For those who think this is just a list of the comics I bought this week… it isn’t. It does have a list, but I try to add some dialogue to it about other things, instead of a bunch of posts.
I do follow a number of artists and comic creators and groups on SubStack and through newsletters they send out. Recently one posed a question that left me trying to come up with an answer- “What comic changed you?”
The idea behind it is that art changes us, be it a book, a painting or sculpture, a film… experiences change us. So having done the whole Social Media thing with posting favorite movies, books, etc. and then calling out a friend to do the same (a subtle form of bullying IMHO), I’ve gone through it. Then again a comic? As members of the educational community (and a few members of my family) would point out comics aren’t reading, comics aren’t anything but fluff. I still roll my eyes at my niece saying that comics ruin your imagination.đ So what comic has changed me? I could list off all of my favorite comics, and how they have impacted my life, but that’s a lot of comics. So instead let’s just say comics kept me from major depression during trying times in my life.
When I was in third grade my parent’s sent me off to a sleep away soccer camp held at a nearby college. Yes, I went to a sports camp and as you can guess, had a horrible time. What saved me was Hägar the Horrible. When I was in third grade I was (and still am) socially awkward and I brought along two brand new Hägar the Horrible comic collections. In those days you could get collection of daily strips in the handy paperback book size at your local drug store (Comics are the gateway drug to literacy). I had two that would hopefully last me through the week of camp. Being socially inept during camp I tried to stand up for my room mate and got picked up and dropped on my head for my efforts. My room mate thought it was funny and moved to another room afterwards. I guess he thought I was weird or immature or something. The only thing that kept me to together was escaping into the land of the vikings and Hägar. I can’t say if there was any one strip that made a big impression on me, but the ability to shut out the real world and only deal with a whimsical world of three panels and a punchline made the experience survivable. Note: I never went to a “sports camp” again.
I have found that I repeat this anytime I’m in a situation in which I am alone and just need to escape the anxiety. When my grandmother dropped me off to my college dorm room. (Don’t ask where my parents were, I think it had something to do with a soccer game đ) I sat alone listening to the other kids families excitedly talk about the future, I sat on my bed realizing that I had no idea what to do or where to go. Being from out of state, I knew absolutely no one. Where an extrovert/sportsing kind of person would go out and throw a ball around and talk to people, I instead went down to the campus bookstore and picked up Bloom County. I had never heard of it, but it looked amusing. <spoilers> Bloom County is amusing.
Those are just two instances that I comics helped save my sanity. Now as I draw comics I find the creating a comic allows me to express the feelings I have from various situations and share them in an away I normally wouldn’t. I do a lot of self censoring and no matter how much I’d like to do a comic about some events and topics, I know better. Fortunately for the most part (and looking at the site’s views) not many people read my stuff, so I don’t have to worry too much about offending anyone.
This Week’s Comics:
Amazing Spider-Man #59 – Tombstone and Spider-Man have it out in a fight that takes up an entire issue. In the end- well… define “winning”
Batman and Robin # 14 – Bruce and Damian get to head out for a night on the town! Much to Damian’s chagrin it’s a gala fundraiser that (fortunately for Damian) doesn’t go as expected. It seems that there is a growing dislike for all things Wayne in Gotham, no matter how much good they do.
The Ultimates #5 – so mistakes were made, The tech that was supposed to go to the new “Hawkeye” ends up in the hands of the wrong person and it’s Cap’s job to retrieve it… Again lots of fighting and, since it is Captain America, lots of talking. The sad part is , while they are fighting the illumination no one is asking the import questions like “What about the stockholders?”
Absolute Batman #1 – We have a general idea of what DC is doing- they’ve created another universe and will now inhabit it with altered versions of the heroes we have grown to know. The first one is Batman. No longer is Bruce Wayne a wealthy philanthropist. No longer were his parents killed in “Crime Alley” after taking in a showing of “The Mask of Zorro” at the Monarch Theatre. And yet, he still becomes Batman. I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out. I think this may be another attempt at a “New 52” but without rebooting every title. I know there are plans to do this treatment to most of the major heroes in the DC pantheon. So far using Alfred as our lens into the new version of Gotham has made it definitely different.
Action Comics #1070 – Darn that Phantom Zone! it seems that things are going amuck and after three Kryptonian criminals escape in a rather strange way it is up to Superman to find out what is going on and hopefully stop it and maybe help those imprisoned. Secondary Story- Supergirl goes off on a top secret mission to… Heck if I know.
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight The Kryptonian Age # 5 – Five issues in and we finally see the guy who lives in Smallville. Since this is a Victorian era tale (Elseworlds) there are a number of storylines going on. Batman has left Gotham to find out what happened to the train (it was blown up). Alan Scott, Carnival Trickster and Balloonist is visiting Smallville where Lois and Jimmy are reporting on the happenings which include the sheriff and bespectacled gentleman who seems to have no issues with bullets. Outside of that Lex Luthor seems to be creating other heroes including one Jay Garrick frozen in mid lightning strike, and Cliff Stone who may or may not have been blown up by Luthor after refusing to work with him.
Public Domain #9 – So our merry band of comic creators take their show to the big Comic Expo in San Diego in hopes to get their version of the Domain comic the press it needs. Of course the evil corporate folks have other plans.
Rocketeer Breaks Free #3 – Cliff and the crew survived a Nazi U-Boat attack in San Francisco rescuing people. and now our intrepid band need to figure out what the Nazi were up to with Alcatraz in the middle of it. Of course it ties back to the last series so I need to go back and reread.
Next Week is New York Comic Con so I’ll be on hiatus for a week. I’ll still be drawing, but posting to this website is a bit of a challenge. If I can figure it out I will post something- if not check out Cecil’s hijinks, I’m sure he’ll post something.
So after CXC I decided starting October 1 I would follow some advice from Brian Canini and begin keeping a daily cartoon journal. Understand that when I first proposed My Geek Odyssey to the Lilly Endowment as a Teacher Creativity Fellowship Project I was going to chronicle my journey in England during the 50th anniversary of the MINI Cooper as a webcomic. I realized at the time that my concept of a comic was stuck in the traditional three panels and a punchline strip. I couldn’t get beyond that (and still for the most part can’t). I added Cecil to the strip because my actual life wasn’t entertaining enough and I assumed adding an evil geocaching monkey and you get laughs galore.
