Fantastic Four: Behold...Galactus! OHC -- A Review

Wow, this week really has gotten away from me.  My plans on getting my stuff ready for the 2018 Baltimore Comic-Con (#bcc2018) next weekend epicly (why is this not a word?) failed yesterday.  However, we've got all my daughter's supplies and she's working on fanart to sell.  (See some examples on her FB page.)  So feel free to come by the Who's Mannz  Artist Alley table (A-135) to look at (and hopefully buy) her wares or talk to me about comics.  We got her some business cards and I thought about getting one for myself as a Comics And blogger. : )  We'll be there all three days, Sept 28-30 and Lord willing I'll have an interim update next Saturday just before our next blogger's post on Sunday morning.

Now in case you haven't noticed, something about the blog page is broken (or at least when I look at it).  Gone is the search field and the listing of posts by year.  However, there is a workaround.  If you go to an old post where those fields are still shown, then obviously you can still use them.  So, I'm putting this link here of a post from 2013, which is good background to the upcoming Superior Octopus series coming out.

Enough of this preamble stuff (consider it my warm-up exercise), let talk about the World's Greatest Comic Magazine PRESENTATION:  The Fantastic Four: Behold...Galactus! Over-sized Hardcover (OHC).  In this instance "World's Greatest" is not hyperbole. It. is. simply. beyond. belief.  It's AWESOME to the highest degree (no pun intended) and gives you a never-before-EVER uncanny reading experience like no other.  It's so good that I bought two more copies and had them shipped to friends as surprise gifts. (I wish I could've bought even more.)  This was helped by the outrageously inexpensive price  -- $25 the first week  (50% off) at www.instocktrades.com and afterwards about $29 (40%).  Unfortunately, I think it is already sold out there, but if you can get it for the $50 cover price it is still more than worth it.  $100 wouldn't be too much either. [Just checked - only $38 on amazon.]  The concept is simple: Let's reprint some of the best Galactus stories at a Galactus size.  And Galactus-size it is, the book is nearly two-feet tall!  Bigger than any Omnibus, Treasury Edition, and Artist Edition I've seen.

I had my eye on this book from its first announcement in Previews.  I knew it was going to be great, but I couldn't conceive of the unexpected ways. Find out more after the break:

Batman #53 by Tom King and Lee Weeks -- A Review

With the third chapter of their third Batman story together, Tom King and Lee Weeks have unequivocally established themselves as one of the greatest Batman creative teams.  Top 10, Top 20, Top 40?  It doesn't matter what their rank is, because that would be debatable; the fact remains that the achievement has been reached (if it hadn't been already with just the Elmer Fudd story).  I will layout my case to support this bold claim below (after the break) in my SPOILER-FILLED Review: 

A Tribute to Trimpe

“Comic Book reading is a solitary activity best shared with others.” – Matthew G. Mann, Sr. (date unknown)

I came up with that statement some time ago to illustrate the truism that the collective relational experience between readers, whether through a blog, podcast, e-mail, or simply chatting at your Local Comic Shop (LCS) is as much a part of the hobby as reading the comic itself and collecting it to be appreciated another day. This idea especially applies when there is a bond between a fan and a comic book creator. That bond is initially established when you first fall in love with an individual’s work and start to follow them as one of your favorites.  Regardless of whether you’re a child or an adult, a connection of some sort is made between you, because every creator puts a bit of themselves into their craft. 

And if you ever get to meet that person one day (and they’re not a jerk), it just enriches the whole experience even more.  Better still is if you develop a person to person relationship with them, rather than just a fan to creator one.  Best of all is if you are blessed to become friends. Now certainly the term “friends”, like “love”, has many layers and degrees, so please do not presume that I am embellishing on any of the friendships I claim to have with any comic book professionals.  I’m just happy for the ones I have no matter the degree.  That’s why when one of them ends abruptly…

You see, my friend, the legendary artist of Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, Godzilla, and G.I.Joe to name a few, Herb Trimpe, passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago on 2015 April 14.  I just found out yesterday while perusing the www.marvelmasterworks.com website and saw their bulletin about IDW's upcoming Herb Trimpe's Incredible Hulk Artist Edition HC. I'm still reeling from the news. It's been much more on my mind than the protests in Baltimore City that sent me home from work this morning.

