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Over the years I’ve been to a variety of conventions across the country- all different genres, sizes, and locations. Cons can be similar, but I’ve never been to two that areexactly the same. Each are unique and can vary from year to year thanks to different locations, venues, dates, guests, vendors, volunteers, attendees, promoters, and other variables.
I’ve on been on both sides of the table as an attendee, guest, volunteer and vendor, and I’ve even put on a few small shows. Some were successful, some not.
Recently I heard a lot of negative things being said about Fandomfest (which began as the Fright Night Film Fest in 2005) know as in Louisville, KY. I’ve never attended the convention, but have heard some shocking things- some from people I know who attended and it really shocked me. No convention I’ve ever attended or been a part of running has ever gone perfect and some ran smoother than others. Things happen and according to the show organizer (and I use that word loosely) “you can’t please everyone”, but what I read was inexcusable. Many of the negative reviews I’ve been reading online mentioned a lot of poor planning by the promoters, an uniformed staff, conflicting program guides, little to no signage, and just plain bad customer service and guest relations.
Here are some of the reviews of the show that I found…good and bad.
Pure Geekery- how not to run a con.
Pure Geekery: How Not to Run a Con, Tweets about the mess that was Fandom Fest 2013.
Kentucky Geek Girl- Fandom Fail.
Vortex of Geek- Open letter to Fandom Fest.
Reddit- Fandomfest Complaints.
Kimberly Dunaway art- Fandom Fest Review and Warning.
Wave3- Fandomfest blames problems on no-show volunteers.
The big daddy of all cons, Comic Con International: San Diego or the San Diego Comic Con (as most know it) was last month as well. I’ve attended it 3 times as a comics pro, and had a table there in the small press pavilion for 2 of those times.
It continues to grow and change each year. Some things get better, some things change for the worse. For me it’s just gotten to expensive to travel to or set up at, and the focus is more on movies and TV shows than comics. I did always enjoy running into friends and celebs, seeing some great cosplayers, getting sketches and autographs, picking up cool toys, getting freebie buttons and swag, and just being a geek with 130, 000 or so other geeks. Had more positive experiences there than negative ones.
Wizard World Chicago was this weekend. I’ve seen some folks post online that they’ve had a good time, and I’ve seen some complaints by pros- some local who have been to the show in the past. One well known artist said he was charged to attend, even though he was signing at a table/booth during the show. One comics creator who had a vendor badge was denied access to the first floor where the artists alley and celebs were set up, but said he knew someone else who was able to go to that floor with no problems. Another comics creator attended one day and said, “Wizard Chicago felt more like traffic court than a con…”
Dragon Con, another biggie, is comic up soon. Haven’t been to it, but have enjoyed being in Atlanta before and hope to check it out some day. It has had some drama in the past, but I noticed recently they have revised their convention policies and addressed some past problem areas, most importantly their stance on offensive or harassing behavior.
The Phoenix Comic Con in Arizona has had some amazing growth in the past few years and seems to almost double in attendance each year. Do they have growing pains? Yes, but they have a great staff, volunteers, and a huge local creative community and fanbase. When I first went to it back in 2005 it was in Mesa, AZ and there were maybe 2500 attendees- now it has over 55,000 attendees and is now the 7th largest con in North America. Phoenix rocks, and not just because I got engaged there!
Running a convention can be a huge task- even for the small shows or “dealer room cons”. If you want to run a successful convention there are a few things that I think are a must…it’s my two cents on the subject and it’s free…
1) “Location, location, location!” A good location can make or break a show. A venue that has the right combination of location, space, price, and accommodations is essential. Being in the same location each year can be a big help, especially if you have a place with room to grow and expand. Moving from location to location can make it hard for people to keep up with your con. Speaking of locations, pay attention to where you put vendors, artists, and other tables. You probably don’t want to put two or three of the same type of vendors together, or ex-creative partners if there is bad blood.
2) “What’s going on?” Before you set your date in stone, do some research. Are there other shows happening at the same time? Are there other events going on in town that weekend? Is there anything else scheduled at the venue you’re interested in? Picking a date that doesn’t have similar conflicting events can be tricky, but not impossible. Picking a date that doesn’t conflict can not only help attendance at your show, but can also help in getting guests that aren’t booked elsewhere. Sticking to a particular week/weekend can help build attendance each year. Changing dates each year can make it difficult for attendees and potential guests to plan to attend. Also, teaming up with another show or event can help. Do a combo pass for both events or offer a discount if they show a coupon, badge, ticket, or wristband from the other event. Try flyer swapping and/or banner ads with other events. Look at getting a fan table (some are discounted or free for conventions) at other shows to promote your show, and offer one at your show to other conventions and fan groups to set up at.
3) “You just can’t find good help these days!” A good staff and volunteers are the backbone of a show. Pick your people carefully, train them on their duties, educate them on your guests, give them a chance to take some time to enjoy the show, and be sure to feed and reward them. I’m amazed when cons expect their volunteers to pay their own way into a convention. If you are wanting free help, you better be willing to at least comp a badge, and some snacks and drinks. A free tee is a good way to promote your con and identify your staff/volunteers. Look for groups and organizations that do events to help out. Offer to donate money to their organization or charity for “X” amount of volunteer hours if you can afford it. Offer to help at one of their events. If you have to draft some of your family and friends to help at your show, great- just make sure they are the reliable ones. (The folks above are Papa Cliff and Mama Wanda Helm, the parents of the Superman Celebration organizers.) Have a party/get together/BBQ after the con as a thank you for your staff and volunteers. Heck, throw a casual social before the event so people can get to know each other or at least recognize faces before working together. A staff that is knowledgeable about the venue, surrounding area, schedule, policies, and guests is one of your most important assets for running a successful show. Treat them as such. And please don’t encourage or allow your security or staff to walk down the halls yelling/barking orders at attendees. If you have polite security, an informative staff, and good clear signage things will go much smoother for you.
4) “Here’s your sign!” There’s a song called “Signs” that goes, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign…”, well- that’s not the case for many cons, and one of the big complaints I read about Fandomfest. Signage is something that is often overlooked at conventions. Good signage can answer questions, control traffic flow and lines, inform about changes, and promote your dates/location for next year’s show. Sometimes placing a sponsor’s logo on the sign can help cover the cost of the signs, or some sponsors will donate the banners/signs. It should have a simple layout, bold font, and be placed where people can see it. That sounds like common sense I know, but I’ve seen busy, poorly designed signs that can’t be read at a glance, and some placed so low that they are blocked by the sea of people standing in front of them. And a sign that’s fallen down on the ground doesn’t do anyone any good. Having signs for the hours of a room, open/closed signs, or the panel schedule posted outside each programming room can be a big help. If the venue you’re using doesn’t have stanchions for queue line/crowd control rent some or make some. They really do help with traffic flow at shows.
And if your venue is a bit off the beaten path or not very visible from the street put a few signs out front and/or have some costumed volunteers help direct traffic in. Professionally printed signs and banners are a great investment and are a good indication for con-goers your con is professionally run. But having hand written, or preferably printed ones from your home computer, are better than nothing. Keep them bold and simple. Black type on yellow or white is usually the most visible and easily read. Why do you think many street signs are..?
5) “Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and update your damn website!” Some shows have only a Facebook page. I recommend getting one, but not in place of a good website. Social media (like Facebook and Twitter) is a great tool but should be used in conjunction with a website to promote con announcements, con-related events, guest appearances, schedule changes, contests, and other updates before, during, and after the con. Again, if you are going to do a show a website (with an easy to remember url address) is a must have. The site needs to have the current dates, location, and name of the con on the home page- preferably in the top banner. Again, sounds like a given, but I’ve run across more con sites that that didn’t have the dates or even the city/state that it was taking place in! I’ve had to dig through several pages of the site to find where the venue was, how much the admission fees were, and if any guests were listed. Many times the info on the site was from their last con, almost a year ago! So keep your website current and use social media to promote your show, keep folks informed, and drive fans to your site. Be sure that whatever promo items you put out there always have your website address on them. Folks can always find out more info on your site, but they need to know about it or be able to remember it.
Along with dates and location, make sure your website has registration pricing info, hotel info, special events info, a guests page (with correct bios and links), con history info, a FAQ page, and vendor space info and pricing, volunteer sign-up info. Maps and directions are great, list of local restaurants and tourist spots are helpful, and if you can put your programming info on there that’s always appreciated. If you know what prices guests are charging for autographs and/or photos that can be very helpful. You can do preregistration on your site, which could help you fund your con early and cut down on lines the day of your show for at the door ticket sales. Offer a discount on preregistration, and maybe even other perks like early admission, tee shirt, free comics, or other swag.
Also have some kind of contact info on your website- phone#, email address, or contact form and make it easy to find on your site. Volunteers, potential guests, vendors, and the media will need it. Don’t make them search for how to get in touch with you. It’s frustrating, and sends a bad sign.
6) “Be our guest!” When you have people come to your event- creators, celebrities, attendees, etc., treat them all as guests. They are visiting your town and show. You invited them, so treat them well. If they are an “official guest” make sure you have a guest liaison to help your guests with their travel arrangements, accommodations, programming/appearance schedule, meals, and any questions they may have. Good communication with your guests can help keep guests happy, and a happy guest can make your life easier and leave them with good memories of their experience at your con. Work out any appearance fees before hand- how much, when they get paid, and how they get paid. Do you expect them to do any media interviews, panels, signings, etc.? Do they have any special dietary or medical needs? Do they need table/booth space? Will they be traveling with a spouse, child, or assistant? Do they want to do any sightseeing while in your city? Do you have any charity auctions or drawings/door prizes they may be willing to donate items to, or sign items for? Ask and answer as many questions as you can beforehand. If you have a lot of requests for people wanting to be guests or acquiring press passes, try creating an online guest application or press pass request for your website. If you do offer press passes be sure to give the media packets on your con. Don’t have a media packet? Create one and be sure to send out press releases before your show.
7) “Print is dead!” Maybe so, but having printed convention guides with accurate programming schedules, maps, guest info, operating hours, rules, art/toons, and more can be a big help, not only for attendees, but for guests, staff/volunteers, and the media as well. They also give attendees something to get signed by guests. The San Diego Comic Con requires any celebs that set up in their Sails Pavilion and charge for autographs to sign their program guides for free if attendees present one to them. The Superman Celebration in Metropolis also has their celebrity guests sign at least one item (program guide, event poster, or Daily Planet newspaper) for free for each person who gets a free ticket for their autograph lines.
The Phoenix Comicon has a downloadable PDF program guide!
I know of a couple cons (Midsouthcon and Superman Celebration) who print their guests’ schedules (title, times, and locations) on the back of their con badges. Really handy!
Before I wrap this blog post off let me say one more thing. If you are attending a show, show some respect and act like a guest. I’ve seen a lot of attendees act like they’ve got no basic home training when they show up to an event. Treat others and the venue with some respect, have a little patience, and be prepared for your visit. I know of a great con here in my backyard that decided to call it quits after having to pay for damage done to the hotel during their convention.
Oh, and if you attended Fandomfest, didn’t have a good time, and don’t plan on going next year- don’t let it keep you away from other shows. There are lots of great ones in and around Kentucky. I’ve always had a great time at Wonderfest!
“Have geek, will travel!”
Lin/Geeker
The last TIME we met I was telling you about my trip to Metropolis, IL. That blog was Saturday’s events at the annual Superman Celebration. Still have more more day to tell you about.
So let’s join The Doctor in the TARDIS and jump ahead, or jump back in time- I’m not sure…it’s all wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff. In any case, here’s what happened on Sunday in Metropolis- the official home of Superman!
Ronnie hadn’t checked out Daily Star Comics and it’s TARDIS so we slid by there first after grabbing some orange juice at the hotel. The comic shop (300 W 10th St.) is located about a block or so up from the Metropolis Community Center and a block from Market Street- the main part of the celebration. We pass by the shop on the way into town when entering on US-45 S. You can get to Metropolis from I-24 as well- which is how we used to come up when going through Paducah, KY.
We took turns having our photo taken with the shop’s owner, “The Doctor”, and even helps some friends take their pics there as well. The Doctor’s daughter (above) is quite an artist herself!
While we were there I went inside to do a bit more shopping. I had picked up a couple Dr. Who books and magazines for my wife the day before, but decided to pick up a couple more while I was there. They had some great photo reference in them, and hey- bringing the wife home anything Dr. Who is always a good thing.
Looked through the back issues at the shop, but didn’t find anything I needed. Took a few more pics, paid for my merch, and then headed back out to the Batmobile.
