Comic stores don’t run a lot of sales in general: most have something along the lines of an anniversary sale and then something after Christmas. For the past few years my family has made a trip to Toronto on December 26th to see what’s on sale.  My wife goes to children’s clothing stores and I make a circuit of comic stores.  This year I went to Labyrinth, Beguiling, BMV and Silver Snail.  Here’s my haul.

Discounts varied greatly but deals were available at every store.  The Beguiling had 20% off most things, a 50% off table and $1 door crashers. I was shocked to see Captain Easy Vol. 1 and The Manara Library Vol. 1 on the 50% off table; top-notch material. Labyrinth Books had 40% off graphics novels if you bought three or more, but it was limited to certain items. They had a stack of Marvel Omnibus’ in that 40% off group which really surprised me. BMV had 10% off everything, which when combined with their normal 50-60% off was the best deal for me.  Silver Snail had 40% off everything and 60% off back issues, plus had the longest checkout line.

I didn’t pick up anything that was on my “must have” list, since those items I buy at my local comic shop.  These were things I wanted to read but didn’t want to pay anywhere near regular price for. We’ve all had books that seemed like something we wanted to read but never got around to buying, and that’s most of my stack.

Watching The Watchmen was one of those concept books that I would never shell out for, but how can you go wrong for $1.  Same goes for Shazam Greatest Stories Every Told, RED and The Green Woman.  Popeye, The Comics and those Modesty Blaise volumes were all 60-75% off cover. It’s hard to pass up out of print volumes that spark a faded memory, like those old Humanoids volumes and Terminal City. Great reads at very low prices; if they turn out to be not so great I won’t feel too bad.

A really great interview.  Henderson felt comfortable opening a comic shop now that people weren’t embarrassed to be buying them.  He sold a Batman #1 for $250 and was seeing Superman #1 going for up to $300.  Yikes!

The shop is packed full of golden age material, just sitting on racks.  No comic bags or boards, everything out in the open ready to be handled.

Take a look at that giant shelf of fanzines.  It’s hard to remember in this age of the internet how plentiful and diverse the fanzine era was.

Check out that new comic shelf, loaded down with issues of X-Men.  Crazy.  Take notice that the walls are covered in original artwork.

Back issue bins crowded with silver age material.  Condition doesn’t seem to be a concern for any of the books in the shop.

Unfortunately comic shops the world over seem to suffer the same clutter issues today as Henderson did fourty years ago: books piled everywhere, walls covered in merchandise.

As an aside, was television still black and white in 1970?  Can you believe how Canadian everyone sounds?

Marvel EiC Axel Alonso argues against pirating comic books at the company's "Next Big Thing" panel at Fan Expo on Aug. 28.

Marvel Comics announced two new titles for its CrossGen imprint slated for release in the near future.

In December, CrossGen will be the home to a new Kiss Kiss Bang Bang four-issue limited series, featuring star writer Peter Milligan at the helm.

Marvel’s Director of Communications Arune Singh told a packed crowd at the company’s “Next Big Thing” panel at Fan Expo on Aug. 28 that if you want a good, fun comic book with good-looking women and buff guys, this is the series for the you.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, originally a five-issue ongoing series published between Feb. and June 2004, was written by Tony Bedard and pencilled by Mike Perkins. The series starred Charles Basildon, a spy working for MI6 in a 1960s James Bond styled landscape. The series indulged the cultural dynamics of that period and featured the title character travelling to exotic locations with 1960s styled action and sex. The re-imagined series will also feature Roman Rosanas on art.

The second new series Marvel announced at Fan Expo is a re-imagined Route 666, which will feature Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s writing, while Peter Nguyen will join Sacasa on the title as artist for the four-issue limited series. The series’ first issue will launch in February 2012.

Associate Editor Sana Amanat described the series as a horror/crime mystery that takes place along the infamous Route 666 highway that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles, adding the tone of the series is a little X-Files meets Happy Days.

