MEGACON SATURDAY & SUNDAY FLOORBUZZ

[MattBrady]

by Todd H. Latoski

Saturday saw record crowds converge upon the Orange County Convention Center as MegaCon entered the second day of its convention. Comic, sci-fi, toy, and anime fans alike were lined up literally out the door waiting to get in, and once again additional ticket booths had to be opened to accommodate the large crowds.

Having a huge presence this year was the Hero Initiative team. For those not in the know, Hero Initiative is the first federally chartered, non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping comic book industry veterans. Through the Hero Initiative, a safety net is created and financial aid is available to comic book creators who may need emergency operations, the necessities of life, or sometimes a helping hand to get back into work in the comic industry. It is a chance for fans to give back to the people who have given them so much enjoyment through the years. Guests of Hero Initiative this year included Mario Gully, John Romita, Jr., Joe Quesada, Tone Rodriguez, Chris Moreno, and numerous others. George Perez, who surprised everyone with a visit yesterday, was not able to make Saturday’s show, but promised to return on Sunday.

Tabitha Johnson, a representative, said that they began the weekend by auctioning lunches with some of the artists like Chuck Dixon, Dick Giordano, and John Romita, Jr., among others, and the winning fans had private lunches with the creators. Today was a dunk-tank that allowed, as Tabitha put it, “fanboys to get their soggy revenge on Joe Quesada,” as well as Youngblood artist, Derek Donovan. Prizes for the dunk tank included special rubber duckies that were “touched-up” by artists, as well as Fantastic Four variants provided by the Coliseum of Comics. Hero Initiative also, in a follow-up to last year’s 100 covers to Ultimate Spider-Man, sent out 100 issues of the first issue of Hulk for 100 artists to do their own unique covers, and they had a number already returned from the artists that were on display. They will be going up for auction once they have received all 100 and have scanned the covers in for another special edition book (similar to that which was done for Ultimate Spider-Man covers). The auctions will appear both in eBay and through conventions next year.

Tabitha also showed us two pages from Mike Weringo’s What If? story, of which he only finished 7 pages when he passed. Mike Weringo’s brother, Matt, graciously loaned two pages of art for Hero Initiative to display. Several artists will be finishing the book for Weringo, and then it will be sold to benefit Hero Initiative. For more information on Hero Initiative or to keep track of the Hulk comic auctions, fans can check out the website at www.heroinitiative.org.

Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada, was signing autographs at the Hero Initiative booth, and he was more than happy to share a few tidbits. With regards to Peter David’s recent comments that the last page of the first issue of Secret Invasion would “crack the internet” and be a huge shock to fans, Joe simply replied, “We love Peter David.” He then leaned in close to the fans gathered at the table and whispered conspiratorially – “Do you want to know what happens on the last page? I’ll tell you right now. No one’s going to see this coming. You guys have the scoop. The last page, a skrull morphs into….a skrull! No one is going to see that coming.” With his usual flair, Quesada had the fans laughing, everyone agreeing that they couldn’t wait to see what would be revealed in this event.

With all the controversy over the “One More Day” story, one fan asked if anyone considered how Aunt May would react if she found out what Peter sacrificed for her. Quesada agreed that it was a good point, saying that if Aunt May ever found, she would be really upset, but that was part of the soap opera and drama that is Peter Parker’s life. It’s the things he suffers through behind the scenes and the decisions he has to make, Quesada went on to say, describing Peter Parker as “a very human character who sometimes doesn’t always make the right decisions. It’s about how he goes forward from there and how does he become a hero without that.” He then joked that Aunt May would probably have a heart attack if she found out, and wouldn’t that be ironic – a perfect Mephisto-ism, as one fan put it. And the all important question of when Marvel would be having a booth at MegaCon again was asked, and Quesada said he loves MegaCon, but with so many conventions during the course of the year, that it’s nearly impossible to come to every single one of them. Eventually, he did say, Marvel will make its way back to MegaCon, which a lot of fans were happy to hear.

As usual, Jimmy Palmiotti was on hand, signing the countless books he has had his hands in. Having just finished up the latest Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters mini-series, Jimmy said that they are finishing up the long-awaited Terra mini-series that Amanda Conner has been illustrating for a while. He said he was so thankful to be done with Countdown and is looking forward to not being involved in any major crossover event storylines for awhile. He was excited about the things he’s working on in Jonah Hex, working with artists like J.H. Williams, David Michael Beck, and a few upcoming artists that he couldn’t announce as of yet for fear of being killed by DC. Also, he said he is working on a “secret project” with Amanda Conner for DC. When asked by a fan if that “secret project” could possibly be a Power Girl series, Jimmy held up his hands and said “you said that, I never said that!” He astonished more than a few fans in line when he said he was still working on Ash, but he quickly corrected himself to say that he meant Painkiller Jane through Dynamite Entertainment. He was asked about whether we could expect another Freedom Fighters series, and he replied that sales were not so high on this second mini-series, so if fans want to see more, then they need to let DC know! He said that he and Justin Gray have set up enough possible ideas in this latest mini-series to provide the groundwork for plenty of stories to come, but it’s all going to come down to the fans’ demand for it.

Amanda Conner, who readily admitted that MegaCon is one of her favorite comic conventions, was easily found right next to Jimmy Palmiotti, doing sketches for lots of happy fans. Right now, she is finishing up the Terra mini-series. Three issues are currently complete (copies of the pages being available at her table for view, and all from what fans were seeing, this book is going to definitely be the one to watch for!), and she is hard at work on the fourth issue. And despite how much she would love to reveal what the “secret project” is that she and Jimmy Palmiotti are working on, mum is the word for now. She said people will be very happy about it when it does come out. When someone asked about the recent printing of The Pro comic that came out, she said she was surprised at how much demand there is for the book. She said it was a fun project that she did that she never expected anyone to buy, but yet demand has been so much as to warrant this latest printing. Because costs of paper and printing have gone up, the price was to be increased, so Amanda said she made sure that an extra back-up story was added so that fans did not feel cheated by having to pay more for just the same story. If she had the opportunity, she said she would love to do more stories with The Pro.

Darwyn Cooke had quite the lengthy lines, with fans galore having him sign New Frontier comics, absolute editions, figures, and dvds. He said it was fantastic that he and the others involved in the movie can finally enjoy it now that the dvd is completed and out on the market. He said it was a lot of work, but they are getting feedback from everyone about how much they have enjoyed the film. Currently, Cooke said he is working on a Jonah Hex story with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. He said he has always wanted to do a western tale, and now, with the time on his hands, he has the opportunity. The rest of what he is working on can’t be announced, since it hasn’t all come together, but that in another couple of months, there should be some announcements that will give fans a lot to talk about.

Paul Pelletier made his first appearance at MegaCon since his CrossGen days, and he was excited to be here. He is currently working on the new Guardians of the Galaxy series for Marvel, and he was only too happy to talk about it. The first issue is due out in May or June. He said he just started issue one, and it’s “kicking [his] butt.” He said the overall plot for the series reminded him a lot of the series he did for CrossGen, Negation, with lots of crazy, out-of-control sci-fi action, a huge team, aliens, and good, fun stuff. Those fans who followed the Annihilation stories will see a lot of the characters from those stories in this book – Star Lord, Warlock, Quasar, and even Rocket Raccoon. Pelletier said it is a fun book to draw, and that Rocket Raccoon was one of the characters he was really looking forward to drawing. He also said that the previous incarnations of the Guardians of the Galaxy will be referred to in the new series, with some appearances by characters from the original series.

Elsewhere, Greg Horn was showing his latest cover art to large groups of fans who stayed crowded at his booth. Greg has been doing covers for Ms. Marvel for the past year and a half, with the “skrull” Ms. Marvel cover on display for fans to see. He also had a banner with seven of the “Who Do You Trust?” teasers (of which there will ultimately be fourteen total, possibly more), which he pointed out show a specific path. For fans who have been complaining that the “skrull” Wolverine and “skrull” Hercules are too “handsome” for skrulls, Greg said to remember that each new “Who Do You Trust?” teaser picture will show the characters gradually becoming more and more skrull-like. Fans will find that the first characters are just beginning to reveal their true skrull nature (a hybrid between the superhero and the skrull), while the last few will look far more deranged and psychotic-looking. Greg said the last five will be “really scary-looking.” Greg was then asked by a fan if he knew whether the images were really characters that were, in fact, skrulls or if they were misleading, he said that while Marvel has not come right out and told him for sure, they have indicated that all of these characters are “very probable.” He could not give any hints as to who the other seven “Who Do You Trust?” skrulls are, but he did show the art for Iron Man and Invisible Woman, whose picture was more disturbing than those previous. While he will not be doing the covers for Secret Invasion, Greg said that Marvel told him the “Who Do You Trust?” images may be used for alternate covers.

