APPEARANCES

If you are one of the many fans who have written me hoping that I’ll be appearing at a convention near you, you’ll be disappointed this year. So will I. I was looking forward to meeting you and the other fans in your area. Sadly, the convention invitations haven’t been coming my way and, just like you, I don’t understand why this is the case.

One would think most conventions would be eager to have a 52-year comics industry creator on their guest rosters. I have history and stories to share and, from what the audience says, I tell them in an entertaining and informative manner.

I don’t think I’m a particular expensive guest. I ask for hotel and travel expenses, a modest per diem for food and incidentals, and an easily accessible booth where I can sign for the fans and sell some stuff. I don’t charge an appearance fee.

According to one fan, a promoter told him old comics guys like me don’t want to travel to conventions. It wasn’t that long ago that my Saintly Wife Barb and I flew just over 12 hours each way to be guests at an event in Singapore. If a convention is within, let’s say six hours of me, I can drive there.

I know one convention promoter who won’t invite me any longer to a convention I did several years in a row for him because I was “mean to Republicans online.” Which I don’t deny. But, save for answering questions from the fans about social issues in my stories, I don’t generally do politics at my appearance. Maybe I wear the occasional LGBTQ supportive t-shirt, but that’s pretty much it. Of course, the same promoter has no problem hosting toxic actors who actually do include their hate-driven politics in their presentations. I guess it’s a soul of the beholder thing.

For whatever reasons, I’m not getting the invitations...and I can’t afford to attend conventions on my own dime. I can’t afford to lose money attending conventions. With one exception that I’ll mention directly. But that one is a father-son vacation.

Here’s the slim pickings for the rest of 2024...

Friday, July 12: G-Fest (Chicago)

Saturday, July 13: G-Fest (Chicago)

Sunday, July 14: G-Fest (Chicago)

Sunday, August 4: NEO Comicon (North Olmsted, Ohio)

Friday, September 20: Literary Cleveland (1:30-3:00 pm)

Saturday, September 21: Flaming River Con (Cleveland)

Saturday, November 9: Akron Comicon

Sunday, November 10: Akron Comicon

G-Fest is the convention I attend with my son Eddie. I’m not a guest and, unless I’m called upon at the last minute, I don’t appear on any panel presentations. We go to commune with my Lord and Savior Godzilla, hang out with fellow kaiju devotees, attend panels and, in my son’s case, eat his weight in Italian beef sandwiches. Which are excellent in Chicago. One year, we also went to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs play. Another year, we had dinner with some comics friends who lived in Chicago. It’s a vacation and not a work event.

NEO Comicon is a terrific convention held in the Soccer Sportsplex, a venue which has turf instead of the usual concrete. It always has a fine guest list and wonderful vendors.

Literary Cleveland will host Inkubator, its free annual conference for writers. I’ll be on a panel on comics writing. The organization is hoping to provide insight on the process, craft, and publication paths available for writing comics to help local writers who may be interested in learning more.

Flaming River Con is a nerd and pop culture con, celebrating queer culture. This event is dedicated to LGBTQIA+ geek culture, focusing on queer vendors, art, comics, books, zines, podcasts, panels, and workshops. The all-day activities include non-profits, programming, cosplay contests and Pokémon parties! It’s a family friendly event with free entry, though a $5 donation is suggested. This is a life-affirming event that fills me with joy.

Akron Comicon is, of course, one of my favorite conventions. I get to hang out with old friends and meet new ones.

I’ll have more details on all of the above events as we get closer to them. Today, I simply wanted to let you know I’ll be attending them and am looking forward to seeing you at them.

I am, of course, open to appearing at other conventions and events, including giving talks at libraries and schools. E-mail me and we can work out the details.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff. 

© 2024 Tony Isabella

MY NEXT GARAGE SALES WILL FEATURE CAPES FOR KIDS

The dangerous heat that has hit Medina and much of the country has had an adverse effect on my garage sales. It’s been too hot to work in my garage during the day. So I’m trying to do my garage work in the early morning hours and late evenings. I’m confident this will allow me to fill the sales with all sorts of great stuff.

My next garage sales will be Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29 from 9 am to noon. Naturally, I almost never close the door exactly at noon if I have customers still shopping. With advance notice, I can sometimes accommodate Saturday afternoon or evening customers or Sunday customers. E-mail me to check on this.

These garage sales will feature “Capes for Kids.” I got a good buy on capes and masks for kids three and older and will be giving them out free to kids who accompany their parents to the garage sales.
I only have thirty of these sets, so this promotion ends when I’ve given out the last set.

This coming week, I’ll be restocking my garage as much as humanly possible. I’m using every suitable box I can find to put together as many mystery boxes as I can. I’m shooting for a dozen and think I can reach that goal.

