Last weekend on September 22-24, 2017, thousands of comic book fans headed to the Baltimore Convention Center in Inner Harbor for Baltimore Comic-Con. The floor was filled with attendees and guests alike, sharing their passion for the comic medium.
Baltimore Comic-Con is still very focused on the comics themselves. They hosted comic dealers who sold everything from Golden Age to Modern, the easily accessible to rare finds, as well as graphic novels, trades, and original art. Over 200 comic creators, writers, and artists were in attendance, including big names like Neal Adams, Mark Buckingham, Frank Cho, Amy Chu, Amanda Conner, Frank Miller, Michael Golden, Matt Kindt, Greg LaRocque, Mike Mignola, Greg Pak, Jimmy Palmiotti, Louise and Walter Simonson, Billy Tucci, Mark Waid, Mark Wheatley, and Marv Wolfman. (See our In the Limelight section for an interview with Mark Wheatley and Al Stoltz of Basement Comics.)
The show also hosted media guests who appear in comics-based TV shows and movies as well as those connected to geek culture. They were David Mazouz and Sean Pertwee (Gotham), Finn Jones and Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool), and John Harlan Kim (The Librarians). (See our In the Limelight section for an interview with John Harlan Kim.)
On Friday night Lynda Carter appeared as a special guest, performing a one-night-only concert of her show The Other Side of Trouble. On Saturday evening, the Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards were held with David Petersen delivering the keynote speech.
Lots of other events were held throughout the weekend. Panels featured spotlights on creators, Q&As with celebrity guests, and plenty on a variety of subjects in making comics, publishers, history, and all the ins and outs of the comic industry. There was a costume contest with categories for amateur and professional adults, groups, and kids. Artist alley was brimming with talented individuals and the Kids Love Comics Pavilion had plenty of fun programming and activities.
In addition to the comic and art dealers, several publishers were there with regular edition and variant versions of their titles. Third party graders were on-hand to accept submissions for grading, encapsulation, and signature witnessing. Other vendors sold a wide variety of merchandise with a high volume of modern collectibles and geek culture clothing.
The Baltimore Convention Center presents plenty of space for this event. The aisles are wide, booths had adequate spacing, and panels were spaced out for attendees. The con set aside a portion of the floor, separate from the rest of the convention, for the food court. Many conventions only leave a very small space for food vendors and very few tables and chairs for dining. Having an adequate area for lunch is just one example of how Baltimore Comic-Con takes care of attendees.
Several people commented on their positive experiences, from meeting actors to getting sketches to selling art and books. It was another successful year for dealers, attendees, and guests alike.
