Conventions | Thousands filed into Moscow's Crocus Expo over the weekend for what's billed as Russia's first-ever comic convention. While Misha Collins of long-running CW series Supernatural was a big celebrity draw, the main attraction appeared to be the idea of the convention itself. “I’ve wanted to come for years,” 31-year-old Elena Formina told The Guardian. “There have always been geeks and fans here, it’s just now they call it Comic-Con. American, Russian – all fans are the same. They love their heroes. It’s about sharing that love.” [The Guardian]

Passings | Italian comics creator Lorenzo Bartoli died Sunday at the age of 48. Bartoli made his comics debut in 1988 in the pages of the comic anthology L'Eternauta but is best known as the co-creator, with Roberto Recchioni, of John Doe, a comic about an employee of a firm that deals with the management of death. His series Dolls was published in the United sTates by Sirius, and his Morrigan appeared in Heavy Metal. He also wrote two cyberpunk novels under the name Akira Mishima. [Comicus]



Creators | Renee French talks about her relationships with her peers, her experiences with the different publishers she has worked with, and how she crafts her comics. [The Comics Reporter]

Creators | Scott Stantis, who draws the strip Prickly City, was moved by recent incidents in the NFL to make a different sort of comic, revealing for the first time that he was abused as a child. He talks with Michael Cavna about his decision, calling "The Beatings Never Stop" "By far the most difficult thing I have ever done." [Comic Riffs]

Creators | Paul Pope talks about his new graphic novel The Rise of Aurora West, the response to his Battling Boy, the influence of manga on his work, his approach to world-building, and making comics for young adults. [Hero Complex]

Creators | Syndicated political cartoonist Ricky Nobile grew up the son of a cotton farmer in Moorhead, Mississippi, and still stays local, covering state and regional politics in his cartoons. He also has a couple of side gigs, doing caricatures at state fairs and making customized coloring books, and he's working on a book as well. [The Clarion-Ledger]

Creators | Michael Frizzell is the director of student services at Missouri State University by day, comics writer at night — he pens bio-comics in the Female Force line for Bluewater and is also working on a graphic novel of his own. [Springfield News-Leader]

Advice | Artist Alley veteran Fenny Lin has some advice for creators on how to do better at conventions. [Pop Culture Uncovered]

Retailing | Time Warp Comics of Boulder, Colorado, celebrates its 30th anniversary in the midst of what owner Wayne Winsett calls a "golden age" of comics, with a greater variety of comics attracting a wider audience to the medium. [Boulder Daily Camera]