Date: Fri, 26 Aug 1994 06:43:21 CDT From: James Drew <[j r d] at [frame.com]> Subject: CONS: (USA) San Diego Comic Con #25 (long) CON REPORT ---------- Con: San Diego Comic Con #25 Place: San Diego, California Date: August 4-7, 1994 This is, of course, the big one, arguably the most important comic convention of the year, regardless of whether ComicFest may be larger. Anyone who can make it, comes to San Diego. I guarantee there is no way to remove the gay content from this post. If you can't handle such, stop reading right now. This year, I took my growing line of small-press/self-published material to the convention, purchasing a table in the Small Press Area, which provides reduced-cost space to small publishers. In order to expand what I was able to sell, I also arranged to sell the wares of several other small publishers whose work parallels or complements my own. Ciao! Publications is a queer-positive -- but not queer-exclusive -- press specializing in magazines the fit in with or alongside comics. (For the record, that is the positive use of the word "queer": gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and those who are supportive of such people.) To date, I have published 8 magazines: six issues of Ciao!, an interview/review/ analysis magazine focusing on how the comics industry presents and deals with "issues"; 1 issue of Ciao! v2, a redesigned zine focusing just on queer themes in comics; and 1 issue of The Queer in Review, a collection of editorial cartoons. Also represented at my table were copies of _Adventures _of_Baby_Dyke_ (Terry Sapp), _Boy_Trouble_ (Robert Kirby's latest anthology comic), _Wilde_Oaks_ (a queer literary journal that I edit), _Strange-Looking_Exile_ (Kirby's previous anthology), _Hothead_Paisan_ (Diane DiMassa), _Hands_Off!_ (a benefit comic for fighting Washington State's anti-gay initiatives), _Savage_ _Love_ (adapted from the queer-sex advice column running in Seattle's _The_ _Stranger_, among other places), _Quantum_Leap_ #9 (the Andy Mangels'-penned story leading into 1969's Stonewall Riots), Mangels' 1988 article for _Amazing_Heroes_ (covering the then state of gay characters in comics), _OutNOW!_ #32 (with an article by me on queer superheroes), _liliane_ (Leanne Franson), and _Holy_Titclamps_ (Larry-Bob's zine-review zine). Whew! I spent several weeks preceding the convention in contacting publishers, arranging for numbers of copies to be sent to me, and getting them approved for sale at the convention; several were approved at the convention itself, before going on sale. In particular, copies with explicit or near-explicit sex had to not be easily accessible by minors (keep them bagged); this included any naked female nipple, female aereolae, or genitals for either gender, plus scenes of copulation or masturbation. (This only affected one of my items.) Items with a significant-sized print run would pop me out of "Fan Publisher" into "Small-Press Publisher" for a higher table cost; _Hothead_Paisan_ and _Savage_Love_ at least caused that. (_Quantum_Leap_ was allowed as an exception to usual sales possibilities, due to the publisher being no longer around and the theme of the table.) ***** ***** ***** Rather than try to do a chronological recounting of the con as in previous years, I'm going to just excerpt out all the important bits. I hope... * For the second year, I stayed at the Comfort Inn at Old Town. If you're like me and need access to a car while at San Diego, this hotel is very nice. Just four miles from the Convention Center (and about 3.5 from Hillcrest), it is located just off the freeway. It only runs about $40 per night, making the trip affordable (I don't need little gold seals on my toilet paper, thanks very much). Request a room facing away from the freeway if possible, though. This hotel also serves a complimentary "continental breakfast" each morning (cereal, juice, sweet rolls, coffee), and it has a little deli/store from which I was able to buy juice, a bagel, and fruit each day, saving me time and bucks on lunch (and incidentally letting me eat healthier). A little cooler and blue ice packs set everything together just fine. * I terms of tracking sales and movey, I put together nice inventory sheets (which I had to add to with the half-dozen extra comics I ended up selling). I kept money in a waist pack (which had a convenient rear zippered pouch perfect for $20's and checks). Coins were stored in four Rubbermaid salt-n-pepper shakers, also perfect for the need. * Perhaps my biggest fear at the convention was selling out of everything on Thursday. (As a result, I brought more stock than was sensible, perhaps.) I allocated my stock to have 1/3 of it at the con on Thursday, 1/2 on Friday, 3/4 on Saturday, and all on Sunday; in general, this worked well, as it meant that I only needed to carry a small box of additional stock to the convention each day. According to David Glasser, the convention's director of publicity, Saturday tends to be the best sales day, followed by Thursday, Sunday, and Friday. This held true for the first three days, as I brought in slightly less on Friday than Thursday, and slightly more on Saturday. Come Sunday, though, I brought in almost as much as the other three days combined. I attribute this to (a) Andy plugging my table at the "Gays in Comics" panel, and (b) people noting where I was, making their other purchases, and then coming to my table to get whatever else they could. * Of the first volume issue of _Ciao!