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Conventions |
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April 18, 2002On the Road with the CBLDF: Atlanta ComiConOn the way to Atlanta, there was something to remind me of comics everywhere I turned. At Bradley International Airport in Connecticut I spotted at least two Superman emblems and one Captain America shield on the t-shirts of passing travelers. On a layover in Charlotte I caught a shelf full of new Spider-Man pocket books and saw more of the same in Atlanta where Nita Staros picked me up on her second revolution of the airport maze.
Nita drove us to Top Shelf World Headquarters, cleverly disguised among the suburban lanes of Marietta, Georgia. Chris Staros was in the inventory bunker when we arrived, packing books for the hundreds of supporters whose phone orders saved the company this month. While I settled in, Chris answered phones, which are still ringing at a steady clip. Later on he showed me the Top Shelf command center, which boasts an impressive display of Elvis memorabilia and a table holding most of Top Shelf's library. While Chris ran credit cards, I thumbed through Kochalka's outstanding new volume of the Sketchbook Diaries and talked about some upcoming CBLDF premiums in the same vein. But more on that at Pittsburgh. Next morning Chris and I went down to the convention center and set up for the show. Bob Schreck, Christian Gossett, Chuck Rozanski, and the Jolly Roger Studio guys were all spotted walking the floor. Later that evening a star-studded welcome party ran until the wee hours at the Ramada. Mike Mignola, Joe Linsner, Sam Kieth, Frank Brunner and several other comics luminaries were spotted having a good time mixing in the crowd. The convention was comfortably navigated all weekend and had lots of cool creators and merchandise on the floor. Biting Dog Press had some beautiful handmade editions of work by CBLDF board member Neil Gaiman; Top Shelf unveiled two new books; TwoMorrows displayed their range of magazines; there was even an exhibitor who purported to be the real Fat Freddy. Could've been, because the most surreal moment of the convention came when I saw him eating lunch at the same table as a group of GI Joe and Cobra agents. During the show the Fund unveiled a stunning selection of signed Frank Miller comics, donated from Frank's private stash to benefit our current casework. Frank donated work representing the spread of his career, from prime Daredevil to Dark Knight through to Sin City, Give Me Liberty, and Hard Boiled. If you're a Miller fan, you owe it to yourself to stop by the CBLDF table when we come through your town. Top Shelf and CBLDF experimented with a program that we're going to be trying again at WonderCon and Pittsburgh. We can't say too much about what it is yet, but if you're at either of those shows bring your member card and find out first. If you're not a member, there's no time like the present to sign up. With another new program, we signed up a bucketful of new members -- literally. Atlanta saw the season's first CBLDF Member Raffle, in which Savannah, Georgia's Jerry Sanford won a signed copy of Neil Gaiman: Live at the Aladdin. Congratulations, Jerry, it's in the mail! We'll be doing this again in other cities, so bring your member card and show it at our table for your shot at some top premiums in exchange for your donation. I got back to the CBLDF office in Northampton on Monday and will be off again on Thursday, this time for WonderCon in Oakland. This is the first year the show runs under the aegis of Comic-Con International, the same folks you bring you APE and San Diego every year. Come by our table on Saturday and meet Judd Winick and Matt Wagner. They'll sign a few of your comics and if you drop a bit of dough in the donation jar, you can probably cajole a little sketch out of them. If you're in the Bay, come by and say hi. And don't forget your member card. Charles Brownstein,
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The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. For additional information, call 413-268-7776 or e-mail the CBLDF staff. 271 Madison Avenue, Suite 1400 Web design and site maintained by Eric Griffith / Squished Frog Productions. |