You came to see a rock show

Almost a week after the convention, and my voice is just now coming back. I’m callng it “smoky”. Let’s just go with that.

So I was thinking about what to write in regards to the New York Comic Con, and I was thinking, you know, you can read the thousand reports over at Newsarama or CBR, mostly about what was announced at panels, how effing cold it was outside for those who couldn’t get in, and lessons in fire safety when the fire marshall showed up and tried to explain that you can’t cram 20,000 people into a space that will only hold 12,000 max. I really have nothing incredibly interesting to add, except that it was one of the best artist alleys I’ve ever seen, a literal alley running the perimeter, with some of the industry’s best sitting shoulder to shoulder, and seemingly in good spirits despite how
crowded and loud it was.

Personally, I saw Andy Lanning and Phil Jimenez, Todd Nauck, Chris Batista, Walt Simonson, Ian Churchill, Kevin Nowlan, Rags Morales, Dale Eaglesham, Kevin Maguire, Alex Maleev, Carlos D’Anda, Mike Norton, Colleen Doran. I mean, these were the people you could actually stop and chat with, it was pretty amazing. Also, last I heard, Andy Lanning and Ian Churchill had raised over $3000 for the Sam Loeb Fund — they jointly decided to donate all the money they would normally make on commissions over the course of the weekend.

I was going to include some gross piece of gossip that I heard about Kevin Smith’s behavior over at the CBLDF battle of the bands fundrasier*, but my leftover giddiness from the con is not letting me get into the proper outraged mindset to talk about comics dudes who act like idiots and still have huge followings of people who also act like idiots because it’s cool.

Rememeber the two seconds when X-Men the movie first came out and being an actual nerd was cool?  That was totally sweet.

Instead, let’s do something new and lovely, since General Counsel informs me that the entire point of me getting this was to use my powers for Good and not Evil (most of the time we even agree on the definitions for those terms!).

Weekly Rec
Should we be doing this on a Monday? I really don’t want to be the thing you check after you read all the goss over on Lying the Gutters, although I guess that would mean you are actually reading so maybe I should shut the hell up. I should do something fun, too, like, Weekly Debunk, where I either disprove one of Johnston’s pieces or I just bitch about it. Anyhow.

Action Philosophers, by Ryan Dunlavey and Fred Van Lethe.

Now, I will be honest and say I haven’t actually read this yet, but I saw these guys on the floor at the show and picked up the books and they look hilarious. I mean, Plato Smash? Come on, guys, this has to be good stuff. Yeah, I know, great sell, right? Shut it. I’m tired. It’s, like, two bucks. Did I mention Plato Smash?

*all i’m saying is that it started with kevin smith drunk and ended with him auctioning off a lunch with marvel eic joe quesada with the promise that you could watch him fuck his wife on the glass table in their living room. uh, no, i’m good, thanks.