The End Of Convention Season Before It Even Began

Self care.

In 2020, I have come to understand the term more than ever.

I have always been someone who has, in times of stress, simply put my head down and worked harder. In times of stress, I have always put the needs of others ahead of my own. While noble sounding, it has sometimes got me into trouble. (In fact, this very site was created out of a need for self-care, a creative outlet to talk about something I loved. A way to get away from problems in my life for 45 minutes.)

If I ever needed self care it has been 2020.

In late 2019 I began divorce proceedings, proceedings which are still on going.
I have been living on my own for the last 6 months.

More than any other year, I needed self care. And something that has always provided me some important 'me time' has been the summer comic convention season. And more than any year, given a newfound sense of individuality and (frankly) freedom, I needed this year's con season.

And then, in 2020, the COVID pandemic hit the United States. That carries its own stressors. Add my profession and there is an added layer.

Sadly, that meant that conventions, such as Terrificon (my favorite con), have been canceled. That meant this little slice away from it all ... a time to hang with friends, a time to meet creators, a time to just be Anj ... was gone.

And now, there is the frank reality of systemic issues within our national police forces as well as civil unrest rampaging across the country. 

More than ever I would love to go to a place where I feel united in a group. But cons aren't happening.

It seems foolish even to be talking about this.

No Terrificon.
No Fan Expo Boston.
No Plastic City Comic Con.

These were things I have been looking forward to for months, maybe selfishly.

It sounds so privileged to be talking about this when tear gas is being fired. 
When people are dying.
When events like the death of George Floyd keep happening. 
When protests to create change become riots with stores being looted.
When people are still dying from COVID.

I can only hope the world is a better place in 2021.

The Double Mourning Of Con Prep During Covid

It is supposed to be school vacation week here in the Boston area.

As my youngest two are still of an age where that matters, I routinely take the week off from work.

One of the tasks that I usually do in this week off is begin thinking about convention season, looking at guests who are coming to cons I go to and start pulling books.

And usually the best way for me to start pulling books is to go to ComicBookDB.com and search for creators while limiting the search to books I have in my collection.

Well ... it's 2020 and so there are some things happening in the world which makes a lot of the above routine impossible. Thanks global pandemic!

First off, it isn't really school vacation week. The COVID-19 pandemic closed schools about a month ago. Everyone has been home since  then. And the kids are getting on-line assignments.

The pandemic has also impacted shows. San Diego Comic Con just canceled. My con season happens in August but that is just around the corner. So I don't think they'll be happening.

But just in case, I thought I'd look.

Boston Fan Expo hasn't any guest listed.

Plastic City Comic Con, a smaller local con, has two excellent guests lined up: Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. I have seen both a couple of times at other cons so don't have too much to get signed.

And Terrificon, usually my heavy lifting con, has a smattering of guests announced but I have to imagine this is the tip of the iceberg. Some of them are people I haven't seen before and would be very excited to meet. Denys Cowan, Marguerite Bennett, Bart Sears, and John Ostrander are all new for me which would mean lots of potential books to pull. But also some favorite creators who I have met but would love to talk too again are also going. Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Dan Slott, and Steve Rude (as well as others) are also announced.

Now I have an idea of the Ostrander books I'd get signed as well as the Cowan ones. As for sketches, Amanda Conner is always a grail piece. I'd love to get a piece by Cowans and Sears. And if prior shows are a template, this is the tip of the ice berg of announcements.

But will this show happen? Who knows.
If it doesn't, I will be very sad.

But wait, there's something else to change this con season. ComicBookDB is gone.

Now I can't easily search my collection for books these creators have done to bring for signatures. I need to rely on my memory!

I know I can search the internet and get lists and try to cross-reference. But it won't be easy.

I miss ComicBookDB. I would have paid for that service!

Look, I get this is a very myopic post. This is a pandemic and I know people will be dramatically affected by it. For all I know, I will be dramatically affected.

But I look forward to cons as a nice diversion from my busy life. It'll be a blow to my morale if they don't happen.

Boston Fan Expo Review

Hard to believe but summer con season is about a year in the rear view mirror.

This was a great year with Terrificon being a comic creator/commission fueled 3 day marathon of running from table to table.

Right afterwards was Boston Fan Expo. While there were great comic creators, this was a much more laid back convention for me with no commissions and just a few signatures I was hoping to get.

As such, it was a super fun, relaxed time thumbing through books, looking for hidden gems, and actually taking my time with the few creators I was hoping to meet

 But all of that was secondary to meeting so many comic community friends in person.

Rob, Ryan, and Shag from the Fire and Water Podcast Network,.
Diabolu Frank from the Rolled Spine Network.
Darrin and Ruth Sutherland from the RaD Network.
Derek Crabbe from the Fanholes podcast.
Keith G Baker, Time Price, and Ward Hill Terry were all there as well.

It was just amazing to meet these incredible people who I have been friends with forever on line. Walking the con, breaking bread, and even watching Transformers cartoons, that was totally the highlight. (Yes, I am the shy Dr. Mid-Nite at the far left.)

What is just as amazing is some of these friends thought that I was so organized and on missions at this con, which honestly was the most laid back con I have been to in a decade.

There was one major (probably minor) purchase.

I found a decent copy of Action Comics #261, the first appearance of Streaky, at a decent price.

I have only seen high grade copies in the wild. So this serviceable copy is perfect for my collection! Yay Streaky!!

 The major signature get was Becky Cloonan on my Harley Quinn #0.

