The Comic-Con 2013 Post.

Friday's Exhibit Hall.

Well I've finally gotten my life back to normal, so now it's time to reminisce about Comic-Con International 2013. It was a fun show not the blast that previous years have tended to be but very fun nonetheless.

Comic-Con is an interesting show for me, while I tend to have a great time at it every year, I'm left with a feeling that this year will be the year the other shoe drops and it won't be fun anymore, or at least not fun enough to deal with all of the crap that going to Comic-Con International requires. Well I can merrily say that this is not that year. Though it came close.


Of course part of this comes down to me. My cousin and Vlog partner Ruben was screwed over by his work ended up having to work majority of the con. So he was not their leaving me in a bit of a funk at first (this is also why there are no Vlogs this year) that coloured the whole event. But overall there was no one thing or vibe that made the show stand out for me this year. Word has it that most of the "big things" where movie based and since I'm not a Hall H dweller (nor do I have any inclination to be) I always miss that stuff. So for the most part it was a con of the familiar. I saw a few friends and caught up with some of my neighbours from other cons. Which is always great.  Pretty soon I'll find myself truly part of the West Coast con community.

A fun part of this Comic-Con for me was that I had considerably more money than the last few years. So buying art was on the table! so artist alley and the small press areas where where I was hanging out. So please allow me to show off some of my art purchases.

First off, anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with Supergirl. (what I hear you say, "The guy who writes "The Super Cliche Hero Chick"  is obsessed with Supergirl, lies and slander" well believe it). I have over the years gotten sketches or commissions of three of my four favourite Supergirl artists, Ale Garza two years ago at Comic-Con, Drew Edward Johnson when he was my neighbour at last years Long Beach Comic Expo, and Bernard Chang at the same show. But there was one gap in my mission, the fourth, and favourite of the four Jamal Igle. I had had met him before, but never had the opportunity or money for a commission. But that changed on preview night.

The iconic version of the 2005-2011 Supergirl

It's a funny story I stopped by Mr Igle's artist alley table to find out more about his upcoming series Molly Danger. He was finishing up a commission for a fan and I was thinking "here's my chance", but alas I didn't have a sketchbook. I was gonna let it ride until the next day, but then I remembered that  he had quite the panel schedule. So what to do? I found Deleter's booth bought some comic paper and got back to his table. Where he drew me the above piece. Thanks much Mr Igle.

Another piece that I bought was on Friday night as we where finishing up, I was wandering by the table of artist Dean Zachary, when I saw the most funny and awesome Illustration of Kitty Pryde (best X-Man Ever! I will fight you!) and Lockheed. We got to talking about it and then his commission rates, I realized I couldn't top the one he had just drawn so I bought it. He remembered me the whole rest of the weekend as he was not expecting to actually sell that piece.

Here it is

If you don't think that is awesome you're lying.

 I also Got an original page from Ale Garza's Supergirl run, But I have no picture yet.

In my searching for a good page that I could actually afford I saw a lot of awesome art, fun Amanda Conner pages, Byrne originals and mesmerizing commissions, Art Adams' finery and of course the ultimate dream pages Jack Kirby. including this.

You cannot honestly tell me that isn't the most awesome thing you've seen today. 

  That is Bullet Man. And no I didn't buy it, probably didn't have enough for it at the beginning of the trip. But the lady running the booth let me and another admirer take a picture. Pieces like this gave me an interesting insight to Jack Kirby. This year was the first time I had ever seen un-inked Jack Kirby art. And I made an amazing discovery, at least to me, Kirby penciled with a light hand! I had long thought from his inked work that he drew with very hard definite strokes, but in reality he built his drawings in a more methodical manner... and this my artist friends is why you look at original art.

As you can probably tell I spent most of my time in the exhibit hall. I met a number of artists some that I had met before like Terry Moore, Jamal Igle and J. Scott Campbell. And Some new faces like Phillip Tan, Dean Zachary, and writer Grace Randolph. This not movies and TV giveaways is the reason I go to Comic-Con.

I only made it to one panel this year. But it was a good one. It was the shared panel of Jeff Smith (Bone, RASL)  and Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise, Rachel Rising).

It was a fun panel where they talked about the past present and future of the self publishing movement as well as where their going in the future. Fun stories included, how Dave Sim would rent a suite at cons and entertain artists and distributors. How one year at Diamond's Convention for dealers, Smith, Sim, Moore et al would piss off Marvel and DC with their sketch lines and where barred from the hall. So they set up in the hotel bar and announced that they'd be doing sketches for drinks. An event Moore refers to as Bar Con. As for the future... neither one believes that the comic book (the floppy pamphlet) is going anywhere. In fact it's vitally necessary to the independent artist's living. But they have noticed digital becoming a vital part of the equation as it allows folks with no access to a comic shop access to independent comics. Moore mentions that with all of his Comixology sales his comic shop sales have not changed one bit. Other fun bits. Smith on the ending of bone: (spoilers) he wittily said that  when "kids ask me why Thorn and Fone can't be together. I tell em well that would be bestiality, Y'know kids appreciate the truth. And when asked if they ever thought of doing a comic together, Moore shot back an immediate "oh god  no!" They then mentioned it would be interesting and told an anecdote how one of Smith's friends keeps trying to get them to make a series featuring the Creepy girl in RASL  and the creepy girl in Rachel Rising. That they should go to Vegas and burn it down.

As usual we saw a lot of excellent cosplay, Which I will be sharing when I make my photo post later this week.

Until then....