comic grading

Comic Grading – This actually IS a 9.9!

Comic grading seems to be difficult for some people.  At least, doing it in a way that doesn’t make those around you raise their eyebrows at you seems difficult for some. Last weekend, at Detroit Fanfare (see my review of the show here) I twice was talking to someone about a particular issue they had and heard them describe the issue as “at least a 9.8”.  Really?  At least?  Now I realize that there’s a very good chance these people didn’t fully realize what that term means, like pretty much any time someone uses the word “literally”.  But then again, there’s also the chance that these people legitimately thought that they had a 9.9-10.0 grade issue.

Look, I realize that such issues exist.  They really do, they’re out there and if you look long enough you’ll find them.  But they’re rare.  Really rare.  And odds are you don’t have one.  Just like a person I talked to at another show recently insisted that he had a rare bronze age 9.9 issue.  He then proceeded to pull out a comic that, on a generous day, would get a 9.2

Grading isn’t a science.  We should get that clear right from the start.  As I type this, I’m looking at 5 Fantastic Four #67s all graded at 9.0.  These issues are all pretty close in shape, but they’re not all exactly the same, which is what happens when real life humans look things over.  You get little variances in the grades, which means that some days an 8.5 issue will come back with a 9.2, and some days it might come back as a 7.5.  We’ve all see issues with a grade that left us scratching our heads, and that’s not likely to stop anytime soon.  That being said, getting a good idea of the grade of your issue is easier than you think.

You Have The Internet, You Can Learn Comic Grading At Home

Now we’re not going to get into a lesson on how to grade here.  There are plenty of comic grading tutorials out there for that, and Overstreet makes a pretty comprehensive book on just that subject.  What we are going to do here is reprimand people who either are trying to sell something as Near Mint when it’s clearly Vine, or trying to describe something they’re about to buy as Very Good in order to get the price down, when everyone involved knows that it’s really Fine+.

Over grading is easy to do. We find an issue we like, it looks pretty nice, emotion sometimes gets involved.  But at the end of the day, it’s always a good idea to play devil’s advocate with your personal grading and assume that those tiny little flaws you overlooked probably matter to other people.  If you walk around presenting comics with blunted corners and spine ticks as 9.8s, pretty soon no one is going to take you seriously.

An Easy Way To Grade On Your Own

When trying to figure out the grade of your comic, there’s an easy trick to be a little more accurate and communicate its condition better to others.  First, in your mind figure out what grade you think it is.  Like what your knee jerk reaction to seeing it is.  You’d like to be holding a 9.8?  Okay, that’s fine.  Now, take that number and subtract 4 grades.  So in this example, that would be 9.0.  Now assume that someone just walked up to you and stated that they believe the issue you’re holding is that lower grade.  Well, it’s up to you to convince them otherwise.  So start going over the issue millimeter by millimeter.  Ask why that imaginary person just told you that they think the comic is a whole 4 grades lower than what you originally thought.  Are the corners not quite as square as you thought?  Is that a crease near the top staple?  Are those colors just a little bit faded?  If you can absolutely sell this imaginary person that all the faults they thought they saw aren’t there, then yes, you may have a 9.8.  But odds are, you and your imaginary friend are going to settle somewhere in the middle, maybe a 9.4.

This gets easier when dealing with mid-grade issues, as you start to see how much difference there is between a 4.0 and a 6.0.  A terrific help is to pick up a few graded comics of various grades.  For some reason, there are lower grade cheap issues available everywhere, and just having a set of 3.0-6.0 issues laying around as references can really help if you’re serious about representing your issues the right way.  Keep in mind though that these would just be rough guides, and that even CGC has quite a bit of variance in how their grading comes out.

So all in all, as we said before it’s not a science.  One man’s 9.4 is another man’s 9.6.  But don’t be the guy who tells someone you have a comic that’s “at least a 9.8”.  Tell people you have one that’s probably a 9.8, and realize that a 9.8 is really really nice.  Literally two steps away from perfect.  And don’t pick up a comic at a dealers booth and say “well, that’s probably a 2.0, so I’ll give you this much for it”, because frankly 2.0s are bad enough that you’ll know them when you see them.  As with so many other things in life, the real answer is more often than not somewhere in the middle.

