COMICS CULTURE SHRAPNEL from CBEM 385
Anime Expo was at best, confusing. It was being run at the same time as the Big Apple Anime Fest, and the two were both working together and yet had nothing to do with each other. This has the result of confusing absolutely everyone, from staff to attendees. In the end it didn't seem to matter much since you needed to buy separate tickets to BAAF events and THAT was THAT. Unless you were press of course, and this confusion meant that me and a friend representing Anime News Network stood around for twenty minutes or more staring with doe eyes at a BAAF official, hoping he would give us press tickets to the screening of Millennium Actress. I highly recommend this movie, whether you're an anime fan or a movie fan or a romance fan or some who just likes things that are DIFFERENT. Check it out whenever you get a chance.
The dealer's room was pretty cool and they managed to get the best dealers, at least the best that I always buy from. However, the room was way too small. There was a constant issue of crowd control and long lines were the norm to get in. I also thought it was disrespectful to the dealer's, charging them so much for so little breathing room.
On the comics front, I attended the Marvel panel, where they spoke about all the manga-influenced work they're coming out with. A number of doujinshi (fan comics) artists have been hired to do art for them, as well as a few big names, including the artists behind Blood: The Last Vampire and Outlaw Star. There was also mention that a lot of big names wanted to work with Marvel because of the opportunity to work in COLOR. The whole room was utterly buzzing with excitement, and I tried to rope the two panelists into working at Shoujocon (once a staffer, always a staffer).
The con was cool, though a little dull. The cosplay/masquerade just didn't have enough skits, and the hotel was dark and a bit forbidding. You just couldn't sit on the floor and relax, guards were always on hand to shoo us away. Unfortunately, BAAF will have the hotel for the next three years.
Now, the following weekend was Small Press Expo. I'll be honest and say I didn't get to spend much time there, mostly 'cause I had the new boyfriend in tow and he was physically drained. So I took a look around, bought those things that looked cool, got Scott Kurtz's autograph (why oh why don't I own a sketchbook!!!), and took some pictures. Then I went to see Road to Perdition, which was a pretty cool movie and still let the day be a comic day.
Going to SPX always makes me feel weird, because you even glance at a table and you feel the creator's eyes on you, sad puppy eyes pleading with you, "Please buy my book!!!" I took lots of business cards and smiled at them, but didn't fork over much cash. Sorry folks, but that's just the way it is. I wonder what I would have gotten if I had made it clear I would review anything I bought/recieved?
The next couple of columns will be reviews of everything I got there, free or bought. And I think that'll keep me for another few weeks. Else I'll have to torture you with tales of my never-ending quest to dress as Snapdragon from David Mack's Kabuki.