Tag: Comic Convention

Eureka! An an Actual COMIC Con!

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Bruce

You’ve heard me complain (and complain and complain and complain) about supposed “Comic Cons” that focus almost exclusively on stars of stage, screen, and TV not a whole lot about comic books.  I heard a lot about HeroesCon being a comic focused Con. It was started and is still run by a local comic shop owner in 1982 and has stuck to a vision of what the term Comic Con means. All I know is next time in Charlotte, I want to stop by his shop which I have also heard is amazing.

Day 1 (Friday) Welcome to Valhalla, Mecca, Heaven, Brigadoon, Shangri-La, Neverland… you get the idea:

After driving in and picking up my badge on Thursday, I woke up ready to take on the Con.  I had a few specific goals, mostly dealing with getting something’s signed by artists who I don’t get to see that often. I brought some books out of my library and collection to get signed.  I also had some commissions I was hoping to get.

Lugging around books can be exhausting and with my hotel a half mile away I was already adding to the aches & pains that come with being old.  I decided to only bring half, focusing on those artists listed as only being at the con Friday & Saturday. 

I waited in line to get in (I had not paid for the VIP badge that would let me in early) and overheard conversations.  Conversations about COMIC BOOKS!  If people bc were talking about who they saw it was a comic book creator, not some guy who played that one guy it that show.  Jim Steranko seems to get around because most sighting were of him, at breakfast, at Whole Foods…

Once they started letting us into the hall I tried to orient myself.  I had written down the table numbers of my short list and just wanted to lay eyes on each location.  I stopped by David Petersen’s table to get on his commission list.  I was hoping for a Rocketeer Mouse, but David sadly informed me that he no longer was doing mice as someone else’s character.  I completely understand.  Especially after having drawn over 365 different monkeys.  While I own a page from Mouseguard Winter 1152 I had my heart set on a commission.  I asked him instead to do a science fiction mouse- and as with all my requests, that was it besides a “have fun.”  I had no idea what I’d end up with, but knowing Dave’s skill and artistry it will be awesome.  I then went over to see Tony Harris who I had asked about a commission once he announced opening his list online.  I checked in and as best I could do chatted with Tony & Becky (after missing out on talking to Dave Stevens so many years ago, I embraced my inner “Bob” and tried to get over being an socially awkward introvert) it was awesome because Tony also had back issues of Ex Machina and I was missing issue 7 (How could I be missing one issue from the entire run?🙄).  Then I wandered still looking for certain people while checking out each booth.  The numbering scheme was a bit weird and table numbers tended to be covered by art, or just the normal table set up. What I noticed was the large number of comic sellers who had… comic books!  Not just any comics, but really cool ones.  Then I started to see so many… weird comics?  Not weird, but ones the regular “Muggle” wouldn’t understand.  For example almost every booth had a row of comics with Dave Stevens covers!

When I think about going to a con I’ve always imagined walking up to a booth, flipping through a long box and finding one of my grail issues. I’ve always been disappointed. Booths usually have the big titles, those popular with the general public. Here I started looking and was face to face with comics I had never seen. Now I had to actually think about which issues I’m missing and what I want to actually buy. So many holes that could be filled. I was good, and probably overwhelmed so I didn’t buy that much.

Then you have the artists… so many amazing artists (over 400). I know I wouldn’t have time to see everything and everyone the first day and was , of course, carrying around books I wanted signed by artists I either couldn’t find or weren’t going to arrive until two.

Skottie Young
David Petersen
Charles Vess
Tony Harris
“MouseGuard 2419”
The Rocketeer by Tony Harris

I headed up to my first session, a presentation on Dynamic Figure Drawing by an anatomy professor from SCAD.  It was great!  While I won’t completely change my style I learned a lot that will inform my approach to drawing.  I hung around for the next session which was a focus on character building.  We went through an exercise dealing with creating an antagonist and protagonist for a story we haven’t really worked through.  I focused on a science fiction story I’d been thinking about and was very pleased with what I came up with.  Will this become something I do more of?  Maybe… I like the concept, but it still needs a lot of work. 

Upon returning to the hall I wandered some more, a lot of the usual suspects at cons this size were noticeably missing.  There weren’t that many places selling props, or t-shirts.  Yes, there was a booth selling foam swords, and another with martial arts weapons, no one exclusively selling light sabers.  The art was tame compared to some of the gore filled, soft pornography that will be the focus of many booths at comic cons. Again I was blown away by the shear number of people selling comic books.

an entire row of Dave Stevens’ covers
Starbucks got into the act.

At the end I checked in with Tony and saw my almost finished Rocketeer ❤️❤️❤️.  Then headed out to see about dinner and maybe an Adventure Lab.  Dinner won out and I headed next to the Drink & Draw.  

Drinking and Drawing: a perfect combination especially for a good cause.

Drink & Draw is a an event in which attendees get coasters and then draw on them.  Coasters are $1 each and 6 for $5.  Supplies are available and you drink (cash bar) and draw.  The coasters are then sold. All proceeds go to Parkinson’s research.  Coasters (and other art) are divided onto tables $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and if you have to ask you probably can’t afford it.  You were supposed to turn your coasters into a table where their value would be determined.  I didn’t know and just dropped mine on the $5 table.  While drawing, I had a great conversation with an AP Science teacher and felt sorry for the guy she was with.  Get two teachers together and all we they talk about is school.  It was great to think -” “not my problem”, but sadly also how bad things are around the country and how education is just the “Peter Principle” in action. At the time I didn’t buy any coasters, the ones I looked at were a bit out of my price range.