Comic Industry - Sorry, We're Closed

Don’t Let This Happen To the Comic Industry

Before we start, let much just say that the comic industry doesn’t necessarily need saving.  Not right now, not right this second.  The industry is doing well, people are buying issues and seeing the movies and playing with the toys.  Just like they did in the early 90s.  And we all remember how that ended, don’t we?  So what can we do to help?  How can we make sure that stockholders don’t receive the same bankruptcy notice that I remember getting in the 90s when my Marvel stock suddenly began to tank?  It’s going to take more than just a single article to really get into this, but we’ve got to start somewhere, so let’s start right at the bottom.

The bottom of the funnel, that is.  Like every other industry, comic book sales follow a funnel.  At the top it’s very wide, which consumer awareness coming from a variety of sources.  Maybe you saw Avengers in the theater, maybe you saw a cool toy at Wal-Mart, maybe you overheard a conversation that sounded interesting on the bus, or saw a poster in a store window, or saw an ad online, or saw….you get the idea.  This stage is important, and we’ll get to it later, but let’s keep moving down.

The next stage in the funnel is a bit narrower. You take whatever it was that piqued your interest and you move forward with it.  Let’s say it was seeing the Avengers in the theater, since judging by the box office take it seems like everyone in the world saw it.  So, after you left the theater you decided to go home and look up the Avengers online.  You just enjoyed it so much, you want a little more, somehow.  Well, odds are the next stage is something along the lines of seeing some Avengers related material in Netflix, so you turn on your 360, kick back on your couch, and watch some more of this new interesting team you’re discovering.

Now from here on out you keep moving down the funnel, your interest growing till the point where you finally hit that end mark.  You walk into a comic shop.  For some people the funnel hits that point right after they saw Avengers in the theater.  For some, it’s after watching everything Netflix has to offer, reading wiki articles, playing video games they borrowed from their friends, and talking to people about how to get more out of these characters.  But one way or another, you’re now in the comic shop.  And here’s where the industry needs the most help.

How the comic industry and comic shops really work!

You see, your average comic shop owner is not a business person.  They don’t have an MBA, they didn’t develop a 10 year plan before opening their doors, and they certainly don’t take steps to insulate themselves against competition.  No, your average shop owner is a fan.  They’re just like you.  They love comics.  In fact, they loved them so much, and collected so many, that they opened a shop.  They’re passionate and interested and they have favorite heroes and villains and series.  And that, in many cases, is a problem.

You see, your tastes and theirs may not line up.  They may disagree with you.  Now, we’ve all heard the expression “the customer is always right”, and it’s cases like this where that phrase is important. Superman may be your favorite hero, but if the customer tells you they hate him, you need to know how to keep smiling, nod your head, say “I see your point” and then continue with the sale.  But that’s hard for a fan who feels like someone just walked into their private corner and blasphemed. I’ve seen many a comic shop owner get into such a heated argument with a customer over something trivial that they lost a sale, and lost the customer.  And if that customer was the new guy that just finally hit the bottom of the sales funnel after developing a new interest, then the comic industry has lost a fan.

And what’s more, many of these shop owners where just not meant to be the face of a business.  A lack of advertising and proper store setup can certainly kill a comic shop, but so can an unhappy face behind the counter.  One shop owner in my own area, who I’ve personally come to know well and is a genuinely nice guy, rarely smiles.  He just doesn’t, nor does he often joke around.  This may seem like a minor thing at first glance, but in the business world, when you have a position that involves direct customer interaction, your business lives or dies on a smile.  Disney’s motto isn’t “the most mildly satisfied place on Earth”.

So the bottom of the funnel is where it all begins, and for many people where it ends.  And if we’re going to keep the industry fresh and growing, that’s the first point that needs work.  In our next installment, we’ll talk a bit on what can be done there, as well as moving into other points of the industry that can make it or break it.  We’d love to get your input on this subject, since as you’ve probably started to pick up from this article it all starts and ends with you, so post a comment below to let us know your thoughts.

Detroit Fanfare 2012

Detroit Fanfare 2012 is done, but how was it?  2 days (3 really) of fun and events, signings and sales.  Some good guests, some great attendees, and a big variety of vendors made for one interesting weekend.  So, let’s get down to the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The weekend kicked off Friday, with a preview night where guests got to check out the sizeable artists/creator room and the vendor room (which was also lined with artists and creators).  One immediately noticeable ting about the show was the ratio of artists/creators to vendors.  There were roughly a dozen comic book vendors (given, many had multiple booths worth of space, but it’s still the same person) compared to several dozen artists/creators.  Deals were to be had though, and there were a lot of smaller artists and creators that you don’t get to see at some other shows.  Friday night was just 6-9, so things were brief, as to be expected for a “preview night”.

