Heroes Con 2008 - Post Con Report - Sketches - The Hulk!

I got one other sketch as HeroesCon drew to a close. As we left Ron Wilson's table, very happy with my new sketch of the Thing, the Official Comic Shelf Photographer observed a sign advertising "Lousy Full Color Sketches" by Jim Salicrup.

That's right, Jim Salicrup, writer of Spidey Super Stories.

Of course, I wasn't aware of that at the time. Like many, I'd heard about the Spidey Super Stories series courtesy of Chris Sims' Invincible Super-Blog. So while I wasn't entirely aware of the rare opportunity in front of me, I'm fortunate enough that Salicrup's name did stick in my head. So I stopped, and watched him sketch. He was even working in the rare medium of fruit-scented magic marker! Say what you want about most of the artists at the convention, I didn't smell fruit around any of them.

When he was done, I handed over my sketchbook, and the requested modest fee and was gifted with the masterpiece on this post. It still smells fruity.

I'll have more pictures from the convention in future posts!

Heroes Con 2008 - Post Con Report - Sketches - Turtle Power!

One of my earliest comic book memories is borrowing a friends' brothers' original black & white issues of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I read them back before they were a cartoon, back when they killed people.

Back when they were totally awesome.

So I thought it was truly cool to see that Peter Laird, who co-created the turtles with Kevin Eastman would be at HeroesCon. At one point, I had found and purchased a copy of the Raphael/Casey Jones one shot, but in all the moving I've done, it seems to have lost it's way.

That said, the only book I had for Mr. Laird to sign was a re-print of TMNT #1 issued a year and a half ago to promote their last video game. I convinced the employees of a local game shop to give me a copy some months ago. He signed it graciously, and the next day I went over to him and obtained the sketch on the right. This guy still draws the turtles excellently. He whipped up this little sketch in no time at all.

Heroes Con 2008 - Post Con Report - Sketches - The Thing

At Chad's suggestion this year, I procured a pocket sketchbook for the purpose of... well, acquiring sketches.

Now, the writing tends to grip me more about comics than the art. It's just the way I'm wired. I don't think art is inconsequential... in fact I know it's aboslutely crucial for the medium. In a collaboration between artist and writer, the writer may be the one making the story up, but the artist is the one actually telling it to an audience. I may personally have come up with the greatest and coolest stories never comitted to paper, but without the artwork to convey those stories to an audience, they're less than nothing. I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that one of my failings is to get more excited over writers than artists. But I think that the convention this year may have taken a big step towards breaking me of that.

Like a fool, I waited until Sunday to try to get some sketches. What this means to folks who haven't ever been to a convention, is that the only people who could take the time to sketch in my book were those who asked for money. It's a perfectly reasonable request, as these people are providing you with original artwork that is essentially one of a kind. Ron Wilson may have drawn The Thing a thousand times, but the one in my sketchbook was drawn for me. That's totally worth compensation. There are a plethora of artists who'll provide free sketches, but if you're not on-hand Friday to ask, and drop off your sketchbook... well, there's always next year. But as these folks are doing it out of a generous love for the fans, I don't have the heart to rail against the system.

Now, here's a peek at the sketches I was fortunate enough to get. In order to keep the page from getting too cluttered (and to let me draw out my post-con writing that much longer) I'll do one sketch per post.

Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing is one of my favorite comic book characters, period. As I mentioned above, Ron Wilson, a Marvel penciller from the 70's and 80's drew the classic story in which the Thing must face the alien Champion to determine the fate of the world. After having read about that story a couple times online, I obtained a copy, and loved it. So when I walked up to him at the convention, I knew I wanted him to sketch the Thing for me. He was busy with other commissioned artwork, including a gorgeous two-page spread (I'm not sure if the Official Photographer got a picture of it or not.) but decided he had time to do a quick head sketch.

It's awesome stuff. We chatted a bit while he drew. And I think he was originally going to just do the sketch in pencil, but as we spoke, picked up a pen to go over the lines. He drew this in no time at all, but it's easily one of the best things I got out of the convention.

Heroes Con 2008 - By The Power of Fraction!

The personality who impressed me the most at the convention had to be the guy in line asking Roy Thomas to sign about fifty different copies of the same trading card, despite a good dozen people behind him.

But if you asked me who made the best impression on me at the show this year, the answer would undeniably be Matt Fraction. Not only does the guy have a solid grasp on what makes many of the Marvel Universe's most interesting characters tick, but he's also just so darned cool to talk to. Whether he's running a panel single-handedly (with only Ed Brubaker via cell-phone to back him up), diverting a line to keep the aisles of the convention free, or just chatting... he makes it all look easy, and he does it with style.

He was the writer I was most looking forward to meeting at this year's show. As such, I'd brought more of his books to the show to be signed than anybody else. I brought enough that I didn't feel comfortable carrying them in one shot. After presenting him with the Marvel stuff in the morning, I caught back up to him in the afternoon. The day was wearing on him, and talking with fans (and possibly mugging with Rick Remender seated next to him) was drying out his throat. As he was talking to a convention employee, Official Comic Shelf Photographer Hilary dug into a bag, producing a bottle of the Hilton's best water on the spot. (She was carrying around several of them.) Matt was so grateful, he included the following inscription on my Casanova: Luxuria hardcover:

To translate: "thank you for water. you have saved my life. Fraction!"