We found a parking spot near Planet Krypton and Artists Alley & Writers Way– so did this Ecto-1X! It belongs to my friends Jason and Dawn Rawley from Florida. (That’s the AA&WW building behind the car. Wish it had better signage…)
Over at Artists Alley & Writers Way (located at 8th and Market across from the Lois Lane statue) I was pleased to see a good bit of activity going on. A lot of the artists were finishing up some of their sketch commissions from the previous days. They all seemed to have been \S/uper busy this weekend.
Some folks were doing some last minute shopping, others were taking a chance to do some more conversing with friends on the last day of the celebration, and some were just “killing time” before the big events of the day.
After making the rounds at AA&WW I walked down the street to Planet Krypton to check on my buddy Tim Brown. Timmy runs the fan-films contest and hosted the Smallville Prom the night before (see my last blog). While I was there I ran into Hank Solo, Bubba Fett, Goth Vader, Luke Clodhopper and the whole Backwoods Star Wars Gang. They would latter compete in the costume contest. The keg-backpack on Bubba’s back was cracking me up! Also talked to John Read and ComicsPriceGuide.com‘s Rick Frogge for a bit about Star Wars, cartooning, the sketch cover comics at the auction the previous night, and past con stories. Tim was going to shoot a quick video for Rick to give to a friend as a birthday gag gift but was busy, so Rick asked me to do it. We shot a bit in Planet Krypton and headed over to AA&WW for a few shots.
We had a few of the artist guests say happy birthday on camera. It was getting close to noon so I had to run to catch the costume contest. I handed off the video camera to Rick and headed out, but before I left I made sure to say goodbye to Papa Cliff and Mama Wanda Helm. They are celebration co-chairs Karla and Lisa’s parents and take care of AA&WW during the celebration. They really are a huge help over the weekend and are always a pleasure to see and talk to while I’m in town. (Oh, those are the blue celebration staff shirts I designed- sweet!)
I missed the Parade of Characters but did finally catch up with Super-Elvis! I had seen pictures of him but hadn’t actually seen him in person. Being an Elvis fan and a Superman fan I got a big kick out of him. Unfortunately it looked like Elvis had brought a little “Kentucky Rain” with him to Metropolis…mercy!
I made my way to the main Metro Tent near the giant Superman statue and found a seat next to the judges’ table just in time for the contest to begin. The judges were guests Brett Breeding, Ron Frenz, and Jeffrey Bresslauer. I’ve judged the costume contest here before and didn’t envy them- although they do have the best seats in the house/tent!
Greatest American Heroes, emcee Steve Kirk and co-host Superman (Josh Boultinghouse), welcomed the crowd and got the contest underway. The place was packed again this year, and with the wet weather outside many folks tried to get in out of the rain. Most years everyone is just trying to find some shade!
Things didn’t start off well for Superman as Braniac was the first to walk out on-stage!
This Braniac was pretty impressive- even for fans who were back in the cheap seats!
Then Doomsday came to challenge Superman.
And if that wasn’t bad enough the Joker tried to put a smile on Supes’ face.
But, hey- they don’t call him “Superman” for nothing!
In fact, he was even willing to give Metallo a helping hand after Batman switched the villain’s kryptonite heart with a cup-cake!
As usual Superman had to act as security and strong arm Metallo off stage when he started “monologuing” again.
Superman finally got some back-up from some other heroes like Spiderman, Captain Planet, Supermen from various alternate universes…
…and the Wild West Justice League.
Everyone was invited back out on stage for the judges to have one final look.
Some like Captain Jack Sparrow had to be helped back on stage by security from Mayberry.
Then the contestants were narrowed down to the finalists. While we waited for the winners to be announced the annual “Superman of Metropolis” awards were handed out (I received one back in 2005!) and the 50/50 winner was drawn. The crowd all laughed when the Super-Boy who was picked to choose the winning ticket pulled his own mother’s ticket! There were a few sore losers in the crowd who accused Super-Boy of using his x-ray vision. 😉
The winners of the costume contest were Braniac, Solomon Grundy, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Joker– with Captain Jack (Jamie Kelley) being the big winner.
Not only did he win first place, but he won crowd favorite, too!
Grundy was a happy winner, too- and he got to meet one of his favorite Superman artists, Brett Breeding.