“There’s going to be a little bit of shock, horror, mystery and suspense,” she said. “It’s really a beautifully written, interesting story.”

Singh said Marvel couldn’t be happier that they’re able to transcend the stereotypes of comic books and offer a broader scope of stories, believing the comic book medium is much more than superheroes.

“We couldn’t be happier with what we have, we want to have something for everybody,” he said of Marvel’s desire to reach a broader audience with books from its Icon and CrossGen imprints. “We’re looking to bring different readers in and CrossGen has been good to us.”

Additional Notes

Marvel editor Sana Amanat looks on as Marvel's Director of Communcations Arune Singh answers a fan's question.

• The panel spoke about their “Season One” line of comics, which will feature early stories about the X-Men, Daredevil and Spider-Man. “They are ways to introduce readers to the characters,” said Singh.
• Kelly Sue DeConnick spoke about her work on the forthcoming Castle graphic novel, a trade focusing on characters created on ABC’s hit television series starring Nathan Fillion, Castle. The book will delve into the idea that Castle’s latest muse on the television show, Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic on the series, has always been the voice in his head. The characters will not bear the likenesses of Katic or Fillion, but they’ve tried to channel their personalities as best they could. In an attempt to cross-promote, DeConnick joked it’s a great graphic novel for anyone who’s a fan of Firefly.
• The panel said 2012 will be a big year for the X-Men, adding that Fear Itself, Schism and Children’s Crusade all are intentionally ending at the same time so they can get their “ducks lined up” in a row as the X-Men expand out into the greater Marvel Universe. “If you’re a fan, these are three big events that really have a pay-off,” said Alonso.
• The Runaways will not have another series in the near future, but characters from the rag-tag group of teens will be popping up across the Marvel universe. The panel specifically mentioned the Bendis penned  Moon Knight series which will feature Wolverine’s son Daken arriving in Los Angeles, where the Runaways also happen to call home.
• A fan asked whether there were plans to expand the Ultimates universe, to which Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso replied that they want to keep it trimmed for the moment.
• Alonso made a point of addressing comic book pirating, stating that if fans love a series, they should go out and buy the issues. Pirating is what is getting books cancelled.
• There are no plans for a new Nick Fury centric series, now with Secret Warriors coming to an end. Senior Vice-President, Creative and Content Development C.B. Cebulski said fans should keep an eye out for both Daisy and Fury, as they’ll be popping up in books across the Marvel comic book line.

Fans line up at Fan Expo 2011, some of them on weary feet already.

You could tell organizers were concerned about the masses. Fan Expo 2010, also held at the Toronto Convention Center, made headlines not because of comic related announcements, but because of swelling crowds resulting in unhappy Expo-goers.

This year event staff is making sure crowds are hurdled through mazes of ropes in a civilized fashion. But, there are still crowds.

Beyond that – comics, posters, manga, handmade wares and artist reproductions are all laid out for perusal. Some big names have also descended to Toronto to both greet fans and make announcements.

Check out my survival guide for how to survive Fan Expo 2011 this weekend.

1. Bring a backpack or wear a fannypack so your hands are free.

Keep hands free to go through piles like this.

2. Bring a bottle of water so you don’t end up spending $3 or more on a bottle. If you do end up breaking a bill on water, save the bottle for refills.

3. Wear comfortable shoes: you’re going to be on your feet all day.

4. Prepare to stand in line. Mitigate this by planning who you want to see. Go to panels 30 minutes prior or earlier depending on who’s speaking. Check out the vendor list for some hot buys.

5. Don’t forget to check out artist alley – save a few bucks on original prints, handmade goodies and commissioned prints. Don’t forget your local artists!

Artist Alley is the perfect place to see young North American artists showcase their favorite superheroes.

6. We all know Fan Expo is about shopping. If you can bring small bills so vendors are not scrambling for change. It will also enable you to barter for items without showing how much dough you’re actually pocketing.