Saturday is when the festivities really kicked off.  This was a long day for a show, going from 10-7.  There were plenty of signings, talks, and events to make it well worth the $15 admission.  Plenty of convention exclusives were available, although one of the more sought after Big Dog Ink exclusives was not actually available for sale, and was only offered to dealers.  Attendance was solid enough that you felt like you were at a big time event, but small enough that it was easy to get around.  The Hyatt (or by the time you read this, the former Hyatt) where the event was held offers free parking and is easy to get around, making this overall a very visitor friendly event.

The celebrity and guest list was small, but for an event of this cost it was a good deal.  Flash Gordon, Darth Vader, and Spawn/Black Dynamite all hanging out and signing autographs.  An exclusives table near the front door gave visitors a chance to not just grab signing material for this show and exclusive variant covers from this year, but variants and exclusives from past Fanfare shows as well.  After the show floor closed for the night at 7, people prepped for an evening of fun, including a 24 hour game room with PS3s, 360s, and Wiis on the top floor of the hotel, a viewing of Flash Gordon with Sam Jones in attendance, and an after party with a full bar, DJ, and costume contest.

Sunday saw the usual markdowns for people seeking out great deals, and foot traffic was surprisingly brisk.  For a day when the Lions were playing, show attendance was very strong and this gave the last day a fun atmosphere.  Overall, the show definitely could have used a larger variety of dealers, particularly those with a wider variety of stock, but the booth cost was a bit high for a show of this size to attract all that many people.  Admission was very reasonable, and the free parking was a nice bonus, so if you didn’t get a chance to come this year keep an eye out for next year.

Overall Grade: C+

 

Kokomo Con 2012

Kokomo Con 2012 Review

Kokomo Con 2012 has come and gone, so how’d it go and what do you have to look forward to in Kokomo Con 2013?

The day started for convention goers at 10 a.m. (with a few early admission people as well), greeted by several dozen booths of comic book and toy vendors, artists, creators, and a mixture of other interesting setups.  The number of comic book vendors was down this year, with only about a dozen vendors set up selling.  Several toy vendors were out, with everything from new hard to find Marvel Legends figures to classic Masters of the Universe castles.  Good deals were easy to find, with one vendor even offering 5 for $1 comics all day long, with a surprisingly large selection to go through.

The real attraction of the show was the creators section through.  Taking up the middle aisles, the artists and writers were out in force, with everything from small independent publishers to major artists drawing sketches, signing books, and selling prints.  The sheer number of creators was impressive for a smaller show, and that alone made this convention worth the trip.  Many of these people set up at shows like Wizard World and C2E2, making admission for a show they’re at only $10 a true bargain.

Kokomo Con also featured a nice selection of variety in its booths, from a tarot card reader to a tattoo artist to a roller derby team.  Change of pace booths like these kept the show fresh, and definitely made sure that there was a little something for everyone.

Unfortunately, attendance was down from what was expected, so people looking to rub shoulders with their fellow geeks had a few less shoulders to rub.  This also kept sales a bit lower at vendor booths, which in the ends means most vendors had less room to work with on making deals.  And with fewer vendors there selling product, that means that at the end of the day there were also less great finds to be had overall.

At the end of the day, when the show ended around 6 o clock, people left having had a good time.  If you’re local to the area, Kokomo Con 2013 is definitely worth the time and low admission.  But, if you’re looking at a drive of an hour or more, you may be better off looking for a more local show.  The lower number of genuine vendors means this lacked some of the appeal that a large convention hall show has, but the high number of artists and creators helped balance at least some of that out.

Walking Dead Season 3 – Rick Takes Control At Least Carl Means Well

Last night’s episode of The Walking Dead, entitled “Sick”, just may have been one of the shows best episodes yet.  We get a few good scares, some great action, a dash of touching emotion, and get to see some real character development, all in a single hour of programming. Lots of spoilers ahead.

First and foremost, we  finally get to see Rick get some bass in his voice as he finds the testicular fortitude to show he’s in charge for more reasons than just “I had a badge back in the real world”.  As the group deals with the prisoners that inhabit their new home, Rick comes to the decision that since they cleaned out part of the prison, they get to keep it.  They’ll help the prisoners clean out another cell block in exchange for half of their food.  The group of 5 prisoners don’t seem to be too pleased at first, but quickly decide to go along.

