I love comic books, always have.
07/26/2008 - JJ Abrams - 2008 Comic Con International Day Three - San Diego Convention Center - San Diego, CA. USA © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
Since I was a child I have had four distinct "comic book times" in my life when I was avidly following them, separated by years in college or as an aspiring musician when for budgetary or other considerations I would leave the wonderful world of garish colors and clearly defined lines of good and evil.
Now, I'm in my forth comic book phase, and as is always the case, I feel that this is the time when comics are at their best, in terms of their complex and satisfying mature characterizations and tackling themes that the regular media won’t touch (See Rick Veitch's awesome "Army @ Love" a comic book that beat HBO's "Generation Kill" to the punch and does it with a healthy dose of satirical black humor the aforementioned TV show is sadly lacking).
I have been to my requisite share of Star Trek and Comic Book conventions in my time but of course the Kentucky Derby of them all is San Diego's Comic-Con International, so naturally I was very excited about being assigned to cover what is the largest "genre" based entertainment expo, a convention that had been born as a love-fest of comics and has grown up to be a kind of Roman Circus of all things fantasy and sci-fi in all media including "interactive media" - i.e. computer games.
So when I walked into Comic-Con on Thursday noon right through the Doors that said Exhibit Hall E for the first time in my life, I was very excited about joining in the festival and pageantry that CCI has become known for.
Silly me for actually being surprised that the first metal staircase I ascended was part of the "Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo" DVD Release Booth - to find Neil Patrick Harris giving interviews and taking fan photos.
Now I think that the "Harold and Kumar" movies are hilarious and Neil Patrick Harris was very funny every time he was on the screen for his supporting roles in each.
All of my friends who read comics like, no, LOVE the "Harold and Kumar" movies and considering that NPH is going to be taking his "Dr Horrible" character from webisodes to a new show under the direction of TA DA – Joss Whedon, the creator of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, (which currently lives on as a hit comic for Dark Horse), I guess I could see the connection making it apropos that Mr. Harris would be signing autographs.
Not so much though when it came to waiting in line to see the cast of "The Big Bang Theory" and the NBC "installation" (which is really the only way you can describe these "booths" - the sum total of which when arrayed make up a kind of public space sculpture garden of logos and video screens blaring endless loops of "30 Rock" and other TV shows and movies and soon to be released DVDs).
While many people are impressed by Hollywood's takeover of Comic-Con and view it as a legitimization of the comic book world, I was wondering if I had not gotten to Comic-Con a decade or so too late.
Until I got to the Creator Exhibits and "Artists Alley" - tucked away to one side of the first floor, where here, I realized, I had stumbled upon the real comic con I had been hoping for. And it was sweet.
Above; Jim Califiore shows off his “skillz” -photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Jim Califiore and Jack Purcell, the art team of the excellent recently published and soon to be trade paperback "Gotham Underground", written by Frank Tiere (which I have to say is one of my absolute favorite Batman stories in recent years.) were both selling signed copies of actual production pages from this fabulous comic mini-series and I was hard pressed not to go bankrupt trying to buy everything they both had.
There were so many artists and cartoonists both legendary and “up and coming” scattered around me that I became the proverbial kid in a candy shop.
Aaron Lopresti lets me take a pic with him -photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Next up I found Aaron Lopresti, the current artist, interiors and covers, of DC Comics “Wonder Woman” series, a book that is written by Gail Simone, who if I may say so is doing for the Amazon Princess what Frank Miller did for The Dark Knight, recreating the character to the point where you’d think she had invented her, mining the implied complexities inherent in the original origin story that had been glossed over for decades.
Simone’s first story arc went right for the throat from the beginning, addressing the rivalries resentments and revelations that would arise as a result of the first baby to be born in a woman’s only community.
And the monthly continues to astound with fabulous writing illustrated beautifully by Mr. Lopresti.
Michael Golden, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
I would have to put Michael Golden into the “legendary” category. An artist who I first came to admire during my second (junior high) comic book phase when he would occasionally pencil issues of Batman or Detective comics before coming into his own right with his celebrated work on “The Micronauts” and “The Nam”.