So I decided to use the daily journal comic as a way to try out new drawing techniques and reflect on the day’s events. I went out a purchased a regular old cheap sketchbook at Meijer and cut an already used piece of Bristol into a square to make panels. So I draw out 4 panels which leaves me room at the bottom of the page to do the daily prompt. This does confine my prompt to a long narrow drawing, but that’s an added challenge. I’m one week in and have come up with a rhythm kind of on how to do this, my first trip away from home will see how it works out. I started by trying to do the comic before going to bed… not a good idea for me. I tend to want to go to sleep and it takes me a while to get into that zone, so delaying rest to finish a comic isn’t going to work. This was an issue when I did the comic for MINI Takes the States 2010. I then moved to doing it in the morning. Retirement has changed me from a person who had to get up and be ready for school by 7:30 AM to someone who might roll out of bed at 8:00 or once the cats decide that I am no longer a place to sleep. I then head to my studio and do two things. First I look at what today’s drawing prompt is from the Draw or Die Club. Since I started in “Promptober” I’ve stuck with those prompts and not the usual prompts emailed to me. Then I think about what happened the day before and how I want to express that as a series of drawings.
So on day one, Sue left for a conference and I had to work at the LEGO Store. It was a release day and the new Fortnite Sets had been released. I had the “job” of finishing the display of “Peely Bone” while greeting and chatting with guests. At home I sat down to watch politics in action and Sue called to catch up on her day. I watched about 10 more minutes and decided to just go to bed.I had one job. One job. Go to ALDI and pick up the Halloween Cat Scratching houses for the boys. It seems that this is a thing and Aldi puts out new stuff on Wednesdays.This is pretty typical when Sue goes on a trip. I do a quick clean up once she’s gone, and then let everything go to heck until the day she comes home. Then a flurry of activity and she usually doesn’t notice.Sue came back with a cracked tooth, the dentist isn’t open normally on Fridays, she was able to get it taken care of, but spent the majority of the day recuperating until her boss called and then we had to run some errands. I wasn’t about to let her drive (although she was more than capable). Here I tried to just put journaling in with the comic- not having speech bubbles or narration boxes.What does the future hold? We have a lot of things in flux right now. Unlike many people who like to overshare online, I try not to, so let’s just say the future is “fuzzy.” I decided that a Magic 8 Ball would give us clearer answers. So far… Outlook still is unclear.For this comic I actually drew myself once and then used my lightbox to trace myself multiple times. I was at the LEGO Store working and spent the day greeting people (aka Zone 1). We had a mix of people in but two stood out for me. One was a lady who had to tell me all about how her kid had over 700 LEGO sets (there’s an app for that) and she didn’t understand why the store hadn’t moved to a more upscale mall. I read this as wanting us to be in a place with a less diverse clientele. The other was the person asking if we price matched and showed me an Amazon listing of a set. đ For the record… no. Every other Monday Sue and I head to a somewhat local tap room and play trivia with some friends. Some other friends actually run the event so its a great opportunity to get together with people and being an introvert it is nice to actually see other people even if it isn’t stepping outside of my comfort zone too much.
So after a week I have had a few thoughts. mostly, how I need to work on being able to draw my characters (all of them from different angles. That said there have been a couple time this week when I’ve looked at what I drew and did a double take, trying to figure out who drew the stuff on the page. This usually happens when I actually like what I have drawn (which is rare). Being able to just draw and not worry about how pretty it is is hard for many people. You want your drawings to look good and no matter how many times I tell kids “If I can tell what you drew, then you accomplished your task and should be happy” I don’t always follow that same rule for myself.
One thing that Brian mentioned about a daily journal comic is that it gives you a chance to experiment with styles, inking techniques, character design. After doing My Geek Odyssey for over a decade now (even with the lengthy hiatuses) I know that characters evolve the more you draw them and at some point you will find that image for that character. I don’t see Cecil changing much in the future. As I have gotten older I’ve had to change my drawing of myself. This version, isn’t that bad. I am old, and it does show- but that’s OK. As I grow out my beard again I know how I will look. As my hairline recedes more I have ideas as to how to deal with that, now.
When I first started My Geek Odyssey I did my own lettering. My first time I went to New York Comic Con I attended Webcomics Boot Camp and my biggest takeaway was that my handwriting wasn’t up to par. “Lettering is an art.” So I should just use a font that looked like handwriting and have been doing so ever since, until now. I decided that since this is just my journal it doesn’t have to be perfect. After looking at other indy comics, many have decided that “lettering is personal” the art and perfection will come as they practice.
The question is- do I keep posting these only on Social Media? Do I post them on Insta? Facebook? Threads? I’m avoiding whatever Twitter has mutated into. Do I post them daily here? As I have said, I enjoy reading SubStack, but am concerned as to how it will fare in the future. What are your thoughts? Add them to the comments.
Wow. If you are a comics creator this is a conference you need to put on your annual list. I have said before this is not a “I’m going for photo-ops and autographs with celebrities to impress my friends” kind of Con. Your friends may not even know who the folks are you got autographs from or photos with. If they do- you have some amazingly awesomely geeky friends.
CXC is an educational conference and even has an academic symposium happening at the same time. The sessions cover the practical aspects of comics, the serious stuff dealing with “funny books.” Each year I think to myself that I really don’t need to go… and each year I go I am blown away. Most of the time it has something to do with me realizing that in my small group, I’m pretty knowledgable in the area of comics… Here I am an idiot and know nothing.
Sessions start Thursday and the entire day I learned things. I was inspired and figuring out how I could become better at my craft. I’ve been not enough Educational conferences that inspire me, and then I return to the classroom only to find out that the school won’r support the changes I just learned about. This time it’s all on me. Last year I learned about SubStack (more on that later) this year I overwhelmed.
