NOTE: I will placing small pictures in this post but you can always click on the image to see it full sized. There are so many pics I want to share and this is the best way to do it I think.
The masses await entry
This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Rose City Comic Con. Having been to many comic book conventions in the past as well as working in the comic book industry for a period of time in the 90’s while I was employed at first with Second Genesis and later on with Diamond Comic Distributors I had an idea of what this would be like and was on the fence about what my experience might entail. I admit I was skeptical and thought this would be a bunch of comic book owners trying to wholesale their old copies of whatever they didn’t sell in the previous twelve months. Maybe a few people would be selling Magic the Gathering cards and whatever fad that might be current. Boy was I wrong!
Even this Dalek has to wait its turn to enter
Not to bag on the Portland Memorial Coliseum, but compared to the Oregon Convention Center it’s like a sad fixture that time forgot. Like on the first day of school when all your chums show up with new kicks and you’re still wearing the same ones you mucked around in all summer. Kinda like that.
Impressive Wookiee!
The venue was great and easy to get to. The enthusiasm was incredible with TONS of cosplay being represented. There were large areas given over to an old-timey stand-up arcade with several of the staples from the 80’s and the 90’s being represented as well as the all-popular pinball machines. There was an area setup to resemble your favorite 80’s themed living room complete with actual working NES and Atari 2600 systems. Tons of space for tabletop gaming, a staged area for talks and what seemed like hundreds of booths selling everything from new/old comics (of course), t-shirts, crazy hand-made wackiness, movie and t.v. weapons, costumes, legos and so much more. There was a booth dedicated to pirates for…just being pirates. There was also an area where tattoos were being worked on. Actual tattoos! People brought in books they were selling that had been kick-started, artists galore and a fro-yo pod right in the center of it all.
Doesn’t this bring back memories?
It was AMAZING! My buddy who had a booth selling off hard to find merch had an extra exhibitor badge that he gave me. I traded off with a little of my time at his booth giving him time to get autographs/food and use the restroom. All in all it was a great trade for me. This allowed me to enter before all the public and visit with the various stations/booths beforehand without the thronging masses.
I always knew!
I stayed for only three hours which is really all my old tired out body can handle these days but it was well worth the aches and pains I endured later on. If you get the chance, get to it the next time around, you wont be sorry.
Hey, it’s Barf, from Spaceballs!
AT-AT Attack!
Defend
A Garthim and Jen the Gelfling…friends- who knew?
Also, I found that it is just plain fun to people-watch. I loved the creativity and effort that went into all these costumes, many of which were homemade.
Peace be with you!
More to come…
