Category ComicConPunch

Sep 8 2016

Baltimore ComicCon 2016

baltimore-comic-con-16

Spencer: Sitting in a prominent position on my desk is a copy of Saves the Day’s self-titled album, signed by all four members of the band. It’s one of my most cherished possessions, not because “oh man, it’s my favorite band’s autograph!,” but because it’s a physical reminder of my first meeting them, of my role in getting that album created, and of some of the best shows of my life. I think that’s the true power of autographs (or selfies with celebrities, which are quickly replacing them); they’re more than just scribbles on paper, they’re a permanent reminder of celebrity encounters and of all the reasons why those encounters mean so much to us in the first place.

I had a lot of time to ponder the significance of autographs while at Baltimore ComicCon this past Sunday, mainly because I got a lot of them. Baltimore ComicCon is an intensely creator-focused con, to the point where I couldn’t even fit all the comics I wanted to get signed into one bag, and had to skip a few creators because I just couldn’t carry any more books. I’m not complaining, though: every one of these autographs will remind me of cherished memories for years to come. Continue reading →

Jun 8 2016

Wizard World Philadelphia 2016

 

wizard world philly 2016

Spencer: Someday I will go to a ComicCon that isn’t Wizard World Philly (which I’ve attended, and covered, for three years now), but in the meantime, it’s close, I love Philadelphia, and I have a great time there, so I’ll keep coming back. For all my familiarity with this con, though, there’s always something new going on that takes me by surprise. That’s a necessity, I suppose — stagnation no doubt equals death at these things — but it does mean that, even as an experienced con-goer, I need to be prepared in order to get everything done that I’d like to. Really, that’s a great lesson for any ComicCon, any event, and just life in general: always check out the website first, always make up a battle plan, and always go in prepared. It’s certainly what I did, and I had a great weekend because of it. Continue reading →

May 11 2015

Wizard World Philadelphia 2015

philly 2015

Spencer: Last year’s Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 (which I covered in explicit detail here on the site) was my very first ComicCon, and it was a fantastic experience, so much so that it may be hard for other cons to top it. Also a disadvantage: I was only able to spend one day (Saturday) at this year’s Wizard World Philadelphia, as opposed to four last year. Ultimately the two years ended up being vastly different experiences, even if there were also a surprising amount of similarities. There was one lesson that this year’s con drilled into my brain even more than last’s, though: Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. With only one day I could never do everything I did last year, but I think I made the best use of the time I had. It was a pretty terrific day. Continue reading →

Jun 23 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 4

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Throughout the course of this weekend I’ve been helping my friend run his booth on Artist’s Alley, but at the end of Saturday, he told me he thought he was catching a cold (the dreaded Con Crud got him) and was simply too exhausted to go on. A weird, meloncholy feeling overwhelmed me; I was pretty exhausted myself and would’ve loved to stay home and sleep all day, but I also didn’t feel finished with Wizard World just yet. So I broke out a notebook and wrote down everything I wanted to accomplish on the final day of Wizard World, to see if it was worth attending. As you can see, I decided it was, and the renewed sense of focus led to a productive, fun day and the sense that I got everything I possibly could have out of this Con. Continue reading →

Jun 22 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 3

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Nothing could have prepared me for day three of Wizard World. Since it was Saturday, it was the busiest day of the con, and since it was the busiest day of the con, it was the day all the big name celebrities were there. I’ve spent the last two days mostly concerned with comic books, but today I tried something new, and the combination of literally suffocating crowds, my own ignorance, and Wizard World’s poor explanation of their policies as well as their outrageous prices derailed my entire morning. Fortunately, today’s session was so long that it felt like two days, and the afternoon proved to be much more successful.

Continue reading →

Jun 21 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 2

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: My whole con experience is colored by the fact that I’m spending a portion of each day working at Artist’s Alley. There are some downsides — both of us can’t be away from the table at the same time, none of us like to be left alone for too long, etc. — but I feel like the upsides more than make up for it. Beyond saving a bundle on food so far, I also enjoy having a home base I can return to to sort out the increasingly growing contents of my backpack, but the greatest advantage of all is having access to the floor an hour before it opens. By the time guests started rolling in, I was already talking to the first artist I wanted to meet, and I ended up meeting all four of the creators on my wish list before lines could even form. It was an auspicious start to a fantastic day at Wizard World. Continue reading →

Jun 20 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 1

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Thursday was a weird day at Philadelphia Comic Con. It was really only a half day — open from 3-8 — and none of the celebrities and hardly any of the more recognizable creators were there yet. While there was a fair amount of people in attendance, it was a far cry from the jam-packed crowds I’m used to seeing in pictures. A part of me almost wonders what the point of having a four-day con is at all, but as a first-time convention goer, I was grateful for the chance to acclimate. When things get busy tomorrow, I’ll be prepared.

Continue reading →

Jun 19 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Coverage

comic con punch-wwp

Spencer: Hey, all! I’m going to be attending Wizard World Comic-Con in Philadelphia from Thursday, June 19 (that’s today!) through Sunday, June 22nd. There’s a lot of exciting celebrity guests and comic creators and it’s also my first official Comic-Con, so I’m super psyched to be there, and I’m here to pass that excitement down to you! Continue reading →

Apr 28 2014

C2E2 2014 – Day 3

comic con punch2

Patrick: Pro Tip: Breakfast – eat it every day of con. Every single one. Don’t skip breakfast. No, seriously. Eat it. Eat it.

Properly fed, (breakfast!) Drew, Shelby and myself headed back into the con for our interview with Gail Simone. Gail is closely guarded by her husband Scott, who is a righteous dude in his own right. After razzing me about not being able to come up with my favorite show tune on the spot*, he granted me access to Simone and she and I had a delightful chat about Batgirl, Red Sonja and Lara Croft. You can expect more on that when we publish that interview later this week. Continue reading →

Apr 27 2014

C2E2 2014 – Day 2

comic con punch2

Drew: C2E2 is a great con, but one of the most exciting things for us was simply getting together to hang out with friends we haven’t seen in years (YEARS). That emphasis on the social aspect (as well as the preparations for Shelby’s costume) kept us up pretty late, so we didn’t get the earliest start Saturday morning. We arrived just in time for Marvel’s Original Sin panel. Heads up guys: there are a TON of issues tying in here, including some fun sounding team-ups — Hulk and Iron Man, Deadpool and Dazzler, Thor and Loki. That last one contained easily the biggest reveal of the day: Angela is Thor and Loki’s long-lost sister.

Continue reading →