Well, I’ve had a few days to decompress from my annual trip to Chicago,
Illinois for the big Wizard World comic book convention. Nowadays, it is
just as much a pop culture convention with movies, television,
wrestling, and gaming as it is comic books.
If I’m doing my math
correctly, this is the 10th year in a row that I’ve attended. What a
long and strange trip it has been. Those first three or four years that I
attended were always pinnacle points of the year that I always looked
forward to. The Shooting Star Comics days when we had a booth were later
filled with good, bad and sometimes ugly moments. I miss them and then
again, I don’t.
It has been almost two years since Shooting Star
comics as a company was together for our last hurrah in Chicago. Though
at the time, our future was uncertain and we were hoping to turn it
around, but by Christmas 2006, those that remained (and who were
actually talking) decided that it was time to close shop.
Last
year, I spent most of my time (like this year) working on my health. The
closure of Shooting Star knocked the wind out of my sails a bit and I
did not want to attend the convention in 2007. I wanted to take a break –
but I came up after hearing that my pal, John Morgan Neal, was coming
up to Chicago (which happens to virtually be my backyard as it is only a
three hour drive from my home). So I went as a civilian without a table
or booth to promote anything because I wanted to see John.
This
year too, I admit that I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to go. To be
quite honest, I didn’t want to go this year where I felt even more like a
poser. Sure, I’ve worked on some comic projects this year. I finished
production for one of Chuck Dixon’s book that was sold this summer. I
wrote an adaptation for a 64-page graphic novel that is coming out next
year. I was working on artwork for a comic that I had hoped to have
finished by now, but wasn’t able to. But, I had nothing to promote or
sell this year either. It is all in production.
Still, my pal
Erik Burnham got two tables in artist alley for me to share with him,
Michael Hutchison and Chuck Dixon. I appreciated it very much. I was
thinking about skipping this year, but it had been two years since I had
seen him, Chuck Dixon and my pal Sean Taylor. So, like last year, I
made the trip to see my friends.
Along with those guys, I also
saw other friends such as Ethan Colchamiro, Scott Hileman, Phil Hester,
Jennifer Ford, Gordon Purcell, Drew Geraci, Richard Kohlrus and some of
the other usual suspects. It was also great to reconnect with Lance
Stahlberg and hear that he is doing well with his new position at Haven
Distributors (formerly Cold Cuts) and to also see an old friend, Matt
Hansel, who replaced me on the O’NEIL OBSERVER that Denny O’Neil and Bob
Brodsky produced. It was fantastic to see that Ape Entertainment is
succeeding with Brent Erwin and crew. I picked up Christopher Mills’
FEMME NOIR while I was there. It was great to meet new folks like Bobby
Nash and Mike Oeming.
I did miss a few folks who weren’t able to
make it. John Neal and Todd Fox of course instantly come to mind. I also
missed Chris Franklin – but I usually talk to him about once a month or
so.
But I also miss my pal, Gregg W. Noon. It has been nearly
two years since I’ve heard from him. I almost expected him to walk in. I
keep thinking we’re going to have a Han Solo and Lando Calrissian
moment like in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK when we see each other again
where I’m not sure if he’s going to want to punch me or hug me. I hope
it is the latter. I miss the big guy and our conversations. I still
don’t know if the sting of the end of Shooting Star Comics has quit
hurting or not. I don’t know if I will ever see or hear from him again.
That’s the hardest part.
It still stings for me a bit, but it is
getting better. The end of Shooting Star and the aftermath. But it all
happened for a reason. I’m proud of the guys who have gone on to do some
other work in comics. Especially Sean Taylor who has had a stellar
year.
Well, I gotta admit that I felt a bit awkward going to
Chicago over the weekend and seeing a lot of the old faces and many many
new faces. I went to the Hyatt Regency Hotel and bar on Friday night.
They’ve remodeled it to look like something out of “Logan’s Run.” I
could easily stereo-type the crowd, but I won’t. It was just that line
from Sesame Street where it is sung “…which one doesn’t belong with the
other” came to mind.
I was talking to my pal, Sean Taylor, and
told him that night in the bar that I’ve never felt more out of place
than that point that night. He said he felt right at home with the
crowd. I don’t know how to translate that for my own self.
I’ve
come to realize that for at least these next two years, I’m not going to
be able to work in any time consuming capacity as a comic book writer
or artist. It’ll just be little things here and there that I can squeeze
in to my spare time. I hope that I’ll finally finish these new THRILL
SEEKER pages to have a new book or two out for next year. I’ll take on
some writing gigs if they come my way, but freelancing isn’t something
I’m actively pursuing because I have a “day job”, karate training and
family obligations. I see possibilities (that I cannot discuss yet)
where I think I’ll be able to more actively pursue freelancing in a few
years and to get back more into comics. At this point, it’ll probably be
independent comics.
I’m digressing, but the big two – DC Comics
and Marvel Comics are not the same places they were just four years
ago. Nuff said for now.
As for the convention experience itself…
well, I think this year ran smoother than last year as it was put on by
Wizard. I hear rumors that this was the last Wizard World Chicago comic
convention. We’ll see. I enjoyed the Dixonverse dinner, hanging out
with Chuck, Erik, Sean and crew. I enjoyed doing sketches for those few
hours that I had a chance to participate.
But I’m pledging now… I’m not going to the convention again unless I’ve got new books to promote or sell. So, I’d better finally finish these various THRILL SEEKER projects this year where I’ve revamped things and have new tales of Yellow Jacket, the Emerald Mantis and a few new characters. Also, Sean has a few projects for me to draw, I have a few other independents to write. Maybe I can justify going next year where I won’t feel like a poser. LOL.
As for “fanboy moments”, I had one for myself. I got to meet Chase Masterson and my pal, Sean Taylor, took our picture together. She is a torch song kind of singer and actress – probably best known as playing Leeta the Dabo Girl on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine back in the 1990’s. That’s when I fell in love with her.
She seemed pleasantly surprised when I told her that I had listened to
some of her jazz songs. Some of them Irving Berlin or Gershwin covers.
So,
here is my incriminating photo with her courtesy of Mr. Taylor. What
happened in Chicago was supposed to stay in Chicago, so I beat him to it
so he wouldn’t blackmail me for artwork or something.
I’ve
always had a weakness for sultry singers that are usually redheads who
sometimes like to have a little fun by going blonde. I get myself in
trouble with those kind of girls…
Nuff said on that too. ;)
Scott
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