This weekend was NY Comic Con! As usual, we had an awesome time and managed to get our costumes finished too!
We went as Alana & Marko from Saga, which made its debut this year. I was pleasantly surprised by how many people recognized the characters and stopped us for photos!
There was a panel about science fiction comics and both Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (artist) were there. We had met Fiona Staples in Artist Alley earlier that day and were hoping to get Brian's signature later. But during Q&A at the panel, the mod actually spotted us and we got to meet Brian and get a photo with him!
The folks from Oddities also had a panel. It was refreshing to see they are exactly as depicted on the show - their personalities on camera and in person are genuine. They had some cool artifacts, including a two-headed, six-legged calf!
And of course, some art highlights:
Ken Knudtsen, Mr. Freeze:
Francis Manapul, The Flash:
Stephanie Han, Phoenix:
Amy Reeder, Batwoman double page spread (won at the charity auction, which raised more than $26K for St. Judes Children Hospital!):
And I can't forget this awesome Aliens setup. You could actually get into the cargo suit, but the line was way too long for us. After the Con, they had a twitter giveaway for the entire prop!
It was another great Con. Every year, NYCC improves. The crowds are reaching a tipping point, though. This Sunday was the most crowded it's ever been on the last day and the popularity seems to increase each year. Hopefully we'll score tickets again next year and have another blast!
NY Comic Con plans are coming along. The husband is going in costume as well, so we have both been attempting to make stuff. It's pretty ambitious for two barely crafty folks!
My checklist runs bottom to top:
Shoes are done. Belt is done. Skirt & tank are ready, but may be replaced by a shipment I'm waiting on. Final assessment to come.
The tunic is almost there. I spent most of yesterday sewing the shoulders and collar. I learned that I do not have seamstress inclinations. But it should suffice. Button and closure go on tonight. Then I'm waiting for edging to arrive, to finish the rest.
Hair is all set. That should be interesting, a mixture of food coloring & conditioner.
I'm missing some props, though. A sling/wrap thingie which requires some puzzling out. Holster and toy gun, both of which will need to be heavily altered.
About a month to go. We'll see if this comes together in time!
Two years ago, I attended NY Comic Con as Liandra from Fallen Angel. It was super fun and I didn't go last year in costume, so the itch is needing to be scratched. It's a little late to be starting a costume (this year's NYCC is Oct 11th!) and the one I have planned is pretty complicated.
Last night I made some prototypes and so far so good. I'm not sure I can pull this off, but we'll see!
This is more than a month old, but I wanted to state for the record: We had a blast at ECCC! Seattle is my favorite US city and though we only stayed the weekend, it was still great. I loved the friendly vibe and not having to wait four hours in line to get in!
The biggest highlight for me was meeting Kurt Busiek, who turns out is not only the most talented writer in the industry, but the nicest man in the world!
There was a charity art jam at a local bar, where we watched David Mack go nuts with paint, and local artists mix it up with big names to make some beautiful pieces.
And as usual, we got some quality original art. A few examples:
Axe Cop! Dinosaur! Dinosaur Gun Arms!
I adore Scottie Young's style. His work on the Marvel Wizard of Oz is just gorgeous. We got a cowardly lion and FROG THOR cover! Yay, FROG THOR!
Ryan Ottley, of Invincible fame.
I've just recently gotten into Elephantman, which is a freaking amazing book. They did these sketches for free!
Panel from The Darkness, a guilty pleasure of mine.
We got prints and lots of other sketches too. Since it was so laid back and chill, we spent a fair amount of time just talking to the artists and writers. While NYCC is a great event, it's good to attend a smaller Con and get away from the crush of people and attitudes. I think we may have to make an annual trip to ECCC!
Finally, some time to post a few art gems from this year's NYCC.
Adam Hughes! For a $5 donation to an English Sheep Dog rescue, you got a quickie head sketch:
Also, his wife is such a sweetheart. She manned the booth and kept the line interesting. And she loves dogs!
Awesome commission by Esad Ribic:
Ken Knudtsen. This one was really fun to watch! He went mad with these huge oil pastels, then razor bladed in a flurry. The colors are actually super vibrant, the photo doesn't do justice.
