From: [rick kla] at [news.eden.com] (Rick Klaw)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,alt.comics.alternative
Subject: SDCC
Date: 9 Aug 1994 08:04:24 -0500

Here's some of my refelections of this years SDCC (and expo).

I arrived in San Diego early Monday afternoon after 3 days in Dallas for 
the DFF.  The weather compared to Texas was beautiful.  (100 when I left 
TX and 65 in SD).  I was with Ben Ostrander, publisher of Mojo Press, and 
Darrin LeBlamc, the art director on my anthologies CREATURE FEATURES and 
WEIRD BUSINESS (both from Mojo).  On Monday we set up our booth for the 
expo and then wandered around the convention center.  The first thing you 
noticed was the DC set up.  It was huge with a 30 ft tall TV screen.  The 
next most impressive setups belonged to Techno-comix (with a TV screen 
and VR machines) and Silver Moon with a movie set of an ancient temple.  
For me the biggest wastes of money were the boring Marvel and Valiant 
displays (kind of reflective of the industry as a whole).  I forgot to 
mention the Youngblood spaceship.  That night we went to see THE MASK, 
which I enjoyed.

The next day the Expo opened and we found ourselves next to Pennthouse 
Comix.  (BTW, there will be OMNI COMIX next year.)  At first we thought 
this was a good thing, but as the Expo and con dragged on we learned 
otherwise.  The Penthouse guys were VERY obnoxious.  Thought when the 
pets came visiting we did get a nice view.

The Expo itself went very well for us.  Sold a bunch of CREATURE FEATURES 
to retailers and there was lots of interest in WEIRD BUSINESS and TELL 
TALE HEART & OTHER WORKS (a Poe collection duh!).  For the unintiated, WB 
is going to be a 300+ page hardcover comics anthology edited by me and 
Joe R. Lansdale featuring stories by some of the big names in horror and 
SF including John Bergin, Ambrose Bierce, Robert Bloch, Poppy Z Brite, 
Nancy Collins, Charles DeLint, Phil Hester, Edgar Allan Poe, Howard 
Waldrop, Bill Willingham, and Roger Zelazny.  (E-mail your snail mail 
address and I'll send you a flyer.)  WB will be shipping in March or 
April of '95.  The Poe book is shipping in June '95.

Got lots of free stuff at the Expo including previews to several 
DC/Vertigo and Topps books.  The Expo was fun.

Tuesday night we went out to eat with the guys from Adhesive 
Media/Comics.  Nothing like traveling 2000 miles to go out with people 
that you live in the same town with you.

Wednesday we all went out again and I ran into Edd Vick, the publisher of 
MU/Aeon Press.  We chatted business.  Edd was the publisher of my first 
comics work WINGS (good luck trying to find that one...)  It looks like 
I'll be writing another books for him under his Aeon imprint if I ever 
get the time.

On Thursday the hell they call the SDCC started.  Again there was great 
interest in WB.  That was interesting since the main thrust of our 
advertising is going toward the SF/horror market and not the comics 
market.  I ran into Marie Javins and finally got to meet Lou Stathis (in 
person).  Dave Dorman and I discussed his upcoming cover for WB and I had 
dinner with Ted Naifeh.  That night was the big Mojo Press/Adhesive Press 
party.  The purpose of that was to have a good time and to let the world 
know that there comics coming out of Texas.  (At least four companies 
from Central Texas had tables/booths.  Mojo and Adhesive Media had 
booths.  Adhesive Comics, Maverick Studios, and Absolute Comics all had 
tables in the small press area.)  The party went well and I finally got a 
chance to meet Ed Brubaker and to visit with Javins and Stathis.

Friday at the con was pure hell.  I was tired from the night before and 
it was busy.  I did get a chance to talk to Batton Lash about the 
Archie/Punisher x-over (BTW, it's great!  Probably the best company 
x-over ever.) and to Micheal T. Gilbert about MR MONSTER, which is 
looking for a new publisher.  Went out to dinner with a friend from LA 
and went to bed early.

Saturday was even busier but not as bad as Friday since I was well 
rested.  Met with Marc Paoletti who is publishing SYSTEM SHOCK (Tuscany 
Press).  For #2, I adapted a Joe Lansdale short story and Marc has a 
story in WB.  Also, found a copy of LONE RANGER & TONTO #1, which sold 
out very fast at the con.  BTW, it's as good if not better than JONAH 
HEX.  Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison came by the table to discuss 
Lansdale.  Actually, Ennis talked and Morrison stood in the background 
and brooded.  Ennis is a huge Lansdale fan and wanted to meet him.  They 
each got a book and I gave Ennis Lansdale's address.  I ate dinner with 
Ben and Darrin and then went to the god awful Fantagraphics/Verotica 
party.  I stayed for all of 15 minutes and went back to the room and 
watched the end of the Angels game.

Sunday was a nice day.  Things were slower and we sold more books.  I 
talked to Jerry Prosser at length about how to market WB and his upcoming 
run on ANIMAL MAN.  I had lunch with Lou Stathis.  Lou's a really nice 
guy.  Lou will be editing a PHANTOM STRANGER series starting 
August/September 1995 and has taken over HELLBLAZER.  I met with the 
Silver Moon people about writing for them and we packed up.  Sunday night 
we took it easy and had dinner with the guys from Austin.

Monday after 10 days of conventions (3 in Dallas and 7 in San Diego), I 
came home.

When I feel up to it, I'll tell you about some of the cool stuff I got 
there including comics from Black Eye, Aeon, and cheap bins.

later...

rick klaw ([rick kla] at [eden.com])