On the Road
"THE WIDOW WANDERS WIZARD WORLD"
Reviewing Wizard World Philadelphia 2007.
Copyright © 2007, Jennifer H. Walker, Esq.
I don't mind conventions. I love the fact that people who have the same interests can get together, buy stuff, sell stuff, attend lectures about the subject or just generally act silly.
What I do mind is the unsettling portrayal of women in the comics industry of late, even by women. I am not a great admirer of art but I do know what I like, I enjoy comics which are colorful. I like a range from the silly to the realistic. But why, oh why, does almost every woman have to have size DDDs or larger and a waist the size of a stalk of asparagus? And why, oh why, can these "artists" never seem to draw clothes that actually fit the women? Jealousy on the part of the widow? Perhaps. A bit of disgust thrown in too. Hey, I do not begrudge women who really look like that or their right to flaunt it but we all know (I hope) that women are deeper than this and maybe if the people who drew this stuff would pay attention to the other characteristics that make up REAL women, they wouldn't be spending so much time with the comic ones... 'Nuff said.
The Widow steps down from her soapbox on Speakers' Corner.
Thankfully, there were some activities to keep me busy during the few hours I attended. I am a karaoke geek, I was able to demo the Playstation game "SingStar Pop" and come close to breaking the high score (damn low notes) singing "Take On Me," the 1980s classic by A-Ha (best video ever). I earned a free t-shirt for doing that.
Also on hand was the New York Jedi Collective. Now my first thought was this is just a bunch of people in costume hitting each other with sticks, granted they are really cool sticks that glow, but sticks nonetheless. I did enjoy the choreography of the fighting (especially the two women, their routine was tight albeit a bit over the top) and some of the men had really excelled in their fighting/dance moves. Overall this was an entertaining way to spend some time and they drew a decent crowd.
Winding my way with the husband down Artist's Alley I got to see a sampling of different styles and comics including Cyrano da Burger Rat, they were cool, I got a free cleaver necklace. Also there were my friends Mae and Jo of Parlor Trick. Someone who wasn't there but should have been was Cyn and her No-Talent Hack! webcomic, her work is better than many who were there.
I always get a kick out of seeing what celebrities look like thirty-plus years after their TV shows went off the air. Dirk Benedict was still looking pretty hot and Burt Ward proudly sports a head of grey now but he looked happy as he was signing autographs. Happiness is what counts, happiness and harmony.
Overall, the New York Comic Con was better than Wizard World in Philadelphia. At New York, I got to meet the heroes from "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" and also Gary Coleman. New York was much bigger and for some reason held my interest more. I think that Wizard World could step up its act. Especially in the panel department, there was honestly only one panel that I had any interest in. Maybe they should throw in a few panels for us comic widows. You know with topics like, basic comic book history, Golden Age vs. Modern Age, all the different Earths, "How to tell if your guy is Marvel or DC" and why the end of the new Fantastic Four movie made absolutely no sense. But I wouldn't need to attend, after all, I know who Barry Allen is.