Convention Part 2: Comics Review

Last Saturday, 14^th of April I attended the Wizard World Toronto convention at the MTCC. This was my second year in attending this convention, and this year was no disappointment.

The details of my day can be found in my last post.

I am always looking for new independent comics to read. And this year I was not disappointed. There were so many great books to choose from and found myself hard to pick the ones to take home to read. However the following are the ones I did end up purchasing.

At the Borderline booth they were giving out free comic by the name of Fanboys vs Zombies. This fun book is by Sam Humphries and Jerry Gaylord, and is published by Boom! Studios. This is a what if zombies invade a comic convention. You are introduced to a fun bunch of convention friends the “wrecking crew for 4 lyfe”. What makes this story fun is that the main characters are modelled off the typical convention goer. Plus have we not all thought what would happen if zombies invaded our favourite comic con. Humphries pens a fun story with Gaylord’s art make this an enjoyable read. But … yes there is a but, you have to continue the story in issue #2.

The next book I picked up was Bunch of Ice’s Adventures of the Unlikely. In this issue #1 you are informed at the beginning that the three stories have slightly different art styles for they were trying out the different styles for the series. The issue is a collection of three you think random stories about photographer June. Yet you realize at the end of the first story that June does not follow the “normal” stories. Each of artist’s Anya Craig styles in the three stories complements the writers Owen Craig and Curtis Westman introduction to this interesting character and series.

Next I stopped by the Paradise Comic’s booth to meet up with Andrew Uys. We were tweeting earlier in the week about my looking for interesting indy books. Andrew told me he had a book that I should check out. It was UysFaber Inc’s Totem Sacred: Salt Road. You are immediately introduced to Margaret Wilson the story’s protagonist. With Jaclyn Armstrong’s words and the compelling art by Mathew Salomen, you are drawn into the world of mystery and intrigue of Salt Road. By the end I was wishing for issue #2.

Then when I was visiting my good friend and artist extraordinaire Sean Ward, he asked if I had all his comics. I told him that I was only missing the one and will have to get it next time. In which in true Sean Ward style made sure I did not leave without his Tomorrow Never Knows. This book is about the interest time of The Beatles. I must admit not a huge The Beatles fan yet with Sean’s proses and interesting art you are gripped in the story he is telling.  Thank you again for this most generous gift and will treasure it always J

I would like to thank all the great and amazing artists, that I met and talked with about their work. I am looking forward to the next issues for your series

I do admit that these books will not appeal to everyone yet I do recommend that you check them out for yourself.                                                                                                                                                                   

I did also pick up David Petersen’s Mouse Guard hardcovers: Legend of the Guard and Winter 1152. Thank you to Paradise Comics for a great deal on these books! I will do a review of these as soon as I can rangle them back from my mum ;)

First Convention Adventure of the Year

On Saturday 14 of April was the first day of the Wizard World Toronto Convention. This was going to be the first convention of the year for me. And as I found out last year Wizard does put on a well organized convention. This year due to scheduling the convention was moved to the MTCC. In doing so gave a new space for a well placed layout and this gave a few more choices in the on sight food choices. As busy as it became during the mid afternoon, there was room to move about.

Met Up

One of the main reasons for going to the Con was to met up with friends. Most were friends I have met at conventions past as well as new friends that would be our first time meeting in person.

My good friend Kyle was coming all the way from Nova Scotia to partake the con and to have a fun day with me. For last year at Wizard World was his first convention and became hooked on the whole idea of such an event.

One of the highlights for me at any convention is to meet up with Sean Ward and Alice Quinn of Tdot Comics. I have met them years past and have become that no con is ever complete without meeting them J When visiting Sean I got to meet one of my online heroes, Toronto Batman. He is as generous and entertaining in person as he is in his videos. Alice is always a con must to meet up with and this year was no different, for she is fully launching her website.

