Thursday, April 09, 2009

When Words Collide: Albany Adventures

Some comic fans get really annoyed at the media coverage of comic conventions since all the television reports ever show are the weirdos dressed in costumes, and the thousands of regular fans are forced to cry to the heavens, "it's not like that -- it's mostly just middle-aged guys with t-shirts and backpacks standing in lines, and, oh... forget it, I understand why they show the costumed weirdos on tv now."

So even though like six people out of the entire crowd at the Albany Comic Con actually showed up in costume, I had to include this image as part of the required convention coverage social contract. And who doesn't like to see Darth Vader in a Holiday Inn courtyard anyway?

So, the Albany Comic Con! I broke free from my normal "When Words Collide" routine of saying semi-smart stuff about old comics and/or interviewing someone who had even smarter stuff to say to do a full-on convention report about my experiences, past and present, at the little Albany show. Because sometimes, comic books are not about the words and pictures on the page. Sometimes they're about hanging out in a motel and talking to Herb Trimpe.

Read this week's "When Words Collide" HERE!

4 comments:

Chad Nevett said...

I haven't been to a con since one in Toronto in 2005 where I "encountered" Chip Zdarsky for the first time. I can't think about conventions without breaking down anymore.

Matt Jacobson said...

Did you know I went to college in Albany and worked at the Toys R Us right by that Holiday Inn? I have an unexpected emotional connection to your story. I'm on spring break and bored.

Timothy Callahan said...

Cool. That means you'll have time to catch up on your Northlanders reading.

Matt Jacobson said...

I used the time to get caught up on my Fred Van Lente reading, actually, and I like his writing. Incredible Herc is great, action philosophers is great, Modok's 11 was fun.