ALTERNATIVE COMICS Wizard World Review!

HEY APATHY! Alternative Comics at Wizard World

So this past weekend Toronto was host to the Wizard World Comics Convention and I decided to take part in the festivities by exhibiting my own unusual brand of monster comics and art. I have been a huge fan of finely written strips and graphic novels for as long as I can remember and used to attend these events as young fan boy. My first exhibitions on the circuit of the weird were way back in 2002 and 2003 after which I sort of took an extended hiatus from picture books to show my ink drawings in art galleries and as a street performer. Recent circumstances, brought about primarily by age, led me to return to my first true love and restart developing my comic book artworks. Since those days as a wee-one it has always been a dream of mine to complete an entire graphic novel so that's what I am going to do. My first step in the process was to return to the cons and present the initial chapters, books zero, one and two, at Wizard World.

 

Me at my booth reloading the HEY APATHY! comics bin on Sunday Morning

The show was amazing and not entirely unlike those art exhibitions I have been frequenting over the past few years except that the animosity, professional jealously and out and out pretentiousness is traded for introverted weirdoes, costumed curiosities and hyper-active children of all ages. I met Darth Vador, the Predator, Captain America, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Spidey, Burlesque Dancers, Cobra Commander and more anime characters than I could possibly name. The fans come to exhibit as much as the exhibitors! I guess one of the major attractions is the tax-free reduced prices on all of our favourite comics and toys but the real draw is the dress up. My next door neighbour was a creepy clown named Mullet who is not only the star of his own book but has a series of hilarious (and hilariously no-budget) comedy films on the internet. The energy was overwhelming and unbelievable. I have been suffering from superhero withdrawal since leaving the festival, why isn't the Green Lantern walking down College Street?

Mr. Mullet my new friend and neighbouring exhibitor at the Convention

I also ran into an old friend Tyrone at the Con who was sporting a little monster named Kyrian (sorry if I spelled that wrong). I'm guessing the future freak was about 1 and half old. Congratulations Tyrone and Alana. Tyrone is also an amazing comics artist and was promoting his guerrilla printing company which specializes in small and independent press publication.

 

a shot of the floor duing set up (Damn I was too busy to get the floor full of freaks which is what it's really all about!!!)

 

I had some concerns about the event because of an overwhelming amount of bad online press but was more than pleasantly surprised by the awesome show. If you've never been to one of these things you'd be wise to check it out. I can't wait until the Fan Expo later on this summer. Anyways I hardly got any drawing done at the show because I was too busy telling stories and also to my delight meeting new and strange folk. Probably about a 30 -70 % split on people familiar with my art and an all new audience. It was great to see all my friends from the street performance days and really amazing to discover new ones at the Wizard World. Overall a complete success and incredibly amazing, astonishing, and uncanny show!

Future Comics legend Blackbeard getting ready to duel with a Creepy Consumer of people's bodies,minds, and souls...