Houston: Comicpalooza

Okay, I owe Comicpalooza an apology.  I attended their convention 2 years ago, attempted to compare them to Dragoncon, and was a tad bit critical. 

Why am I so excited about going back then?

It definitely wasn't the gun convention going on at the same time.  

It was the fact that I did have some fun.  It was a good convention, and above all things, I wanted my brother and sister-in-law to have a good time.  I was nervous, which turned out to be a bit unfounded.  

It was a good convention, and my brother has been asking me for the last two years if I would like to go again.  (He still has issues with the whole "I'm a Geek, and I'm Proud!") 

In all honesty, they will probably rub my face in the fact that I was oh-so-wrong.  All I am hoping for is a tad bit more "Steampunk."  I really want him and my best friend, Pat (who I am trying to drag along) to see what Steampunk is all about.

See you in may, Comicpalooza!

Dragon-Con 2010

Despite our best laid plans, we're not going this year. I'd like to try to take some pics and do some 'real-time' tweeting from the con. I tried to set it up last year, but it didn't work out. Maybe next year.

Those who are at Dragon*Con, enjoy the show!

IGN Best of SDCC 2010

I know that you are probably seeing SDCC pics and articles all over the web, and if you are like me and were unable to attend, you might have even watched some of it on G4.  (I do every year.) 

Robert pointed to some exciting news, and IGN provided a "Best of SDCC 2010".  Both were great, as are all of the pictures floating around.

Won't bother you with anything else, as I know you are probably preoccupied with other more interesting items.

San Diego Comic-Con

If you are one of the lucky ones who made it to the San Diego Comic-Con, congratulations. If you are like me, you will be skimming the web for pics and watching G4 TV coverage.

I really need to set my prioritize my vacations a little more.

If anything, I really miss out on seeing some of the big reveals.

DragonCon 2010

Have you booked your trip?

Have you booked your hotel?

Have you even bought your tickets?!?!

Okay, Robert and I usually buy our tickets on Sunday, at the convention.

Now, Bayard has finally promised to visit my small little abode in Atlanta, yet the reason behind his visit is not necessarily to see my home - or to even visit me. No, no. His family has no interest in seeing what I have collected and/or done over the last 10 years. No.

Instead, he (and his family) are only thinking of themselves, and their chance of attending DragonCon!!!!! bum-bum-baaaaaaaa!

Note: Robert said that he may not be attending this year. BUMMER!

Robert: Zimm, is there going to be room at your house?

Houston Comicpalooza Review

Well, I made it!

What did I think?

My expectations exceeded the event. I wanted more! More booths. More costumes. More events. More artists! MORE!

What did I get? What they promised. A relatively new con. No more, no less. Or maybe a bit more than less.

I left disappointed, but when I think back and compare, I should not have been.

Comicpalooza offered a host of talented artists. Enough to draw me to the tables and walk around. Enough to spend time debating on whether or not I should actually get a sketch or two. (No, Robert. I will not be drawn into your mess). They even introduced me to a number of unique artists with creative skills that any true geek would admire. They could have had more, but they are still growing.

They offered a limited number of activities, but not enough to interest me. Yes, I am that picky. It takes a lot of work to develop the activities, and I wonder how many they could truly manage for being such a new con.

They did lack in costumes; however, I am using DragonCon as a reference, which does set the bar a tad-bit high for any con. Also, one of the costumes was unique enough to draw a 'wow' from my sister-in-law. Hmmmm, I am wondering how she would react at Dragoncon.

My biggest disappointment: the dealers. I wanted more. Comicpalooza lacked in the diversity and depth of other conventions. Even some smaller conventions that I have been to (and are no longer around) offered more to me from a dealer's perspective. Maybe some of the dealers had opted for the gun show next door, or maybe Comicpalooza didn't open their geeky doors wide enough to invite every 'geek-like' shop possible.

Overall, from a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 4. 1 is a really good local comic book store and 10 being ComicCon.

Would I go next year? Of course, but DragonCon first.

UPDATE:
I know that you can read his points in the comments, but when someone is correct, I want to make certain that I share it with everyone.

Sky Captain Cedric Whittaker:
"Yeah, DragonCon IS setting the bar a little high for such a new con, but I think Comicpalooza did a great job. My crew and I really enjoyed the smaller feel of the con, and it gave us a chance to interact with the public more than we are use to. We brought 11 people this year, and everyone of them plans to return! Can't wait till next year."

And I agree:
They did do a great job for a new con, and yes, I will definitely be returning next year. In comparison to some smaller (non-DragonCon) cons that I have been to in the past, I still wanted MORE.

If you think about my statements, Comicpalooza left me with the feeling of wanting more and willing to return. If it had been a bad con, I would not be wanting more or willing to return, and the con would not have merited a post or comment.

Sky Captain Cedric Whittaker (what a name) is right. For a new con, they did a great job.

I just want more! (Like any true geek. I can never have enough geekiness in my life.)

By the way, thank you for all of the feedback.

Houston's Comicpalooza

As I will be in Texas for a period of time, I figured that I might as well swing by Houston's Comicpalooza. I don't think that it will be anything close to Dragoncon, but it still should be fun. After all, I tend to go for the dealer shops, and it is really hard for me to shop for steampunk online.
Do I expect costumes? Yes, but not at the same quality and/or quantity seen at Dragoncon.
Will I drag members of my family with me? Hopefully, but then again, a lot of them have perception issues. If they are seen with geeks, then you will become a geek. I don't really perceive us as the zombie types. Statistically, zombies will allows when. The numbers are against you.

So, I look forward to Comicpalooza, and while I may not give you an update on how it went, I will probably give you an update on what I bought!