There will be usual oversized hardcovers and trade paperbacks and boxes of comic books priced at a dollar. We’ll have a couple boxes of magazines, some Barbie collectibles, some Black Lightning action figures, Funko figures, the exclusive Tigra poster by Jay E. Fife and more.

I’ll have boxes of more expensive comic books, including many gems from the Silver Age of Comics. I’ll have boxes of trade paperbacks and hardcovers. I’ll have tables of books and manga and other stuff priced at a buck each. I’ll have some sets of non-sport trading cards. Thousands of cool items at bargain prices.

As always, I will be happy to sign your Isabella items for free at these garage sales. I’ll also do my best to answer your questions on my comics career and comics in general. I like to think of the sales as a convention in a garage. A small convention, but fun all the same. I think you’ll agree.

Here’s what I hope with be my finalized garage sales schedule for the rest of the summer:

Friday, June 28: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, June 29: GARAGE SALE

Friday, July 26: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, July 27: GARAGE SALE

Friday, August 9: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, August 10: GARAGE SALE

Friday, August 23: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, August 24: GARAGE SALE

Friday, September 6: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, September 7: GARAGE SALE

Friday, September 27: GARAGE SALE

Saturday, September 28: GARAGE SALE

I will have more details on these events as we get closer to them. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

NO GARAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND

 I'M NOT HOLDING GARAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND. It's been too hot to work in the garage safely. Weather permitting, my next garage sales will be next weekend, June 28-29.

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN MAY

 

 

May marked the kickoff of my 2024 Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales. The first sales were held on Friday and Saturday, May 17-18, and Friday and Saturday, May 24-25. Over the four days, I achieved just over 93% of my goal for the sales, falling short by just $126.

Back-to-back sales are always problematic, especially when one of them falls on a holiday weekend. I went with the dates available to me. I’ll likely do back-to-backs again this summer.

My next garage sales are Friday and Saturday, June 7-8, and Friday and Saturday, June 21-22. These sales take place at Casa Isabella, 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio and run from 9 am to noon each day. I can sometimes accommodate late shoppers Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning/afternoon. To set an appointment, e-mail me and I’ll do my best to work with you.

As seems standard these days, May was filled with things that did not make me happy, things generated by the criminal/racist/traitor Donald Trump and his vile lackeys in the GOP. But good people are fighting back against these villains and that pleases me greatly.

Here are the other things that made me happy in May...

May 1: My new more colorful garage sale lawn signs have arrived. I think they look beautiful and inviting.

May 2: Super Detention (2016). Set in a high school for kids with super-powers, this is an entertaining “X-Men Meets Breakfast Club” effort in which the unruly students must save their classmates from a super-villain. Fun and unassuming.

May 3: Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. A beautifully  flowing graphic novel in which three young Canadian women vacation in NYC. With some personal drama along the way, this shows both the cool and the ugly in the city. Highly recommended. 5-3-24.

May 4: Free Comic Book Day at Sweets & Geeks in Medina. It’s a huge store filled with candy, odd soda pops, Funko figures, games a game room for onsite play. I had a blast talking with the friendly fans who came to the event.

                                                                             

May 5: Slay (2024). Currently available on Tubi, it’s drag queens and rednecks battling vampires in a backwater bar. Come for the pop culture references and stay for the heartwarming characters and the many surprises. Just a fun flick.

May 6: Bob Hearts Abishola. “Find Your Bench” was a perfect finale for one of my favorite TV comedy series ever. Every episode brought great performances of characters unlike any others on television. It was an epic and memorable run.

May 7: Funded by Kickstarter, The Dusk by Alex Segura, Elizabeth Little and David Hahn introduces a Batman-like hero who is neither brutal or mentally ill. The graphic novel is suitable for all ages. I hope there’s more to come.

                                                                                  

May 8: My Black Lightning Archives has a Champion Raglan T-Shirt, a cast & crew item from the second season. It’s a XL so I can wear it myself for a while before the Archives is (hopefully) donated to one of the historical Black colleges.

May 9: From 2016, Rough Raiders Volume 1 by Adam Glass and Patrick Olliffe is just plain fun. I may be late to the party, but I loved this team: Teddy Roosevelt, Houdini, Edison, Jack Johnson and Annie Oakley. There are two additional volumes.

                                                                                              

May 10: Won’t Back Down. Edited by Trina Robbins, this anthology in support of a woman’s right to choose is filled with poignant comics by over fifty creators. As Robbins well knew, it is a fight worth fighting as long as it takes.

May 11: Women Take the Conn. I enjoyed my friend Valentina Rossi’s essay on the insane artist Marta so much I bought the collection of Star Trek essays. Her insights into Marta made me want to write the character. Are you listening, IDW?

