NY Comic Con

Unfortunately I did not get to Comic Con for the professionals day. (I had a story time scheduled). However, I did make it there on Sunday, along with the teen librarian from Dog Ear. Unsure of what to expect, I was both pleased and disappointed.

We approached the Javits Center with bitter wind blowing in our faces, not looking forward to standing in the line that snaked around the building. Our entrance was speedy, however, and despite the length of the line, the convention did not begin to feel crowded until about noon. The exhibit hall was more and less than I've come to expect from exhibit halls.

Comic Con is clearly a convention for the consumer, and not the professional, at least the part that I got to attend. The exhibit hall was overwhelming dominated by booths in which you could buy something, but do nothing else. This only added to my discomfort with the whole comic industry. Don't get me wrong, I like comics, but I don't need it in three different editions, I don't need to collect anything. I'm not a hardcore fan. I just want the story.

It was a pleasure to hear Brian K. Vaughan speak. Author of Y The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad. He's the one who got me to read more traditional monthly comics, rather than just graphic novels. I'm continually impressed by how charming and well spoken authors are.