C2E2 2014 Friday Photo Gallery

VIDEO: Discussion of Harassment in the Comic Community

I made this video as my first entry in a vlog series. The comic community as a whole has a serious problem with harassment and how it's dealt with. We have to do better to make this a safe and welcoming environment for everyone interested.

ECCC 2014 Post-Con Report

We’re two weeks removed from Emerald City Comicon where thousands of people gathered in Seattle to celebrate their passion for comic books, video games, cosplay, etc. This is a show I’ve heard consistently praised by comic creators and fans for their dedication and attention to comics. I was finally able to make the trip and join in the festivities, now it’s time to reflect on an amazing weekend.

As this was my first time there (though certainly not my last), I must comment on the set-up of the Washington State Convention Center. It took some time getting acclimated to the building. I can admit I got lost several times, but this was due to obviously having never been there before. Don’t let that steer you away from any convention, it’s natural. This also allowed me more time to see random sites and spot new cosplayers. Once I made note of some landmarks within the convention center such as the skybridge and various exhibitors such as Image Comics, I got my bearings and it became rather easy to navigate the show floor.

From a programming standpoint, ECCC had panels for just about everyone. Though I couldn't attend as many as planned, the ones I did sit in on featured important and informative discussions. The ones I attended were “Broadening Comics Readership,” “Looking Past the Target Audience,” “The Elephant in the Room.” Panelists included Janelle Asselin, Rachel Edidin, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Sina Grace, to name a few. These conversations not only concerned the state of the comic book industry in terms of diversity but the geek community as a whole.

While they shared similar subject matter and some panelists, each panel possessed their own uniqueness. Though the details of which are best left for a separate post, I’ll briefly mention that despite the growth of the geek world, there is significant room for growth. Some ideas I've previously held were echoed by the panelists. This included how territorial members of the community can be and how they can challenge other's "geek cred." Again, to keep it short: treat each other as the human beings we are and have FUN.

Related to how we treat each other within the community, there seemed to have been some sort of incident over the weekend which served as further evidence of how far we still have to go. ECCC sent out this tweet on Saturday of the convention.

There is a male #ECCC attendee dressed as Chell (white tanktop orange jumpsuit) taking inappropriate photos. Plz let us know if you see him

— Emerald City Comicon (@emeraldcitycon) March 29, 2014

This follows the strong efforts on the part of the convention organizers for establishing a welcoming and safe environment for all attendees. Weeks before the show, they posted their Anti-Harassment Policy. I commend ECCC for their policy and utilizing social media to spread the word on offenders. It's deplorable how some people can act to make policies such as these necessary. Even though we shouldn't need these, maybe this will help combat the issue.

I also checked out the “Editing Comics the BOOM! Studios Way” panel. This discussion, held by editorial staff and creators, highlighted some aspects of the creative partnership and how to treat fellow creators. They have some fun and talented folks producing some amazing comics.

The guest list was not short on comic talent either. I had the opportunity to meet quite a few creators, as indicated by the signature-laden program guide below. Among those were the tags of Kelly Sue DeConnick, Ryan Benjamin, Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening, Jordie Bellaire and Dustin Nguyen.

Many comic publishers were in attendance as well. In real estate, it’s all about “location, location, location.” Well Image Comics and BOOM! Studios owned the market that weekend. Both publishers made their presence known with sizable booths operated by large and friendly staffs. Image was located just inside one of the ends of the connecting sky bridge. BOOM! set up camp in a prime spot on that very bridge where most of the convention traffic had to pass. I liked Dark Horse’s booth as well, which allowed space for signings as well as attendees to browse their books for purchase. Other companies representing their brands were 2000 AD, Oni Press and Zenescope Entertainment, among others.

Also of note is how ECCC went a different route than most conventions with regards to the program cover. They opted to fill their cover with characters from indie comics as opposed to the superheroes of Marvel and DC. It shows appreciation for creators and it serves as a signal boost for their works which may not receive as much publicity.

And what would a convention be without the fans lining the halls? I shudder at the thought. The fans certainly showed up in high numbers throughout the weekend. I’m curious to know final attendance. There were fans from all demographics, families, cosplayers, kids and more. For more photos of the show, click this link.