Wilfredo Torres, the artist on Salem, Queen of Thorns, a new mini-series published by Boom! Studios, was one of the first artists on the floor, ready to go before the doors even opened. Torres said that when Mark Waid asked him to work on the project, how could he say no? For those unfamiliar with his work, Salem is Torres’ first distributed work. He has done some prior anthology work for some independent comics, but he has new work coming out in June from Digital Webbing called Demon’s Regret, which is a 3-issue mini-series. When asked what he would like to do in the future, Torres said he would love more than anything to beat Curt Swan’s run on Superman.

In the indy aisles, a couple of companies stood out. Drumfish Productions, headed up by Rich Bernatovech, was present to promote his new Sentinels Anthology and upcoming Neverminds books. Rich was really excited to premier the Sentinels Anthology at MegaCon, which is aimed at a more “all ages” audience, whereas the original four book graphic novel series was more mature. He said he also enjoyed working with the numerous creators who participated in the Anthology and to see how fans are reacting to their work. Additionally, the color in the book has added flavor that pleased a lot of fans. Also on hand was artist Jamie Fay, who drew the Firebomb story in the Anthology and is the artist on the Neverminds book, a new project that is vastly different from Sentinels. A more supernatural title that focuses on one character, Alanis, Neverminds is expected to see print sometime at the end of this year.

Across the Pond comics also made a huge splash with fans. Company owner, Stephan Nilson, was eager to talk about what ATP is doing. Across the Pond was originally a comic book publisher, but they have gone now into production, teaming up with Desperado Publishing. They produce comic books for companies such as DC (including issues of Batman Strikes and Justice League Unlimited), Image, corporate instructional guides, and gaming companies, as well as television concepts for shows such as Ghost Whisperer and Smallville. Currently, they have just finished their Atomik Mike mini-series, and they are still producing the ongoing Necessary Evil series (which Stephan described as the Harry Potter for super villains – a story about the academy where the next generation of super villains get trained). Another title they have that is still going strong is Thirteen Steps, whose premise Stephan describes as “AA” for the supernatural. The main character is a werewolf who is trying to deal with being a werewolf, and his mentor is a vampire.

Upcoming projects include art books for Tim Bradstreet, Dave Dorman, and Joe Jusko, as well as Monsterpocalypse, a comic based on the table-top game similar to HeroClix, but with giant monsters and robots. This project is a 3-issue mini-series, with a 12-page preview to be released San Diego Comic-Con. In addition to all this, Stephan recently wrote a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style story that will first be aired on the March 13th episode of Smallville. Similar to the “Justice and Doom” story not so long ago, viewers will see the first segment on the show; but this time, viewers will be directed to the CW website to choose which chapter they want to see next. In following weeks, the chosen chapter will appear, with more choices to make to keep the story going for the next five weeks. And those fans of ATP’s previous title, Government Bodies, Stephan advised that he has a new artist working on the series, and they have had a new artist re-draw the entire first three issues previously published and they will be re-released with the final two chapters in graphic novel format, and a new series will pick up from there. They have six issues complete and are just waiting for it to be grey-scaled and lettered, and then they will be moving on to the next story-arc. The re-launch will be out by the end of the year.

Sunday

MegaCon had the highest attendance in years, and Sunday only added to it. With a slow start, due partially to the fact that many guests forgot to set their clocks ahead one hour Saturday night, the final day of the convention soon swung into high gear as fans hurried to get their autographs, sketches, and purchases before the doors closed on the 2008 convention.

John Romita, Jr. was autographing comics and doing sketches all day at the Hero Initiative booth. Romita, who is still working on Kick-Ass, is at the same time starting his work on Amazing Spider-Man. He is currently drawing the third issue, with the first issue of his run (which he thinks is #569) due out in August. When asked what any future plans might include, he grinned and said, “My future plans are to retire to the south of France with Selma Hayek and my wife, preferably at the same time.” The fans got a kick out of this, and Romita asked that if Ms. Hayek is reading this, he is serious (with a wink and a grin).

