Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s almost that time of year again. That time of year when the days are long and the mercury is screaming to the top of its cylinder as the sun turns from just a little orangey globe in the sky to a great big ball of fire. It’s that time of year when, if one isn’t becoming an ardent hunter/gatherer of air conditioning, they’re thinking of the San Diego Comic Con!
The legendary event is only a couple of months away and, if you’re more than a little lucky, you’re planning to make it out to this Shangri-La of the comic book world. But what if you’ve never been before? What if this is your inaugural Comic Con visit? What can you expect? How can you get the most bang for your buck? How can you survive the weekend and not be found days later in some lonely, littered corner of the convention center curled up in the fetal position weeping because you let that 9.2 CGC-graded issue of The Incredible Hulk #181 slip through your fingers on Sunday (because you blew through all of your spending money on crappy, impulse buys Friday & Saturday)?
Trust me, gang…I’ve been there!
Well don’t fret, True Believers! Jason Mott and the ol’ Comic Book Bin are here to help! In the next few weeks I’ll be cranking out a string of articles designed to help both Comic Con newbies and veterans prepare for the “Mad-Max-in-Bartertown” adventure that is the San Diego Comic Con. I’ll be arming you with knowledge, tactics, advice and anecdotes that you’ll need to grab Comic Con by the throat and make it your own (think of me as your very own “Q” from the Bond movies).
And believe me, boys and girls, if you don’t prepare for it, Comic Con will leave you lonely, depressed and more than a little regretful by the end. You’ll have missed the panel discussion with your favorite author/artist or you’ll have forgotten to look for that issue of Secret Wars that’s been a gaping chasm in your nearly flawless collection for years. Or maybe you’ll have just spent far more money than your budget allowed and suddenly find yourself having to donate blood just to make rent.
Again…uh…been there. (It was either sell blood or sell comics. And…well…I can always make more blood!)
It can and will happen if you let it. But I’m here to make sure that it doesn’t. So stay tuned to the Bin for the first installment of this series: “Gearing Up for San Diego Comic Con! Episode I: Welcome to Thunderdome!”
(Admittedly, that’s a bit of a dramatic title, but it’s got a nice ring to it.)
Hidden gems
Some of the Comic Book Bin's reviewer share with you their hidden gems, comic books that have been overlooked but who are worth hunting down.
The Cult of the Comic Book Creator Part Two: Vassals and Middlemen
These debates about the nature of comic books and the industry created around it in North America still fight what I consider old battles about identity and how the individual relates to comic book
Comics Legend John Byrne
John Byrne appeared on the comics scene when he illustrated a two-page story which appeared in Nightmare #20, published by Skywald Publications
Warner Bros. creates DC Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. responds to Disney's acquisition of Marvel by creating a new company to attempt to match the Power of the Mouse behind the House of Ideas.
Superman – More Copyrights Stupidity
US. Federal Court renders Justice of King Solomon judgement crippling Superman for all parties and the character's comic book readers.
