I only went to Baltimore Comic Con on Saturday this year, but I had just as great a time. Creator wise, I got to talk to Eric Powell about the Goon movie teaser and give Jeff Parker my condolences on the cancellation of another fine Agents of Atlas series. I also got to meet Ben Templesmith, whose picture should be next to the word "cool" in the dictionary. Along with Powell and Templesmith, I consider Gabriel Hardman and Sean Murphy to be doing some of the best art in comics and it was great getting to tell them how much I love their work. I commissioned a sketch of Red Jack, one of my favorite minor villains, from Gabe and it turned out fantastic:
I also got an excellent Final Crisis style Darkseid mini-sketch from Dave Wachter, co-creator of the webcomic The Guns of Shadow Valley.
The highlight of the con though was getting to meet comics legend Jerry Robinson, probably best known as the creator of The Joker.
When I asked if I could get a picture with him, he joked, "No, you're wearing a Spider-Man shirt, that's blasphemy." One of the best experiences I've had meeting a creator, especially a creator of Jerry Robinson's caliber. I missed getting a pre-release copy of Abrams' book on Robinson's career, but I'll definitely be buying one when it comes out.
I only went to one panel this year, in which Klaus Janson and Howard Chaykin critiqued pages from art school students who registered to attend a seminar by the pair prior to the panel. I am not a big fan of either creator's artwork, but it was fascinating hearing them discuss what worked and what didn't work in the pages. It really enhanced my understanding of how comic book pages are crafted. Also, Howard Chaykin is a very funny guy.
And then there's the requisite con swag, with 50% and 75% off hardcovers:
Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn Deluxe Edition HC
Doctor Who "Bowties Are Cool" t-shirt
Fantastic Four By Waid and Wieringo Vol. 1 HC
Fist of Justice t-shirt
The Guns of Shadow Valley Convention Preview Edition
Heathentown OGN
Incredible Hercules: Smash of The Titans HC
Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 1 HC
Superman's Metropolis OGN
Supreme Power MAX Vol. 1 and 2 HCs
Overall, an absolute blast as always and I can't wait until next year.