From: [S--W--N] at [ARIEL.LERC.NASA.GOV] (Wayne A. Wong)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info
Subject: 1995 Heroes Con Report
Followup-To: rec.arts.comics.misc
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 95 00:19:10 GMT

                1995 HEROES CONVENTION REPORT

(In case anyone is keeping track, I never got around to writing
reports for the Novi Motorcity Comicon, Pittsburgh Sci-Fi Con, or the
Pittsburgh Comicon II, so this is only report #2, for 1995.  Sorry,
not enough SpareTime.)

The Heroes Convention was held in Charlotte, NC, USA, on June 16-18,
1995, at the New Charlotte Convention Center.  The friendly shuttle
driver that drove me from the airport to the Omni Hotel told me that
the facility just opened a year ago and that it's the third largest
convention complex in the country.  The Heroes Con was held in Hall C,
which I assume is one of the "smaller" rooms.

SpareTime Studios was at the con in force, as I, and partners Steve
Campbell and Larry Merrill all had tables in the guest artist area.
Also on hand was Steve and Larry's travelling buddy, Brian Bailie.
The crowd was great and we got to expose a lot of new readers to
PRIMITIVES, our self published title about 5 enhanced primitive heroes
displaced in time, trying to adjust to modern Earth.  In addition to
the first two issues which have been released, we also had on hand an
introductory mini-comic, and a preview of the wrap-around cover for
PRIMITIVES #3 by Eisner Award nominee, Chris Moeller, creator of
SHADOW EMPIRES from Dark Horse Comics.

I spent most of my time sketching, reviewing portfolios, chatting with
other comics creators and meeting convention goers.  I got my second
weirdest sketch request at Heroes Con: a man and his wife commissioned
a sketch of "Superman as a waiter."  Why?  Beats me.  I was told the
sketch will reside in the couples' bedroom.

I also performed my all-time weirdest "portfolio" review.  An older
guy, who looked a lot like a homeless person, approached me with an
armful of large sheets of folded, crumpled paper and torn shopping
bags on which he had sloppily sketched numerous exaggerated figures
with crayon or maybe a thick marker.  He dropped his stack on top of
my display stuff, and proceeded to unfold his sheets in front of me,
one after another.  I was speechless.  Deep down, there was a spark of
wild imagination, but the drawings were really bizarre and almost
grotesque.  "What would you like to do with your art?" I asked.
"Comics," he replied, "I want to do comics."  I could barely
understand his comments, and I was stumped as to what to say to help
him.

Sergio Aragones, on the other hand, handled it with class.  The same
guy approached Sergio and after looking through the man's sheets,
Sergio offered him a trade: one of Sergio's original art pages (surely
a prize for many) for a sheet from this man's stack.  To the
astonishment of all on-lookers, the man refused without hesitation.

Almost as odd, were the netters who came by to say hi.  :)
Patman, with his wheel-a-box in toll, came by for some good
conversation.  Patman's friend Patrick, whose last name I can't
remember.  Milkbaby, with his AMAZING collection of original art, most
of which he is selling, was good enough to show me some of his inking
samples.  Andy Robbins, another original art hound.  Curtis Herink, a
PRIMITIVES advocate who we appreciate very much.  Johanna Draper, who
bought enough old comics to make the dealers cheer.  And a fellow who
came by a number of times but who I don't believe ever offered his
identity.

Next to my table was Steve Casper, a painter who is starting to make a
splash in the card gaming biz.  He's thinking about getting into
comics and I told him I was considering getting into collector card
illustration, so we filled each other in on the respective industries.
Incidentally, at the Con, I saw for the first time, two cards from
Caliber's POWERCARDZ game set, which featured my art - what a
surprise!  :)

Budd Root, creator of Basement Comics' CAVEWOMAN, also had a table
nearby.  Larry introduced me to CAVEWOMAN at the Pittsburgh Con II a
month earlier and I became an instant fan of Budd's work.  He was
doing some really nice color sketches of dinosaurs and his scantily
clad heroine.  CAVEWOMAN seems to be catching on, as DC Comics made an
offer to pick up the series.  Apparently that didn't work out, so
starting with issue #7, CAVEWOMAN will be published by London Night
Studios.  For the CAVEWOMAN fans, Budd was planning a radical new vamp
look for the lead character when the book transitions to LNS.  A
couple of the STS guys petitioned hard for the tamer, sweet look.
We'll see what Budd decides with issue 7.

As far as evening activities, Friday night, Steve, Larry, Brain and I
went to the Ginger Root, a Chinese place recommended by the same
friendly shuttle driver and a few others.  There we bumped into David
Mack, creator of Kabuki, and his friend.  Later, Milkbaby, Andy
Robbins and a bunch of others showed up with Chris Sprouse, former
artist of Legionnaires.  The food was a bit of a disappointment,
considering all the good stuff we heard about the restaurant.

Saturday night, was the mini-net gathering.  In attendance were me,
Steve C., Larry, Brian, Patman, patrick, Johanna Draper and Steve
Lieber, Hawkman artist.  We went to a Texas steak house and had a nice
dinner.  Afterwards, we all went back to the Omni bar/lobby and hung
out.  Steve Lieber passed his sketchbook around, and Johanna drilled
the SpareTimers about the PRIMITIVES story line.  Johanna had to leave
early, and Steve L. stayed to mingle at the bar.  The rest of us moved
upstairs and hung out some more.  In the elevator, I was accosted by a
drunken comics dude, who told me about the "wiild paar-taay" on the
private club floor.  Nah, I pass.

After Patman and Patrick took off, Steve, Larry and I worked on the
plot for PRIMITIVES:WAR until 4:00 am then collapsed in exhaustion. :)

Near closing on Sunday, a very attractive, friendly brunette who wore
a BONE T-shirt very well, came by the table and asked Larry and me to
do sketches on a Con T-Shirt she had with her.  While sketching, I
found out that she was the woman who had been prancing around in
make-up and costume as the character Razor, the bad-girl killer from
London Night Studios.  What a surprise.

And that was Heroes Con.  Next up is Chicago Comic Con this coming
weekend, June 30-July 2.  SEEYA THERE!

 - Wayne, highly recommends that those comic book enthusiasts that
   have never gone to a comic book convention to go to one this
   summer -- they're a blast!
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   W     A     Y     N     E     .     A     .     W     O     N     G
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    PRIMITIVES, Get Them Before They're History  -  SpareTime Studios