Alex Maleev watercolor. Again, the photo doesn't capture how amazing this really is!
Dirk Shearer, who did this using a technique called scratchboard, where blades are used to "scratch" the black ink, revealing white clay underneath. The results are pretty amazing - reminds me of a mix between woodblock print and inking.
We're considering getting the rest of the FF in this style by him.
Two commissions are still outstanding, and we got a bunch of other sweet original art, including pages and sketches. Having artist's alley in a separate section was definitely a plus this year. We got to meet lots of new talent and chat with the artists at length. I love how NYCC is still mostly about comics, and not overrun by TV and movie studios.
The crowd at the Javits Center was crazy this year! On Sat, it felt the same as SDCC - one could barely move between exhibits. There were more people in costume (though we didn't feel compelled to take many pics) and a huge PC gaming floor that wasn't around previously. I'm really glad we went on Friday and Sunday too; it gave us some extra time to wander the booths. In terms of panels and retailers, I wasn't too impressed. But on the art side, it was all we wanted and more.
That's mainly because artist's alley had its own large area, away from the main exhibit hall crush. I'll post the art haul separately. A few highlights first:
* There was an excellent epic fantasy panel, featuring some of the hottest writers on the market right now: Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Peter Brett, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson. Everyone was friendly and funny and well spoken. Wordsmiths talking about their craft always makes for an interesting time. The next day, we got to meet Peter Brett and Brandon Sanderson for autographs, which was definitely awesome!
* My costume was a win! I dressed up as Liandra from Fallen Angel and got to meet the creative team. It was pretty much the best reaction I could hope for. Peter David frantically called his wife and daughter so they could take a picture. JK Woodward offered to use me as the cover model for an upcoming issue (he wasn't quite sober, so not sure if that will really happen). What a great feeling, to bring some appreciation and joy to people who have provided me hours of entertainment and good reading.
JK Woodward, Me [fist bump] Peter David:
I fights the good fight:
Blurry but badass:
* We got to meet Bruce Campbell! Twice!
Red Suit Saturday:
White Tux Sunday:
* BPAL was selling their entire general catalog of scents, along with a bunch of exclusives. In addition to buying enough oils to last a lifetime, I got tons of free sample imps. They were super nice folks and hopefully they come back to NYCC every year!
* And the best toy...Adult Swim's humping robot! With wind-up lovin' action!
We also picked up a bunch of new graphic novels and comics, which is one of the best things about attending a Con. There's immense pleasure in discovering a new creation by speaking directly with the author/artist/publisher. We definitely have some great reading material for the months ahead!
We are NYCC-bound tomorrow! This year's convention is looking really good. For the first time, we found things we're interested in on Friday. So excited!
For NYC Comic Con this year, I'm planning to take the plunge and attend in costume. It's my first attempt at this kind of thing. I'm not investing too much effort (or money!) into this endeavor, having selected a pretty obscure and practical character. I figure after seven years of attending conventions, it would be fun to dress up at least once.
I've been collecting materials for a few months now. Halloween is just around the corner, so hopefully the rest of the components I need will be readily available!
As part of their "After Watchmen" promo, DC has compiled a list of 20 must-read titles (that they publish, of course) to draw in readers who enjoyed Watchmen either as a movie or graphic novel.
1) All-Star Superman Volume 1
2) Batman: Arkham Asylum
3) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
4) Batman: The Killing Joke
5) Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days
6) Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile
7) Identity Crisis
8) Joker
9) Kingdom Come
10) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1
11) Planetary Book 1: All over the world and other stories
12) Preacher Volume 1: Gone to Texas
13) Ronin
14) Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 1
15) The Sandman Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
16) Superman: Red Son
17) Transmetropolitan Volume 1: Back on the street
18) WE3
19) Y: The Last Man Book 1: Unmanned
20) V For Vendetta
This is a kick ass list. I was not expecting such fantastic selection from a mainstream publisher! Having read each of these, I attest to the high caliber of storytelling they contain. It also gives me hope that DC is willing to push creator based material, especially those from their Vertigo imprint, which focuses on original characters in self contained worlds that aren't necessarily tied to the DC universe.