7. Pack a few high protein snacks like almonds to keep energy levels high. Stay away from sugary candies or cola to avoid a sugar crash. Drink water instead of coffee to avoid dehydration.

8.  Take the TTC so you don’t have to worry about parking or getting a ticket.

9. Wear comfortable and light clothing, keeping in mind the convention center is air-conditioned.

10. Bring your camera – there are lots of sights! (Don’t forget to charge the battery the night before).

Star Wars toys, Star wars cotumes, droids - you name it - the Force is at Fan Expo.

11. Feel free to dress up like your favorite superhero, video game character or manga character. Embrace your inner nerd and let your freak flag fly.

12. Embracing your inner nerd means busting out the spiral notebook with all the issues your missing.

All photos courtesy of Alexa Tomaszewski.

Doing a quick scan of the room, there were a few faces that I recognized including Ramon Perez, Scott Chantler and Francis Manapul. Cornering Francis and hoping that the beer would loosen his tongue a little, I asked him a couple questions about his upcoming work as the writer and the artist on the Flash reboot which will occur after the events of Flashpoint take place. He’s currently working on the second issue right now but when he did the pitch for the series; he had about two years worth of story plotted out. Whether or not he will get all the way to the end we’ll have to see. As for the massive DC universe reboot, Francis compared it to the recent Star Trek reboot with all of the previous stories and continuity still having occurred but new creative teams are able to cherry pick elements to bring into the new universe. Like how Batman Incorporated concept makes its way through the transition.

The awards ceremony was relatively quick, with Francis Manapul winning Best Artist, Scott Chantler for Comics for Kids, Tin Can Forest for Outstanding Cartoonist, John Martz for the Gene Day award, Fiona Stapes for Outstand Comic Cover artist, Julie Roucheleau for Outstanding Colourist, as well as Planete BD winning the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Retailer award and Koyama Press being honoured with Outstanding Publisher. After the ceremony, I had a chance to flip through some of the books put out by Koyama Press and Baba Yaga and the Wolf by Tin Can Forest looks amazing. I’ll have to check around for a copy or find someone willing to part with theirs. Other interesting news tidbits I heard while at the party was that all proceeds of issue 2 of the TCW’s Holmes Inc. series will be donated to the Shuster Awards, so make sure you support both of these Canadian comic institutions and pick up a copy.  The JSA and the TCW will be hosting another industry night on August 12^th that will serve as launch parties for Kill Shakespeare #12 as well as J Bone’s DC Retroactive Wonder Woman the 70’s issue.

The Shuster and TCW events are great fun and an easy way to interact with some of the local artists and writers. The next time they hold an event, do yourself a favour and stop on by.

Comic Book Daily attended in force last year and determined two days was really all the show needed: I could see tumbleweeds blowing through the Direct Energy Centre Friday night.  Saturday and Sunday were booming so it seems they took our advice and dropped Friday from the show.

Some guests have been listed and while it’s a long way off and Wizard World Toronto has gained infamy for guests cancelling I’m excited to see Jock on the list.  He’s a fabulous artist and one I haven’t seen at a show before; possible first appearance in Canada.

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I’m a little more excited this year then last year for a few reasons.

This year, myself along with my podcast co-host, Adam Grant, are trying to make it out to slightly more diverse conventions then we’ve been to before, namely the Canadian GI Joe Convention (we haven’t been cleared for press passes as of this writing but we are going to attempt going).  We’ve never done a convention with that specific a theme and it’s a chance for us to branch out.  I’m curious how this will be different the other shows; I know parts of it like the cosplay and dealers will be similar but will this be a more intense breed of fan?

Secondly, Fan Expo’s line up for comic book guests is incredibly solid this year… well at least for me.  I tend to be a fan of writers as opposed to artists so my main attractions are Azzarello, Hickman and Aaron as well as Jeff Smith. I must also mention that I may have to have a long chat with Joe Kubert about my Sgt Rock in space idea.