That's now 11 sigs on that book.

I will also say it was great to see Steve Rude again. And I was very excited to meet Dan Slott and gush about She-Hulk and Silver Surfer for 2 days in a row. Slott was so animated and just a great ambassador for the scene.

And I have to be honest, I kind of gushed about his She-Hulk to him. Love that run.

As I said, this was a low-key con for creator missions which meant I had time to thumb through the cheap bins.

I found this book from my youth, lost in some parental purge. The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #6 with Howard Chaykin art, sure to be brought to the next con I see Chaykin at.

But the big win was meeting my buddies!

Boston Fan Expo - Last Prep Post

People laugh when I call summer my 'Convention Season'.

But it seems so appropriate.

And nothing makes that more evident than the fact that with Terrificon still in my rear view mirror, I am prepping for Boston Fan Expo this upcoming weekend.

Fan Expo is more of a pop culture convention and less of a pure comic con. The draw here is as much for celebrities and voice actors.That said, there are certainly a number of big comic guests at this con each year and this year is no different.

What is interesting is that the biggest names (Todd McFarlane and Marc Silvestri) are creators pretty much missing from my collection. I have some early DC McFarlane stuff, and a handful of Silvestri New X-Men issues. But none of them are 'important' enough for me to consider standing in those lines and paying big bucks for premium packages.

And, also interesting, this is the first con where I think I am not looking to get a commission. I'll bring a sketch book and see if anything falls into my lap. But otherwise, I think I am there just to meet and get some signatures.

Most importantly though, the best thing about this con is that I am meeting so many friends I have made in social media. The Fire and Water crew (Shag, Rob, and Ryan), Diabolu Frank, Tim Price, WardhillTerry, Keith G. Baker and others are all going to be there. I can't wait to hang out with this wonderful community I feel blessed to be part of.

 As for guests I am excited to see, read on.

Con Prep: Boston Fan Expo

We are approaching Con Season which means that time is growing short for me to get my preparation done including thoughts about commissions, signatures, and possible gifts for friends.

That means preparing for Fan Expo Boston right after Terrificon. Here is a link to the con:
 https://www.fanexpoboston.com/en/home.html

Now unlike Terrificon, this is more of a Pop Culture convention with a corner for comics creators. Born from the ashes of the dearly departed Boston Comic Con, Fan Expo is about a true cross-section of popular culture. As a result, there isn't as much heavy lifting from a comic point of view.

That said, I am very much looking forward to this convention because it is also a cross-section of the comic community on-line I am part of. Rob, Shag,and Ryan from the Fire and Water Podcast Network will be there. Diabolu Frank from the Rolled Spine Network. Darrin and Ruth Sutherland from the R and D Network, Derek Crabbe, Keith G. Baker, and who knows how many more folks I hang out with in social media will be there. Hoping we head out to Karaoke!

Anyways, that means if any of you are going, we should try to meet and greet!

But onto the preparation and guests.

Boston Fan Expo Recap #2: Bob McLeod Commission, John Byrne, And Others!

Fan Expo Boston is now 2 weeks behind me and there was another con that I have already attended (yay con season!).

So I thought I would wrap up my coverage of this con today.

As I said last week, the feel of the con is much more celebrity-focused but the comic creator guest list was pretty impressive. There was a nice mix of classic creators and current folks. So for an old timer like me who also hits the store every Wednesday, this was perfect.

For examples, one of my best interactions was talking to Sam Humphries about his Legion/Bugs Bunny crossover. Humphries is a big fan of the Grell era Legion, the books I cut my comic teeth on. And I was able to talk about his recent Harley Quinn run which has really shined.

And, of course, John Byrne was there. Byrne was a huge draw for me, having been a fan of his since I was a wee lad reading Marvel Team-Up and enjoying his Superman reboot.

Regarding commissions these days, I am trying to make sure I get more classic artists when I see them (and if I can afford them) to recognize them and their contributions. At Boston, I really hoped to grab a Bob McLeod commission and I was lucky enough to get one.

Up next, the commission, by Byrne interaction, and other stuff.

Boston Fan Expo Recap #1 - Tyler Kirkham Commission plus Lee, King, & Orlando

This last weekend was Fan Expo Boston, the beginning of my convention season. I have been anticipating this con greatly because of the depth of the comic creator guest list that was coming and I wasn't disappointed.

From a commission point of view, I knew that this was going to be a light con, maybe two commissions. And my number one target for the day was Tyler Kirkham. Thankfully, I was able to land on his list and get a sketch.

I also knew that this was going to be the con where I would go the extra mile to make sure I met Jim Lee. I had the opportunity a couple of times prior but passed when the lines became too long. This time I spent a bit more to guarantee a brief interaction.

And the list of other creators that were present is a bit too long to regurgitate. I'll touch on John Byrne and Bob McLeod in recap #2. But it was great to meet Steve Orlando, Sam Humphries, Greg Land, and others there. And I also got to run into Tom King, Clay Mann, Peter Tomasi, and Frank Quitely again.

The one thing I have to say is that almost every creator had some charge for signatures. Often it was 2-3 for free but then $5 after. Some where every sig was $5. Some were $10. It has made me change my approach to pulling books for sigs which is kind of a shame. I understand their side of the financial equation as well.

The last day was a family day where the two youngest Supergirls joined me and were able to meet the cast of Steven Universe. They had a great time shopping for themselves and friends. 

So overall, a very good experience. Up next, the Kirkham commission!