Chris Oarr on George Perez:
"I took three or four bathroom breaks, but he kept going like the Energizer Bunny."

Conventions

March 13-15, 1998

Perez Raises MegaMoolah at MegaCon

Orlando, FL -- The CBLDF headed down to sunny Florida to attend MegaCon '98, thanks to a generous donation of booth space by the show's organizers. MegaCon is a gregarious gathering of gaming, comics, and anime fans and professionals. The convention, which ran from March 13th through the 15th, returned this year to its original home at the Orlando Expo Centre in the vacation capital of the world.

This year's guests included John Byrne (Wonder Woman), Jonathan Harris (the original Dr. Smith from Lost in Space), David Mack (Kabuki), George Perez (Avengers), Al "Spawn" Simmons, Bill Tucci (Shi), Mark Waid (Captain America), and Greg Capullo (who not only pencils Spawn, but also created Smut, the CBLDF mascot!)

Altogether, the Fund raised more than $2,400 at MegaCon '98. Once again, the CBLDF's superhero was star Avengers artist George Perez. At the 1997 San Diego ComiCon, Perez raised $1,300 selling sketches for the Fund over four days. At MegaCon, he raised another $1,300--in one day!

Perez approached greenhorn Executive Director Chris Oarr on Friday afternoon, offering to sketch the next day between 12:30 and 2 pm, when he had a panel scheduled. Perez arrived the next day at 12:15, sat down, and started sketching. He didn't get up again until 7 pm, when the con closed its doors.

"It was the damnedest thing I've ever seen," said Oarr. "There he was, drawing and chatting with the fans--for seven hours straight! There was a line 30 deep before he'd been there five minutes. George didn't stop sketching and signing until everyone got what they'd waited for. I think I took three or four bathroom breaks, but he kept going like the Energizer Bunny."

For Perez, it was all in a day's work. "I don't usually do convention sketches, but I will for the Fund. The fans really appreciate it, and it's all for a good cause."

Perez, who has drawn just about every character in the DC and Marvel pantheons, sketched anyone and anything the fans asked for. Nothing fazed him. When a fan asked for a sketch of Thor, Perez, without missing a beat, fired back "With beard, or without?"

Perez is famous for his detailed crowd scenes. He allowed fans to sign up to become a character in his self-published book, Crimson Plague, a sci-fi thriller in which millions are cut down by an alien disease. "Every character you see in Crimson Plague is based on a real person. That way, it's easier to keep all the characters from looking the same." Perez said that his steady commitment on the Avengers will free up time to bring Crimson Plague back from hiatus.

When asked about his run on Avengers, Perez said "I love it. I really like the characters and it's a lot of fun to work on. I can't wait to get into some of the stories Kurt [Busiek] has coming up." When asked to give some details, he just laughed. "I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

On Sunday, Captain America scribe supreme Mark Waid held a trivia challenge to benefit the Fund. "Anything between 1950 and Crisis on Infinite Earths is fair game," Waid told fans. Asked why his encyclopedic knowledge stopped at Crisis, Waid admitted, "that's about the time I discovered girls."

The Trivia Challenge brought in more than $100 to the Fund in just over an hour. Fans who stumped Waid received a raffle ticket for a Hallmark Batman and Robin statue, which Waid generously donated himself. Trivia Wizards take heart: the Fund gave away a lot of tickets. Perhaps Waid's been fooling around with the Ultimate Nullifier again . . .

MegaCon was also new CBLDF Executive Director Chris Oarr's first major con. "It was a great big show, with a lot going on," he said. "Good guests, interesting programming, and a real nice bunch of people putting it together. I definitely look forward to going back." In order to get out of the damp and cold of New England in March? "Well, yes," Oarr admitted. "That's just one of the great things about MegaCon . . ."

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for creators and retailers in the comics community. Donations can always be sent directly to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061.

For additional information, call (413) 586-6967 or e-mail cbleistein@cbldf.org

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
New York, NY 10016
800-99-CBLDF
info@cbldf.org

Web design and site maintained by Eric Griffith / Squished Frog Productions.