The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: Cons, Shows, Events



By Tom Spurgeon

* it's a full weekend, although not one based around any big show or grouping of shows -- it's like one of those lunches with a house full of people where everyone is snacking in the kitchen off and on over a two-hour period. You should roll down the page to the "forthcoming" section to see if there's anything near you. It used to be that comics convention clustered around holiday weekends a bit, but that's not the case anymore at all.

* so Comic-Con International announced via e-mail that they're reserving the right to have security check the passes as people enter the hall -- including matching what's on the pass to a photo ID. That sounds like a potential tough move in terms of execution, so let's hope it's not done in an over-the-top way -- there's a good chance this is a "we can do this" legal protection move as opposed to a "we're going to do this" announcement. I can't complain about the convention making such moves given how much I abused the system in the past when these precautions weren't in place. I also have some sympathy for their protecting the validity of their passes given that their commitment to San Diego makes for a situation where there are fewer passes than people that want them, and a lot of people that have them likely want them to be honored and not steal-able.

* here's an event I hadn't heard about at all before getting a physical flyer in the mail this week along with a NoBrow book: the East London Comics and Arts Festival. It's in June, same weekend as the small press event in Chicago. Hey, sounds good to me.

* that good man Bart Beaty wrote in to note that for the very first time in his memory, Angouleme will spill over into February. It will end February 3. January, February, I have got to get over there.

* since a few of you have asked: I look at events like this forthcoming Grant Morrison-oriented con the same way I look on people paying $1500 for special access Madonna concert tickets. It's so far removed from what I like about such things that I can't imagine spending my money in that direction, but I get it for certain people, and if I had a money tree in my backyard I'm sure I'd sort of enjoy the experience.

* there's a mainstream-oriented show in Houston this weekend I hadn't heard about at all, so I'll mention it here. I have no sense of the Texas comics culture, although that's a traditionally strong one.

* the Heroes Con guest list is rounding into shape. The Immonens are going to be there; they're great guests. My all-time favorite comics-maker Jaime Hernandez will be in attendance. Dave Cooper, Roger Langridge, Evan Dorkin, Stan Lee, Sergio Aragones, a ton more; that's a loaded show.

* the Kids Read Comics show will have a selection of free comics.

* I am of the counter-to-conventional-wisdom belief that Chicago is our best eating city, based on its strength with cheap eats. Sarah Becan points out some favorites for potential visitors to CAKE. I imagine the comments section on that one will be worth reading, too.

* finally, it's more than likely that 25 years from now the time someone brought a giant barbecue grill to Comic-Con International will be some middle-aged person's quaint memory of how things used to be.
 
posted 5:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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