Everyone knows what a comic book is, I have no doubt of that. Most of us may only know them from the recent spat of comic book inspired movies (Green Lantern, Captain America, Batman, etc.), but how many people know that the comic book industry is a thriving and highly devoured medium? This past Sunday, I visited the Third Annual Tampa Bay Comicon held at the Doubletree Hotel near Westshore Plaza and came away with this little story.
First, I must admit I have long enjoyed comic books. While I may not be the biggest fan nowadays, in the past I was a total comic book geek. I would hit all the local comic conventions and spend as much money as I could there. I would get my new comic books at the local comic store every week, chat on the online forums everyday (mostly while I was supposed to be working) and consume everything the TV and film industries put out that was related to comic books.
The current hard economic times have taken their toll on my finances and I can no longer afford this entertaining past time. But, as I found out yet again this past Sunday you can always find plenty of deals on recent and old comics. I love to haggle and I wasn’t surprised to find many of the dealers plenty willing to go down in price on comics, graphic novels and toys. I purchased a few recently published graphic novels originally priced at $10 and $15 dollars for only two and three dollars a piece. Seriously if you ever attend a comic book convention don’t be afraid to haggle. When I offered two bucks for a graphic novel I was prepared to be rejected and willing to haggle up, yet he accepted my offer right away. If this dealer would have had more books that I was interested in, I am sure I could have come away with a full box of books for under 20 bucks. So there’s an example of the kind of deal to be found at a comic book convention.
There are comic book conventions held all over the world actually. Maybe you’ve heard of the two biggest, the San Diego Comic Con held in San Diego California or Angouleme held in southern France? The Tampa Bay Comicon is actually one of the smaller ones and if you compare it to say The Megacon in Orlando, the Tampa con is pretty pathetic. But if you ask a true comic fan, the size and goofy goings on at a convention aren’t what’s important, its still the comics themselves which draw the attendees. What’s cool about going to a comic book convention is the family friendly environment and overall unseriousness of it all. Comic books have always been an escape from the real world and attending a comic convention you escape the brutal real world for a while to absorb all things comic books. It’s kind of awesome.
Because I knew it would be a family friendly environment I brought my 6 year old son and 10 year old nephew because I had a feeling they would like it. My son has come with me before to a comic convention, so he knew what to expect. He likes the good deals on toys and loves sorting through the bargain bins in search of some new and fascinating Star Wars or superhero toy.
This was my nephews first convention and he was surprised by the plethora of toy and comic sellers. He being possibly the biggest Star Wars fan I know, was plenty enthusiastic about all the Star Wars stuff being sold. There were a lot of kids and adults dressed in comic book character costumes (cosplayers), some horrifically and some very creatively dressed. These people in goofy inspired costumes are a staple at conventions nowadays, but its become so much of a zeitgeist type of thing that a very few are actually making a living off of it. There’s a whole legion of people who dress up in Storm trooper costumes and attend conventions all over the country. It’s strangely fascinating, but with the modern superhero movies and their costuming extravagances, it’s only normal that kind of fashion would seep into the passions of the everyday fan boy or girl.
While they were a lot of toy and comic dealers, there was also a line of tables with local artists, publishers and notorieties as there always is. Plus there’s always the special guests. This convention included Bob Camp, legendary co-creator of Ren & Stimpy. While I would have loved to have talked to him for a moment, the line waiting to talk to him or get a sketch was too long for me to wait in while keeping track of two young boys eager to move on to the next toy dealer. There were other noted comic artists in attendance (Bob McLeod and Paul Pelletier to name a few) and they were sketching away and selling their original art.
A comic book convention is an easy way to lose a lot of money really quick and whenever I go to one I’m always reminded of how much they seem like a casino. Gambling is an addiction, but sometimes I think so is collecting comics. It’s easy to throw down money on some comics much like it is on a roll of the dice or a hand of cards. Nonetheless there’s a sense of innocence in a comic book convention, something a casino will never have of course. It’s a place to enjoy a sillier and lighthearted aspect of life and entertainment and I recommend bringing the kids!
