There was still a chill in the air and the snow was still falling at the beginning of March (though that had turned into rain by the weekend), but that didn’t stop Emerald City Comicon from opening its panel rooms and vendor halls up for another four days of nerdy geeky fun. Taking place from Thursday March 2nd through Sunday March 5th, this year’s convention was one of the biggest ever in the Emerald City. Around 90,000 passes were sold (between four day and single day passes). Not a bad turnout at all for a convention that focuses more on comics, artwork, and books than celebrity guests (though there were some pretty great guests to see this year). And in honor of this being ECCC’s 15th year (though only my fourth attending), here are 15 highlights from the show!
Mellow Thursday
Last year ECCC expanded to four days (Thursday through Sunday) but this was the first year I attended for all four days. And while Thursday was still busy-ish, it was nowhere near the kind of busy it got on Saturday and Sunday. I could actually move with relative ease through the vendor hall and artist alley. I only got bumped into once or twice, I never lost track of my con-buddy in a throng of people, and I was able to pause and look around at booths and cosplay and signage without feeling like I was in the way. There weren’t any big guest panels scheduled for the day, but there were plenty of industry and fan panels available to attend. It was definitely a nice, easy-going kind of day, and I’m totally attending four days again in the future.
Photos and Autographs in the Sheraton
In the last few years the Photo Ops and Celebrity Autograph booths were located on the sixth floor of the convention center, while all of the vendors, exhibitors, and artists were located on the fourth floor. This year Photo Ops and Autographs were moved to the Sheraton hotel, and Artist’s Alley and Writer’s Block (where the books live!) were moved up to level six. While some people found this change confusing, I thought it was a great idea (and it was explained in the ECCC guidebook, which I read cover to cover cause I’m an old lady and do that kind of thing). It was so much easier to move around in the upstairs vendor areas because they had more room. And I had no trouble finding where I was supposed to be for a photo with Jason Mamoa Saturday, and then autographs on Saturday and Sunday. In fact, the autograph area was pretty quiet Saturday evening. Both of my con-buddies jumped in line to see Vincent D’Onofrio because the wait wasn’t very long. And Sunday I got a selfie with voice actor Troy Baker, and one of my con-buddies got an autograph from Peter Mayhew, and the wait was pretty negligible (compared to when my con-buddy waited over three hours for an autograph with Norman Reedus last year). Maybe it was because attendees were confused and couldn’t find the Photo Ops/Autograph booths at the hotel, or maybe it was just good timing in a good location. It worked out well for us though, which I’m ever so grateful for.
Artist Alley on the 6th Floor
This basically goes along with the above highlight. With the celebrity stuff moved to the Sheraton, there was a lot more space available for the artists and vendors on the sixth floor of the convention center. The aisles between booths was wider and better able to accommodate attendees. And it was a lot easier for me to remember where things were from day to day. In the past I’ve struggled to keep clear where a particular artist or vendor was, and if I didn’t buy something from them when I first saw them, I often didn’t get the chance again. This year, with things more spread out and easier to keep clear in my head, I was able to remember where things were located so I could return to them later on in the convention. This came in handy particularly on Sunday, when my buddies and I wanted to get a few final things before the event ended. We could make a plan based on where we remembered booths being, and then (relatively – there were a lot of people in all areas on Sunday) easily get to them to purchase the items we wanted.
Vincent D’Onofrio’s First Convention
Though I still find it a little hard to believe, apparently this was actor Vincent D’Onofrio’s first convention appearance EVER. And boy was he having a good time at it. I first saw him in the autograph area at the Sheraton on Saturday evening, and he was smiling and chatting and being perfectly charming to guests as they got his autograph. His line wasn’t terribly long so my con-buddies both decided to see him. One of them had a helmet signed by Matthew Modine (from an appearance in Spokane in 2012 for the Spokane International Film Festival) and wanted Vincent D’Onofrio’s signature on it as well (as they were both in Full Metal Jacket). Mr D’Onofrio was very excited over that helmet. He talked a bit about Matthew Modine and the movie and even took pictures of the helmet before signing it. We made sure to catch his guest panel – the last of the convention on Sunday – and he was just as charming as during the autograph session, and seemed just as excited to be there. It was great getting to share the experience with him and see his delight in the con experience.
After-Hours Events
Unlike some of the conventions I’ve gone to, Emerald City Comicon is not a 24-hour-a-day event. The show floor closes around 7pm each day, and only a few panels end after that. But usually there are some after-hours events available for those attendees not quite ready to pack it in yet. This year those events included Nerd Trivia at Raygun Lounge on Thursday, the Power Up Party (with DJs playing 90’s hits) on Friday, and the Guardians of The Sexy Volume 2 ‘Nerd’ Burlesque Show at ACT Theater on Saturday night. I personally made it to only one late night event (as I’m getting up there in years and can’t manage too many late nights during a con) – the burlesque show – but it was totally worth it. Sexy and funny and clever and entertaining from beginning to end. If the other after-hours events where half as good, I know the attendees for them had a great time.