The morning started with doctoral candidates in a panel talking about their various areas of study. Each had a unique perspective, but pulled together by the common thread of cartoons/comics. Which got me to recall those times when I thought about majoring in Art only to be told that I needed to exorcise these silly creatures if I wanted to be a serious artist… I wanted to be a cartoonist and animator not a “serious artist.” Throughout the day I kept getting reminded about how I really like to draw and need to make time to do just that.
Brian Canini’s session was probably the highlight of the entire con for me. Brian talked about how to develop more productive comic making habits and was amazing. He talked about his journey and the mistakes he made, what he learned and how everyone has their own path, but there are some things that might help. What he said was common sense, but to hear it was a game changer for me. Which is why I’m sitting here in the morning already having drawn from the Draw or Die Promptober prompt, and worked on some other drawings- normally I’d be snuggling with the cats in bed. I’m hoping to build the habits I need, not to make money or be famously successful, but to feel good about my art, and what I am making.
Jon Novak talked about the coloring process. You don’t think about coloring much and sadly the colorist is usually an unsung hero (like the letterer) in the creation of comics. Jon colored some of the favorite books in my classroom library: Giants Beware! Dragons Beware! and Monsters Beware! He went through the process, The decisions he needed to make and how much leeway the artist gives him. It was great, although I have a lot to learn about digital tools to tackle more than what I currently do.
David Rickert then spoke about hands… Yes, all about how to draw hands. Siting some amazing inspirations- he has posted his presentation along with his reflections (which are much better than mine) on his SubStack so I won’t go into detail at least about his excellent presentation. I will mention SubStack for a moment. It is a great platform for artists and writers to share their work and get support. I’m only concerned that, like many digital platforms, it can either vanish, or mutate into something horrible and while I have all my stuff I’d have to recreate everything again… For the time being I’ll stick with my silly WordPress site.
The day closed out with Jeff Smith talking about where he gets his ideas. This dovetailed into a point that Brian Canini had made about always have multiple projects in various stages going simultaneously. While Jeff was finishing “Bone” he was starting to go through the start of “RASL” The seed that would become “Tuki” started during Bone, but really came to a head as he was finishing “RASL.” When asked about researching things, Jeff talked about ox carts. In “Bone” he had drawn ox carts for a few issues and realized that he had no idea about how an ox cart actually worked. So he dove into researching how ox carts work. Basically, you can’t research everything, but be ready to jump into researching things as needed. Do you need to become an ox cart scholar? No, but it is nice to know how they are built and how people guide the oxen if you are going to have them in your comic. Will most readers know if you got it wrong? Nope, so don’t sweat it.
Day two had some other amazing presentations, just nothing that hit me as hard as the first day- I’m guessing I’m just not at that level yet. The first session dealt with breaking out other the cage we put ourselves as cartoonists- the panel. L. Pidge did a great job of show us how we can use the space on the page and not just constrain our art into panels. Something to consider if I ever get fancy enough to worry about layout more than just getting the idea on the paper.
The second session cause a bit of PTSD for me. It was an excellent session on how to become a lecturer/professor at an art school. Flashbacks to teaching at the collegiate level and just dealing with academia. I realized, once again, that I really don’t want to return to a classroom anytime soon. The one part that stuck in my head was Beth’s introductory slide which was a cool graphic about who she is. I have since done my own.
My version of Beth Hetland’s intro slide from her talk about being a professor. I have drawn two versions of myself- one clean shaven, since that’s how I look currently, the bearded Bruce is easier to draw except if I want to show any facial expression.
The afternoon brought session on the future of Editorial Cartoons (spoilers: they are still alive, just not in newspapers as much), how to store and ship artwork (spoilers: I’m doing it wrong), and a cool session on ideas for gag comics. A Gag comic is a single panel comic (like those found in some magazines). It was a nice brainstorming session with some cool ideas that if I were still teaching I might use.
My Scribbly Notes From Thursday & Friday:
I signed up that morning for Sue and I to take the behind the scenes tour of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum and Library. Since Sue’s mom was a librarian I figured she would like it. Little did I know that a couple of the big name attendees were also on this tour. I try to avoid being a “fanboy” because I usually put my foot in my mouth if I try to talk to someone I admire. SO I was quiet. Sue was trying to get me to get photos with Cecil… Do I regret not doing it? A little, but it was just great seeing how excited these big names were over the artwork they were looking at. It made me realize that we are all fanboys, just for some the bar is a bit higher.
Some photos from the Tour and a few pieces set out in the Reading Room. As far as I can tell presenters are asked to suggest artists or works to display in the Reading room. All the tables are covered with artwork, some of it known, and other pieces somewhat obscure. this is where I feel like an idiot as I overhear the “fine art” speak about various pages… “Oh, I really preferred the work he did during his blue period…”
Once we left the tour we ended up at the opening reception and then a chat with Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman & Françoise Mouly on stage. It was a nice talk with stories of underground comics, art and just life. I wanted to focus on the moment, so I took only a couple photos and no notes.
Saturday and Sunday events are held at the main branch of the Columbus Library (OSU had a football game (college priorities, I guess). That and the library offers a larger facility so there is enough space for exhibitors. There are also sessions many catering to a broader audience. This year I did a quick walk through the exhibit area and picked up some books and stickers. I could have spent more time, but I was tired, missed my boys and ready to go home and begin to act on some of the ideas that were presented.
One thing that made this CXC different was Sue. Sometimes she will attend these things with me, most of the time she won’t. This time she helped me get out of my shell and go to the opening reception, and Friday’s after party. As an Introvert, I really tend to avoid the social stuff because I’m by myself, don’t really know anyone, and after past experiences figure I’d just be a barnacle clinging to someone who says “Hi.” I don’t want to be that person, in fact I hate talking with people since I tend to say the wrong thing… all the time. I think it might be clever, and instead, it’s just stupid. Perhaps that will end up being part of my journal comic.
Projects I have been inspired to work on thanks to CXC:
A Daily Journal Comic (done at the end of the day- although may be inked in the morning)
Here’s my first day… knowing how things work out it will morph as i get a better idea as to how to do things. From format to character design. Right now I’m just looking at four panels and a space at the bottom to work on a drawing prompt (Thank you Draw or Die Club)
A science fiction story that I’ve written a few ideas about (a dream note)
A silly little story about taking the bus places (another dream note)
Redoing some of the short comics I made about past life experiences (Sophomore Crit & High School Reunion)
Continuing The My Geek Odyssey strips for FTF Geocacher maybe even seeing about putting them all together.
