Wizard World Nashville

It's not the greatest comicon I've ever been to, and I've never spent more money at a comicon and didn't walk away with any comics - except the complimentary copy of "The Walking Dead" they handed out - but after a lousy week, it was fun to immerse myself in a world that comics built anyway.

I was not expecting all the cosplayers, although I probably should have. What I couldn't have expected was how many women can really pull off some of those costumes. I'd say 10% maximum were the type you really wouldn't want to see wearing spandex, and maybe another 10% that you would prefer to avoid looking at, but they usually pulled it off well, and it's all in fun anyway. My favorite was Mrs. Incredible, Ms. Marvel, and twenty minutes before leaving I saw a Psylocke who wasn't Asian, but otherwise stepped right out of a Jim Lee drawing.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy seem to be the favorite along with the ubiquitous zombies, with the Joker and Deadpool not too far behind. Saw a couple of Batmen and Captains America, there was a wide spectrum, going far beyond the superhero genre, and a number of cosplayers I didn't recognize. I can guess if someone is trying to be Dr. Who, but I don't know what Dr. Who looks like - funny, considering Dave Sim is doing Dr. Who covers for IDW and I've seen most-if-not-all of them - and an impressive costume that must have been twelve to fifteen feet tall, clearly piloted by at least three people, enormous arms.

Sorry, I've just spent the last hour on a much longer post, and was almost ready to finish it when my brand-new computer ruined me.  If I can recover the post, I'll erase this one. If my brand-new computer would have Microsoft Word included, I'd have written the post there first.

Couldn't recover my longer post, but here's something I put on Cerebus Facebook:
I met Neal Adams at Wizard World Nashville today. I skipped out on his attending the 75th Anniversary of Superman panel, because Stan Lee was only signing autographs for another 45 minutes or so and it's not likely I'll ever have another chance to meet him. Afterwards, I tried to decipher the convention map and finally found Adams' table. Since he was at the Superman panel, there was a short woman manning his table. While browsing the art for sale, I looked at her. Then I looked at the issue of "Following Cerebus" #9 I had brought, where the cover shows Dave and the Adams Family [!] at Niagara Falls. Then I looked at the price guide quoting Neal's prices for autographs, photos, and anything that wasn't on the tables for sale. I looked back at the cover of "Following Cerebus." I looked at her. Finally, I couldn't resist asking "Are you Marilyn?" She was, so I had to ask if she charged for autographs too.

Short version, my copy of "Following Cerebus" #9 is autographed by Neal and Marilyn Adams. Her autograph is a bit smudged because even hours later, it still hasn't dried. When I handed the book to Neal, he smirked because it obviously wasn't the sort of thing he was expecting to autograph. Then he saw his wife's signature and commented "The most important person in the story!"

I didn't want to say anything stupid to Neal Adams, so I wound up not saying much of anything. I spent a couple hours trying to think of a good question to ask him, about his career or comics in general, but only came up with a few vague ideas about the Comic Book Guild or his selling recreations of his most famous covers [just imagine how much money Jack Kirby would have made if he could sell prints of the covers to FF #1, #5, Captain America #1, etc?] so I didn't really talk to him. But I stayed at the show longer than planned because I was trying to think of a question, and in the last twenty minutes or so, I saw a cosplayer who wasn't Asian, but was otherwise the spitting image of Jim Lee's Psylocke. So that was ok.

In the short time I observed Neal and Marilyn, it sort of struck home Dave's observations about marriage. She looks after his work, and with very little time spent watching her, I'd say she was very devoted and good at her job. She was gracious and nice at all times, laughing as she told Neal that I had asked her if she charged for her autograph. Without hesitating, Neal asked "and what did you say?" because the last thing he wants to see in comics journalism - if there is any these days - is "Neal Adams' wife charges for autographs!" He was glad to hear that she said "nothing" and she just thought it was cute that I wanted her autograph in the first place. "The most important person in the story" indeed.

I'm versed in comics' history but I couldn't think of a single question worthy of Neal Adams in less than two hours. If Stan Lee was taking questions, I'd have asked him about modifying word balloons to fit the available space, Marvel-style. I'd have asked him about keeping track of comics and for all intents and purposes, inventing continuity [which isn't true, Superman was recalling previous adventures in the earliest issues of "Action", but Stan still deserves much credit] I'd have asked about Stripperella. But Neal Adams? I got nothing because he's just that awesome of a human being, and has a wife that suits him perfectly. I would have paid for Marilyn's autograph.

Great stories, Chris! Thanks!

I haven't even gotten to R2-D2 yet, or how I got Jack Kirby's autograph too.