Sure enough, they immediately fall into their old prison shanking ways, not quite understanding that what their facing only dies with a headshot.  They then have trouble with the concept of staying together, with the largest member of the group getting a nice sized gouge to the back.  As Rick is searching for a nice way to tell him that his clock is ticking, the leader of the prisoners, Thomas, bashes his head in.  The look he gives Rick right afterwards says louder than words that Thomas is trying to show just how hardcore and do-not-mess-with he is, but Daryl quickly reminds us who the real badass of the show is when he tells Rick “when the time comes, just give me a sign”.

In the next walker encounter, Thomas throws a walker right at Rick in a very creative murder attempt, and after Rick survives, he does the most no-I’m-the-one-you-don’t-mess-with thing yet and parts Thomas’ hair with a machete.  Two of the remaining prisoners give up quickly when they realize who’s truly in charge, and the last prisoner, Andrew, takes off like a bat out of hell.  Rick apparently has found more testosterone than he knows what to do with, because he runs after Andrew alone in a prison full of walkers.  Andrew gets outside, just to find himself surrounded by walkers in a prison yard, and turns to see Rick close the door and offer the parting words “better start running”.  Rick is now a killer of killers.

Meanwhile, Lori gives CPR to Herschel which gives us a great jump scare when someone we assume is going to turn into a walker any minute grabs Lori’s head.  Herschel ends up being fine, and we also see Carl grow up a bit as he ventures out to get medical supplies, reporting that he kills two walkers in the process, and keeps a gun trained on Herschel to make sure that no one legged walkers make a meal out of him.

Overall, one great exciting episode.  We also get peeks at the fact that the group may have others nearby, and the previews for next week let us know that, yes, the Governor is coming.  Stay tuned folks, and for an additonal review stop by I09 here.

The Walking Dead Comic Keeps On Living

The Walking Dead Comic Keeps On Living

As the Walking Dead comic books hit the milestone 100, fans are gearing up for Season 3 of the show to premiere on AMC.  The market on the comics have been buzzing as of late, but I recently spoke to several vendors who are nervous about it.  Well, I’m here to say in no uncertain terms, relax.  Here’s why.

Most of us can remember the exact moment that our favorite show jumped the shark.  For those of you still not familiar with that phrase, it refers to the moment when the show peaked and started what is usually a rapid downhill slide.  Usually this involves adding a cast member or making another significant change to try to keep the show going.  Like when Eric left That 70’s Show and all of the sudden there’s a long lost friend on the set who no one has ever mentioned but we’re supposed to just accept is there.

For a lot of us, if we follow a show closely enough and love it in a way that only a true fanboy (or girl) can, then we can often even see such a jump coming.  We can see the momentum a show has run on slowing down, and we can calculate the exact moment that they’ll give us an episode that we know deep down shows that the writers have run out of ideas.  As Walking Dead enters its 3rd season shortly, the entertainment juggernaut certainly shows no signs of slowing down.  And I’m here to officially predict right now that as a show, Walking Dead makes it a lot longer than anyone would expect.

One of the toughest jobs of a television writer is material.  What situation will the characters get into this week?  And more importantly, what can the characters do that makes sure that the viewers want to tune in next week?  And this is where the glory of a show that’s based on a comic book comes from.  Smallville showed us that even a simple idea that’s been half beaten to death can be uber successful if there’s enough source material behind it.  With The Walking Dead comics having just crossed the 100 issue mark, and the show averaging roughly less than a comics worth of material per episode (given they’re adding stuff that wasn’t in the comics and jumping around quite a bit, but in the grand scheme the show is right around the issue #20 mark) that means that at this rate the show can go on for another 8-10 years without breaking a sweat.  And that’s if the comic series were to end right now.

But there’s more than that to the world of Walking Dead, and that’s where the genius of the Kirkman’s world lies.  We are following a single group in an entire world that’s been reset.  At any time, should the story of Rick and Co. get old, we can switch.  We can start over, with an entirely new and different group set in a different part of the country or world, and the show can carry on.  We can see how different people react to the zombie plague, and we’ll tune in with the massive response that we have thus far because it lets us wonder in a way that no other show does.  It lets us wonder what we would do, how we would react, to an entire world that now wants to kill us.  Don’t be surprised when years from now Walking Dead is still a front runner on AMC.

