So it’s 4 days later and I’m still in general recovery mode. What a great weekend, nonetheless! Managed to distribute a good number of the SouthTown Ashcan Preview issue and put a little money toward the official issue #1 fundraiser (Kickstarter launching later this week!)

While I didn’t have the time away from my table to wait on line to meet the big names in TV and film (I did see the likes of David Tennant, John Barrowman, Corey Feldman and Kerri Green from a short distance, and told Boy Meets World’s Rider Strong that he was great in Cabin Fever 😂) the biggest thing for me was being able to meet some of the professional, career comic artists and creators that drew me to this style of drawing in the first place.

John Romita Jr. first popped up on my radar in about 1992. I remember picking up the first issue of Punisher: War Zone and then seeing his style appear in a short run on Uncanny X-Men (during the Fatal Attractions storyline featuring the return of Magneto.) Most notably for me was his Eternals mini-series which he did with Neil Gaiman in 2006 (which the movie sadly sidelined for story ideas and went with… whatever it was they decided…)

Also had a chance to chat with Georges Jeanty whose work on the sequel “seasons” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was most impressed with his ability to complete nearly 1500 pages of story while maintaining the uncanny likeness of the tv series actors. He is currently providing the artwork for Marvel’s Star Wars Mandalorian comic book series.

Finally, a bit more on the indie circuit was Jason Shawn Alexander. He’d done a series back in the late 90’s and early 00’s called Empty Zone and was one of my favorite cyber-punk series at the time. While I’d forgotten to bring along my issues for him to sign, we had a great little chat about his evolution as an artist, the “good ol’ days” with the indie comic labels and out mutual dealings with celebrity name sharing 😂 Also dropped a SouthTown ashcan into his hands. Hope he enjoyed it!

Also met a handful of indie comic creators (Anthony Stokes, Pat Shand, and Charlie McElvy) at a late night panel about self publication, looking forward to staying in touch with those dudes and catching up again at the next con 🤙

*Now, your obligatory photo dump*

We’ll see ya all again next year! Likely with at least one full issue of SouthTown in tow!