I attend several comics (and sci-fi) conventions each year, but one I particularly enjoy is the Baltimore Comic-Con!
While other cons (short for “conventions”) try to be many things to many people, Baltimore Comic-Con really exists for one thing and one thing only – comics! No media booths or stars, just comics as far as the eye can see!
The folks who put this together like it that way, and I can understand why. Go to the San Diego Comic-Con or the New York Comic-Con, and sometimes the media area is bigger than the comics part. At that point, why don’t they call it a Media-Con?
Not Baltimore! It’s by people who love comics and for people who love comics. And this year it seemed even bigger than ever with more room in the Artists Alley. Wow!
I got to meet fellow ComicBooked.com staffers Raph Moran and Tony Calandra, each at his own booth in the aforementioned Artists Alley. I bought some of their product and enjoyed it all!
It was also great to chat with Batman writer Scott Snyder and the other part of that comic’s Dynamic Duo, artist Greg Capullo. I also got to talk with David Petersen from Mouse Guard (who provided the cover illustration on the show program that you can see immediately to the left) and Todd Dezago from Perhapanauts, another book I can’t wait for, and pressed the flesh with several other creators. I visited the booths and/or spoke with people from 215 Ink, Avatar, BOOM! Studios, IDW, and Valiant, among others. I’ll be following up with them all very soon! Interestingly enough, no DC or Marvel booths, though! I guess all the Marvel folks were in that long, long line for Stan Lee!
I have to say that the costumes get better and better every year. This year, the one that stood out to me was an amazing Beta Ray Bill! He couldn’t walk more than a few steps without people asking him to stop so they could take a picture of him. There was also an inventive costume portraying Starro with several members of the Justice League stuck to him a la that famous cover when he first appeared! Nicely done. I also remember the Demona from Disney’s Gargoyles, several Jokers based on Heath Ledger’s take and several members of the Batman family.
But the majority of my time was spent talking with other comics fans about comics. After all, isn’t that what this is all about?
My only complaint had to do with the con’s panels. Most of the subjects were not what I would consider “hot” topics or featured the best-known of the creators at the show. I’m not complaining, though, because Paul Levitz and Dan DiDio represented DC while Mark Waid spoke for Marvel. IDW’s panel and the one for Valiant were good ones, but I would have liked to see more of the companies get to strut their stuff in front of the big crowd. The biggest draw was the costume call on each day. I do understand that the quality of the costumes was outstanding, but this is a comics convention and not one for costuming, after all! But I’m really only quibbling, though!
But it was still a tremendous outing, with lots and lots to peruse and buy. I am not much of an autograph hound, but I did get signatures from Mr. Snyder, Mr. Capullo and Mr. Petersen, all of which I will treasure!
If you didn’t get to this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con, check out their website here to make plans to go next year! You won’t regret it!
