Baltimore Comic Con 2010

I will be at the Baltimore Comic Con this weekend, doing what it is that I do.

For your convenience, I have circled, in red, where I will be during the convention, so you can find me more easily:

When Words Collide: A Whole Lot O' Content

Wow. Checking back, I realize that I haven't regularly posted links to my "When Words Collide" column at CBR since June of last year. Sad, really.

I won't bombard you with a list of everything I've written for CBR since then, but here are some of the things I've written in the past few months, in reverse order (the most recent stuff first):

1. Dancing with the Destroyer: How Robert Kirkman reinvigorated a Golden Age DC character and made me weep with joy.

2. Kevin Colden, Man of Mystery, Man of Scandalous Intent: The first mature-readers Zuda series and an interview with the Eisner-nominated man behind it. Yeah, that happened.

3. A Tale of Two (Comic Book) Cities: New York's MoCCA Festival vs. the Boston Comic Con? How many winners can there be? Answer: all of them. (Plus, Jack Kirby Bronze Age goodness.)

4. Frank Miller's New Gods: I linked to this when I posted the Miller story in its entirety, but it's still something worth mentioning because it's (a) Frank Miller, and (b), Jack Kirby, and (c) Darkseid. Three of my favorite flavors.

5. Brendan McCarthy is a God of Spiders and Other Things that are Good: I ruminate on "Spider-Man: Fever" and other important topics. Mostly awesome ones involving drawings by McCarthy.

6. Retcon Reviews: My controversial ironic take-down of such critically-acclaimed masterpieces as "Secret Wars II" and "Ultimatum." Zing! Take that, people who got paid to write bad comics!

7. Jorge Molina's Marvel House (Style) Party: Here's a guy trying to carve a career in mainstream superhero comics. What is that like? I wonder. So I ask.

8. Fifteen Must-Have Collected Editions that Sort of Came Out Already, Mostly: This was basically a way to remind myself what I should buy in recent months, and let people know about the goodness inside. If you're curious, I have since bought six of the books on the list. Guess which ones, and win a prize!

9. Scott Snyder: Who is This Guy? If you don't already know, Scott Snyder is the next big thing, and I've known that for a while. Plus, he's a teacher. And that makes him doubly cool. Not as cool as "American Vampire." But close.

10. Bendis, Bendis, Bendis: I spent a month writing about Bendis, including a list of the "Bendis Top Ten," plus a Three-Part Examination of the Bendis Daredevil: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3!

If you've been reading all the WWC stuff all along, thanks! If not, it looks like you'll have plenty of fun and informative and probably mind-blowing catching up to do.

Albany Comic-Con this Weekend. Who's Going?

This Sunday, April 25th, I'll be at the Albany Comic Con (at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road). The doors open at 10 AM, and you know who else will be there?

Ron Marz. Keith Dallas. Matthew Dow Smith. Terry Austin. Todd Dezago. Joe Staton. Fred Hembeck. Declan Shalvey. And more, I'm sure.

It's a good little show, getting bigger every year. So look for me, and say "hey."

I'm sure I'll run into Alan David Doane in Albany, and did I mention that my review of "Millar & McNiven's Nemesis" #1 recently ran over at his "Trouble with Comics" site? Well, it did. I wrote far more words than I expected and it captures how I feel about that comic and so much of Mark Millar's work.

See you in Albany!

The Advent of the New Awesome: San Diego Comic-Con 2009

This week's "When Words Collide" recounts my five days of adventure at SDCC 2009 (or CCI 2009, if you want to be accurate). Thrill to my breaking and entering exploits, my reckless convention floor non-buying behavior, and my celebration of all things awesome.

Read it, comment upon it, live it.

Comic Con 2009 Pics

Brian Michael Bendis showed up in disguise so as not to attract attention:



Geoff Johns ruminated on the greatness of Grant Morrison, on camera, for all the world to (eventually) see:



They trotted out Castle Grayskull last year, too. I wonder what happens to it between Comic Cons:



Jeff Lemire and Josh Dysart read this blog every day and beg me to include more photos of them. So I do:


Special feature on the blu-ray "Watchmen" two-disc set. These three show up at your house and punch you in the face:


The Prez:


Penny!


Did you take the picture yet, I ask? No he did not, apparently.


