Marvel Comics of the 1980s: Alan Davis

Monday, October 9, 2017

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Motor City Comic Con 2016 - Post-Show Wrap-Up!

This show keeps getting bigger and bigger. Driving in on Saturday morning, the exit off the highway was jammed up leading to the Suburban Showcase Center. I found a place to park rather quickly and easily (the parking was well organized and had options for all budgets) and couldn't believe the size of the line to get in and to buy tickets. It was wrapped around the building!

The setup was similar to 2014 when I had last attended and made my way over to artists' alley. Alan Davis was doing sketches so I jumped into his line. Well worth the hour and a half wait!

I was fortunate enough to be a winner in Jose Luis Garcia Lopez sketch raffle and got the legendary artist to draw Doctor Fate for me.

I then meandered through the aisles getting a handful of autographs. I was impressed by the Hero Initiative presence and was happy to pay a donation for autographs. Unlike Neal Adams who demands $30US per autograph. That was a disappointment as I already paid out over $50 for his Batman omnibus, which he gets a cut of, and so paying that much to him (and not a donation to Hero Initiative), left a bad taste in my mouth.

What impressed me most about the show was the cosplay. I didn't recall that many cosplayers in 2014. And the originality of their costumes and the breath of scope of their interested was truly impressive. From Fallout to Game of Thrones to Marvel's TV and movies, they covered it all. Agent Carter was well represented as was Daredevil, both in costume and as Matt Murdock. I never got a picture of a cute couple who were dressed as Ghostbusters, pushing around a baby stroller in which their child was dressed up as the Stay Puff Man.

The only negative was the crowds. By mid-afternoon on Saturday, the crowds were simply too much. The line-ups for the food stands were really plugging up the aisles.

Other than that, it was a great show and I'm looking forward to attending again in 2017!

Friday, May 13, 2016

Motor City Comic Con 2016

Gathered just over the border this weekend, more than 300 creators, writers, illustrators and actors will make their appearance at the Motor City Comic Con.

It's hard to believe this Comic Con is in its 27th year. I have fond memories of making the pilgrimage in the early 1990s across the Canada-US border to the Dearborn Convention Center to meet with comic book talent that never visited Canada, like Neil Gaiman, Ron Frenz, James O’Barr, John Ostrander, and John Byrne.

My last visit there was in 2014 and I was really impressed with its new locale, the Suburban Collection Showplace. The show was very well run and I'm looking forward to meeting some great 1980s talent.