Daily drawing prompts (Draw or Die Club)
My Haul:
I really didn’t pick up much this time around. This makes up for buying an original piece of Will Eisner artwork last year. A lot of what I picked up I’ll actually be giving to people as gifts, so (even though they don’t read this) I wouldn’t want to ruin any surprise. I do recommend looking at the list of exhibitors and checking out some of their work. Better yet, let;s meet up next year and hit the con, and the after parties- If you are there I probably won’t hide in my hotel room!
While I have been attending various conventions over the past two years Gen Con marks the point where history starts to repeat itself. So which Conventions will I be returning to and what am I doing to prepare for them? While I have a bucket list of Cons I want to attend, I’m still not going to be hitting everything on that list this year. This is partially due to needing to spend some time at home and not on the road. Currently I’m looking at finishing up 2024 with Cartoon Crossroads Columbus and then New York Comic Con. Both Cons couldn’t be more different but they do require some of the same preparations.
This is a “small” convention (13,000+) focusing more on the art of comics than the pop culture aspects. Originally started by Jeff Smith of Bone fame, CXC takes place in Columbus Ohio and is held in two places, The campus of OSU specifically the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum) and the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. It covers four days of sessions including the opportunity to tour the collection of the Billy- which is a bucket list item in itself. The Con brings in up and coming creators and those who are cutting edge. CXC also has a great mission dealing with involving kids. Last year they had sessions with Raina Telgemeier.
New York Comic Con is put on by Reep Pop who manages a number of Pop Culture Conventions around the country. To me it is the east coast version of San Diego Comic Con, what seems to be missing is the proximity to the studios, so not as many announcements, but still stars galore. Like SDCC there are comic creators who attend only a few shows a year. Last year this was where I picked up an Humberto Ramos page from Strange Academy. The focus though is mostly on pop culture, so autographs, photo ops and panels with stars of stage and screen. Cosplay is also big. It is held at the Javits Center and can be a madhouse.
Being a Comic Con Prepper
I start by waiting until the dates are announced for each and get them on my calendar. Sometimes dates are available early on, sometimes you have to wait. CXC will be held in Late September (September 26-29) and New York Comic Con will be held mid October (October 17-20). Once the dates are available then you need to find out when badges will be available. CXC is free- so tickets are needed for some events. NYCC you need a badge for – if you want to go for the entire Con for 2024 it’s $240, if you can get a badge.
Then it’s time to look at lodging- For CXC it’s close enough I could go for the day without any worry. I like to go for a few days so I get a hotel near campus, and have been using the same hotel for most Cons I attend in Columbus. For NYCC it’s a little more pricey. In the past I stayed with my brother, but discovered that that was a bit of a burden for his family (something I do my best to avoid) so this year I’m staying in New Jersey and using public transit to get to NYC. We shall see how it works out. A Newark hotel room, is cheaper (as is parking) than anything I could find in NYC. Of course this week they started throwing out information for the room block on Social Media… I’m not even looking. In the past I’ve done most cons on my own. This time around, Sue will be joining me, or at least stealing my car for the majority of each con. In Columbus, she’s got work to do and the hotel has internet, but is also going to go caching in the area. In New York, she’s heading to a fiber festival (Rhinebeck- the “Comic Con of Yarn”) upstate and will fly home as I drive back to Indy. Maybe we can get Sue to write something up about her experience in the land of Yarngeeks.
Then more waiting… this time to see what artists, exhibitors and panels are going to be there. For me it’s more important to see panels and artists, but for some Cons (NYCC) it’s all about the celebrities and exclusives. I get it, but for many it’s all about resale.
As it gets closer and I have an idea of some of the major things I want to do I’ll refresh myself on the various rules for what I can and cannot bring into the convention. Fortunately, I’m not considering major cosplay, but one of these days… I’ll most likely bring a typical book bag or messenger bag to carry things, but nothing to get in the way of moving through crowds. I don’t want to be “that guy” who ends up knocking everyone around him with his ginormous bag, or cart while navigating the aisles. I will also pack snacks, or some candy in case my blood sugar drops and bring along a water bottle room (temperature water). These are mostly for emergencies. Con food is expensive, but sometimes the convenience of not having to leave and return makes it worth it. It’s also my excuse to eat really really bag stuff once or twice a year. I’ll also bring something sturdy to carry comic pages or other original artwork without worrying about it getting damaged. I have a poster tube and page protectors that I have purchased in the past. if need be there will be a booth selling this kind of stuff- or at least there usually is around artist alley.
Cash is King?!? Just like every con is different som is every booth in the exhibit hall. In the past you had to pay in cash, I recall frantically heading over to an ATM in order to pay for one of my first pieces of original art. Now, for the most part, they accept card. There might be a charge added due to bank fees. Most artists still gladly and gratefully accept cash. Internet connectivity can also be spotty, which causes problems with paying for things. Most food places in the Con- only accept card, so be prepared for both.
The biggest thing you can keep in mind is- you won’t be able to do/see everything. It’s like taking a trip to Disneyworld. Plan around one or two non-negotiable things and then if you get to do more- Woo Hoo!
The Rundown for CXC
CXC tends to be more academic with many artists who are up and coming in the comics field. All the artists present are great, just some aren’t as known as others. Many are self published. CXC is an opportunity to learn about artists, and projects that don’t always get press. Opening night showcases the Ohio Animation Showcase. With travel times, I’m not sure I’ll make it. I also have issues with some of the more social events. Even though these people are my tribe, as I said, these are the intellectuals of the comic tribe and sometimes come across in a way that makes you uncomfortable in joining in on a conversation. Sessions and events run the entire weekend Thursdays and Friday are pretty much exclusive to the Billy Ireland throughout the day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tours are in the afternoon. If you are going- I highly recommend going on a tour. It is amazing. The sessions throughout both days are “Talk & Teach” with a wide variety of topics and speakers revolving around the comics professional or (like me) wanna be professional. Like some of the sessions I attended at Heroes Con these can be a little more focused on things you don’t think about until you need to- packing and shipping artwork for example.
Saturday and Sunday things move to the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. Up to this point there really hasn’t been an exhibit hall/artist alley. Here you also have three tracks of panels and one of those is devoted to kids. The weekend continues with artists and signings. This year some of the big names are Jeff Smith (duh), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Chip Zdarsky, Kate Beaton, Bryan Lee O’Malley to name a few.
As a retired teacher I have found this and the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF) as great places to discover new comics for my classroom. While many creators are unclear on what the public considers “All Ages” for the most part these folks get it. I recall talking with an artist at a different con about his “all ages” book- that dealt with a post apocalyptic world inhabited by zombie strippers… Like Mom’s for Liberty wouldn’t make an example of me if that made it into my classroom?
Non-Negotiable: Tour the Billy Ireland, again. There are a lot of sessions, but I’m not sure about timing with things, so I’m not going to plan for anything except the tour this year.
New York Comic Con (the 800 pound gorilla that happens to be climbing up the Empire State Building in the room)
Everyone knows about San Diego Comic Con (SDCC)… it is the Comic Con that the world looks to as a “perfect example of what a “Comic Con” is… which like many things the media and Hollywood really have no idea about what a comic con is or should be. These are what I like to label as “Pop Culture Conventions” While they are nice, they don’t focus as much on comic books as they do on generic pop culture. It could be more celebrities, professional wrestlers, toys, etc. I look at it as any “comic convention” that spends more time promoting the actors that will be in attendance instead of the comic creators, isn’t a comic con. Yes, I’m a geek snob. If the first big announcement has nothing to do with a comic creator, it’s a Pop Culture Con.
Like some politicians it seems to all be about the numbers. Which one is bigger/better NYCC (250,000 attendees) or San Diego (135,000 attendees)? It is funny that just as NYCC is announcing programming, SDCC is announcing how their badges are sold out (SDCC isn’t until July). For many conventions they have moved beyond just getting badges. There must be a sense of elitism and exclusivity. At Gen Con you have the Very Important Gamer (VIG) badge which includes lots of exclusive things including access to a lounge to rest. NYCC has the same kind of thing, giving those willing to pay- reserved seats, first chance at signing up for tickets to things, and exclusive items. I’ve been following some groups who are livid about how the reservations for Funko Pops sold out before they got them. The difference between a NYCC Funko Pop and one you get somewhere else… a small sticker on the box. Next up are reservations for the big panels later this week. Unfortunately, with so many people in attendance, Who knows if I will be able to get tickets to anything I would like to attend.
As I said, after buying a ticket I then wait for other announcements. Who is actually going to be in artist Ally? Who is exhibiting? What panels/activities would I like to attend? This is what moves you up from a level one con goer. When I started going to Cons back in the 80’s (1980’s not 1880’s) I tended to go just for the Exhibit Hall. Living in Los Angels there was a regular con that I could dig through comics and pick up issues I was missing. It also had some screenings and presentations. I recall going to one for “The Last Starfighter” and another for “Buckaroo Banzai” and getting promotional swag for both films that has long since disappeared. I was pretty much a level one con goer. I’d spend hours in the exhibit hall, then head home with an empty wallet and treasures. As I grew up, I started to actually look to see what was else was going on. Sometimes it was things like a creative team on my favorite comic book talking about what the plan was for the upcoming year or an artist sharing their sketches. That was one thing I enjoyed about SDCC you could usually get into comic book related sessions fairly easily, it was Ballroom 20 and Hall H that meant you had to wait in the queue for days.
NYCC has released their panel list and I have gone through the list to see what I might be interested in. Being in New York (and no longer teaching) I’m also looking at what other activities I might want to do while in the city. I’m not going to spend four days wandering the exhibit hall. With my brother and his family attending on certain days, that makes me focus on things that might be nice for them. Last time was my brother’s first time at a con and we spent a lot of time wandering the hall. I was able to get him into two sessions- one on the Broadway adaptation of “Back to the Future” and another one on using improv techniques in your classroom. I’ve created two lists of options one for him, and one for his family, I’m doubtful either one will even be looked at, but it’s a start. I figure they will just want to gawk at everything in hall.
For me, there are two Star Trek based sessions I’m looking at- first is an interview with Paul Stashwick who played Captain Liam Shaw in the third season of Picard. The other is one that I most likely will need tickets for- dealing with the Star Trek Universe. While I try to avoid many panels dealing with TV & Movies, I have been a Trekkie for as long as I can remember, so I will try to see about getting in, if I don’t… that’s fine too. There is a really cool exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image on Jim Henson, and there is also a temporary exhibit on Frank Oz, so I will make an effort to get away from the chaos of the Con and head over there. I also have a few other places on my list since I don’t see myself getting out to NYC as often as I had originally thought.
I’m still creating my list of other panels, fortunately most of them aren’t dealing with the Main Stage or Empire Stage so while I may need to wait in line, I won’t need to get a pre-ticket for them. DC has announced their “Absolute” universe – from what I understand similar to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. So a starting point for new readers without legacy canon making the characters harder to understand. Again, a lot of the panels seem to focus on other realms of the geek universe, but I’ll keep looking and see what might be interesting.
Retirement keeps me away from those panels dealing with the importance of comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Most teachers I worked with wrote me off as a nut for even suggesting it (along with including play). The school comic cons that we tried to put together where pretty much what a comic con looks like to someone who has never attended a comic con. đ Only once was one done well, and they turned it into a night event for families, even brought in artists to talk to people.
As for Artist Alley, I’ve created a list of artists I want to drop by and see, since this is a “Pop Culture Con” there are a number of artists who will not be in attendance. New York is expensive and they don’t make as much money as they could just working at home, or going to a con where attendees know and appreciate their work. Will I be purchasing anything? If something jumps- maybe. I am planning on attending another con later this year focused on Comic Art- so I am currently looking at saving money for that, but who knows?
