Junk Food Nation, a few weeks ago I told you that I’d be traveling north from DC to Charm City to cover the 2012 Baltimore Comic Con.  It all started with my friend Rob, who had seen my coverage of the Summer Fancy Food Show as Press and suggested I see if Junk Food Guy could cover the Comic Con as Press.  “A comic con?” I said eyebrows raised.  Rob insisted it fell under pop culture, which my blog’s tag line includes.  And he was right.  Besides, as a prior comic nerd, I thought it might be interesting.

The Convention organizers were happy to accommodate with Press Passes.  And so it was that this past Sunday, on a gorgeous day in Baltimore (perfect sun, perfect weather), that Rob and I spent approximately seven hours indoors with hundreds of people wearing superhero costumes.  And not at the Yankees-Orioles game that was right down the street.  Right.

So: presenting Part 1 of the 2012 Baltimore Comic Con, as seen through my eyes and with my thoughts for you to enjoy!

One thing was clear as soon as we entered the ticket and entrance area – this was a convention for all ages.  Adults.  Kids.  Kids with backpacks.  Adults with backpacks.  Kids with cargo pants.  Adults in cargo pants.  Kids in adult costumes.  Adults in kid costumes.  It was really an eclectic sight.  But everyone was happy to be there!  And hey, why not?  Given a choice between reading a textbook and reading about Superman, I’ll take Clark Kent any day.

Even before you get to the main entrance of the convention, there was a big table covered with stuff tha anyone could take.  As a complete hoarder myself, I IMMEDIATELY rushed up to the table and started grabbing stuff like it was my JOB.  “FREE FLYERS FREE FLYERS!!!!” After a couple seconds, I looked at the stuff in my hands and realized it was all promotionals and other ads.  Boo.  I chucked it all back onto the table.  I don’t need more crap for my recycling bin.

The first area of the 2012 Baltimore Comic Con that Rob and I strolled into was the retailers area; that is, a collection of comic books stores, toy stores, and clothing vendors that had come to sell their wares.  Many of the displays were impressive, such as the one above.  HULK LOOK GOOD IN FLUORESCENT LIGHTING!

It impressed me more, however, that there were so MANY vendors at this convention!  I hadn’t bought a comic book in a long time, so I wasn’t sure how many comic book stores even still EXISTED with the rise of the internet and the like.  Yet here they all were, with display cases, racks, huge banners.  I guess the economy IS picking up.

If you were a collector, this was an easy place to drop 500 bucks.  There were stacks of discount comics for people to buy…

…and there were older books that still commanded an impressive price!  I mean, $75 for a Wonder Woman comic?  $100 for a Fantastic Four book?  Maybe I’m a miser, but I was shocked at these prices.  Then again, even as a sports fan, I still don’t understand why someone would shell out a million bucks for a record home run ball, etc.  I prefer to pay my mortgage, thanks.

As a kid growing up, X-Men WAS my favorite comic, and I did recognize this particular comic right away.  More impressive was that this comic once cost 25 cents.  25 cents doesn’t even get me 8 minutes at a parking meter, but it’ll get me a comic book that will later be worth 200 smackers???  Now THAT’S some capital gains.

And still, I found MORE old comics I’d only SEEN in magazines.  The first X-Men comic!  The first appearance of Two-Face in a Batman book.  And then…

WHOA.  One of the ORIGINAL Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics.  Back before they were a fun-loving pizza eating foursome, the original version of these “heroes” did drugs and rode Harleys.  The guy manning this particular vendor booth saw me eyeing this issue and started to really sell it; his store had one of the biggest Turtles collections in the world, this is a chance to own one, yada yada.  When I mentioned we weren’t interested in buying but were covering the event for this blog, he went into shutdown mode and suddenly couldn’t remember how to speak. Which was weird.  Because what possible bad press or whatnot was he trying to avoid?

There was plenty being sold besides comics, of course.  For the truly fan geeky, there was everything from WWE wrestling toys (I haven’t watched wrestling in forever, and I had NO IDEA who the eff these clowns were)…

…to GLEE light up badges (I’m pretty sure someone just throws a Slushy at you when you wear these)…

…to plush dolls (I don’t remember Gargamel of the Smurfs being so cuddly)…

…to vintage sports memorabilia! (Terry Bradshaw??? As soon as you open the box, you have the sudden urge to launch into hyperbole).