Then I ran into Jean-Marc Douville of Happy Robot. He is a photographer friend and social media guru. It was truly amazing to finally meet him and have our brief chats throughout the day J

One of the main people to meet up with was Heada Cooper. I met her briefly last year and have since become friends online. We had a great afternoon hanging out and enjoying the con. Also I made up for her one of my silly hats. Which I was relieved at how much she loved it J

Then I met up with Andrew Uys of Paradise Comics and UysFaber Comics. He is truly amazing  person and introduced me to the Indy comic Salt Road . Mat the artist for Salt Road was great and a pleasure to met. While chatting with Andrew I met Andrea Fort. Who is a truly amazing person.

What is a convention without meeting up with the Canadian Garrison of the 501^st Legion. It was great to briefly met with Roy and receive one of his famous bear hugs J

Celebrities

One of the reasons that you go to conventions is to meet the actor behind your favourite character. This year I had the great pleasure to met Daniel Logan. The gifted actor, and most generous person, behind the character of young Boba Fett from StarWars: Attack of the Clones and StarWars: The Clone Wars.  He was very welcoming, easy to talk with and made you feel very special. Those that know me know that I am a huge Boba Fett fan, so I made up Daniel one of my Silly Hats of Boba Fett. Which he was so grateful in receiving it. After spending the short time with him you walk away feeling you made a friend with him.

I also had the pleasure to meet Sam Witwer. The gifted actor behind the Being Human USA character Aidan the vampire. I love this show yet I wish to met with him for he has also done the voices to the Son and this season of TCW Darth Maul. His one scene he did with Clancy Brown in my opinion was the best of the season. He was very gracious with my compliment over this scene.

From both Daniel and Sam I learned that the next season of TCW is going to be an awesome ride. Which I can not wait for the return of these amazing characters and the wonderful actors that give them life.

Again this year Jeremy Bulloch was in attendance. I have had the honour of meeting the man that gave Boba Fett life in the original trilogy at previous conventions. It is always a pleasure to talk with Jeremy and his wife Maureen. They always make you feel like an old friend and never gives the feeling of being rushed. This year I made him one of my Silly Hats of Fett. He was most gracious and impressed with his gift. And I thank him for his gift to me as well. I will treasure it always J

I also met Lance Guest that played Alex Rogan of The Last Starfighter. We talked about making the film and having the honour of working with the late great Robert Preston. If you never heard of Preston, I ask you to look him up and watching a few of his movies. In that matter I suggest you to watch The Last Starfighter, to me, a classic of the ‘80’s Sci/Fi movies genre.

I also met Sam Harrington of Being Human USA. Who is very much like his roles that he plays, a friendly and easy person to talk to with a sense of humour. And high point was meeting Meaghan Rath. She is so sweet. She loved my R2 hat and the one I made for my stuffie fox Phen’ik.  Phen’ik by the way is quite beside himself that he got a cuddle from Sally ;)

Swag

The other main reason for going to a convention is to find deals. This time out my big deal was finding the Mouse Guard hardcovers at a great price. I was able to pick up The Legend of the Guard and Winter 1152. I missed out with Fall 1152 yet I will be looking into getting this soon. Another great deal was I picked up at an amazing price the 2 disc DVD of Batman: Gotham Knight.

I usually don’t go to buy main stream books, I am an Indy girl by heart. This year was no different. I picked up the UysFaber’s Salt Road, BuchOfice’s Adventures of the Unlikely, Boom’s Fanboys vs Zombies and Sean Ward’s Tomorrow Never Knows. I will do a review of all these amazing reads in another post.

I was also able surprisingly to pick up a Catherinette Rings. If you have never seen Daniel’s Steampunk inspired jewelry then I recommend that you look him up. To see one in life the photos of them I have seen does them no justice.

It was a full day at the convention. Yet it was an amazing day for me. I met up with friends and made new ones. I do consider overall the planning and layout of Wizard World to other conventions. Not that I am not looking forward to the next convention adventure J