Exhibitors? I will wander the hall, more to orient myself for when I walk the hall with my brother and his family. I need to know where all the rubber sword sellers are and stuffed animals. I bought a puppet last year, so maybe I’ll check those out again. Unfortunately, comic book wise, the prices at cons like this can suffer from hyperinflation. When the cost of living in an area is outlandish, the price reflects it. In Charlotte, at Heroes Con, while the attendees are more savvy, they also come from places where prices for everything (including comics) are more reasonable.
Fortunately, I really don’t care too much about autographs or photo-ops since those are the big things at pop culture cons. Hundreds of dollars to get a photo of yourself with… some guy who played some character in some film. If you want to do it- good for you! I know- part of it is I’m an introvert so I’m flustered when I have to talk to people, especially famous or semi-famous people. I have a hard enough time talking to artists who I admire, I don’t even want to think about talking to a “star.” Of course it’s hundreds of dollars if you can get a reservation…and another queue to wait in. I brought books to get signed at Heroes Con, I may pull a few for NYCC, but only time will tell- lugging around things at a con is exhausting.
NYCC has other activities going on concurrently- sessions for writers, gamers, anime, cosplay, etc. I’ve looked a few of these, but mostly out of curiosity. I checked these out a bit last year and will most likely stop by again.
Looking back at the numbers and having attended a number of Cons… Size doesn’t matter. NYCC is massive, as is SDCC. My current preference is still Heroes Con in Charlotte (50,000) and Gen Con (71,000) in some cases it’s hard to tell which is bigger by just looking. It’s also interesting to compare size and actual experience. Each has unique exhibitors. 2024 SDCC had LEGO, DC Comics, Marvel… 2024 NYCC- none of those. While they might have panels, nothing listed at this time. At least they have Funko, even though you can’t actually get a reservation to purchase anything. đ No I don’t understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy. đ
Non-Negotiables: I really won’t know until I can see if I can get tickets to Saturday’s Star Trek Panel… There will be some authors Thursday evening talking about their books that I’d like to hear and maybe get a book or two signed. There are a number of artists I’d like to see about getting something from them. The funny thing is there are also a few things outside of the Con I’d like to do… Fortunately I have time to figure it out. The hard part is making plans when people are involved, and when you aren’t quite sure about how transportation will work. Once I’ve traveled from the hotel to the con and back, I’ll know how the system works and can plan accordingly.
Afterwards
I have a few ideas for the trek back, but currently I’m planning on a return trip to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY to check out their D&D and Storytelling Exhibit. While Indianapolis has an amazing Children’s Museum, it tends to be all things to all people, while the Strong, just focuses on toys and the importance of play I really had a great time there last year and can easily get lost for a day there again.
I saw a recent comic dealing with the basic differences between Star Trek and Star Wars that I found amusing and enlighteningâŚ
I come from a weird time. I grew up with Star Trek in reruns, and was 11 when Star Wars came out in the theaters. As an adult I definitely see differences and understand that Star Trek is Science/Speculative Fiction and Star Wars is Fantasy with Science Fiction aspects (planets, spaceships, & rayguns). As pop culture has taken over society and it seems like for the most part, the fans are different.
Iâve joked that real Star Wars Fans really donât like Star Wars, and thatâs what makes you a true Star Wars fan. There is a lot of discussion online about how bad whatever the latest thing is. Then we get into things like the original releases vs. Special Editions vs. Prequels vsâŚ. Did Han shoot first? Disney is ruining the Brand. George Lucas is ruining my childhood. This director or that director is ruining… Don’t even get started with casting decisions! There’s a lot of bad talk happening in Star Wars fandom, and a lot of people being just mean (embracing the dark side). This is all coming from the people who LIKE Star Wars!
I enjoyed how Star Wars sparked a change in the world. Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek Movies⌠it made science fiction popular and main stream. I recall my brother and I running around whacking each other with broomstick light sabers, while my mother wondered what happened to the broom and mop. Star Wars got me into reading as a middle schooler. âSplinter of the Minds Eyeâ by Alan Dean Foster was one of the first books I recall reading on my own.
You see, Iâve always loved Science Fiction from Flash Gordon serials to the 1950âs flying saucer movies⌠but I recall as a kid growing up in the Bay Area my dad taking us to a Star Trek fan club meeting and falling asleep the the episode âArena.â I had starship plans, I still have the Technical Manual that I carried around as an elementary school kid. I could name off the various ships in the Federation. I had similar stuff for Star Wars- sketchbooks, The Art of Books I never really got into the toys for Star Wars since I was just old enough to not be as into toys, my neighbor had them. for the record: I preferred the Y-Wing to the X-Wing for the record. My favorite ship is the Enterprise (“No bloody A, B, C, or D”).
As a fan base one thing Star Trek has is the concept of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) which helps when others talk about âbestâ and âworst.â In Star Trek they kinda accept everyoneâs right to like even what you personally donât. Which leads me to Prodigy. Canceled by the powers that be after one season. Paramount was able to sell the rights to Netflix after a massive online campaign to save the show. Kinda an internet version of what happened to the Original Series back in the 60âs.  They are now trying the same thing to save Star Trek’s other animated series “Lower Decks” which they announced the next season would be it’s last.
The show was pretty much finished when Paramount decided to cancel it and make the show disappear from their streaming service. Netflix, this week, released season 2 of Prodigy in a 20 episode (about 10 hour) bingeable dump. Prodigy was the Star Trek franchise’s idea for a âkid showâ co-produced by Nickelodeon. There are a lot of things to unpack from this series. I donât want to give away any spoilers for either seasons. So Iâll start with where in the timeline does this happen? This isnât much of a spoiler and because the first season has little to do with the Federation so itâs hard to tell. We know this happens after Kathryn Janeway is made an admiral. So sometime after Voyagerâs return and during the time of the films. The second season tells us this all happened before the first season of Picard. So as the Romulans are being relocated (think the point in which the âKelvinâ timeline starts).
Season 2 actually ends with the Utopia Planetia shipyards being destroyed which was a flashback in Picard season 1. The crew of the Protostar is a bunch of misfits trying to escape slavery on a at that point unknown planetoid. A mix of young aliens with no idea about Star Fleet or the Federation. So this is an introduction to the universe of Star Trek with the main characters being like the companion in Doctor Who, the audienceâs surrogate. Pretty much every detail is covered for a newbie even that none of the characters speak the same language, so how do you communicate?