I know if you read my columns my opinion on Hobbystar and their cons can get a little confusing.  Certain columns, you might think I down right despise them and other columns it looks like I’m sucking up.  The truth is neither.  At the heart of all of my columns, I’m a fan.  I love comics and my first convention was ran by Hobbystar out in Pickering.  Do I agree with their politics and policies? A lot of the time, no.  Do I think the people who are booking the guests are doing their best to serve the fans? Yes.

Yes, even media people get fanboyish. Alex Ross signing a bunch of books for me.

The guest bookers have a very tough job. Take a few of the columnists for Comic Book Daily. My tastes in comics run fairly main stream and I tend to like great writers. Scott VanderPloeg likes a lot of classic comic material and European comics. Pete DeCourcy likes a bit of everything especially crime. Ed Campbell likes mainstream comic with a focus on GI Joe.  Now… make us all happy.

With a budget.

Not as easy as it sounds.

And that’s what I think a lot of the complainers forget.  You can’t please everyone but to be fair, there is a lot at this year’s Fan Expo to like. Between the Artist’s Alley and the main comic guests, there really is something for everyone. Not to mention the fine folks at Comic Book Daily will be in attendance.  Pete and I will be drawing and inking respectively. While our comic isn’t out yet…or even real for that matter, Pete did describe it as the “Pet Sounds of comic books.”

Don’t you want to get on the ground floor of that non-existent house?

We may even have something before the next issue of Image United comes out.

The third thing I’m excited about this convention season is a little thing called The Toronto Nerd Mafia.

Over the past couple of years of going to these shows, as a small time media guy, I tend to run into a lot of the same people a these shows. For example, Eli Green from Lazyreviewzz and I met at the Fan Expo where I was first considered press.  Adam couldn’t make it on time and Eli was kind enough to show me the ropes of the press pass (it’s almost magical I tells ya!).  Since then we’ve spotted each other at various other shows and share a polite nod or conversation.  Apparently a few other people noticed the same thing and thus an association of sorts was born.

It’s an interesting mix of podcasters, authors, bloggers, tv people, radio people, comedians and everything in between who are all, for lack of a better term, part of the GTA area nerd media.  We get together about once a month for a pub night and talk, cross promote, share info and war stories and it’s all fairly friendly. And as it turns out, a fair amount of us are going to a fair amount of the conventions.

So this year I’ve got a leg up and believe this con season will be awesome. I’ve got people to talk to in the press room.  People to share  info with like who is worth talking to and who isn’t doing interviews. I’ve even got people who will help me up when I get drunk and lose my pants…right guys? Guys?

I was happy to see Fantagraphics set up along with Drawn & Quarterly, the two big non-superhero comic publishers.  You get a chance at a show like this to thumb all the books and get a feel for what’s new and current.

Of course the big draw is to interact with your favourite creators and this show was no exception.  I spotted Darwyn Cooke outside and we had a nice chat about upcoming projects, IDW’s Scott Dunbier and comic flippers.  He asked me not to publish our conversation other than to say there are some juicy extras with the Parker Martini Edition and he hates selling original artwork at shows to eBay flippers.

Another wonderful opportunity presented itself for me to chat up Michael Cho.  He had a good-sized table of fan favourite prints available but I was able to pick up his cover to The Best American Comics 2010 that I’ve been admiring since he posted it on his blog.  I love the grim determination on his face as he rescues items from the bonfire.

I brought along a few books to get signed but ended up forgetting quite a few.  Seth was present and sketched in every book; we chatted while he worked and I found him gracious and appreciative of his fans.  Look at those great sketches!  Decided to get one for my son while I was there.

My other big visit was to Paul Pope.  There was a bit of a line but that was because he was sketching for everyone, plus sharing with his fans: intelligent engaging conversation.  Anthony Falcone was with me throughout the day and was gracious enough to get an additional sketch for me.  Plus I received some crazy sketches in the books I brought to get signed: the one on the left was something Pope saw Toth used to add to works so he decided to keep the tradition alive.

I wasn’t able to attend Saturday as it was Free Comic Book Day but I did hear about the crushing crowds.  Sunday was busy but still easy to navigate and experience the show.  Unfortunately a lot of product around the room sold out Saturday but I really didn’t come to buy anything anyway.

It was interesting to see creators signing and sketching for free, another big difference from more mainstream show.  The overall atmosphere seemed friendlier and more relaxed, in part because of its location: the library is far nicer than any concrete convention center.

Remember that interview I coyly mentioned in my tweets or that thing I said I was researching on but couldn’t give more details on?  Here’s an insider look at how things are set up for interviews and how they can change in a second.

The Beginning

Last week through using a very nice contact, I managed to get a hold of Geof Darrow.

Now for those of you who aren’t too sure who he is, first of all, SHAME ON YOU! Secondly, Geof is an American artist with a very European style. He’s most famous over here for Hard Boiled and The Big Guy and Rusty with Frank Miller along with his concept work on the Matrix films. His work is super detailed and amazing to look at.

The minute I saw he was on the guest list, I knew I wanted to try for an interview. I’ve loved his work for a long time now and I’m curious how the guy thinks and how he works. I got a hold of his email (which made a crappy day at work suddenly disappear) and dropped him a line and a tentative interview was set up. Now for all of you guys out there who are wanting to get into any form of journalism, especially nerd journalism, contacts are important. Any bridge you burn might burn eight others you aren’t aware of.

I also tend to do a lot of research. I hit up Wikipedia and a few other websites along with jotting down and setting to memory other notes I had for the interview. I was going in full prepped and ready if for nothing else, so I didn’t look like a complete schmuck in front of one of my favorite artists.

Speaking of contacts…

The Morning Of The Con

Remember how I mentioned how things can change really quickly?

I got into Toronto ComicCon Fan Appreciation Day early in part to Comic Book Daily’s pressence in the convention. My plan was pretty simple; walk the floor a bit with my girlfriend, then find Geof Darrow, figure out what time was best for him to do the interview, do the interview, have lunch.

As I began walking the floor I get a text message from Comic Book Daily’s Editor in Chief, Pete DeCourcy. It read something along the lines of

“Want to host a panel for Geof Darrow and Bob McLeod?”

Does a bear crap in the woods?

Pete manages to find me before I even text a reply. Turns out the guy who was supposed to host it called in sick. Pete happened to be with Hobbystar’s Kevin Boyd at the time and my name got brought up. The panel was to start in 15 minutes.

Wait…who’s Bob McLeod?

My knowledge of comics is pretty good and I got rather frightened rather fast that I was about to host a panel involving a creator that I had only a vague notion of who he was.

The name sounded familiar but I had to confess to Kevin that I wasn’t sure who he was. Kevin was kind enough to give me a quick briefing and this awesome book of comic knowledge he happened to have on him I got up to speed and I suddenly became surprised that I didn’t recognize Bob’s name right off the bat and felt a bit ashamed.

Bob McLeod is one of those artist and inkers that all of us have seen his work. He co-created The New Mutants, he inked over Mike Zeck on Kraven’s Last Hunt. He inked the first cover of Marvel’s GI Joe! He’s been a steadily working artist or inker on dozens of books I have in a long box.

Now that I had that under my belt and the two gentleman came into the room and we started the Q&A with the audience.

Notes From The Panel

Unfortunately in my excitement and nervousness, I completely forgot to set out my voice recorder for the panel but luckily Jamie Coville from The Comic Books caught it all. We discussed how each man worked (which is really great because both Geof and Bob have had completely different careers but both appreciated each others work). Listen to it if for nothing else then for Darrow’s impression of Mike Mignola. As someone who’s met Mike, the inflections are dead on.

• Talk turned quickly to Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy. Geoff confirmed a rumor that a few of us had heard that Shaolin Cowboy will be returning but from Dark Horse Comics as opposed to Burleyman (The Wachowski Brothers comic company). When I followed up on it with Geof, he told me that he felt like he needed a better corporate structure then what Burleyman was currently able to provide.

• Following up on the Shaolin Cowboy novel that I had discussed with author Andrew Vachss a few months ago, Geoff confirmed that the story was complete and had been for a while. The project came out of a conversation Geof had had with Vachss and Darrow figured he’d see the novel in five years. Two months later, Vachss delivered the book. Geof also confirmed the pulp novel presentation is still very much a part of it.

• Bob McLeod’s next project is inking the pencils of Neal Adam’s son, Josh. Bob mentioned it was kind of coming full circle as Neal had gotten him his start in comics.

• When asked what it was like to work with Chris Claremont, Bob chuckled. McLeod related that the scripts used to come in with way too much for a regular comic so as an artist you’d have to delete things. You couldn’t change things, only delete things.

• Both men smiled brightly when I brought up the subject of Jack Kirby. Darrow had met Jack when both worked at Hanna Barbara and Bob had run into him on a number of occasions. It was amazing to see how both men who’s career paths are very different held Kirby in the same high esteem.

I made an effort to drop by both men’s tables afterwords to say thanks and as it turned out, my girlfriend was also very acquainted with Bob’s work as well. McLeod created Superhero ABC which is stocked in a lot of libraries (Gen’s a librarian. We read a lot). Super cool and down to Earth with probably a million more stories that he can share. Highly recommend saying hi to him the next time you see him at a con.

Geof was great fun. A great sense of humor and a good guy. A lot taller then I expected though. We ended up buying a few prints from him for our townhouse. He even inquired to what it was Gen was knitting during the panel.

And if you get a chance, as Mr. Darrow to tell you about a pencil sharpener in Poland. One of the funniest stories I’ve heard in a while.

Special thanks go out to Pete DeCourcy, my wonderful EiC and especially to Kevin Boyd who set this all up. And Kevin, if you’re reading this, I’m totally available for panels at Fan Expo.

I drove to the show on Sunday so I had two bags of collected editions to get signed by Templeton, Darrow, Pham, McLeod, Sprouse and Gleason.  Everyone was very hospitable and courteous about signing; Gleason was the only artist with a specific signing time that day but he was ever the gentleman.  Pham and Darrow did quick sketches in my books which is always appreciated.

Darrow is one of those artists who don’t like to sketch at the show so they bring completed pieces for sale.  It’s great because you can see what you’re buying: convention sketches can be hit and miss.  The funny thing is he does quick sketches in any book you bring him to sign; best of both worlds I guess.

I had spoken to Pham and Sprouse about getting sketches and landed on their lists.  Pham was at the table directly behind Comic Book Daily so I had the chance to see him working on all his show commissions: they were all stunning.  I requested a Galactus head shot but asked, as always, for the Kirby hand to be included.  Wow.  Sprouse had me on the last spot of his list and he stayed past the show closing to complete it: greatly appreciated.

Van Sciver and Gleason were sketching but there wasn’t room in the budget; I maintain a list of sketch pricing by artist at my art site.  I overheard Van Sciver saying to Gleason he had no pages to sell; he had been selling whole books to collectors for the right price.

This show marked an interesting turn in original art: pages and even covers were going for very low prices, mostly lower than the price of a full body sketch.  I had switched to sketches two years ago because page prices had skyrocketed but perhaps that’s finally hit its plateau.

As well I was finally able to pick up a Green Lantern piece Michael Cho had completed for DC last year: he didn’t want to sell until it was published but I believe it was passed over for the Green Lantern Omnibus Volume 1 cover.  It’s an amazing gouche painting; very vibrant.