Rose City Comic Con has just wrapped up its sophomore outing, but it was no slump. Nearly quadruple the size it was the year before, you would think that this show has been around for years. The event staff was friendly, numerous, organized and always willing to help when they could. The turnout was fantastic, and there were many, many sights to see. Whether you were interested in comics, collectibles, celebrities, artwork, cosplay or games, there were sights to see in Portland.
Comics. Of course there were comics. Dark Horse and Oni Press definitely made their presence noticeable at the con. Unfortunately, when pressed for information about the upcoming Prometheus and Serenity books coming from Dark Horse, mum was the word, though not wholly unexpected. About the only thing I could gauge from them was that they are coming. But there was plenty of comics to go around, and definitely ample opportunities for one to learn about new ones.
There were collectibles galore to be seen at the show, coming from the likes of Billy Galaxy Vintage Toys in Portland, OR, Bobakhan Toys & Collectibles from Everett, WA and many others, there was plenty to be found. Including a few rare Avenger’s Hot Toys, as I saw the Loki and Captain America model going for a pretty penny. Tfaw comics also had amazing deals on the Pop! Vinyl figures.
The celebrity turnout was quite pleasing for a con in its sophomore year. Big names showed including David Giuntoli, best known as Detective Nick Burnhardt on the Portland-based series, Grimm. Fans also got a chance to meet Avery Brooks, who is known for his work as Commander/Captain/Admiral Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Jewel Staite was also present who has many, many fans of her work on Firefly/Serenity, Stargate Atlantis, and most recently Supernatural. Other notable celebrities on hand included Lee Arenberg (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and Once Upon a Time), John Dimaggio (Bender from Futurama), Sam Jones (Flash Gordon), Christopher Judge (Stargate: SG1) and Billy West (Fry from Futurama, and many other voices). All celebrities were doing their thing and offering fans the chance for an autograph or photo for a nominal fee.
Of course, no Comic Con would be complete without Artist Alley. Many artists attended the event showing off their artwork and offering the chance to buy some, and possibly even have a commission done as well. Christopher Uminga, who I first discovered at Emerald City Comic Con earlier this year, had a nice presence as well as friend of Skewed and Reviewed friend Brandon Jerwa who was their promoting his work on Vampirella and Shooters, amongst others. There was most definitely a good range of art styles, and they were very liberally applied to many, many franchises where artist were able to show their interpretation of the subjects.
This all pretty much goes without saying about any con you show up to. While the panels were a little light on material, this was also a little expected. I definitely am looking forward to seeing these just get better as the show continues to grow and attract more and more talent over the next couple of years. One of the shining highlights of the panels was Cosplaying 101, where some of the best cosplayers in the Northwest (including the Living Dead Girls, Ani-Mia and Whovian cosplayer Jessica Trimble) came together to give tips and answer questions on how to join this revolution. Look for more on the cosplay later this week.
There was also a big presence from Rainy Day Games at the con, where they were promoting table top gaming. We will have a complete write up on this portion of the convention, and some of the new games that we got to see there, later this week as well.
All in all, the Rose City Comic Con was a great experience for the Skewed and Reviewed crew. We hope to see this event continue to grow in the years to come. I want to personally take a moment to thank Ron and Paula Brister for allowing Skewed and Reviewed to cover this event, and to Kristina Rogers, Dave Brockaway, the Brister’s and the rest of the Rose City Comic Con “Henchman” for putting on an excellent convention. Keep up the good work; we hope to see you next year!