Jonah may have won the Eisner for CBR, but Dean Trippe and I take all the credit whether we deserve it or not. You can't stop us. (Jessi Awesome's legs can't even get between us and our coveted Eisner.)


Jason Aaron wears his limited edition Morrison tribute glasses while talking about how his favorite comics are ones called "X" and "Men" and written by Chris Claremont:

My San Diego Schedule

I don't have a San Diego schedule, suckers! I'm on vacation, going to the convention with Television's Ryan Callahan for pleasure, not profit. Though I'll thrill you with tales of my adventures in Monday's "When Words Collide" column.

And I'm interviewing Matt Fraction for a documentary.

And I'm being interviewed for a different documentary.

And I'm meeting with an editor who is interested in having me join a new publishing line.

Other than that -- no plans! I'll see you all in San Diego. And for those of you who can't make it, follow my Twitter feed for constant updates from the floor. As I have fun all week long.

(This is photo was taken in a quiet little corner of Television Ryan Callahan's new pad. Check out that Michael V. Bennett "Army Men" artwork!)

This Guy, I Like!

I'll be stalking Kevin all weekend, and I hope you will be too.

Random MoCCA Festival 2009 Photos

Commentary on MoCCA 2009 to appear in tomorrow's "When Words Collide" column. Now I just have to write it.

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!

Albany Comic Con Today

I'll be there. Stop by as I moderate a panel that still doesn't have a name or a list of participants. So let's call it: "Comic Book Scissor Kick."

NYCC 09 Random Bits

This week's WWC column will have a more coherent essay on my weekend experience at the New York Comic Con, but here are some random moments that I didn't include:

• Jeff Kinney, author of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," had a gigantic crowd of fans at his speech/book signing. My son is in love with the Wimpy Kid books, and he waited patiently to get his book signed, even though the coordinator of the signing decided to announce that they would call up the kids row by row, and almost everyone RUSHED to the front rows when she said that. That is a bullshit move, parents. And you know it.

• Jeff Kinney gave a really inspirational speech, by the way, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Good for him, and I hope he enjoys continued success.

• Sterling Gates showed me a preview of the next issue of Supergirl, but he wouldn't let me see pages 15-18. Wonder what that was about. Oh, Sterling, you rascal.

• I gave Rick Remender some advice on how to end his first Punisher arc: with a high five between Punisher and the Sentry. He thought a Punisher/Hood high five would be better, and then they could team up as an odd couple for the rest of the series. The look on his face indicated that he was seriously considering it. He definitely should.

• Brian Azzarello gave me a lot of shit for my CBR review of "Joker," in which I said that the book seems informed by the Heath Ledger performance. He was just messing with me, though, and I knew it. Or was he? Yes, he was. But he is definitely not a fan of that "were you inspired by Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight?" question.
  

• I ran into Keith Dallas of "The Flash Companion" and Comics Bulletin fame like a dozen times. He is awesome.

• I also ran into most of the Funnybook Babylon guys (except David U.), along with bloggers David Brothers, and my bitter nemesis Tucker Stone. All of those guys are awesome, too. Also, Tucker is in no way my nemesis, and he was full of compliments. (Just not toward Jim Lee. Seriously, Jim Lee, don't mess with Tucker Stone.)

• Jock has never eaten french toast or maple syrup, and can't imagine why anyone would want to. I would personally prefer that every meal involve maple syrup somehow, but I'm from New England and he's clearly not.
  

More Pics from Saturday and Sunday -- First, Mo Willems rocks the Kid's Zone stage:


Then Mario strikes a pose:


Elektra yucks it up:


And a Tiny Titans fan loves every second:

New York Comic-Con 2009: Day One Pics

Julian and Mike taking a brief pause from setting up the Sequart booth to make handsome faces for the camera:


Dean Trippe respectfully worshipping at the altar of Geoff Johns. Ivan Reis, in the background, indicates how much better he is than anyone else drawing comics today:


Is there some kind of "Watchmen" resurgence for some reason? The DC booth slamdance jubilee:


Rick Remender writes comics in between moments of cosplay appreciation. He wishes he could be Slave Leia for just one day:


"Look at my package!" declared Captain Champion, referring, one supposes, to the Champions Online monthly subscription deal, and not, you know, the other thing:

NYCC 09: Who's Going?