Always popular at MegaCon, Brandon Peterson worked on numerous commissions and signed autographs for fans. Brandon said he is a bit in a limbo right now, the only work he is doing are some covers for Marvel and small stories. He admitted that he did not have any big projects lined up for a little bit of time, but that Marvel has things to keep him going, but nothing really big for him to start on at this time. He added that he didn’t really have any characters or titles that he would love to work on, since he has pretty much worked with every character he enjoyed (pointing to Dr. Strange and Thor as his two Marvel favorites – and he worked on Dr. Strange and Thor is already going strong right now, so it’s doubtful he will get involved on that title any time soon), and has had the opportunity to work with great creators, such as Mark Miller and Mike Carey.

David Finch was yet another artist kept busy by his fans. He is excited about his upcoming work on Ultimatum, written by Jeph Loeb, which he will start working on this week. When talking about Ultimatum, he described it as a “huge Marvel Ultimate cross-over where we are making a huge mess out of the Ultimate universe.” He laughed, adding that he couldn’t believe what they were being allowed to get away with. He compared the project with Avengers: Disassembled, but on a much grander scale – basically disassembling the entire Ultimate universe! Finch will also be doing a few covers, including the Avengers/Invaders cover, and he is picking away at a Wolverine story for Marvel Comics Presents. Since he can only work on that in his spare time, Finch said it will be a while before fans will see that Wolverine tale.

Josh Blaylock, of Devil’s Due Publishing, was on hand to talk about what’s going on at DDP. Getting beyond the loss of the G.I. Joe licensing, Blaylock talked about his upcoming Voltron story that will be published by DDP. Titled “Legend Forged,” the book will tell the origin of the Voltron armor. More information on that series will be coming soon. A Hack/Slash Omnibus is also forthcoming, as well as a Hack/Slash crossover promotion with “a really popular online entity” that will also be announced soon. DDP is also working out a deal to bring over a “really popular manga property” over into American comics to do their version of the story. While he couldn’t give the specifics, he did say fans will see an announcement on this very soon. Blaylock said other upcoming projects include the NYE Incident, which is an original graphic novel about a serial killer among the alien-abductee community who is discovered by a coroner who begins to question the bizarre deaths; Sheena: The Golden Age Reprints, which will be continued; and fans will be pleased to know that the Dragonlance Chronicles will continue, as will the Forgotten Realm titles.

One think Blaylock was excited about is the Devil’s Due Pop, which is a spin-off of Devil’s Due for the creation of designer toys, such as vinyl and statutes, as well as some apparel, stickers, journals, and other merchandise. The first plush designer toy on the list is the Shawnimals, from which comes Ninja Town, a popular line of plush toys. DDP will be doing journals and a comic book based on the toys, as well as DDP’s own version of the toy called the “Geeky Ninja,” who comes with a little convention badge and a miniature comic book with its own miniature comic bag, since he is into the art of collecting. Blaylock announced also that he is working on his own project called Mercy Sparks, that he hopes to see in print by August. He described the series as one about a “devil girl secretly living on earth as a normal human being, but she was secretly hired by heaven to take out rogue angels.” And for fans of Spooks by Larry Hama, Blaylock assured everyone that plans are already in the works for another series.

Writer Chuck Dixon, had a table set up in artist alley. He’s currently back on Robin, as well as continuing to work on Batman and the Outsiders. He has also done a graphic novel for an unspecified film company and is working on the dialogue for an upcoming Batman video game. He also still does a lot of Simpsons work for Bongo Comics. Dixon stated that he had never done an ensemble book before, so Batman and the Outsiders was his chance to do it. He laughed as he said he wants to keep the title “low rent,” keeping the team roster rotating as Batman brings in whatever team he needs for a particular mission. Fans of the original series will see many nods, including the current presence of Geo-Force, the upcoming appearance of Looker, and if he can get her into it, Dixon added he would like to bring Halo into the book eventually, since she has been hanging around in limbo for some time. With Robin, Dixon said he couldn’t reveal much, but he would say that issue #173 is the one to watch, as it will contain a “big continuity boom.”

Brian and Kristy Miller of Hi-Fi Coloring were promoting their new book, Hi-Fi Color for Comics, an instructional book for creators wanting to learn how to color their works. Hi-Fi Coloring has been coloring for the major companies, DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and their work can be seen in titles such as Birds of Prey, Booster Gold, Army @ Love, Ghost Whisperer covers, Angel covers, Star Wars, and Star Trek. Included in the book is art from great artists such as John Byrne and Dan Jurgens, as well as a bonus CD full of PhotoShop scripts and actions. You can find out about this at www.hifidesign.com, or find it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online.

