|
For fans of comic books, science fiction, anime and other cult
media there are few conventions that compare with San Diegos
Comic-Con International. This year was my eighth trip the con
and with every passing year the convention grows by leaps and
bounds, both in regards to attendance and quality of
presentation. From movie previews to comic book displays to
action figures there were booths and panels that covered the
bases of entertainment.
My primary goals for this years convention were fairly meager
compared to goals in prior years. On the comic book end of
things, the plan was to pick up a good number of small press
books. The hardest part of finding good indy material is usually
the unavailability of samples to look through. Thanks to Comic-
Con there is more material available than you could dream of
perusing and you also get the chance to meet the creators.
Other than small press books, my main mission at the convention
was to get as many autographs as possible from cast and crew
members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its sister show Angel.
Considering Andy Hallett (who plays The Host on Angel) was
the only person lined up to do a signing, it seemed like getting
other autographs would be a big task.
On the panels front, I didnt attend much too many compared to
previous years. Joe Casey (writer of Wildcats, Uncanny X-Men
and Adventures of Superman) presented a panel on comic
book writing. Fielding audience questions, Joe put on a show
that was incredibly informative with some entertainment thrown
in as well. One of the most interesting aspects of Joes career is
the way he mixes mainstream work like X-Men with creator-
owned work like Codeflesh and the upcoming Automatic
Kafka. As far as writing tips, Joe pointed out that when you are
working on your first professional jobs, it is essential to be
reliable for the editor and not rock the boat. After you have
proven yourself as a competent writer, it is then possible to
request more leeway in your storytelling ideas.
The Women In Comics panel presented a diverse cross-section
of female talent spanning several decades. Creators Ramona
Fradon, Marie Severin, Chynna Clugston-Major, Amanda
Connor, Wendy Pini, and Lee Mars were present to discuss
how they broke into comics as well as their influences in creating
comics. While it has been tough for women to break into comics
in the past, that situation is definitely changing. As one of the
panelists pointed out, there is next to no one in the industry who
would turn down a talented female creator who was capable of
doing work on time. Also, it was mentioned that as more
women are working in the business end of comics, more women
will be employed on the creative end.
Of the various displays and presentations that abounded at the
convention this year, Inkworks Trading Cards stole my heart
and my time throughout the weekend with their karaoke bar.
Angels Andy Hallet, who plays a demon karaoke host on the
hit series, was on hand to host the festivities and help out as
various convention-goers were given a chance to shine. Every
time they ran the karaoke session through the weekend it drew
crowds that had the convention security tearing their hair out and
had everyone singing along to hits like Smashmouths "All Star."
On one of the Saturday karaoke parties Andys fellow
Buffy/Angel star Amber Benson showed up to lend a hand.
Perhaps Im just being biased because Im a fan of these two
shows, but this was one of the most fun things that Ive seen at a
convention in years. I mean come on, where else can you see
Darth Vader backing someone up while singing Creeds
"Higher?!?"
Speaking of off the wall stuff, costumes abounded at this years
convention. Within 15 minutes of arriving on Thursday
afternoon I saw a Cylon Raider posing for a photograph with
Buddy Christ (from the Kevin Smith flic Dogma). Other
notables from the weekend include loads of Klingons, some
Stormtroopers, two Ghostbusters and an Aquaman/Green
Lantern pair that had muscles sewn into the spandex of their
costume. The muscles might not have looked anatomically
correct, but they deserve points for trying, at least.
My small press hunt went very well, other than the fact that
finances limited my ammunition. Some of the various books that
I picked up and will be reviewing over the next few months
include: Wheres it at Sugar Kat, Skeleton Key, Breakfast After
Noon, Jetcats Clubhouse, Slow News Day and Potential. Andi
Watson, creator of Skeleton Key and Breakfast After Noon,
had some great sketches for sale and I couldnt resist buying a
nice Skeleton Key piece. Also I had a caricature done by
Potential creator Ariel Schrag that looked dead-on, especially
considering she drew it in no time at all. Potential is one of the
best works Ive read in years and will be on the review menu for
next month.
Dark Horse Comics also made my list of convention heroes by
pulling several surprise Buffy signings out of their hat on
Saturday afternoon. By the end of the day I had autographs
from stars Andy Hallett and Amber Benson, writers Jane
Espenson, Drew Greenberg and Steven DeKnight, and series
creator Joss Whedon. Now I just need to remember that
disposable cameras are not good for celebrity encounters, as the
picture quality is pretty awful and does not scan well at all.
This years Comic-Con was a great time that allowed me the
opportunity to pick up some small press books Ive been
meaning to try, as well as meet creators from my favorite
television series. What little information Ive mentioned in this
report doesnt even cover 1/20th of what goes on at the convention every year.
If you are a fan of comic books or science fiction this is the convention you need to attend. Over
the course of four days you will never run out of sights to see or things to do. Besides, where
else will you see Darth Vader singing karaoke?
|