C4 is coming...

...and I'm not sure if I wanna go.

Sure it has some great artists, and writers, but Lucha Wrestling and skateboarding demos? This is the closest thing Maine has...literally...to a full-on comic convention.

It's $25/day and runs Sat. 11/9 and Sun. 11/10. That's right, the same weekend Thor 2 opens.

Money's tight. We've got broken things like vehicles and appliances.

Is it worth the money (and gas) to attend an event with only a few things of interest?

The location of the con is across the street from a mall, which has a Newbury Comics...and there's two more comic stores within 20 miles of there...

I just don't know.

Coast City Comic Con - The Aftermath, Part Nine

So, what happened after the Costume Contest...?

Well, there were three options: Dance Your Pants Off!, a screening of Zardoz, and the Drink & Draw over at LFK.

Not being twenty, or willing to see Sean Connery in bandoliers and boots, I chose the Drink and Draw.

I have to say the Drink & Draw event back at Wizard New England 2010 kinda spoiled me.

I was a Volunteer back then, so I could "sit with the band" basically and got to meet some creators. One whole seating area was corded off for the event, and there was big piece of white poster board set up on one end of the bar where artists could walk up and draw whatever throughout the night. That convention was in early October, so all the art had a Halloween theme.

The event at LFK was completely different.

There was one table with a placement card on it. It was a nice ling table, but nobody was there when I showed up. The place was busy, so I found a stool at the bar and had dinner there while artists slowly arrived. I didn't know anyone, and couldn't find anybody from Coast City Comics to lead the event.

In the end, I stayed at the bar and watched some people draw on their own individual pads.

Not the best way to end my first day at the Con, but the food was delicious and I looked forward to Day 2.

Coast City Comic Con - The Aftermath, Part Eight

It's been so long, I forgot all about the Con...
...sorry about that.
So - what happened after the Celebrity Draw-Off?
The Costume Contest of course!
Now, I always thought I was a decent photographer, but with so many people moving about in so many directions...my pictures sucked.
Fortunately, other people posted theirs:

There were also a pair of Ghostbusters...who won a prize. The Blues Brothers also won a prize. But what really stole the show was Darth Vader Kid.

Don't know how old he(?) was, but he played it up, giving total strangers as well as Bill Corbett the Dark Side Choke Hold. All of us in the audience sang "The Death Star March" as he walked up and got his honorary prize. Darth Vader Kid was awesome.

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Seven

Okay, so I had roughly an hour to kill after the Valiant panel before the next event, so I walked the floor again, and found a cool "didn't know it existed 'till now" item: Marvel Masterworks Daredevil Vol. 5. It includes Daredevil #'s 42-53 and Not Brand Echh #4. I've got the first four volumes (and if I had the cash, I'd get all of them as well every DC Archives as well), but they're so damn expensive!!!

Making a note to look for it again on Sunday, I took a bathroom break, had a snack and some water, and sat outside the room reading my Arkham City guide until we could go in for the...

...Celebrity Draw-Off!

This was, hands down, the best event/panel of the Con. Bill Corbett is a very funny guy and the right choice to emcee this thing.

There rules were as follows:
* Corbett chose three possible themes (which could NOT include established characters, locations or events) from the audience.

* The audience then voted on which of the three themes would be used.

* The three artists - Becky Cloonan, Ben Templesmith and Rick Parker - had three minutes to draw their takes on said theme.

* At time's end, the audience voted again which was the best.

All of the artwork would be for sale at the Coast City Comics table the next day, and all proceeds went to Hurricane Sandy Relief.

For the first round, Corbett asked for Maine-related topics, Can't remember what the first choice was, but the second was "Robot Moose". I raised my hand for the third, and said the first thing I think of when I think of Maine:"Rock Lobster". Couldn't help it. "Robot Moose" won, and here's what we got...

Ben Templesmith

Rick Parker

Becky Cloonan










Then...things went a little "blue". The winning theme was "a fruit and a vegetable being...intimate"

Rick Parker

Ben Templesmith

Becky Cloonan












Next up - "Drunk Dinosaur"...

Rick Parker (sorry for the blurry)

Ben Templesmith

and

Becky Cloonan






(For the record, Parker won this one.)

