Creativity,chaos and colorful delights at the NYC Comic Con of '08

It was a very busy weekend for those who took part in the NYC Comic Con,including my sister Stephanie and the folks at Free Lunch Comics. She and a number of other FL artists appeared at their booth and even did some commissioned artwork for Comic Con attendees.

Stephanie's Original Nutty Funsters book,A List of Grievances,made it's debut at the Con,and received quite a bit of praise there. Steph also decided to add a special"prize" in each of her signed copies,which I won't give away except to quote her hint to one interested customers as "something to help you with your Netflix list."



Another fun bonus for my sis was the opportunity to be interviewed by ComiXology,for a podcast that will be on their website later this week. She also introduced me to many of the people at Free Lunch and they are not only smart and funny but a very supportive group of artists and comic book enthusiasts as well. My sister is in fine company indeed!



There was plenty to see and do at the Con,not only at the booths but within the crowds. I saw several Ghostbusters,Boba Fetts and Princess Leias on the floor,along with the usual officially costumed characters. Here's a sample of those who really wanted to be seen:

HEY,DO YOU HAVE JUNO'S NUMBER?



WAIT UP,MISTER J!



HELLO,NURSE!





I was able to attend a few panel discussions and one of the best ones was for an upcoming anthology entitled Who Can Save Us Now?,which will be out in paperback this July. Owen King and John McNally,who co-edited and contributed stories to the book were there,along with Chris Burnham,who did original illustrations for every story.

As you can tell by the title,Who Can Save Us Now? is all about superheroes,with a variety of writers(including one of my favorites,Jennifer Weiner) and interesting takes on the whole genre.


King and McNally both read selections from their stories and took questions from the audience,which had an unexpected guest sitting amongst us. Austin Grossman,who wrote Soon I Will Be Invincible,was there and not only asked a few questions but gave King and McNally signed copies of his book as well(I so have to read that book,it sounds amazing).

I went to the Simon and Schuster booth afterwards and picked up a copy of the sampler for WCSUN?,which all three panelists signed for me. Keep an eye out for the book this summer,and check out the short story contest that the publisher is running,which will grant the winner a chance to have his/her superhero tale added to the E book version,along with a Nintendo Wii.



Other writers appearing at the Con included Naomi Novik,the author of the Temeraire series and Sherrilyn Kenyon,who has written several paranormal titles. Both ladies gave me a signed copy of their work and were charmingly pleased to meet everyone.

I have to confess that I was a bit more jazzed about meeting Novik,since I have read the first couple of books in her series and only know about Kenyon thru word of mouth. I will give the book that I received,Seize The Night,a chance while waiting for the new Novik novel to come out,I promise!


I was lucky enough to attend a preview panel for the film adaptation of Will Eisner's classic hero,The Spirit,which is due out in 2009. Frank Miller wrote and directed the movie and was on the panel,along with Eva Mendes(she plays Sand Saref,a feisty jewel thief)and two of the producers.

Miller was great and I wish more of the folks in the audience had better questions for the panel instead of asking Eva Mendes for her phone number(what reality do you live in,guys,duh!)and showering endless praise upon Miller.

Don't get me wrong,Miller deserves props but Q&A means Question and Answer,guys. Give and take,not just rattling away there! Before the panel started, the audience was given an extra special treat from DC Comics;an early exclusive look at the newest Batman:The Dark Knight trailer that will be online in two weeks. While I can not reveal what was in the Dark Knight trailer on pain of death,I can atleast show the teaser for The Spirit. This is definitely one major reason to look forward to next year:





While there are so many tales to tell from our Comic Con trip,I must pause for now. We did have a wonderful time and I hope that everyone else who was there had as much fun and golden opportunities as we did. I was glad to check out more of the panels this time,altho the discussions didn't get as rowdy as this: