The Emerald City Comic Con has quickly grown from a collection of comic book artists and enthusiasts into a multi media gathering that is rapidly becoming one of the best gatherings of fans and talent in the Northwest. This year’s show was held at the Seattle Convention Center brought fans face to face with several genre artists as well as slew of talents from film and television.
When we first entered the venue, I was struck by the vast scale of the event as vendors from the world of comics and collectibles lined the hall to display and sell their wares. On more than one occasion I mentioned to my wife how much classic toys were being sold for, and how much money we would have made had my vast collection from my childhood not been donated to a charity when I outgrew playing with them in the early 80s.
As we ventured through the crowds, I was greeted now and then by people who knew me from my writing and speaking engagements who were enjoying the show and I especially got a warm greeting from the Rebel Legions Star Wars fan club that had many members in attendance in highly detailed costumes from the Star Wars movies.
After passing through the vendor area, I noticed Daniel Logan who played young Boba Fett in “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Cones”, who was signing for the fans who were lined up to meet him. Daniel also took the time to pose with some of the Stormtroopers from Rebel Legions while fans took their pictures. Down the way from Daniel, Jamie Bamber who plays Captain Apollo on the series Battlestar Galactica was also signing and preparing for his panel later in the afternoon.
A special treat for fans was the inclusion of three quests from the series So you want to be a Superhero as Fat Mamma, Mrs. Limelight, and season two winner The Defuser were all in attendance to meet the fans.
What really impressed me about the event was that it was not all commercialism and sales. Several artists took the time to hold workshops and answer the fans questions, and there was a real sense of community amongst the guests and talent. During the day there were also several lectures and panels being conducted where fans would be able to not only get the latest news, but ask questions of those in the know about everything from future and past projects to the creative process.
Due to a tight schedule and three stories on a deadline, I was not able to cover as much of the show as I would have liked as I really was sad that I could not cover the panel by JMS who not only created the hit series Babylon 5, but has become a real player in the world of comics thanks to his amazing stories and script for a future Silver Surfer film amongst his many pending projects.
I cover and speak at many events during the year and I have to say that I was highly impressed with the organization and effort that were put forth by the people behind the convention. While our stay was far too short, I look forward to next year’s event and plan to take a much larger and more active part in the show.
Details are located at www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com
