From Friday, Sept. 20 to Sunday, Sept. 22, the 25th annual Baltimore Comic Book Convention (Comic-Con) was held at the Baltimore Convention Center.
As part of my First-Year Seminar (FYS), Writing with Pictures: An Introduction to Writing Picture Books and Graphic Novels, my class was given the amazing opportunity to attend the convention for free. This was quite nice, as tickets prices typically range between $30 and $40 for a single day.
On Friday, we all eagerly piled into a Blue Jay Shuttle around 12:00 p.m. and took a trip to the convention center. When we got there, we were able to check in fairly speedily before waiting for the event to begin at 1:00 p.m.
The first day of the Comic-Con was likely geared towards comic collectors, an insight shared by my FYS professor, Anna Celenza. Many Friday participants were interested in browsing the huge boxes of thin 1900s comics that were located next to the entrance. The majority of these comics were classic Marvel and DC Comics superhero stories, each comic ranging in price from $1 to a few hundred for rarer editions.
When looking around, I found that there weren’t as many Comic-Con goers as I thought there would be. The lack of participants can likely be attributed to two factors: First, as it was Friday, many people probably had school or work, and second, all of the cosplay competitions and more engaging events were scheduled to occur on Saturday or Sunday. However, the absence of a crowd did mean that my classmates and I were able to hang around each stand for a long period of time, talking to and learning from the artists and writers manning them.
The main attraction I immediately headed for — and then proceeded to spend all my time at — was the Artist Alley. There, over 300 comic book artists, graphic novelists, indie artists, cosplay popups and various vendors boasted their wares and works. Many of the artists were locally based, though there were also booths run by people who had traveled from other states. My classmate and I browsed up and down as many aisles as we could, talking to artists and writers alike. As expected, the merchandise sold at Comic-Con could get pretty expensive, especially if you wanted original art drawn by higher-profile artists. These could go for a few hundred dollars a piece.
However, despite the hefty price tags on many of the items offered, there were also many affordable purchases for the average college student or casual comic enjoyer. You could get the aforementioned $1 comic books as well as free items from stands handing out comic books, raffles and artists giving away stickers or prints with an additional purchase.
I found myself surprised by the sheer variety of art and merchandise offered. I had anticipated exclusively older comics and that the event would pander towards the older comic reading generation. Instead, there was a wide range of comics and graphic novels that covered both old and more contemporary topics. As such, the artists and crowd, too, were quite diverse in age.
The Maryland Institute College of Art had a stand as well where alumni and current students advertised the college’s programs, upcoming workshops and student artwork.
Aside from the Artist Alley, there were other events occurring throughout the convention, including talks such as “More than Just Lore: Reimagining Myths in Fantasy Fiction” and “Sealed With a Kiss: Romance Comics,” a gaming station with Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros., and a Ghostbusters-themed area.
When it was time for our class to return to campus, I had obtained a bundle of free comics, a keychain and a few stickers. Celenza handed each of us two signed comics by Jordan P. Jackson — an artist, writer and graphic designer based in Baltimore — to read for our next class. On a tangential note, if free books and cool talks sound cool, you should definitely take this class if you can.
If you’re interested in comics (new or old), graphic novels, cool stickers, keychains, video games, anime, cosplay or talking with artists and writers, I’d highly recommend attending Comic-Con next year. As an event more diverse in both audience and wares than I had expected, I’m sure that there’s something at Comic-Con for everyone, whether you like the classics or not.