I wanted to pay tribute to Herb by recounting my friendship with him, which began in 2007, consisted of only subsequent annual in-person meetings at the Baltimore Comic-Con, and a few e-mails in-between. 

2012 Baltimore Comic-Con

Sneeze-Barfing with Jimmy Gownley at the Baltimore Comic-Con

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for my next Baltimore Comic-Con recap installment.  Either that or you're waiting for me to move on to something else.  Well, some of you will be pleased at least.  And no, I'm not done yet, but this week you not only get read about it, you get to see it.  That's right: crude video!  It'll also give me more time to work on my LEGO Death Star (50% + done so far) and think of more collections to sell on ebay (the first one went really well -- Thanks!).

The two video's you'll find after the break show my youngest daughter "on stage" at the Kids Love Comics pavilion to illustrate the Sneeze-Barf from Amelia Rules.  And the second one is an example of how to create your own character.  I hope you enjoy them.

Talking Doctor Who at the Baltimore Comic-Con (Plus a link to the British Invasion Panel where Judge Dredd is mentioned)

I'm back with more tales from the 2012 Baltimore Comic-Con.  This time were focusing on the adventures of my Day One companions and the chief subject was Doctor Who and Great Britain.  My oldest son comes with me every year, but it had been awhile since my oldest daughter attended the Con (maybe four or five years).  She's a huge fan of the Matt Smith Doctor and was showing her artwork to several real-life Doctor Who comic artists.  The Doctor is her muse to be sure and as Andy Runton, creator of Owly said "everyone has to have one".  Interestingly, her love of all things Doctor Who (and consequently GB) is a direct result of Comics And!  That and the stomach flu.

Eric and Charlotte with Andy Runton (who had a Doctor Who themed wedding recently).

Find out more after the jump...

Acknowledging Kevin Maguire at the Baltimore Comic-Con

Last year I was number three in line to sign-up for a Kevin Maguire head-shot.  I requested the Chris Evans Captain America wearing the "Bucky-Rescue" outfit from the movie with the army helmet, goggles, and leather jacket (with just enough of the star showing so you'd know who it was). Kevin has a column for expressions, since that's what he's famous for and I said "heroic, but humble".  Unfortunately, Kevin was super-busy last year (his first at Baltimore) attending panels and was unable to start the piece before he had to leave on Sunday for the train back to New Jersey.  Despite his protestations, I paid him the $100 in advance (and inadvertently left my reference material) knowing I'd spend the money otherwise.  Last week you'll recall I was wondering if he'd even remember the commission, since we hadn't been in contact for over a year. I wasn't even sure he'd be coming back this year until about a week earlier. Find out the rest of the story after the break...

"Rolling" with Billy Tucci at the Baltimore Comic-Con

My youngest daughter Faith (appropriately named), me, and Billy Tucci

One of the highlights of the 2012 Baltimore Comic-Con this year was the Sunday panel: "Christianity and Comics With Billy Tucci" that ran from 1300 to 1400 hours.  Here's how the program listed the content:

Baltimore Comic-Con TODAY and TOMORROW!!!

When this posts at midnight, I will have already been at the show.  How is that possible without a Tardis or a Cosmic Treadmill, you ask?  Well, this year, I'm a retailer.  Actually, I'm the "local help" (one of at least two) for Superworld Comics (booth 405 & 406).  So, I got to the convention center at around 1100, started helping Ted unload around Noon and just had a blast all day long until the floor closed at six.  I saw the place dead empty and watched it come to life when the Budget (et. al) rental vans started rolling in (literally).  The big bonus, Ted has already previewed my books for sale, I've already seen some of his high-grade stuff to trade, and I don't have to wait in line tomorrow morning!!!  I predict that this will be the best show ever.  Now, if only Kevin Maguire remembered to do that Chris Evans Captain America head-shot I paid him for last year...I'm anxious to find out.

IF YOU LIVE AT LEAST ONE MILE CLOSER THAN JIM, YOU SHOULD BE AT THE SHOW.  OK, I'm exaggerating a bit, but man is it a fun place to be.  What's better than attending the show -- being a part of it!