The feeling I felt when I met the actual person behind the name of some of my most cherished childhood treasures is hard to describe, a mixture of awe and bittersweet memories that I shared with him on the spot, making silly comparisons between his art and Mike Grell’s and Neil Adam’s that he took with gentle aplomb as he indulged me with wonderful reminiscences.
I cannot say enough about this gracious man and I have to give a plug to his currently available retrospective "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden" from Vanguard Publishing, and the collection pictured here, Heroes & Villains
I was happy to find that the artists and cartoonists in attendance were not limited to strictly comic book makers. Peter Kuper is the kind of figure who spans the world of original graphic story illustration and outright social commentary. Now this is the kind of branching out from traditional comics I can appreciate.
Mr. Kuper is not only the kind of original self contained artist-slash-writer that has graced the pages of Heavy Metal, but is also an acclaimed political cartoonist who’s works have appeared in The Nation and Utne Reader among others, he is absolutely perfectly suited to be the current torch bearer of the wonderful Mad Magazine feature “Spy vs Spy
I really have to give a special thank you to Kevin Eastman for providing me with my own little adventure.
Here he was, the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the man who gave something back to the community by using that fat turtle money to buy and many say revitalize Heavy Metal Magazine.
JD Seeber - ©M&C
You see, the day before I had been stunned by the work of a new (i.e. ‘unknown’) artist by the name of J.D. Seeber, who had a table on “Artists Alley" that featured a collection of beautiful depictions of women that was distinguished from the run of the mill painted babes by Mr. Seeber’s command of life like facial expressions.
When I asked this humble sweet spoken Canadian artist in what publications I could find his work, I was shocked to learn that he has yet to be published.
Kevin Eastman- ©M&C
Knowing nothing about being an artists rep or how such schmoozing would work I insisted that we had to get his portfolio in front of Kevin Eastman, who I had never met personally.
Lo and behold, when I approached K.E. “cold” exaggerating my newfound vocation and asking him to please take a look at “my artist’s” portfolio, Mr. Eastman said “sure, let me take a look” and proceeded to leaf through J.D.’s portfolio on the spot.
I couldn’t believe it, here was Mr. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Mr. Heavy Metal, and he was like a fan, unabashedly showing his delight with Seeber’s work- not only making a point of explaining to J.D. how to submit his work so that it could be showcased in the pages of HM, but also going so far as to thank ME for introducing J.D. to him!
I had found the spirit of the real Comic Con and I’m still buzzing over it!
IN OTHER NEWS:
Robert Rodriquez set to ruin "Red Sonja”
When I read the excellent Dynamite comic "Red Sonja" written by Michael Avon Oeming and usually illustrated by Mel Rubi, I always enjoy reading the entire inside cover even though the information is almost always the same, right down the the credit to Luke Lieberman for being the Editorial Consultant and a Special Thanks to Arthur Lieberman at the Red Sonja Corporation.
Which I always assume means that the powers that be at Dynamite Entertainment have to jump through a lot of hoops so that the owners of the Red Sonja character approve of and endorse every aspect of Dynamite's depiction of their intellectual property.
Apparently Robert Rodriquez didn't have to go through any of that, otherwise it is impossible to image how he could have gotten a green light for what has to be a casting decision that will be as highly regarded and successful as having Keanu Reaves play a blonde Englishman for the screen adaptation of John Constantine “HELLBLAZER” - another movie that proved once again that when Hollywood people mess with a popular comic book character the producers usually end up taking a bath at the box office.
We can only hope that the same economic justice will be visited upon everyone involved in this absurd notion to cast the waif-like Rose McGowan for the role of the original sword wielding “She Devil with a Sword” but it is sad that Red Sonja the character will be the helpless victim of blind love and apparent greed that has caused the quality control that has been so evident in the comic book to be cast aside by her copyright holders.
Oh, and some guy claiming to be script writer for “Lost” told me the reason why there will never be a wrap of the story on the TV series is because a feature film is in the works.
Ask me if I care.
See you in the funny pages.
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