All Wizard No Blizzard
Greetings fellow humans! I had a pretty busy weekend, did some DJing for a motorcycle show, got to DJ a wedding, went to a memorial, and topped it off by going to Wizard World Chicago 2019.
Wizard World holds a soft spot in my heart, because it was my first real big convention I went to. I got to meet Bruce Campbell, got an autograph and a picture, met a whole bunch of people from horror movies, the place was absolutely jam packed with things to do, and it really took us all three days to see it all, and get the full experience.
And then I went yesterday.
Honestly, I was mostly interested in the vendor part of the show. My boss went Thursday and Saturday, to mostly get Zach Levi (Shazam), Jeff Goldblum (Malcolm), and some guy named John Travolta (Vinnie Barbarino). He had the VIP pass, so they zipped through the lines pretty good, said they were well organized, and it was a good experience.
Sunday at a convention is always light people wise. In theory, it’s a good day to get some deals, because vendors don’t want to carry all their stuff home, most have to work on Monday so they stay home, or leave early, and in general, just not as many people. This was no exception. I felt the crowd was really light, even for a Sunday. No long lines for food other than the taco guy, and even that wasn’t too bad. (I went sushi, and it was excellent, and fast, and decent priced for a convention)
I like to check out the stands before I make my purchases, then hit the artist alley so I have the cash to buy their stuff, support them, and drop my alias name (Kentucky Regan), on the artists. I also told them about the Overlords podcast any chance I got, and told them how artist and writer friendly they were.
I bought some cool runs (I don’t want to buy the first one and like it, then have to track down the others, so I buy a run. And most give you a discount, and sign the books), met some great artists, and plan on giving a review or 4 on what I purchased.
The cosplay was all over the place. I didn’t take many pictures, but there was a really cool Iron Man, a guy dressed as Groucho Marx (totally lost on anyone under 50), lots of zombies with different stages of good, a few Rick’s from Rick and Morty (If you’re going to be Rick, get a wig that fits, and tuck your hair in), and a smoking hot Vampirella that I honestly couldn’t come up with a good way to ask for a pic, and not be creepy. Looking back, I probably could have introduced myself as Ol’ Kentucky Regan and got away with it, but hindsight…
I did get to meet Gerry Conway, and got an autograph. As per usual, I forgot to ask for a picture, but had a pretty good conversation with him about Werewolf by Night. He was a very nice man, and said he doesn’t get to talk about that title too much, because everyone wants to talk Punisher. I got a Ms Marvel print signed for next to nothing, got to talk to him for about 10 minutes, and it was a fun time.
The worst part about this show is I know that tables have to be expensive. That being said, there were plenty of vendors selling comics, and it seemed like every one of them was trying to pay the rent with one book. Books that are on eBay for $60 were going for $150. Titles that are cool to have, but not major keys, were priced as major keys. I know John got great deals on some Iron Fist at SDCC, there was none of that going on here. I did get a New Mutants 87 9.0 CGC for a decent price, and it was lower on my list of comics I wanted, and I’m still not sure if I got it because I had to have it, or because I literally looked at 15 tables, and this was the first one selling something that was close to the eBay price, and I didn’t have to pay shipping. I also got an Amazing Spiderman 42, second appearance of Rhino (also first appearance of Mary Jane) for an okay price, but its mid grade on a good day, and one of the few books the guy had that I would consider paying. I’m sure they were pricing them so people could haggle them, and still make money, but I am not a good haggler, so I did save money that way.
And finally, the main reason I went was to get a few books graded. I just turned them in and paid, but the CGC representative could not have been nicer, explained the process really well, and was very enthusiastic about collecting, ooohed and aaahed the appropriate amounts over the two books I turned in (Tomb of Dracula 10 and All Star Western 10), and made it a pleasant experience. Now all I have is the nerve wracking wait, but a positive experience so far.
So that was Wizard World! All in all a good experience. Hopefully the Overlords get a guest out of it. I will pass on what information I have of the artists I met. Have a great day everyone, and as usual, if you want to contact me, feel free. (@jaycanchu) on most platforms.
Faux Kentucky Regan