NC Comic Con 2014

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The only day that I'll be able to make it is Sunday. Probably won't have that much money for anything extra either.

As it is, if I want Barrowman's autograph, it'll cost 40 bucks....*sigh*

[Tim]

Since there's no Valiant panel, I'm not sure where we can meet up. Any ideas?

Like I say, I had to Google Barrowman to see who he was, but $40 for an autograph is retarded. The most I've ever paid for an autograph is $2 for Gary Friedrich (Ghost Rider's creator). I felt pretty good about that considering he could hardly walk to the other side of the table to sign it he was in such bad shape.

I think a big media guest like Barrowman really detracts from a con this size and of this type. A lot of people just paying just to see him, which gets bodies into the convention center, but not necessarily money in the pockets of the artists and exhibitors. Which doesn't a healthy con make.

[Tim]

If anyone is down for a meet, please get my number from George (who may or may not have a smartphone and access to the board this weekend), my 7 year old phone will render me internet-dark for a couple of days.

[Beware Cyclops]

If anyone is down for a meet, please get my number from George (who may or may not have a smartphone and access to the board this weekend), my 7 year old phone will render me internet-dark for a couple of days.

so you're saying that your phone will render you "Timcognito" for a couple of days??

[geocarr]

So this was the first con I have attended since the mid-90's at Heroes Con in Charlotte and a lot has changed.

The venue was too small. They sold out of day passes and my son and I were part of the last group to get weekend passes and they were still at least 75 people in line behind us. Then we had to wait in another line to get into the building itself. And this was supposed to be their 5th year doing this con. Ridiculous!

They were very light on comic book artists and writers. over.

It was the first con ever for my 11yo son who had the time of his life taking pictures with all the cosplay people and in front of the Tardis. We didn't pay for pictures or autographs with John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness from Dr. Who and Macolm Merlyn from Arrow) but he did stand right next to my son at one point and I thought my son was going to pass out.

We got a great Dr. Strange sketch from Richard Case who was super nice and easy to talk to.

We got an awesome Bloodshot sketch from Sean Chen who was there with his son who is showing what I thought was a lot of artistic potential for his age which looked to be between 4-6. Sean said he wants to do more covers for Valiant.

We got what I consider a highly detailed Deathlok sketch on a Deathlok blank sketch book from Mike Perkins from England and he was super nice and easy to talk to.

We got an incredible John Constantine, Hellblazer, sketch from John Paul Leon and the man refused payment for it and he was so laid back and cool. The kind of guy you could just chill with all day.

I met fellow board member, Tim, in person for the first time and we have so much in common and it felt more like running into an old friend and picking up where we left off (bromance in the making). My 11yo son talked about what a cool guy Tim is after we walked away.

And we met Dinesh, Hunter, and Peter at the Valiant booth which seemed to have a constant flow of traffic all day and I saw some of their book stacks diminish over the day which was nice. I saw a lady in her 20's asking Dinesh how Valiant uses female and diverse characters and he nailed the answer and gave her the first Harbinger TPB for free. She'll be back for more. I loaned a box of all my Valiant/Acclain OA to take back to NY to scan and we were geeking out and it was so cool to hear some of the history to the pieces that I didn't know about.

Despite it's shortcomings, my son and I had a wonderful day neither of us will ever forget I hope.

I will try to post pics of the sketches tomorrow after I get some sleep.

[Tim]

So this was the first con I have attended since the mid-90's at Heroes Con in Charlotte and a lot has changed.

The venue was too small. They sold out of day passes and my son and I were part of the last group to get weekend passes and they were still at least 75 people in line behind us. Then we had to wait in another line to get into the building itself. And this was supposed to be their 5th year doing this con. Ridiculous!

They were very light on comic book artists and writers. over.

Yeah, pretty much all this. The con this year was pretty poorly executed. Staff members were telling you two or three different things as far as what lines you needed to be in and such and NOBODY had any clue where to buy tickets for the film festival at all. All the staff and volunteers were really nice folks, just clueless. Also, I hoep next year they don't get a big media guest and stick to comics as the artist / writer guests took a backseat at "Barrowman-con".

We got a great Dr. Strange sketch from Richard Case who was super nice and easy to talk to.

We got an awesome Bloodshot sketch from Sean Chen who was there with his son who is showing what I thought was a lot of artistic potential for his age which looked to be between 4-6. Sean said he wants to do more covers for Valiant.

We got what I consider a highly detailed Deathlok sketch on a Deathlok blank sketch book from Mike Perkins from England and he was super nice and easy to talk to.

We got an incredible John Constantine, Hellblazer, sketch from John Paul Leon and the man refused payment for it and he was so laid back and cool. The kind of guy you could just chill with all day.

I didn't see any of the others, but that Deathlok sketch was incredible.

I met fellow board member, Tim, in person for the first time and we have so much in common and it felt more like running into an old friend and picking up where we left off (bromance in the making). My 11yo son talked about what a cool guy Tim is after we walked away.

Meeting George and son was the absolute highlight of the weekend for me. I could have stood there and talked to those guys all day. George's kid is a grounded, smart and just all around good kid who left me with a lot more hope for future generations than I had before I met him. He was also cool as hell. A testament to George and his parenting. Hoep I get to see those guys again soon.

And we met Dinesh, Hunter, and Peter at the Valiant booth which seemed to have a constant flow of traffic all day and I saw some of their book stacks diminish over the day which was nice. I saw a lady in her 20's asking Dinesh how Valiant uses female and diverse characters and he nailed the answer and gave her the first Harbinger TPB for free. She'll be back for more. I loaned a box of all my Valiant/Acclain OA to take back to NY to scan and we were geeking out and it was so cool to hear some of the history to the pieces that I didn't know about.

We'll see if Dinesh ever gives them back.

Didn't get any sketches this weekend as I already have stuff from Sean and Bernard and I'm not paying Neal Adams whatever ungodly amount he's charging these days for a 15-second Batman head. Barrowman can kiss my *SQUEE* with his $40 autographs and $50 photos. Like I've said...I hadn't even heard of the guy until a month or so ago. Not a lot of cheap books for sale but out of some cheap boxes I pulled the following books:

Sleepwalker #1-32
Nick Fury: Agent of Shield #1-33
Secret Defenders #1-25
Namor #18-60
Complete Andy Diggle / Josh Dysart / BKV Swamp Thing series
Cage (90's series) #1-20
Every Death's Head comic ever published in the U.S. I think.

One place had a sign that said you could fill a reusable shopping bag with comics for $25 and also said that a bag held approximately 100 comics. After careful analysis of the dimensions of the bag and pulling from my training as a supermarket bag-boy years ago I managed to get 200 comics inside which included issues #10-100 of 100 Bullets my buddy who I split the bag with.

The film festival was fun. Saw Howard the Duck (after going to the car and pounding down 4 shots of Jager and having multiple beers from the concession stand). Even after all that booze the movie was still every bit as horrible as I remember, but Saturday bears the distinction of being the first time I've ever gotten drunk in the middle of the day, sobered up and got drunk again in the same day in probably 15 years or so. Also saw Tim Burton's Batman and TMNT: The Secret of the Ooze.

Oh yeah, and as soon as I walked up to the Valiant booth in my Valiant shirt Dinesh laid a gold book and two Armor Hunters shot glasses on me. Awesome!

[Ramses818]

Great re sports guys! Sounds like it was a lot of fun. So very cool.