Conventional Logic: NYCC 2008 Wrap-up

26Apr08

As alluded to earlier this week, I served as iFanboy’s official intern at the New York Comic Con.  You can find the super-sized convention episode right here.  A lot of my readers are comic fans, but if you’re just in it for the T&A, you’ll find me in the intro gawking at Eva Mendes (ohmygodsopretty) and then again after two of my favorite interviews: Jason Aaron (19:45) and Geoff Johns (42:49).  Seriously though, as a fan of the show, this is a landmark episode.  Terms like “white whale” kept coming up as we tracked the high profile interview subjects.  And they got ‘em.  The show is packed with industry vets and emerging favorites.  And funnel cake!

(full story after the jump)

As I understand it, this is the third year of the modern New York Comic Con, and each year it grows exponentially.  The line to enter this year’s show filled the room used in 2007.  It seemed comparable to the line that formed to see the debut of the Ten Commandments.  Not the film, the tablets.  I’m not just referring to the scope and breadth of the turnout though.  This is a religious experience for many of these people.  Comic conventions are like a pilgrimage, and what I love most about the experience is the collective enthusiasm for many brands of creative entertainment.  There’s always a heirachy of course, with comics fans sometimes turning their noses at otaku and vice versa, but ultimately it’s a positive vibe. You can feel free to spray-paint yourself silver and parade around in red underwear, bestride Artist Alley like a Colossus.  Or you can browse discounted books, chat with favorite artists as they sketch commissions, sit in on celebrity panels, or buy ridiculously expensive original art pages for more money than you’d ever consider the day before.        

There’s a lot to do, and in a bigger convention like New York or San Diego, it’s impossible to absorb everything.  And when you’re covering the convention for a news outlet, the schedule’s even tighter.  Me, I’m pretty easy-going when it comes to conventions.  I don’t do a while lot of shopping, and I’m really not much of an autograph junky.  I am, however, something of a recovering sketch hound.  I have a great deal of respect for artists and, for me, conventions are a great place to meet the people illustrating books I enjoy on a weekly or monthly basis.  It’s difficult to snag a commission from popular artists because they will often book their entire weekend schedule on Friday morning.  This was the case with Dale Eaglesham and Cliff Chiang (though I did get to meet them).  When I attended WWPhilly last year, this concept was new to me and I got frustrated very quickly.  This year, I went in with reasonable expectations and revised my perspective.  At this point, I’m just glad to hear that a talented artist has gained notoriety.  It’s a difficult business to be sure, and I love to see people like Cliff get such glowing recognition.  And there’s always next year.  

Another thing I’d like to touch on is the DIY aspect of convention-going.  You’ll hear the term cosplay a lot.  There’s no escaping it; people will dress up as stormtrooper versions of the Burger King.  Do not be frightened.  There are often contests, and as such, there are professional cosplay artists who ride the convention circuit in high-end costumes.  But there are also amateurs.  Some might induce a cringe or two, but I have to admire their tenacity.  So much work goes into their makeup and manufacturing process.  It’s truly impressive.  And even beyond costumery, there are independent booths for T-shirt designers, Kinko’s level self-publishers, sock puppet creators, and all forms of do-it-yourself artists promoting their work and doing what they love.  A little punk rock.  A little granola.  I just think it’s cool.  

It was great to go behind the scenes of the convention as a member of the press.  I was able to meet other podcasters as well as comic note-worthies.  High points?  Well, on my first day we did get ushered into a room for an interview with Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four…basically the Benjamin Franklin of comics.  We all agreed it was cinematic, like meeting with a mafia don.  I also got to see the cast and creative team behind Hellboy II.  I’m a huge Guillermo del Toro fan, so that was a real treat.  

Ultimately though, the real draw of the weekend was meeting some great people I interact with on a daily basis and contributing to iFanboy, which I appreciate all the more now.  A lot of work goes into these productions and it requires no small amount of strategy (“Okay, if we do this interview now, we might not get this one.  If we do this tomorrow, we’ll probably be able to fit this in on Sunday.”) and petty cash (Funnel cake and two Cokes….probably like $27).  It was also a lot of fun, and the guys made me feel like part of the team.  I even got to contribute some ideas for material (the “tough job” gag at the end there, which was a lot of fun for me as you might expect).  Honestly, any wandering around I may have missed by working on the show, the behind-the-scenes experience more than made up for it.  In fact, I probably got more out of the weekend because we had to hit everything.

Just a couple of funny moments:

• Identity Crisis artist Rags Morales unhinged his jaws to stuff an entire cupcake in his mouth.  
• John Siuntres of Word Balloon wore a blazer throughout the weekend, bringing an unprecedented level of professionalism and shoulder height to the proceedings.
• Josh spent roughly 8 minutes tracking a pigeon through the back of the convention hall.  The footage is remarkably similar to the plastic bag video from American Beauty. 
• Bill Hader spent a suspicious amount of time at the Tokyopop booth.
• My greatest temptation was not original art, but actually a $400 master prop replica of Animal from the Muppets.  Think about it.  You want it.  Maybe not for that price, but you want that.  
• I mention in my interview on the video show that Gold Bond is really a godsend at conventions like this.  That’s completely genuine.  Friction is your enemy.  I learned this the hard way, but a quick stop at the CVS salvaged my last day in New York.
• If Neal Adams drew a tic-tac-toe board on a Bennigan’s napkin, it would probably fetch $300.
• Avatar: the Last Airbender fans are the happiest people on earth and we nearly lost Conor to their ranks.  I rented disc one.  
• Ron knows everyone.  
• An indie rapper offered me a free CD.  

“Here, I’ll sign it.  What’s your name, boss?”  
“Pau–” 
“I don’t like that name.  You’re P. Money from now on.” 

 I will answer to nothing else.   

• If you see me looking longingly at Eva Mendes being interviewed by Mtv, don’t put your hand on my shoulder and suggest that my feelings are misplaced.  Don’t advise me to refocus my energies on Rosario Dawson (also lovely).  I’ll want to fight you on asphalt.  This actually happened with an anonymous stranger.  But I let him go because I was too tired to bother.  Also, Conor wouldn’t let me. 
• The Burger King Stormtrooper is very real.  

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the convention special.  Real labor of love situation.  

Pol the Intern, signing out.   

 

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