It was great to see all those fans at the show, especially kids. Much of the community developed these interests as kids and yet, sometimes it seems we overlook the younger fans. We should want to encourage that joy for kids so they can share those interests and so comic books, video games, cosplay, etc. continue to grow. I've been to several conventions which have made Sunday a "Kid's Day." Emerald City Comicon dedicated a section of the show to younger fans dubbed "ECCC KIDS!" Here they could take photographs with the mascots, the Emerald City Caped Crusader and Caped Crusaderette. They could also have their face painted and just enjoy being a kid surrounded by fantastic subjects as we have enjoyed much of our lives.

Wrapping up, I had an amazing time and I’m adding Emerald City Comicon to my convention calendar. I look forward to returning to Seattle. Dates for next year's show have been announced and ECCC 2015 will take place on March 27-29.

What did you think of the show? I'd love to hear thoughts of others who were at the convention. Especially first timers. Share your opinions in the comments.

Dark Horse Announces The Strain: The Night Eternal

MILWAUKIE, OR — As the world gears up for the premiere of the new FX television program adapting the original novel trilogy The Strain, Dark Horse announces The Night Eternal, the third comics chapter of this ongoing vampire epic, adapted by David Lapham and Mike Huddleston.

Following the first two comics series, The Strain and the recently wrapped The Fall, The Night Eternal will begin on August 20, just after The Strain’s television debut on FX!

It’s been two years since the Master’s plan succeeded and a near apocalypse coated the world in darkness. Now able to roam freely, the Master’s legion of vampires rule the world—a horrifying police state where humans are harvested for blood. As humanity despairs, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and an unlikely team of heroes continue their fight against extinction, all the while hoping to unlock the secret to the Master’s demise. The final chapter in the Strain Trilogy, the series that put a terrifying twist on the vampire genre, begins here.

Dark Horse is giving readers a chance to catch up on what they’ve been missing with a one-dollar reprint of the first issue of The Strain. This horrifying first chapter of the original Strain saga takes readers back to the beginning of an outbreak of diabolical proportions. On shelves June 18.

It doesn’t stop there! July will see the reprint of the entire first series of The Strain in a deluxe hardcover. This all-new edition will collect the first eleven issues in 272 full-color pages for only $29.99! On sale July 9 in comic shops everywhere.

July will also see the release of The Strain Volume 4: The Fall, wrapping up the second series. This collection arrives at your local comic shop on July 2 for $19.99.

Rust Vol. 3: Death of the Rocket Boy Preview

April 2, 2014 - Los Angeles, CA - Award-winning publisher Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, is excited to announce the May debut of RUST VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE ROCKET BOY, the third installment of Royden Lepp’s exciting all-ages saga. This beautifully bound hardcover continues the story of Jet Jones and the Taylor family as they struggle with a past that’s rushing up to haunt them, and one boy’s struggle to find his place in the world. RUST is currently in development as a feature-length film at 20th Century Fox.

“RUST continues to be one of the crown jewels in Archaia’s publishing lineup,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. "Royden’s penultimate chapter is a stunner. It’s a marvelous example of Archaia’s commitment to producing high-end graphic novels that inspire through their stories and presentation.”

WHY WE LOVE IT: Creator Royden Lepp continues his all-ages saga of Jet Jones and the Taylor family in this third and penultimate installment of RUST, giving us more of the lyrical and visually stunning ode to family, childhood, and sacrifice that we love.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: More secrets of the past are revealed for both Jet and the Taylors as they face their darkest fears in this calm before the oncoming storm. And, of course, more high-octane robot action!

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Oz Taylor may know Jet Jones’ secret, but convincing the rest of his family may be harder than he counted on. As Oz plots to rid the Taylor farm of the rocket boy, Jet tries to prove himself to the family that has taken him in, in hopes of finding the home he has searched for for so long. However, when shadows of Jet’s past start coming back into his life, he realizes his days of running may be numbered.

RUST VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE ROCKET BOY arrives in comic shops on May 7th with a cover price of $24.99 under Diamond order code MAR140973. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find one! It’s also available for order directly from boom-studios.com.