This past weekend Baltimore had it’s 11th Annual Comic Con. Despite the absence of both Marvel and DC booths, the con was still a resounding success. Some vendors hit Twitter and announced that Sunday would be a day of complete profits.
On Saturday, for most of the day, there was a steady stream of attendees entering the convention center. The doors opened at 10am and even in at 1pm there were still people lined up to get tickets. It was quite impressive and actually quite inspiring.
It’s been noted elsewhere that the Baltimore Comic Con is one of the few true “comic conventions” remaining. The focus of the show is comics, not washed up actors from shows that barely register as cult. People aren’t attending because they want to go to a panel and get the inside scoop about the upcoming season of their favorite tv show. The Baltimore Comic Con isn’t a hodgepodge of pop culture, it’s about comics, creators and fans.
Which is why the relative absence of DC and Marvel was so shocking. It’s appalling to think that the “Big Two” would rather send talent to Canada than Baltimore. It would be totally understandable if folks in Canada still paid more for their books, but that’s not the case anymore.
Seriously, compare Toronto’s schedule of events to Baltimore’s schedule of events.
No DC or Marvel booths meant no DC or Marvel swag. Pretty disappointing.
Still DC and Marvel sent some representation and held some panels. Plus DC helped sponsor the Harvey Awards.
Speaking of the Harvey Awards, that’s where Mark Waid seemed to embrace the notion of pirating comics with the oft quoted “culture is more important than copyright” line. Having not been present, no context can be applied, although Waid seems to be caught up in something he alluded to in the Boom! Studios Panel.
Sunday was a slower day and as usual prices were slashed, with vendors looking to unload books in an effort to make the trip back home that much easier. Despite the 2nd Annual Costume Contest being held on Sunday, there were fewer cosplayers in attendance.
All in all it was a good show. The weather was flawless, the people were nice and it seemed like everyone left happier than they were when they arrived.
