C2E2 2012

The 2012 C2E2 was this weekend here in Chicagoland, and there’s already been all manner of reporting on who said what’s coming when and why that’s important out there, and I’m not going to add to that. What I’m going to share is a casual comics fan’s look at this year’s event (specifically Saturday), which, let me get this out of the way right at the start, was great.

When I attended the first C2E2 a few years back it was sort of a hassle to get to. I took the train downtown, but then had to cab it back and forth which wasn’t cheap.

This year they offered a shuttle service to and from a number of convenient Chicago locales, including Union Station, so my commute was much nicer.

I’ve no idea of the actual 2012 C2E2 attendance numbers, but judging by the line when I arrived and the subsequent crowds, a lot of folks came out. But it never felt overcrowded like another Chicagoland comic con that will remain nameless.

The first order of business was some t-shirts for the family. I’ve waited before only to find on my return that what I wanted had sold out. Not this time!

Then it was time to get over to artist’s alley and in line for the person I wanted most to meet, Amanda Conner. I’m glad I got there early because her fans quickly queued into a lengthy line. (Kudos to C2E2 organizers for keeping things orderly.)

I was just thrilled to meet Ms. Conner. I bought a small sketchbook for myself, and a print of Supergirl with Streaky and Krypto for my daughter, both of which she signed while we discussed kids and comics.

You hope when you meet someone like this that they’ll live up to your preconceived notions, and Ms. Conner exceeded them thoroughly. A brilliant artist and a lovely person.

Next up was Jason Howard’s table to get a Super Dinosaur print for the boy. I’d have bought some additional books if my son didn’t have each and every one of them already.

Mr. Howard was incredibly nice as he signed the print and chatted with me at length about comics and kids. Another great artist and super nice person. That’s two for two!

I browsed the rest of artist’s alley, picked up a few more books, and finished up at Art Baltazar‘s table where he signed a Super Pets book for my daughter.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, another super nice person, and who doesn’t love Baltazar’s style? Aw yeah!

Then it was time to hit the show floor for a little more shopping.

I’m not much for collecting, but I did my fair share of back issue browsing.

I made sure to pick up Cow Boy at the Archaia booth, and it doesn’t disappoint. The boy’s read it five times since giving it to him, and he adores it.

Then a little oddball browsing…

Wooden mustache anyone?

I almost bought this for Mike Lynch.

And last but not least, is that a lightsaber in your pocket, or are you just happy to be browsing stuffed animals?

Then it was onto the panels. I really wanted to see SMBC‘s talk, but they never showed up. Dunno what happened, but everyone was disappointed.

I managed to hear most of Kill Shakespeare’s Anthony Del Col’s excellent talk about pitching and marketing your indie comic, but had to duck out at the very end to catch my shuttle. Really interesting and inspiring stuff.

Now, before I finish up, here’s some of my favorite 2012 C2E2 costumes:

So from a casual comic’s fan perspective, the 2012 C2E2 was just about perfect. I hope the organizers and exhibitors did well and had as much fun as I did. Kudos all around.

Can’t wait for next year!