And that's the coolest thing I got at the show.

Heroes Con 2008 - Post Con Report The First

Another year is past, and at this moment, HeroesCon is officially over. I'm back in Columbia, trying to digest my experience as I gaze at the small mountain of bronze-age Marvel books that I gleefully carried home.

Each year I attend the convention, I find that it's less and less about acquiring comics. I mean, check this out... I was at the show for three days, and got six more books than I did two years ago. I was late Friday, and left a little early today, but that's still plenty of time to go shopping. I think it's a key change in how I experience the convention. Whereas initially it was a big shopping spree, it's become the way in which I connect with the folks who create this entertainment that I enjoy.

I waited in line for a good half hour to let Roy Thomas sign two issues of King Conan that I picked up the previous day. While in line, I thought... this guy worked right alongside Stan Lee. Ron Wilson signed Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7, where the Thing decided the fate of the world in a boxing match. Matt Fraction signed... well, he signed a whole lot of stuff, while sharing anecdotes and and telling me how much he appreciated the fact that I purchased his work.

And at the advice of my friend Chad, I bought a small sketchbook and took the experience a step further by asking several artists to grace it's pages with a picture. And I think that those sketches are the most treasured items that came out of HeroesCon with me. While I'm sure that those artists draw plenty of sketches like the ones they did for me, those sketches are still unique.

I'll provide more details later, possibly with pictures taken by my official Comic Shelf photographer (and unofficial Matt Fraction Watergirl) Hilary. But to close out, here are some statistics. I took my laptop up with me, and updated my database each day.

• 118 Books purchased at a total price of $111.64
• Average purchase price: $0.95/issue
• 31 Books signed at the convention this year

On Convention Panels

The one aspect of HeroesCon that disappointed me this year was the panel discussions.

I'm not saying that I regret going. After all, when you're schlepping a backpack full of comics, and carryinganother full bag or two, any opportunity you get to sit down for awhile can be welcome. Especially in a convention center full of people. So on that score, at the very least, it was a blazing success.

Buyt on the information front, I just couldn't help being disappointed.

I'll start with DC's Countdown panel. This one was definitely a better panel than the Marvel alternative, I've got to say that. There was some actual information given, but most of it seemed to be that the question is answered in Sinestro War #1 later this month. That issue must have the smallest font ever developed to cram in everything they said it would answer. But right of the bat, Dan Didio declared that he had a VP of Marketing sitting in the front row to help him out with what he could and couldn't say, which was a bit disappointing. But hey, at least we had DC's EiC on the spot. I heard enough to sell me on the Sinestro Corps, which is the only thing I miss about having dropped Green Lantern en masse months ago. Looks like I'm getting back on the wagon. Or is that off?

But Marvel's Round-Table panel was just a massive disappointment. Joe Quesada, a regular face at HeroesCon was up in Philadelphia for a WizardWorld con, which apparently meant that absolutely no news could be dropped at HeroesCon unless it had already been dropped by Joe Q in Philly. Literally. The only reason they could tell us that Peter David would be picking up She-Hulk after Dan Slott leaves it, is that Joe Q had already announced it.

Seriously, if I'd known that going in, I probably wouldn't have bothered. The only thing that prevented me from getting up and leaving early, I think, was that Peter David was one of the panelists, and after actually having met the man at his signing table, I have a new respect for him.

All told, this hasn't spoiled my impression of my time at the Con. It hasn't even completely ruined my impulse to attend these panels. But I think that in the future, if an Editor in Chief isn't present, I'll only sit in if I'm tired of the dealer room and need a rest.

Post-Con Wrap-Up

First, courtesy of my database, some statistics on my haul, which I've just spent a couple of hours entering:

116 New Comics
Total Cost: $93.85
Average Purchase Price: $0.82
Total Cover Price: $227.57
Average Cover Price: $2.03

It's times like this that having a database makes me feel really warm and fuzzy.

I got some really good deals. I picked up a slew of Astro City, including all of Local Heroes at $0.50 a pop. All of Arrowsmith at that price too. My Kurt Busiek obsession proceeds ahead of schedule, go team go.

I was looking to explore the cosmic aspects of the Marvel Universe, so when visiting boxes ranging from $0.25 to $0.50 I tended to pick out almost anything I saw with the Silver Surfer, or Adam Warlock on it. I haven't read anything yet so we'll see how this strategy served me. Again, courtesy of my database, it looks like I scored 13 issues written by Jim Starlin, and I'm told that's a good thing.

It was a return to the quieter HeroesCon of old. There were no scheduled signings... artists/writers were just at a table whenever they weren't eating, or at a panel. That's pretty cool. I got to chat a bit with Peter David, and instantly formed an even higher impression of the man than his books had given me. He managed to sum up in one sentence why I like his writing so much compared to a lot of other Marvel writers. Very cool to meet him in such a casual setting.

I'm going to take a break to, perhaps, sit down and actually read a few of those books I spent my hard-earned scratch on earlier. So do me a favor... if you see me complaining that I don't have anything to read in the next month or two, just smack me.