Ramblings of a Fanboy: CONned
by Lee French
Comic conventions are a central part of my fanboy experience. I remember first reading all of the exciting announcements about artist appearances at the San Diego Comic Con in the pages of Wizard Magazine in the ’90s. Of course, I was a teenager then and I didn’t have the funds or the daring to fly to a city on the West Coast by myself. Now, I make it to at least two major cons a year and several smaller ones.
I attended my first San Diego Comic-Con in 2005. At the time, my older sister was living in Escondido, just north of San Diego, and rather than getting a hotel closer to the Convention Center, I saved some money by crashing on her couch. Then I spent some of that money on cab fare to get to and from the Con each of the four days—and, of course, swag.
SDCC floor crowd
I was a bit overwhelmed when I first saw the crowds at San Diego, but the badge pickup procedure was pretty streamlined, and I didn’t have to wait very long since I had my barcode ready. I arrived in time for the “Preview Night” before the show opened, but so did plenty of other people. When the convention center staff opened the doors to the main floor at 6pm, hundreds of us rushed in racing for…something. None of us really knew what we were after; sure, there were some convention exclusives that might be for sale already, but for the most part, we were just caught up in the hype of being among the first customers on the floor. I didn’t even buy that much on the first day, I just took it all in: the massive booths, the beautiful booth women, the creators of my favorite comics, the costumed fanboys (and fangirls) walking around in spandex and capes without a care in the world, as if they were in their normal street clothes. It was unbelievable. At home, I was geekier than most of my friends, but at that moment, I felt like I could not be geeky enough. I felt like I was finally among “my people”.
With “My People, ” San Diego 2008
Over the next four days, I tried to get the most out of my convention experience. I searched for back issues that weren’t in my local comic shops. I purchased posters and exclusive action figures. I took pictures of actual props used in Batman Begins and other movies. I attended the preview of scenes from Superman Returns and panels hyping other films. I got Jim Lee to sign some of my comics and pose for a picture with me. I’ve been back every year since.
The “Lees” – Jim and French, 2005
As much as I liked it, it never seemed right to me that San Diego’s Comic Convention would be the most popular event of its kind in the world. I understand that it didn’t happen overnight–this year it is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and it has grown steadily over the past 4 decades from a small event in a hotel basement to attracting more than 100,000 people. Still, it is in San Diego! As far as I’m concerned, New York City is the capital of comics (among other things). The “Big Two,” DC and Marvel, are based here. Countless other smaller comics publishers got started here. Many legendary comic creators began their careers in this city. Why, then, did we have to wait almost four decades after the first San Diego Con for New York City to get a big annual show?
I attended my first New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Convention Center two years ago when I was a volunteer at a comics non-profit. It was 2007, the second year of the show. For the most part, the main convention floors of the San Diego and New York Cons looked similar, but I got a different vibe from each of them. Part of the difference was the fact that the San Diego Con always was a vacation for me. Sure, it required a bit of planning and saving every year, but it was usually a stress-less experience once I arrived on the West Coast. While the San Diego Con happens in sunny southern (“It never rains in…”) California, the New York Con has for the most part taken place in February, one of the coldest, wettest, grayest months. The New York Con was a little less exotic since it happened in my home city and I didn’t have to travel far (unless you count the trek and a half to the edge of Manhattan from the nearest subway stop). Also, now I was on the other side of the table, promoting the organization I was involved with. I did get some time to walk around the floor and do fanboy stuff and it was fun to hang out with my friends, but what I remember most about my first (and second) New York Comic Con is all of the work required to be an exhibitor. Working at a con is definitely a very different experience than simply being an attendee.
My First NYCC (with Matt. Murray)
I was very relaxed at this year’s New York convention, which is unusual for me. Whenever I go to the San Diego Con, I spend hours wringing my hands coming up with an itinerary of panels that are “cant-miss” at the expense of some that I really wanted to see. This year at the New York Con, I did not feel the pressure to chase down a creator to get a comic autographed or the need to wait in line for hours to see 10 minutes of a movie that will be out next summer. I didn’t even purchase any action figures (I’m losing interest in collecting them and the booth prices were way too marked up anyway). When it was over, I didn’t feel exhausted or that I missed anything that I should’ve seen. Instead, attending as member of SAC for the first time, I spent a lot of the time walking the floor with Matt and Allan schmoozing with old friends and contacts. Still I had plenty of time for the usual fanboy stuff. I bought a signed Jim Lee/ Alex Sinclair print of Batman in the Dark Knight movie suit drawn in Jim Lee’s comic style, but I didn’t spend a long time in line waiting for it (like I had years ago in San Diego for live autographs), I just went to their table in Artist’s Alley and bought it “pre-signed” on the spot.
Still, fan-creator interaction is probably the best part of comic-conventions, and it is not always possible on this level with the most famous creators from the biggest companies, not because they don’t want to, but because of the logistics of the event with the massive crowds and the limited amount of time. I chatted with Ben Bishop, an up and coming artist trying to make it into the business. Impressed by his art and his ability to express his enthusiasm about his work, I bought his book, Nathan the Caveman, and a page of his original art, while passing on a lot of other more established artists and comic companies. I probably stood there speaking with him about his work for fifteen minutes even though I had decided to buy his stuff in the first minute or so.
Ben Bishop signs his work
Comic Conventions, especially the largest ones, can be an intimidating experience for some fans. Even if you have a detailed plan, it is very easy to become derailed from your itinerary and become overwhelmed with all that there is to see and do and buy once you get there in person. My advice is to set a budget limit before you get to the show and avoid making too many trips to the ATM. Don’t sweat it to much if you miss something on your personal schedule or spent a little too much time walking the floor. It is impossible to see all of the hyped-up “must-see” events at a convention and attend every big-name panel, and frankly, that shouldn’t be your goal. Take lots of pictures of the cosplayers. When you see your favorite writer, artist or star, go ahead and let your inner fanboy (or fangirl) out. Have fun with your friends! If you have one or two memorable con experiences, even if you miss a few things that you wanted to see, consider the money you paid for your badge (and airfare and hotel) well-spent.
With friends, NYCC 2009
Lee French served in the United States Army during Operation Enduring Freedom before earning his bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. A life-long reader and collector of comic books, he fondly remembers his first comic as being John Byrne’s Superman #7 which he still has “bagged and boarded,” even though it has long since lost its covers.
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