Tag Archives: books

Another fun Experience at Capital City Comic Con

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Capital City Comic Con was July 11-13 in Lansing, Michigan, and if you didn’t attend, then you surely missed a great con. It’s not a large con, but it’s large enough that you need to get there early to get a parking space in the parking structure or parking lot. Parking is also available in nearby private lots or on the street.

That’s me in the above picture on day 1 of the con. It started at 3:00 p.m. I got there at 5:00, and there was only a few parking spaces left.

What all did I do at the comic con? I was at a comic convention, so I did a ton of things.

I ran solo panels, and I was a part of a group panel. I received a lot of great feedback from the panels, and I will share a little bit about what the panels were about in a separate blog post. I bought a few comic books and prints. I did a lot of networking, talked to my friends that I met at last year’s con, and all kinds of other fun nerdy stuff. If you are a Trekkie like me, then you would have appreciated seeing the handsome Garrett Wang!

I spent time in the tabletop game room. I didn’t play any this year; I just watched for a little while. I also spent time in the video game area. I didn’t play this year, but I will next year. Who knows, maybe I’ll enter a video game tournament with my son. Nah, no I won’t. I haven’t played in a very long time. I’ll get my butt kicked big time, lol.

I gifted a few comic books during my panels.

As with all comic conventions, there were cosplayers and all kinds of awesome props. And guess what? I got my picture taken with R2-D2! I was sitting in the concession area eating a snack when he came and stopped right next to me, lol. The owner of the robot asked if I wanted my picture taken with him. I was so happy, lol.

I plan to attend Capital City Comic Con next year and I hope you that will be able to attend also. The website has already been updated to include next year’s date and location. July 10-12, 2026, at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan.

I absolutely love attending comic cons because it’s the only time you can be yourself without judgement. I can be my true nerdy self and talk and laugh with other people who are like me. I am a nerd and an introvert, and I can attend a comic con and NOT be looked down upon, or talked about, because I read comic books, or that I’m a diehard Star Trek (especially TOS and TNG) and Dr. Who fan.

Have you attended a comic convention before? Let me know about your experience!

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

Uncategorized, ,

I observed a guy walking around, looking lost at the comic shop yesterday.  My first guess was that he was a newbie.  A few minutes later I learned that he had not visited a comic shop in years.  He wanted to get back into reading comic books, but didn’t know where to start.  This guy was trying to decide whether to read a new title or pick a familiar one and wait for a point to jump in.  I know that feeling all too well because I was in his shoes a little over a year ago.

questionface2

Reading is easy.  Deciding WHAT to read is not.  A few things to consider to if you are a new reader of comic books or coming off a hiatus.

  1. Genre – Do you like crime, horror, mythology, romance, superhero?  What about kid friendly?
  2. Single issues vs trade paperbacks – Single issues are released monthly and bi-monthly.  A trade paperback (tpb or trade) is a collection of stories usually containing one story arc.  Some, like myself, like to have both on hand to keep the singles from being handled too much.  I can’t stand smudges, bends, creases and dents.
  3. Resources – If you have family or friends that read comics, get recommendations from them.  Visit your local comic shop, they’ll be glad to give you a rundown of hot sellers.  Social media is a great source to keep you up-to-date on current events in the comic industry.

The list is almost endless.  I like to visit my comic shop and rummage through back issues because I occasionally come across a character, while reading my current titles, whose history I want to learn about.  Back issues are also nicely discounted, depending on the retailer.

If you live far from a comic shop, try to order from an online shop or go digital.  Or hop in the car and take that drive to the nearest store.  You’ll get personal attention and a chance to network.  Popular and anticipated top-selling titles go fast.  So you may want to consider pre-ordering your comics online or have your local comic shop pull the book(s) for you.  Good luck and have fun!