Oh, the Flash Chronicles will continue, sometime.  I've already read up through #300 (an excellent story).  I will say that some of the "science" in the Flash books is so totally ludicrous, you'd think it was evolutionary theory.  Oops, that's my Creationist in me coming out.

Have a great weekend, I am already!!!

The 2011 Baltimore Comic-Con in Pictures

As the whole world converges on Baltimore this weekend for the inaugural Grand Prix race, let’s set the way-back machine to two weeks ago and finally get around to more details of this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con! Today we'll explain what else I was doing while conducting my Amazing Spider-Man #45 word-balloon scripting experiment.

DAY ONE

Before the "Dawn's Early Light", we arrive at 5:00 AM. Only five hours to go!!!

A "Comics And..." 2011 Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusive -- 16 Writers on One Panel

I've got so much to say about this year's Baltimore Comic-Con that I can't possibly fit it into just one post. So be sure to check back next week for more, but today I wanted to share with you the results of my "crazy idea"/"great experiment" (and whatever other pitch lines I tried when asking people to participate.) This idea came to me while I was trying to fall back asleep after having set the alarm for 0100 to start recording my "AT40 -- The 70's" broadcast. Similar to a quickie con-sketch from an artist, I wanted to have the writer's do more than just sign their name on a comic. Then I remembered Amazing Spider-Man #45 (Feb 1966), which I happen to have in my collection:

Nice copy, isn't it? I'd say a 9.2 or higher with white pages to boot. Too bad I'll NEVER sell it now!

In this issue on page 19 in panel one, Stan intentionally left the dialogue blank for the readers to fill in themselves. My guess is it was just going to be too sappy to script himself or maybe he was just waiting for me to use it one day to get professional comic book writers to fill-in the balloons!

Getting Ready for the Show...

While it's not as arduous as moving your house (I empathize Jim), getting ready for the Baltimore Comic-Con can be a real chore (for me). I even took the day off yesterday to prepare. I've actually been piddling around in my "room" all week. You see my books had gotten way too unorganized and my closet was so cluttered I could hardly stand to be in there. My main objective was to secure some Amazing Spider-Man's to sell today. I think I have some good books still -- I hope so, because my funds were quickly extinguished last year and I've got a backed-up wish list.

Package from New York!

To say I've had a rough week would be an understatement.

You see I've been SICK -- actually "have been" is a little presumptuous as I'm still not well yet. Let me describe some of the symptoms by quoting some familiar lines from the comics:

"My head!! It -- It's pounding as though it's about to burst!!"

"My body feels hot -- like it's on fire!! I-I feel like I'm burning up"

"Uhh! One side of me is being FROZEN -- while the other half feels like it's on FIRE!!"

And if you can imagine one of Don Martin's characters vibrating violently from Mad Magazine...

At least the high fever episodes seem to have passed, but I'm still sore from the full body convulsions I had at the onset (like doing a million tummy crunches). I thought I was on the mend when I ran into Jim on Wednesday, but I wasn't even able to purchase my books, because I started feeling bad (I did get ALL my free comics today though).

So, while today hasn't been great, there was some good news awaiting me at home. My Herb Trimpe commission sitting in a super-sealed package. This was the drawing I alluded to in my Comic-con post. Well the picture is inked now and I think my likeness came through wonderfully. Although, I guess if women can have supernatural proportions in comics, guys can too (I'm more fluff than buff). I'm really pleased with the end result and man to see the original inks...

Well, the idea was to recreate (not the full cover, just the figures) Hulk #130 where Banner faces off against his green alter-ego. It was originally a pencil sketch, but since I was with all my kids that day (see picture at the bottom), I couldn't really pose for it, so he had to approximate my likeness. That was in 2008. So this year, I asked him how much it would be to ink it and refine my face on the drawing. The price was right and he took it home with him and I e-mailed him some photos. Anyway, enough rambling, let's look at the pictures:

The inspiration.

The finished piece.

The close-up. If you look closely you can see the remains of the penciled turned head with glasses.

I LOVE IT AND I'M NOW A COMIC BOOK CHARACTER!!! How cool is that?!
(And before anyone makes any snide remarks, I'm the one on the left in the drawing.) : )

The original.

THANK YOU HERB!!! YOU'RE AWESOME!!!

