It's Convention Season

By Lisa Lopacinski
March 1, 2007

Join me in finding out which conventions Phil Jimenez, Marv Wolfman, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jamal Igle, Frank Cho, Matt Wagner, and Laura Martin like best as they share their past convention adventures.

I recently glanced at my Diamond Distribution calendar. On that calendar I found no less than twelve comic book conventions in the U.S., four of which are Wizard World conventions. We know the Wizard World conventions are always large and flashy. The San Diego Comic-Con is probably one of the largest conventions, and it usually gets at least some kind of national news coverage. But there are smaller comic book conventions as well, held all across the world, where comic book fans and creators can gather together and discuss the medium.

Convention season 2007 seems to have recently begun, with MegaCon in Orlando, Florida the weekend of February 16th. The following week New York played host to the NY Comic Con, and then the next weekend was WonderCon in San Francisco, California. Comic convention die-hards get a week off, and then Wizard World L.A. starts up the weekend of March 16th. That makes four conventions in almost as many weeks. There are so many great conventions it can be hard to choose which ones to attend. So, I asked a handful of comic creators which conventions they liked best.

Comic book artist Phil Jimenez, known best for his run on Wonder Woman and Infinite Crisis, says, "Believe it or not, I've fallen in love with the smaller cons, the ones where you can actually sit and talk with readers, get to know them, get their opinion on matters, etc. The larger cons have become quite an ordeal — incredibly fun, but the recovery from the sensory overload takes as long as the event itself!"

Well known comic book writer Marv Wolfman has mixed feelings on the San Diego Comic convention. "San Diego remains both my favorite and my most hated convention," he said, "Hated because it's too large and my feet hurt within a half hour of trying to walk the dealer's room. Favorite because it's so large there's something to always do, people to always see, things to always buy, panels to always go to. Hated because you have to push your way through the crowds to see the 200 foot Transformers truck that disappears in the enormity of the room. Favorite because you never know what you're going to see next. I like San Diego because I hear lots of nice things. It warms the heart and makes it almost worth while that my feet hurt." One thing Marv finds fun at the convention is how, even if he just sits down for a second to rest his tired feet, a line forms with people carrying his books and asking for autographs. "... [I]t's obvious the good folk in San Diego have somehow put GPS tracking devices in our butts with instant alert text messaging that informs people: Frank Miller down in aisle 6900. Alan Moore has collapsed in aisle 92 million. Resuscitate before demanding autograph. Marv Wolfman shows age in aisle eighteen hundred thousand. Approach politely, say nice things, stick book in front of him, engage talk, say thank you and walk off."

Comic creator Jimmy Palmiotti is currently working on a new Painkiller Jane series for Dynamite Entertainment and also has several projects he is working on with DC Comics. He said that he loves pretty much all of the conventions. He already went to the Florida MegaCon and New York Comic Con and plans to attend this summer's Paradise Comic Con in Toronto, Canada. He says that, "It's not really the con but it's the people that come there that make the cons great to me. There is always a story or an adventure from each of them .... I especially get a kick out of all the costumes." Jimmy said that the best thing about the conventions are, "the people first and foremost, then it's the die-hard fans who read what we work on ... and then it's getting to spend time after the shows with the other professionals. We hardly ever get out of the studio, so it's extra special to socialize all day and all night long. I just don't have one favorite to tell the truth ... these cons are all unique in their own ways."

Jamal Igle attended the New York Comic Con already this year, spending most of his time in the DC booth signing copies of Nightwing, the comic book he has been penciling. Jamal could not name a favorite con, saying, "I don't know if I have a favorite con but the one convention I almost always seem to make it out to is HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shelton Drum, the man behind the convention, is just one of the nicest guys in the world and really goes out of his way. It's a family friendly show and well put together." One of Jamal's favorite convention-going memories took place about 11 years ago. "It was the last night of the con and there was a party thrown by Graphitti Designs. A Mexican dinner followed by all you can drink margaritas, as long as they weren't flavored. So it was myself, Steve Ellis, Billy Tucci, and several others just drinking and eating, and drinking and drinking. We soon dubbed this the 'Night of a thousand Margaritas.' The only problem was Steve and I had an 8 a.m. flight back to New York and hadn't even packed yet. We left the party at 5:30 in the morning, ran (or stumbled depending on who you ask) back to the Sheraton across town, packed, jumped in a cab and raced to the airport. Still loaded to the gills, we made it to our gate just in time."

I have something in common with artist Frank Cho, who also likes the Baltimore Comic Con the best because it has a lot of creators, but enough space to walk and talk. "It's big enough to house many varieties of dealers and publishers," Frank said, "yet it's small enough where you can enjoy and chat with your fans and friends. Also it's run by my good friend, Marc Nathan, and his crew. They do a great job of taking care of the guests and fans alike."

Matt Wagner, creator of Grendel, will be a Guest of Honor at WonderCon, promoting the 25th anniversary of Grendel, which works out well, since WonderCon is his favorite comic book convention. He said, "I'd have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for the WonderCon. It long seemed to combine the best of both worlds — big enough to feel like a major event and yet small enough to not be absolutely overwhelming. If I was approaching the show from a fan level, I'd really dig the easy access to pros for which WonderCon is so famous.

I've attended the WC pretty regularly since fairly early on in its inception — back when it was held over in Oakland and the area surrounding the hotel was still somewhat scary at night. Now that it moved to downtown San Francisco, the entire experience is even better!"

Long time Tart and award-winning colorist, Laura Martin said she, "... used to love convention season. WonderCon, MegaCon, SDCC, Wizard World Philly ... I attended quite a few cons during my career. San Diego Comic-Con used to be my favorite — from the adrenaline rush when I first walked into the cavernous convention center to the exhausted afterglow of Sunday evening. It didn't hurt that I lived in San Diego at the time (1995-2001), so I could come and go at my leisure, or drag out-of-towners off to see the local sights. Plenty of memories are wrapped up at the SDCC during those years; a Wildstorm friend and I crashed the Top Cow dinner party (Wildstorm and Top Cow had a friendly rivalry going on back in 1996, so this was a coup); the birth of Sequential Tart itself, almost literally in my living room (1998); meeting my future husband (1999); winning a couple of Eisners (2000 and 2002).

"Then there was a long decline where conventions were no longer funfests, but part of my job description; attendance was both mandatory and monotonous. As my interest waned, my claustrophobia grew, and by 2004, the size of SDCC and its crowds became unbearable. The one shining moment of 2004's SDCC was meeting Joss Whedon, but other than that, it was just too much for me to handle. While I never skipped an entire convention season, my attendance dropped off significantly, and I have not yet returned to my old stomping grounds in San Diego."

Luckily for Laura, she has found a convention that she really enjoys. "When Wizard announced that they were hosting a new convention in Atlanta on the same weekend as the venerable HeroesCon, pros flocked to Shelton Drum's defense, and the guest list exploded. Of course, I had to be there. My husband Randy and I shared a booth; his half was for MightyNib.com, where he sells original comic art. For the first time in a long time, I had real fun — not just after-hours, but during the con as well. It was the perfect size, well-attended but not crushing, exciting but not anxious. I got a chance to see Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch for the first time in years. I met new people who quickly became good friends. I even made enough scratch from selling prints to pay for a PlayStation 2 and my beloved Guitar Hero. It will stick in my mind as being one of the best overall conventions in my career. This year I'm slated for the Pittsburgh Comic Con and HeroesCon. For the first time in a very long time, I'm looking forward to both!"

conventions.com — A very lengthly list of comic book related conventions for 2007