Monday, September 24, 2018

BALTIMORE COMIC*CON (September 28-30)

The Baltimore Comic*Con is widely regarded as one of the very best comic-book conventions in America. It will be held this weekend, Friday through Sunday, September 28-30, at the Baltimore Convention Center. On hearing that I’ll be making my first appearance at the event, my fan and professional friends alike have been telling me how great this convention is. I think the worse thing anyone has said about it is that the awards ceremony might run long. I think I can deal with that okay.

The comics guest list for Baltimore is stunning, starting with four different artists named Adams (Art, Neal, Josh and Zeea). If they had one more Adams, they would need a special permit.

Mike W. Barr will be there. So will Marguerite Bennett, Buzz, June Brigman, Richard Case, Howard Chaykin, Joyce Chin, Katie Cook, Tom DeFalco, Jose Delbo, Garth Ennis, Ramona Fradon, Joe Giella, Mike Gold, Sanford Green, Jamal Igle, Mike Manley, Bob McLeod, Terry Moore, Denny O’Neil, Jerry Ordway, John Ostrander, Andrew Pepoy, Tom Palmer, Dan Parent, Richard Pini, Wendy Pini, Don Rosa, Craig Russell, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Dan Slott, Jim Starlin, Jim Steranko, Mark Waid, Thom Zahler and many more. So many friends and creators I want to chat with...and I doubt I’ll get to see too many of them.

The convention’s media guest list is smaller but also pretty cool: Mike Colter, Wil Wheaton, Tricia Helfer, and Zachary Levi. Hoping to meet some of them as well. I did meet Colter at the Luke Cage premiere in Harlem a few years back, but I wouldn’t expect him to remember me.

The artist alley will have dozens of artists and studios on hand. There are something like two dozen other exhibitors and even more retailers. Remind me to charge my Fitbit because, if I can escape from my own table, I could set a record this weekend.
                                                                            

Tony, you ask, what will you be doing at the convention?

I’ll be set up at Table 1025 in the Main Hall. Depending on what I can fit in my luggage, I’ll be selling Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands (the individual issues and a very few copies of the forthcoming trade collection), the Black Lightning trades that collect my 1970s run on the character and the stories by other writers that followed it, the first volume of my incredible obsessive July 1963 series, Black Lightning posters, Daredevil and Luke Cage mini-posters and maybe a few surprises. My “booth babe” for this event will be the always sensational Roger Price of Mid-Ohio-Con and voice artist fame.

I charge for my signature, but, like the best drugs, the first one is always free. If you buy anything from my table, I also sign it for free. Beyond that, it’s three dollars per signature, six if you want it witnessed by a grading service or if you have a certificate of authenticity you want me to sign. Photos of or with me are free, though I take no responsibility for damage to your camera or phone.

I’m on the Baltimore Comic*Con programming schedule on Sunday. Here is the official description of that:

1:30-2:30 – Tony Isabella Spotlight

The creator of Black Lightning has had a full career at Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and small presses, dabbling in prose, and hosting some of the coolest garage sales in America. The special guest chats about his career with moderator, and old pal, Robert Greenberger.


Let’s see how long that description holds up. If you’ve read this bloggy of mine for any length of time, you know I’d rather discuss my new work and the exciting diversity that has made comics better and more fun than ever before. And I’ll probably do my fair share of gushing about the Black Lightning TV series and the appearance of other Isabella creations in Marvel movies and TV series. And the amazing adventures I’ve had because of all that. And if Bob and I don’t cover everything you must know about me and my work, we will have some sort of Q&A component of the panel. You can also ask me questions when I’m at my table.

Warning. Because of non-disclosure agreements, there will be a few questions I can’t answer. I will do my best to provide informative answers to other questions. Failing that, I can always make stuff up. I’m told that I’m something of a writer.

Cosplayers! Especially cosplayers cosplaying as characters that I created or have written. Please, please, please visit my table so I can get photos of you for my blog. But even if you’re not rocking Black Lightning or Misty Knight or Tigra, please come by. It’s hard for me to get away from my table for long periods of time, so help the old guy out. Yeah, I’ll play the senior citizen card if I have to. I’ve earned every one of my soon-to-be 67 years.

I think that pretty much covers everything. For more information on the Baltimore Comic*Con, visit the show’s website.

I’ll be back in October with more stuff.

© 2018 Tony Isabella

No comments:

Post a Comment