Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 15:19:28 PDT
Reply-To: COMIC Writers Workshop <[COMICW L] at [UNLVM.UNL.EDU]>
From: James Drew <[j r d] at [frame.com]>
Subject: Con Report: San Diego Comic Con 1995
CON REPORT
----------
Con: San Diego Comic Con #26
Place: San Diego, California
Date: July 27-30, 1995
This convention may have been officially dubbed "Year of the Writer," but it
was "Year of the Legionnaire" so far as I was concerned, as you'll soon see.
*****
Wednesday, July 26:
Unlike last year, this year Ciao! Publications didn't have a table in the
con's Small Press Area. For whatever reason, I was way down on the waiting
list for the 20-odd spaces available. Nonetheless, I am forging ahead with
my zine publishing, and I picked up the first copies of my newest zine,
Potshots, on Wednesday afternoon. With no table space at the con, I pretty
much just gave copies out to the people whose work I had reviewed.
*****
Thursday, July 27:
With no table space, there was no need for me to be in San Diego the night
before the con (despite that it meant missing the LSH-L party), so I flew in
that morning. Landed at about 10:30, got my rental car at 11:00, checked in
at the hotel at 11:30 (although I couldn't actually get the room until later),
and headed to the convention. A quick check-in at the Pro registration table
and I headed off to find Bill Stoddard and made sure that indeed I was too
far down the wait list to hope. I was. And thus I let Mike Chary rope me
and Pete Coogan off to Horton Plaza for lunch.
After lunch, first thing was to wander down the main aisle of the convention,
toward Atlas Comics. I passed Star*Reach on the way and found that Sharon
Cho now has a mohawk. (She says it's one more reason for people to think
she's weird; it lessens the impact of her being a dyke.) Eventually ran into
Sidne Ward, Troy McNemar, Vernon Harmon, a few Interlackeys, and other net
folks.
Thursday became my day to overdose on Legion buying. Among other things, I
got the Bloodlines and Masters Series card sets; three Dune figures that I
plan to turn into Bouncing Boy, Star Boy, and Lightning Lad action figures
(it might be better as Sun Boy, but I want to do a silver arm!); several
late Adventure issues; some Jimmy Olsens; part of the JLA/JSA/LSH crossover;
a scad of early v3 issues, some of which I probably already have; and the
prize being a full set of v1 (plus an extra copy of #4) for less than $1
each. I also found the Twin Peaks trading cards, several issues from the
end of the first Outsiders series, and some mini-comics to review. I missed
the chance to pick up another copy of Amazing World of DC Comics #9 while
walking around with Sidne; we saw some guy carry off *three* copies. (We
both already have copies, but since there's always demand for something like
that...)
This afternoon was the Spotlight on the Legion panel, featuring Carlson,
Immomen, Stern, Carani, Moder, and Moy (I think; I probably got someone
wrong). No real revelations that people on the net haven't been talking
about for some time. Is Tinya dead? (My response: "Did you see Death?" B-)
Roger Stern wants to make sure that the first Mordru story gets told this
time around. Somebody in the back row piped up and claimed to be from the
Internet, but none of us in LSH-L Central (2nd row) recognized him, and he
escaped before we could check his name badge.
Thursday night, as others have reported, was Legion dinner #1, including
Carani, Moy, and Carlson from the creative team. (I had a classic burger
and a glass of two-berry ale, which Sidne likens to kool-aid.) We whomped
on the trivia contest, once everybody realized that Eric Sturgeon was
playing. (Yes, *I* know who the mother of country-western music is. Do
you?)
That evening, at the Eagle, I met a leather daddy named Ben -- yes, there is
comics content here (sheesh!) -- who happens to have been Ken Meyer, Jr.'s
model for "Miles" in the current five-issue story arc in Caliber's Kilroy Is
Here series.
*****
Friday, July 28:
Today was my grandfather's funeral, up in Long Beach. As a result, I didn't
do anything related to the convention. (We weren't all that close, but your
condolences are appreciated. Just think them; don't bother with e-mail.)
*****
Saturday, July 29:
This was panel day for me. Most of my con spoilers will lurk in this part...
First up was the Political Cartooning panel, featuring Tim Barela, Jim Groat,
R.C. Harvey, and a couple other guests. (I kind of felt compelled to attend
this panel, given that my Pro badge was based on my regularly appearing
editorial cartoon for a local gay paper.) We had to stop discussion every
few minutes to wait for applause from the Babylon 5 panel next door to die
down. The most interesting facet (to me) that came from this was when I
asked about active *female* political cartoonists: they [primarily Harvey]
only came up with two (one of whom is the current president of some political
cartoonists group), and they seemed *satisfied* by that (there's two, that's
enough).
