HeroesCon 2008 Review (Well, Friday anyway)

This year's HeroesCon had a pretty clear message for me: HeroesCon is here to stay.


All that business with Wizard World from a couple of years ago seemed to have only resulted in the con becoming stronger and better attended than before. It's funny, because the couple of years prior the con seemed to be on a downward slope, but that is no longer the case. Once again, Friday (the slow day, mind you) had a long line to get in wrapped to the back of the convention hall and around.

Even more telling was the heavy traffic on the floor all day, and not just in the dealer sections. There was heavy traffic all around Artist's Alley and Indie Island. The photo above is the Indy Island area at around 6pm - one hour before it shut down for the day. The other things I noticed, which you can kind of see from the photo above, is the broad cross section of people at the show. Lots of kids, lots of women, lots of people just there to have a good time.

I didn't get to go to any of the panels I wanted to (one on comics journalism, and the other s "state of the industry" panel), as they were both at the beginning of the day. So, no news stuff to report there. If you want your news there are some other fine sites you can visit.

As far as action on the floor - I did get all of the stuff I wanted signed, signed. Darwyn Cooke had a super long line, and it was the one I waited in the longest. He was a super gentleman, chatting up everyone who came by and drawing sketches for folks in their hardcovers. Barry Kitson was actually giving away watercolor sketches to everyone in his line. I bought a lovely print for the wife from Imaginism Studios, a group who came all the way from Toronto. They were really excited about the southern food. I recommended they go to Bojangles to get Bo-Berry biscuits.

Everyone I spoke to on the floor on the indie side seemed to be doing well sales wise Friday. Here's hoping that Saturday and Sunday proved to hold more of the same.

Some other bits before I post some photos:

• Chris Sims, Chad Bowers, and Jay Potts debuted their new comic The Hard Ones, the book that Matt Fraction described as being "too good not to find a home." It's everything I love about comics and The 70s, and you will too.
• Offered without comment: I saw was easily the woman who got a tattoo of Jonah Hex from this cover on her back.
• One of the most awesome costumes that I did not get a picture of, but Fraction did: Lil' Iron Fist.
• I overheard some guy say "Iron Fist is like the stupidest character ever." I had to stop digging through trades and stare at that dude down for a few minutes. Thankfully, Chris Sims was not in ear shot. It would not have been pretty.
• Most important, I went over my budget, but only by about $20. Again, half price trades and $5 trades (including Essentials!) do it to me every time. The upside is I got all 3 Essential Marvel Handbook volumes for $15. That was probably my prize of the show.
• I also ended up buying a bunch of mini comics that caught my eye. I'll post some reviews later.
  

And now, photos!

Fraction and Sims - This fall on The CW!

An awesome Iron Man costume

Harley and Mr. J

After dinner, a gleeful Dr. K and bemused Sims