Upon arriving to the con, the line was wide and long, snaking all the way to the escalators. The people were excited to get at the freebies and to get first in line for their favorite artists and writers to sign their comics or get sketches. The flood of attendees coming through the door was a sight to see as they quickly flew like bees to their favorite honey.
I first walked around the convention, getting a feel for the floor. Publishers were at the front, with retailers in the middle, and artists and writers at the back. There wasn’t really a division between the different camps, and I like that. It made it feel that they were all connected, working together for one thing, the glory of comics.
One of the thing that I was amazed at was the great array of talent at this years con. There were a lot of heavy hitters from comics, with Ed Brubaker, Bill Willingham, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Kurt Busiek, Arthur Sudayam, Tim Sale, Matt Wagner, and many others. There were also a lot of small press and independent creators. Brett Warnock of Top Shelf Comix was especially pleased with Andy Runton and Jeffrey Brown being brought out for the event. This showed that organizer Jim Demonakos was really working hard to keep a balance for the Big Two, as well as the small press.
The new location was very nice and I’d say that the floor was larger in space. Also evident was the many rooms added for con panels and events. There was a whole room dedicated to the Josh Medors Benefit Auction and this was nice to see. Items continued to flow into the room, even up to the last minute. The group was very willing to donate to this worthy cause and I was glad to see so much outpouring of support to help a creator in need. The additional panel rooms also worked well and were very much soundproof from the other panels and the sounds of the con.
My first day was spent touching base with creators, saying hi and getting their pictures. Many had some great portfolios out, selling their original artwork or comics to be autographed. Most were very willing to talk shop and discuss their latest projects. I talked with Kurt Busiek about Trinity, Andy Kuhn about Firebreather, Paul Chadwick and Ken Steacy a bit about an upcoming project with Harlan Ellison, Andy Runton about his latest Owly book, and many more.
The panels on the first day were great. I went to the DC Nation and Mondo Marvel panels and it is safe to say these guys have done this sort of thing before. The vibe was friendly and the groups both seemed dedicated to having a good time. The CBLDF sketch auction raised almost two grand for free speech, and the group was furiously working away, churning out some great sketches. The Ryan Ottley Spider-Man went for over $200 and was very nice.
I had a some great experiences at the con. One was being able to sit in on a portfolio review with an upcoming artist. I had put the word out earlier that I was looking for an artist to tail and Davinder Brar. He was a really nice guy who had some portfolio’s reviewed before, and was a little frustrated with some of the “just keep at it’s” that he had gotten in the past. He had heard that Steve Lieber was at the con and had heard that he was a very honest assessor of art. I had met Steve earlier in a visit to the Periscope Studio, where he is a member. The experience was actually one of the highlights of the con for me, as Steve went through each and every page with some very good constructive criticism. Davinder got exactly what he wanted – an honest review with specific things he should work on – and I felt very fortunate to be let in on the process. I’ll be doing a much more thorough write up on the experience in the near future.
The second day I went to a few more panels. The Making Webcomics panel, which was very informative and fun was crewed by the Halfpixel team. I also went to the Wil Wheaton Q&A. I had been a fan of Wesley, I mean Wil, as a youth, and had stumbled onto his blog a while ago. Wil’s a very dynamic speaker and writer, and he seems to be taking on an almost ambassador like role for the realm of geekdom. Wil is a proud geek and many others were embracing it with him. What can I say, I guess I’m a geek as well.
I ended up coming away with a lot of cool stuff, a ton of cool pictures, and some nice memories from the con. I liked the new site, having the downtown location was great for free WiFi, food, and the atmosphere added to the overall experience. I plan on being back next year, and the dates have already been announced for 09 – April 4th and 5th. They also plan on expanding in the convention center as well. Next year already looks good, as the guest list is already shaping up with some more huge names in comics. If you get a chance, give the Emerald City Comic Con a try, it is a lot of fun and a great way to meet some of your favorite creators.