After a group photo of the finalists in front of the Superman statue, many started suiting up for the most people dressed as Superman world record attempt. I even saw a few pets dressed as the Man of Steel!
The Hulk had to be restrained when he tried to participate without his super-suit. Sorry, no super-suit, no getting to be part of the record attempt. Them’s the rules- which were as follows for the attempt-
Any costume must have the blue body suit, the red and yellow “S” shield on the chest, the yellow belt, the red cape, red boots, and the red trunks.
The group in Metropolis beat their old record set in 2008 of 122 (I was one of the original group) by having 268, but didn’t beat the current record of 566 set by Sears employees in Chicago just a few days before this year’s attempt in Metropolis. The old record was 437 held by a group in Canada after they broke the previous record of 180 in the UK, which is the one that broke Metropolis’ original record. I think it’s great that the record got started in Metropolis, but think that it’s even sweeter that it has been attempted by Superman fans- not employees of a company who were given costumes as a promo/tie-in with the “Man of Steel” movie.
Even though they didn’t break the record, everyone was all smiles.
And why wouldn’t they be- we all got free cake at Dippin’ Dots to celebrate Superman’s 75th birthday! Funny thing, it was the first time I’ve been in Dippin’ Dots since it opened in Metropolis a few years ago. I have always been too busy at the other end of the street each year. The space used to be the old Metropolis Community Center where Artists Alley & Writers Way was first held. Dippin’ Dots‘ production headquarters are across the Ohio River in neighboring Paducah, Kentucky.
After the cake, Dippin’ Dots, and closing ceremonies I tried to take as many pictures and say goodbye to as many friends as I could before hitting the road. The 2 days flew by, as they always do in Metropolis. I guess that’s why so many people there wear capes!
But before we left town, there was one thing Ronnie wanted to try at Fat Edd’s Roadhouse (formerly “Willy Jak’s”)- a drink called a “Kryptonite“, which was green and came with a glow-stick stirrer. I was driving home so I stuck with some sweet tea and a water, but did have an awesome cheeseburger. It was good to see the place open again. It was closed last year due to a fire. I got to see a few more friends before we left. Great way to end the weekend!
So if you ever find yourself driving near southern Illinois slide by Metropolis and have your picture taken in front of the giant Superman statue- and be sure to wear your red underwear on the outside of your jammies. That’s how we roll when we’re in the home town of Superman!
Lin/Superkid
This summer has been a \S/uper one so far!
First up was my trip to Metropolis, IL for the annual Superman Celebration. This was the 35th celebration in Metropolis- the official home town of Superman.
If you’ve ever been to Metropolis, or have read my previous posts on the famous city, you’ve discovered that it’s more like Smallville than the big city we’re used to seeing in the comics, movies, or on TV. However, each June the population of the real life Metropolis (around 7,000) increases tremendously due to an amazing amount of visiting fans who travel from all over our planet to show their love for Superman. The majority of them tend to wear their underwear on the outside of their pajamas over the 4 day event. (I’ve been guilty of it while in Metropolis, too.)
I left out early on that Saturday morning. Metropolis is about a 3hr car ride up I-55 (with a short hop on I-40 and a couple turns here and there) from Memphis for me- 4hrs if I stop in Sikeston, MO for lunch at Lambert’s Cafe! Mmm…throwed rolls..! I’ve been attending the Superman Celebration since 1999 and haven’t missed a year yet. Like I’ve said before, it’s like being an Elvis fan and making the trip to Graceland- if you’re a Superman fan you’ve got to go to Metropolis.
Normally I go up a day or so early and have one of my friends driving or riding shotgun with me for the trip, but this time I was on my own. So I fired up the Batmobile, grabbed some Sonic for breakfast, and hit the road solo. I stopped at BOOMLAND! off 57 to gas up, and picked up a co-pilot for the rest of the trip- Monk! He’s not great on navigating or conversation, but seemed to be having a great time.
I noticed something a bit different when we hit town this Metro trip…a TARDIS was sitting out in front of Daily Star Comics! I parked the Batmobile and went to investigate…
Turns out that it is owned by the comic shop’s owner ‘who’ is a big Dr. Who fan! Over the weekend lots of Whovians were stopping by the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) to have their pictures made and ‘The Doctor’ was always handy with his sonic screwdriver- which he would let fans use in their pics if they liked.