I'll be at the NYCC all weekend, hanging out at the Sequart booth and generally just wandering around. Who else is going? Are YOU?

Remember Baltimore?

Once upon a time, I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con with my bestest pal, Mike Phillips. Then I sort of wrote about it for CBR.

Because that's what I do.

Read "All Roads Lead to Baltimore" in the newest edition of the internet's very own "When Words Collide.

If I left you out of my narrative, I apologize. You obviously just didn't buy me enough beers.

Baltimore '08

I'll be writing about my experiences at the Baltimore Comic-Con for this week's "When Words Collide" column at CBR, but if I met you over the weekend, know this: you are awesome, and thanks for visiting the site!

(And super-special thanks to Mike and Amy Phillips for not punching me in the face when I was asleep. Or for punching me so hard that I don't remember.)

The Big E: Comic-Con for Farmers with Bad Taste

So the wife, kids, and I went to The Big E, "The Eastern States Exposition" held in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It's essentially a county fair, but what struck me about the whole thing was how similar it was to a comic book convention. It had mobs of sweaty people waiting in lines, dealers charging ridiculous prices for the most obscure items, and a general sense that you were always missing something going on just around the corner.

The thing about The Big E is that, other than the impressive selection of beef jerky (hell, all kinds of venison jerky too), it was booth after booth of the most horrible trash you ever laid eyes on. And unlike a comic book convention, this thing lasts for 17 consecutive days.

Who buys the baseball bats with their names airbrushed on the side? Who picks up the novelty mirrors shaped like Betty Boop or butterflies? Who rushes to this place to get the black t-shirts with the gigantic wolf/snowflake motif across the front? By my count, it seemed like a million people, because The Big E was absolutely packed all day.

The Big E does have some virtues that comic-cons might learn from. The sea lion show was popular, for example, and there's no reason that a panel on "Aquatic Heroes from the Golden Age" couldn't have animal trainers and a giant tank on hand. And one of the longest lines was for the cream puff/eclair pastry booth, and damn if comic book fans don't love their pastries. The beef jerky goes without saying.

If this post has any point, I guess it's this: why does anyone in the media (or elsewhere) jovially mock the nerds descending on San Diego (or wherever) each year when these absolutely terrible county fairs perpetrate the most garish artistic offenses on the world year in and year out and are somehow considered "quaint" and/or a "tradition"? Or maybe my point is that I should open a pastry stand in San Diego next year and make more off my eclairs than you'd ever make off your crappy small-press comic.

You'll recognize me by my stylish wolf/snowflake shirt and Betty Boop-mirror medallion.

Comic-Con Announcements Hit THE SPLASH PAGE

Comic-Con International 2008 was filled with announcements: Johns and Van Sciver on Flash, Gaiman doing Batman, Vertigo Crime graphic novels, some sort of Watchmen movie I haven't heard much about. So Chad Nevett and I decided to talk about these kinds of announcements. It was probably a bad idea, since neither of us seem all that excited about anything, but that didn't stop us. Because we like to express our opinions, even when we don't really have any. And we do love us some comics. Yes we do.

Read the newest installment of Sequart's most discussion-based internet column, The Splash Page.

Or, you could just click HERE.

CCI: The Adventures of Timothy Callahan: Part Five

Television's Ryan Callahan and I say goodbye to the San Diego Comic-Con and give out the necessary awards. I hope you've been following all of my adventures in San Diego, because I know I have!

Read the finale in The Adventures of Timothy Callahan in San Diego: Part Five.

Comic-Con Answer Man

I can't tell if everyone is sick of the Comic-Con news or just sick of having to read through a zillion articles to find the news they care about, so here's what I'm going to do:

Ask me any question about this year's San Diego Comic-Con and I will answer it.

You might want to hear about an announcement or some breaking news that you missed. You might want to know about the gossip on the floor. You might want to know how it smelled. I don't know.

All I know is that I was there for the entire show--covered a lot of panels and read everything posted about the other ones. I am your one-stop-shopping for Comic-Con 2008.

So, ask away.

CCI: The Adventures of Timothy Callahan: Part Four

Saturday was a day of madness as we found some amazing artwork, failed to chase down Pikachu, and hit the town hard.

Plastic Man really had it rough.

Read more about our exploits in The Adventures of Timothy Callahan in San Diego: Part Four.