Want to order your own Herb Trimpe commission? Well, you can start the process here.

STAY WELL EVERYBODY!!!

The 2010 Baltimore Comic-con in Pictures

I've been going to the Baltimore Comic-con annually since 2005 and this may have been the best year I've ever had. I'll try to write up some highlights and throw in a few pictures along the way. If you're looking for Cosplay photos of the costume contest participants, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. (Lee you'll be upset, because of all the great deals you missed.)

Day 1 -- My son and I got there around 6:30 am -- we only live about 1/2 hour south of the city. I found a new parking area where you put money in a slot with no attendant...only $10 -- A bargain (and only 3 blocks away)! We played Iron Man 2 game of War to pass the time and he tried to teach me to play Baukugan. Maybe, I'll win that Ford Fiesta sweepstakes they were having...

Our place in line was right next to these stairs. Too bad the REAL bathroom wouldn't be available to us for another 2 hours when they let us inside. Man did that place reek!

The early morning crowd. There really is no reason for me to get there that early, but I like to just the same. Plus it beats waiting in line for an hour to get in when you arrive at 10:00.

Skipping a lot of stuff (conversations and the like, including some of the Thor panel and selling some Spider-man comics) to one of the highlights -- my Walt Simonson sketch placed in the front of the Thor: Tales of Asgard HC (50% off).

Walt at work. I wish I had audio of his talking. He's very approachable. I was number 5, which he sharpied on my thumb, in line for getting the last sketch of the day.

My sketch idea: Mjolner and Stormbringer clashing.

I've been trying to get a sketch from Walt since 2005!!! He said, it's a sure thing that no one else has that sketch. He seemed to like the idea.

John Workman (letterer of Thor) was there this year (first-timer) and he graciously provided some sound effects.

The awesome finished piece!
BOOM BOOM KA-THOOM

****
Day 2 -- we left church after Sunday School and arrived around 11:00 am.

The always friendly Thom Zahler (Love and Capes), who did a sketch for my daughter who is starting high school tomorrow. I ordered his Long Distance script, which he didn't have with him this year.

The legendary Herb Trimpe and his charming wife. Herb's going to ink a Hulk picture he drew for me in 2008.

Eating lunch at the comic book diner with my four youngest children.

The kids drawing at the diner table.

Head shot sketches with word balloons of each of the kids by John Workman.

John Gallagher (Buzz Boy) draws Evy as a Super Hero.

...and Faith with a Super-Paci and blankie

Ted Levine of Superworld Comics, my dealer and super nice guy. He's fair and straightforward and gave me a very good price on 11 Spider-mans (#13 thru 23), so I was able to get some things at the show such as...

I was able to fill in some holes in my collection with a few dollar issues and 50 cent issues. I picked up the early part of Paul Tobin's Marvel Adventures Spider-man run (#53-57). I got the Neal Adams Batman Vol 2 HC for 75% off! I got the DC Bible Treasury edition for $5 and a Jack Kirby Darkseid DC direct figure for $5 too. I finally found the first issue of Robocop Vs. Terminator (a great series).

Lots of HCs. Justice League Archive 1 was 75% off and 2, 3, and 4 were $20 each. Marvel Masterworks Avengers 7 was 50% off and 8 and 9 were 75% off. The AWESOME (best book I got) Don Martin MAD 2 volume HC was also an ASTOUNDING 75% OFF!!! It retails for $150, so I saved over $100 dollars on that book alone.

Detail of some of the books, including a Spider-Girl digest for only $1.

I almost forgot. I picked up nearly (missing only two issues) of the Gene Colan Wonder Woman run pre-Crisis for only a dollar each. I also got the Alan Moore Superman/Swamp Thing DC Presents issue. Speaking of DC presents I saw a guy buy a page from issue 41 from Jose Garcia-Lopez for only $150. I would love to get one from his Deadman mini-series. The most exciting back issue I found was the 7-11 exclusive Radioactive Man #711!!!

There's so much more I could say, but I had a blast. It's such a great show. Next year it'll be August 20 and 21st.

The Con Report - The Creators

In my earlier Baltimore Con post, I talked about the business side of the Con. Well, enough of that! Let’s talk fun! As usual there were a ton of creators there and they were all very willing to chit chat to the masses. Or me, as the case may be. I got my usual bevy of signatures but a couple of booths really stood out.