We had time for one more, as people started gathering for the next event: the Costume Contest. Several of them were kids, so we turned back to PG-rated ideas - until everyone voted for the next theme (offered by one of the youngsters) that is: "Why the chicken crossed the road..."

Bill Corbett having a moment as the artists contemplate...

Ben Templesmith

Rick Parker

(The sign says "Chicken Ranch")

Becky Cloonan

(Essentially a fat chicken being chased by a zombie with a chainsaw)







Three guesses who won that one...

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Six

The panel I went to next was the "What the @$*& is up with Valiant?" with Fred Van Lente.

I was a huge fan of Valiant when it came out. Yeah, there was a lot of hype when Image Comics came into being, and Spawn was "successful" title to say the least, but Valiant was a successful company/universe. They became - and there's really no other way to say this - The Big Third.

Then Shooter left, the bubble burst, Acclaim took over, and it became The Big Turd.

Now Valiant was back, and was getting some very positive reviews. I haven't read any of the new titles due to lack of funds, but I wanted to show my support and gain some insight to what direction The Big Third was headed.

Van Lente is the writer of the new Archer & Armstrong series. While a talented writer, as a speaker he tended to repeat himself a lot. Not in a "senile old man" kind of way, but more like he was nervous in front of an audience.

The bulk of the panel was about the history of Valiant Comics, and its Gold Key roots, which most of us knew about already. But one of the things I learned was that after Valiant Comics went bust the first time, Gold Key comics was bought by Classic Media. This included Solar, Magnus and Tuvok - all Gold Key characters originally. To make things even more interesting, Classic Media has since been bought by Dreamworks. This, according to Van Lente, took those characters completely off the table when Valiant began again.

I wondered why those characters weren't included in the relaunch.

This led to the revelation that despite this drawback, a movie production company (he wouldn't say which one) had optioned both Shadowman and Bloodshot. There was a brief mention of Van Lente's past experience with movie companies (he co-wrote Cowboys and Aliens - which was another panel later on at the con) as he explained that when a property is "optioned" is essentially means two things: One is that for the specified time period of the deal, that movie company has the "option" to use said property to make a film if they want to. The other - and this is more interesting - is that no other movie company interested in making a film with that property can touch it...for the specified time period of the deal.

This has tied the hands of many a company on many a project, leaving us fans deprived.

Van Lente then brought up A&A and explained the concept behind the series - again, something most of us already knew - and mentioned Eternal Warrior. He said that there are no plans to expand the Valiant line, but Armstrong's brother has (or will) be in A & A from time to time.

There was a little time for questions, and someone asked about Acclaim characters, such as Quantum and Woody, being integrated into the Valiant Universe. Van Lente said there's nothing planned at the moment, but maybe down the road.

Then I asked my question: "Any talk a Unity type thing?"

Van Lente said no, because events like that were the product of the nineties and Valiant was too young right now to even think of something that big.

Granted, that question may have made me look like a '90's prospector, but what I meant was if there were any plans to integrate their existing characters. Yeah, Unity was an "event" to boost sales, but it also had Archer and Armstrong fighting side-by-side with X-O Manowar. And that was what I meant to ask. What do you call that? Cross-pollination? Cameos?

Time ran out before I could correct my question, but I'll work on being more specific with my questions going forward.

I had a little over an hour to kill before the next panel, so I headed back to the tables.

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Five

I was a little disappointed by the lack of variety of goods available at the con. Not one vendor had Blu-rays for sale. DVD's sure...even some VHS...but The Avengers on Blu-ray...?

No such luck.

However, the Maine Mall was across the street...and had both an FYE and a Newbury Comics. Since I had a few hours to kill before my next panel, I crossed the street.

Good news - both stores had what I was looking for.
Bad news - both were over $30.

Somewhat downtrodden, I went back to my truck to regroup.

I thought about trying Bull Moose Music - about a mile away - but I didn't want to give up my parking spot. Then I remembered the parking lot I walked through to get lunch. Not the 'official' lot, located right in front of the hotel, but an adjacent lot connecting the hotel, Chipotle, and the Cracker Barrel restaurant on the other side.

