Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Scoping Out the Comic Con 2007

Is it possible to find comics, cartoons, toys, games, anime, actors, actresses, writers, artists and lots of beautiful girls under one roof? If you were in New York City this past weekend you certainly could find all of this and more at the second annual New York Comic Con, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. There were over 250 exhibitors, 140 artists and a bevy of special guests in attendance, including legendary comic book writer Stan Lee, author Stephen King, and our February cover girl, Tricia Helfer, just to name a few. It’s a place where you could buy discounted graphic novels, books, comics, and toys directly from publishers and manufacturers, play the latest video games, participate in gaming tournaments, see screenings of upcoming movies and TV shows, attend lectures and panels and get up close and personal with artists and actors.

Some of the most creative forces in the comic book industry were located in a section of the convention called Artist’s Alley. Popular artists such as Neal Adams of Batman and X-Men fame were on hand selling their art, creating sketches and telling stories next to emerging, self-publishing artists looking for exposure and new fans. I was particularly interested in meeting the femme fatales of the industry. Here are just a few of the beautiful and talented female artists in attendance:

Molly Crabapple’s first book Dr. Sketchy's Official Rainy Day Colouring Book was released last year. At the Comic-Con, not only could you buy a copy directly from Molly and have it signed, she had t-shirts, cards and artwork for sale. There was something magical about watching Molly smile and thank her fans as she personally handed them their merchandise… It sure beats buying it from a store or website, but don’t let that stop you.

It’s easy to see why Andrea Grant is known as “The Pinup Poet.” She’s a writer, model, photographer, and CEO of Copious Amounts Press. She was on hand to promote the comic book she wrote called Minx a story of a girl that becomes half wolf and her journey between the dreaming world and the real world.

Andrea, who has a deep interest in mythology, was every bit a goddess when I visited her.

And finally, many will admit that one of the biggest attractions at the Comic Con is the omnipresence of models and female fans that come dressed as their favorite characters, so here are a few snapshots of some lovelies: