DARWYN COOKE's ISOTOPE COMICS WONDER-CON ‘08 AFTERPARTY

[MichaelDoran]

Report by Karl Keily

Saturday night Isotope Comics was the place to be in San Francisco as the local comic shop threw an after party in honor of Darwyn Cooke (pictured here) and the release of his new DC animated movie , Justice League: The New Frontier. This was not an ordinary comic shop party. But then the Isotope is no ordinary comic store.

The Isotope Comic shop, located at 326 Fell St in San Francisco, features a comic art gallery, mini comic room, huge independent and TPB back section and plush couches and coffee tables for customers to read. It made a perfect environment for a party Saturday night, especially when you add in the free, open bar that was made available to the public and the well-lit open spaces that the store entails.

Isotope proprietor, James Sime, explains: “I always thought that I go to comic conventions […] and I stand in a line to get Warren Ellis to sign something for me. So I stand in line and I finally get up there and I’d be like ‘I really like your work’ and he'd sign something and I’d go away. And I knew … I knew… those motherf**kers are all going to a bar later and were gonna have a great time. So that’s what I wanted to throw at my store, but I wanted to make it for everybody, not just those people who are already on the in. I wanted everybody to be on the in.”

Saturday night’s event was for Darwyn Cooke and so the shop was arranged with all of Cooke’s previous material for guests to look through and buy, although it was not a faux pas simply to read the material, so long as you treated it well. Special poster prints were even made up for the night with a limited edition drawing by Cooke himself. Perhaps the highlight of special allocations made that night was a limited edition pint glass – complete with an exclusive design by Cooke and marked with the location and date – San Francisco, February 2008.

Sime: “I always wanted to get super cool stuff, right? And it’s a great excuse for me to make super cool stuff for me if I also make it for a whole bunch of people. So I wanted to make some glasses to commemorate having Darwyn in and it’s a New Frontier world premiere after party, right? So we had to do something really special.”

Cooke himself, who showed up in to a store packed with some 200 people in his honor, had this to say: “I’m stupefied by the number of people here. I’m afraid the cops are gonna show up.”

The party, which ran from 9pm local time and was still in full swing when this writer left at 2AM, was full of the entire gamut of comic fans, and non-comic fans as well. They ranged from people in full suits to fans straight from the con floor. At least a few people spoken to were there simply because they saw a huge party going on, but weren’t even aware it was a comic shop until well after they arrived, which illustrates the unique profile of Isotope.

Brian Deemer, co-host of podcast Comic Geek Speak, recognized this accessibility factor in the Isotope that night: “The Isotope is one of the nicest comic shops I’ve ever been in. It’s swanky and cool and clean and organized and I think that’s very important to the future of comic shops. To stay financially viable you have to show people who aren’t comic readers that you are a welcoming location and I think that Isotope accomplishes that splendidly.”

Free drinks were another highlight of the evening, as comic fans took liberal advantage. While free, there was a tip jar that was spilling over with money and the bartenders, employees of the shop, certainly deserved it for the unique mixed drinks and cocktails they stirred up all night. Sime remarked: “It’s a party, right? How else are you gonna throw a party?”

On the second floor balcony of the shop, where Darwyn Cooke resided for most of the evening, there was also set up a room where guests could look over the original pages of artists Darwyn Cooke, J. Bone and Ben Templesmith, the later of whom had a party thrown in his honor the night before. Cooke was willing to sign things for fans, but was just was as eager to have a drink with them or converse. He was an extremely warm, friendly man who spoke with the energy and lingo of the 50s and 60s his art brings to mind.

The party became not only an opportunity for fans to hang out with Cooke, but many other comic professionals showed up as well, Sime’s parties now famous among the comics industry. Peter Gross, penciler of Lucifer, and Bruce Timm, co-creator of the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, were among the minglers Saturday night, drinking and conversing with partygoers. At one point the shop became so full it was often hard to move from one end to the other!

Deemer: “I’ve never seen so many people in a comic shop at the same time. I think James is doing something right and he knows how to throw a party, that’s for sure.”

The party was tailored specifically to Cooke’s style, with people in suits and dresses form the 50’s and New Frontier themed cocktails. Asked if this is how he imagined how his party would go Cooke replied; “Goddamn right, why not? The New Frontier is all about the 50’s, so yeah, let’s back it up and have a good time.”

The main guest of the evening could be said to be the store itself, which is as inviting on a Wednesday afternoon as it is during one of Sime’s events. It’s not unusual for Sime (pictured on the far left, with local resident “Danger Bob”) to offer a drink to a new customer their first time in or to introduce them to other customers in the store and welcome them to just hang out.

Cooke: “Let’s take a look around this place. I mean, s**t man, comic stores aren’t like this, but they should all be like this, right? Every Friday night every comic store should be having a party.”

Sime: “I always wanted to go to a comic book store that was a comic store-slash-art gallery-slash-CBGBs-slash-Andy Warhol’s factory. And that’s what the Isotope is.”

[GLX]

Damn. I need to go to Isotope one day.






p.s. First post.

[sluttynik]

I get my copy of this movie today! i CAN'T WATE!
FIRST POST (OR NOT)

[djcoffman]

James Sime is one of my heroes. I wish there was an Isotope everywhere around the country!

[ProudToSuck]

Isotope is the model for what comic book stores should be, and James Sime should be given an award for elevating comic book retailing to such an unbearable level of cool. As someone who desires to own his own comic shop one day, I can only hope it's nearly as badass at Isotope. Cheers, Sime!

[Jimmy Palmiotti]

Sounds like fun. hope to make it to the store one day. thats how to celebrate comics!

JIMMY

[KACH]

I love that Isotope is 4 blocks from my office. And James rocks, best comic store I've ever been to & one of the nicest owners I've evr come across.

I did miss this party though. Stink!

--J.

[Andy Red]

Man, thats what its all about. Writing, drawing and reading comics, having a party and chiling out with true artists. WELLLLLL jealous!

[dangerdoom]

The party was really cool. I got the art print and the glass. Darwyn Cooke was really nice to me and my girlfriend and gave her a sketch the day after. He is the nicest comics creator I've met. And the owner of the Isotope is cool for letting my girlfriend in to the party even though she isn't 21 yet. Too many people for the little space though.

[samnoir]

Sounds like a great time!

Isotope's an excellent shop.
___________________________________

THE MIGHTY ISIS #2 COMIC BOOK for sale on EBAY! VINTAGE 70's comic book. OUT OF PRINT. RARE.

BATMAN COLLECTED HUGE HARDCOVER BOOK by CHIP KIDD for sale on EBAY!
___________________________________

[Moriarty]

I wish I'd known about this; I'd have tried to make it.

[JamesSime]

Thanks for the really fantastic write-up Mister Keily, and to everyone for such kind words. My staff and I certainly do appreciate it!

For those of you who want to see those pint glasses in all their glory, there's pictures of Darwyn's original design and the actual front side (!) of the glasses here:

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboar...d.php?t=142547

(sorry, it was a very limited print run and we no longer have these available for sale... but I'm pretty sure you're going to have an opportunity to get hooked up next week!)

And you know who deserves a whole heck of a lot of love? The event cosponsors, my amigos at iFanboy! Ron, Conor, Josh and Gordon don't just do one of the best weekly pod-and-videocasts in *any* industry, but they also go above and beyond the call of duty to put wonderful events like these together. I couldn't have asked for better partners than them!

http://ifanboy.com

[JamesSime]

Whoops, double post. My bad!

[Eison]

Looks and sounds like a great shop and party.

[SUPERNOYPI]

I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO MR. MATT BRADY BECAUSE MR. JAMES SIME DOUBLE POSTED.

[TheMaxx]

Crap man! If I woulda known that was goin on I woulda went to it with the wife! Instead I spent the night reading with my wife in our hotel room!

[Charlie Hustle]

best store i've ever been to, i went there when i visited my sister in the bay recently. great shop cool people. them and flying colors are both excellent examples of shops.