Comic-Con continues to creep closer, and we’ve got a fresh new edition of Under the Tents for the Memorial Day weekend. Oh, did we also mention there’s a new SDConCast this week? It makes great entertainment for a geeky holiday barbecue. Just sayin’.

In today’s UTT, we have announcements from upcoming authors and artists including some of their work, updates on some popular offsites, details on giveaways, and much more.

Here’s some of the news you might have missed:

• Brendan Reichs, the New York Times bestselling author of the Virals series, announced on his website that he’ll be attending San Diego Comic-Con. He’ll also be doing a signing of the Virals books at the Penguin Young Readers Booth.

• The online comic website Explosm announced on their website that they will be attending SDCC, with creators Rob and Dave joined by Joel from HijiNKSENSUE! Attendees can find them at Booth #1234, where they will be able to buy “various merch”.

• Comic artist Erik Arrega revealed on tumblr that he will be attending SDCC and selling some of his artwork at Table F-12. He also posted a preview of one of his upcoming pieces, Mr Amazing Zombie Hero:

• Gemstone Publishing and the Hero Initative are teaming up for the fifth consecutive year to raise money for comic creators in need. Fans can purchase a special Comic-Con edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #44 Hero Initiative Edition book, which features Wolverine, the Hulk, and Wendigo on the cover, illustrated by Herb Trimpe, Tom Palmer, and Laura Martin. The exclusive version of the book is limited to 500 hardcover copies, and proceeds will go towards helping comic creators.

• Scott Westerfeld, the author of Leviathian and Uglies, announced via Twitter that he will be attending SDCC.

• Wikia announced on Twitter that it is returning to Comic-Con this year, and attendees can be a part of the entertainment site’s coverage. You can sign up to potentially receive a VIP perk, which includes celebrity meet and greets, party tickets, much-needed internet access, the chance to interview a celebrity, and more. You can sign up, and find more information, on the Wikia site.

• Although details are scarce about the upcoming crossover show between The Thrilling Adventure Hour and Welcome to Night Vale, TAH has announced in their newsletter at least three of the participants for their side of the show: Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Gagliardi, Molly Quinn, and “more special guests”. Tickets will go on sale “soon”, and once we have more details, we will update.

• Penguin Books’ Executive Editor, Anne Sowards, announced on Twitter that the company will be having some “great giveaways” this year – so stay tuned to find out more.

• Artist James Silvani has opened commissions for SDCC on his tumblr. You can find more information about how to get more details on his site.

• Artist Tim Shay revealed a sneak peak of his Red Sonja sketch, that will be part of an exclusive 3-card set for San Diego Comic-Con. Shay can be found at the convention at Breygent’s booth, where he will be signing and selling the cart set.

• Artist Christopher Uminga revealed on Twitter that he’s busy working on some things for his upcoming appearance at Comic-Con.

• Although we had previously reported that SHIELDtv.net would be hosting a Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fan dinner, due to an overwhelming response, they are currently working on putting together another kind of get-together. Once we have more information, we will update.

Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments, drop us a line or tweet us at @SD_Comic_Con.