I was determined to get my Blu-ray damnit, so I took the journey. Not only did I find my loot for less than $30, I also got this...

The player's guide for Arkham City.

Do I have the game? No.

Do I have the system needed to play the game? No.

But I hadn't bought anything to read yet, and I did buy Thor on Blu-ray months before I bought a player...

By the way - I wound up getting both for less than $30.

Happy with actually getting something off my wishlist, I headed back to the con for the Valiant Comics panel.

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Four

I planned on having lunch out, and wanted to try a place that was conveniently next door to the con...

I had no idea that it was cafeteria-style, or that the eating area was small, or how busy it was.

Mexican food is not my thing, but chipotle is my favorite pepper, so I went with it.

The menu had a "make you're own taco/burrito" approach, but since I'm new to the cuisine I ordered their  Burrito Bowl special with chicken, brown rice and pinto beans cooked with bacon.

It was delicious.

The seating was smaller than I thought it would be, with seating for two to six at each table, and all the tables were in the center of the room. No booths, no single or two-seater off to a side. Plus - the aisles were narrow, which is an issue when you're carrying a backpack.

I ended up sitting across from a young couple also attending the con and we struck up small talk. They were nice, but it was at this point that I wished I came with someone. It's one thing to be alone in a room full of like minded people, but outside of that environment it can get lonely fast.

The good news was that once my food was gone I headed back out for more comic-related fun.

The bad news was that this wouldn't be the only time I'd feel alone in a room full of strangers.

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Three

After the panel, I was getting hungry. However, I had to muster up some courage before I could eat.

I went to a convention in 2004 in Westbrook, Maine where writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan were signing copies of their brand new series Demo. I had heard of the series, but never bought an issue...until that con. I bought issue #2, and both of them signed it.

Remember before, where I mentioned my tendency to talk to strangers in awkward situations?

Well, I struck up a conversation with Wood and Cloonan about how happy I was to see creators appear at a convention in Maine. I told them that there are a lot of fans in the state, and hope that they decide to come back - despite the rather lackluster attendance of the one-day event.

Flash-forward to this convention. Becky Cloonan was there, selling Wolves and The Mire - her own books. And rather than buy one of her new works, I brought out the same copy of Demo #2 and asked her to sign it. She was surprised to see that she'd already signed it, and I basically asked her if she could do so again.

Rather than just sign her name elsewhere on the cover, she was kind enough to create a brand new drawing of Emily - the character in the issue - on the inside of the front cover. She had to look through the issue to remind herself how she drew the character, and we laughed about it as I thanked her again and put the book back in the board and bag I had it in and moved on. She was really nice, and now I am committed to collecting the rest of the series.

On a side note - I understand the interest in getting a creator to sign a book...or photo...or whatever, but it shouldn't be for the purpose of selling on ebay. It should be to commemorate the experience...and prove to nay sayers that yes indeed you were there, and you did get to see that person.

Anyway, it was Lunch Time!

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part Two

My first event of the day was the "Censorship Panel: Why Censorship is Bull$#!@" featuring Eric Holmes, Daniel Way and Mort Todd.

Of the three, Eric Holmes was the most difficult to understand due to the poor acoustics of the room. He's very soft spoken...unlike Way and Todd, whose voices could be heard in the hallway. Holmes is a video game designer from the UK, but since he was so difficult to hear I couldn't tell if he's British, Irish or Scottish. He talked of the European rating system for games, and how it's completely different in America.

Way sounded the most knowledgeable of the ins and outs of censorship in general, since he has had the most recent experiences dealing with censorship while writing for Marvel. He mentioned that there is no clearly defined set of rules for censoring, which was done on purpose, so that things can be dealt with on a case by case basis. He also discussed the difference between being censored and being edited - one is a blatant "no, we can not allow this", the other is more of a "you can't do this, but how about if you try...". Way admitted that he's had a few "no's", but a lot more "how about's" and that the best editors he ever had worked like that. Todd agreed.

Todd, who also worked at Marvel but years ago, brought his most recent bout with censorship to the table: the conflict he had against Portland's homeless community due to an article he wrote in his self-published paper Vex.