                                                                                 

May 12: Another very cool addition to my Black Lightning archives.A very rare varsity Black Lightning TV show cast and crew jacket. It even fits me! (Okay, it’s a tad tight.) I will continue to look for key items to add to the archives.

May 13: Groo: In The Wind by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. It’s always a treat to sit down with a new Groo adventure. Hilarious and new reader friendly, this tale is laced with social commentary that makes its point without dominating the laughs.

                                                                              

May 14: My latest addition to the Black Lightning archives is this Garfield High School hat, a cast and crew item from season one of the series. That looks like a panther to me. So the school mascot was a black panther? That tracks.

May 15: B Movie Art: A Career in Black and White by Mike DiGrazia. A stunning collection of poster art from the man who created such iconic images as Sharknado, 6-Headed Shark Attack, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies and so many other cheesy delights.

May 16: Young Sheldon. Over three days, I watched the final nine episodes of the series. Great character moments. Scenes of joy and sorrow. Above all, a most satisfying finish to one of our favorite shows. Much like The Big Bang Theory that birthed it.

                                                                                     

May 17: Attack of the Meth Gator. From the Asylum and directed by  Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray, this fun film recalls the days when SyFy gave us wonderful mockbusters and other monster movies instead of its current tired old blockbusters.

May 18: My first Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales of 2024 achieved 125% of my two-day goal. I’ve already started restocking for next week’s sales.

May 19: Cleveland Asian Festival. After Saturday’s garage sale, we attended this amazing street fair in Asian Town. So many terrific food trucks, sponsors and vendors along with beautiful costumes and  great entertainment. We’ll go back in 2025.  

                                                                                  

May 20: Atlas Artist Edition No. 1 featuring Joe Maneely. Edited by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo and published by Fantagraphics, this book is breathtaking in the beauty of the art and the obvious care that went into selecting its contents.

May 21: Shadow Doctor by Peter Calloway and Georges Jeanty. This is the true story of a Black physician caught between his calling and the mob in 1930s Chicago. It came out in 2021 and I want much more. Maybe even a movie.

May 22: CSI Vegas. Though it wasn’t planned as the series finale, I thought “Tunnel Vision” was an excellent and largely satisfying end to the series. Fine performances all around and fun forensic gobbledygook.

May 23: An NAACP Image Award nominee, Queenie: Godmother of Harlem: by Elizabeth Colomba and Aurelie Levy is the story of the legendary Stephanie Saint-Clair. A stylishly-told page turner, I recommend it to all who enjoy historical graphic novels.

May 24: My Black Lightning Archives. I added a second slightly different cast and crew jacket from the first season to my growing collection of memorabilia from the TV series. I hope to find more items in the future.

May 25: Radio Margaritaville. It’s Channel 24 on Sirius XM, owned by the Jimmy Buffet estate and has live broadcasts of Buffett's concerts as well as music by him and his fellows. It’s a favorite companion as I drive from here to there.

                                                                                        

May 26: Those of you who know the differences and recognize the distinctions. It’s not National Mattress Sale Weekend or Barbeque Weekend or even “Burger of the Summer” Weekend. It’s a somber time for honoring those who gave their all.

May 27: Fiesta Jalapeno. Once a week, I treat myself to a sit-down meal there, ordering the Speedy No. 3 lunch special. If any of my area friends want to join me, send me an e-mail. I’ll try my best to make it happen.

                                                                        

May 28: Elsbeth. The season finale, aptly named “A Fitting Finale,” boasted fine character moments, including a magnificent performance from André De Shields. Fashion, humor, and, of course, murder most foul. Looking forward to season two.

May 29: Rob Petersen. If you’ve purchased items from my eBay store and been impressed by the great packing and service, thank my pal.I find the goodies in my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. He’s the guy who handles everything else. A true friend.

May 30: Legend of the Hawkman by Ben Raab and Michael Lark. From 2000, this classy three-issue series isn’t 100% my take on Hawkman and Hawkwoman, but close enough for me to enjoy it immensely. Why won’t DC collect great Hawkman work like this?

May 31: Sugar. In this stylish series, Colin Farrell is incredible as a private detective looking for the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood icon. The mysterious John Sugar is a great character and the eight episodes deliver a most satisfying story.

And now...Tony’s Best of the Bloggy Thing Month. Three categories. Three winners.

BEST COMIC OF THE MONTH: Atlas Artist Edition No. 1 featuring Joe Maneely

BEST MOVIE/TV SHOW OF THE MONTH: Slay

BEST PERSON OF THE MONTH: Rob Petersen

I have a long list of things I want to cover in my upcoming bloggy things. I’ll do my best to get this feature on a more frequent and regular schedule. Thanks for reading.

© 2024 Tony Isabella