OK, I confess that I took a quick trip up to the Empire State this month to drop in on the four-day New York Comic Con, which was, in short, complete sensory overload. That should be no surprise — despite having “comic” in the title, the NYCC is more of a dazzling multimedia extravaganza.
Most of the short time I had available, I spent with my good friend, podcast host and comics encyclopedia Tony Esmond, table hopping downstairs in artists alley. Esmond had traveled from the UK to the Big Apple to visit the con, as he does pretty much annually, so we arranged to meet up and hit the event together, do a little dining and talk about “Tony Osmond, Part II,” the sequel to a book we published under the Tribute banner a couple of years ago. (Stay tuned.)
NYCC’s immensity is hard to adequately describe. Three floors, thousands of booths and vendors, the biggest stars from movies and comics attend (although you’ll have to pay top dollar to get close). And every one of those floors is shoulder to shoulder with collectors, spectacle hunters, cosplayers, autograph hunters — you name it.
To be honest, it was all exhaustingly overwhelming, and when I left Friday evening, I was completely over stimulated and my social battery tapped out. I did manage to chat with a few of my favorite creators and meet some new ones, and I got to spend time with my favorite people, the hosts of the 11 O’Clock Comics Podcast, David A. “DAP” Price, Vince Bonavoglia and Jason Wood. Fine gentlemen. And that’s also kinda my excuse for not doing any Long Box interviews…
On to something a little more local and a favorite of mine in the regional comics circuit: The Baltimore Comic Con, which is coming Friday to Sunday, Oct. 28 to 30 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
This is a show I’ve been going to for years, and it’s been a pleasure to watch it grow. Whereas, yes, there’s a ton of celebs who aren’t particularly comics adjacent (John Leguizamo, for example), I can grin and bear it because the organizers allow a lot of room for comics.
Top billing goes to comics legends Frank Miller and Jim Lee (if you don’t know those names, don’t bother asking), the guest list is packed with recognizable names, and artists alley is lined with talented creators. Plenty of booths sell back issues and original art for the collector types. And, for the families, there’s a hefty portion of the program dedicated to kids.
I should note here that my personal art hero and comic all-star Alan Davis will be there. True story: He was at BCC a few years back, and I couldn’t work up the courage to talk to him. “Maybe next year,” I said. That was maybe 10 years ago. He hasn’t been at a show since, as far as I’m aware.
So, yes, I have two missions. Talk to him and buy an original art commission. And … and … maybe be cheeky enough to ask him for an interview.
(Yes, I was a hard-charging reporter at the time, not afraid of anyone, and there I was, watching the master at work, and all of a sudden, I was 12 again, virtually weeing my pants in fear. Please, god, don’t let me bottle it this time.)
Over on The Long Box Substack at thelongbox.substack.com, where you can find bits I couldn’t fit into this monthly column, I’ll be posting some pictures of NYCC, including my haul (shout out here to my Lucky Find at the con, Karl Slominski and Jeffrey Burandt) and maybe a little video. Keep an eye out at the end of the month for interviews and other stuff from Baltimore.
RECOMMENDATION …Last month, at the Small Press Expo, I ran into Baltimore writer and artist Rafer Roberts and picked up his four-volume epic, “Plastic Farm.” I’ve been reading through “Plastic Farm” as time allows, and it’s a weird, complex, strange, depressing, compelling, but often hilarious tale, well worth $40 for the bundle. Find it at plasticfarm.com.
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