All three agreed that when something is officially censored, it becomes a marketing point for the item. People hear about the product, become more interested in seeing/hearing/playing the product...and essentially buy the product because it's been censored.

They also mentioned the ridiculousness of censoring nudity and/or sex, but allowing blood-spattered violence in games, movies, comics, etc...

Todd told a story that while he was at Marvel, the company got a letter from a young boy saying he was upset that certain characters in the comics - Nick Fury, The Thing and Wolverine specifically - were smoking. So Marvel went overboard and told all their creators that none of their characters could smoke anymore.

It turned out the boy's father - an advocate against smoking - made him write the letter, but the damage was done.

The topic turned to self-censorship and the impact that not showing something could be far worse than actually showing it. Way brought up the movie Fight Club as an example.

(SPOILER ALERT)
First, Way explained that the writer of the novel that the film was based on wanted the movie to be as visual-oriented as possible. The writer felt that he'd already put in words the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and hoped the film would be a more visual interpretation rather than a literal one.

Way then mentioned a specific scene in the film that takes place at the club: one man is on top of his opponent and continuously hitting him past the point of unconsciousness. The producers saw the footage and told the director that it was too graphic and the scene needed to be re-shot. It was late in production and the director agreed to shoot the scene again with less violence, but told them that whatever he did shoot would have to be in the film. The producers agreed, thinking that whatever was added couldn't be any worse.

The end result...which did end up in the final cut...had the camera pointed at the men watching the fight, and their cheers slowly turned to looks of disgust. It is one of the most chilling scenes in the film...without actually showing anything.
(END SPOILER ALERT)

This brought up the fact that sometimes what isn't shown can be way worse that what is...totally debunking the concept behind censorship in the first place.

The hour ended rather quickly, and there wasn't time to ask questions, but if I had the chance, I would have brought up my own "between the panel" shock: Green Lantern (1990) #54 - which was published in August 1994, long before the current rating system.

There's a panel where new GL Kyle Rayner's girlfriend is killed by Major Force and stuffed in a refrigerator:

Obviously, this was an edited version and not the original concept. It affected me. Not to the point that I'd never read a comic again, but it made me realize that it isn't just Frank Miller - who goes for the graphic visual, and Alan Moore - who goes for the cerebral, out there to shock and occasionally offend, but a growing generation of creators that are blending the two schools. They're shocking readers by what isn't shown, yet making them think about what is.

By the way - this one panel made such an impact that comic writer Gail Simone created a website dedicated to the abuse of female characters in comics, called Women in Refrigerators. However, according to the site:

This isn't about assessing blame about an individual story or the treatment of an individual character and it's certainly not about personal attacks on the creators who kindly shared their thoughts on this phenomenon. It's about the trend, its meaning and relevance, if any. Plus, it's just fun to talk about refrigerators with dead people in them. I don't know why.

Would this have happened if the original idea was used?

One more thing - and this is from me - if the gender roles in the above panel were reversed, and it was the woman who became the next GL and Kyle who wound up stuffed in the fridge, would have it been as dramatic and caused all of this?

Coast City Comicon - The Aftermath, Part One

I have to start by saying that I did...indeed...skip the Rave Party on Friday Night. I was there in spirit, but this 40-year-old body can't handle a full day at work followed by what the kids these days call dance music. At least not without paying a price the next morning.

Speaking of Saturday, this is the first time I've ever been to the Double Tree By Hilton hotel in South Portland. It is also the home of Portcon, an Anime-themed event held every July which I haven't attended...yet. So due to my unfamiliarity of the place, I parked across the street at the Maine Mall. Carrying half of the $100 I had set aside for the weekend, I worked my way to the lobby.

The layout of the hotel is weird - consisting of two cylinder-shaped buildings connected at ground level with the lobby and function rooms. I mention this because as I approached the place, there were no signs of activity. No signs promoting the event, no greeters, nothing. As I got to the door, someone came out of the place wearing a Cobra Kai t-shirt...and I immediately relaxed.

The main entrance to the hotel led directly to the main desk, but there's a hallway off to the left that went to the other entrance connecting the parking lot to the function rooms...which looked all too familiar.