Some vendors went the extra mile in trying to be amusing with their signage…so random that they singled out South Carolina here.  I’ll just have to pay with souls next time I’m in Gamecock Country.

The Junk Food Gal and my sisters somehow love this show.  I. DON’T. GET. IT.

Amateur art pieces were a big seller, too.  Anyone need a watercolor painting from the end of the Goblet of Fire?  And why is Voldemort wearing pants in this picture?  I’m pretty sure he was commando all up under that robe of his.

These little figurines are called HeroClix, and they were both a collectible item and a game of some sort back in the 2000s.  What, you’ve never heard of these toys? …….not….surprising….

Not all the memorabilia made me cringe, however.  These potted Piranha Plants from Super Mario Brothers games were AWESOME.  I’m sure it cost a dollar to make, so $10 is a big mark up, BUT LOOK AT THEM.  I kind of wanted to buy one for my office, but realized my co-workers already don’t take me seriously.

Eventually, Rob and I wandered into the artists’ section of Comic Con, where many artists were drawing prints, autographing cooks, and generally trying market their newest project.  Most, if not all, of the artists we met were super nice and eager to please.  Some artists had blank cover books, as seen above  – you’d buy a comic and then they’d draw a scene on the front for you, RIGHT THERE.  Very cool concept.  I approve.

One of my favorite booths of the 2012 Baltimore Comic Con was the CBLDF – the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.  Yeah, the lawyer side of me was able to nerd out at this booth.  The CBLDF is a nonprofit legal organization that helps retailers, distributors, and creators with any legal issues of free speech.  One of the founders told me that it all started when he helped field donations back in 1986 to help a shop owner who had been arrested for selling indecent materials.  The appeal was eventually won, and the remaining money went to establish this org!  Today, it exists largely through the auction of donated items and raises some amazing totals in the six-figure range to help defend against prosecution and civil suits of the 1st Amendment variety.  Good stuff.

Are you too busy or lazy to even READ comic books?  No worries – with Graphic Audio, comic books are read to YOU, featuring live voices and theme music!   Books on tape for the comic nerdy….or the comic lazy.

ComiXology is iTunes for comic books.  Or a comic book store for your Kindle, iPad, e-Reader.  Makes sense, really – as more and more people read on their tablets, and stop reading print versions of books, the comic book industry needed to adapt.  And with so many comics and books in general being pirated on the internet, it makes sense for the industry to want to try and regulate it somehow.

The last hour of my day at the 2012 Baltimore Comic Con was spent wandering the lesser known artists’ booths.  There were all kinds of random comic series being pitched.  Jewish freedom fighters.  Super hero teams made of animated fruits.  And above, a pizza boy who is a super hero??  Now that’s MY kind of warrior!

Trailer Park of Terror was another lesser known comic that caught my eye.  They actually made a movie out of this series back in 2008!  Direct-to-video, of course 😉

One of the coolest things that I saw were rising artists who had gotten their start via Kickstarter, the online fundraising tool.  I’d seen movies, inventions, and even music tours bankrolled by Kickstarter, and now comic books??  America is a great place.  Bloop (seen above) was one of these projects.

Finally, I had to take a picture of the most random booth of the day.  I wasn’t sure whether I was offended or amused.  The lady running the booth encouraged me to take a picture with her in it to show, to show “that an actual Asian is indeed involved in this project.”  To this day, I’m still not sure what she was selling.

And that’s it for Part 1 of my Baltimore Comic Con adventure!  Honestly, i really enjoyed the day – it was interesting to see how the industry had changed since I was a kid, and it was my first experience attending an event like this!  Of course, in Part 2, I’ll be discussing major thing missing from my photos above: COSTUMES.  Stay tuned!

Thoughts? Please comment below (I always reply) or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. Also, you can always email me at junkfoodguy@junkfoodguy.com. Let’s hang out.

Sincerely,

Junk Food Guy