I went to a few comic cons as a kid. I barely remember any of them. I remember marveling (pun intended) at the sheer size of the events but I don’t recall specifics. Nowadays, I dream of going to the “big time” comic cons again because now I’d actually appreciate them. (I’m a much stronger comic book fan now than I was as a kid.) Hopefully, that dream will come true someday. But this past weekend, I had the privilege of attending Ithacon, which was hosted on the campus of Ithaca College. It could not have been any more convenient; I only had to walk 20 feet from my dorm to enter the building that hosted the event. I attended the event with my friends and I had a great time.
First, as a I walked around the vendors' tables, I learned that there’s something intimate about the smaller comic cons. My local comic shop, Comics for Collectors, had a table with other vendors, and I appreciated that connection. I’ve been to that store several times, and I’ve bought comics from them before, so I liked that familiarity. I was surrounded by many other vendors, selling various comic books and comic book-themed merchandise. I was determined to buy a souvenir, and I eventually found one. I was walking past table after table of custom made comic prints, or posters, and one grabbed my attention. I visually locked onto it and I continued walking towards it. The face of Hugh Jackman beckoned to me on a print that commemorated “Logan”. This film has impacted me immensely and a variety of ways, which is one of the reasons the print beckoned to me. That first time that I saw the film marked the culmination of a process that spanned over a year: the resurrection of my passionate love of comic books. I felt the need to buy this print to commemorate that. I smiled as I walked away from the table with the print in my hand.
Next, I attended a panel with former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter and former comic book writer Roger Stern. For the first half of the panel, I listened to two men that have been friends for over 30 years reminisce about their time working at Marvel. My favorite part was a hilarious anecdote about Stan Lee. The second half of the panel consisted of a Q&A session where the two took questions from fans. I learned about the downfall of Marvel Comics that spanned from the late 1980's to the early 2000's. Shooter and Stern gave insightful answers, which made the panel an even more enjoyable experience.
I can safely say that Ithacon was my favorite comic con experience. I am now much more mature and much more passionate about comics, so I had a great time.
