I went to the inaugural GalaxyCon in San Jose this past Saturday. Silicon Valley Con (created by Adam Savage went out of business a couple years ago), so GalaxyCon replaced it.

My first comic con in about 7 years. It was extremely well organized. The admission ticket gets you in the door, but then you have to go to the registration table to get a badge. Registration opened 1 hour before the convention started, so nobody felt rushed. About 20 employees at the registration table, so the lines moved fast.

The convention was held at the San Jose Convention Center. Multiple entrances were available to the exhibition hall, so no mass, dangerous crowds pushing at the door.

The Saturday hours were 10 AM - 2 AM. I only stayed for 5 hours, but you definitely get your money's worth with the large number of vendors, panels, and celebrity guests.

I was very impressed. Recommended.

I'll be heading to Fan Expo in Toronto on Sunday, a couple of my friends are doing a panel and also tabling, and can get me a free pass. I used to go every year back around 20 years ago before it got so crowded, expensive and crazy, but hey I can go for free and hang out with my friends. Hoping to pick up some good deals on books as well (last day of the four day show usually has some good prices).

I’m going to FanExpo too, on Friday. Paid, of course, but I wouldn’t go near it on the weekend (but I can’t blame you if it’s free!). I’ve been exactly twice before, in 2007 a while after I first moved here, and again around maybe 2016. I’ve seen videos of the crowds (and pricing) getting bigger every year since. Conventions aren’t really my scene other than to get a walk-through feel for where pop culture is at overall and admire the illustration work on display, so once every several years is more than enough. Having a fairly open schedule for the first time in about 15 years has allowed me to avoid those ever-increasing crowds at events and attractions here by going on weekdays for the last year or so. I had plenty of breathing room at both the CNE this past Tuesday and the Auto Show on a Thursday last February, both after many years away from them. Definitely a lot fewer elbows that way.

Yeah, I'm sure it's gonna be nuts. I'm taking the GO Train in from Burlington because I sure don't want to deal with traffic and parking in Toronto, especially this weekend! Looks like lots of celebs (and "celebs") will be there but paying for autographs isn't my thing.

Ditto on the autographs. First time I went I recall many signatures advertised on tables in the $20-30 range. Don’t recall what they were the second time, but I happened to see the price menus for this years attendees and most of them are anywhere from three to six times that! To write their names! And I noticed many charge premiums for signing those Funko dolls that are f’n everywhere these days. What’s up with that? The Friday admission was steep enough at $40 even with the early purchase discount (although it probably pales in comparison to some of the big U.S. shows). I’m also not a shopper at these things; it’s nice just to wander and look at all the stuff without slugging a bag around, and then continue to wander downtown empty-handed afterwards. Just gotta remember to eat before I go in, I guess. Definitely not paying their insane prices for pizza slices and whatnot. Incidentally, you’re probably already aware, but since you’re taking GO, Union Station has a lot of good eats in it since it was renovated a couple years back.

Good to know about the food in Union Station, I haven't been there in over five years (!). I'll fill my face there before heading into the convention (yeah, fuck those food prices!).

Well that oughta hold me for another ten years!

FanExpo is the biggest flea market I’ve ever been to. Just acres of pop culture detritus walled in by mountainous towers of Funko dolls. I assume many of the U.S. events are just like this now? I knew pop culture has grown in status over the years, but I had no idea just how cluttered that landscape had become since I last attended this event. Nothing goes away now, ever! There had to be three to five times as many vendors overall with an almost obscene amount of overlap between them, plus a lot – and I mean a LOT – of dealers selling “licensed” merch of dubious provenance mixed in with the genuine articles. Flea market!

In fact, our convention centre here is split between a massive south hall, and a slightly less-massive north hall, and probably half of the vendors in the south hall account for 80% of the booths in the north hall because they’ve doubled (and tripled) up! Do people even see this? And I counted maybe a dozen or more that are also working the Canadian National Exhibition’s (CNE) giant arts and crafts hall about a mile away, because I was there earlier this week. I guess you have to find every opportunity you can in the collectibles business.

The Artists’ Alley area was much more packed than my last visit as well, with an insanely cramped series of aisles featuring a lot of newer and/or local illustrators, printmakers, and tchotchke designers struggling to stand out with art styles and products that are frequently indistinguishable from one another (I can’t imagine how AI will impact these folks in due time, and you can’t help but wonder if some aren’t using it already). This area is ringed by a couple of outer walls with pro names sitting at much smaller tables than when I was there last time because there’s just so many more of them presumably doing the circuit now. It’s hard to tell if the super-tight squeeze throughout this whole section was because of the popularity of collecting artwork and related knick-knacks, or because the organizers have squeezed too many vendors into not enough space, despite the overall size of the convention center.

Anyway, I spent the last +/- four hours of Friday at this event. My earlier thinking that it wouldn’t be crowded on a weekday was erroneous, but it was tolerable and enjoyable, mostly. And the costumes people make are always impressive to see. I doubt I could handle it on the weekend, though, so my hat’s off to Cultshock if he can!

