Entries Tagged as 'C2E2'
C2E2 2013
This weekend was C2E2 here in Chicagoland, and the organizers were kind enough to grant me another press pass this year so I could share the experience with you! (Here's my 2012 post.)
I attended on Friday this year and once again it was a fantastic time!
There was a large crowd, but it neve felt crowded. Here's a view of some of the floor:
And here's Artist's Alley:
I hit Artist's Alley right away and was able to chat with My Little Pony writer Katie Cook before her line got too long:
She did a small piece for my daughter and I picked up her first Gronk book. I should have picked up both volumes, as my daughter read the first cover to cover as soon as I handed it to her.
Next up was Super Dinosaur's Jason Howard:
We chatted again about kids comics and I told him how much my son and I enjoyed reading SD together. A super nice guy!
I stopped by Amanda Conner's table, and although the line was short and orderly (shorterly?), she didn't have any new items to purchase. Ditto for J. Scott Campbell:
I think he actually had a smallish sketchbook I don't have, but I like his larger hardcover collections better.
See, I'm not a bring-a-box-of-comics-to-get-autographed guy, I'm more of a I-like-your-work-and-I-want-buy-something-neat guy, which is less common I suspect. Still, it was good to see fans and artists alike happy to see each other.
Then it was time for some C2E2 shopping!
I wasn't really looking for any older comics, but goodness knows there were plenty. And lots and lots and lots of toys and collectables!
This next one floored me, and I came really close to buying it:
I didn't see much of a webcomic presence at C2E2 this year, but the Cyanide and Happiness guys were doing a brisk business. Good for them!
Another almost buy...
There was a lot of LEGO at this show too, but the prices were a bit high and I saw too many custom and post-keychain minifigs for my tastes. Still, I found an Avengers polybag that never made its way to the States.
Of course you had your Renassiance folks...
...your zombies...
...and the requisite cool car.
And finally, the cosplayers. Even on a Friday there was a lot to see!
There's always a lot of Harley Quinns, but I gave this one high marks for carrying around what looked to be a really heavy hammer all day:
And of course you have your Deadpool:
I thought these two Disney princesses were not only well done, but a breath of fresh air.
I found out after this pic that She-Ra and Dredd here weren't together, but I'd like to think that maybe they might find a C2E2 love crossover:
She-Hulk and her little Loki:
Thor here made a farting nose as I was taking this and made the Valkyrie laugh really hard. Wish I'd have been quicker on the camera to grab it.
But my favorite cosplay of the whole day was also probably the simplest:
So that's it for this year. I wish I could've seen a panel or two, but I spent too much time tracking down a giant pink Kirby for my daughter. I'd promised myself I was going to get Felicia Day's autograph too, but suspected I'd only be able to say "Felicia pretty" before looking at my feet and giggling.
Another great C2E2 and I can't wait for next year!
C2E2 2012
The 2012 C2E2 was this weekend here in Chicagoland, and there's already been all manner of reporting on who said what's coming when and why that's important out there, and I'm not going to add to that. What I'm going to share is a casual comics fan's look at this year's event (specifically Saturday), which, let me get this out of the way right at the start, was great.
When I attended the first C2E2 a few years back it was sort of a hassle to get to. I took the train downtown, but then had to cab it back and forth which wasn't cheap.
This year they offered a shuttle service to and from a number of convenient Chicago locales, including Union Station, so my commute was much nicer.
I've no idea of the actual 2012 C2E2 attendance numbers, but judging by the line when I arrived and the subsequent crowds, a lot of folks came out. But it never felt overcrowded like another Chicagoland comic con that will remain nameless.
The first order of business was some t-shirts for the family. I've waited before only to find on my return that what I wanted had sold out. Not this time!
Then it was time to get over to artist's alley and in line for the person I wanted most to meet, Amanda Conner. I'm glad I got there early because her fans quickly queued into a lengthy line. (Kudos to C2E2 organizers for keeping things orderly.)
I was just thrilled to meet Ms. Conner. I bought a small sketchbook for myself, and a print of Supergirl with Streaky and Krypto for my daughter, both of which she signed while we discussed kids and comics.
You hope when you meet someone like this that they'll live up to your preconceived notions, and Ms. Conner exceeded them thoroughly. A brilliant artist and a lovely person.
Next up was Jason Howard's table to get a Super Dinosaur print for the boy. I'd have bought some additional books if my son didn't have each and every one of them already.
Mr. Howard was incredibly nice as he signed the print and chatted with me at length about comics and kids. Another great artist and super nice person. That's two for two!
I browsed the rest of artist's alley, picked up a few more books, and finished up at Art Baltazar's table where he signed a Super Pets book for my daughter.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, another super nice person, and who doesn't love Baltazar's style? Aw yeah!
Then it was time to hit the show floor for a little more shopping.
I'm not much for collecting, but I did my fair share of back issue browsing.
I made sure to pick up Cow Boy at the Archaia booth, and it doesn't disappoint. The boy's read it five times since giving it to him, and he adores it.
Then a little oddball browsing...
Wooden mustache anyone?
I almost bought this for Mike Lynch.
And last but not least, is that a lightsaber in your pocket, or are you just happy to be browsing stuffed animals?
Then it was onto the panels. I really wanted to see SMBC's talk, but they never showed up. Dunno what happened, but everyone was disappointed.
I managed to hear most of Kill Shakespeare's Anthony Del Col's excellent talk about pitching and marketing your indie comic, but had to duck out at the very end to catch my shuttle. Really interesting and inspiring stuff.
Now, before I finish up, here's some of my favorite 2012 C2E2 costumes:
So from a casual comic's fan perspective, the 2012 C2E2 was just about perfect. I hope the organizers and exhibitors did well and had as much fun as I did. Kudos all around.
Can't wait for next year!
C2E2
So today I took the train downtown and took in the very first C2E2. I’ve been to Wizard World before, and while this was similar in tone, I thought it was much more friendly to the casual comics fan.
I’m not into back issues, statuettes, lightsabers or steampunk vampire romance, so a good half of the show held no mystery for me, but the webcomics area was good, and the artists’ alley was great!
I had some fun buying books from and chatting with tons of creators including Katie Cook, Raina Telgemeier, Cliff Chiang, J. Scott Campbell, and Andy Price.
In fact, it was so much fun, I think there might be an Andertoons table in 2011!
But now, what you’ve all been waiting for… the pics! Enjoy:
Daily Cartoon