_, the cover most looked at turned out to be _Ciao!_ #4, the one that *I* did. One of four things would seem to be the cause: (a) a sexy female furry on the cover, (b) a scene composition indicating suspense, (c) the Nazi flag, or (d) the fact that it was the one on the edge/in front on the display (just by chance). (I have this suspicion that "c" is the main reason.) * Anyone interested in an outline of what sold at my table and what didn't, how much money I brought in, how much I profitted or lost, and so forth is welcome to request such by e-mail. * Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) had the table next to mine. He's got a new SiP t-shirt out and his Abstract Studios has published a collection of SiP #1-3; I think Antarctic also has a collection scheduled. Terry will be having an SiP short in an upcoming issue of _Negative_ _Burn_ [looks like it just came out this week], and he will also be doing one of the "Alan Moore's Songbook" pieces, which he says will consist of several full-page illustrations in Mucha style (sigh, I *love* Art Noveau), with the song's text on the facing pages. Terry says that he didn't receive any sort of a script for doing the song adaptation, just an audio tape. Terry will also have a short segment in the upcoming GASP! anthology, but it will be reprint pages. Roxanne Starr (who is managing the AMS adaptations) also spent several hours at Terry's table. * Comics Against AIDS' benefit booth at the con fell through in the last couple weeks before the convention. Nonetheless, they have been incorporated thanks to monies donated by Martha Thomases at DC Comics (a personal donation from Thomases), and they have received $1000 from Dark Horse. (Which Andy Mangels says is unusual, given that the founders of Dark Horse are not especially gay-positive. Having people like Chadwick and Wagner behind him helps CAA-organizer Steve Howearth, I think.) One of CAA's primary means of fundraising will be limited signed editions of comics. (And I'm talking 100 copies, not these 5000 copy runs.) Peter David has already signed copies of the recent _Incredible_Hulk_ AIDS issue. The copies were being flown to England during the con for Gary Frank to sign; unfortunately, Frank turned up in San Diego. B-) Other upcoming signed editions include _Strangers_in_Paradise_ v2#3 (Terry Moore), and I helped engineer what will probably be signed editions of Image's _Bloodwulf_ #1 (Andy Mangels and Daerick Gross) and the first _Wandering_Star_ collected volume (Teri S. Wood). Star*Reach clients produced a big (24" x 36"?) jam piece as a gift for CAA, featuring work by Barb Rausch, Donna Barr, Paul Chadwick, Norm Breyfogle, and others. CAA intends to auction it off next year. CAA also expects to get ads through CBG at something approaching cost. The beneficiaries of Comics Against AIDS are AMFAR, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Freddie Mercury Phoenix Trust. * Next May should see the release of AMP Comics (Andy Mangels Productions), which Andy says will be the most diverse line of comics around. AMP will be starting off with a a Civil War comic and a gay (and lesbian, I assume) super-hero anthology title. (Andy is leaning toward naming the latter "Out, Out, and Away", based on a suggestion from Sharon Cho.) He is also planning on doing some Oz comics later in 1995. AMP Comics will be funded by Andy's earnings from his Image work (_Bloodwulf_, _Troll_, _Badrock_and_Company_). * Andy is scheduled to be writing about half the issues of the first three _Badrock_and_Company_ mini-series. He was also pitching a couple of other new series to the Image folks, inclduing one I think to be named "Sentinel Force", being all gay and lesbian characters gleaned from the various other Image titles (and probably including Andy's own character, Sentinel). * The "Gays in Comics" panel this year featured Ivan Velez, Jr. (_Blood_ _Syndicate_, _Static_, _Tales_of_the_Closet_), Chris Taylor (_Darkstars_, LSH), Andy Mangels, Steve Englehart (_Strangers_, etc.), Sharon Cho (Star*Reach Productions), and Mercy Van Vlack (Evolution Comics). (Note that that is four men, two women; one presumed straight man; Chinese, Hispanic, and Black representatives; and at least four of the people into leather/bondage/S&M. B-) Andy does like to present a balanced panel. Not much out of the ordinary for this panel. It's primary purpose continues to be a "safe space" panel for gay and lesbian (and friendly) pros and fans at the convention, as well as an affirming situation. Best laugh came when Mercy plugged her leather-dyke zine, _Come_to_Momma_, and Sharon leaned over to take a closer look. Steve Englehart created Extran~o of the New Guardians back in the days of _Millennium_, and to this day apparently sees nothing wrong with the stereotypical nature of the character. ("Caricature" is more like it, given Extran~o's extreme flamboyancy.) I'm of mixed mind on the subject, given that (a) there *are* gay men like that out there, but (b) it gives an imbalanced view of the whole group when the first likeness one sees is so off the mark. (Compare to Donna Barr's _The _Desert_Peach_, which initially came off as stereotyped, but which has grown beyond that.) According to Velez, Oro (from the Shadow War crossover) will be returning to the pages of _Blood_Syndicate_ (and joining the team, er, gang). He'll be having a fling with Fade. And with Flashback. (Yep, the first openly bisexual superhero, and he's *male*! So much for the bisexual lesbian titillation factor.) Will the Ayla/Vi romance survive past _Zero_Hour_? Well, Mark Waid is reportedly not especially gay-positive. On the other hand, Sharon Cho has "asked" LSH editor KC Carlson to preserve the relationship (aka, restart it), mentioning something about "I've got a knife." * _Shaman's_Tears_ is apparently back with Image now that Axis has folded. Rumor has it that the reason the book was axed in the first place -- allegedly a hurricane destroying the colored pages -- was untrue, that the lateness was Grell's fault rather than Julia's. (I have no statement to this from either Mike or Julia, however; it is *just* hearsay and rumor.) * As Peter Coogan said, I got to be on a panel this year, at the Comic Arts Studies Conference panel; I attended the conference last year as an audience member. (I support Peter's aims with the conference and hope to attened in future years. My zine _Ciao!_ and Larry-Bob's _Holy_Titclamps_ are in some sense the queer comics press, and I like to think we are to some degree advancing queer studies in comics.) * And then there was the Black Ink Irregulars' third triumph at the trivia contest, resulting in Tom and me being barred from next year's competition. Moderator Jim Hay was done up as Two-Face for the competition; a pretty good outfit, although, authenticity would have called for some kind of a green tiny to the scarred half, I think. Should I mention that tyg *forgot* to wear his Suicide Squid shirt for the contest? Len Wein was present and was able to answer or provide verification on three or four questions, in one of which he contradicted Defiant's "Origin of the Defiant Universe." "Trust me," Len said. "I created it." Our team did quite well on the Image questions, even without Eric Stirgeon (who was, by the way, incredible; congrats on a fine showing, Eric). I chalk it up to being unable to avoid the accumulation of such knowledge, simple from off-hand comments, reading net review, and reading news articles; kind of holistic knowledge. We did get the sole LSH question correct: something to the effect of "The first issue of this crossover was mistakenly marked as the conclusion." The moderator was amazed at the speed tyg rang in on the question: "The Flash used this device to..." At least three others of us were a fraction of a second behind tyg; it wasn't that hard of a question. (The Cosmic Treadmill, for the curious.) Showing our deviousness (or cruelty), when one of the bonus categories involved FOX animation and one of our opponents was apparently skilled in that area, we chose that category first off, just to prevent the other team from possibly getting 10 bonus points for running the category. (We missed the question, incidentally, but the glares from them were worth it. B-) * Expect to see work from Andy Hartzell in an upcoming issue of _Gay_Comics_. Andy Mangels asked him to submit some work after reading Hartzell's _Walter_Ego_,_All-American_Sissy_. * At pone point, I had a miniature Andy convention at my table, when Andy Mangels, Andy Hartzell, and F. Andrew Taylor were all there at once! * Although I called _San_Diego_Update_ (a local gay paper), no reporters from them came to the convention. Several people from the Orange County _Blade_ did, however, including Kristen Enos and Lyn Chevli, who are trying to start up a new comic or two with queer content. * On the Suicide Squid front (the poem's on the back), John Ostrander reports that Alonzo Mori has apparently cut a deal