Oh my, oh my! I can always count on Planet Comicon in Kansas City to be filled with adventure, and this year was no exception. February 16-18 Bartle Hall filled with geeks of all kinds. I’m not wasting a lot of space here on the impressive celebrity lineup, the phenomenal cosplayers (so many great cosplays!), or the after hours events. Just checkout their website or facebook page to see all that great stuff, and, believe me, it was amazing. I’m really here for the comic books and their creators, that’s why I go to these things after all.
The Kansas City area is home to a host of incredibly talented creators including Jai Nitz, co-creator of El Diablo; Freddie Williams II, Batman/TMNT; Jason Aaron, Southern Bastards; and so many others there’s a website for creators in the Kansas City, Lawrence & Topeka area. Creators like Nitz have been participating in this show since its inception, 19 years ago. They also pull in creators from across the country: Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Marguerite Bennett, Amy Chu, Tom King, Jason Latour, Jae Lee, Matt Hawkins…and if I added all the wonderful people at this show on my list we’d be here for a looooonnnnngggg time. The wealth of talent at this show is heady.
All the creators means you get some really good panels, and this year was no exception. They scheduled so many interesting panels that there was no way we could get to them all. That was the only disappointment.
When you get Matt Hawkins (Think Tank, Postal), Tom King (Batman), CW Cooke (Solitary), Jai Nitz (El Diablo, Dream Thief), Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, DC Bombshells), and Amy Chu (Red Sonya) together on a panel about writing comics an hour just isn’t enough…not by half. Then there was the drawing comics panel with Jae Lee, Freddie Williams II, and Chad Hardin who manage to talk while they draw some amazing images. There’s always an opportunity to learn something new.
My favorite thing about these events is the opportunity to talk with the creators. These are kind people who are generous with their time. They never hesitate to spend a moment with someone who supports their work, and they’re supportive of those interested in becoming a creator themselves. I never fail to learn something new, and I always walk away inspired. So, this is a big “THANK YOU” to all of the people out there who spend the extra time, support those aspiring to be something more, and for smiling through all the sputtering as we stumble our way through our appreciation for your work.
‘Til next time,
Jessica
I Love Geekology 101 