Western Championships of Cosplay
Not all cosplay is created equal. There are casual cosplayers and there are much more serious, ambitious cosplayers. The Championships of Cosplay definitely showcased the latter. From the first contestant that marched out on the stage (in a nearly spot-on replica costume of that worn in the trailers/pictures for the new Wonder Woman film), it was obvious that these cosplayers weren’t messing around. There were three categories – armor, knit, and special effects – and every costume was outstanding. Some of them took years to make and hours and hours of time dedicated to their construction. I felt a little bad for the judges, having to pick winners in each category and then overall, cause every one of those costumes was impressive.
Carrie Fisher Memorial Wall
Carrie Fisher was announced early on to be a guest at this year’s ECCC, but tragically that wasn’t meant to be. In honor of Ms Fisher and the lasting impact she had on so many fans, the convention set up a Memorial Wall in the autograph area. Fans were able to write messages to the memory of Carrie Fisher, letting her know just how much we all loved and appreciated her, and how much we’ll miss her in the years to come.
DJs and Hosts Between Guest Panels
Waiting on a panel to start can get kind of tedious. There is lots of shuffling around and looking for seats and adjusting bags of items and trying to run to the bathroom before things get started. After a long day of convention-going that wait time can also start to put you to sleep (it may be the first time you’ve sat down in several hours, after all). But this year ECCC provided DJs and hosts between the panels in the main hall, to help keep the energy of the attendees up while they waited for the next guest to arrive. And while I’ll admit that some of the songs were super dated and and some of the games were beyond silly, overall I think it was an inspired idea.
Return of Twisted Toonz
One of my fave panels from a few years back, Twisted Toonz triumphantly returned this year, bringing a panel of voice actors out on stage to read the script of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – in a bevy of voices sure to make us in the audience laugh until we cried. I think it helped a lot this year to have the entire voice cast of The Animaniacs on the panel, as they played off each other brilliantly. And Troy Baker, he who has appeared in just about every recent video game, not only did the BEST impression of Jeff Goldblum I’ve ever heard/seen, he was also delightful to watch as he just could not manage to keep a straight face. He laughed so hard he fell out of his chair at one point, and it was wonderful.
The Community Giving Back
While wandering around the vendor halls I noticed quite a few signs up announcing that proceeds from all artwork sold or specific artwork sold would be going to a variety of charitable organizations. Humane societies, human rights organizations, local and national charities, all found mentions from artists and vendors. It was incredibly heartwarming to see so much support for so many different things.
Live Stage Interviews
Sometimes hitting up the guest panels in the main hall can be too much work. The lines are super long, or you have to stand in the back of the room for half an hour and wait for one panel to end so you can get a seat for the next panel. But now those that aren’t in the mood (or just don’t have the time) can still get a chance to see their favorite guests. The Live Stage had guest appearances throughout the weekend, for quick 15 minute interviews before or after their big panels. It wasn’t quite the same as an hour-long panel, but it was still a great way to catch a guest you really wanted to see.
Podcasting Stage
New for this year, a live podcasting stage was included on the sixth floor, and a series of popular and lesser known podcasts recorded throughout the weekend. Podcasts are a big deal these days, and cover a variety of topics of interest to the convention-going crowd. I’m sure both old and new fans of podcasts in general and the podcasts featured had a great time attending these live ‘shows’.
Industry Panels
While big conventions may focus now as much on pop culture, movies, and television shows as they do on comics, one of the best places to learn about upcoming comic industry news is still during con panels. Image, Dark Horse, and Valiant all had panels at ECCC, where they talked about new and continuing titles, what is in store for fans within the next year or so, and what they hope the future will hold for their brands.
Image 25th Anniversary Founders Panel
This panel was kind of a big deal. Big enough, in fact, that it was held on the main stage and was so full it was standing room only by the time I got there. Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larsen, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio where all in attendance, while Robert Kirkman moderated. The gentlemen told stories of the early days of Image, explained why this publisher is so different than other comic publishers, talked some of their most popular and longest running titles (Spawn, Savage Dragon, Stray Bullets), and made sure to riff a bit (a lot) on Robert Kirkman and the cultural juggernaut that is The Walking Dead.
Camaraderie
Over the years conventions have changed. Some of have gotten bigger, some have gotten smaller, some have gone away altogether. But one thing has remained relatively the same since the very first convention I went to nearly ten years ago, and that is the camaraderie. Between fans and guests, between artists and attendees, between cosplayers and the public, and between con-goers and other con-goers. I usually have con-buddies with me, but I’ll also meet up with more of them at the convention. It’s great to know I’ll be spending a long weekend with people as excited about things as I am. Running into old friends, chatting with artists and vendors, meeting celebrity guests, and making new acquaintances while waiting in lines or hanging out in public areas or sitting waiting for a panel to start, is all a highlight of the convention experience.
