Cape-Con 2016 Recap

I did get to make it to Cape-Con on Saturday. Didn't even have to fake being sick. Pleasant enough drive, got their basically as the doors were opening at 9.

Seemed like a good sized crowd, especially after about 10:30, people really started rolling in. If the convention is continuing to grow, Ken might have to look into a larger venue. It wasn't impossible to make your way down the aisles, but there were some definite logjams at times. One thing that was pointed out to me was the convention didn't have particularly defined areas, with an Artists' Alley here, and special guests over there, and the people selling back issues and toys in a different section. In the past it's had that sort of general set-up, but this year everyone was sort of mixed together. So there'd be a guy with three tables worth of old comics, then someone doing commissioned sketches, then a person selling cupcakes or homemade jewelry.

I wonder if that's better for the vendors and artists, because if you want to see all of the artists, for example, you have to move through the entire place, rather than staying in just one section. And then maybe you see something else you want. Have to ask the vendors that. I know my legs got very tired after 7 hours of pretty much trooping in circles, but I had a lot of trouble deciding what I wanted to buy, so I'd loop past a particular table again and again, weighing the decision. I suppose I could have stopped, but that might have resulted in conversation, and then there could be sales pressure, even if unintentional, and I'm no good with that. I really needed Alex there as the gregarious person who could talk easily to others while I agonized over choices, but no such luck.

I did buy a few back issues, mostly from Ben Grimm's John Byrne/Ron Wilson '80s solo series, plus a few issues of the John Arcudi/Tan Eng Huat Doom Patrol series I found in the dollar bins. I might have bought more comics, I had written up a list of things to look for the night before, then forgot it. Though I couldn't find most of the things I remembered from it. Bought a few Heroclix out of the dollar boxes as usual. As far as art goes, bought three prints from Brian Koschak, including a nice alien costume Spider-Man and one called "Droids" of an android sitting on an amp playing guitar. He always has something new every year I can grab, which is fine by me. I bought a couple of other prints here and there, and got two commissioned sketches.

One was a Darkhawk by Lorenzo Liana of Lion Forge Comics, which turned out very well. He got the glider wings and that grapple-claw thing in there and it was just outstanding. The other was an Amanda Waller piece by Matthew at Capybara-Ink. Original, short and wide Amanda Waller, naturally. He said that was the oddest request he'd had, in terms of a character, but that it was cool, because if you're going to request here, you have to really like her. True enough. I just knew when I saw his work I wanted to get something by him, but there wasn't anything in his prints that was quite it. So then I started thinking about my Favorite DC characters list, trying to decide which character matched his style best. And the Wall seemed right, and here we are.

I did feel slightly awkward when he asked if I was excited for the Suicide Squad movie (though he's not the first or the last), since I haven't even seen a trailer for it. My basic hope is that John Ostrander's getting a decent check out of this, but I'm not sure how that works. Does he get some money every time Waller shows up in something, like the Justice League cartoon, or Arrow? Or is it just a one-time deal? Fingers crossed for the latter.

Lotta cosplayers, and I think every year the number who are something I don't recognize increases. That gag from the Simpsons comes to mind. With Grandpa telling a teenage Homer he used to be with "it", but then "it" changed, and what he was with wasn't "it" any longer, and what was "it" seemed strange and weird, and it would happen to Homer, too. So true. Saw three or four Deadpools, including one that was part of a trio of people dressed up as members of the Tune Squad. From Space Jam? One was Lola, one was Bill Murray, and Deadpool was Jordan, albeit wearing a jersey with 91 on it, which was Rodman's Bulls' jersey. Which is appropriate. Several Harley Quinns, usually in groups, either with a Joker, or a Poison Ivy and Robin. Couple of Riddlers, always nice to see. One father and son as Iron Man and Captain America. A couple of Deathstrokes, one Winter Soldier, couple of Daredevils, one Rose Quartz from Steven Universe. Saw one young boy going as Krillin, which was pretty great. Drew the dots on his forehead with marker, and he had bit fake paper eyebrows taped on. I salute you, small Krillin fan!

I didn't a chance to talk to Ken much, since he was busy all day. That was the nice thing when I was able to attend both days. Sunday is usually much more sedate, so there was time to sit and chat. But it was good to see him running around with his usual energy and enthusiasm.