I know it’s CCI now or something, but whatever. I went to San Diego Comic-Con for the first time in 14 years this past weekend and this is a quick run-down of artists, books and places that were either new to me or finally stuck in my mind enough to want to pass them along. The order is largely determined by the way schwag from the show fell on to my kitchen table. No playing favorites here, oh no.
First up, I had no clue that the very talented Scott Campbell (AKA Scott C.) was so damn prolific. As far as I knew, apart from his video game design work for Double Fine, he hadn’t put out much since Double Fine Action Comics #1 and Hickee Vol. 3 #4 in 2008. It turns out that I was wrong. He’s got the whole stack of books shown above (East Dragon West Dragon, Zombie In Love, Amazing Everything); The Great Showdowns from Titan Books (Foreword by Neil Patrick Harris!) and a whole series of Double Fine Action Comics collections coming from Oni Press.
I was accosted in the street by a young woman who was letting everyone know that she wasn’t being paid to be there who was passing out cards for the excellent review site Spandexless.com. Obviously we support that kind of cape-free focussed comics crit around here.
Jason Brubaker was working a table at the show promoting his excellent web and print comic reMIND. This is one that really has not gotten the attention it deserves. Volume 2 is promissed to be coming very soon. Chapter Five of the online installments begins this coming monday. You can get Volume One right here on Wow Cool.
I was very excited to be able to pick up a few recent issues of 2000AD featuring episodes of Brendan McCarthy’s Zaucer of Zilk for a mere buck each at their booth.
Hopefully coming to these shores (The Wow Cool shop) soon will be copies of the latest self-published release from Adventure Time, Babysitter and Wow Cool header art guy Andy Ristaino. It’s a gorgeous Risograph printed thing called One Hundred and Twenty One Creatures. Similar to 140 People From The Future… but much more deluxe and funky. I have number 187 out of 188, so it’s a safe bet that the first edition is sold out.
How the hell have I missed out on the mad genius that is Brandon Bird? I spent a long time talking to him at the Topatoco booth about his paint by numbers set, Nick Cage magnets and celebrities in their natural environments prints. I declared him a genius and you should accept my word on this as law.
The two days I was in San Diego I ate lunch at the same place and got the same thing both times. If you are ever in San Diego and need to impress someone (especially if they are a wine connoisseur) please go to 322 5th Avenue (a mere block and a half from the convention center) and dine at Ristorante Acqua Al 2. Make sure you do not show up between 3:30 and 5 pm when they are closed to new patrons. I am very excited that I will get to visit their other US location in Washington D.C. in a couple weeks after I attend Dennis Brown’s Capitol Classics martial arts shindig.
Another in the completely missed it category was the unofficial free comic book day release from Tugboat Press (Papercutter) Runner Runner (above, see?). This is a great little anthology featuring work from Jesse Reklaw, Rich Tommaso, Rina Ayuyang, Aaron Renier, Julia Gfrorer, Andy Hartzell, Alec Longstreth, Kazimir Strzepek and many more. Although no further Papercutter issues seem to be coming anytime soon, publisher Greg Means promises more releases from Tugboat.
A table I wish I’d remembered to come back to (if I could find it in all that was CCI) was Josh Shalek and his Falling Rock National Park books. I’d seen him online before and had managed to completely forget about the strip. This visit should have cemented the deal, but I blew it again. I will be sure to order many of these soon.
Last up was what had to be the mightiest strictly indie artist effort at the show – the Monster Milk Cooperative table with Tyler J. Hutchison, Evan Dahm and Rice Boy, Tiny Kitten Teeth by Becky and Frank, and Zach Sleeps Here. All excellent work. Seek them out. (You saw the links, right?)