with DC to buy the rights to longtime Squid supporting cast member Amanda Walrus. * At one point, Tom Galloway apparently introduced himself to Sharon Cho and invoked my name as someone they both knew. Sharon came back with the question to Tom: "Are you gay?" (C'mon, Sharon, I do know one or two straight people! Admittedly, certain facets of my preferences and Tom's looks could have contributed to Sharon's question.) * Friday night, after the convention ended, the various exhibitors in the Small Press Area got together to talk about ways to expand our sales and distribution. This was spearheaded by Ken Morcom from Evolution Comics, who has held similar panels at the Chicago and Motor City cons this year. There was some talk about forming an organization -- although the purpose of said group, beyond sharing mailing lists, was not clear -- but things apparently settled down to gathering names and addresses of people attending and forming some sort of an APA. I'm still waiting for the initial contact, from which to glean the name and address of a Central Mailer. I don't know that I necessarily expect much to come out of this. There was some talk of basing membership in the organization on "quality," but I find it too easy to discard someone of value as "low quality." Most likely, if an organization does result, it will be a core group of small publishers with more added by one sponsoring the new one and then a group vote toward letting them in or excluding them. We'll see... * Friday night was the first (un)official "Gays in Comics" dinner, organized by Tony Shenton. Fifteen of us (14 men, one woman) swamped the 50's rock-n-roll diner on the top floor of Horton Plaza. * Saturday night, Andy Mangels hosted a get-together party for queer and supportive fans and pros. It was listed in the program as "Gay Comics Editorial Summit," but it was really just a Meet-n-Greet. Andy had provided a stack of flyers for the party at my table; it was interesting to see the number of people who tried to unobtrusively "snag" a flyer without anyone noticing. And then there was the kid who was looking over the table and glanced at the flyer -- a visible shiver went through him and VOOM! he was gone. (Funny, really.) After the Party, Andy, Sharon Cho, Brad Rader, an opera-singer named Michael, and I went out to dinner, where we talked about everything from bondage sex to Crisis and Zero Hour. Michael hadn't read comics since before Crisis, so the four of us tried to explain it all too him, and we vamped from there into the havoc Crisis played with Legion continuity. Seeing the emotions (fear, confusion, outright madness) sweep over his face, I realized that maybe Crisis and Zero Hour truly were needed. Being on the inside and having been there for some time, we often don't see the full picture. * Speaking of _Zero_Hour_, while the five of us were at dinner, another group of folks -- including many of those from the Party, were off at an LSH Fans dinner. Sunday night, fifteen of us got together for what we believe to be the last Legion gathering (pre-Zero Hour). Every known Legion APA was represented. Given the number of both women and queer folks in the group (all but two or three), one person sent around the "Which three Legionnaires would you most want to 'do'?" question. (Given freedom on both sides and any era you choose.) The male Legionnaires usually turn out to be Chameleon Boy, Star Boy, Invisible Kid I, and Brainiac 5; the females tend to be led off by Princess Projectra and Dream Girl. * Perhaps the best part of the entire weekend was that, despite being so out and obvious (me, obvious? B-) at the con, there were no instances of anti-gay behavior that I noticed (except that one kid who VOOM!ed away from the table). In fact, only person came by the table and called me "fag", and that was Andy Mangels. * Special thanks to the people who worked my table or helped me out by watching it while I took bathroom breaks, etc.: Larry-Bob, Nick Leonard, Terry Moore, Kathy Li, Richard Liu, and Tom Galloway. * I scored (via gifts, trades, and a couple purchases) a whole scad of mini-comics and such. Expect reviews of the following in coming weeks: _Adventure_Strip_Digest_, _Adventures_of_A-Girl_, _Come_to_ _Momma_, _Demon_Hunters_ v2, _Demon_Hunters_Portfolio_, _Melvis_ _Pelvis_, _The_Peculiar_Saga_of_Precious_Moe_, _Penni_Dreadful_, _Primitives_, _Red_Fins_Komics_, _True_Smell_Comics_Digest_, _greymatter_, _Hands_Off!_, _S.N.A.K._Posse_, _Xiola_Preview_, _Legally_blind_Comics_, _Walter_Ego_/_Little_Carrie_Cross_, and _Don't_Shoot!