sinned

Anyone here go to Comic Conventions?

Haven't attended one for several years before finally making the Baltimore Comic con last year & I had a great time. So much so that this year I'm planning to go to both the Wizard Philly Comic Con in June and the Baltimore Comic con in August. I'm still thinking about the May Big Apple Comic con in NY as I'm not sure if there will be parking there (plus I don't have a place to stay).

Any other comic cons worth going to? Seattle has the Emerald Comic con coming this March and I've heard good things about it. Would like to hear feedback on other comic cons as well.

davidh777

I haven't been in many many years, but I've thought about hitting Emerald for a while now and I don't have a great excuse for not going so I should probably make a commitment to it.

dadaluholla

Will Wizard still be doing the conventions since they shut down the mags?

Patman

Supposedly, yes.

ytrez

I haven't been to one in many years. There used to be relatively small (compared to Wizard World) conventions that I'd go to in the Delaware/Pennsylvania area that I think were called Serendipity Comic Conventions. I was able to meet Curt Swan at one of these so I'm pleased. The Wizard shows seem almost too commercial, but maybe I'll give one a try someday.

Patman

The Wizard shows are a hodge-podge of pop cultural diversions, so there are some bits that seem out of place when you go to one of their shows (plus, the admission price is pretty steep, but a lot of that is due to the TV/movie celebs that they get to show up).

davidh777

like their magazine used to be?

majorjoe23

I've been to San Diego, New York and Wizard World. All were great (keep in mind that I went to Wizard in 2000 and 2004, I hear it got way worse). I'm hoping for C2E2 this year.

I keep meaning to go to some of the more regional ones in Kansas City or Minneapolis, but haven't made it yet.

Patman

Did Wizard magazine cover WWE stars or events?

Dick Van Dork

Can San Diego really be considered a comic book convention anymore? The one time I went, semi-against my will two years ago, it was the 3rd worst thing I've ever had to waste my precious time doing. You want to call it an entertainment convention, fine, but comic book convention? No.

The dealers and artists have been marginalized almost out of existence and are now a mere afterthought.

majorjoe23

I avoid entertainment panels (hell, pretty much panels in general) and kept plenty busy talking to creators and getting sketches. As far as being able to get face time with pretty much anyone working in the comics industry, SDCC is tough to beat.

dadaluholla

I haven't been since the Mid Ohio Con in 2009, and I really only went that time because I wanted to meet Fred Hembeck. That was pretty cool.

Roybq

I'm hitting up the Emerald City Comic Con in March and just purchased tickets to San Diego this morning.

It's been 10 years since I've been to the San Diego one. Most days are sold out already. I remember the days of walking up and getting tickets on site. Boy things have changed.

davidh777

How do sketches work? Do you just get in line and ask? Is there a charge?

The Valeyard

Got my tickets for SDCC. Took 2 hours for the process to work. I've gone nearly every year since 2000 and in the past 3 years, the ticket situation has been getting worse.

davidh777

Mm, probably not. At least I don't remember any back when I subscribed. But TV and movies were a big part of it.

majorjoe23

It all depends on the artist. Sometimes there's a charge (anywhere from $10 to $100 or higher), sometimes it's free. A bigger cons they'll usually charge more since their expenses are higher. Or if someone like DC flies them out sometimes they'll sketch free at the company booth.

davidh777

Interesting, thanks. I read about these in places like the Invincible HCs and always wonder.

reverie

I've also wondered about the sketches. Though like with the celeb signings and such, I wish they'd have the prices prominent, because I feel silly walking up and staring for the price only to walk away. I'd hate to ask an artist and have an "oh crap, I can't afford that" expression on my face.

Patman

Some artists will have a placard stating their prices for various types of sketches (mainly size and complexity add more to their asking price).

JayDerek

Wizard World Chicago has gone downhill quickly...unless you want to go mainly for wrestlers or B-actors autographs, I wouldn't bother.

C2E2 in Chicago was FANTASTIC last year and should be just as good this year.

