My First Comic-Con
Writer/artist Rich Koslowski is an inker for Archie Comics and the creator of The 3 Geeks. A veteran of many conventions over the past 15+ years, Rich’s 11-year-old daughter Stella has also set up with him and sold her art at various cons, including our sister shows APE, the Alternative Press Expo, and WonderCon Anaheim . . . but never Comic-Con. Rich and Stella traveled down from Northern California for her very first Comic-Con International this year and we asked her to blog about her experience. Here’s Stella . . .
My Hulk sketch done in the car on the drive down.
Prologue
I was sooo excited to finally go to my first Comic-Con!!! I had been asking for years, and I was so happy to step onto my porch with my suitcase and head out. But when we were driving, we got stuck in traffic, UGH! I made the best of it, though, and did sketches while my dad was driving the car.
It was worth all the waiting when I finally got there!
I got this cool Catwoman sketch from an artist in Artists' Alley!
Thursday, Day 1:
Today is my first day of Comic-Con. And I got to wear my new pair of Kick-High Converse with the Joker on them! I have only been here at the show for about an hour, and I am already impressed! I found someone to sketch Catwoman for me, and it was really nice.
There was also a lady there who was really nice and was doing little custom watercolor paintings for people. She did a little Poison Ivy for me and she also featured her children’s books, and adult books.
One other artist that was there did a lot of Adventure Time art. And he had prints, and I bought a cute print of Marceline the Vampire Queen.
Still here, and it is 3:00. In this time I have seen some famous actors; Lou Ferrigno who played The Hulk on TV (he’s huge!), and some awesome Star Trek actors: Marini Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, and from the movie Titanic, Bill Paxton!
There are also a lot of people in really cool costumes! A lot of Adventure Time, and super heroes, and much more!
I recommend taking your kids to a booth where they sell the cutest little pink versions of living Spams! The company is called Haminals, so look for that table next year!
There is this cute children’s book that they were selling at the Top Self booth, called Monster on the Hill that has really nice artwork—the artists also did a sketch for me! Also look for these other books for kids: Owly, Cat Getting Out of a Bag, and Cats Are Weird, and a lot of other fun books for kids and adults.
Another place that has nice artwork is right by the Top Self booth called Crayon Monsters. I bought a $5 pack of mystery cards. One is signed by the artist.
We are going to leave soon, and I have had an awesome first day, there is a whole mess of things to see and do. And not just comics and art and books, but game and movie stuff too! You are very busy at Comic-Con!
At night, after the con, all the restaurants were packed with people, and it was loud!
Dad, Evangeline Lilly, and Me!
Friday, Day 2:
Today is my second day of Comic-Con, and I am mostly just walking around Artists’ Alley, meeting many artists and authors! I recommend walking around there for one of your days at Comic-Con!
I went to look at the Hobbit booth, and bought a book by the lady who will be in the next Hobbit movie as the main Mirkwood Elf. Her name is Evangeline Lilly! And her book was called The Squickerwonkers. She and the illustrator, Johnny Fraser-Allen, signed it for me.
After the show, me and my dad went to the Hilton… and we met Pen Ward, The creator of Adventure Time!!! I love Adventure Time, so meeting him was very cool.
Me in my homemade Jake the Dog costume (from Adventure Time)!
Saturday, Day 3:
Today I had enough money to buy a replica of the Evenstar necklace from The Lord of the Rings at the Hobbit booth. It looks just like the one they used in the movie!!
I also went to see an Archie Comics panel, and heard a lot of cool things that I will not give away!
Today I also wore my homemade Jake the Dog from Adventure Time costume!! It was fun, but it got hot in there.
The cover for my handmade San Diego Comic-Con Journal!
Sunday, Day 4:
Today my cousins from Texas came to San Diego because one of them is stationed for training as a Marine pilot. And I took them all around the Con and showed them the whole show, upstairs and down!
In Artists' Alley, there was an artist there named Scott Beaderstadt, who was giving out free Monsters Inc. and Monsters University prints if you donated blood to the blood drive!! I thought that was very nice!
That was my year at Comic-Con!!! And I thought it was awesome there. Even if the crowds are always huge, it is still really fun at Comic-Con!!!