Hellboy is next up on your movie-geek-reference-card. It’s out of place in the line-up for some reason. How is your score so far? I’ll soon be 8 for 13.

#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!