Where Politics & Pop Culture Meet

Via delusionalcubfan on flickr - used
under Creative Commons license

(WARNING: the following blog post contains strong language and stronger opinions. If discussion of either offends you, this probably isn't the blog post for you).

I'll be totally honest - part of my lack of blogging activity has been more to recover from NaBloPoMo last month (which, thankfully, has earned me a small prize). I was also straining for an idea to write about - yes, electronic copies of comics are filling my hard drive, but I just couldn't find the motivation to write a really good, insightful, from-the-gut post that I'm used to with this blog.

Thankfully, two current events in recent months have me raging full-on, with two milestones that demonstrate the consequences of blurring the line between self-promotion and self-delusion.

As I write this, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison (and a variety of fines) on various corruption charges. At least one commentator has spoken of this as "tragic" (more in context of Blago's family and for state affairs), but for me this is....well, extremely apt. And a far, far less severe punishment than I believe our former governor deserves.

Of course, what did not help was that Blagojevich seemed to revel not in proclaiming his innocence, but in the way in which he decided to "take on the powers that be" - through reality television, talk shows, and making huge proclamations about corruption in state government as if it were a relative new phenomenon....and not the status quo. (Or even that it is limited to just the state of Illinois). It was his seemingly erratic choices to air his views publicly - from The Bonnie Hunt Show to The View, from being a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice (to be fair, however, he did need an income) to, most surrealistically, an appearance at 2010's Wizard World in Chicago.

A candid shot of Gareb
from 2011 Wizard World

And speaking of which, Gareb Shamus also announced his resignation from Wizard World on the eve of its initial public offering. I have to admit some personal dissatisfaction with Wizard World Chicago - instead of being a great celebration of comics, it has degenerated in recent years into a testosterone-fueled flea market, pandering to the worst impulses, but all under the aegis of "cool".

(Any convention where meeting special guests involves shelling out more money than you pay, and with the level of disorganization of the fest...well, it makes me wish that every major city with a Wizard World also had a C2E2).

But for all its '90s-style bluster, Wizard World was slowly, but surely, disintegrating - for all his talk about how their conventions were "pop culture celebrations", the publishing arm of Wizard was sinking - the magazine folded earlier this year, it's new "online" presence was less than spectacular, and according to one rumor-driven source, Shamus actually attempted to have an artist fired due to a less-than-flattering portrayal. However, the sad thing is that the webcomic portrayal...was dangerously close to the truth, as Wizard bought out smaller, regional shows in order to gain "market share", and that it desperately held onto an idea of comics and pop culture - think "pandering to fans" - that was slowly, but surely, becoming outmoded.

I take no pride in publicly mocking and/or denigrating Blago or Shamus - even now, both men are still attempting to "make their case" (although Shamus, gratefully, has been extremely silent). But there's a hard lesson for all of us - that sometimes, having ambition can be a bad thing.

And that if you're going to fall, be sure you're falling gracefully.

Unlike Gareb and Rod.

Wizard World 2011 - Post-Convention Wrapup

Having missed Wizard World last year (because - quite frankly - I didn't want to go), I decided to give it another chance, and I regret that decision. To put it bluntly,  Wizard World really came off as an overpriced, testosterone fueled flea market that is increasingly pandering to the worst in comic/"geek"/"nerd culture.

(And ironically, I got in for free thanks to a press pass. So much for journalistic objectivity)

It must be tough for Wizard World organizers in Chicago - after all, they're getting some serious competition via C2E2, as well as a shrinking market in a relatively unstable economy. However, except for the "Way of the Nerd" panel run by Chicago Nerd Social Club (thanks, pal Jeff!), there really wasn't much to make this a definite must-attend. In fact, there was a lot to make this a must-avoid.

Want same examples? Just a few key observations:

•  Friday saw the debut of a Doctor Who-themed panel, which consisted of one guy who writes for a British TV-themed web site talking about things he's read online...and what he thinks will happen in Who. Quite honestly, although he knew what he was talking about, wouldn't it have made sense to have another guest? Especially since there's an entire store in Lombard that deals with Doctor Who almost exclusively, puts on a November Doctor Who-themed event, and would have made for some even livelier conversation?
• In the dealers' area, I counted no less than five different vendors who sold samurai swords and other weapons. Now, granted, they may not be selling weapons to minors, but should items like that be made publicly available? And should nerds be allowed to carry sharp, pointy things?
• For a convention that is branding itself as a comic convention, there was a distinct lack of comics presence other than dealers of back issues and an artists' alley. In fact, most of the programming seemed to be checklist driven. I could imagine some organizer saying, "Got something for the Buffy fans? Check! Star Trek? Check! And we'll throw the Doctor  Who and Torchwood fans a bone....now, to work on that guy who really likes Buck Rogers...."
• Possible Prudery on My Part, Part One - anyone else find the concept of receiving 10 minute backrubs from costumed females for the sum of $20....kinda creepy and off-putting? (And ladies, please let me know if I'm out of line).
• Coolest Thing on the Floor - Norton's Captain America-themed exhibit. Well, that and the 1960's Batmobile.
• I really liked the Chicago Nerds panel, and was probably the best thing about the convention. That and hanging with pals at the Hyatt bar on Saturday night. (Although I would have loved to hang with Comic Related pal Decapitated Dan, who is putting on a show in Orland Park in March - see you there!)
• Boondock Saints - what is the appeal? Please explain this to me. I just don't get it.
• Possible Prudery on My Part, Part Two - Spotted on Saturday near several booths: a flyer for a "Comicon XXX After Party" at a strip club. Offered without comment, and at the risk of being flamed (deservedly so) by female readers of this blog.
• Not one, but two videos just showing....well, I think you get the picture.

Everything about Wizard World simply reeks of blatant pandering - I have no problem with big shows or conventions. Unfortunately, Wizard World still seems stuck in the 1990s, focusing on what's "kewl" without taking a long term view or even having a central purpose.

To use a metaphor in music: if geek culture were punk rock, Wizard World isn't Joe Strummer declaring with authority that war is declared and battle come down; Wizard World is the lead singer of Green Day on a Broadway stage whining that he doesn't want to be an American idiot.

Well, I know what I won't be doing next year.....

(But what I will be doing - supporting smaller shows like Champion City Comicon in Springfield, Ohio, or DanCon in March. I even volunteered to help with Dan Con, because smaller, more local shows mean a more dedicated community. It means people who love the medium versus being part of a checklist, and that's important to me.  Because quite frankly, I would rather be part of a community rather than just another demographic).

Latest & Greatest

First, if you're coming to Wizard World, just a heads-up; I'll be attending the "Way of the Nerd" panel at 5:00. It's put on by my pals at the Chicago Nerd Social Club, and it will be awesome and bacon-flavored and all the other pimply teenaged hyperboles...

(....hey, any time I can make A Hard Day's Night reference, I'm happy).

I have to admit that, other than pals, Wizard World seems, well, very much like a testosterone-fueled flea market. I mean, four or five vendors of samurai swords? Energy drinks? Cosplaying women giving backrubs? Really, Gareb Shamus?

But if that last statement has you down, let me just remind you that there's a new Zone 4 Episode and Job Stalker post online. You'll dig both. I promise.

While I'm At Wizard World Comicon....

....feel free to click on the affiliate links in the upper right hand corner. Or even the new banner ad. Yes, I'm looking to get a few bucks for Ramen noodles while seeking work. (Thankfully, have press credentials to get into Wizard World).

And on an appropriately snarky note, anyone think that my experience at Comicon will resemble this cover?

From Inferior Five # 10, (1970)

Didn't think so.

(By the way, my weekly roundup/Zone 4 post will happen tomorrow. Honestly).

The Wizard World Brouhaha

WWC - Abandon All Hope All Ye Who Enter
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

Right now, the comics world is a-buzzin' with news about Wizard magazine closing its print edition and going digital. (And some of the fallout...well, to put it indelicately, it ain't pretty)

(This fact was, of course, initiallyforeseenby Mike Sterling, the greatest comics blogger of them all).

I'm going to be a little careful about this, since I'm involved with not one, but two competing interests. And admittedly, Wizard isn't disappearing...just moving into the 21st Century.

I haven't come to praise Wizard Magazine, but to bury it.

"But Gordon," you say to yourself, hoping I hear you, "Didn't Wizard Magazine help mobilize and popularize an art form that you love? Aren't you being a little hypocritical in trashing it, since it made it cool to like comics?'

Well....no. Because Wizard's emphasis on "cool" over "clever" is precisely the problem.

I'll grant you - yes, it came of age in the 1990s, when things were a bit overblown. I mean, you had Rob Liefeld doing jean commercials, Todd McFarlane purchasing baseballs, and...well, you get the idea. It became less about the medium and more about hyperbole.

If I want enthusiastic hyperbole, I'll take Stan Lee over Wizard any day.

Wizard enabled much of the loutish, rather obnoxious behavior that can be found in fan culture today: the inability to judge a work on its own merits, the sarcastic dismissal of differing opinions, and an overbearing sense of entitlement. Currently, Wizard seems less like an up-and-coming player and more like a desperately aging hipster, with more erratic guests (I mean, Blagojevich at last year's con? Really? What, was "Fast" Eddie Vrydoliak not available?), increasing competition from the digital realm, and - let's face it - an increasingly diverse range of fandom.