I recently spoke to a vendor at a comic book show who had a large cache of Walking Dead comics, and told me he planned to dump them all as soon as possible because he just didn’t know how long the show could keep the interest high.  And that’s what the previous musings were all about.  There are collectors and sellers out there who, to varying degrees, are worried that The Walking Dead will be jumping the shark sometime in the near future.  And, in doing so, the value of their investments will plummet.  But what so many people tend to forget is that writers don’t jump the shark because they want to, they do it because at a certain point they’re backed into a corner.  And in the gigantic world that Kirkman has given us, the writers have more room than they could ever hope for to make sure that they’re never backed up against a wall.  So hold on tight to your old Walking Dead comics, and don’t stop buying them yet or wait on buying them assuming the market will be crashing.  After all, Smallville made it ten seasons and that was with storylines that were more plodding and hole riddled than your average walker.

http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

 

agent coulson

agent coulson

Rest in peace Agent Coulson, we will miss you.  But then again, maybe not for long.  Rumors have been swirling for a while now that the Son of Coul could be resurrected as Avengers member The Vision for the sequel, and that has fueled a huge surge of support for a character that is turning into a strong fan favorite.  But on the message boards of the net, I’m constantly seeing people raising a questioning eyebrow and wondering why Phil Coulson became such a popular character.

A search on Google for Agent Coulson now turns up over 2 million results, not too shabby for a guy that was just a point of contact between various heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D.  In fact, that’s nearly double the results for Pepper Potts, and she’s been a mainstay of Marvel Comics for decades.  So why did we take so quickly to this guy?  After all, in a world of Gods and iron soldiers, he’s just a regular guy.

There, however, is the rub.  One of the main reasons that people like comics, and even just fiction writing in general, is escapism.  But what comics provide more than just giving us a brief break from our regular lives is immersion in a different universe.  Not a perfect one by any means, in fact one far more flawed than our own in many ways.  But when we escape to this universe we get to walk along side our heroes.  When discussing the absolutely enormous popularity of Spiderman, Stan Lee once remarked that he feels it’s the mask that does it.  Because you can’t see anything about who Spiderman is when he’s in costume, it’s that much easier for us to feel like it could be us under that mask.  It could be you, swinging from building to building and being the hero of the day.

And that’s what Agent Coulson is.  He’s a hero, leading the assault on Iron Monger or blasting away at Loki, but at the end of it all he’s a regular guy.  One of us.  One of the biggest issues that writers and directors have with super hero movies is making the audience connect with the hero, but that’s not needed with Agent Coulson.  Phil’s just a guy who worked hard, rose in the ranks at his government job, and even got to meet one of his heroes, Captain America.  In fact, he even collects Captain America trading cards, just like we do.  Coulson represented a safe, easy bridge between us and them.  No need for an origin story to make him seem human, he is human.  And he gives us the idea that we too could run alongside these Gods and Heroes.

Maybe he’ll be back as The Vision, and maybe he won’t. But either way, thanks Phil for making us feel like everything we watched was possible.

The New Uncanny X-Force Is The Greatest Lineup Ever

Yeah, you heard me.  The new Uncanny X-Force that will be part of Marvel NOW.  It’s great.  It’s outstanding.  It has the potential to lead to some of the greatest storylines you’ve ever read, and you should rush to your local comic shop to put it on your pull list right now.

Seriously though, while most of the known universe saw the lineup and immediately exclaimed a word that rhymed with the name of its shortest member,   there’s some genuine potential in a lineup that otherwise would have “we know Wolverine” be it’s only selling point (looking at you Alpha Flight).  And what is that amazing potential?  No one cares.

No one cares about Storm.  Oh sure you’ve known her for a long time, you say you like the character, maybe you’ve even followed her storylines.  But if you have, you know that she’s one of the most inconsistent characters in the Marvel universe.  She’s a perennial gimmick of the week character, so much so that when Halle Berry played her in the X movies, we all just kinda said “close enough” because the character was ill-defined enough that Berry could just do whatever she wanted.

Psylocke has a minor following, but again is a character that’s perpetually cast into the background, to the point where writers have a lot of leeway with the character.  Need to change up something major?  Go ahead, there’s enough mystery to her that you can explain it away.

Spiral is a complete wild card, with enough vagueness that any writer can do pretty much anything they want.  Not only she at best a 2nd tier character, but she’s had so little main title time that they can go any direction they want with her any comic fans everywhere will just shrug and go with it.