The books they've chosen represent some of the best achievements in comics to date, showcasing that perfect blend of literature and visual art. Just a few edits are needed in my opinion:
* Replace Batman: Arkham Asylum with 100 Bullets
Arkham Asylum is dark, violent and gritty, but you already get that in other Batman titles. It's the weakest Batman story on the list. 100 Bullets is just as dark, much more violent, and infinitely more gritty.
* Replace Identity Crisis with Batman: The Long Halloween
Sure, Identity Crisis is superhero mystery done in a relevant fashion. So is The Long Halloween, with better writing and deeper insight into the mythos.
* Replace The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Astro City
While League is neat because of its high brow references and cheeky twist on the superhero team, Astro City is far superior in both story and world. It reinvents superheros in a startlingly humanistic way.
Three more Vertigo titles that deserve recognition:
* Hellblazer: I have a huge crush on John Constantine. Something about mages with a tortured past. And please don't think Keanu Reeves - that portrayal was nothing like the wise cracking, chain smoking blonde brit we all know and love.
* The Books of Magic: Boy wizard learns the ways of magic while growing up. Before Harry Potter and far more mature in both scope and writing.
* Northlanders: Because sometimes you want to see Vikings smash things in a well executed manner. Complete with vulgar language, badass characters, and obligatory rape and pillage.
This year's NYC Comic Con was pretty awesome! I think they've figured out a groove for this event.
While not as large as San Diego's con, the focus on comics at NYC is much more prevalent. Artist's Alley was jam packed, even on Sunday!
The highlight was definitely our acquisition of an Alex Ross original. Hell yes! Since we got it, a constant squee has been galloping through my head. Even writing about it, I have a silly grin on my face. Because not only is it an original Alex Ross painting, but it's from one of my favorite series, and one of my favorite covers from that series too.
I present to you, the cover of Astro City: Local Heroes #5!
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone flip past this puppy in a portfolio and as soon as they left, I hopped over. I knew we had to get it, when the guy behind the booth pointed it out to a prospective buyer and my heart skipped a fearful beat. So now we are in possession of this beautiful painting, and believe me, no photo or scan can do it justice. Ross is simply in a league of his own - I have never seen anything so precise and brilliantly rendered.
We also met Frank Beddor, who hosted a charismatic panel about his Through The Looking-Glass inspired world, that is, until the adjacent stage erupted in live song and drowned his voice. Vic and I needed to leave for another signing, but by signaling our departure, we kind of ended his panel too. We felt bad, but after showing at his booth to apologize, he was actually glad we stopped the panel early. He was a great guy, very funny, well spoken and utterly passionate about his characters and story. Oddly enough, he was the producer on There's Something About Mary - who would have thought he'd be such a fantasy geek!?
Get this: the guy who played the stormtrooper in Star Wars that repeats the "These are not the droids we're looking for" phrase was there. Yeah. He was old and needed money. But he was having a good time and took it all in stride, so we got his signature.
Cryptic was there and got us signed up for the Champions Online beta. There were demos and I really like the art direction of the game. The animations were super smooth and really how can anyone argue with using super powers to battle dinosaurs?
All in all, it was a fun weekend. Much more crowded than anticipated, but still a wonderful time. We met a lot of cool people and picked up lots of awesome artwork, which Vic should have up on gninjagnome eventually. I think the quality of art this year definitely surpassed last year's, and hopefully it continues that way!
Yes, the Con was over long ago, but I had to post about Day 4. It was actually a bit sad, like watching a planet slowly dissolve.
In the morning, we caught the CBLDF Art Jam, where artists draw live and then the pieces are auctioned. The guests were pretty tight:
Left to right, Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio
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Joseph Michael Linsner and Terry Moore (The guy standing in the middle is the moderator).
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They had a projector so you could watch the artists work. It's always amazing to see these folks live. They are incredibly fast and accurate (which I guess is why they are comic book superstars!) and while drawing they would talk us through their approach and techniques. A few snapshots of the works in progress:
Lisner working on classic Dawn:
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Terry Moore and ZOMBIE Hulk! Moore is hilarious. Like your jackass uncle, except more gifted.
