I think you’ve waited long enough to know how the rest of the weekend went. It was also about four weeks ago, but that’s neither here nor there. If you’d like to refresh yourself on the first two-ish days of Emerald City Comicon, you can go here and then come back knowing exactly what one person did over the course of three and a half days of geekery.
All caught up?
Excellent. Moving on!
Day Three: Any con-attending aficionado knows that Saturday is the BIG day. It’s the first day of the weekend and usually the day that most families will attend, which means there are about ten times the amount of small children and strollers. And because a lot of people were probably at work on Friday, they’re more likely to attend on Saturday since the doors are open earlier and close later with plenty of after hours events scheduled. If you’re only going to go for a day, your best bet is Saturday. But with that knowledge comes the hassle of dealing with a lot of people. And I mean A LOT OF PEOPLE! Even with the space opened up and more room provided, if you have the slightest case of social anxiety disorder (which I do), you’re going to have to practice some breathing techniques to overcome the populace that frequently violates your three foot bubble of space. Luckily, I’ve mastered the ability to turn off my baser emotions, thus leaving me a shell of a human being concerned with no one’s personal well-being but my own. All I’m saying is maybe you shouldn’t bring babies in strollers.
Anywho, Saturday was my first attempt at cosplay. I went for a 1930′s/1940′s Lois Lane look complete with fedora, wayward tie, and a card reading PRESS stuck to my hat. Though with the way it all came out I could definitely wear the same get-up to work and no one would bat an eye. I had neither the time nor money to make the equivalent of some of the amazing costumes I saw people wearing, so my fedora goes off to all of the fantastic cosplayers of ECCC this year! That being said, I did get some compliments on the outfit and joked with a few people about trying to fool the celebrities that I actually was with the press. No one was fooled.
I brought a friend with me as well! Yes, I have friends! Shut up! It was her first con and she handled it like a champ even though I know it had to be overwhelming. As a seasoned veteran, I knew what I was getting into, but for a first-time experience at a con that’s only grown larger, it’s a pretty big mountain to tackle. But tackle it she did! Though not a regular comic book reader (I’ve basically become the provider and pusher of comics for a lot of my friends), I’m happy to report that since the convention she’s venturing to her local comic book store on a semi-regular basis. Another win for the geeks!
Like the previous day, we met and talked to a lot of artists and creative teams. I got to talk to James Silvani, illustrator for the Darkwing Duck comics – which are fabulous and make me pine for the show to return to television. Meeting Aaron Diaz, creator of Dresden Codak, was a real treat since his Kickstarter for The Tomorrow Girl (backed by this girl) was 1,378% funded! He’s also hilarious on Twitter and totally obsessed with science and dinosaurs, so I asked him to draw an Orca whale for me because I’m a rebel! I was really excited to meet Riley Rossmo since I’ve been doing the reviews for Bedlam on this site so talking to him about his art and the design of Filmore Press and Madder Red just made my easily creeped out heart soar. Like I’ve said in my reviews, Rossmo draws my nightmares. It’s sad knowing he won’t be staying on the book. Good for my psyche, sad for the comic.
The highlight of the day, however, was meeting Jim Festante and James Asmus, the writers of The End Times of Bram and Ben (also future guests on the Word of the Nerd podcast). Since I follow both of them on Twitter there was an almost instant recognition on both sides when I approached their table, which made for a great start to a conversation that had to have lasted at least twenty to thirty minutes, not all of which was about Bram and Ben (James and I are Nightcrawler fans and he’s written a bunch of stuff for Marvel that included the fuzzy elf). I haven’t been shy in my reviews about how much I’m in love with the book, which goes double for its creators. Jim and James are just the best. They’re smart, funny, and totally ready to engage in any kind of discourse over the comic. I actually enjoy talking about religion, so it was fun to get some insight from Jim and James about their approach to the comic from a comedic standpoint while still maintaining some respect for faith and spirituality. This was about a week before the third issue came out and they were definitely excited about it and you’ll know why if you’re reading the book or the reviews! They were easy to talk to and genuinely happy and surprised that the book has been so well received. It’s something I’ve noticed about comic creators; there’s a great deal of surprise and shock involved when they’re recognized for a particular project. I don’t know how much writers and artists are told or see the results of their labor, but nothing beats seeing their eyes light up when you tell them you enjoyed a project they created.
Day 4: Last day and the last sweep of the convention center. Alone once again, I continued to make my rounds, trying to cover every line of tables and peruse the wares of every booth just in case I missed something. It’s why I recommend the three-day pass since it gives you the time to return and hopefully discover something you might have glanced over because of scheduling or a panel you were attending prevented you from fully exploring everything the convention has to offer.
Having walked the floor multiple times in three days, a lot of the people I’d previously visited recognized me enough to say “Hi” and compare notes over how the convention was going for them and how crazy everything was – in a good way. I stopped to talk with Jim and James again and got one of the best presents ever – a trade of Manifest Destiny that included Nightcrawler segments written by James! I totally owe them a drink next time they’re in Seattle.
I met Greg Rucka!! Squee! It’s what I love about conventions. I get to meet the people I admire and talk to them even if the words coming out of my mouth are unintelligible gibberish that amounts to “You write good, me likey!” Rucka signed my copy of Wonder Woman: Hiketeia and we talked a bit about Wondy and Superman before I moved on and allowed the next fan to do the same.
And if it’s sounding like I’m just name-checking and listing things at this point…yeah, I’d agree with you. It’s pretty much what happens at the end of every convention. It becomes a series of little conversations here and there with people, a blur of moments adding up to a whole experience that changes from year to year. Recounting everything is nearly impossible, and lengthy, but I get to have these memories and hopefully continue to engage with writers and artists that are familiar and new so that this time next year I have even more to report back to you fine readers.
And with the close of my Emerald City Comicon Re-cap, enjoy the rest of the sketches I got and some nice cosplay photos!
Rainbow Dash
Deadpool and Venom
Phoenix, Cyclops, and Emma Frost
Spy vs. Spy
Gentleman Deadpool
Black Canary by Tony Fleecs
Molly Pitcher by Claire Hummel
Darkwing Duck by James Silvani
Goth Kid by Drew Rausch
The King of Seattle by Aaron Diaz
Aquaman by Andy Suriano
Madder Red by Riley Rossmo
Batman by Michael Walsh
The Flash by Kiriska
Sketch by Nate Bellegarde
Black Beetle by Francesco Francavilla
Spider-Man by Brian Thies
Deena Pilgrim by Michael Avon Oeming
Amethyst by Aaron Lopresti
Medusa by Ky Maden
