Last year, when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes hit Hollywood, various folks asked me “What are your plans for Comic Con?” I said, “I’m going to still cover comics.”
Despite the star-studded lineup of guests and the variety of activities at conventions, comics have been my first love and this year’s Emerald City Comic Con was a great reminder of that. Not only was there a great roster of creators, but most of the comic publishers were independent – offering a wide variety of options for longtime comic fans and newcomers alike.
IDW Publishing was the first booth that caught my eye when I walked into Artists’ Alley on Thursday. In addition to spotlighting its lineup of licensed comics, IDW also had a few exclusives on hand – most of them Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles related.
It’s not a surprise; the Heroes in a Half-Shell celebrate their 40th anniversary, with a plethora of new series. These exclusives included the debut issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sourcebook #1, along with a poster highlighting Jason Aaron’s upcoming run on the title.
Right next to IDW’s booth were the Mad Cave Studios and Papercutz booth. Papercutz had plenty of young adult graphic novels, with the standout being a trade celebrating the 20th anniversary of Winx Club. Mad Cave was smart enough to split its offerings into two sections; the more adult-oriented graphic novels, including Nottingham (a dark twist on the Robin Hood legend), and more young adult-oriented fare. These booths literally had something for everyone.
So did Oni Press, who had one of the biggest booths on the floor. That was to be expected; Oni publishes Scott Pilgrim VS The World, a franchise that recently made a return (not to mention Chris Evans, who is in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, was a major draw for the con.) It also publishes Rick and Morty graphic novels; most of the creators behind those comics were also in attendance. But Oni also had plenty of comics that stray from the typical path; the one that stood out the most to me was Xino, an anthology collection described as “an intraocular lozenge of subversive, surrealist science fiction.” That just screams to be read!
Finally, there was Stranger Comics. The indie publisher’s been a staple of ECCC ever since I first started attending, and I picked up a few comics last year including its flagship series Niobe. Stranger Comics’ biggest project is underway; it’s teaming up with Legion M to produce Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls, the story of a man who hijacked a Confederate warship in order to sail his friends and family to safety. Defiant boasts quite the creative pedigree, with a script from Rob Edwards (The Princess and the Frog) and producers including Marvin “Krondon” Jones III (Black Lightning) and Bill Duke (Predator).
I loved visiting these booths; it shows that there are plenty of books out there for everyone – and publishers who have what it takes to stand out in the DC/Marvel/Image landscape.
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