Baltimore Comic-Con

This time of year, our stomping grounds become one happening place! With three conventions in a row (Baltimore Comic-Con, SPX, and Intervention), it's my favorite time of the year. This weekend, it's Baltimore Comic-Con. We didn't have a table at this show, but that didn't stop a few of us from making it there as attendees.

For me, BCC isn't a show for it's panels. In the past three years that I've gone, I've never found many that I just HAD to go to. I go to this show for the dealer room and to meet other creators in Artist Alley and the Small Press tables.

First stop was to say hi to an old SCC member, Eric Guerrero! It was good to see him again and I picked up a print of his awesome rendition of Skottie Young's Oz characters!  He also had prints from Runaways, Sandman, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more!

I came across Jamal Igle who's Kickstarter for Molly Danger was recently successful. I stopped over to congratulate him and got a free signed poster of the comic. Due to come out in January, keep your eyes peeled for this pint-size superhero!

I remember discovering Action Lab Comics last year and picking up a preview edition of their series "Princless." This year, they had the first book up for grabs, so naturally I grabbed it! I feel like the "princesses taking charge and saving themselves" idea is really popular right now (I can think of at least two other comics that are using it), but I really don't mind, especially when they're this well drawn/written!

Like history? Like zombies? Like history AND zombies? Check out FUBAR, a collection of short comics set during World War 2 with added zombies! These guys have released two such books and this year debuted their third. American History Z covers just what it sounds like: the history of America with zombies, spanning all the way from viking landings in the year 1001 to family life in 2009.

If you're like me, you can't get enough of Sarah Ellerton's art! Known for webcomics like Inverloch, Dreamless, and The Phoenix Requiem, Ellerton got picked up by Th3rd World Studios to work on Finding Gossamyr with David A. Rodriguez. A fantasy story that combines math and magic? This should be interesting!

Anyone looking to break into comics should be following the guys over at ComixTribe. With the slogan "creators helping creators make better comics," this group has created a community of independent creators and provide multitudes of articles breaking down both the artistic and business sides of the medium. Probably their biggest release of the year, Scam recently hit the stands. A heist story with superpowers, this one sounds promising!




What's a comic show without a Blind Ferret booth to peruse? I missed seeing these guys last year, but they've finally returned! It's a good thing I had put a 1-book limit on myself for the show, or I would be totally broke right now! With 13 books out for just one of their webcomics, it's hard to keep up! This year, they've also released a card game for the series (not yet available online, apparently) which I picked up. Can wait to try it out!

I recently became friends with the creators of Shadowbinders, a fun steam-fantasy webcomic. These guys also just had a successful Kickstarter to print the first six chapters of the story in one book! It was great to meet them in person! They put together SO much amazing merch for their booth! Handmade hats, huge buttons, bookmarks, trading cards... If there was an award for booth swag, I think I'd give it to them!





There is now a networking site specifically for comics! ComicWow officially launched at the show and I talked to them about their plans for it and what this site will do for independent creators. Check it out for yourself and connect with fans and creators alike!

Lastly, I discovered a title I was previously unaware of: Drones. This was a buy based mostly on shiny factor.  I took a flip through the book to find a bold use of color (they used hot pink in a chase scene and it WORKED) and I'm a sucker for a great coloring job.  Also, there's a goat, and according to the creator, he's a very important goat.  I picked up their package deal: both issues of Drones, a special black and white copy of #1 (highlighting the great inking job), and a collection of shorts with the author had participated in.




Did you attend Baltimore Comic-Con? Pick up anything I missed out on? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Next weekend in Small Press Expo, where we'll have a table for the second year in a row! See you there!