All in all, Wizard may not deserve the level of venom which I am flinging at it - many staff have done nothing to me personally, and are caught in a very awkward - and uncomfortable - situation. It's never good to take joy at another's misfortune...but in a way, Wizard's shifting digital shows at least one thing - they're seeing an opportunity for growth.

Hopefully, with an increasingly diverse channel providing a plethora of viewpoints and insights, Wizard's approach will seem....well, quaint. Lightly tinged with nostalgia, even.

But the best thing that could happen? Comics fans actually learn civility, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the art form.

Because Wizard....didn't do that.

Wizard World, Comic Con - What's In A Name?

Spent most of today recovering from WizardWorld/Chicago ComicCon/whatever you want to call it this past weekend, and I have to say....I was sadly disappointed. My expectations were maybe a bit high, but the experience was a bit overstuffed. Although I'll probably be talking about it in other areas, some preliminary thoughts:

• All in all, Comic-Con was an attempt to reengage a name that hadn't been used in years. Quite frankly, the energy level of the convention was best described as "Um, yeah". Given rumors about a new convention hitting Chicago in April, this might be Wizard World's last gasp at greatness.
• Wizard attempted to ramp up more of a "celebrity" presence - more reliance on celebrity autographs (there were a ton of wrestlers), as well as the usual suspects. It was a bit overdone, like the punk band who played on Saturday (which ended up blocking traffic through part of the hall), the tattoo parlor providing live tattoos (I'm not making this up, folks)....Wizard is becoming as hip as your uncle Jim. And Uncle Jim's not hip. Not even my uncle Jim.
• Biggest mistake - having most of the high-end celebrity panels with high-end prices. Forty dollars for the John Ostrander auction - fair, it's a fundraiser. But $100 to hang with Mark Millar or Nichelle Nichols? $150 to chat with BSG or the guy who played Toad in X-Men? Granted, they need to eat, but that's a little steep.
• Noticed a lot of retailers selling trades for $5 and hardbacks for $10, and 85 - 90% of those were Marvel. Quick question for our favorite comics retailer who blogs: is this a matter of Marvel flooding the market with trades, or retailers ordering way too many copies?
• Best panel - Hero Initiative.
• Best moment - Brian Azarello at the DC Nation Panel on his upcoming Spirit series - "I will have things that you would expect, and things that you won't expect, and I'm not going to tell you the things you won't expect!"
  
• By the way, I spent 15 minutes in the Twilight panel in order to get good seating for the DC Nation panel, and for those of you who like Twilight, two words: Dark frakkin' Shadows.
• All in all, a very disappointing time - maybe this is proof that the Wizard magazine mentality is finally jumping the shark.
  

But enough of my yakkin' - here are some photos for you to savor. Enjoy!

While My Laptop Gently Heals

Unfortunately, I got the mother of all viruses this weekend (while, ironically, updating my anti-viral software). Until I'm up and running - and in a cheap attempt to drive up my visitor stats - here's a picture from last year's Wizard World convention in Chicago. Enjoy!

A Kind of Rerun....

Since things have been a bit hectic - and since I've found the USB Drive that I had copied these to and moved to my Flickr account - please enjoy this slideshow from last year's Wizard World. Enjoy!

Wizard World: The Aftermath

I have to be honest, it's been awhile since I've been to a comics show of any kind.

Two years, in fact. So when I had decided to volunteer for Wizard World, it was less about finding that rare book or piece of memorabilia...and more about finding something to blog about. One of my usual snarky, hello-pot-this-is-kettle posts.

What I found, ironically, was that it wasn't as bad as I thought.

Granted, arriving at the Stephens Convention Center and seeing the crowds gather at 7:30 am was....rather daunting. But eventually, I made my way inside...and was given my orange staff t-shirt (Note one to organizers: if you're going to hand out colored t-shirts, make sure you put pictures of lanterns on them. Makes them cooler). Of course, it was then that several of us formed the "thin orange line" (or, given my size, "thin orange line with slightly doughy middle), preventing people from entering too early. After about two hours on our feet, we were able to sit...and ate a lovely breakfast of junk food.

It wasn't looking good, folks. In fact, I made a slightly quick call to Chuck, from Comic Related, to arrange to meet.

Luckily, after a fool's errand being sent to a "snack bar" (and granted, there are three in the entire area), who should I meet? Chuck, who gave me a magic pass....I would like to claim that he gave me a green ring and power battery, but he gave me something better - a press pass. He had arranged for it so that I could check out the premiere of Batman: Gotham Knight.