Thanks for the report! I'll be heading there tomorrow, we'll see what I'm in for. My convention experiences are usually more low key, like smaller toy conventions (I used to regularly have a table at the Burlington toy show around 10 years ago). I was at a fairly large one last year, the Power-Con in Columbus, OH, but I'm sure this Toronto show will be way bigger and more insanely crowded. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time, but it will be a good chance to meet up with my friends and maybe buy some comics/books I'm looking for (no goddamn Funko Pops though, I'm honestly sick of seeing piles of them at every convention or flea market I go to, ugh!)

Holy crap, what a mass of humanity I had to deal with yesterday at Fan Expo. I could barely walk down the aisles, and god forbid I wanted to stop and look at anything. I mostly just hung out behind my friend's table in Artists' Alley (who was utterly exhausted after four days of this, but he ended up doing quite well), shooting the shit and eating overpriced pizza. When it was near closing and they started kicking people out I could finally walk around in relative peace (I had a guest badge so was allowed to stay after closing). Maybe fandom is starting to pass me by, I really didn't find anything remotely interesting to buy (other than seeing a bunch of cool 1950's pre-code horror comics, god I'm old!), and didn't know the vast majority of artists there. It's always fun seeing the cosplayers though, not my thing at all but I admire the joy, dedication and hard work they put into their costumes. I don't think I need to attend this one again anytime soon.
Next con for me will likely be Monster Bash in Pittsburgh in November.

I think one issue with Artists Alley is that the aisles are so much more narrow than the aisles at the rest of the show, and definitely narrower than when I last visited (although even then they got crowded). When I first got there this time – after spending 20 minutes discovering that the entrance is through a poorly-designated underground parking garage a block away, just like it was a decade ago – I randomly wandered in the direction of Artists Alley, and promptly got STUCK in multiple aisles. There’s literally enough room for single file traffic in each direction, but no one can rightly follow that and view the artists’ offerings. So people pinball, and the aisles stay clogged. I went back toward the last hour and they were better, but not much. I can’t imagine it’s easy on the artists like your friends wedged into those little cubicles for days on end, but as Canada’s major event of this kind, the odds of making some decent money must be pretty good, and I certainly overheard many attendees joking about how much they’d spent without expecting to. While I didn’t spend a penny inside – fandom has outgrown my capacity to collect at this point – I can’t point fingers because I’m the guy who goes into Vinegar Syndrome’s store here and, despite already owning everything I ever wanted from their web sales and then some, still ends up leaving with one or two new/used finds at full price.

As I mentioned, though, the very existence of AI now, in particular its ability to do phenomenal comic- and manga-style artwork, or to effortlessly augment backgrounds around hand-drawn characters, had me quietly questioning everyone selling prints (or other tchotchkes), especially the manga-inspired stuff. For all I know, all of the vendors within Artists Alley may very well be able to prove they created the works they’re selling, but throughout the larger vendor areas were a number of booths selling what appeared to be unattributed prints of indeterminate origin that seemed utterly suspicious by way of simply not being in Artists Alley. And if their ‘pieces’ are indeed AI generated, or augmented, at the prices they’re asking it really seems like a coordinated scam on convention goers who maybe don’t realize what tech is capable of at the moment. Happy to be wrong, but considering how easy it is to take IP you don’t own and train AI on it, not to mention print imagery on any material or substrate or bauble known to man, I can understand why there’s been such an increase in vendors since my last visit a decade or so ago. It’s an easy bandwagon to jump on for not a lot of investment, I suspect, especially if you attend not only every con out there, but park yourself at other arts/culture/food fests to hustle your goods.

On a related note, this just went up a few days ago. Shows how much things have changed. I’m sure nobody misses those super early years, but I do think the notion cons has kinda reached a breaking point, in recent years.

Yeah, I noticed that as well, it was very hard to check out someone's art when the lanes are so narrow and packed solid. And the entrance does suck, luckily I met my friends outside on the street or else I would have had a hard time figuring out how to get inside.

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I can’t imagine it’s easy on the artists like your friends wedged into those little cubicles for days on end, but as Canada’s major event of this kind, the odds of making some decent money must be pretty good...

I guess it's worth all the hassles to be exposed to such a large audience (I think it's the fourth or fifth largest con in North America these days, it used to be second only after San Diego). My friend did pretty well, and one of his artist friends told us that this was the first show where he pulled in five figures! (don't know if closer to $10,000 or $90,000 ).

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While I didn’t spend a penny inside – fandom has outgrown my capacity to collect at this point – I can’t point fingers because I’m the guy who goes into Vinegar Syndrome’s store here and, despite already owning everything I ever wanted from their web sales and then some, still ends up leaving with one or two new/used finds at full price.

The bolded is exactly how I feel these days. I can't begin to keep up anymore with all the stuff coming out that I would like to collect, so I mostly gave up (my wallet and wife thanks me). I'm getting older anyway, and am starting to think that I really don't need any more crap at this point in my life. Hell, I rarely even buy Vinegar Syndrome stuff anymore myself, and I used to really stock up during their Black Friday sales.

I was at the '73 San Diego Con! I don't remember it being as "freaky" as that though.

Perhaps you weren’t letting your freak flag fly back then? I must admit, I kinda envy those two Star Trek dudes with their little menagerie in tow!

Wow, you were? That's pretty cool! My earliest con was the Chicago Comic Con (or whatever it was called) back in 1983. By coincidence, we were on a road trip to visit my parents' friends in a town near Chicago the same weekend the con was going on, and my father was awesome enough to take me to the con (after relentless begging from me, I'm sure). That place blew my 15 year old mind, I had never seen anything remotely like it before, what an experience!

As I predicted, next years badges got a $10 hike. Now it's $90/day Sunday is $60
I think I'll be just be doing Friday and Saturday. No more 4 days. Cost too much just to get in.

Going to LA Comic Con next weekend. October 6

Purchased a few autos and photo ops.

Jennie Kwan selfie. I actually met her 2 years ago, but I didn't really like how the photo turned out.

Spencer Grammer (from the cable series Greek) photo op and selfie

and my big splurge. Giancarlo Esposito. Professional photo op and autograph.

Really excited. There are some bigger stars that are out of my price range like Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox.

So what are you getting signed?

I think I'll have Grammer and Esposito sign the provided 8x10s. I'll probably have Esposito sign a Gus Fring picture, which they should have. It's such an iconic role for him.

That 1973 clip is amazing. $1000 for Superman #1?! And he paid $1801 for the Action Comics issue that introduced Superman! That must be worth millions now!

I began attending various cons in New York starting around that time. I stopped in the later '70s and throughout the 80s but began again, starting in 1992 and began taking my daughter with me. I gotta tell you, the atmosphere was more festive in the '90s, much less anger and overall much nicer people. I remember Star Trek cons being full of anger in the '70s, usually at Paramount for not reviving Trek. Things changed once the movies started coming out, but I wasn't going to any cons by then. Also, there were more women at just about every type of convention by the '90s.

I remember attending a convention in the '90s and noticing just how pleasant everyone was, esp. the young volunteers and only then did I remember that I actually served as a volunteer once at a Trek convention around 1975 or 76 and had completely forgotten having done so. I had no memory of what I'd even done as a volunteer other than a quick hostile encounter with a fan accusing me of jumping the line when I was rushing to my post as a door guard. I'd just blocked it out.

Still, I'll never forget going to an EC con around 1972 or '73 and seeing Bill Gaines, Wally Wood, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando and a bunch of others.

Back from LA Comic Con yesterday

Giancarlo Esposito




Spencer Grammer from Greek and Rick and Morty



Me and my sister with Jennie Kwan from California Dreams. She’s probably best known to most of you as Suki from Avatar the last Airbender.





Had an amazing time. This was the 4th straight year I went to this Con.

You have no idea how jealous I am about that! (I'm a huge EC fan). The only EC guy I've met was Al Williamson at a con back in the late 80s. Super nice guy and he signed a small stack of comics for me (including some original EC comics). This was a fairly small show so there was no line and I got to chat with him for awhile. I wish I had a chance to meet some other EC staffers, I believe there is no one still with us at this point.

Sergio Aragones is probably the closest.

Reminds me of perhaps my most prized possession:

Has anyone here been to NY Comic Con? I know it was this weekend. Did you enjoy going or was it not for you or was it too expensive ?

I’m watching some walk through videos and it looks like a monstrosity compared to LA Comic Con and even SD Comic Con.

I would love to attend one day, but the expenses of getting to NYC, finding a place to stay for cheap and expenses at the Con would probably make it a very pricey trip. It may be a little cheaper if you only made it a shopping Con and passed on Celebrity meet and greets.

I’ve been going for years. It is massive and crowded. Though ever since Covid it has seemed less crowded, but that may be because of the Javits expansion finally opening or there being wider aisles the last few years. Debate rages about which con is the most attended, but NYCC is VERY well attended.

some years I get an autograph or two. This year the only one I got was Brian O’Halloran and only because I stumbled across him in a booth on the con floor. I had no idea he was going to be there. I’ve done presale autos and photos in the past and they’ve been fine. Usual 30 seconds with the celeb. Occasionally you’ll get someone that’s a bit more talkative, but their people will push them along. Autos and photos seem to be pricier in NY than other cons for the same names, but maybe NY gets more and bigger names.

I’m a train ride to the city so don’t have the expense of ny hotels. If I had airfare and lodging to pay for I would do it once then look real hard about doing it again. Of course anyone flying in can book a hotel anywhere along the train corridor and probably pay a lot less on the hotel. Of course there’s the cost of getting to and from the hotel and the airport. And if I had to fly in for the con, I would be doing all 4 days and not just the two I normally do.