Which brings us to Puck.  Oh Puck, how little anyone cares.  Here’s a guy that’s made a career off of having a famous friend, and now he’s finally got a real chance in the spotlight.  This new series could literally re-write the character from the ground up, destroying every bit of canon around him, and I have yet to meet the person who will genuinely care. This guy right here, he’s the reason in a nutshell that this series will succeed.  Because it’s a group of characters who have established storylines, quirks, powers and so on.  But at the end of the day, a creative team can treat them like they’re making fan fiction and comic fans will be fine with it.  It’s all on you Puck.  This is your chance to make something of yourself, so don’t screw it up!

Here’s another piece about it on IGN:  http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/17/uncanny-x-force-relaunched

 

 

Wizard World Review - Iron Man Pic

Wizard World Review – Pop Culture Geek (Flickr.com)

Another Wizard World Chicago has come and gone.  And that means it’s time for another Wizard World Review! This year saw a few more hours added to the shows time, some big name guests, and an abnormal amount of grumbling on both sides of the booths.  The number of vendors greatly increased this year, which saw a new layout to the show floor.  Unfortunately, this layout split vendors into three sections.  One section near the entrance which seemed to have a large number of comic vendors, one to the right of the entrance that had a wide variety of vendors, and a back section that seemed all but forgotten, spuring a petition from jaded vendors upset that they paid the highest prices ever in the region for a booth just to have been shuffled into a back corner where customers barely noticed them.

The high costs of getting in, from parking to admission to concessions, had a noticable effect on spending.  Most of the vendors I talked to reported weekend ranging from “can’t wait to just go home” to “meh, we did okay”.  Customers seemed equally irritated by many of the offerings, complaining about high prices (which some vendors needed to make up for the high booth costs), long lines, poor organization, and slim selection.  One couple I spoke to was given free weekend vendor class passes after they complained to management about the selection and prices, citing how much the show has changed over the past few years.

One issue that’s not going to go away anytime soon is without a doubt the venue.  This is the same room that I walked into for Wizard World twenty years ago, and it hasn’t changed since then.  The low lighting, concrete floors, cramped quarters and lack of any big entertainment (seriously, can WW just kiss and make up with Marvel and DC already?) gave this show a distinct small show feel, just with a very big show admission fee.

That being said, I still found the show enjoyable.  The layout needs a ton of work if they’re going to maintain that size next year, and they need to find a way to make it more affordable for both vendors and patrons, but I still found a handful of good deals, saw some really cool new merchandise, and even got to see Stan Lee (even got him to sign the very first comic I ever purchased).  In the end, the main question that fans ask themselves is “would I go back”.  And honestly, yes, I would.  I got the distinct impression that more than a few guests won’t, and I absolutely understand why, but the bargain hunter in me just won’t let me stay away.

Want another Wizard World review…here’s 3!

Countess Gregula’s Review of Wizard World Chicago Comic Con

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FREE 2 Day April Comic Convention
in Illinois…Need I Say More?

We are teaming up with Wolff’s Flea Market, so any one that atteneds will get into the Comic Convention for FREE!

 

Where is the comic convention?

Wolff’s Flea Market – 1775 N. Rand Road Palatine, IL 60074


View Larger Map

When is the the comic book convention?

April 13th & 14th…the doors will open to the public at 10 a.m. and the show will go until 4 p.m on both days.

Who’s Coming to the Show?

Reel Art

Reel Art is a store in Berwyn Illinois. We specialize in Vintage comic books, Movie Memorabilia and Classic Toys. Our Website is www.reelartstore.com. Phone is 708 288 7378. We will be bringing lots of silver age comics, movie posters priced as low as $10.00 each and a new collection of Godzilla toys.

Got Comics

Serving the Bloomingdale area for years, Got Comics is a local comic shop with some of the best back issue prices around, including a massive collection of $1 back issues. Plus all your favorite new titles, statues, Heroclix, collectables, and rare key issues all in one place.

Geeky & Chic

 We are huge fans of mostly all things sci-fi, anime, comics. But our biggest passion is videogames. We turned our passion into a small online business we have been running through etsy.com. We have kept our online stock low just to gear up for MightyCon and we can’t wait to be there!

