Some of you may recall an exchange of comments about two years ago, when Doug was planning to attend the Indiana Con and so was I. As things turned out, the convention's organizers failed to anticipate the crowds (that was their first big con here), and many potential attendees were turned away (Doug and I included). Following that con, there were numerous comments in the local media and social networks of less-than-praising content. So to 'balance the scales', as it were, I gave it another chance this year. Things worked out much better.
First of all, I made certain to order a ticket online in advance. This was a simple operation, and when I arrived at the Convention Center about 8:00 ( the show opened at 9), I entered and was able to claim my badge at the counter quickly and join the line to enter. At this point there were maybe 100 persons in line ahead of me, so not bad. Over the next 45 minutes I stood in line, and chatted with the other fans waiting (they had come from all over the general area, and spirits were pretty high). The line to enter grew, but even by 9 the line was reasonable in length. Upon starting time, they formed three lines at the entrance. So now I was only about 20 people from the head of the line!
I had planned to see George Perez first, assuming he would be a big draw. This became the only downside to the day; it turned out they issued tickets to 100 attendees to start his line, a fact of which I was unaware. So I was directed to stand in the 'no ticket' line, and ended up spending nearly two hours there (again visiting with other fans, a big side benefit to attending a con) before finally abandoning the attempt. Some of this delay was due, no doubt, to some of those ticket holders bringing literally stacks of books to be signed. One fellow actually brought a full shortbox and another large bag, amounting to several hundred books to be autographed (that brings up another potential post; convention etiquette). This time spent was by no means wasted, however; it was fun to meet other attendees and hear their stories. We also took turns holding each other's place in line allowing several of us to wander around a bit.
Once abandoning that waitng line, things went much better. I started off visiting Jim Shooter, and only waited a couple of minutes. He was a pleasure to talk with, and was very kind. He answered several questions I asked about the topic of the BAB post that day, posed for a photo and signed a book for me (my copy of Avengers 161- the Ant Man issue,prompting Jim to comment on George Perez' rendered ants). Finally I thanked him for the great stories he gave us, and moved on.
I then spoke with Marv Wolfman, also very pleasant, and with June Brigman (who spoke of the pleasure she finds working with Louise Simonson). I next went over to Mark Waid's table, and after a short two minute wait, chatted him up a bit. In all these cases, the wait was negligible, and the artists/writers all free and willing to visit a bit.
Next up: walked over to Ron Wilson's table. Watched him working on an ink drawing for another fan, and soon inquired about a sketch. Ended up ordering a pencil sketch, presented for your approval!
I have always gotten a kick out of watching costumed fans and cosplayers, so I took a tour of the convention floor and admired the array. And there were many, and some great outfits. It was pleasing to see how many actual families were represented: both parents and childen all costumed, and having fun. That family -friendly feeling was everywhere, the convention was roomy with plenty of maneuverability. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and seeing so many kids made me optimistic for the future of our hobby...
Last up was a trip to the dealer's booths. After all, can't hit a con without bagging a few goodies! There were many sellers there, with everything from tattoos to comics to toys and clothing. Being Sunday afternoon, quite a few comic dealers had the discount signs up (hint to any potential convention visitors; Sunday afternoon is a good time to find some bargains as they want to pack up as little stock as possible). I selected several books, all at half price.
My haul:
And that was about it for this day's fun. Overall a very positive experience, not crowded, plenty of room to look. Fans were everywhere, and in good spirits.The organizers obviously learned from the first year's troubles, the venue was much larger. The guest list was extensive and quite attractive to a Bronze Age fan such as I. Convention volunteers were in great supply, if you needed help. Tickets were easy to get online, and pretty affordable. All considered: a day well spent, and one I plan to repeat next year. Maybe I'll see you there...
Nice write-up, Redartz; it does indeed sound like you had a good time. And thanks for sharing Wilson's excellent Thing sketch.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, Croatia's biggest comics event is happening this weekend here in Zagreb; it's way too small to be called a convention, but I usually score a few good finds (mainly discounted tpbs) at the sellers' table. Unfortunately, the writers/artists who show up are mainly local (European), with a heavy emphasis on Italian artists this year. Oh, well...
Thanks Ed0- glad you have an outlet to, at least, add to your library! I must admit to being shamefully uneducated regarding non-American comics and their creators. I'm doubtlessly missing out on some excellent work; really need to pursue this further...
ReplyDeleteGood job, Redartz! Nicely reported as "Our man in Indy--", yep. . .
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see organizers actually learning from previous experience, ensuring a much better time to be had by most (if not quite all). And you've given us a bit of a snapshot of our tribe largely at its best (friendly chatting while on-line; families surrendering to the fun of cosplay; creators who do still engage directly with the fans), along with a cautionary touch of their worst (the mind-boggling me-first-ism that seems to get more than its share of representation in the comic-collecting crowd. A SHORT-BOX in an autograph line?? Really, that's something the organizers need to be alerted to and strictly clamp down on next year, says I!).
It's particularly nice that you didn't have any "Such-&-Such Giant of the Industry Was a Jerk"- type of incidents to report. Those make for great gossip, sure, but they're always dismaying.
I know that I've now become a fan that would probably enjoy the panel discussions as much as anything else-- did you have a sense of what that action was looking like? What some of the topics being covered might have been? (Although I believe Sundays tend to be kinda light with panel programming--)
HB
That sounds like a great time Redartz. Nice coverage of the event. Very fun. From the photos it looks like it was pretty open and airy with enough space for the crowds to maneuver. I've been to some where it is constant elbowing and maneuvering and chaos. That makes the experience stressful. This looks much more manageable. The Thing sketch is awesome. I always liked Wilson's version. He had a great handle on the character. That is a great piece. Funny comment about moving onto He-Man.
