2010 D.C. Comic-Con

Not a whole lot to say about this. It was a good show. Actually, better than I expected. And I think it definitely demonstrates that there's demand in the area for a much bigger convention.

The best conversation I eavesdropped on at the con was a guy explaining that he was going to pay to ship some of his comics out to be signed by Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane, but he was inclined to spring for Lee's autograph first, because Lee's probably going to die a lot sooner than McFarlane. (He wasn't quite that blunt, but that was the basic gist.)

The worst conversation I eavesdropped on was a few people discussing plans for next year's con. They agreed a bigger space would be needed. But instead of talking about possible locations in D.C., I heard Chantilly mentioned. Look, like I said before, there's no reason why the D.C. Comic-Con shouldn't be in D.C. All the people who made the trek out to George Mason? They'll show up in D.C. So will people who live in D.C. So will people who live in Maryland. So will lots of other vendors.

Yesterday was a great first step in establishing an actual D.C. Comic-Con. Chantilly--or anyplace even further away from D.C. than Fairfax is--would be a step backwards.

But for now, it was enough just to finally have a local comic book convention. Lots of trade paperbacks and hardcovers going for 50% off. Lots of cheap back issues. And lots and lots of old comics.

I love looking at old comics, even ones I don't especially care about. You can't help but feel an appreciation for the industry, and there's something cool about the fact that the issue you're holding may well have been first purchased by some kid during World War II or the civil rights movement or whenever, and passed down through God only knows how many people over the years.

Plus, old comics often get a bad rap for being childish or simplistic, but some of them are surprisingly sophisticated given their subject matter and when they were published.

I said "some," not all.

This is actual original Jack Kirby artwork. If you don't get why that's awesome, I don't even know what you're doing here.

You can't really make out the price tag on top, but this page cost $2,250. That's $2,250 for the Forever People. If Darkseid or Mister Miracle had been on the page, I can only imagine how much it would be going for.

This was my big find of the con: A copy of Showcase #75, the first appearance of Hawk & Dove, in fantastic condition for only $20. Another dealer was selling it for $90, so either he was insane or I got a great deal. When I was a kid, I dreamed of one day having a huge collection of old, valuable comic books. Now I'll just settle for the first issues/appearances of my favorite characters.

And best of all? Despite vast numbers of dudes crouched down to look through boxes of comics, I didn't see a single butt crack. That's a first. Because you tend to see some serious butt crack at these things.

Anyway, based on the number of people in attendance and the amount of money that seems to have been spent, it looked like the first D.C. Comic-Con was a big success. I'm looking forward to next year's show. Hopefully, in D.C.