Day 2 (Saturday) but wait, there’s more: 

After a nice breakfast at the hotel I walked the half mile to the convention center and got there a little over an hour before the show started.  Waiting in line listening to people talk about this being the only true “Comic” convention. The idea seemed to be that Heroes Con is 100% Comic Books, Baltimore Comic Con is about 90%, Mega Con in Florida is the next in line according to these folks, and everything else has evolved into a star studded photo-op con calling itself a “Comic Con.” I was amazed at the number of people who did podcasts, and had YouTube channels greeting each other and talking shop while I listened in.

I decided once I got in, to see about the line for Skottie Young. I had been a fan since he had done the art in Marvel’s The Wizard of Oz adaptations. I even have a flying monkey drawn when I first saw him at C2E2 and picked up a page from an Oz book at another Con. The day before, I saw the line and tried to jump in, but was told by a volunteer that they were marking the end. On Saturday, there was a nice family in front of me that made me realize more than ever that this isn’t a hobby for everyone. I had three comics I wanted Skottie to sign. Basically the latest issues of Spider-Boy, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel had put out Skottie Young variant covers of pretty much every comic this month and I figured I had these open my pull list- why not? The guy in front of me was an online reseller, he had brought 50 comics (the limit announced online) for Skottie to sign. These were multiple copies of various issues. From what I understood talking to them they had driven from Michigan for the day. These were strictly for resale, and I kept hearing about how much they would be worth. Now when you get something signed it used to be free. Now it costs something. If you buy something at the table, whatever you buy usually comes with a signature, if you bring something in… it is about $5 or more per book and some artists will limit the number of books you can bring. To me I kinda feels like this is turning comic books into Beanie Babies. I’ve been collecting comics since I was in 3rd grade. I don’t care if it’s popular, for me it’s the character, the art, the story. Just because Wolverine and Deadpool are the latest big thing, doesn’t mean I running out to buy them. So I had to chuckle at this guy and his poor family waiting in line. Will he make a killing? Probably, I hope so. Trends will shift and popular artists will stop being popular as new artists move up the ranks. After an hour or so in line, Skottie did sign my three issues, since I didn’t have the signatures witnessed, and the comics graded and bricked, thy probably aren’t worth anymore than they would be normally, but…

I spent a lot of time trying to hunt down certain creators and once I figured out how end caps were considered in the grand scheme of things it made it easier. One of those was Howard Chaykin. Funny thing was I had run into Howard a couple of times, but couldn’t find his table. I had my copy of American Flagg #1 and The Scorpion #1 I wanted him to sign. Fortunately he was doing a presentation in the afternoon so I started there. Howard Chaykin is one of my crazy heroes. He’s blunt, honest, and has done some amazing comics that definitely aren’t for kids. I was introduced to him in the 1980’s with American Flagg which has sadly gone on to foretell some of the crud we deal with now. The artwork was unique for time and it was (for a kid in high school and college) just a wonderfully dystopian view of society. Howard’s session was wonderful but filled with enough adult content and words, I won’t quote anything here. It was amusing when someone with a family tried to sneak in towards the end (probably to get a seat for the next session) and Howard and the moderator both told them they needed to leave, this was not a kid friendly session.

The second session I attended was on lettering. I recall my first New York Comic Con when Webcomics were just hitting their peak and I attended Webcomics Boot Camp. They critiqued my comics and the biggest issue (besides me not monetizing the strip) was my lettering. The exact comment was “Lettering is an art” with the insinuation that I did not have those skills. So they recommended I just use a hand writing font, which I have done ever since. This session was very educational in that I learned so much about what I didn’t know when it came to the history and importance of role of Letterers in comics. I’m still soaking it all in and will try to improve what I do. Will it actually work? Probably not, but I have the time to try.

I kind of rushed around after that trying to check out tables, and booths I had missed. Found some really cool stuff and even bought a page from JL8, a webcomic I had followed for years. When I buy an actual page, it is for two reasons- first I like the art, but secondly I want to see the process the artist goes through. In this case, it’s the end of an arc, but what I got to see was how the page was put together, and (after a session on lettering) how Yale did his lettering. The blue line, the layout, everything is on the page for me to see.

The Auction

The day ended with the Auction. The proceeds go to charity and to help offset the cost of the Con. A three day badge for HeroesCon costs the same as one day at New York Comic Con. Some artists also asked that the proceeds from the sale of their piece got to Heroes Initiative or to Parkinson’s research, so It isn’t just for the Con. A number of these pieces of art were actually created onsite, there was a stage in which artists would come up and create artwork in front of everyone. There were so many amazing pieces of artwork and the hardest part was just time, I’m getting old and tired out to too fast. I also looked at all the pieces and I kept thinking I just purchased three original pieces of art.  Did I really need another one? Was there anything out there that was just calling out to me, the Chris Giarusso Spider-Man was amazing.  I had Chris on my list, but he was busy drawing when I walked by. Scottie Young’s Deadpool and Wolverine was cool, but they aren’t characters I really have an interest in. They may be popular, but… There were a lot of pieces there that made me think “Wow I’d love to have them,” but I had to think where would I put these? I decided that maybe I didn’t need to bid, so I wanted to just see what the prices are going for, I left early, around 10 o’clock. They were trying to get through as many lots as possible with that happening, things went a lot cheaper than I thought they would. While I was there some pieces went for a couple thousand dollars, but the majority of pieces came in between $250-$500 each which really, for original art, isn’t that much. I now wish i had hung around a little bit longer and would love to have known when they actually closed everything down, but I’m old and my inner introvert needed time to be alone and recharge.