A few spoilers, but with a second season you know problems from the first season have been sort of solved. The first season <spoiler> gets the crew and lost starship Protostar to the Federation and deals with what happens then, bad things, bad bad things. While the second season deals with how our characters figure out how to live in the Federation preparing to join the Academy and attempt to rescue someone mentioned in the first season who was lost in time⌠then hijinks ensue.
There are lots of twists and turns through both seasons, but my favorite possible episode 13 from season 1 which dealt with the crew landing on a planet that the Enterprise interacted with during their five year mission and a “minor” violation of the Prime Directive that impacted the civilization for some amusing results.
I have enjoyed this series and frankly all the various series for their own merit. IDIC. Have I liked every episode? Nope. I joke about the first season of most Star Trek series arenât great. The actors need time to figure out their characters. The writers need to figure out the world.  Around season three they get it. Prodigy like Lower Decks, being animation allows some freedom that would be difficult or expensive in live action. Season 2 is worth a watch and actually does a nice job of taking care of some complaints people had about season 3 of Picard. Not all the plot holes are addressed, but at least one is tidied up. I just wish they had episodes of Will Wheaton’s The Ready Room for these, or even each season… that would be amazing.
As for the final decision when it comes to the battle between Star Wars and Star Trek… I like both, but if I have a choice – I’ll watch Star Trek. I have kept up with Star Wars, and enjoyed my visit to Galaxy’s Edge in Florida (I made a droid & a lightsaber). Yes, Star Wars has books and various TV shows, but the core is really the movies, where the core for Star Trek is the television shows. I’ve invested untold hours in the Star Trek Universe and have the scars to prove it. Now if they would only build a Star Trek Theme Park. đ
Now to this Weekâs Comics:
Public Domain #6 – I thought I’d lost contact with this one… The first arc was dealing with a family and the rights to a character the father had created… Now we get to actually doing something with this character. OK actually this is al the “Real World” stuff and the comic with the superhero will be coming out soon.
Black Radiant #29 & 29.5 – In the last two issues we had come close to the end, each version of Black Radiant was tasked with a challenge that could save the world… SO what happened? Who Lives? Who Dies? Which person is actually the better Black Radiant? Read it and find out.
Justice Society of America #10 – One of first Legion of Super Heroes Comics had the Legion go up against Mordru an evil wizard. With Huntress (Lost in the multiverse Helena Wayne) building a Justice Society from reformed villains we have a young Mordru coming in trying to change his future, and learning that while the end may justify the means… it isn’t always that neat and clean.
Batman #150 – I know a secret! So what happens if you know who Batman is? What would you do? This is the story of a small time crook (former henchman) who know Batman’s secret identity and what he does with the information… It is a bit surprising but fits with the newish direction of Batman.
Then, of course, theirs a short tie-in story for the summer blockbuster Absolute Power…
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 – Another crossover taking control of a comic? Wha? Huh? This time it’s the “Infinity Watch” Which I guess, for an Annual issue isn’t too bad. Someone needs to study Temporal Mechanics 101.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man # 22 – Blood Hunt yipee! Yes, Vampires, yes, fights, yes, vampires. Sadly I see that there’s a DC vs. Vampires comic coming up, so more vampires! I really need to find other comics to read.
Rogue Sun #20 – Rogue Sun the immortal hero fighting to save the world again occult menaces, decides to start taking his role a bit more seriously as he plans to take out his big bad guy. At least he understands he has some work to do before hand. How does skipping school and heading off with a biker girl aid in his training?
Sons of Star Trek #4 –Â The end of the series, so no spoilers! Let’s just say I thought it was satisfying and still would like to know all the craziness that brought the universe together- Tuvix, Mariner, Morn… So many right turns in Albuquerque!
Rocketeer Jet Pack Adventures – I found this on the shelf of my LCS and picked it up… It is a book of short stories (so I won’t destroy my imagination by having to look at pictures… I can make the pictures in my mind). The book is actually 10 years old and I need to sit back and read it.
It seems that after the last Earth shattering finale for the merry Marvel mutants we are back with new team line ups and new titles. This teaser is to get me interested in all the titles and… it’s not doing anything for me.
I’m having enough trouble dealing with two Batman titles, two Superman titles, multiple Spider-Man titles (that at least have different Spider-Men in them), do I really need to be reading all these X-Men books? I watched X-Men ’97, but a dozen mutant books?!? Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Exceptional X-Men, NYX, X-Force, X-Factor, Sentinels, Phoenix, Wolverine (also in Uncanny), Dazzler, Storm, Mystique, and let’s not forget the ad for Storm joining the Avengers!
Let’s not even get into the decades on continuity I need to wade through… If you love the X-Men (I do like the X-Men, but I really stopped reading them back when they had one title) this looks like it is a great time for you. New #1 issues, some new characters, and some cool stories. Enjoy! IDIC!
So, last night I participated in the monthly #educomix twitter chat which has kinda made me look at what is in my classroom graphic novel library. Please understand, for the last 2 years I have not been a classroom teacher, I have been a âspecialâ teacher meaning I see every student in the school one day a week. I did the math and figured I see kids somewhere around 27 hours a year. I pick a handful of kids to check out one book when they leave my class. If I let everyone my entire class time would be used checking out books. Sure some books go missing, things happen. The saddest thing that has ever happened was when a student returned to my room handing back the book he had just checked out. I asked him why and he replied, âMy teacher wont let me read this, itâs not at my level.â My solution- I asked him his ZPD and found him books at his level. My question is whatever happened to pleasure reading? If I stuck to books âat my levelâ Iâd only be able to read dissertations.
