FRIDAY NEWSPOST - Local Comic Cons

While the idea of making a big trip to San Diego Comic Con has always been intriguing to me, so far my experience of conventions has been limited to the local con that happens in my city every October.

Nerd culture must be experiencing a boom in Canada, because I’ve watched our comic convention grow exponentially over the last few years. When I first started attending, it took place in the basement of a smallish inn and featured local artists and merchandisers almost exclusively. Now it takes up the entirety of our large convention centre, and people come from all over to sell their wares. Minor celebrities even come to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.

Personally, my favourite part of comic con is meeting comic artists, especially local ones. Comic con was where I first learned about webcomics (the now-defunct Geek Tragedy)! Unfortunately, this aspect of the event seems to be falling by the wayside as the convention grows. This year the main area was reserved entirely for merchandisers and celebrities, while “artists’ alley” was relegated to the smaller second floor and mainly comprised of artists selling jewelry, trinkets and posters. Ultimately, I only met one person who was flogging their own comic book! As much as I’ve loved seeing the convention thrive, it seems as though it’s lost the aspect that drew me in the first place – the comics!

Does your city/region have a local comic convention, or other types of conventions? Have you ever been to one of the major conventions? Comment below!


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“As the quaking Banes and Ozoneocean explore the bone strewn crypts of the abandoned webcomic ossuary they're frequently visited by the terrifying spectres of those very webcomics, eager to commune with living souls once more in the hope of experiencing the joys of an active audience again. Our many contributors helped introduce us to these abandoned webcomics and we hope you'll give them another look too!”

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