by Betsy Gomez
I rolled an hour down the road this weekend for Big Wow! Comicfest, a regional show that’s seen quite a bit of growth since the last time I attended. In the years that have passed since my last outing to the show, it’s grown from a smallish collectors show (where I could fill in the gaps in my Jonah Hex and The Phantom collections) into a bustling event with an impressive guest list and a burgeoning artists alley. It was a genuine joy to see how the show has upped the ante. By the end of the convention, I had introduced many people to CBLDF and talked to many of our regular contributors, raising $1,500 for the cause!
I fought traffic Friday evening to make it to San Jose, a city whose proximity to Silicon Valley has vested it with a considerable number of museums, from art to technology, and a diverse selection of delicious restaurants. (If you go to a taqueria in San Jose, always order the orange sauce!) CBLDF was posted at booth #603, near Saturday’s entrance and next to the Avengers art exhibit and a children’s’ area that featured live art demonstrations from several of the show’s guests. Several of the folks that I usually see at WonderCon were in attendance, and many of them stopped by the table to make a donation. Our “I Read Banned Comics” and Comics Code seal T-shirts were especially popular among fans.
I’d like to thank the great people who run Big Wow for making our appearance possible, with special props to Steve Wyatt for his help before and during the show. Naturally, a big thanks must go to our members and all of the people who contributed during the show. Without you, we’d be hard pressed to keep our fight going, so thanks for coming out and supporting CBLDF!
You’ll find CBLDF next at Wizard World Philly, May 31 – June 3, 2012! See you there!
Betsy Gomez is the Web editor for CBLDF.