If you've ever gone to any type of convention, as I have, and shown up pretty much at the start of the day, as I did, you see the same stuff: tables set up but without the required tablecloths, people getting chairs and setting up their spaces, computers (nowadays) firing up to check people in, and Coffee. Lots and Lots of Coffee.

I waited in line and got my badge, but the badges were of the "Hello! My Name Is..." sort, where you get the badge...along with a marker...to write your name on it.

The coffee I mentioned had not made it to my hands at this point, so I simply put my whole name - which they had on record for pre-registering.

It wasn't until later when I saw badges bearing names like "The Doctor" and "Indigo Montoya" that I realized I could have put down anything. Did I have to add my last name?

Anyway - the main function room held the vendors on the left side, the artists on the right side, and the food vendors roughly in between. The tables were set up around the perimeter of the room in addition to rows in the center to create aisles.








One of the things I've learned about myself over the years is that I'm a people person. I strike up conversations with complete strangers as a way of coping with awkward situations...which comic conventions most certainly are. This is great when I'm a volunteer. Back at Wizard Boston, I talked with anyone and everyone I could. I saw myself as a gopher, willing to get water for artists or vendors, sit at a table so someone could go to the bathroom or get some food, etc.

It's also a helpful skill when I'm behind the table. I once attended a single day event years ago with my own table. It broke the ice and made potential shoppers more willing to buy from me than from "that other guy's table over there".

As a shopper, however, things get tricksy. As I walked around the room Saturday, I struck conversations with almost everybody. The vendors were cool. They understood that most people were just looking at this point, and wanted to check out what everyone had before pulling out their cash.

The food vendors were also cool. They knew that even if nobody bought anything right away, they'd get hungry eventually.

Artists have a somewhat different agenda. They're selling their talent. They're there to promote their latest works, to sign stuff and to show people their interpretations of Batman, Wolverine or Zombies. So as I walked down the artists' tables and spoke with them, I felt more and more guilty not buying anything. It wasn't about whether or not they had a copy of Wonder Woman #59, for example, it was whether or not I liked their creative interpretation of Wonder Woman. Part of me wanted to buy something from everyone - especially the local artists - but I only had so much to spend.

Having said that, I did end up buying one item from an artist for Adorkette. She loves the BBC Sherlock, and she loves Zombies, so I bought this Sherlock/Zombie mash-up by Jason Welborn.

Check out the site: www.draw2d2.com.









Next thing I knew, it was Noon...and time for my first panel.

I survived the weekend...

I came home last night and crashed...and I have to be at work all day today...so for now I'll just give a quick recap, and go into greater detail throughout the week.

First of all, I had a great time - but I learned that as good a time as I had, it's always better to go to these things with a friend.

I also learned that I like chicken burritos.

Becky Cloonan is really nice, but I may have unintentionally creeped her out.

Bill Corbett is also very nice, and a great emcee.

and lastly (for now) - if you're going to give three older gentlemen the opportunity to talk about their time with a major comic publishing company...with slides...they're going to need more than an hour.

WTF? Friday...11/9/2012

There was talk of a Nor'easter hitting Maine over the past couple of days.

NY, NJ, CT and RI got snow - about 6 inches or so.

It got so bad, people at work were complaining...worrying...and stressing me out.

This is Maine. It's November. Of course we're gonna get snow!

How much did we get?

About an inch...and a half...maybe.

Granted, we also got rain, so driving was tricksy and unpleasant, but I don't need to hear people doing the Chicken Little "The sky is falling!" nonsense.

WTF? people?

AND THE WTFN? AWARD OF THE WEEK GOES TO...

Me. Because I'm going to have fun this weekend damnit!

As such, I won't be posting anything Saturday or Sunday on account of my annual Dork-fest binge. But I plan to resume things on Monday, and post comments/thoughts throughout the week.

Phase Four...The Scavenger Hunt

One of the things about convention coverage that I've really enjoyed watching lately is what I call the Visual Scavenger Hunt - that is the looking for a specific non-wishlist something, or counting how many specific non-wishlist related somethings are found, at a convention.

This will be my first time doing this, so I need to pick something general enough, yet topical enough, to have a good chance of finding...

Put simply: How many Green Arrows will I see due to the new and surprisingly popular Arrow show on the CW?

