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Post by G on Mar 13, 2009 21:35:17 GMT -5
I don't think I ever got near as many conventions as I ever wanted to. For me, it was kind of like going to the local theme park. A local comic store was just like kind of like a 1 trick pony where you kind of knew what you were going to get pretty much every time you went there and when you would return again in 3 months you were going to get the same kind of experience that time too.
With conventions, never knew what to expect. Some shows I went to with huge expectations and had the biggest let downs possible. Other times I went to shows expecting it to be nothing more than a dumpster dive and walked out with the greatest finds I had seen in 5 years! I just never knew until I went.
That is one reason I always enjoyed going. Hell, I dont think I ever went to a show I truly hated. Even a bad show looking at books is better than a good day at work. I still find something relaxing about skimming through books. But certainly some were better than others. Do you remember your favorites?
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Post by G on Mar 13, 2009 21:47:23 GMT -5
Unfortunately, I never made my way to very many conventions. The majority of my conventions were local. The shopping centers and malls would have them quite often when I was younger. In the early 90s, I could find a local convention no worse than once every 2-3 months. And for a period, I could find one once ever 2 weeks. Granted, the super small ones I seen printed in the newspaper were often ones I never made it to. But the tried and true medium sized regulars I was there very often. There was a time these were packed. I remember a few mall shows local to me that was filled with collectors everywhere trying to buy stuff. It felt like my area had stepped up a small notch from the once every 6 months to a year type of conventions to now we can support conventions whenever we want. I had a blast with them. But the problem is I wasn't really finding the awesome hard to find stuff there. And after a period, it was getting to where the local convention dealers were basically circulating the same stock from one show to the next.
I needed to go to some of the big shows I had always heard about or read in magazines. I must admit that Ive only been to one show that could be considered major and even that is not major to some. But the Charlotte Heroes Con was for me as big as it ever could be when I went there my 1st time. I think my first visit was around 94 or 95. And I think it was also my best. For the 1st time I was seeing some real top notch artists like Perez, Ross, Buckler and so on. This was also a time when artist alley wasn't so crowded that I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. I could actually stand around, watch and even chat with a few. I got plenty of signatures on my books, something that I now have no desire to get.
I was also seeing books I hadn't been able to see previously. I know the 1st show I went to I seen books like Marvel Comics #1, Hulk #1, Fantastic Four #1, Spiderman #1 all for the very 1st time. It was so much better than the books I had been used to seeing.
Yes, I know there is so many better conventions to go to. And I can even personally vouch that when I went to Charlotte last year in 2008, that is was one of the most disappointing conventions I had ever been to. But I would still at this point go to the next one if I could. And if I could I would visit some of the other big name, large conventions within reasonable driving distance. I certainly know there is better than Charlotte.
But unfortunately for me, I have to say the 1st time I went to Charlotte was probably the best convention I have ever been to to this day. Hopefully one day soon I can say it is something else.
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