From: [v--e--d] at [nudity.uucp] (David W. James)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Phil. ComiCon, day 1
Date: 9 Oct 1993 23:39:12 -0400

Philladelphia Comicon, Vnend's view.

I left work about 1:30 and drove the hour drive down to Philladelphia
for the comics show, because I wanted to report on the 'debate' between
Peter and Todd.  And, like an idiot, I believed the flier when it said
'plenty of parking'.

Yeah, right.

I got to the convention (fashionably attired in my Mk1 Suicide Squid
tshirt, as promised) and wisked though the ticket sales and admission.
I then hurried down, all the way to the far side of the center, back
and forth a few times and back up to where they had the debate.  I got
there about 20 after 3, and the festivities were already in full swing.

I'm not going to try to recall exact quotes, but suffice it to say that
Peter played the crowd like a drum, and Todd is not the most polished
public speaker I've heard.  As a debate, it was a farce, as both sides
tended to avoid answering the questions the other raised (with a few 
exceptions) and tended to go off on a tangent.  The thing was, Peter's
tangents at least had an internal logic, which Todd's, more often than
not, didn't.

Todd *did* have an answer for *one* of Peter's questions, concerning the
fate of the second generation of Image creators.  Peter asked why they
were held to a higher standard than the originals, and Todd's answer was
that that was what they contracted to do (meet that higher standard) and
they failed.  When they failed, the contracts were terminated.

Unfortunately, that was one of the few times I understood Todd's answer
enough to say he replied.

It wasn't pretty, it wasn't that impressive, but it was funny at times.
It sounds like it will be carried, hopefully verbatum, in Peter's BID
column.

Of the three judges, two said that the fundimental question of the debate
"Has Image been treated fairly by the media?", was answered that yes, it has
been, and one more or less abstained.  The crowd was pretty much in agreement.

There was a remarkable number of camcorders there, so tapes should be floating
around.

And Peter closed the debate by announcing that the cover artist for his
collection of BID columns was to be none other than that famous comic book
artist, Neil Gaiman.

Right.

After the debate I spent a few hours wandering around the show floor.
Personal highlights were:

The Vertigo table, where I got to see photocopies of the first two 
"Children's Crusaide" books, as well as a photocopy of Sandman 56 
and a set of proof pages for the Death Gallery (which does indeed 
have a nude Death in it.)

The Mirage table, where I got to thank Peter Laird for some wonderful
fun over the years.

Recognizing a familiar face and getting to buy yet another copy of
Understanding Comics (another gift) from Scott McCloud, and saying
hello to Ivy and Skye (Skye is growing, not to surprisingly.  She'll be
six months on Tuesday.)  Scott says that there have now been about 30
24-hour comics done that he has seen.  Oh, and word is that the second
Zot! collection is starting to look more likely!  Yeah!!!

Getting to meet Larry Marder, and a chance to purchase the first two 
Beanworld collections.  If I had had the money, I could have bought
all the back issues up to twenty, but I'll be doing those mail-order
instead.  Larry is interesting to talk to, and the good news is that
he hopes to get 3 Beanworld books out in the next year, and then get
on a quarterly schedule and keep to it.  Good stuff, I hope it works
out.

Explaining to the creator of Cherry Poptart about Suicide Squid (he
was the only person to comment on it all evening.)

The Gumby exhibit was interesting, and the Museum of Comic Art was
selling signed Beetle Bailey galleries for $5!!

A fair crowd, a good selection of vendors, and artists and business types.
I'm not sure it was worth the $10 a one-day pass costs, but since I have
plans for the rest of the weekend, a 4 day pass would have been a waste.

I do think that next time I'll talk to someone about getting a pass.  With
any luck, it will come with a parking space...


-- 
Hagar the Horrible reminds you 'Ignorance is the mother of adventure.'              
vnend%[nudity UUCP] at [Princeton.EDU]  or [v--e--d] at [Princeton.EDU] if that doesn't work.

"Fools say that they learn by experience, I prefer to profit by other's             experience." - Bismark