PopcornBandit

I went to HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC in 2007, 2008 and 2009. I didn't go last year but I plan on going this year.

davidh777

If I were getting a sketch, I wouldn't mind paying. I can't afford a mint, of course, but it seems fair.

As annoying as people say it is, I'd like to attend SD Comicon at some point just to have done it.

Travis McClain

A friend of mine had an uncle living in Chicago and went to visit every year throughout the 90s to go to what became Wizard World Chicago. I went with him three consecutive years, '98-2000. That last year, we took a cardboard standup of The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager with us that I'd bought at a flea market for $5 and got several pictures of him with various people in costume. Fun fact: if you ever want to break the ice with David Prowse, mention Robert Picardo. Upon seeing our standup, Prowse engaged us for a good ten minutes, talking about how he and Picardo were friends and that he'd just spent some time on the phone with Picardo the week before, etc. He was kind enough to pose for a photo, gratis. You can see some of our photos of The Doctor here on Deviant Art. I know there are others, but my friend who had the film developed hasn't turned over any of the others to me.

In 2006, my wife and I actually deferred our honeymoon (we wed in January) until August so we could include WW Chicago in our plans (along with a White Sox/Yankees game, as she's a Yankees fan). I was dismayed by how gutted it was. Marvel had four tables set up with small stacks of freebies and I never once saw an actual human being representing the company at their booth. I was given to understand that, along with nearly everyone else, they'd exhausted their energies and resources a few weeks previously in San Diego and made little effort in Chicago. Still, I got Peter David to sign my hardback copy of Imzadi, which he graciously inscribed to both of us, and we had a fun time at the con overall despite the skeletal presence of most companies.

The friend of mine with whom I'd gone to Chicago originally has expanded his convention-going in recent years. He's had a lot of high praise for an annual con in Baltimore, as well as Mid-Ohio Con. A few years ago he got into getting artists to do sketches in a book and it's nearly full now. Going to so many cons so consistently has gotten him recognized by several artists, which helps him snag pieces as they're not afraid he's going to just flip them on eBay when he gets home. According to him, the key to getting sketches is to know ahead of time which artists are your priorities and to find out how each one handles things. Many, for instance, do a first-come, first-served reservation system. You get your name on the list, hand over your book or paper, etc. and come back later. Others require you stay in line until the artist gets to you. Artists with high demand will do a lottery system, where you have to get there early enough to even be in the running to be picked to get a sketch. Knowing how the artists you want to sketch for you conduct their business is obviously important. Most artists have a web presence somewhere, be it on Deviant Art, a self-run blog or website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Oh, and they definitely charge for sketches! Some are as low as $20; others are high enough that my friend laughs with embarrassment and won't even talk about how much he's paid for some of them.

There's a small con that's trying to take hold in Louisville, and I think this summer I'm going to make an effort to attend. Also, Wizard is apparently taking over a con in Cincinnati, and my wife and I have tentative plans to go to that with my friend...if it's ever announced! I'm hopeful that it'll be during the baseball season and that my Reds will be at home. I'd love to follow a day at a comic convention with a night time ballgame. Of course, my stupid guts could go and ruin all of those ambitions, so I don't know why I bother getting excited!

Adam Tyner

My first and only Wizard World Chicago experience was also in '06. I thought some of the guests and panels were pretty solid, but yeah, comics were pretty poorly represented on the floor. It seemed like there was more wrestling stuff than comics too. I made Kristen Bell laugh (intentionally!), and she put her arm around me, so there's that too. That's so depressing and creepy to type out.

From the people I talk to and the handful of comics pros I know, Baltimore and HeroesCon seem to be widely considered the best shows out there. They might not draw all the biggest names, but for fan/creator interaction and pure love of the medium, they eclipse just about everything else out there. I haven't been to Baltimore myself, but I'm trying to make a habit out of going to HeroesCon every year. It's kind of funny to talk to creators coming there for the first time who are floored that you can actually talk to people and hear what they're saying...it's not the sensory overload of the bigger shows.