The first was the Image booth. Not necessarily the big name guys but the little creators under the image umbrella. They were some of the best, and most entertaining, creators around. To start, I got sucked in by the awesome selling skills of one DJ Kirkbride! A fine mixture of “sob, please buy my book, sob” and “This excellent book was only read by a little old lady in Pasedena. She didn’t own any cats and only read it once!” With a sales pitch like that, how could I say no? So, I purchased a copy of Popgun Vol 3. So far, an excellent anthology that I’m still working my way through. I’ll have a review up at some point but I can easily recommend it now.

DJ and I chatted for awhile and he hooked me up with some of the other guys to sign the book. DJ is really nice guy who went out of his way to talk to the ordinary fans. Nothing makes a convention more fun than talking comics and life with the pro’s. No matter how big or little the pro is, he’s still bigger than me. You can see pic’s of DJ at the con here

DJ, also introduced me to Andre Szymanowicz. Andre, one of the artists in Popgun and future artist of Elephant Man 22, can flat out draw! I’m a total art guy and I was amazed by his stuff. I got a sketch for me, and even managed to get a sketch for Jim too! Both of us agree, Andre is going places.

And, like DJ, Andre talked to me for a long time. I’m sure he was sick of me but I really enjoyed it. Anyway, Andre and I got into a long discussion about Manga and he let me watch the Tekkon KinKreet movie on his ipod. I wasn’t planning on buying the movie but I am now! Visit Andre here it’s well worth the trip!

Oh yeah, buy the Tekkon KinKreet video here. The five minutes I saw were amazing.

The Con Report - The Business

Last week was the Baltimore ComicCon and it was a blast! As always I spent an entire day meeting creators and agonizing over what to buy.

Let’s start with the business side of things and talk about retail. Overall, it appeared that attendance was down from last year. I base this observation upon the fact that I was always able to walk down the retailer aisles without much problem. Usually you have to muscle people out of the way to move about, but not this year. It could have been because the space was bigger so there were more places to go but I don’t think so.

Most of the retailers were doing good, but not great, business and again, it wasn’t as big as last year. The best quote I heard was, “Last year change was king because everyone (the buyers) had $20’s. No one had singles. This year everyone is showing up with $5’s and $1’s.” If that isn’t a sign of the economy I don’t know what is!

One booth was selling new books, new within the past 3 months, for a dollar. He always had a steady stream of customers and he was selling books at a good pace. His comment was even more interesting. He stated, “When books were $3, I could come to the Con, and dump overstock for $1. I would at least get my money back. Now with books at $4, when I sell for $1, it’s at a loss.” I know that Jim has complained about it, but $4 books just aren’t good for the overall health of the hobby.

I managed to get some good buys for myself so I was happy. I didn't go Sunday but I heard drastic price reductions were in effect for those that did go.

More, later today about the fun side of the Con. Adventures with Creators!!!

The Baltimore Con Report

This past weekend I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con. I’ve been going to the Baltimore show since it started at a local hotel in a space smaller than most wedding receptions. These days it’s the one big show I go to every year and it’s a great chance to see friends and immerse myself in comics for an entire day.

One of the things I really enjoy about this show is the fact it’s primarily comic books. There are movie and video game elements but they are very minor. As a side note, I do believe that San Diego has lost its way and is about everything but comics these days.

Unfortunately, I was unprepared for the con this year. Normally it takes me a day or so to prep for the show. I research who’s coming, dig out books I want signed, determine what art I’m looking for and so on. But this year, with the kids in soccer, house stuff, and general work craziness I didn’t have time for all that. I spent 15 minutes throwing hardcovers into a box to take with me figuring I would determine what I wanted signed later.

When the show started, I realized lost I was lost and directionless. It quickly became evident that I have all the single issues I could ever want. Since I’ve switched to trades and HC’s, I find long boxes depressing. My collecting habits have changed so much that single issues aren’t really important to me. I have so many of my own I can’t bring myself to buy more.

Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of good deals but it’s gotten to the point that I don’t read the books in my twenty plus long boxes now. When I saw a Nova #1 from 1976 in excellent condition for $3, I wanted the book but I realized that I wasn’t going to do anything with it but tuck it away. What’s the point of buying the issue if I am going to do nothing but store it? It was depressing because all the years of going to cons has always been about single issues. Suddenly single issues aren’t fun anymore.

Luckily, there were lots of toys at the show besides single issues. In fact, I couldn’t believe how many action figures there were. Apparently I don’t buy enough toys because I was shocked by the prices they were asking for them. I’m sorry but I’m not $50 for any action figure that I am just going to rip out of the packaging and play with. Let me clarify, I might not play with it but I will take it out of the packaging and set it on my display shelf. By this point, I had been at the show for less than an hour and decided that I wasn’t getting toys or single issues.

So I switched my focus to trades and HC’s. Unfortunately, I have most of what I want. I am looking for things that are somewhat rare at this point and there weren’t any rare book dealers there this year. For example, two years ago I picked up a hc collection of old Mickey Mouse dailies and a Bourne Hogarth Tarzan collection. There wasn’t anything even remotely like that this year. It was all standard store overstock.

Finally, I realized what the problem was. When I started collecting, the best part about collecting finding that rare book that no one else on the street had. It took lots of effort to find obscure books like Marvel Spotlight #12, which was the first appearance of Son of Satan. And when you found it, then you could lord it over all the other geek collectors that you had it and they didn’t. With the advent of ebay, no issue is rare anymore. These days, I can get an Amazing Spiderman #1 any day of the week as long as I am willing to pay for it. I’m not so I don’t own one. But what fun is that.

Which, when it comes down to it, is why I switched to collecting comic art. There is only one page of comic art. If I have it, then you don’t. It’s a wonderful feeling. This is a long post already so I’ll cut to the chase, I got these two pages from John K Snyder, the first appearance of the Eppi Thatcher Grendel!

Next week… or later this week. Some of the artists/collectors that I spoke with which really made the show or even a rant about the state of the hobby. Either or.

Baltimore Comic Con - A Short Report

I was only there Sunday and on one hand it was very enjoyable as it was not that crowded. On the other hand it was in a smaller room, there were less booths then other years and it felt a little blah.

The named artists had long lines, people had costumes and were dressed up, but the panels were hardly crowded and for me it felt a convention that has lost some status compared to how it felt the last two years.

It could be that I had no real interest in buying anything this year and while I had intended to try and introduce the blog to some creators and line up some interviews I decided against it. Also this is the first time I have attended the second day of the convention and maybe it is always a little off the second day.

I did enjoy the Bernie Wrightson spotlight panel and was amazed to realize that except for a correspondence course in commercial art the man was self taught.

The Baltimore Comic-Con

So, the Baltimore ComicCon has come and gone. The final verdict, pretty good. I’m not sure that it was the best one I have ever been to but I think it’s because my collecting habits have changed in the past year. Then again, it may be that I had a lot less money to spend this year than usual and that colored my perceptions as well.

Picture #1: Jim and I. I am the one with the fancy shirt! Jim is the older gentlemen in the photo. You can tell by his pained expression that I made him have his picture taken.

Back to the con... I’ve found that I have less and less time to read floppies these days so I really went to the Con looking to get some trades and HC’s. I did really well and managed to get 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow HC and 30 DoN: Bloodsucker Tales HC for $10 each. Far and away that was the best deal I got. In addition, I managed to pick up old trades of Machine Man and the Marvel 2-in-1 Pegasus Project Saga. For those unaware, both were huge series at the time and quite fondly remembered. AND, both have fantastic art by Windsor Smith (Machine Man), John Byrne, Gene Day, & George Perez (Marvel 2-1). My greatest find was a HC reprinting Mickey Mouse dailies from the 1930’s. The art is fantastic and stories that could only be done in times long before political correctness. Some of the same stories were printed in Gemstone's free comic book day book this year and worth checking out.

Picture #2: Rusty and I. Rusty is the owner of the store we frequent. Another case of "I really don't want my photo taken" face.

Back to the con... After stocking up on reading material, my other mission was to meet as many creators as I could. I am always pretty good at this and have fun but this year was different. This year I had my little buddy Jim with me. And I have to say, what a hoot! It really makes a difference having someone in line to talk with. And, it even makes a difference when talking to people because when I couldn’t think of a question, then Jim had one, and so one.

