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Dallas Comic Convention to draw fans of all kinds

Written by Sara Pintilie, The Shorthorn staff

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 06:00 PM

People wanting to get a picture with Batman or a sketch of themselves as the Incredible Hulk have a place to go this weekend.

The Dallas Comic Convention, from Saturday through Sunday, brings artists like Arlington creator Josh Howard, to the Richardson Civic Center to show off their work.

The convention consists of two elements — the artist alley and the media guest area. The artist alley is where a myriad of comic book artists set up shop and sketch fans’ personalized images for a price. Some, like Howard, also sell their previous work.

Various booths giving away memorabilia and other gifts like free comics, are sprinkled throughout the convention center. Also during the convention, there will be a presentation of clips from upcoming films that comic fans would look forward to.

There are separate prices. Tickets are $10 for general admission and an extra $20 to gain access to the media guests, which include Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints), Charisma Carpenter (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”) and Adam West (“Batman” the 1960s TV series, “Family Guy”).

Comic Con Lingo

Comic book: One installment of a series, or used when generally describing anything in the comic book medium.
Trade Paperback: A selection of issues together in a book.
Graphic Novel: A complete story told in graphic form.
Manga: A Japanese comic book.
A run: A complete story line told in a consecutive series of comic book issues.
A line: A certain character/character’s story
An arc: A small story inside a larger story, usually lasting a few issues.
Back issue: Any older issue.

Fans can get photos taken with some of the media guests at scheduled times. Guests charge for autographs and photos.

“I am hoping to make this one because Adam West will be there,” film/video junior Patrick Camacho said. He said he’d like to ask West to record a voice mail greeting.

Mike Askins, Lone Star Comics store manager and alumnus, has worked at Lone Star for 10 months and said most of the people who shop there don’t “scream comic book,” meaning they don’t portray the stereotypical super fan.

Comic book fans don’t have to be like the Comic Book Guy from “The Simpsons.”

Askins said he enjoys going to the conventions. He’ll be there to hand out Lone Star Comics fliers.

“It’s just fun. A lot of energy. A lot to see,” he said. “It’s a cool place to nerd out.”

Askins got into comics in elementary school when Superman died temporarily during the 90s.

Undeclared sophomore Alora Velasquez said she’d like to check it out, but has never been to a convention like this or even read a comic book before.

“My dad and little brother love comic books,” she said. “I see it as a tradition among boys.”

ARTISTS ATTENDING

Tim Sale, Adam Hughes, Michael Golden, Mark Brooks, Todd Nauck, Pat Broderick, Terry Moore, Jim Mahfood, Mike Huddleston, Tom Feister, Matt Sturges, Brian Denham, John Lucas, Bill Williams, Jaime Mendoza, Tone Rodriguez, Josh Howard, James O'Barr, Cat Staggs, Kerry Gammill

Kez Wilson, Joe Eisma, Brent Peeples, David Hopkins, Paul Milligan, Cal Slayton, Renee Witterstaetter, Allison Sohn, Brad W. Foster, Harold LeDoux, Andrew Mangum, Dirk Strangely, Brock Rizy, Richard Dominguez

Velasquez said she pictures some patrons attending in full-costume homage and some, like her, attending to see what it’s like.

With movies bringing comic book characters to the silver screen and graphic novels available at bookstores like Borders, the comic books are becoming more mainstream, Camacho said.

“That both excites and worries me,” he said. “In Hollywood there is craze, and that puts them out there. But how does that diminish the quality?”

Velasquez loves the movies.

How to get to Comic Con

View Comic Con in a larger map

The community of comic books has a certain stigma, Camacho said, who himself dabbles in creating graphic novels and has worked at two comic shops.

“Still honestly, there is people that fit the stereotype,” he said. “But for so long, comics were such an outsider community — a counterculture. You were in something before it was mainstream.”

Michael Bianchini, studio art graphic design junior, said comics are loosing steam.

“Comics are a lost art. A dead art,” he said. “You don’t find many people reading them.”

But comics have found a new media — the Internet. For instance, Marvel Comics offers subscriptions to read full comics online. But some believe that takes away from the art of it.

“It’s nice to study the art,” he said. “To see what the artist actually has done.”

Studying the art is a big part of Askins’ comic book experience, he said.

“The art is, in a way, more important than the writing,” Askins said. “If I pick something up and the art doesn’t grab me, I don’t read it.”

Though Velasquez doesn’t read comics, she still enjoys the art.

“To me, it’s modern,” she said. “It reminds me of something you would put into a really nice condo, but it’s also the past. It’s something older, an antique art that has been modernized."

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