Day 3 (Sunday) on the road again: 

While I have a chance to head back today is also a travel day.  While I love cons, I also love being home and taking all this creative energy and doing something with it.  Usually, if it is a travel day I just want to get from point A to point B.  While I enjoy traveling, I miss my cats.  I’d also say I miss Sue, but I know she’s out caching and even though I was about 9 hours away, I thought I might just beat her home (for the record she beat me home by 30 minutes- if only I hadn’t stopped at Buc-ee’s!). My whole thing, which annoys Sue, is when it comes down to a travel day that’s what I want to do – get home or to the next destination. So while I considered going back to the con on Sunday I decided instead I would just go home and at about 8:30ish Sunday morning I popped in the MINI and started heading home via a different route, which was through Asheville, North Carolina instead of going back through West Virginia. The thing I found is, this is Sunday and this is the South so it gave me a reason to not stop. Since when I hit Asheville most of the places that I would want to stop wouldn’t be open until long after I pass them so that it makes me just go straight and deadhead home. Note: the Sevierville Buc-ee’s is a zoo with horrible traffic and bigger crowds or at least more people squished together than I saw at HeroesCon. The Richmond Kentucky Buc-ee’s was better, but still had numerous people thinking the gas pumps were parking places. 🙄

Overall Impressions

It was amazing, I’ve been to many Cons over the years and this was by far the best when it comes to Comic Books. Early on C2E2 and San Diego were great, but they have morphed into pop culture cons. HeroesCon was exactly what I, as a comic book fanboy, need. The fans are just that, fans. They love the medium of comics and it shows. I haven’t mentioned the cosplayers, not because they weren’t there or they weren’t great, but they weren’t “Professional.” They were fans who loved a character enough to dress up as them. You could see the love put into their costumes, not the perfection (although some were amazing), but the hours of love. These are people who if you asked about their character would be able to tell you their favorite story, not that it came from a video game they like.

(Right) Squirrel Girl cosplay for my friend Janet

My “haul” from HeroesCon 2024 – from tea to art supplies to original art from some of MY heroes.

I loved the fact that unlike a lot of Cons there were no media stars, no wrestlers, no towers of t-shirts, no one calling me to their table to give me a hard sell about their comic or whatever they were selling. There was an understanding, a mutual respect between the participants that you know what you wanted and would stop and look if something caught your eye. If you had questions you’d ask. It was a small town comic con- the kind that is usually housed at the VFW, on steroids. Those cons might have the local comic book creator at a table, here you had over 400 creators.

Will I be back? Most definitely. Although this tends to fall the same weekend as A2CAF, and Brickworld, along with numerous other events I like, I see myself making HeroesCon a priority. While I like A2CAF and Brickworld, both are more tied to my past life as an educator. So as I look at the calendar, HeroesCon 2025 June 20-22 has been penciled in.

Sue and I talk about retiring to someplace when the time comes… We’ve considered North Carolina for decades now. We started to create a rubric of what places needed and HeroesCon ticks the “Geek” box for me. Unfortunately every place we look at then gets mentioned in some magazine or website as a great place to retire and the prices shoot up. Next time I go, I’ll still come in the night before, but I think I will get a hotel room for Sunday also. Maybe in Asheville on the way home, just so I don’t have my typical travel day anxiety and a reason to stop by some of my favorite places the area.

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 6-5-24)

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Bruce

You’ve heard me whine about “Comic Book Conventions” that aren’t really about comic books. The conventions that focuses more on the celebrities than comics. I think it all started with San Diego Comic Con when they started bringing in Stars from TV and Movies for panels and got boatloads of national press for the announcements made in Hall H or Ballroom 20. Every other Con decided that Celebrities were a draw beyond the comic geek and they saw dollar signs. Can’t afford to go out the SDCC, or can’t even get a ticket? Come to your local Con and see people who are sorta kinda famous. My most recent example would be Indiana Comic Con, in which almost everyone there solely attended to see someone who only tangentially was related to comics. I’m all for Cons bringing in stars, especially since for a lot of celebrities this is their way to bring in money charging for autographs and photo ops. As I have said before, call it what it is- which is not a “Comic Con.”

I have heard about a few select Cons that have stuck to being a “Comic Con” a celebration of the art of comics. A2CAF (Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival) in Michigan is an all ages con that celebrates comics for kids and if you have the chance I highly recommend it. CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus) in Ohio is also a fantastic con all about celebrating the Cartoon Arts, not specifically all ages, but still an amazing convention… both of these are free.

Next weekend I’m heading to another con that will be a new experience to me, HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. I haven’t attended this one in the past, because I usually would be at A2CAF or Brickworld in Chicago. For the record, HeroesCon is not free, but it is cheaper than many of those cons that have a bunch of photo ops and celebrities. Behold the power of MATH – 3 days at HeroesCon = 1 day at New York Comic Con this is before calculating hotels, and food.

I’m curious about what I will say in my post con blog, because right now there are some things I find rather exciting. First- I haven’t seen a single post, about a “celebrity” attending. All the announcements have to do with artists, writers, and creators of comics. There are a lot of them (around 400), most you wouldn’t know… but I do I currently have over 15 artists on my short list that I want to see. These are people I am in awe of what they have created. Some aren’t as famous as others, but to me… WOW. I usually get lost in Artist Alley at cons that have relatively small artist alleys- I’m afraid I may never get out- which is why I have a short list. Some are people I am picking things up from, others are people I really would like to get something signed by.

Secondly, the list of panels and presentations mostly deal with the process of making comics. Drawing, lettering, writing, an opportunity to listening to some of the best of the best in their field talk about the art of making comics. No sessions dealing with the last TV show or movie, nothing about reflecting on the last season of some show or or Anime. They have professors from SCAD teaching sessions on comics! Sign me up!

Finally, while it can be a big draw for many people, cosplay doesn’t seem to be a prime focus. I like seeing people dressed up as their favorite characters, but most of the time these come from media other than comics. At HeroesCon it seems they spotlight 50 cosplayers each day to walk across the stage and show what they have created, along with sessions on making things to enhance your cosplay. What I noticed (and was pleased by) was the weapon policy which includes vendors. Most “Comic Cons” have people selling various swords and martial arts weapons. You pass by multiple booths full of swords, throwing stars, and the like. My brother at New York Comic Con bought one (or two). I’m looking forward to walking through the exhibit hall and not having to deal with weaponry lining the shelves. Will there be light sabers of various kinds? I don’t know, probably, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Again, the draw seems to be COMIC BOOKS and art, because it is a COMIC CON. 😳

This Week’s Comics

I Hate Fairyland #15 – Or should we just call it Gertzilla minus One? So After completely annihilating Fairyland with Gertlins, Gert decides to become part of the solution, not the problem? Will she succeed is wiping out the scourge of gertlins and save the world? Will science, magic, and technobabble combine to help?

Love Everlasting #15 – The story so far… Joan falls in love, and questions if love is really everything that it’s cracked up to be. Before she can discover the answer, she is killed by an unknown cowboy. This happens throughout time and really throws a damper on her relationships. We have learned so far that the cowboy is actually in love with her, but it’s a dirty job and someone has to kill her (over and over and over again). He kidnaps her one more time to save her from her fate only to… but there’s a twist… she’s French, which of course makes it all OK, because… c’est la vie!

Sons of Star Trek #15 (ok, it’s really #3, but I didn’t want to ruin the pattern we had started 🙄) – SO our heroes are caught in the middle of a war with the Breen, and QJ has somehow lost his powers. We discover more about the crew and how they are different from those that we remember. We also learn a bit more about this alternate universe what is different in the very fabric of the universe. Nog, Alexander, and Jake start to figure things out, but is it too little too late? Who will live? Who will die? maybe the next issue will shed some light on things.

Batman #148 – Winter is coming… OK, maybe not winter, but a storm of sorts. Batman and the Bat Family reunite to fight Zur-En-Arrh and hopefully save the psychotic villains from being reprogrammed into upstanding citizens. No psychotic villains then Bruce Wayne will need to find a new hobby! The army comes in to help with things. Thank you Amanda Waller- Hmmm… maybe I know which Batman title is part of the current DC continuity- then again on time and following the summer blockbuster

My Adventures with Superman # 1 – I’m old and don’t pay for every streaming service. Which that said, I haven’t been watching the Cartoon that has gotten some good reviews, so I when the comic came out, I decided to check it out. I’m sure I’m missing some connections to the cartoon, but the basic story of Superman/Clark Kent trying to save everyone and deal with a new villain that seems to be part parasite and part Amazo has got me thinking I need to read the next issue- I just hope I remembered to put it on my pull list.

Amazing Spider-Man # 51 (Tony Harris Cover) – Peter Parker is now Spider-Goblin? He’s going after the Sinister Six while Norman (Mr. O), tries to play sane and normal… What about the now walking brain and his cadre of scientists? Who are they bringing in to help Peter from going completely off the deep end?

The Ultimates #1 – In the ultimate universe you had their version of the Avengers called “the Ultimates.” In this new version after the Maker was able to stop most heroes from being created (Accident + Radioactivity = Super Powers if you take out either the accident or the radioactivity you get nothing) Can heroes (thought of as terrorists- remember history is written by the winners) gather together who they need to stop the evil running the world? Great first issue recapping what happened to get us to this point and setting us up for even more.

Amazing Spider Man #51 (Skottie Young Cover) – Peter Parker is now Spider-Goblin? He’s going after the Sinister Six while Norman (Mr. O), tries to play sane and normal… What about the now walking brain and his cadre of scientists? Who are they bringing in to help Peter from going completely off the deep end?
Yes, I did cave and buy two copies of this issue (curse variant covers!) One is an amazing cover done by one of my favorites- Tony Harris, and the other is done by another one of my favorites- Skottie Young. Completely different take, both are really amazing. Both on my HeroesCon short list. Sometimes, you do need two of the same comic, I’m not enough of a completist that I’ll ever need 33 copies of the same comic, but two isn’t that bad. The question is do I bring them to HeroesCon to get signed?

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 3-27-24)

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Bruce

So If you read my last post about Indiana Comic Con you know about that. I wouldn’t say “Worst Con Ever” because I’ve been to worse Cons, but I would have to say it wasn’t what was advertised, or at least if this is the direction Comic Cons are going- I don’t see the need to attend them, unless I want photos and autographs (which I don’t). Heroes Con in Charlotte and Baltimore Comic Con seem to be the hold outs when it comes to die-hard comic cons, I’m sure there are others, but those are the ones that jump out.

I have said in the past that I’m torn between a bunch of different things I like- with retirement I’m trying to decide what I really want to focus on. Yes, I know I don’t have to focus on one thing, but with limited resources I need to decide what I really want to invest in. First there’s comic books- something I have been interested in since I was probably six or seven years old. Something I keep returning to when I need to escape. I returned to comics the last time when I was in grad school and needed to escape the pressure of classes. Tied closely to that is drawing. Again something I return to over and over again. I don’t see this going away anytime soon.

After Billund I have renewed my interest in building with LEGO Bricks, but mostly sets and not full on MOCs (My Own Creation). The thing keeping me from diving in again is the community. While there are some amazing people, the local LUG seems to be a a bunch of people who are into being in power and not willing to change or adapt. One of the reasons I retired was that I felt the robotics program could not evolve as long as I was in charge. It needed new ideas and other people to be responsible. Same goes for our local LUG. “We’ve always done this way” seems to be their mantra, and they will argue until you just give up.

I have met some of my best friends through MINI Coopers. I’m not a car guy, but I do love the MINI Community and the people in it. Like LEGO, the local group seems stuck in doing the same things over and over again with the same people in charge. There is another group in Fort Wayne which I’ve attended a number of events, then there are the national events like MINI Takes The States which are awesome. If only MINI would go back to making smaller cars, but as long as the Roadster is running (and when I get the classic back to working) things are fine. Unfortunately when people start talking to me about cars, I realize just how much I don’t know.

Geocaching is Sue’s thing. I have made a lot of friends while hunting down Tupperware in the woods, but I’m definitely not as competitive or completist enough to geocache more than when I’m traveling (see comments on Caching in my posts about Denmark).

I’ve been into games since I was in middle school playing the Marquis de Iblis in D&D. The problem with gaming is having to rely on other people and in this day and age it is impossible to coordinate calendars. I’m tired of thinking I’m going to play only to have it cancelled at the last minute. This is the thing on the chopping block, I’ve invested a lot into games, but if they aren’t being played, it’s kind of silly. I’m torn between attending Gen Con this year because I could use the resources in other interests… and I don’t really need anything more. Although it is an amazing Con and I highly recommend it if you are into games.

This Weeks Comics:

Primer #1 (of 4) – Primer is an all ages comic introducing Ashley, a foster kid who can just be trouble. She get’s placed with a couple who are polar opposites and tries to escape, only to discover one of their secrets… Since it’s a first issue there is a lot of character background going on, which is good. Sadly it looks like this will only be 4 issues, hopefully it will continue, The premise is interesting.

The Flash # 7 – What happened to Max Mercury and Impulse?!? In this issue we find out. Something weird is also going on with everyone else, but I’m sure Barry will figure that out while Wally is in the garden looking at statues and finding out about the Arc Angles… no that isn’t a typo. Angle not Angel.

Detective Comics #1083 – This version of Batman is hopefully going to get out of the desert and return to Gotham to save it from the Orthams who have made Gotham a better place (on the surface, but under that chocolate coating is it still an ooey gooey mess of corruption and bad stuff?) The Question finds evidence, but is it too late? A then Dr. Hate’s story comes to a conclusion… or does it? So many question marks…

Black Hammer The End #6 – So, this is the end… Will Lucy save the world from the Anti-God? What about the extremely large cast of characters gathered throughout the previous 5 issues? DC took 12 issues to do what Dark Horse and Lemire are doing in six…

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #18 (Legacy #300) – Big issue in which Miles goes up against the Cape Killers who have more impressive powers even if they don’t want to use them! Will Miles finally confront Rabble and save Brooklyn? Who lives? Who dies? Only the next issue will tell.

Amazing Spider-Man #46 – The Sinister Six return and try to help a reluctant Sandman escape Ravencroft (no relation to Ravenloft in Barovia). Spider-Man and Jackpot (MJ) try to thwart the attempt made by Electro… and succeed?

Star Trek Defiant #13 – OK- if you read the last issue there are no spoilers, if you didn’t- shame on you. IN the last issue we find out what happened to those weird bug creatures that had infiltrated the Federation way, way back in ST:TNG’s first season (Episode 25- Conspiracy). The alien enemy I think we all thought would be the new big bad, but they never showed up again, instead the Borg took their place. They have taken over a Starbase (for Lower Deck fans , not Starbase 80) and Worf and the crew of the Defiant have been sent there (probably by someone taken over by the alien bugs). Now they need to escape but seeing as this is only part 2, we’ve got a long way to go in this arc. I’m OK with that.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 – Wow. Just like the original Ultimate universe we are starting to get into some interesting stuff! Spider-Man gets help with his costume (with amusing options). He also meets and teams up with an old friend (who is a new friend in this universe).

Alan Scott Green Lantern #5 – The penultimate issue in which Red Lantern reveals more about his origin and we finally meet the real bad guys and (redacted) show up to make the next issue awesome.

Nacelleverse #0- This was recommended to me at Indiana Comic Con (but I won’t hold that against it). Basically take some of your 1980-90’s toy lines and create a comic book encompassing all of them. Robo Force, Biker Mice from Mars, Sectaurs, Power Lords, and The Great Garloo are brought back in a story featuring Garloo. If you don’t recognize any of these brands… you (like me) won’t have the nostalgia button pressed, but it still was a good story setting up a series and the return of these toys to market. Toy marketing has always been a part of cartoons and comics, so this just updates it a bit to tug at the heartstrings of people who now have more deposable income and don’t need their parents permission to buy stuff. Unless they are still living in their parent’s basement.

Time2 Omnibus – I had the chance to meet Howard Chaykin at Galaxy Con. I went to a panel and then paid for a workshop. He’s done a lot in his career but the one I got caught up with was “American Flagg” a take on the future in which a lot of the things going on in the comic seem logical if things continue the way they have been (Have you ever seen “Idiocracy”?). Time2 started off connected to American Flagg- kind of in the multiverse alternate timeline crossover kind of way. It then branched off on its own. A future based on the 1930’s style with gangsters and robots and jazz and… It reminds me somewhat of the Will Eisner’s Contract with God, with a cool American Flagg science fiction twist. This omnibus actually was released a while ago, but I finally picked up a copy.

Recap: Indiana “Comic” Con- “My God, it’s full of stars!”

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Bruce

For those reading my babbling reviews of comics I’ve had a bit of commentary about Comic Cons. Last weekend I had the opportunity to help out my Local Comic Shop (LCS) at Indiana Comic Con held at the Indiana Convention Center. What I got in return was a non-attendee view of the Con and an exhibitor badge that allowed me access to the exhibit floor. Added bonuses were three days of standing on an unpadded concrete floor (so yes, my feet hurt).

My previous posts about this “Comic” Con have focused on the list of celebrities advertised and the lack of anything dealing with comic books and their creators. I asked the owner of my LCS if they were getting a booth and then if they needed any help. I figured as I was looking at post retirement employment this might be a good way to test the waters. So Thursday I helped set up and then “worked” Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This is My First Con and it’s Amazing!

I heard this from almost every attendee. They have nothing to compare this to, so it is a little overwhelming. It’s like going to a geek freak show/flea market for the uninitiated. There are people walking around in costume, there are booths selling everything from coffee and tea, to battle axes, to light sabers, to stuffed Cthulhu. Lord knows what their reaction would be if they attended a larger con, although it is pretty much just more of the same. They’ve heard stories of San Diego Comic-Con so this is the same isn’t it? This isn’t my first con, my first con was a Creation Con in the early 80’s in Los Angeles. Where someone was cosplaying a character from “V” (1983) walking around asking if anyone had a mouse they could snack on. I’ve been to “a few” other Cons since then- check my CV for details.😉 Here I saw a lot of the same sellers that I have seen at other regional cons – by the same I mean a few comic book shops from around the midwest, but mostly the same places selling knick knacks and “stuff” for the “Ooooh shiny!” crowd.

If you have never been to a Con understand this:

  • It is a great place for people watching. Many cosplayers put a lot of time and effort into their works and they can be amazing feats of engineering. People who truly love a character will dress up in as accurate a representation as they can make. This could be simply putting on a hat, or building a suit of armor. For many of these people it is a chance to let it go… literally and figuratively. There are many people who, if it wasn’t a Con wouldn’t be caught dead dressed like that. At a Con it is OK… everyone embraces your love of a fandom. Even if you are a 350 pound guy with a full beard who happens to dress like Raven from the Teen Titans. (OK, I didn’t see that but I did see a 6’3″ bearded guy dressed as Sailor Moon). There are also those people who arrive in their store bought halloween costumes which is OK too.
  • Things are expensive. It’s like going to Disney… if you expect to get a soft drink for less than $5 (that was the small size) or a chicken strip basket for less than $11 you will be disappointed. Parking alone this weekend was outlandish by Indianapolis standards. Where I usually park downtown was a flat rate of $35. It usually tops out at $20 if you leave your car overnight. The NCAA was in town also so I’m sure that drove up parking prices. I hope this trend doesn’t continue for Gen Con or people will complain, more than they already do. Don’t even get me started on the cost of stuff connected to the show (like autographs).
  • Be prepared to scratch your head and try to figure out what you just saw. You would think a comic con would have people focused on comic book characters… Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, etc. Instead you will see characters from TV, film, anime… my favorite are the mash ups like the Mandalorian Woody I saw while walking the hall. The other thing will be the gender bending cosplays- like the bearded Sailor Moon. At New York Comic Con my brother would ask me about a cosplay as they walked by- my patented answer was “It’s from an obscure anime, manga, or video game.”

But is Indian Comic Con really a Comic Con?

In my opinion- no. A comic con celebrates comic books and properties that have been spawned from comic books. It is full of comic book art, and artists. Yes, there will be people selling other things, but the focus is on Comics. San Diego Comic-Con is close to not being a true comic con with all the focus on Hall H and Ballroom 20, but at least they have comic book companies present and a ton of comic creators. Indiana Comic Con was a “Fan Fest” or as someone put it, an “Autograph, Photo Op Stampede.” This was pretty easy to figure out since all their pre-advertising was dealing with which celebrities were going to be there, and virtually nothing about comics. Yes, some of the celebrities present had played roles as a comic book based character, but… one of my favorite quotes from a teenager walking by the booth was “Hayden Christensen is the greatest actor of our time…” now there’s a true fan.