Picture #3: Tim Truman and I. Tim was great and as you can tell we had some very "serious" discussion.

Back to the con... Jim and I chatted up Tim Truman for quite a bit. We seemed to leave his table, walk around, go back to his table, walk around, go to his table, leave again... you get the idea. And, no matter how many times we came back Tim always said Hi and talked to us some more. We talked about everything from his love of the Grateful Dead (until '72-73) to a new Grimjack series. Tim also did a fantastic head sketch in my Grimjack HC. Seriously, there are more lines and words than I have ever seen. He darn near filled the page with art.

Picture #4: Walt Simonson and I. Walt's line finally got short enough for me to get a picture taken with him.

Back to the con... Walt Simonson was another great guy to talk to. I waited until the end of the day to talk to him and get signatures but he was exhausted and begged off. Even though I didn't get a sketch, he told us how he never sells his art. Except for the 4 Thor covers he traded for some original Modesty Blaise art. The story was far better than a sketch.

People not pictured that I chatted with include Joe Kubert, Erik Larsen, and John "Monster Hand" Lucas. All were great and really took the time to talk to you.

Pictures #5-6: From Red 5 comics, Atomic Robo penciler Scott Wegener and Jim Starlin. Jim Starlin was great because he talked new projects and his love of all things comics. Scott from Atomic Robo was a hoot. We talked about his book and he even remembered our review. I really liked Atomic Robo so I hope it does well. PLUG PLUG.

FINALLY, Back to the con... I talked to as many publishers as I could. Especially, the smaller guys who have new and exciting things. I managed to get on the publicity list for both Top Shelf and Adhouse Books. So, you may be seeing more reviews of books on this blog sometime soon. Overall it was a good time and I look forward to going again next year.

Baltimore Comic-Con 2007

Yesterday was a fun day at the convention. Last year I roamed around and went to a lot of the panels, this year I roamed around and only went to one panel. The convention is fun, but I still think I need to go there with more of an objective, I'm so free form in the way I do stuff that I have a tendency to be totally impulsive in what ever I decide to buy or not buy. Still I found that the most fun was to talk for a couple minutes to some of the creators and hang out with some of my comic friends and see what they are anxious to buy.

The highlight of the show for me was meeting Timothy Truman and buying a page of his artwork. Tim puts the layouts on the back of the page and then uses a light box to bring the image to the front to the page and he pencils and inks it from there. What was shocking to me is how inexpensive his work is compared to some of the other artists. It is insane and I guess it has to do with the fact that he does not do a lot of super-hero artwork and people want that more then anything else. Still the price difference is ridiculous, but a great bargain for me. Seriously the man is a better artist then some of the people getting 4 to 5 times the dollar amount for their art. In addition he was just a hell of a nice guy. He took time to answer some questions, very cordial and seemed to actually enjoy being there. Also I'm not looking to be an art collector, I rather just buy a few pages of artwork, have them framed and keep them forever. I rather have something that I enjoy, than something that is "worth" a lot of money.

A few of the pieces of artwork that I own are pages I purchased from the artists when then were visiting my store that I owned in New Jersey. For me the sentimental or intrinsic value of the artwork is worth a lot more then most monetary amount (if you want to buy one of those pages in exchange for paying off my mortgage, sentimentality can be over ruled).

Had a chance to talk with people at Arachia Studios Presss, happy to hear that they are getting two more issues of Killer out soon. The Red 5 Comics publisher was represented by the artist of Atomic Robo Scott Wegener and he had the original art for the book. I was shocked and surprised to find out that all six issues of the mini-series are completed already. They did not want to solicit the book until the entire series was completed to avoid any delay in the book coming out timely. What a great way to get a company started! This is the right way to keep you audience happy. Late books are bad enough when you have an established fan base, but for a new company it can be the death knell and these guys have this book done right. I feel like I can invest in this book and look forward to it as opposed to being interested in a story and then have to wait forever to see its conclusion.

Other people that Lee and I talked to briefly were Walt Simonson (who is also just one hell of a person and great guy), Louise Simonson (who matches Walt for her openness and kind nature) and Jim Starlin who for intense as his work is, seemed to be a laid back guy.