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Jim Lee's batman. Drawn with a simple Micron pen from Staples. The man is a genius. Oh, and those clouds he's adding in the background? Ink and tampon.
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We ended up buying a Terry Moore rendition of Nico from Runaways.
Actually, we ended up with a lot of great art, which is what we spent Sunday afternoon collecting. A couple of my favorites:
Rebecca Guay's amazing watercolor:
Beautiful Franchesco:
Space girl by Erwin Haya. An example of the random talent you find when wandering the independent booths:
Brent Anderson is my hero. Winged Victory and The Hanged Man from one of the best books out there, Astro City. He gave me a funny look when I asked for The Hanged Man...but doesn't it look fantastic?!
Adorable little ditty from David Petersen of Mouse Guard fame:
We have a lot more, but I didn't feel like posting everything here. Maybe I'll get around to a web album at some point.
** sigh **
I wish every weekend was Comic-Con. Now back to work!
Day 3 was all about wandering the exhibit hall and taking in the sights.
We tried for the Pushing Daises signing, but the mob was immense and violent. The combination of bad logistics and rabid nutjob fans (people who couldn't get in line were crying...someone punched me in the stomach...and a crazy woman was using her child as a battering ram...) was just too much, so I gave up. No TV celebrities are worth this insanity.
So instead, here are a few cool floor displays:
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Sat was also the Masquerade. We didn't go (you'll see why below) but we got a ton of cool costume pictures, which I promise to put up soon.
Same time as the Masquerade was the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund auction. This was definitely the highlight of the day! These guys had amazing artwork available and though most were way out of our league (a Dave Gibbons Watchmen drawing went for $9K!) it was still awesome to see them. There was a 10-page unpublished Kirby story as well as a beautiful exclusive tribute anthology to The Endless, and the usual cheesecake, like a Bettie Page original, Danger Girl cover, and Bruce Timm pin-up. Vic and I were first to sign up (bidder #1, baby!) and won some lovely pieces, including these:
I need to check back with CBLDF on this one. It was done while a bunch of artists were drinking and I can't for the life of me remember who it was!
An original page from Patty Cake by Scott Roberts. So cute!
Hellboy tribute by Dustin Nyugen. I'm a huge fan of this guy - we have an original panel from him too. I adore the coloring.
The Fund pulled in $55K which is not bad for one night! It was totally worth attending the auction to see all the rare pieces. Plus, it was fun too. There's more CBLDF stuff coming up, but that's for the next day!
Late yet again...but with good reason! We are totally having a blast and Day 3 is technically over as well, but let's take it one step at a time...so here are the highlights of Day 2:
Firstly, we got into the Watchman panel and watched exclusive footage! The whole cast was there, with Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons. It was reassuring to hear the actors really did their research for the roles. The technology has finally caught up with the vision and while Zack admits to adding/omitting material, he didn't shy away from the darker themes. I think the movie will be beautiful and am really looking forward to seeing it brought to life.
Some people slept in line for the Watchmen panel (thank goodness not us!)
The massive Hall H, seating 6500
Director, Co-Creator/Artist, and Cast of Watchmen!
Secondly, got some great stuff at Artist's Alley (scans to be posted later). The crowds were insane at the big name booths, but small press and artists were pretty roomy, which suited us just fine. There's nothing like talking to someone whose work you admire, getting that connection with them, and taking home some of that talent personalized for you.
Third, the panel for The Goon was utterly hilarious. Eric Powell and two guys from Reno 911 put on an awesome skit complete with 30-story Godzilla cock and holy water exorcism. He's a really funny guy and the panel was a riot.
Eric and some Reno 911 buddies:
Last but definitely not least...the big screen debut of Dr. Horrible in glorious HD! The whole cast showed up, though they didn't run a panel because it was 10:45 PM and no staff was there to moderate. We had watched the Acts online, but seeing it on a big screen with two hundred fans and the cast was definitely an experience to relish.
The cast of Dr. Horrible and a lovely Joss Whedon NPH kiss!
Day 3 was pretty damn cool too. More on that later. All I can say is: this Con fucking rocks!
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