Our online website is http://www.etsy.com/shop/GeekyandChic?ref=si_shop

KAMEN & BAKER’S ALL TOP COMICS

 ”My name is Alex and I have been buying, reading, grading and collecting comics for over 20 years. I buy and sell comics for fun as a hobby and I am always looking to hear other people’s opinions regarding their favorite comic book-based movie. I will have thousands of modern comic books for sale for prices between 50 cents to $1.00 each (Dynamite, Boom, IDW, Marvel, DC, etc). The books I am selling for $1.00 are bagged/boarded and are the type of comics that you see a typical dealer charging $2.00 to $3.00 for. Have a want list for modern books? Come on over to my booth and spend some time looking through numerous boxes of comics

The Illinois Institute of Art

 The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg is a commercial arts school of about 1200 students.  We offer certificates, diplomas, Associates Degrees and Bachelor Degree areas of study.  We focus on Design, Media Arts and Fashion.  We operate on quarters instead of semesters, so we go year round which allows you to finish your degree in just three years.  Our career services department strives to help every graduate get a job in their related field within six months of graduation.  Financial aid is available for those we qualify.  We look forward to helping you Create Tomorrow.

Geek Inc Comics

Geek Inc Comics – Specializing in low priced key issues, Geek Inc Comics has that hard to find issue that you’ve been looking for!  With thousands of keys from the silver, bronze, copper and modern ages, as well as tons of low prices back issues, you’ll find everything you need at the Geek Inc Booth

Windy Gaming

Christopher Dammacco the founder of Windy Gaming is a gamer that wanted there to be a place where the customer comes first. He created Windy Gaming as a place where you can get retro games at a great price. The main focus is on import gaming, but there are also domestic and independent products available as well. Windy Gaming looks forward to helping you track down whatever you may need!

https://www.facebook.com/WindyGaming

Pulp Culture Comics & Collectibles

With one of the largest collections of autographed comic books around, you’ll be astounded by both their selection and his prices!  Everything from classic vintage issues to new variants to limited edition prints, all at rock bottom prices and many pieces signed by the artists, writers, creators, or any combination.  This is definitely a must see booth!

Chicago Entertainment & Collectibles Expo

Paul from Chicagoland Entertainment Collectors Expo (the CECE) featuring Brand New projects for 2013 as well as ongoing projects, to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. (The Foundation serves almost 8000 children and teens affected by cancer every month! ) Paul will also be accepting new toy donations at the show.

Also appearing at the CECE booth will be artist Connie Faye!

www.chicagolandexpo.com    and for the POTCF www.treasurechest.org.

 

Blackheart Comics

Black Heart Comics is an independent comic company that will be debuting their first ongoing adventure series, Imaginary Places!

But that’s not all! We will have previews of titles that will be launched after the first of the year as well as our Tee shirt line (some comic related, some just plain funny!).

Plus plenty of swag to give away and prizes to win!

links: http://www.blackheartcomics.com/, Facebook.com/ImaginaryPlacescomicbook, Facebook.com/BlackHeartComics

 

Wexler’s Comics

Wexler’s Comics. Named after my alter ego Wexler from the mid-evil times. Variants are our specialty along with your favorite back issue books supplies, toys, and figurines. You can find us any time at www.wexlers-comics.com. While you are there favorite us on the Facebook link to keep up on all the new additions and read up on our Bloggers Taryn (comics and the movies) and Jeff (comic industry).

 

Tony Santiago

Tony Santiago – I am a freelance illustrator who has done several children’s books and has worked with multiple clients. Among those are: The Chicago Blackhawks, the Chicago Bulls, licensing work for precious moments, and a recent sketch card set for Marvel. As I continue to work, I am always looking for opportunities to produce comic book art.

Examples of my work can be seen at my site - tsillustration.com

 

 

Kiss Me Comix

Kiss Me Comix is a Graphic Adventure Story Publisher that has been weaving exciting adventures since 2000. Kiss Me Comix’s main mission is to entertain, educate, empower, and enlighten its diverse reading audience through the use of multi-media.

The people who will be there are Barbara Coney-Jenkins (Serenade creator and partner), Robert Boyd (Excessive Force creator/writer partner), and myself Rod Jenkins (creator of Bountyhunter, partner)

folks can find use on Facebook www.facebook.com/kissmecomix1275 twitter: kissmecomix  we’re also on YouTube :kissmecomix, and Google+, linked-in, Manta, Hotfrog.

 

TNT Comics/Flea Circus

TNT comics is mostly heroclix and some comics. Flea circus is comics, non-sport cards, collectables and toys.