It is still hard for me to approach these people as people, because I'm so interested in their work and the process of their work that I could bore them to death in the span of five minutes with my questions if I didn't check myself. Next year I think I will try and go with the objective of maybe getting a few hardcovers or trades that I own signed and attempt to request a head shot to be drawn in the book, but all in all it was a fun time.

The DC panel was somewhat worthless and I hear the Marvel panel was as well as very few "news" items are announced at this time of the year. The bigger anoucements have already been made for the most part and little other news is made. What struck in the DC panel was that DC's plans are locked in place until the end of 2008 with their main Universe. I also believe if "real" changes don't occur this time, DC may lose a portion of their fanbase. From a marketing standpoint I don't understand why they do not just hire some of the big names and give them side projects that have no impact on continuity and release them when they are in the can.

The process of writing and creating the work is where so much of my interest lies, but the business side of it is also interesting and I think is the hardest to crack as no company likes to have an open policy as to why they make certain decisions.

Back to the convention itself, it is certainly worth the one day trip down there and is becoming more fun the more I learn about the different publishers and creators. Next year I may have to be more organized and go in with more of a true objective, of course I would really like to learn the business side of this industry and maybe switch careers yet again.

Baltimore Comic Con

Well, the Baltimore Comic Convention is this coming weekend and I am going. I have been going to the show every year it's been held and I've always had a great time. It's my one big comic indulgence of the year. So, in case you were wondering, let me tell you about all the fun and exciting things there are to do at the con.

One of my favorite activities is meeting all the artists. If you read this blog regularly, you know I am a total art-guy. And, a con is one of the best ways to get sketches and talk to creators. I am really looking forward to meeting Sergio Aragones. I don’t know if he does sketches but I hope to get something from him. I am sure the line will be ridiculously long to meet him but I just might have to stand in it.

Artists that I have met before that I am hoping to see again include, Kyle Baker, Walter Simonson, and all the guys at Insight Studios. Kyle was great last year and had many a tale to tell. Walt Simonson always fakes knowing me every year but I don’t care. It’s great just watching him pretend. And, the insight guys, Marc Hemple, Marc Wheatley and gang always take time to talk books and state of the industry with any and all fans.

There are many more artist than I can mention. But, I found artists will do a small head sketch in my HC’s. Some people don’t like art in their books but I think it’s great to have a sketch by the artist who actually drew the book. Last year Kyle Baker drew a head sketch in my Plastic Man tpb and David Lloyd drew a sketch in my V for Vendetta HC.

There will also be lots of panels. I think the panel I am most excited by is the Personal Presentation: Al Feldstein from 12:00-12:50 on Saturday. Al Feldstein is best known for his work on EC and eventually took over Mad Magazine. It will interesting to hear his take on comics.

Another that I am interested in is Kids Love Comics, So Why Don't Comics Love Kids? on Saturday from 3:00-3:50. The press blurb says “Join the Kids Love Comics crew along with special guests, including DC Editor Jann Jones, as they discuss how comics have targeted an older generation, and what many talented creators are doing about it.” I know I wish to share my collection with my kids but there are so few books these days I can let them read. This will be interesting to see what people are actually doing to lower the reading limit on some books.

I’m only attending the show on Saturday but Sunday has Spotlight on the Kuberts and Spotlight on Jim Shooter. Talk about great panels. They organizers are really working hard to get people to come to both days.

Finally, for the real diehard there is the 2007 Harvey Awards Saturday night. Tickets are pricey at $75 but you get cocktail hour starting at 7:00pm, dinner (filet mignon and crabcake) and ceremony to follow. Kyle Baker will be the MC and Sergio Aragones will be the keynote speaker. If you really want to met the creators this is the event to do it. Attendance will be smaller because of the price so you can actually get quality face time with people. AND, you get a giftbag that includes The EC Archives: Two Fisted Tales - Volume 1 from Gemstone Publishing among other things. So, dinner, drinks, and a $50 hc just for going. It’s really quite a deal.

No matter if you’re going for one day or two. The Baltimore Con is a great time. You can find me at the Cosmic Comix booth or just wandering around. See ya there.