M Lapham

Comic BooksComic consfandom

People Lost Among The Glitz Are Real Stars At Motor City Comic Con

Like every year, Motor City Comic Con has come with crowds, celebrities and spectacle.  But in all the fanfare of a massive event there is something often forgotten – the people.  Specifically, the people who don’t sign glossy 8x10s of their face, the people who make up Artist Alley and the people who pay their hard-earned money to come in and spend more of it. Allen Bellman may be a guest, but he is far from one of the celebrities who require bodyguards to escort him around. Bellman was an ar...

Forgotten HarvestSeth Meyers

Seth Meyers Coming To Detroit, Will Headline Forgotten Harvest Comedy Night June 17

You can watch Seth Meyers five nights a week on NBC’s Late Night, but you can see him up close and personal when he headlines Forgotten Harvest’s 25h annual Comedy Night June 17 at the Fox Theatre. The event will help raise money for Forgotten Harvest, which rescues food by collecting surplus, prepared and perishable food from grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors, and other health department-approved sources and delivered it free of charge to 250...

Motor City Comic Connovi

Motor City Comic Con To Bring 300 Media & Movie Icons To Metro Detroit

As a teenager, I walked into the Motor City Comic Con for the first time. There I met Mart Nodell. He was a fairly old man, but it was a thrill, which only increased when he remembered me at the show every year until his death. Most people who read this probably haven’t the faintest idea who Nodell was or what he did. He was the creator of the Golden Age Green Lantern, the original character from the 1940s. The creator of an icon was talking to me. That was longer ago than I may like to admi...

North end

Mardi Gras En Rouge Is On February 24, Raises Funds For Marche Du Nain Rouge

Detroit and New Orleans. Both used to be under control of the French so why shouldn’t we share a tradition or two? We will. On Friday, February 24, Mardi Gras en Rouge will come to life with music, food and live entertainment with the help of the soon-to-open Creole restaurant, Gabriel Hall, in West Village. That day Detroit’s flavor will come by way of the Big Easy with a chance to drink hurricanes, sample some crawfish pie and hit the dance floor to the sounds of the Gabriel Brass Band. Th...

Baffin BreweryBifferhaus BrewingCJ's Brewing

4 Beercation Adventures In Metro Detroit To Help Get You Through The Winter

January in Detroit. It’s good drinking weather, but you also want to shake off the cabin fever. Motor City Brew Tours has that figured out with what they call Beercation Adventures. It’s a chance to travel about the Detroit area and, obviously, get beer. The first one starts only a week into the new year with the January 7 Brewery Bus Tour. It takes you to three breweries – Harsons Island Brewing in Marysville, War Water Brewery in St. Clair and Baffin Brewery in St. Clair Shores. You’ll g...

Menorah in the D aims to brings people of all faiths together on December 27

The menorah stands for light, wisdom and divine inspiration and the light of its candles is a reminder of past miracles. That message transcends all faiths. Menorah candles are lit in Jewish households ever year as part of the eight-day Chanukah celebration, which translates to “rededication.” There is no better time than now to rededicate our commitment to Detroit’s continued transformation – downtown and in the neighborhoods – as well as a personal rededication to perform wonders in our live...

Arvell JonesBlack Catclasses on comic book business in Detroit

Marvel Masters Teach The Comic Book Business At Detroit Area Classes

In the 1970s Arvell Jones and Keith Pollard were among the artists who came out of Detroit and made a splash in the world of comic books. They honed their craft in some of the biggest books in the industry, including Marvel and DC Comics, and co-created some memorable characters for both. Jones was the co-creator of Marvel’s Misty Knight, who appears in the new Luke Cage Netflix series, and also worked on the Avengers and many others. He also worked on some of the Superman comics for DC....

BikableWalkableWarren

Warren Between Woodward And Second To Be More Bikable, Walkable As Pilot Program This Weekend

Before the chill of autumn falls too heavy on Michigan there is Walkable Warren – a way for everyone who wants to get around this part of the Motor City sans the motor. From September 22-24, the busy two-block stretch on Warren between Woodward and Second Avenues will be reduced to two lanes instead of three. The third lane will be converted into a protected bike lane. Wayne will show off the improvements that make this area more pedestrian and bike friendly such as painted bike lanes, pedes...

East side DetroitGrosse Pointe ParkJazzin' on Jefferson

Jazzin' On Jefferson Is An East Side Party Across Two Communities

A nice night on the river as jazz fills the air … and all for free. What a calm and enjoyable way to spend a night in September. That day dream will be a reality as Jefferson East Inc. (JEI) once again puts on its annual Jazzin’ on the River on Saturday, September 17. You can catch the hep-cat tunes at Ford Park, 100 Lakewood St. on the Detroit River in Jefferson-Chalmers, from noon-8 p.m. “This is such an important event for our residents, and it also highlights the riverfront and canal c...

Detroit Recreation DepartmentDetroit Recreation Department programsPretty Brown Girl

Pretty Brown Girl Foundation Teaches Young Detroit Women To Embrace Who They Are And Do Great Things

Empowerment is powerful. It gives us the confidence to do great things. The girls of Detroit will become empowered and gain the self-esteem they need to learn be their best and appreciate their skin color by attending a class with the Detroit Recreation Department and the Pretty Brown Girl Foundation. The class on self-esteem begins October 3 and runs for 20 weeks at Adams-Butzel Complex in Detroit. The Pretty Brown Girl Foundation, which focuses on young women from K-12, is a personal pro...

Art X DetroitArtsAXD

Art X Detroit Coming Back Bigger Than Ever, To Span Three Weekends

The art community will invade Detroit come April when Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience occupies Midtown for not one … not two … but three weekends. Starting on April 9 and continuing on weekends through April 26 (April 9-12, 16-19, and 25-26) there will be 10 days of celebration of the Detroit arts. You can attend dance, literary, musical and theatrical performances, film screenings, visual arts installations, workshops, panel discussions and interactive experiences all created by the 201...

BowlingGarden BowlMotor city

Detroit Selected To Host World Youth Bowling Championship in 2018

Detroit will echo with the thunderous sounds of bowling balls smashing into pins in 2018 as the city plays host to the World Youth Championships. The kid-oriented tournament is the product of World Bowling, which is working with the Detroit Sports Commission (DSC) to make it a reality. “Bowling has a rich heritage in our state and region, and the decision made by World Bowling to bring this premier youth tournament to metro Detroit is a testament to that,” said Dave Beachnau, DSC executive dir...

Construction ProgressDetroit mass transitLight Rail

Detroit's M-1 RAIL Streetcar Construction Is On Track, To Reach Peak In 2015

Detroit heads even further down the rails to its mass-transit future as the M-1 RAIL continues its construction even as the thermometer drops. “Working through the winter lays the groundwork that allows for our construction crews to quickly ramp up once the weather breaks,” said M-1 RAIL Chief Operating Officer Paul Childs. “Next year construction will reach its peak. We have an aggressive schedule planned that will ensure we are able to deliver the project safely and on time in 2016.” Here’...