A new independent comic getting some attention at this year’s convention was a title called The Uniques, whose first issue was being premiered at MegaCon. Self-published by Comfort Love (yes, that’s her real name) and her husband, Adam Withers, this title is a true collaborative effort of this husband and wife team, as they are both actively involved in the writing and drawing process of the comic. The Uniques is about a team of regular people with superpowers, and although they have powers, both Love and Withers stressed the title is about people – it’s not about the powers, it’s not about costumes, it’s not about names. Through the eyes of the seven main characters, readers can see how the world has been shaped by the presence of beings with super-human powers. The series is set years after the sudden upsurge in super-powered beings, and rather than dealing with mankind’s fear of these humans with great power as some of the bigger titles out there seem to do, The Uniques looks at a time where the world has accepted the presence of super-powered beings and follows the lives of second and third generation “heroes” who find themselves living in world very different from the ones in which their parents lived. Love and Withers stated that the series will follow these characters as they grow, and readers will see them age and mature. They already have enough major plot elements worked out for nearly 100 issues, with scripts for 13 issues, and tightened scripts for the next nine issues, so they are ready to go with them. The second issue is expected to see print in April. More information regarding The Uniques and its creators can be found at www.uniquescomic.com.

In addition to all the guests covered in these floor reports, thousands of MegaCon guests also got to interact with Ethan Van Sciver (who graciously gave one excited fan that was wearing a Sinestro Corps t-shirt an original, one-of-a-kind preliminary sketch that Van Sciver had done for the Blue Lantern Corps), Adam Kubert, Steve McNiven (who was so overwhelmed with autographs and sketches that he was unable to provide an interview), Tone Rodriguez, Daniel Way, Mike Perkins, Dick Giordano, and so many others. Everyone had a fantastic time, fans and creators alike, and MegaCon is looking for an even bigger convention in February 2009.

[NormanB258]

The Uniques is fantastic.

AND you can download it from their site for a buck.

[Hobowatcher]

With Jordi Bernet and Rafa Garres' beautiful issues, and the upcoming J. H. Williams, David Beck, and Darwyn Cooke stories, it only proves more and more that Jonah Hex is one of the best titles hardly anyone is reading.

[motteditor]

He also said that the previous incarnations of the Guardians of the Galaxy will be referred to in the new series, with some appearances by characters from the original series.

This is fantastic news.

He compared the project with Avengers: Disassembled, but on a much grander scale

It baffles me that anyone would use this as a selling point. It was a bad story. Hell, even half of the Bendis/NA fans seem to agree it was far from his best work.

[purplerocket]

Originally Posted by motteditor

It baffles me that anyone would use this as a selling point. It was a bad story. Hell, even half of the Bendis/NA fans seem to agree it was far from his best work.

I don't think he was trying to 'sell' the book, his comments seemed to be trying to explain the series as much as he could without giving any facts, which he clearly isn't allowed to.

[dave finch]

No, I was trying to sell the book! Is there shame in that? I hope not. It's a project that I'm really excited about, and I really hope does well, and I want to try to get other people excited about.

[EMeadow]

Chuck Dixon stating he wants to bring Halo back in BATO is fantastic, and I love the fact he's gonna show us Looker as well.

Specially after I just finished reading the entire Outsiders series that Mike Barr did over the weekend (the 86 Baxter one, not the original BATO).

But her last appearance that Halo had in the DCU was in 52 #5, the issue where the space heroes came home.

As for Brandon Peterson.......I smell a DC jump in the future if Marvel's got nothing for him.

[defjoe]

It was packed but the only issue is that the Anime presence is TOO big now. It has been getting worse every year and this year I think they have overtaken the show. As an indy publisher, it makes it tough cause thse kids aren't into comics and they push the comic crowd out. I walked the floor Sunday and even the vendors are more Anime then anything.

[rwsmith]

Guess they moved Cebulski and Finch's Wolverine arc over to Marvel Comics Presents due to Millar and McNiven taking over his regular book in June.

Looks like I'll be picking up MCP at some point in the near future.

Not 100% sold on Ultimatum, but with Finch drawing that at least guarantees that I'll check it out.

[Doc_doom79]

Originally Posted by defjoe

It was packed but the only issue is that the Anime presence is TOO big now. It has been getting worse every year and this year I think they have overtaken the show. As an indy publisher, it makes it tough cause thse kids aren't into comics and they push the comic crowd out. I walked the floor Sunday and even the vendors are more Anime then anything.