I sat at lunch each day, and talked (or listened) to the people around me. All of them were excited over who they were going to see, and get a photo with or autograph. I have nothing against that, it’s just not my thing. The problem I had, was that I was working for a comic shop and it seemed like everyone had already spent all of their cash on photo ops and autographs. They had no money to buy anything else. You see when a show ends, or a film saga is complete, many celebrities have difficulty finding roles after their iconic portrayal of… whoever. The way to pay the bills is to go to con and charge a hundred bucks (or more, most of them more) to sign something for a fan, or pose for a photo. Being an introvert, trying to have small talk with an actor who played a character I admire would be similar to getting a root canal. I have a hard enough time trying to talk with an artist whose work I like when asking for a sketch. I understand why some of my favorite artists have decided to no longer go to cons that boast the number of celebrities they have in attendance.

Is it a comic con? Just look at the app. “Guests” have their own tab so you can see who is here. There was a banner over the spot for “Guest Artists” but on the app, the guest artists were listed under Vendors, and the list of who was going to be there wasn’t published until a few days before the con. So If I wanted to see where to find an artist, I had to wade through the vendor list and look for a booth probably called the “The art of…” (right after the fudge and chocolate vendor) while if I wanted to find the guy who played that one character in that one episode of that show… You know the one I’m talking about… just look under guests and I’ll get his exact location with a photo, when he was doing signings, when he was doing photos and how much he would charge me for the privilege- without a certificate of authenticity (which costs more).

Most of the cosplayers I saw were from anime or were Star Wars based… A number of the celebrities were from the Star Wars franchise so it made sense. If I saw one person with Ahsoka mouse ears I saw a dozen. I didn’t get chance to even look at the panels, but it seemed like most of the crowds were going to panels dealing with the celebrities present, that was the draw. They even charged more for tickets to some panels. I can’t complain, I went to the William Shatner panel at Galaxy Con in Columbus (a con which had more comic book artists). No charge to hear Bill ramble on about whatever he wanted to ignoring the question asked by the fan at the mic.

If I had not been volunteering, I don’t think I would have attended. It was funny that many of the comic shops in Indianapolis did not have a presence. That should say something about if it was a “Comic Con.” Local shops don’t have to move stuff that far, they don’t have to pay for hotels or meals for whoever is working… so why aren’t they there? I understand that some other vendors did better, but I know the ones around us were grumbling as every morning the crowds of regular folks would rush by to get in line for an autograph, this after the VIP and Ruby (more expensive badges) had already lined up 30 minutes earlier. Afterwards people would then pass through without a second glance as they thought another row might be quicker to get to the autograph area.

What did I end up with at the end of this? Three chicken finger baskets for lunches. A few comics from the booth I was working at… I had time to see what I was missing in my collection and fill in a few holes from what was there. A Mark Bagley headshot of the Rocketeer. For those non-comic book people Mark Bagley was the artist for Ultimate Spider-Man along with a lot of other titles. A signed canvas print of the Rocketeer done by James Mulligan, an artist for Disney. The poor booth across from us was selling these and they were nice, and I felt a bit sorry for them. A hard cover “Art of Stardust” book by Charles Vest. One of my favorite fantasy stories by Neil Gaiman and a really good movie adaptation too. Finally a patch of a gelatinous cube for my jacket.

What did I learn?

  • To trust my instincts.
  • I’m overjoyed that so many people got the photos and autographs that they so desperately needed to show their friends how cool they are… Like I said- that’s not my thing, but if it makes you happy- good for you!
  • Concrete floors are hard on your feet.
  • Middle booths are not “prime real estate.”
  • This con should be called “Indiana Fan Fest” if we are looking for truth in advertising.
  • Indiana could really use a real Comic Con.
  • I’m going to write up some suggestions for my LCS on how to possibly improve the experience (besides avoid Indiana Comic Con like the plague). Like NEW Signage! which I can help out with.
  • I am planning on attending at least one of the more comic centric cons coming up over the summer and fall. Don’t worry, I’ll be just as honest when I report back.
As I was leaving, I saw this on the floor… Since no one was around to assist me I didn’t dare pick it up-plus the misspelling might mean snakes are involved,

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 2/14/24)

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Bruce

It seems that with the popularity of comic based media anything and every gathering that crosses over into comics is a “Comic Con.” I remember as a kid in high school going to various Cons and most took place in a ballroom of a hotel and featured a dealer room which consisted of a bunch of guys with long boxes on folding tables. There might be some programming, which was someone talking to the crowd the history of a certain character. Big Cons had artists and writers. Bigger Cons might have an actor or two from a comic book based movie or TV show. Even in Los Angeles there was maybe one Con that had studios come in to talk about upcoming movies. I recall hearing about Buckaroo Banzai and The Last Starfighter at this convention. But they were short presentation showing maybe a trailer and giving away some promo material. My blindfold when I was a pledge in college was my Team Banzai headband.

Now it seems that almost every pop culture convention goes by the name “Comic Con”. I love that the most important announcements from these cons seem to be which actor will be there for photo ops and autographs. I’ve been trying to figure out which cons I want to attend and I can’t see which artists and creators will be there, who will be in artist alley… only that this actor will be there – aren’t you excited!?!?

I’d be more excited to know that one of favorite artist would be there and how to get on their commission list. Some cons are a little more than a month out and they still haven’t posted who will be in Artist Alley… Then again some don’t even have a listing for anyone in comics- just TV & Film (36 actors and voice actors so far) and Panelists (Panelists: being TikTok “stars”, Cosplayers, and Bloggers) no comic book people… yet it is called a “comic con.” Wha? Huh? and you want me, a comic book guy, to buy a badge?

