marc & Shelly Nathan’s show, aided and abetted by Brad Tree, Randy Tischler, David Jeffrey and the entire BCC staff.

As important — is the catching up I do with my comix pals, peers, mentors and heroes, made even more special by my true blue fans and table mates. I couldn’t do this without our community. My comix family.

And gratitude to filmmaker, comix historian and gentleman-of-mystery, David Armstrong, for his keen eye, his bold candor, and for having my back.

Vito Delsante, Peter Rostovsky, Whitney Matheson, Charlie McElvy, Chris Miskiewicz, Dean Haspiel and Suzanne McElvy at Baltimore Comicon 2024 (photo by Bruce Guthrie).

Peter Rostovsky & Vito Delsante in love at Baltimore Comicon 2024 (photo by Dino).

Dino and Brad Tree at Baltimore Comicon 2024 (photo by Whitney Matheson).

Speaking of Brad Tree: he commissioned me to draw The Fantastic Four versus The Super Skrull. Only I decided to make him The Super-Sized Skrull! I was thrilled to present Brad the finished piece at the show.

I managed to sit in the audience for the John Cassaday memorial panel and listened to his friends, peers and fans talk about the man and his work. I was asked to say something, too. You can listen to it here on Jimmy Aquino’s Comic News Insider Episode 1541 - Baltimore Comic Con: John Cassaday Remembered Panel

And you can also listen to a bunch of Cassaday’s pals (including me) reminisce on Jimmy’s CNI Episode 1540 - Celebrating John Cassaday Part 2

Cartoonist and publisher Danny Hellman, asked me to take part in his comix project, JACKED TRACTS.

Here is the official description:

JACKED TRACTS is a spirited satire of those notorious Christian comic tracts that thrilled and traumatized American kids throughout the late 20th Century. Its rollicking reexamination of these comics from a contemporary perspective is sure to delight believers and heathens alike! The 10 X 6 hardcover book is 148 pages long, and features work by 74 talented artists from around the world.

You can pre-order JACKED TRACTS by Danny Hellman & Guests at ZOOP.

Brooklyn writer & organizer, Farah Faye invited me to share a story or two at the Scrappy Reading Series for the launch of Red Hook Open Studios at Compere Collective, 351 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (also known as Realty Collective), this coming Friday, October 4th from 7-9pm.

Featuring writers Jax Preyer, Dean Haspiel, Lilly Dancyger, Niguel Dottin, and Deborah Copaken with music by Ethan Woods.

You can grab your FREE tickets HERE

I’ve been invited to be one of four people to be honored as a “Red Hook Local Hero” during a benefit for En Garde Arts production of a new play called, The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny’s Bar.

A brief description:

Summer is wrapping up and we are ready for crisp fall air and a new site-specific, quintessentially New York production by En Garde Arts called The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny's Bar by Obie-winning creative team— playwright Sarah Gancher and director Jared Mezzocchi.

On October 7th we’re throwing a party to benefit En Garde Arts where you will discover a whole host of Red Hook haunts and hear the stories of the people who make up the neighborhood’s DNA!  We’ll be celebrating a few of Red Hook’s local heroes: Tone Johansen (owner of Sunny’s Bar), Liz Galvin (co-owner of Basin Gallery & Studios), Dean Haspiel (creator of The Red Hook), and Dave Sharps (founder & owner of The Waterfront Museum).

You can learn more about getting tickets for the play, the pre-show soiree, and the benefit HERE.

Love,

—Dean

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