Baltimore Comic-Con celebrates 20 years of comics at Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on October 18-20, 2019. Ahead of the show, Baltimore Comic-Con has announced the return of comic greats Francesco Francavilla, Ron Randall, Stan Sakai, Doug Wagner, and Kelly Yates.

Francavilla, and Eisner and Eagle Award-winner, found a niche in the comics industry with his noir stylings. His Afterlife with Archie from Archie Comics received a Harvey Award nomination in 2014 for Best New Series. He has also provided art on Detective Comics and Swamp Thing, Black Panther: The Man Without Fear, All-New Hawkeye, Master of Kung Fu, Princess Leia, Archie vs. Predator, The Black Hood, Reanimator, and The Twilight Zone: Shadow and Substance. Most recently, his covers and interiors can be found in Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle and covers on Archie: 1955 and Red Sonja & Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica.

Randall started his professional career at DC Comics with a two-page back-up story in Unknown Soldier, which was followed by stories in Sgt. Rock, The Warlord, Arak, Son of Thunder, and Swamp Thing. He is well known for having created Trekker at Dark Horse Comics back in 1987 for Dark Horse Presents, and he published the character again in a new serialized version of the same title starting in 2013. Randall also provided art on Sasquatch Detective Special from DC Comics, and his collected trade paperback Trekker: Chapeltown was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2018.

Best known as writer and artist for his Usagi Yojimbo title, Sakai first created and published it in 1984, launching in Albedo, a self-published anthology, followed by an appearance in Critters from Fantagraphics in 1985, and finally as its own series from the same publisher in 1987, all in black and white. In 1993, Usagi made the jump to color at Mirage Publishing, and moved to Dark Horse in 1996. In 2019, Usagi Yojimbo moved to IDW Publishing, relaunching with an issue 1. Nearly 30 years of Usagi Yojimbo have seen print in book, TV, and digital formats

Wagner has been writing comics professionally since 2004 and has worked with a multitude of companies. The list includes DC Comics, Image Comics, 12-Gauge Comics, Top Cow Productions, Dynamite Entertainment, and Table Taffy Studios. His recent projects include Plastic and The Hard Place, both from Image Comics, as is his current Image title, The Ride: Burning Desire.

Yates has provided artwork for Amber Atoms, Tales of Tellos, and The Perhapanauts at Image Comics, numerous Doctor Who titles at IDW, Fear Agent at Dark Horse Comics, and JLA-Z at DC Comics. He also wrote Image’s Amber Atoms, and contributed to Artist Alley Comics as well with his creator-owned MonstHer title.

“We’re so happy to have these guys back,” said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con. “We have a lot of friends in the industry, but between their obligations and the limits of physics, we can’t always have them back. But this year, Francesco, Ron, Stan, Doug, and Kelly are back, and we’re thrilled they’ll be rejoining us. We’re looking forward to seeing them, and their fans will be excited for their return.”

For more information, or to purchase advanced tickets, visit baltimorecomiccon.com.