He also informed me of the sad news about Michael Turner....and to be honest, I was not a fan of his artwork. However, I'm also not a fan of anyone passing on too young. But after a brief discussion, Chuck and I went out separate ways. Cool guy, and you'll read more about Gotham Knight in this month's TV Party.

But with that, I decided to ditch the volunteer gig...and start checking out the show.

Of course, being Wizard, there was a ton of loud, boisterous stuff...but fortunately, there were plenty of comics. (For a much better retrospective, please read this piece from Scott of Wednesday's Haul - and Scott, sorry we missed each other). It would be easy for me to say, "Oh, man, it was totally cool!"...but there were some really nice moments (for me, at least) that made it worthwhile.

While looking for the Hero Initiative booth, I came across a group called the Hero Foundry. They're an organization that buys comics, graphic novels, and other books for libraries, hospitals, and places that can't afford them. Fortunately, I had enough cash for a raffle ticket, and won a nice little indie graphic novel. If you would like more information about them, click here - I am, however, considering offering "free" ad space to comic-related non-profits. ("Free" as in "hey, I have the space in my sidebar, so I may as well use it for a good cause").

And, of course, there was getting to meet Bruce Timm and asking him a question I've always wanted to ask. Talking about an old Batman story with screenwriter Josh Olson. Finding Dan DiDio an absolute hoot. But, of course, I got to meet my third favorite red head, and first, favorite comic writer, Gail Simone. (Ms. Simone - I apologize for stammering. I'm normally not that goofy. Honest.)...

...oh, and if you ask, my first favorite redhead is my godson, and the second is someone whose identity will never be revealed on this blog. Honestly. I mean it. But this person knows who they are, and that's enough for me.

What also struck me about this convention - the number of couples who attended. It would be easy to make a joke about women at a comics convention, but it was really refreshing to see couples of every permutation attend the event. Now granted, it doesn't necessarily mean that the big companies will see the error of their ways...mostly, I think it means that we may see more female creators/writers/editors in the future.

(I know I sound a little disjointed, but between this and this Saturday's Doctor Who episode, I've been in fannish glee).

But there's one thing that Wizard World, ironically, has me wanting to do more of...and that is checking out other, smaller conventions. Recently, there was a Pulp and Paper convention here in Chicago that I missed (and I regret it, if only because I could have told Ron Fortier in person how much I enjoyed his run on Green Hornet), and I really regret it.

Big shows like Wizard and ComicCon have their place...but I'm also thinking that there are smaller shows that do not get their due. They slip under the cracks, and quite frankly, I know there's a difference between the big roadshows like Wizard and the "sausage factory" of two years ago.

Recently, I had wondered privately if I should shift this blog's emphasis - nothing in comics was really thrilling me, or giving me that same thrill as I had when I was a youth, but then I realized something that I keep talking about, but never doing: going out and finding cool stuff, regardless of company.

In other words, "Hello pot, this is kettle, calling collect".

Wizard World Wackiness

First, a hearty "hello' to everyone - yes, I know it's late, but I have some news. Good news.

Although I was initially going to just blog about volunteering at Wizard World, thanks to Chuck at Comic Related, I acquired a press pass.

Which means all sorts of goodies - some for the blog, others for this month's TV Party.

Anyway, before I retire for the night, I promise - pictures, commentary, news.

But just two things that I want to blog about before I head off to dreamland and prepare to schmooze, I mean, meet my second (or is it third?) favorite redhead:

• For the organizers of Wizard World - if you're going to make volunteers wear dorky orange t-shirts, make sure you put a picture of the lantern on the front. It makes it look much cooler.
• To the person wearing a full Nazi uniform this morning - unless you're filming a movie set in World War 2, dressing up like a Nazi isn't cool. Especially in front of a guy with the letters "-ski" in his last name. Just sayin'.

For those at Wizard World, I'll be wearing a wrinkly off-white shirt (with black t-shirt), jeans, and with a semi-realistic cowhide "man-bag".

(I don't think it's real cowhide - just looks awfully close, so PETA, please don't protest me).

Saturday! Me! Live At Wizard World!

If you're planning on heading to Wizard World Chicago this Saturday, I'll be volunteering, and basically wandering out like a crazy person. Look for the big doofus wearing a red t-shirt, with a man bag, and the shaggy brown hair.

For everyone else, here are some videos for you to watch. First, here's the highlights from last year's conventions in Chicago:



And secondly, I've heard that Warren Ellis and Dan Didio will be singing this song as a duet Saturday night: