San Diego Comic Con Report #2

Howdy! Day two of the 2000 San Diego Comic-Con International is well underway, and we're having fun, fun, fun! Well, kinda... The crowd is nice and big, and there is an air of genuine enthusiasm permeating the dealers room. I've seen more happy fans this year than in nearly a decade. It is clear to me that the comics industry is not only alive and well, but also growing quite nicely. Our display of $100,000.00 in cash is a huge hit. All day long I'm getting the opportunity to explain to people that this money is our buying budget for comics at the convention, and that we need the comics because our business on the Internet is going so well. This good news is being greeted with great enthusiasm by not only comics fans, but also our fellow dealers, and by the comics publishers. It seems that everyone like the idea that things are going well again! On the purchasing front, our buying teams spent about $20,000 last evening on collections we bought from other dealers at the con. We concentrated on lower-grade Marvel 12-cent issues, and DC 10-cent issues. I also scored a 3,000 book collection that included not only Marvels and DC's, but also a huge quantity of westerns from the 1950's, and a significant number of Dell, Charlton, Harvey, and Archie comics from the 1950's. Stefan also found a dealer selling original art pages very cheaply, and bought a nice stack. These will be up in a special section of the website later this month! On a personal level, I had a very moving experience at the convention with my friend Ken Krueger. If you have the time, I encourage you to read my little essay about my friendship with Ken. It's sad, but I also think it is uplifting... Pam was out with the camera again, so here are some pictures that I think will give you more of a sense of the excitement of the convention: 1) DC Comics - Bottle City of Kandor Prop I raved about this prop when DC first offered it in June. Now that I've seen the prototype, I am even more enthusiastic. It is waaay cool, and even lights up! I think we can still get these (if we hurry..) so I encourage you to order one if you want one. List price on these was $175.00, but I offered them as a Bonus Book for only $119.95. We may get allocated, however, so orders will be shipped on a first-come basis... 2) Dark Horse Comics - Requiem Statue I knew nothing about this statue until I came to the Convention, but it sure is impressive in person. The wings are just incredible! It will be offered in this month's solicitation as a Bonus Book. I'll price it about 30% off list price... 3) Chaos! - Insane Clown Posse Action Figures No release date has been set on these. We also don't know the price. But they look pretty cool... 4) Mile High Comics Booth - The Computers and the Blackshirts! Our team is trying to recruit new people for the e-mailing list, so we're offering free candy and comics. We have 8 entry computers, and they're all staying busy! 5) Mile High Comics Booth - $100,000.00 Cash Display! Here is a simple shot of the $100,000.00 in cash that we have in a locked display case. It looks a lot better from up close... 6) Glass House Graphics - Model in Thong Shot! One of the reasons that many folks come to the convention is for the great costumes that many people choose to wear. In this instance we have a professional model who has been hired to portray a Glass House Graphics character. It should be noted, however, that this was NOT the most revealing costume at the show. Far from it... One girl practically caused a riot every time she went by our crew. It keeps the convention quite entertaining! 7) ParaTroop Productions - Melonpool Melonpool has become increasing popular. The first graphic novel is available through our Internet store. The second graphic novel will be released in October. 8) Movie producer/director Kevin Smith Signing autographs at the convention was noted filmmaker Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Clerks, Dogma). Despite his successes Kevin is still a very down-to-earth person, and goes to great lengths to make fans feel very comfortable. 9) Abstract Studios - Katchoo Mini Bust STRANGERS IN PARADISE is one of the best Independent comics being published! This statue looks great, is currently available for only $39.95. 10) Frank Cho of LIBERTY MEADOWS Frank Cho, the creator of the huge Independent hit series LIBERTY MEADOWS, sketches for eager fans. Chuck Rozanski, President - Mile High Comics, Inc.