ReplyDeleteAs I said before, I would love to chat with Shooter. He had a great and very interesting blog for a long time but then stopped posting. It was interesting to read his perspective on the industry, writing, editing, companies, art etc. I know some people didn't like his management style but I more often than not appreciated his writing. His art is also surprisingly decent.
Great story Redartz, thanks for sharing it here.
ReplyDeleteI also met Marv Wolfman last year at con. He told some great stories and was very friendly to my wife and I. He has a great Brooklyn accent too.
I agree about the folks who line up with stacks of comics or boxes. I waited in line to meet Claremont last year, it took forever because so many people had 10, 20 comics. Then, after about an hour, the con organizers announced that you could only get 5 items autographed (I had one comic, Claremont's Assistant Editor's Month X-men issue). A guy behind me asked if I would get some signed for him (I politely declined). I just wanted to get a photo and a chance to say "Mr. Claremont, thanks for all the great work." (I should mention Claremont was very nice that day).
I feel like the "short-boxers" are there so they can sell "collectors items" on ebay rather than show their appreciation for comics creators.
Thanks for the comments, everyone! It was indeed a fun day. I try to do one convention each year, and this one worked out pretty well.
ReplyDeleteHB- yes, there were many panels scheduled, as you guessed most on the previous days. Jim Shooter had an afternoon talk on writing comics; would have liked that but didn't make it. There were many others, on comics, films, even on cosplay tips. They even had a class to learn belly dancing ( no, didn't try it, sorry)!
Martinex1- totally agree with you on Shooter. I could have listened to him all day. And yes, his blog was fascinating.
J.A.- think you're correct regarding the 'short-boxers'. You can see such things pop up on ebay all the time. And I must say the fellow in question drew some rather sour looks from the many waiting just to meet the artist...did I mention he looked a little like "Comic Book Guy"?
Redartz, I'm surprised, in that picture Jim Shooter looks a lot shorter than I thought he'd be.
ReplyDelete...oh, wait. He's probably sitting down, isn't he?
Nevermind.
M.P.
Nice review and haul Redartz! Yeah cons can be quite the experience, both positive and negative depending on the circumstances (disclaimer, I've never been to one, although I see one scheduled in T & T soon), but it looks like the organizers have learnt from previous years.
ReplyDelete- Mike 'starts sewing my Spidey cosplay outfit' from Trinidad & Tobago.
M.P., they're both standing! Redartz is just that tall... :P
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excellent accounting of your fun day at the con! Very interesting and fun to read!
ReplyDeleteI would love to meet Jim Shooter. The January issue of "Alter Ego" (137) includes a fascinating interview with the man. He really comes across as a smart, reasonable guy doing the best he can at his job and for his people. Sometimes the balancing act of what is good for the business (making deadlines for example) conflicts with the desires of the staff (editing/writing too many books at a time). That seems to have led to the hurt feelings and bad stories we sometimes hear about him. There is always 2 sides to these things, or more.
The size of that con looks "just right" - with room to navigate and enjoy the sights it seems. BUT also big enough to attract some (to us anyway) big names like Shooter, Perez, and Wilson. That Thing sketch is terrific! How fun to meet these guys who brought us so much joy!
Mike- if you have the chance, you really should try to attend one. It is a lot of fun, and well worth the effort to attend if only to experience the kick of meeting so many other fans!
ReplyDeleteEdo- I wish... :)
johnlindwall- that issue of Alter Ego sounds great; I'll have to look it up. Thanks for the tipoff!
John, thanks from me too for the tip on the Shooter interview in Alter Ego. I'm a bit surprised that he agreed to it, because I seem to remember Shooter saying somewhere (maybe in the comments section of his own blog when he was still actively posting) that he wasn't too fond of TwoMorrows and refused to work with any of their publications. I just may get the electronic version...
ReplyDeleteRedartz --
ReplyDeleteSorry so late to this; yesterday was killer busy. I am so glad to hear that the Indy Con has straightened some things out. They have gotten some great Bronze Age creators to attend, and it's my hope to one year give it another try.
And I, too, love that Ron Wilson sketch. It's just great.
Doug
Edo, I too was surprised to see the Shooter interview!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading Back Issue #55 from 2012 and they mention the rift in an article about the "Man From Atlantis" comic. "(Full disclosure: Upset with his portrayal in some TwoMorrows publications, Shooter refused to participate in this article".
In Alter Ego 137 (the Shooter interview), Roy Thomas writes in the editorial "It's well known now that Jim and I had - to put it simply - _differences_ back in 1980."
However the ~30 page interview with Jim Shooter (conducted by Richard J. Arndt) is very interesting and in-depth. I really like hearing the stories about Jim as a teenager dealing with hard-ass Mort Weisinger! Also amused to hear about 15-year old Jim sometime s would get on a plane alone from Pittsburgh to New York and staying (again alone) in a hotel, to visit DC and deliver his work ($25 round trip). Nutty!
That's interesting that Shooter provided an interview for Alter Ego. I wonder if he has lifted his embargo or if it was a one off? I know when I requested an interview with him years ago for a Back Issue article I got a fairly abrupt negative response. I hope he's changed his stance. He's a pivotal figure in comics.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting that Shooter provided an interview for Alter Ego. I wonder if he has lifted his embargo or if it was a one off? I know when I requested an interview with him years ago for a Back Issue article I got a fairly abrupt negative response. I hope he's changed his stance. He's a pivotal figure in comics.
ReplyDelete