So what should we call these “Comic Cons” that only tangentially connect to comics? Pop Culture Cons (Pop Con does exist- it seems to focus on YouTubers and Influencers with a dabbling into Cosplay & other geeky pursuits) Geekfests? There are a lot on conventions that focus on specific shows or media/genre which is awesome! I do understand that this is an income stream for many actors… I wouldn’t want them to lose out, but… How about they just put something in from of it and “con” afterwards – “Photo-Op & Autograph Con.”

I guess, for me I should be happy that unlike when I was growing up bullies are now wearing comic book characters on their t-shirts so those of us who actually know something about the character aren’t getting teased as much anymore. I should also be happy that girls are now more openly supportive of the geek culture, which freaks out a lot of geeks, kinda like Taylor Swift going to football games freaks out some football fans.

I just wish that the comic creators would get as much praise, recognition, and attention as the actors who play their creations. San Diego Comic really started this whole thing… I recall being their one year and having a great time (no one was in line for days to see the people I wanted to see) but I kept getting texts from people I knew asking if I’d seen this or that celebrity. If I was in Hall H or Ballroom 20 for this sneak peak. No, I was listening to this Eisner award winning artist talk about character design, or listening to this writer talk about the future of one of my favorite characters. It’s not that I don’t want actors or celebrities at a con, I just wish they weren’t the big draw. My first year there it wasn’t as big of a deal and I did go to Ballroom 20 to hear about a Superman movie (Which didn’t do well in the theaters), and listen to Kevin Smith (who was Kevin Smith). No lines back then either… Nostalgia, ain’t it great?

For the record I have been to a few Cons over the years- not in any order (many more than once):

  • Creation Convention Los Angeles
  • Wizard World Chicago
  • Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention Los Angeles
  • Cincinnati Comic Expo
  • Indiana Comic Con
  • WonderCon
  • C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo)
  • New York Comic Con
  • San Diego Comic Con
  • AwesomeCon (Indianapolis)
  • PopCon Indy
  • Gen Con (not Comics- Games)
  • Galaxy Con Columbus
  • CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus)
  • Power Con (Not Comics – Toys/Action Figures)

With all that said “Comic Cons” are still a place where I can find my people. They are still places where If I look, there are people there who understand what I say, and sometimes make me feel far less of a geek than I do when surrounded by people who only care about sports scores and… well sports scores. That’s what makes these places sacred, You can be yourself without worrying about people thinking you are strange. Even with all the celebrities. I won’t stop going and maybe someday I’ll cosplay. I’m still a bit leery about cosplay, I have it on my bucket list (#62 to be precise), but I’m concerned about getting that personal… it’s the introvert in me.

According to CLZ our winners with most variant covers this week are: Vampirella, Vol. 6 #666, with 16 variants, and Penthouse Comics #1 with 16 variants. I’m guessing both are not all ages. 🙄. Then again nothings says “I Love You” or “Happy Valentine’s Day” as much as a scantily clad female vampire and an all adult comic.

This Week’s Comics:

Amazing Spider-Man #43 – Gang War ‘nuff said… only one more issue of Amazing Spider-Man until we get a whole bunch of “Gang War: The Aftermath” comics! 🤪 Woo Hoo!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #16 – Gang War ‘nuff said

I Hate Fairyland #11 – How does Queen Cloudia fare in the “Real World”? <Major Spoiler> Yes, it is an entire issue devoted to making light of death in comics, and a fart joke, so all is good.

Wesley Dodds The Sandman #5 – The Sandman continues to look for the evil behind stealing his notebooks… but is that evil too close for him to notice?

The Ministry of Compliance #3 – C’mon it had a cover with people in monkey masks wielding katanas… of course I was going to buy it. Who is going to save the world from the alien menace that has been secretly ruling for… and who gave katanas to monkeys? Would you trust someone in a monkey mask with a katana?

Blue Book #1 1947 – Flying Saucers? No, this is not the comic adaptation of a bad Netflix documentary or something that was on the History Channel after dark… or is it? Ancient Astronaut Theorists say… <redacted>

The Displaced #1 – As a first issue it sets the stage for the actual story, that will answer the question: If a small city in Canada vanished… would anyone notice? Would anyone care?

Action Comics # 1062 – So magic has changed everyone into a Bizarro version of themselves… We discover why… but also find out who might be the only person who can save the world (hopefully before Superman loses it).

Batman #143 – Joker Year One Part 2, We learn more about how the Joker became the joker, with a little help from someone from Bruce Wayne’s past. Does every comic DC makes have to have something to do with multiple personalities? The trope is wearing thin.

Speed Force #4 – After four issues, I’m finally starting to figure out this whole thing… while it might be that this issue was mostly told from the POV of the villains who seem to be more Gen X or Z so in a dialect that I understand. Monologuing without actually monologuing. Although I will say- After this and Batman, I’m thinking I need to just wear earplugs 24/7.

Brick Journal #84 – Yes, I do get a LEGO Fan magazine. Mostly so that I can keep up with things but also so I can look at what I create out of LEGO bricks and groan at how bad my stuff is. This issue we have articles about cool cars (1/22 scale), and a massive cyberpunk collaborative build (Minifig scale). A bit on customizing mini figures. Along with short articles on a Pandora build (LEGO does make Avatar sets now, but this is bigger and more complex than the LEGO sets) and Echo Base from Star Wars. I’m still working on my town and Batcave… which will be finished about the time I need to sell all of the LEGO, sets and pieces.

Whoops! Enjoy!