Polite Dissent

Back to the ‘Con this morning. Much shorter line to get today — and better weather as well. Once inside, the first thing we did was stop by the CBLDF booth. I re-upped my membership, and in return got a copy of All-Star Superman signed by Grant Morrison. Nice.

Next, Robin and I swung by the Comics Fairplay booth and met Heidi and Jim Meeley. Had a great talk with them, particularly with Heidi. I did get to connect with Laura as well, but more briefly than I would have liked (check out the sword she gave to Kurt Busiek).

We proceeded up to the “DC Comics Panel” featuring writers Kurt Busiek and Gail Simone and editor Bob Schreck. It was a fun hour, as all three of the speakers involved can easily be described as…umm…having a strong personality. Not much information was gleaned, but it was an entertaining time nonetheless. (To me, this was the biggest shortcoming with the ECC. It had great guests, dealers, and exhibitors — but few panels. Panels have always been one of the best things about a good con. For one thing, they give me a chence to rest my feet. More, they give me a good chance to learn more about the creator — and see their interactions with one another — than a brief chat getting a sketch or a Newsarama interview will. More panels next year!)

Went back to the Dealer’s Area and picked up a few more Kamandi and Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane. I also bought several Batman Family and Superman Family comics. I also managed to find several PSA comics in a 25¢ box, so expect some fun over the next few PSA Mondays.

It was a nice weekend for the Hawk & Dove fanatic as well. Saturday, Rob Liefeld was kind enough to sign his five issues of the Hawk & Dove mini-series. Say what you will about Liefeld and his recent art, his Hawk & Dove work was good and he was extremely friendly and easy to talk with. He pointed out a couple of facts about the Hawk & Dove covers that I had never knoen. Sunday, I met Karl Kesel and chatted with him about Hawk & Dove, as well as some more recent work, and geot him to sign the comics as well.

Robin and I left the ‘con about 1:00 and headed over to the Science Fiction Museum. It was interesting and had some great stuff, but I was a little underwhelmed. Robin liked it a great deal better. I suspect it is because the museum is aimed at the general public and not a specific “science fiction fan” audience. I would have liked something more in depth, but if I were a science fiction novice I would have probably found it just right. Note to Sterling: The first issue of Swamp Thing is used as one of the exhibits in the Science Fiction and Society display. Other comics were mostly limited to some of the older EC titles.

Tonight, we’re just going to relax at the hotel, play in the pool, and have a simple dinner. Tomorrow — back to St. Louis!