Baltimore Comic Con 2013

Laughs, tears, naked commerce, wanting to punch someone in the face: it was the 2013 Baltimore Comic Con!

I always enjoy going to the BCC: it's an exceedingly well-run show, and (IMO) there's a sense of fun that permeates the whole place. Maybe it's because the show is decidedly comic book-centric, so you're not constantly besieged with mike-powered hucksters screaming at anyone and everyone to try out their stuff. Sure, everyone there is there to sell stuff and make money (myself included), but I find the BCC just an overall less intense and exhausting experience than other shows.

I was parked in Artists Alley with my long time friend Doug Slack, and set up table full of Ace Kilroy stuff, along with a Hey Kids, Comics! flyer and Aquaman Shrine business cards. From there I People Watched, eager to snap pics of some of the more captivating cosplayers:

This shot is the Alpha and Omega of superhero cosplay. Not that dressing as The Silver Surfer is easy (that's my friend, Funnybooks' Steve Conte, as Galactus' herald), but I'm betting the guy dressing as Jack of Hearts did so just because the costume is so insane.

One of my favorite bits of cosplay were these two women, dressed as characters from The Twilight Zone episode "Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?", which is my all time favorite Zone. They seemed happy that I immediately recognized who they were dressed as, and commissioned Doug to do watercolor painting of the characters, which I had the pleasure of watching as it was created.

Of course, I was doing my best to the word out about Aquaman and the Shrine (handing out business cards and buttons to F.O.A.M.ers like Cindy Healy [pictured above as Black Canary], Tim Wallace, John Schwirian, and Shawn Myers, who were nice enough to stop by my table), so I made sure to snap pics of everyone dressed as the Sea King:

...these two were particularly cute as comicdom's #1 superhero married couple (oops, maybe I spoke too soon). And even though he wasn't a F.O.A.M.er, this young lad was self-professed Aquaman fan (going so far as to ask his Dad to paint Aquaman on his bedroom wall--over the Superman painting that's there currently), so I gave him an Aquaman pin which he was proud to show off:

  

But it wasn't all just cosplay! I got to spend some time with some of my friends, like Bob Greenberger, J.M. DeMatteis, Laura Martin, Thom Zahler, Paul Storrie, and in particular Aquaman Shrine Patron Saint Paul Kupperberg (who was up for a Harvey Award!). After having lunch together, we took a tour of Artists Alley where Paul--who knows everyone--was kind enough to introduce me to a number of my favorite artists, like Tim Truman and Michael Golden (Michael Golden!). He also wore his Shrine Pin with pride:

I also gave out pins to 2/3rds of the former Aquaman art team, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, whose table was always surrounded by a throng of fans, many of them carrying Aquaman comics to be signed. Ivan and Joe are exceedingly gregarious, friendly guys; when they see an old friend they make a big deal of it and it can't help but make you feel special. (Joe also revealed a couple of things [no, not that] that may be coming down pike involving Aquaman, which was exciting to hear!)

I stopped by their table a couple of times, and when the show was wrapping up we took some pics together, in our now-patented series of Action Poses:

 

As the show wrapped up, it occurred to me that I never got to the chance to say hello to Living Legend Ramona Fradon, who was at the other end of AA. Luck would have it, she was in the elevator taking me to the parking garage. She was talking with someone so I didn't want to interrupt, but when we got off on the same floor she recognized me, said hello and asked how I was doing. I apologized for not getting the chance to stop by, and she smiled and said "Next year." Absolutely!

The Baltimore Comic Con has quickly become my Must Attend con of the year; the combination of its location, guests, and overall fun tone makes it the perfect con for an Old School comics fan like myself to immerse myself in. I plan to go back next year, possibly in an even bigger way. Stay tuned!

Special Thanks to the Baltimore Comic Con for for issuing the Shrine a Press Pass this year!