#1 Comics

The number one reason to go to a comic book show is for the comics! Big surprise right? There are millions of comic books at Heroes Convention. For a newbie getting that first glimpse at all the booths as you come into the room is pretty overwhelming. To this day I still get excited as I enter the convention center.

Dealers come from all over the country to sell their fine collections. Some booths are like you’ve just walked into a museum with ultra rare collectable comics lined up across the back of their booth like wallpaper. Other booths have stacks of long boxes bursting with books for just a buck! Sometimes you can find them for 50 cents. That’s really bargain considering comics cost $3.00 dollars a book now.

For the past few years I’ve been hooked pretty hard on old humor comics. Just about anything with yellow pages with a Walter Lance character I’m all over. It’s all Duane’s fault for bringing back a stack that he found for a dollar each. So now I sit a $20 back just for buying as many as cheap as I can get them. I never read them as a kid so I love to flip thru copies of Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, Hot Stuff, Spooky, Casper, Looney Toons or Disney comics.

Sometimes I’ll make a list of back issues I’m looking for but usually there is enough new things that my money is allocated before I enter the room. Here’s a couple of things I’m for sure picking up.

Sky Scrappers of the Midwest Hardback signed by Josh Cotter
Freddie and Me signed by Mike Dawson
Muppets mini & Fred The Clown mini by Roger Landgridge
The Claws Come out by Pat Lewis
Crustacean Frustration by Rob Ullman
Owly a time to be brave signed by Andy Runton
Superior Showcase #3 signed by all 3 creators (with a little help from Pitzer)
Sundays antho #1 #2
Afrodisiac #1 mini-comic by Jim Rugg

And a few other things that I can’t think of right now but I’ll know when I see them.

The convention starts tomorrow and I hope I talked a few of you into going. Call a buddy and ask them to do a day trip with you. Come by my booth and repeat the 8 reason list to me and I’ll give you something special.

I’ll be at Booth 510 in Indie Island on Saturday and Sunday. Hope I see you there.

#2 Creators

I just took another look at the guest list and it is still huge! There are almost 400 creators and comic professionals at this show. From silly cartoonists to realistic painters from web strip artists to the guy who writes Iron Man comics the range of talent is pretty mind boggling.

The majority of these folks are really open to answering questions, signing books or doing a sketch for you. Bring a sketch book with you and collect drawings from artists you’ve met. Most people even request just pictures of Batman or Monkeys in space suits. Artists don’t charge much and some even do it for free! But don’t plan on filling it up in one weekend especially if you’re hitting up some of the more popular artists. Luckily at Heroes Convention the lines for artists don’t get very long. Maybe this year I’ll start that Bizarro themed sketchbook I’ve always wanted.

You can commission artists for more detailed work but be prepared to come back later to pick it up. They’ve usually got a list of things they are working on for people at the show. So make sure to get on their list as early as you can.

Go around and look at each of the artist’s tables. Even if you’re familiar with the artist they may have something you didn’t know was available. The real fun for me is discovering a new creator I’ve never seen before. Each year I meet one or two new artists and it’s actually the place where I’ve met some of my best buddies. That’s one of the greatest things you can find!

#3 Indie Island

Unless you’re into Indie comics you have no clue how amazing Indie Island is. It’s a section of the convention with people that are pushing the limits of what comic books can be. The majority of these people don’t make a living and may never make back what they have invested. So that’s not what motivates them. It liberates them and allows them to think of comic books differently. The eagle of freedom soars thru their hearts and lays eggs of enlightenment in their brain cavities. You should count yourself lucky to feast on the omelet of their creativeness.

But seriously, you’d have to waste a ton of money on gas just to see this group of people. You’d have to go to a specialty convention and those things are pretty far away from Charlotte NC. So Indie Island is a unique opportunity to see some artsy stuff. There is no other major convention in the country that gives this much emphasis to Indie Comics.

This group was hand picked to be guests at the convention. You can’t pay to be a part of Indie Island and that makes this unlike any other Small Press show in the US. It’s like if you went to SPX, APE or MoCCA but only the best people were there.

I love Indie Island and every year it only gets better and better. I’m incredibly lucky to be a part of it. Check out the guest list and make sure to click on the artist links to see some really great work.

#4 Events

You’re the participation type, aren’t you? Well there are loads of events that go down at Heroes Convention every year.

Why not show off your most excellent drawing skills in the Quickdraw Contest? It’s a neat way to throw down with other con goers. Just knock out a spectacular drawing in 20 minutes with just 2 pencils, 2 pieces of paper and your own drawing might! Some previous participants have actually gone on to be professional comic artists.

One of the most exciting interactive events is for sure the Heroes Convention Art Auction. It’s a pretty neat thing to witness as a huge crowd of people throw money at amazing works of art. All the art is donated by the artists to help fund the enormous cost of throwing Heroes Convention. Last year I was so jazzed that I might actually grab an awesome drawing by Paul Hornschmier but it jumped way beyond my price range within seconds. It was pretty unbelievable. Heck, Jim Mafood doodled on a table cloth and that went for a couple of hundred dollars! This year they’ve moved it to The Alley Cat club so it should have a different vibe but I’m sure it’s going to be the same great spectacle it’s been in the past.

There’s an new event this year that I’m sure will be neat to watch unfold. They received so much fantastic artwork that they are holding a Silent Auction all weekend long. It will be located at the back of the hall where another cool event takes place: Live Art! All weekend long you can catch artists creating works that will be later auctioned off. You can watch a painting happen from sketch to final art right there on the convention floor. While you’re making your laps looking for a copy of Project:Superior be sure to swing by that area thru-out the weekend.

There are lots of things happening all the time on the floor of the show. Scheduled creative signings, interviews for online comic news sites and even video and audio recordings for a slew of comic centric pod casts. Events are happening everywhere all day long so lift your head up some from the half price graphic novels and take it all in.