* Item: Tim Barela told me that plans are afoot for a second collection of
his fabuolous "Leonard & Larry" strip, due next spring from Palliard.
(The third collection, if you count Gay Comix Special #1.) The book
will be titled "Leonard & Larry: Kurt Cobain and Mozart are Both
Still Dead". He also showed me the cover art, which features The
Wedding (Jewish lesbian rabbi, Elvis impersonator, and all).
Next was the Breaking into Comics as a Writer panel, featuring Paul Jenkins,
Robert Loren Fleming, Tom DeFalco, Fabian Nicieza, Dave Rawson, and Tom &
Mary Bierbaum. (Tom & Mary don't say much on these panels, pretty much only
speaking when spoken to.) (Note: I think I went to a writing panel on
Thursday, too, and may be conflating the two; no matter, as the content is
the most important part.) This was pretty much the usual "It's very hard for
writers to break in" spiel, but with a few useful tidbits:
* Editors get *lots* of stuff handed to them at conventions. When they have
to pack up and can fit either the stack of submissions or the laptop
into the carry-on, guess which gets left in the trash can? Be sure
to send a follow-up submission.
* Even after you make the first sale, the next 6-8 years will be pretty lean.
* As important as getting the editor to look at your stuff is getting the
permission to keep in contact.
* Once you get an editor looking at your stuff, don't just seek to fix what
the editor doesn't like. Find out what s/he *does* like; you can
then build on those strengths and make sure not to wipe out what the
editor liked in the first place.
* Fabian ran down a list of "Ways for a Writer to Break In" which was quite
similar to ones I've posted in the past. More or less, he said:
1. Work in a non-creative position for a company
2. Work as an artist
3. Know someone in a non-creative position
4. Know an artist
5. Collaborate (but realize that your artist might get yanked to
another project, or you might have to ditch your artist)
6. Get impressive credits elsewhere (zines, fan press, novels)
7. Sleep with someone (this may fall under #3 or #4) B-)
8. Blind submissions *do* sometimes work, but don't bet on it
* In terms of what writers can do *now*, while trying to break in, I
recommended forming a comics writers "workshop" group, much as prose
and poetry writers do. Show your work to your peers and comment on
each other's stuff; help each other out. Fabian and DeFalco agreed
that this was a great idea.
(Plug, plug: There is already an on-line workshop group, COMICW-L,
which has been going for a couple years now. Why, yes, I *am* the
moderator. Send me e-mail for more information.)
Next up was the Gays in Comics: 8 Years Running panel, with Andy Mangels,
Sharon Cho, Martha Thomases (pushing the upboming Paradox book by Howard
Cruse, _Stuck_Rubber_Baby_), Mark Phillips (of the Northstar APA), and Tim
Barela. Terry Moore was scheduled to appear, but didn't (he's not gay, but
one of his major characters, Katchoo, is; as moderator, Andy likes to have at
least one straight-but-gay-sensitive creator on each year's panel [previous
years have had Steve Englehart and Scott Lobdell, for example). This annual
panel serves several purposes: it is a "safe space" at the convention where
queer fans can meet one another, it provides an opportunity to give
information about developments of queers in comics, and it is an opportunity
to gather information about what the queercommunity does and does not want to
see in comics.
* A few years ago, a chief concern from the audience was seing more gay and
lesbian *couples* in comics. Note that Steve Englehart managed to
deliver in the final issue of Strangers, showing Spectral's other
half (who is, incidentally, visibly older than Spectral). Of course,
now that Marvel ate Malibu, don't expect to see anything more on that
front.
* The status of the assorted queer characters in _Legion_of_Super-Heroes_ is
always a topic. With most of them freshly reintroduced as teens,
Thomases said to not expect anything explicit for the youngsters in
the near future. On the other hand, Mekt Ranzz (Lightning Lord) is
older than Garth and Ayla, she said, and an adult.
* As to the Justice League situation, expect Ice Maiden to be bi, Fire to be
heterosexual, and things are still up in the air about Obsidian.
* Andy Mangels is currently working on _Gay_Comics_ #23 and #24 at the same
time; I believe he is mainly waiting on a story from Neil Gaiman and
Craig Hamilton for #23. #23's cover will be by Paul Guinan featuring
his and Anina Bennett's "Heartbreakers" characters (paramilitary
lesbian clones). Works scheduled for that issue, in addition to the
Gaiman/Hamilton piece, are an interior "Heartbreakers" story, a
"Walter Ego" story by Andy Hartzell, and a story by Marc Lynx and
John Dennis.
* Andy will be resigning as editor of _Gay_Comics_ after #25. No replacement
editor has been named, although publisher Bob Ross intends to
continue the series.
* There is talk of doing a collection of Mangel's and J.A. Fludd's "Sentinel"
stories, although the character's name would probably need to change.
* Consensus from the panelists was that Peter David's AIDS stories and gay
characters in The Incredible Hulk are despite Marvel's influence, not
because of some change at that publisher.
Fourth panel of the day was the Celebrity Trivia panel, featuring the net's
Black Ink Irregulars (Tom Galloway, yours truly, David Goldfarb, Eric
Sturgeon, and someone whose name I can't recall -- the last three were on a
rotating basis) vs. the Purple Pros (Len Wein, Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, and
Ted Elliott). The BIR triumphed (of course), 280 to 115 (although our score
keeping indicated a higher total, but we won't quibble), including us giving
the PP some 15 points. (Hey, we didn't know all four lines of "Deck Us All
with Boston Charlie", but they did, and they knew the second verse, too.
They deserved the points.) And yes, there was one Legion question: something
like "Element Lad is the only person in the universe able to create this
stargate-powering element." A challenge was set for a rematch next year, to
be limited to Silver Age topics only (Showcase #4 to Amazing Spider-Man #122
[intro of Barry Allen/Flash to death of Gwen Stacy]).
That evening was the official Interlac dinner, again at R.J. (Brande)'s
Riptide, although there was representation there from all sectors of Legion
fandom. Tom & Mary Bierbaum were there for a short while, but had to leave;
that left us with 27 people, but two of them were honorary Legion fans, so
no one had to resign for tax purposes. (Legion joke) Yummy waiter Chris
played along as we each stood up, told our name, our favorite Legionnaire,
and gave our order. (Star Boy [with a fondness for False-Pretenses Lad] and
the fresh fruit plate [something "light"], that was me.) Attending from the
net were, um, me, Sidne Ward, Mike Chary (and his friend "Rob"), Michael
Grabois, Greg Morrow, and Troy McNemar. (Okay, Mike and Greg didn't *really*
attend the dinner, but they were supposed to. Because Sidne and I were the
only netters there who had seen them, we decided to play it as a hoax that
they weren't really at the con; I think Michael and Troy still believe that
the Chicago Hoax was that they (and Mike Kelly, and "Rob") were at San Diego.
*****
Sunday, July 30:
Last day at the con. Time to spend my last bits of money. Among other
things was a photorealistic print of a tatooed guy in handcuffs from Ken
Meyer, Jr., soon to go on my wall next to the stag furry in bondage that I
bought from Terry Smith at ConFurence in January.
Speaking of art, San Diego always hosts a great little art auction, with a
lot of the pieces done at the show, on stage. In know Moy did one of
Andromeda and Carani did an Ultra Boy, but I didn't get to bid on either one.
Additionally, Star*Reach clients did a jam piece to be auctioned off by
Friends of Lulu; Moder did a Cosmic Boy for the jam.
A note left at Star*Reach sent me scurrying over to the Einstein Comics area,
where I spent an hour or more talking to Dorothy Lindman, another person on
COMICW-L. It seems Einstein had been having problems with the con staff:
they refused to announce the signings at the Einstein booth (including people
like Eddie Campbell, who wasn't even scheduled to *be* at the con), although
other booth signings were announced; and they had problems with security,
especially when security tried to move a signing line because it was blocking
the Einstein tables (!) (and was right where Einstein wanted it to be: going
past every other small press creator at the booth on the way to Jeff Smith,
thus exposing lots of people to lots of comics).
The big miss of the day, though, was a real live copy of Adventure #247 (only
the second one I've actually seen) for only $150. Alas, Michael Grabois was
already pondering buying it. I nudged him about it and threatened to buy it
when I came back from lunch if he hadn't by then. He did. Damn. (Of course,
if I had been thinking right, I would have offered $200 on the spot and
probably got it. And a later tragedy would have been averted, to boot...)
At the DC booth, Vernon was wearing his Wildfire outfit when Sidne hoaxed him
with the fake Chicago Hoax. He had believed that the four were at the con
and he blew up. Literally. (Great imitation of Wildfire, that.) Made an
awful mess, but most of it was in the Marvel booth; no great loss.
That evening was the non-Legion dinner (despite the presence of me, Johanna,
Michael, and Vernon [all cleaned up, post-explosion B-], and even Lee Moder
in another group at the same restaurant). We thus *didn't* go to Riptide
but instead ventured to Galaxy (aka Hamburgers of Nine Worlds) at Horton
Plaza across from Fast Food of All Planets. (I had a Mercury burger and a
choco-banana shake.) Alas, so did Vernon, and that's where tragedy struck:
as the waitress was bringing the shakes, Michael had his copy of #247 out
(to check on something in the coloring). She tripped, and you can imagine
the rest. Locking it and Vernon in the bathroom did no good (he has a talent
with Italian women and wine, but not comics and ice cream, apparently), nor
did my off-hand comment about the Ice Cream Parlor of Nine Worlds (in the
comic) really serving up those shakes.
*****
Monday, July 31:
No con stuff today. I just flew home.
*****
Next year:
Sadly, due to the Republican National Convention being in San Diego next
year, the con has been pushed back to July 4th weekend (same place it was in
1991, as I recall). Alas, I've had that weekend shceduled since at least
Janurary, 1993, for a square dance convention in San Francisco. (Hey, when
one of your annual family reunion type things conflicts with the other, you
go to the one that has no other alternatives and happens to be local to where
you live, right?) As a result, I won't be attending the 1996 San Diego
convention (nor the Comic Art Studies Conference, which managed to come back
to San Diego just when I can't attend). (And I'll miss the Silver Age trivia
conpetition. Bwaaaah!)
Instead, I plan to attend the Chicago Comic Con! I'm starting to plan now
for table space (maybe even a booth?) at Chicago, plus the local culprits of
Wonder Con and APE III. Watch for further announcements...
***** ***** *****
As usual, here is my list of pros and notables who were around (whom I saw):
Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise)
Lia "Tygger" Graf (Tigerwing Press)
Teri S. Wood (Wandering Star)
Jon Lewis (True Swamp)
Pete Coogan (Comic Art Studies Conference)
Edd Vick (MU Press)
Phil & Kaja Foglio (Palliard Press)
Sharon Cho (Star*Reach Productions)
Andy Mangels (Gay Comics)
Len Wein (???)
Kurt Busiek (Astro City)
Roger Stern (Superman)
Ted Elliott (Sandman movie script)
Brian Sutton (Antarctic Press)
Matt High (Antartcic Press)
Tony Shenton (NBM)
Lee Marrs (Indiana Jones)
Bill Koeb (???)
Abby Janifer (Star*Reach Productions)
Mark Phillips (Northstar [a gay APA])
Ken Meyer, Jr. (Kilroy Is Here)
Joe Pruett (Negative Burn)
B.C. Boyer (Hilly Rose)
Tim Barela ("Leonard & Larry")
Paul Guninan ("Heartbreakers")
Neil Gaiman (Sandman)
Matt Wagner (Grendel)
Lee Moder (Legion of Super-Heroes)
W.C. (Cory) Carani (Legionnaires)
K.C. Carlson (Legion editor)
Jeff Moy (Legionnaires)
R.C. Harvey (CBG columnist)
Conrad Wong (Pawprints)
Jim Groat (Graph-X Press)
Elizabeth Watasin (Adventures of A-Girl)
Brian Fink (High Speed Dirt)
Christina Hanson (Das Bauhaus)
Sabin Grey (Gay Video Guide)
Richard Pini (Warp Graphics)
Daerick Gross (Bloodwulf)
Randy Reynaldo (Adventure Strip Digest)
Mike Richardson (Dark Horse Comics)
Tom & Mary Bierbaum (Dead Kid)
Paul Jenkins (Hellblazer)
Tom DeFalco (Fantastic Four)
Fabian Nicieza (Two-Gun Kid)
Al Gordon (ex-LSH)
Martha Thomases (DC marketing)
Robert Loren Fleming (ex-Ambush Bug)
Chuck Melville (MU Press editor)
Dave Rawson (Chiaroscuro)
Sarah Dyer (Action Girl)
Jeff Smith (Bone)
Steve Saffel (???, now editor at Del Rey Books)
And lots of people I forgot...
The following were evidently present (based on what others told me, or other
direct evidence), but I never saw them:
Donna Barr (Desert Peach)
Eddie Campbell (Bacchus)
Barb Rausch (Barbie)
***** ***** *****
Next Con Report: ConFurence 7 (January)
***** ***** *****
For anyone who bothered to read this far, there was a San Diego Hoax, and I
was in on it. (Unless I'm lying. B-)
------------------------------
| We passed booth after booth selling food:
Jim Drew | gyros, lumpia, falafel, barbecued chicken,
[j r d] at [frame.com] | Polish sausages, Philadelphia cheesesteak, tofu
"Two-Stepping Smurf" | burritos, fresh squeezed organic fruit juices,
<neither innocent nor naive> | frozen yogurt, beer, beer, beer,...
B2h+ t e cd s k g+(p) rv q p | "Buffalo?" I said, pointing to one.
S8/5 g l+ y+ o+ a+ u++- j++ | "Tastes like chicken," Ron replied.
{opinions: mine != frame's} | - Marc Lynx, "Awl's Fare"