_It's_Only_Comics_. * For the first time at a convention, my spending was held tightly in check. (This may because I only got to tour the floor for about three or four hours, total.) $65 spent: Angels and Visitation (2nd print), Akira soundtrack, Strangers in Paradise t-shirt, and three mini-comics. * Do I plan on having a table at next year's con? Let's see: I don't spend much money, I get to meet people who come by, I get to make money, I get to reduce my backstock, I get a place to sit, I get to provide a service both to the general comics community and to other queer publishers, I get noticed by a certain important segment of the comics community,... Sounds like a stupid question to me! I intend to have a table an APE in San Jose next year, too. And anyone who can give me a contact number for the Chicago con would be warmly welcomed. Current plans for next year include having a backing display, making the "theme" more evident and easier to find; expanding the volume of queer zines I carry, including hopefully becoming a resller for both _Tales_of_the_Closet_ and _Gay_Comics_; and having appropriate music playing at the table (I know Kathy Li and Andy Mangels will be both bringing showtunes CD's; expect anything from _Twin_Peaks_ to _The_ _Pajama_Game_!). ***** ***** ***** The following net.folks showed up at the Ciao! Publications table and claimed "NET" stickers (my apologies to anyone whose name I misspell; I can't read some of the signatures): Jim Drew, Brian Vickers, Tom Galloway, Jerry Stratton, Edward Piou, Steve Stadnicki, Pete Coogan, Sidne Ward, David Goldfarb, Kathy Li, Eric Stirgeon, Steve Zwanger, Tygger! (Lia Graf), D.A. Graf, Scott Parrish, David Sanderson, Jeffrey Koga, K. Lena Bennett, Scott Faulkner, John Sisson, Steven Addlesee, Mark Thompson, Psycho Shawn Petren (sp?), Linda Maeper (sp?), Bryan Keiper, Richard Chandler, Jeff Johnson, Laurence Roberts ("Larry-Bob"), Johan Blixt, John Glover, Wayne Wong, and Melita Kennedy. Steve Holyer also stopped by, but didn't claim a "NET" sticker. (Special thanks to all of you for stopping by. Next time, buy something. B-) And, as usual, here is my list of pros and notables who were around (whom I actually *saw*): Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Lia and Dean Graf (Tigerwing Press), Teri S. Wood (Wandering Star), Jon Lewis (True Swamp), Richard Chandler (Gallery), Lena Bennett and Scott Faulkner (Hands Off!), Larry-Bob (Holy Titclamps), Nick Leonard (Baby Split Bowling News), Pete Coogan (Comic Art Studies Conference), Donna Barr (Desert Peach), Edd Vick (MU Press), Phil Foglio (Xxxenophile), Sharon Cho (Star*Reach Productions), Andy Mangels (Gay Comics), Brad Rader (The Mark), Chris Taylor (Darkstars), Ivan Velez Jr. (Blood Syndicate), Steve Englehart (Strangers), Barb Rausch (Barbie), Trina Robbins (A Century of Women Cartoonists), Len Wein (Dark Dominion), Chris Claremont (Prudence and Caution), Fred Schiller (ex-of Majestic), Michael Davis (ex-of Milestone), Mercy Van Vlack (Evolution Comics), Ken Morcom (Good Guys), Michele Light (Shanda the Panda), Elin Winkler (Antarctic), Brian Sutton (Antarctic), Art Binninger (cartoonist for BLK magazine), Paul "Zeus" Grant, Tony Shenton (NBM), Steven Howearth (Comics Against AIDS), Mike Friedrich (Star*Reach Productions), Abby Janifer (Star*Reach Productions), Monica Sharp (Panda Khan), Mark Phillips (Northstar [a gay APA]), Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man), Mike Kaluta (The Shadow), Clayton Moore (sculptor), Shel Dorf (big-name fan), Malcolm Bourne (Tale of Ordinary Madness), R.C. Harvey (CBG columnist, etc.), Conrad Wong (furry artist), Mel. White (Duncan and Mallory), James Sturm (Savage Love), Charlie Wise (Blue Moon), Chris Marinan (Nova (?)), Elizabeth Watasin (Adventures of A-Girl), Jeff Moy (Legionnaires), Paul Guinan ("Heartbreakers" in Dark Horse Presents), James Lomax (furry writer), Jefferson Swycaffer (furry writer), Christina Hanson (Demon Hunters), Lyn Chevli (Tits 'n' Clits), Sabin Grey (Gay Video Guide Pornstar Collector Cards [I kid you not]), Dwayne McDuffie (Milestone), Kim Yale (Elfquest: ), John Ostrander (Spectre), Daerick Gross (Vampire Lestat), Ted Slampayak (Jazz Age Chronicles), Randy Reynaldo (Adventure Strip Digest), Andy Hartzell (Walter Ego/ Little Carrie Cross), F. Andrew Taylor (Penni Dreadful), Marcus Harwell (greymatter). ***** ***** ***** Next Con Report: ConFurence 6 (January); maybe SiliCon (November) ----------------------------- | "Look what I found," said one of Art's Jim Drew | friends, holding up a videotape. "I seem to [j r d] at [frame.com] | recall you looking for this for years." (Furry: Randy Puritan) | "Camelot!" said Art. "Innocent, but not naive." | "Camelot!" repeated Val. B2h t c s k g+(p) rv q p e | "Camelot!" said someone else. S8/5 g l+ y+ o+ a+ u++- j++ | "It's just a videotape," I said. {opinions: mine != frame's} | - Marc Lynx, "For Art's Sake" ------------------------------ End of COMICS-L Digest - 25 Aug 1994 to 26 Aug 1994 - Special issue *******************************************************************