I won't be picky though. I won't just count the Arrow costume seen in the show. I'll count any Green Arrow...

...from the Golden Age...

...the Silver Age...

...or my favorite, Post-Crisis...










...as for Speedy, Shado, Merlin or any other supporting characters - they'd get Honorary Mentions at best.

Things I have learned from conventions...

I have a digital camera that can also take videos, but it doesn't come with a light. I learned this the hard way while at Wizard Boston...when I took video from well-lit places, like the vendor and artist alleys, they came out great. When I took video in a convention hall - for the costume contest no less - they came out terrible. Photos taken throughout the con, however, all came out great. An added plus with a regular camera is size. I fit it in my pocket when not in use, versus lugging a larger video recorder around all day. Speaking of which...

...when taking pics, or videos for that matter, ask first. Most likely they'll say yes, but respect the occasional "no".

Unless you plan on returning to your hotel room or home throughout the day, have the following items with you at all times: deodorant, mouthwash and/or gum and a clean shirt. Better safe than offensive.

Some events, like SDCC, give out huge bags to carry swag and stuff. That's great, but over time they can get rather heavy. Smaller events, such as C-4, don't give out bags, but I plan on bringing my backpack. Either way, be aware of your surroundings. You don't want to hit someone...or get hit by someone else...accidentally. This also ties in with picture taking. Try not to block traffic when taking photos, or getting your photo taken.

When you get to a table with boxes and boxes of 25 cent books, and there's someone already there looking through them...wait your turn. Usually, all that's needed is 5 minutes for someone to move on to the next box, allowing you to step in behind them. If you're worried about "that other guy" swooping in and getting something you've been looking for, chances are there's another copy of that same book in another box. If not at that table, then at another one. Also...look down. Many vendors but extra boxes on the floor under the tables for people to look through. You may find what you're looking for there, but again - someone else may already be sitting there, so watch where you step.

If you do wind up carrying a lot of stuff, take it back to your room/vehicle. I plan on unloading stuff into my car throughout the day, and taking it all home Saturday night before returning Sunday morning.

TAKE BREAKS!!! This is very important. While volunteering at Wizard Boston, I saw a young boy (around 12 years old) pass out right in front of me. He was tended to, and came around rather quickly, but he was dehydrated. So pace yourself, bring water, and every so often...SIT THE F**K DOWN!!!

One more thing...

...if you happen to be in the restroom, or having lunch, and see a creator/cosplayer you've been meaning to talk to/get a pic of - respect their personal space. Don't rush up to them with a pen...or whatever...shoved in their face. Make a mental note of who and where they are, and stalk them properly by waiting outside the establishment. True, they may ignore you. But I'd rather be ignored (and try again later) than remembered for being rude (and intentionally ignored for the rest of the con...if not thrown out entirely).

The Wishlist grows...

...okay, you knew this was happening...

I fell in love with Transmetropolitan after Wizard Boston, where I got Trade #8 "Dirge" as part of my "Thank you for Volunteering" swag. I've read a few other trades over the summer, from the Portland Library, and want them all. Spider Jerusalem is an awesome character, and Ellis writes him beautifully. This is something I'd look for on Sunday (during the 3 trades for $5 end-of-event sales).

Speaking of Trade deals...

 Ghost is a series I learned about at last year's C-4 after snagging several trades cheap. An interesting character and series, but with just the "bits and pieces" I've read so far, I'm hooked.

I got The Hard Goodbye with the Unrated DVD, and only own A Dame to Kill For, so any other Sin City books I can get my hands on would be killer.

And let's not forget Magic cards! Still hunting for Slivers and Goblins...

Drawer Boxes!!! They're expensive (at around $13/each) but I need a thing to put my stuff in! I get about one a year. I've got 10 of these now and about 15 short boxes. I like the "pull out the drawer to get to the comics" idea versus the "lift-and-move three boxes to get to the comics in the fourth". I am getting older you know...

...while I'm at it - BAGS AND BOARDS!!!

Statues. I love 'em. I want 'em. I know I can't afford 'em and have no place to put 'em...

...but I'd settle for some action figures. They're cheaper than statues, take up less space, and are POSEABLE! So any Marvel Select item at a decent price will do.