Wizard World Philadelphia: The Countdown Continues

There are fourteen days left to wait before Wizard WorldPhiladelphia can begin. In 2011 this was only a three day event and expanded to four in 2012. The extra day was such a success that once again this year they will be ready for a slew of attendees over this four day period and will open their doors at 3pm, if you have a V.I.P. pass then you get in one half hour earlier. At the moment there are still tickets available. Since of course this is my home town convention, it is easier to get to than others. Although I have heard good things about the Louisiana show, I wish one day to make it to the one in Chicago.

(Billy Dee showed up in 2011)

Not including Philadelphia they have five more shows this year before they begin the convention circuit off again with Portland in January of 2014. Somehow Wizard turned from a small magazine talking about comic books to one of the largest shows of the year. In years past a V.I.P. ticket was maybe for one popular start or another but with so many Wizard catered to the masses. Firefly, Walking Dead, Charmed, and the WWE Triple V.I.P experience which has sold out. Smaller V.I.P. packages include Summer Glau, John Barrowman, and my favorite, Stan Lee.

They have tickets for individual days and a three day pass. All the while a lot of walking will ensure, and lines, let’s face it will grow. One day is not enough for an event this big and I recommend a few necessities. Bottled water is a must. Even the most anti social of people will love to talk about whoever they came to see. And whether you are in line to see William Shatner and can recite line per line of every Star Trek show there was, and maybe a few TJ. Hooker episodes too, a mouth can dry out rather hastily. Comfortable shoes are a next must have. Don't buy shoes the day before the event and feel that you will be fine, you won’t. And the third thing, other than fire safety and knowing your exits, with all the bottled water that you will be drinking…make sure to know where the bathrooms are. And of course the ATM’s too.

Hope to see you there.

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Wizard World 2013: A Roundabout Preview

In 1993 I went to my first major comic book event. It would be over another decade and a half before I went to another one. I attended this with my father and my son. The year was 2007. The following year in 2008 we did the same thing. It was in 2009 that I started to go by myself that this iconic event morphed into something different. Directly on the website WizardWorld.com a countdown timer has been worked onto the front page. I have been staring at it for the past two weeks watching has the chosen event has become a Mecca of a sort, a calling I cannot seem to deny. Last year with press credentials in hand, I did the impossible, I bought a ticket, How could I not, as a fan first, purchase tickets to meet Stan Lee?

I was part of a larger conglomerate then. There were a slew of us attending and we all had our own assignments. Mine was to find out about CGC. This was more my speed then all the others who were giddy about either this or that. The thing is Wizard World changed from a Comic Book convention into a pop cultural phenomenon. Joining the countdown timer on the homepage was a floating picture display changing from one major guest to another. Stan Lee being the most iconic comic book deity, was followed by Neal Adams (he will be at Chicago and not Philadelphia), another major legend, one of which Batman never would have been the same about, but even today, two weeks before the event they have not stopped adding, with tickets still available, the Ramones are making an appearance. Do I even have to mention various stars of the Walking Dead?

After clicking on the Philadelphia highlighted event, a slew of actors, artists, enthusiasts, and special guests could be seen listed. The top and foremost area are the Special Guests, currently there are 54 with pictures and a link for their bio. Next up are the Featured guest, these are mostly stars from shows like Firefly, past iconic movies, and Wrestling. The last category, the one I pay most attention to are the Comic Creators themselves, with over two hundred listed. But that wasn't enough, a fourth category for the fans themselves, there are at least 35 people presenting under the Cosplay & Fan communities section.

The countdown won’t stop. It will keep going until the event has begun and once it has I can only imagine that it will start again for the New York City Experience.

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A Glorious Morning: A Roundabout Review

The long of it:

Image has been a small powerhouse originally taking a piece of the industrial pie from the major two, DC and Marvel. Of course when they were first created it was almost like they were a Marvel lite. Titles such as Spawn, Youngblood, and Wildcats were added to my subscription list. I was Well into my adult life when I had to stop collecting. Space became scarce and my purge of possessions ended with the majority of my comic books. After my reclamation to the comic market I picked up my favorites based on memory. Image was not part of that process. I never jumped on the Walking Dead band wagon and still haven't, mainly because I'm not a Zombie Fan. I even skipped a few other decent stories due to the lack of money but now that Comixology has specials every Monday for .99 I have found it to be a glorious Monday indeed.

Stuck on a slow day at work I decided to purchase Morning Glories #1 and Son of Merlin #1. The following issues of the Son of Merlin were subsequently higher in price so I passed, as much as I enjoyed the premiere. Morning Glories however had issues one through twenty five all below one dollar. I have picked this up in Fat Jack's, skimmed through it, and passed on purchasing the book. At ninety nine cents I vowed to only buy the first one, then I vowed I would only buy the first story line. I didn't abide by that either. After reading a full nine issues at work on my iPhone and another nine issues at home I plan on getting to the last issue I have. But, then what? Will I continue to collect at the full retail price or wait again for a sale?

The artwork is clear cut and easy on the eyes. The story is J.J. Abrams-esque by giving flashbacks with the characters mainly involved. Nick Spencer is spinning a tale that Joe Eisma articulates very well. The covers alone by Rodin Esquejo are tantalizing that purchasing copies graded by CGC are weighing heavily on my mind and I wonder why I didn't skip a cup of coffee or two just to purchase the book...ok I know why I didn't skip coffee.

I picked up another Image title dubbed Non-Humans to figure out if I want the actual comic book or just the digital rendition. My decision was once that series was over I would stick with a Comic book I could hold in my hand and only get the digital copy if it came free with the comic book (thank you Marvel, but please have Daredevil added back to that mix). However, at .99 cents how could I pass on getting the whole series available.

The short of it:

Get the series by trade, back issues, or digital, but buy this title to read.

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East of West: A Roundabout Review

The long if it:

I must admit it has been a while since I picked up an Image book. I recently have tried Non-Humans, but only in a digital format. And although I picked up a copy of Walking Dead #100 chromium cover variant, it was strictly to have it signed, graded, and sold. I accomplished this. The last books I believe I actually picked up from Image were Spawn, around the 180's and they were for my son.

I walked around my LCS in center city Philadelphia picking up my usual books when the bland looking western cover "East of West" series caught my eye. With my Age of Ultron, Aquaman, and a few other Marvel titles waiting to be purchased I skimmed through this last minute impulse buy. It was enough to spend my $3.50. 

A short walk later and I was in a crowded El with the raunchiest smelling commuter. Thankfully when he asked if this was the Broad Street Line, I happily said no. He exited and I had room to begin reading my weekly haul. I started with my unexpected pick up "East of West".

A lot of books are read so quickly now substituting images for words that I wonder if substance has been replaced with something a bit more processed. Comic books are a medium that should entertain, especially with an average of $4 a book. For years I have always read what I thought would be the best book last, after reading this I realized this book should have been anything but first. In fact when I get through the other handful of books I purchased, I think I'll read this one again? 

The short if it:

Did you miss out on the Walking Dead #1? I'm not saying that this book will reach the financial status Robert Kirkman's undead walkers have achieved but with as strong as this number one was, I look forward to getting a Chromium edition of issue #100 as well as the journey getting there.

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