He was nice enough to let Monk and I check out the inside of the TARDIS (I brought my own screwdriver). The TARDIS is still a work in progress, but once it’s finished the light on top, “police box” signs, and windows will light up at night. Should be an awesome sight and I’m really looking forward to checking that out the next time I’m in town. I picked up a few Dr. Who BBC magazines and books at the comic shop to take home to my wife (and Dr. Who fan) Nicki.
Oh, and if you were wondering, “Why ‘Daily Star Comics’ and not ‘Daily Planet Comics’..?” Joe Shuster worked for the Toronto Daily Star as a newspaper boy when he was growing up. When Superman first appeared, his alter ego Clark Kent worked for the Daily Star newspaper, which was later changed to the Daily Planet. There’s some super-trivia for you!
A trip to Metropolis isn’t complete without having your picture made in front of the giant statue, visiting the Metropolis Planet newspaper’s offices, checking out the Superman memorabilia collection at the Super-Museum, buying some souvenirs at the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, or meeting Josh Boultinghouse– the official Metropolis Superman.
Those are all a lot of fun I and I recommend each one, but for me it’s not a complete Superman Celebration experience unless I’ve had a footlong corndog and a lemon shake-up from one of the food vendors!
The Superman Celebration not only celebrates the most iconic super hero in the world, but also celebrates many other great geeky creations like Marvel Comics, Star Wars and Star Trek; American values like “Truth, Justice, and the American Way“; and thankfully things like corndogs and funnel cakes!
Think of a small town festival or county fair crossed with a comic book convention- that’s pretty much the very unique and family friendly Metropolis Superman Celebration!
After getting my corndog fix (later had another for dinner) I walked around some more with my friend Ronnie Shenks. His folks are the ones that took Ronnie, his brother (DC Comics artist) Dave Beaty, and me to Metropolis for the first time back in 1999!
Ronnie an I stopped by the Noel Neill/Lois Lane statue, did some shopping at the Chamber of Commerce, talked to friends we’d run into along the way, acted like the tourists we were, and later happened across a Superman group photo shoot. You tend to see a lot of these group shots over the weekend.
One of the fun things I got to experience was lots of praise for the Superman t-shirts I designed for the celebration. This was my second year to do the official design (which was also on celebration programs and posters) and featured official Superman art by legendary comic artist José Luis García-López, who is one of my favorites! I saw a ton of people wearing the tees so I’m guessing the sales went well!
One of the biggest draws at the Celebration are the \S/uper-celebs– especially the SMALLVILLE and movie actors, and this year was no exception! I lucked out and happened to be standing near the Superman statue when two of the celeb guests left the Q&A session at the main tent and had their “Titanic” moment!
Michael Rosenbaum (right- Lex Luthor on SMALLVILLE and the voice of the Flash on Justice League Unlimited) and Alessandro Juliani (left- Dr. Emil Hamilton on SMALLVILLE and Sergeant Sedowsky in Man of Steel) were two of the featured guests, along with Margot Kidder (Lois Lane in Superman: The Movie), Tracy Scoggins (Cat Grant on Lois and Clark), Laurie Mitchell Roberts (The Adventures of Superman), and Gregory Moffett (The Adventures of Superman). And if that wasn’t enough, wrestling legend (and fellow Memphian, artist, and Superman fan) Jerry “The King” Lawler was there as well. The autograph lines were a bit long as usual, so I snapped my pics and headed back up market street.
Celebs are cool and all, but, hey- this is a Superman Celebration and you can’t celebrate Superman without celebrating comics and creators like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster– and that’s what Artists Alley & Writers Way does! Comics guests this year included Ron Frenz, Chris Sprouse, Brett Breeding, and Art Baltazar. That’s Art in the photo above- who I got a great Batgirl sketch for Nicki, and a Harley Quinn one for me! Art is also part owner in Aw Yeah Comics– a comic shop in Skokie, IL near Chicago.
Some of my MSCA (Mid-South Cartoonists Association) artist pals from Memphis- Jim Hall, Charles Ettinger, and Lonnie Easterling were set up there, too- Memphis represent!
This was the first year since 2005 that I wasn’t part of AA&WW (due to my new day job and no time off), but I did get a bit of sketching done while I was there.
