Geeks Unite! - Phoenix Comicon - Sunday 28 January 2007

Go Ghostbusters!

The Dark Knight returned! Spider-Man swung into town and Wolverine clawed his way through the crowds to be there too. Bounty hunter Spike Spiegel was puffin' on a cig and the crew from Naruto were ready to fight at a moment's notice.

The Phoenix Comicon, held at the Mesa Convention Center, just outside of Phoenix proper, is a fun event. It's small compared to most New York shows, but it was about what I expected for the area and it was pretty frickin' cool anyhow. I got in for free, so I can't complain. My friend, Tyrel from Sierra Vista, AKA "T," met me there. I spent all my spare cash on half off trades and graphic novels (Batman, UK Transformers, etc.) as well as Howard the Duck comics. I bought some HTD at Bookman's last week and they are really funny. Yes, the movie is something of an abomination in most people's eyes (though whatsherface is in it), but the comics that inspired the movie are nothing short of slapstick awesomeness. No number one though. Perhaps next time or on eBay.


As with any good comic show, there was a variety of vendors to satisfy most wants and even what some consider "needs." Atomic Comics (left) had pulled the van in with many current comics and trade paperbacks. There was a guy with half off trades (more, please). There were even more dealers with current, hot comics (Civil War galore), guys with dollar comics from the mid-seventies to today. I think there was even my usual favorite, a fifty-cent guy. There were a few Manga dealers as well as guys carrying tons of little and not so little import toys from Japan and the like. There were some toy dealers with some cool action figures.


I also got a free adult comic at Carnal Comics from the dollar box. I was stoked. I can't wait to read Modern Romans. It must be historical. They didn't have any Small Favors trades, which I remember is self-proclaimed "girly porn" on the cover blurb. It's a really funny book.

Deadpool (left) make a hit on some fat bounty head in the parking lot.

Who wants to be a superhero?
This guy!

Here's web in your face!






George Perez, Arthur Suydam, Mike Mignola (left), Brian Pulido and other popular comic creators were there. Steve Rude (Nexus) had been there sometime over the weekend.










There were many local creators, novelist Mike Stackpole (right) being one of them. He's written some great Star Wars: X-Wing novels about the liberation of Coruscant following the deaths of Vader and the Emperor. I spoke with him for a few minutes and plan on getting his book of short stories, poems and what not, sometime soon.


There is also this company that makes kick-ass sturdy lightsabers that you can actually fight with and that supposedly won't break. They don't make noise, but the fact that they light up as they do and hopefully won't break like the Hasbro ones is awesome. I am getting one when I have some money. I can't wait to fight in all sorts of environments, like the sand dunes, the snow, and Bespin carbon freeze chamber. I think I'll get a red one and a blue one. Maybe a green one too. There go two paychecks and then some.





















"Bell peppers and beef? But there's no beef!"

- Spike Speigel on bell peppers
and beef.

I stopped at Bookman's in what I think was Mesa, possibly near ASU. It's a lot bigger than the one in Flag and it's got a whole bookshelf full of trades and graphic novels, as opposed to half a row on a shelf. They were about to close when I arrived, so I didn't have much time to look around. I bet their selection is sweet.