I totally agree, the Anime presence has overtaken the entire show. I was in line for 2 hours to get in this year. This is over double my usual wait, and about 2/3 of the crowd were anime fans. I believe this hurts the indy vendors and even the well known comics creators because these fans are not that into american comics.

[ROBRAM89]

I swear, next time I see a Naruto headband (double points if they aren't actually wearing a costume) I'm going up a clock tower with my Mjolnir replica and bringing down the fury of the gods.

[TheGrayHulk]

I still can't believe that artists today don't seem to know that Hulk hasn't been talking like a caveman in over 20 years now...

The 70's are over, can we move on?

[hondo]

He's really developed nicely as an artist. I still love his stuff from back in the day on LOSH.

[thearticle]

I WAS THERE!
i have been a florida resident going on 4 yrs be4 that i was living with my dad in germany so megacon was the 1st big comic convention ive ever been to and ive made it a habit to go to it evry yr since so this megacon was my 3rd one and let me say that the attendance was phenominal bigger than the 2 yrs prior by far.

i got to re-meet steve mcniven who as he was last yr was a very soft spoken yet gracious man to me it seems he love to be down next to the fans he signed all my civil war issues and his latest run on amazing spider-man ( he founda way to sign his name on an ALL BLACK COVER WITH A BLACK MARKER AND his signature was STILL CLEARLY VISIBLE) i got a chance to talk to him about his spidey run and he posed for a pic for me.

next and the highlight of the event for me was meeting John Romita Jr. he was very gracius and getting a chance to talk to him was a dream come true but then having him draw me an orginal sketch and have him sign all my issues of WWH and the 1st 5 issues of his run on Peter Parker Spider-Man( which is my favorite run of his prior to his run with JMS) it was great he was cool he even posed for me to snap a pic and after he finished signing and sketching for me stuck his hand out and told me to enjoy the rest of the convention.

after that i went to the cup o' joe panel which was fun and it was cool to hear things straight from the horses mouth there is a a an article here on newsarama that just doesnt give that panel justice. but it was great Joey's a funny guy who may have taken alot of heat lately but he really seems like he's only doing this to benefit the characters. The annoucement made by Jim McLauchlin, president of the Heroes Initiative given to him by the mayor of Orange County proclaming march 8th Joe Quesada day was awesome Joey recieved a standing ovation for that! he was gracious and he was genuinely funny that was my 1st cup o' joe panel but i would deffinately go to another one.

MEGACON '08 WAS THE BEST ONE YET! i really enjoyed being there this yr above the 2 yrs prior meeting my heroes, connecting with other fans poster Doc Doom was standing next to me in line for the cup o' joe panel (doc i was the short guy who was talking about how much heroes season 2 sucked) i loved seeing fans in costumes and i've got tons pics. this article just cant do justice to how amazing this convention was this yr and i will deffienatley continue to go for as long as i may live here in florida.

[dwf]

Originally Posted by Hobowatcher

With Jordi Bernet and Rafa Garres' beautiful issues, and the upcoming J. H. Williams, David Beck, and Darwyn Cooke stories, it only proves more and more that Jonah Hex is one of the best titles hardly anyone is reading.

Jonah Hex is my favorite comic book, and the artists on the docket just sweeten the deal! I'd recommend it to any fan of action and adventure.

Jordi Bernet's work on the title has been fantastic. It's good to see him in a prominent role, but I enjoy the changes of pace provided by the rotation of artists, many of whom I've not been exposed to before.

Great job and continued success, Justin and Jimmy! Any chance John Severin would be interested in contributing a story or two?

[steelcable97]

I totally agree with the anime. there was way too much of that stuff, and not nearly as many comic dealers as in years past.

I had a good show otherwise. Purchased the hardhero Iron Fist statue for dirt cheap, and picked up tons of comics.

Didn't have a chance to meet any artists as the lines were a bit long, and I didn't have the patience to wait. I've met Romita Jr before, and he is a cool guy. He seems to enjoy interracting with the fans.

I did get one thing signed. I purchased an Owly TPB from Andy Runton. He signed and sketched a small pic in the book. He's a really cool guy, and always pretty nice.

[Bobby Nash]

MegaCon was a great show. I had a blast this year. There are some pictures posted on my comicspace and myspace pages.

Bobby