When I first started teaching, 30 years ago I remember bringing in my comics as a way to teach my first graders how to sort and classify things. They thought it was cool and my collection got organized, win-win. Since then Iâve always had some kind of a graphic novel library in my classroom. The only rule was you could not only have comic books. My personal rule was to avoid comic strip compilations and focus on publishers other than Marvel & DC. That doesnât mean I donât have Spider-Man or Batman it just means that is a small part of my library. That can be harder than it seems. The biggest problem has been replacing books – they go out of print and no one collects all ages comics. I must thank @comiccarnival for looking out for me. I come in and there are pages from Previews with books circled and notes next to them. So teachers get to know your local comic shop. Donât just drop by on Free Comic Book Day and ask for class sets of whatever they have left. Talk to them about the books they have, ask for suggestions- youâll find out quickly what they think is appropriate for your kids.
Caveat Emptor: While kids are open to a lot of ideas, parents have a lot of baggage and think their child understands situations the same way they do. This is how books get banned, principals get called, bad things happen to good people. So hereâs whatâs in my graphic novel library- remember what I have might not work for your class.
In no particular order (s= series):
Bone (s) – Jeff Smith
Amulet (s) – Kazu Kibushi
Ordinary People Change the World (s) Brad Meltzer & Chris Eliopoulos
Science Comics (s) – various Published by First Second
The Baby Sitterâs Club (s) – various published by Scholastic
Mighty Jack (s) – Ben Hatke
Zita the Space Girl( s) – Ben Hatke
Cleopatra in Space (s) – Mike Maihack
Leave It to Chance (s) – James Robinson & Paul Smith
Secret Coders (s) Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes
Salem Hyde (s) – Frank Cammuso
Hilo (s) – Judd Winick
Giants Beware – Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
Dragons Beware – Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
Monsters Beware –  Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
G Man (s) –Â Chris Giarrusso
Redâs Planet (s) – Eddie Pittman
Super Dinosaur (s) – Robert Kirkman & Jason Howard
Smash (s) – Chris A. Bolton and Kyle Bolton
Little Guardians (s) – Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis
Dreamland Chronicles (s) – Scott Christian Sava
Star Drop (s) – Mark Oakley
Smile – Raina Telgemeier
Sisters –Â Raina Telgemeier
Ghosts –Â Raina Telgemeier
Drama –Â Raina Telgemeier
El Deafo – CeCe Bell
Solution Squad – Jim McClain
Reading with Pictures – Various
Time Shifters – Chris Grine
All’s Faire in Middle School – Victoria Jamieson
Roller Girls – Victoria Jamieson
Pigs Might Fly – Nick Abadzis and Jerel Dye
The Adventures of Superhero Girl – Faith Hicks
Mouse Guard (s) – David Petersen
Jellaby (s) – Kean Soo
Spidey – Robbie Thompson & Nick Bradshaw
Camp Midnight – Steven Seagle and Jason Katzenstein
Annaâs Ghost – Vera Brosgol
Making Friends – Kristen Gudsnuk
The Courageous Princess (s) – Rod Espinosa
Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction – Nick Dragotta & Saul Griffith
Howtoons (Re)Ignition – Fred Van Lente & Tom Fowler
Kid Beowulf (s) – Alexis E. Fajardo
Animal Crackers – Scott Christian Sava & Mike Holmes
Herobear & the Kid – Mike Kunkel
Sunny Side Up – Jennifer Holm & Matt Holm
Power Pack Vol.1 – Marc Sumerak & Gurihiru
Tiny Titans (s) – Art Baltazar & Franco Aureliani
Teen Titans Go (s) – various
Lunch Lady (s) – Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Leon Protector of the Playground – Jamar Nichols
Buzz Boy – John Gallagher
RoBoy Red – Rich Faber & John Gallagher
New Brighton Archeological Society (s) – Mark Andrew Smith & Andrew Weldon
Little Tails (s) – Frederic Brremaud & various
Cowboy -Chris Eliopoulos
Phoebe and her Unicorn (s) – Dana Simpson
Making Scents – Arthur Yorinks and Braden Lamb
Cosmic Commandos –Â Chris Eliopoulos
Monster Mayhem –Â Chris Eliopoulos
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales (s) – Nathan Hale
Comic Squad – Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm
Albert the Alien (s) – Trevor Mueller and Gabriel Bautista
Star Scouts (s) – Mike Lawrence
Space Battle Lunchtime – Natalie Riess
Suee and the Shadow – Ginger Ly & Molly Park
Mr. Wolf’s Class (s) –Â Aron Nels Steinke
Geeky Fab 5 (s)- Liz Lareau and Lucy Lareau
Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam (s)- various
Sheets – Brenna Thummler
DC Secret Society (s) – Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen
Nameless City (s) – Faith Hicks
The Princess Who Saved Herself –Jonathan Coulton and Greg Pak
Amelia Rules – Jimmy Gownley
The Dumbest Idea Ever – Jimmy Gownley
Dream Jumper (s) – Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom
Kitten Construction Company – John Patrick Green
Crafty Cat (s) –Â Charise Mericle Harper
Regal Academy (s) – various
Dare Detectives (s) – Ben Caldwell
City on the Other Side – Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson
Cucumber Quest (s) – Gigi D.G.
The Creepy Case Files of Marco Maloo – Drew Weing
Catsronauts (s) – Drew Brockington
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in 8th Grade – Landry Walker and Eric Jones
Quirk’s Quest (s) – Robert Christie and Deborah Lang
March Gran Prix (s) – Kean Soo
 Binky the Space Cat – Ashley Spires
I know that seems like a lot but to make sure every kid has something that interests them you need to have a wide variety. I also have some good old fashioned comic books in short boxes also. The only rule is that you return it as close to the way you got it.
Day 4 – Â I am a part of a gaming group that after much deliberation came up with the name: The Holy Order of the Polyhedral Dice. Â In the discussion a wombat came up as a mascot, so here is what I came up with for a logo. Â Shirts will be available at some time soon. Â The discussion will probably now devolve into how do draw the wombat as Wolverine…
About once every so many years I actually get sick. Normally I can just sit it out and with a day or two I back to normal. This one is sticking around. The good thing is I do get a chance to draw some comics and get a buffer built. The bad thing is I feel awful and hope that the fever breaks soon, since next week is pioneer week at school and I have a bunch of things I still need to do to get ready. I just don’t see it happening today. Time to push more fluids and hope I get better.