I was asked by NCS member John Read and ComicsPriceGuide.com‘s Rick Frogge to do a sketch cover for the auction later that night. I did one of my “Superkid” style Superman toons. Luckily I had markers in my backpack- have markers, will travel! It was a lot of fun to do, and the first time I had ever worked on a blank sketch cover comic. Hope to do it again! There were 9 covers done that day by the guest artists, and a collector at the auction offered $500 for the lot of them- the comics that is, not the artists.
This year I didn’t have to be on a schedule, put out any fires, or make sure anyone else was having a good time. I just got to run around, take pics, and experience what I usually miss while setting up or being behind a table for most of the weekend. Unfortunately I missed the showing of the fan-films and the awards ceremony Saturday afternoon. First time that’s happened for me since the event started! If you missed them, too- you can check out the winners on the Superman Celebration homepage. If you make fan-films, be sure to enter yours in the contest next year!
Saturday night was the first Smallville Prom at Planet Krypton hosted by my buddy (and best man) Tim Brown, who also hosts the fan-films. Previously it’s just been called a dance party, but this year the prom theme was a big hit with everyone!
Some folks came in costume, some dressed casual, some dressed up in formal wear, and some even sported formal costumes! A prom King and Queen were crowned and many attendees busted out some super-moves. The prom went on until 11:30pm or so, but for those who stuck around a big surprise was in store..!
Around 11:15pm the prom had a few celebrity crashers…
Guests Alessandro Juliani, Michael Rosenbaum, and Tracy Scoggins arrived and joined in on the festivities.
They even posed for pics with some of the lucky remaining prom attendees. That really made some fans’ night!
Later the guests headed down the street to Harrah’s Casino which is just a few blocks away on the banks of the Ohio River. Tim, Ronnie, and I closed up Planet Krypton, hit the 24hr Huddle House across town for some late dinner/early breakfast, walked across the street to the Super-8, and called it a night.
It was a great day in Metropolis- well, at least for some of us…Lex is still wondering where his statue is! More pics to come, and up next are Sunday’s activities including the costume contest, Superman world record attempt, and closing ceremony.
Until then, remember- when in Metropolis, beware of super-villains bearing gifts!
Lin
Nicki and I are about to head out to enjoy Free Comic Book Day! What is Free Comic Book Day..?
Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May each year – when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *(Check with your local comic book shop for their participation and rules.)
Many MSCA members will be on-hand at Comic Cellar (3620 Austin Peay Highway #2 Memphis, TN 38128 ph (901) 382-8623) on Saturday for FCBD.
Comics and Collectibles (4730 Poplar #2 Memphis, TN 38117 ph 901-683-7171) will also be participating in FCBD this Saturday. They have a 20% Off Sale, and you get one free FCBD comic for showing up, and one of each available with a purchase. Purchase more than $20 and you will get your choice of some selected HC books they are giving away! Supplies on this offer are limited, so be there early to take advantage!
Both stores will have other in-store promotions and sales that day, so be sure to check their websites and/or ask what’s up when you stop by. The comics aren’t free for the retailers, so please thank them for your free comic(s), or better yet- buy something while you’re there. We do!
And if you’re near Jackson, MS- the first-ever Brave-Con will be held at Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS on May 4th, 2013. The Mississippi Braves have expanded their annual Sci-Fi Night to include the world of gaming, comic books, anime, and steampunk! The event will begin at 3:00 p.m. and last until the end of the Mississippi Braves game that night. Merchants will be set up around the concourse throughout the night. For the first year, Brave-Con will be a one-day event, but hopes are that they can develop it into an annual, weekend long event.
This will be a great opportunity to gather together and celebrate and share comic book and sci-fi culture with kids and families who may not have had an opportunity to experience it. Coinciding with National Free Comic Book Day, free comic books will be handed out at the gate. Also, Sci-Fi and Comic Book trivia questions will be asked throughout the night, with the first to answer correctly receiving a great Brave-Con prize pack! For those who are up to the challenge, the Super Ultra Mega Trivia Challenge will take place in the Farm Bureau Grill, beginning at 5 pm. Memphis artist Kimberly Dunaway will be there, too!
Not sure where there’s a participating comic shop in your area? Be sure to check out the CSLS Store Locator.
And for all of you Star Wars fans- “May the 4th be with you!”
