Post-Con Check-In
The last post mentioned that your humble (only because I’ve been humbled so many times) President and Publisher was going to be attending a convention. Since that time, the convention-attending has occurred, so I thought that I’d just pop in quickly and talk about it a bit.
There is a lot I could say about the experience, most of it a rumination on solitude, isolation, and a lack of connection or the ability to form connections, but who wants to read about that? My hang-ups are my hang-ups and they are not at all in line with the spirit or intent of this post, which is to focus on the cool stuff.
So. The cool stuff. The main reasons I opted to go to this con were that it was local, my comic shop was one of the sponsors and I’m always happy to do what I can to support them, and the small, intimate nature of the con – plus its newness – meant that there was a lot more opportunity to just kind of hang out and talk with some of the guests.
Which brings me to the other main reasons I opted to go: Gail Simone and Tom King.
The “Elite VIP Access” package I purchased entitled me to attend an Elite VIP-only pre-con event that provided the opportunity to personally meet and mingle with the guests.
During that event, I spoke briefly with Gail, who was very nice, and at greater length with another guest I was excited to meet, legendary artist Mike Zeck (who was added to the guest list after I’d already decided to attend, so…bonus), who was also very nice.
I didn’t get the chance to talk to King during that, but I did bump into him later that evening while walking around the hotel – sure, it wasn’t that far from home, but staying there was still much more convenient, and my package included a two-night stay – and had a conversation with him. Being the dork I am, I spent most of the time pestering him to watch Doom Patrol. (Which everyone should do.)
The next day, I stopped by Gail’s table to give her a gift.
The next day, Gail gave me a gift in return, by doing this:
I also stopped by King’s table to give him a gift.
Whereas Gail referred to me as “lovely and talented,” King called me a nerd.
I’m still not sure which is the bigger honor.
(When I showed King the tweet from Gail and remarked on the contrast between his comment and hers, he said, “That’s what nerd means.”)
Even beyond those highlights, I had a good a time as I’m capable of having – like I said, my hang-ups are my hang-ups – though I do feel like I should have done more to promote OpenDoor Comics, but one of my weaknesses when it comes to promoting this site and the platform it’s meant to be is that I don’t really know how to do that. At least, not effectively.
But I’m glad I went, as I got to see some great cosplay, and a lot of like-minded people who are better at having fun than I am having, well, fun. (I mean, I am at least familiar with the concept, and I’m glad to see people having it.)
I didn’t take a lot of pictures, because I’m a terrible photographer, but I’m sure there are plenty of great pictures out there if you do a search. I saw a lot of photographers developing symbiotic relationships with cosplayers, with the photographers getting the opportunity to practice their craft, and the cosplayers eager to work on honing their posing skills.
The panels I attended were also great. Gail’s is online, and you can view it below. There’s a point about 37 minutes in that made me cry, and serves as a reminder of the idea at the very core of this site, and the thing I keep saying – to the extent that the phrase has become predictive text on my phone’s keyboard – which is that comics are for everyone.
And hey, I know I didn’t, and don’t, do a great job of promoting this site, but as a reminder…
Supporting OpenDoor Comicsis a thing you can do, by whitelisting the site in your ad blocker, by purchasing something from the OpenDoor Comics Shop, by creating your own comics on the OpenDoor Comics platform, or through directly giving money via Patreon or PayPal.
Sorry to be dramatic, but could you contact me? My email is still valid. gret