Saturday, November 2, 2024

Comic Creators Block Party!

Today was the Revenge Of presents Comic Creators Block Party with Patton and Jordan! Comic cons, including the ones I have attended this year, are expensive. Admission, which takes out a part of what you can spend, then there are exclusives that you could buy, and creator signatures. Add in any food and drink costs, transportation, and possible photo ops. Besides the cost, there may be some flyers and a booklet. I do remember when I had full bag of freebies of posters, comics, and bookets at Comic Con. Then, unloaded it at the parking garage, and then went back to refill it again! Those days may be long gone, but there is something new with the Comic Creators Block Party now in its second year that puts to shame mega cons. 

Comic Creators Block Party, author’s photo. 

This was at the Revenge Of store which has comics, graphic novels, and pinball! It had a great selection of back issues so much so that it is worth a return visit. I really wanted to try the Godzilla and John Wick pinball machines. The Golden Apple Store had a raffle for signed items. Past the store was a gate to let in the patio area. There was no admission, just a queue that formed to get in, then open to walk ins until the end of the day. 


Also note that there was a security guard at the gate and at the back area of the store. The covering was needed later when it started sprinkling towards the end of the day. This split into two tables with an upper area for tables that leads into the store. Past the fence was Hot Tongue pizza which was baking the pizzas and most of the guests picked up slices! There were signing blocks, A-D, from 11-12 with a half hour between signers. Then, an hour for each signing block. 


Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Heath Corson, the Minor Threats team!, photo by the author. 

Also note with the music playing and the dull roar of talking in the enclosed area that it can get overwhelming. I took a few breaks to give my ears and feet a rest! Brian Michael Bendis was so popular, I think he signed until 4 p.m.! Also popular was Mark Waid and David Dastchalchian. The signers with stamina, though, were the presenters, Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, who lasted the day! Also author, Jody Houser! At one of the tables to the right, had the exclusive for Revenge Of, a Francesco Francavilla cover for the horror comic, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, by Hannah Rose May who was one of the signers. 


There were trade paperbacks of Minor Threats including Vol. 2: The Fastest Way Down before its release. The co-creators of Minor Threats, Oswalt and Blum, at the next table. Oswalt is a comedian, the best IMHO, currently on his Effervescent tour. Blum created the stop motion animated show, M.O.D.O.K., voiced by Oswalt. Also at the table was Heath Corson who joins Oswalt and Blum on The Brood. It is in the world of Minor Threats and they offered free posters of the comic set to be released on December 11th. Minor Threats is going to be a live action show on Netflix. 


Pornsak Pichetshote, writer of The Manchurian!, author’s photo.  

J. Holtham had The Horizon Experiment comic for free that samples the different stories found in the one-shots. The creators take marginalized protagonists into a twist like The Manchurian, a Chinese spy like James Bond, by Pornsak Pichetshote. He was there to sign and also had a copies of The Manchurian. The line was formed outside of the gate for Bendis. A surprise for Signing Block B was seeing Thomas Krajewski and Jennifer Muro, the writers for the graphic novel and comic series, Primer


Ashley Rayburn is a teen girl whos e body paints can used for super powers. A popular superhero for young readers, she has entered the DC universe with her new series, Primer: Clashing Colors. I think young readers sustain the comic book industry so give the comic to them! The next block had Geoff Johns and also, writer, Maytal Achut. The store had copies of her latest comic set in the Hyde Street section of Ghost Machine, Devour. The surprise was Brian Lynch, he is the writer of Illumination animated films, Minions (2015) and The Secret Life of Pets (2016). Free posters for both films! 


David Dastmalchian!, signing DC Horror Presents, photo by the author. 

The last block featured David Dastmalchian, he stars in The Life of Chuck based on the 2020 Stephen King novella. The store offered copies of his comics; Count Crowley and Knights vs. Samurai. Also, DC Horror and Headless Horseman with writer, Leah Kilpatrick, who was also signing. Dastmalchian was in last year’s horror film, Late Night with the Devil (2023). I was impressed that he played Wojchek in The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023). Kilpatrick stars in this year’s crime comedy, Best Man Dead Man. Hannah Rose May was a few tables down from them. She played the Synth Woman in the sci fi show, Altered Carbon


She previously wrote the limited series, Rogues Gallery (2022). The surprise was seeing writer, Rodney Barnes, who adapted the Ahsoka series into comic form. The only downside for the event is that there were attendees who brought cases of comics to get signed, just to sell, which results in long lines. It should be maxium ten or something. This could be just for the creators with lines. There was a number of comic creators who fans had a chance to chat and get comics signed at Comic Creators Block Party. Comics were a big part of the event, but there were some filmmakers there too! 


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