 

Formula 350

FORMULA350 will have the largest button assortment in the room!!, lots of DC and Marvel Universe toys, Minecraft swords and pick axes!!, Hot Wheels, Transformers toys, Adventure Time plush, custom t-shirts and plenty of other cool items. Make sure to like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/1formula350. For updates and pictures from the show!!

 

Formula 350

FORMULA350 will have the largest button assortment in the room!!, lots of DC and Marvel Universe toys, Minecraft swords and pick axes!!, Hot Wheels, Transformers toys, Adventure Time plush, custom t-shirts and plenty of other cool items. Make sure to like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/1formula350. For updates and pictures from the show!!

 

Chris Wolff

Chris Wolff – Selling his personal collection of comics, (one part Silver, one part Bronze, one part Copper, one part Modern and a splash of Mad Magazine), Christopher has bought thousands of comics at Flea Markets for the last twenty years.  Now is finally the time his girlfriend (only the last two years) has made him take them out of the house. From his home to yours, you may enjoy Silver Age Heroes from DC and Marvel and junk from Alfred E. Neumann.

 

Tango Comics

Site:  www.TangoComics.com

Face Book Pages:  https://www.facebook.com/TheInfinium & https://www.facebook.com/DescentOfDead

Francis Penavic – Artist for Descent of the Dead

Francis Penavic has been working on the Art for Descent of the Dead since 2009. After graduating from The School of the Art Institute, he ended up with his second Bachelor’s Degree from the Illinois Institute of Art in Animation. Most of his spare time is used up walking a razor’s edge between art, family, drink mixology, and thinking of what to do with his dog’s ashes.

Rage Kenyatta Ledbetter – Inker and Concept Artist for Descent and The Infinium

Born out of the turmoil of the 60′s (Hence the name). A lifelong fan of animation his exposure to comics came from Sat. morning cartoons such as Spider-man and the Superfriends. He has been hooked on comics since. Rage comes from a family of artist and has been drawing since picking up his 1st crayon and drawing homemade comics since he was 10. He and Rich Perez met in High School and are “bitter” friends and collaborators to this date!

Rich Perez – Writer for Descent and The Infinium

Noted tech author and screen writer Rich Perez entered the comic scene in 2010 with the debut of Descent of the Dead a futuristic apocalyptic story between humanity’s last stand against the undead, and is making an impact within the comic scene with his elaborate cosmic stories within such titles such as The Infinium where a man’s quest for purpose has him battling in the center of the universe for a godlike power.  Rich lives in Elgin, IL with his wife Kelly and his four sons.

 

Anthony Piper is comic and graphic illustrator influenced by superheroes, anime and hip hop. He currently has done cover illustrations for independent comic series such as Myzery, Nightsoul, Red Tempo and the upcoming series Blaze Brothers, which is illustrated by Marat Mychaels (Deadpool, X-Force, Spider-Man). He is has also done multiple album cover illustrations for many hip hop artists in Chicago, NYC and L.A..

 

My Facebook Link:

www.facebook.com/iamblackant

 

Ken Smith

Ken Smith – Collectables and Toys including all the top comic heroes and villains from the mid 90′s till today. Most everything is mint in original packaging and coming out of factory cases for the first time after up to 20 years of storage. Come find those hard to find collectables

Ruben’s Toy Chest

Action figures from 1980′s to present. Such as M.a.s.k,Tmnt, Transformers, Marvel legends and many more…..

Jon and Jon’s Comics

Jon and Jon’s Comics will be attending with a full run of WALKING DEAD COMICS, Walking Dead Original Art Work, Walking Dead Tables, full run of Chew Comics and Peter Panzerfaust Comics.  Key issue like, Amazing Spider-man #129 1st Punisher, Fantastic Four #4 Captain American Cover and #48 1st Silver Surfer, Tons of key gold, silver and bronze issues.  Tons and Tons of Comics, but there’s more. G1 Transformers including Optimus Prime, G1 TMNT toys, Star Wars Original 8mm film, GI JOE’s toys still in the the box, 1980′s Vintage Superman doll, comic strips from the 1940′s including Superman vs. Japan WWII. Come check us out!!! Jon will be wearing his Trademark Green Blackhawks Hat.

Also Featuring…

Big Dog Ink
MCCM Family
Mark Alexander
Bryon’s Video
Alex Jensen
Roger Webb
Heroe’s Venture
Gabriel Bautista
Happy Day
Dan Hopkins
Lex Berman
Big Al
Murtz Comics
Louis Bielakowski
Don Wolff