Aloha!
Sorry I haven’t been more attentive to this blog lately. I blame it on a combination of three things:
- Coming back from NYCC with a bunch of projects I want to do.
- Spending the weekend following NYCC on an impromptu road trip to Philadelphia, about which I cannot speak, due to the statute of limitations on certain events.
- I bought Batman: Arkham City.
I swear to God, the lack of bloginess is due more to the first two items than the third. Honest.
To make up for my slackeriness, I will endeavor to blog more regularly. To facilitate this, I will do a Q&A blog sometime in the next week or so. Send me some questions, if you are so inclined
NYCC WRAPUP!
Holy shit. That was a good time. Jenny and I have been attending New York Comic Con since its inaugural outing in 2006, and have been to every show since then, with the notable exception of 2010, when I was busily going blind. It’s one of the rare social or cultural events I have the privilege of having been in on the ground floor for (oddly enough, the only other example that springs to mind is the Warped Tour), so I feel oddly proprietary towards it.
The show has been getting bigger and bigger every single year, and this year almost everyone who had a basis of comparison said that it was reaching San Diego levels of humungousness. Despite having absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with the planning or execution of the show, I still felt strangely proud of that. Our little boy’s all groweds up.
TRAVIS’ TOP 5 AWESOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT NYCC 2011
1. I ARE A COMIC PROFESSIONAL
I got to rock my Pro Pass this year as a bona fide “person who makes funnybooks”. That was pretty righteous, not just for the ability to stand in slightly smaller than average lines, but for the looks on the faces of the occasional fanboy who would catch sight of the “Pro” on my laminate, and then try to decide if I was or was not Robert Kirkman*.
I also got to do my first official comic book signing. Saturday morning, I found myself at the Grayhaven Comics table, hocking comics with the fine gentlemen of Grayhaven (Andrew, Doug, and James), and signing copies of the Gathering. I also got to hang out with the gorgeous, hilarious, and insanely talented Amanda “Clown Town” Rachels, and the gentleman’s gentleman, Len “Love Buzz” Wallace.
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| Me! (And Grayhaven Comics' James O'Callaghan) |
A whole bunch of folks from the Bendis Board came and bought books from us while I was there. I was seriously blown away by the support I received from all these fine people. I am humbled and honored and thrilled to be a part of a community that has given so much to my life, including the lovely lady I tricked into marrying me.
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| Seated: James and I. Standing: Harry Crosland of the Next Issue Podcast, James Hooks, and Grayhaven's Doug Hahner |
2. THE ANNUAL FRIDAY NIGHT BENDIS BOARD DRINKUP
A fine tradition harkening back to the first ever NYCC, the New York City Bendis Board regulars invite all travelling nerds to join them for an evening of food, libations, and fun. This was one of the bigger turnouts we have had, damn near filling the bar we chose, and scaring the living shit out of the bar’s manager. (Pat Loika has a picture of the guy’s face. It’s hysterical.) I had my shit together enough to actually learn every single person’s name, which, if you know me, you understand is a “snatch the pebble out of my hand” moment for me.
I had a blast with some of my best friends on the planet, made a lot of new friends, and laughed until I thought my ribs were going to snap. I think it can be truly said that a good time was had by all.
3. THE LOCKE AND KEY PILOT IS FUCKING AMAZING
The Powers that be were good enough to allow IDW to show the pilot episode of the “Locke and Key” series, based on the absolutely brilliant comic series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Oh my God, it was brilliant. The fact that it didn’t get picked up makes me angry enough to punch television in the face.
I am making it my mission in life to grassroots this series into existence. If you get a chance to see the pilot at a Con, DO IT. Also tell Joe Hill and IDW how much you love it. DO NOT download it or torrent it or any of that shit, as that’s the surest way to make sure it never sees the light of day.
4. THE WOMEN OF MARVEL KICK ASS
Hands down, the best panel I attended during NYCC was the “Women of Marvel” panel, held Sunday morning at an ungodly early hour. The panel was moderated by Marvel Editor Jeanine Schaefer, and featured Colleen Coover ("Wolverine: First Class"), Kelly Sue DeConnick ("Osborn"), Editor Lauren Sankovitch ("Fantastic Four"), Editor Sana Amanat ("Ultimate Spider-Man"), Sara Pichelli ("Ultimate Spider-Man") Emma Rios ("Cloak And Dagger"), Marjorie Liu ("X-23"), and Editor Ellie Pyle.
It was an amazing hour. These women make me want to write better. They’re intense, brilliant, driven, and so fucking talented. I walked out of that room wanting to work with them. I wanted so badly to write something that they all thought was good. Talking to Chris Page after the panel, I told him, “I don’t know how hard it is to write for the average fanboy. Maybe hard, maybe not. But if I could write something that those women appreciated, THAT would mean I am killing it.”
It was especially amazing to be at that panel with Jenny. Watching her see these women doing what she wants to do, reassuring her that it CAN BE DONE. It was amazing to watch her face throughout the discussion and see how intensely and emotionally the whole thing resonated with her. If we had done nothing else the entire trip, that panel would have made NYCC worthwhile.
5. HANGING WITH KELLY SUE!
Kelly Sue DeConnick is one of my heroes. She’s an amazing writer, and a genuinely cool person. I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging on her forum on Jinxworld, and the people I have met there have all been top shelf (looking at you, Terry Tyson and Karen Mahoney). Kelly Sue has been just ridiculously generous with me, giving me advice that has truly helped me, and pushing me to do better. The one goal I had for the Con was to get to meet her face to face and tell her how much she had helped me out. And I finally got a chance to do so Sunday, after the Women of Marvel panel.
She might only be 5 feet tall, but she’s got ten feet of heart. Jenny and I are sort of in love with her.
*****
New York Comic Con, I salute you. You are truly big-assed and full of all varieties of glorious nerditry. See you next year!
Hugs and kisses,
(The)Travis
*Jenny did not get this joke until we saw Kirkman on "Talking Dead" this week. Then she turned and looked at me and said, "HOLY SHIT!"
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