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On the first floor of the convention was the check-in area, some sellers of comic art and sports memorabilia, a large section for renowned comic book artist Neil Adams, and a section for Lionsgate Entertainment. They were showing trailers from upcoming movies (Transporter 3, Punisher: War Zone, The Spirit) and giving away posters and t-shirts during special drawings. A few steps up from this area was another section where some artists and a few vendors were showcasing their talents and wares. The main dealer floor and celebrity autograph area was upstairs so it was a quick trip up the escalator for me. The dealer floor, which also had an artist’s alley in the back corner, was actually pretty good. It had just the right comic book geekness to toy/memorabilia ratio. Also, there was the requisite medieval weapons dealer and the ever-present Jedi/Sith from the New York Jedi fan group. Outside of the fact that there was no coat check (something they really should offer), I felt this was going to be a Saturday well spent. At this point in the day, there was still relatively few people at the convention, thanks in part to the rain outside, so moving about was quite easy. Then when the weather improved, the numbers increased dramatically…and so did the heat, humidity, and smell. If there was a ventilation system in the place, it was not working. I was actually sweating as I moved about the dealer floor and I herd many others grumble their annoyance as well. Gradually, the smell increased to near locker room levels and the humidity added a nice musty overtone to the festivities. All of this led to people milling about more slowly, clogging up the walkways even more and making it almost impossible to navigate the second floor artist’s alley. Coincidentally, this is exactly the same time my mood started to change and I just wanted to go home. I have little to say on the celebrities who were in attendance at this particular show. A few former Playmates, a wrestler, and some B rated actors filled out the roster. I would have liked to have seen Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek Voyager fame but she was only there on Friday. Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca was there as well but I have seen him at so many conventions, he is like an official second cousin in my family. You can’t always get the big score at every convention but the folks at BACC do a pretty good job at getting interesting guests for their shows. This past June they had Richard Dreyfuss, Malcolm McDowell, Ice-T, Doug Jones, Jason Mewes, Chase Masterson, Butch Patrick, Soupy Sales, and a good handful of other celebrities and entertainment notables. |
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Lighting at the show was a bit dim. All of the lights were in working order but there were areas of shade across the floor, giving the show a half-in-the-closet kind of feel. Also, down in the bowels of the hotel was where they held the discussion panels and other events. I feel as though the show’s organizers could have done a better job of sprucing up the area (which looked like a dingy, neglected basement) by hanging posters or decorating the walls in some other fashion. The signs pointing you to the right area looked hastily hand written. A little work to print out some signs would have gone a long way to make it look more organized and professional. The room I went to (for the war comics panel) had the standard set up of chairs for the attendees and a small stage and some long tables for the guests. It worked well enough but again, a little more effort towards design could have made the experience much nicer. So far as tickets go, $20 seems like a bit much to pay for the honor of looking through bins of comics and pop-culture memorabilia, buying a few items, and looking at celebrities in the autograph area (most of whom charge for pictures/autographs). I would be more inclined to pay $10-$15 and be happy to drop my few complaints. Maybe I expect too much but for $20, I want a little more for my money (Note: I did not pay to get in to this particular show as I had a free press pass). |
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The best part of my day was spent listening to the presentation on Sgt. Rock and DC War Comics. Mark Evanier hosted the panel with current Sgt. Rock creators Billy Tucci (art and writing) and Mark Sparacio (cover paintings) and legendary artists Dick Ayers and Russ Heath. Both Ayers and Heath talked at length about their careers, war comics, the comic book business in general, and their time in service during WWII. They were surprisingly spry with some of their comments and rather funny when talking about first starting in comics. If you are ever at a convention and either of these men is participating in a panel, go to the event. You will be educated and entertained by their knowledge of the industry and in awe of their magical talents as artists and storytellers. Cover Images For SGT. ROCK: THE LOST BATTALION
After the panel, I went to Billy Tucci’s table in artist’s alley and picked up issue one of the new six part SGT. ROCK: THE LOST BATTALION mini series. I had Mr. Tucci sign it for me along with signing a cool poster of the cover from number one. Fans of the WWII era need to pick up this book. Not only is it beautifully rendered by Tucci, it is based on actual events of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Here is a clip from DCComics.com: DC's iconic soldier for the ages returns in a 6-issue miniseries written and illustrated by multi-Eisner nominee Billy Tucci. From the bloody beaches of Normandy to the muddy forests of the Vosges Mountains, a cut-off Easy Company led by Sgt. Rock will be joined by Johnny Cloud and the Haunted Tank as they battle for their lives behind enemy lines against a force ten times their size. Based on actual events, SGT. ROCK: THE LOST BATTALION is a story of heroism and humanity as one small band of men defy all odds to survive. The BACC is a decent show with the potential for good guests. It is easy to get to and the folks running the show seem to be good people. If they put a little more effort into the design of the show (particularly the panel room area) and made sure the ventilation system works for future events, it would be more of a pleasure to attend. In short, little details make a big difference and happy attendees will stay longer and spend more money. |
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https://www.bigapplecon.com |
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Your thoughts? Drop us a line on our forum.More articles from Ren can be found here: The Rant Archive
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When I arrived at the show Saturday morning, it was pouring rain
so I went right in, not stopping to take pictures of the hotel or
any of the NY sights. After pushing through the revolving door, I
went to the right, dutifully following the roped off lanes to the
check-in tables. The lovely lass working behind the press table
smiled up at me as I swaggered over, looking quite dapper in my
leather jacket and Irish tweed cap. With a cool confidence, I looked
her in the eyes and said "Doug Palumbo…The Fedora Chronicles". I
could tell she was impressed as she quickly thumbed through her list
and said out loud "…yes, I remember that name". Of course she did.
