I am proud to announce that I can finally say that I have attended an official comic book convention! After all of these years of being on the peripheral edge of the game, the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Convention was able to make my dreams come true.

After missing the dates of most of last year’s conventions, I kept nagging my wife to remind me to attend this time. I’m nefarious for cancelling plans, but my wife didn’t let me get away with that this year. She ordered the tickets and told me to just see how it would be. I’m glad she prompted me to go, because we all had so much fun!

Havin' a ball!

We left home around 1:00, 1:30 on a warm, breezy Saturday afternoon. I was able to talk my kids into going even though they’re not big comic fans by any means. My wife isn’t either, but she’s my biggest fan and she supports me selflessly in whatever it is I want to do.

The merciless freeways of California looked kindly upon me that day and allowed me to make the trip to Anaheim in under forty minutes, all the while bumping some classic Mobb Deep and Black Sheep tunes and listening to the new Travis Barker album.

When we arrived to the convention center, I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve heard a lot about comic conventions and I’ve watched countless videos about them, but nothing prepared me for my grand entrance inside these hallowed halls. I was greeted by a few of the most formidable costumed characters I had ever seen. Check out these pix.

Uh-oh! It looks like it's over for me before it even starts.

A few of the costumed folks who showed up

I knew this was gonna be some fun. The first thing we did when we got there was to head over to the red carpet. I’ve always loved those pics of the celebrities standing in front of the huge logo screen and I wanted my shot at doing the same thing. Here’s how fly I looked:

Look, Ma! I finally made it! Red carpet-style

When we entered the main general area, the first celebrity we saw was Lee Meriwether. For those who don’t know, Lee played Catwoman in the old 1960′s-era Batman TV show. She was a hottie back in the day, and she wasn’t so bad now in her more mature years either.

Lee Meriwether aka Catwoman from the 60's Batman TV series

My wife was so excited and overwhelmed that I thought she was gonna hyperventilate (she was a huge after-school fan of the Batman show)! I tried to keep her from fainting as I urged her towards Ms. Meriwether‘s table. One thing I will say about that lady is that she is incredibly nice, friendly, and patient. There was a certain regal grace encompassing her, but she was not a bit persnickety or standoff-ish.

She welcomed us to the event and spoke with me and my wife about life in general and she answered all of the questions we had about stardom, Hollywood, and what it was like working on the set of Batman. I swear we talked to Lee for about twenty minutes without interruption until I felt sorta guilty about dominating all of her time.

I mean, she could’ve used a minute or two to wrangle herself free, hit the head, or get a swig or two of Aquafina, but she took the time to greet four humble, little fans who purely appeared to bask in her very presence. Not a bad beginning to this adventure, Id’ say.

After getting a picture of Ms. Meriwether, my wife and daughter departed to see who else of notoriety was at the convention. My son and I decided to go table by table and see if there anyone we recognized. When I reached the next booth, I was dumbfounded and almost stumbled because, lo and behold, there was Danielle Spenser.

Many of you probably don’t know who this is, but when I was young (I mean, yoooouuung) I had a crush on the little girl who played Dee on What’s Happenin’ (an old-school Black sit-com that aired for three seasons in the late 70′s). For me, What’s Happenin’ was as defining a television series as Sanford and Son, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. And here was one of my favorite actresses standing no less than a table-top length away and she says hello to me!

I got to meet Danielle Spencer aka Dee from What's Happenin'!

My son had no idea who she was, but I talked with her and her husband for about fifteen minutes. The good thing about this convention was that most of the stars of the older, lesser-known shows were virtually left to themselves while everyone seemed to flock to the stars of the current shows and movies.

Ms. Spencer expounded about what it was like as a child-actor and how hard it was to translate that brief fame into a long-lasting career. She truly came across as a genuine person who was just like you or I. I’m guilty of considering these celebrities to be larger-than-life and not straddled down by the common trials and tribulations that we peasants experience. She graciously agreed to pose for a picture with me and my son. I also bought an autographed photograph of her from her former TV show. I’m gonna have that mug framed with a quickness when I get a chance.

The original Batmobile from the TV show

More costumed characters

I was really impressed by how intricate and exact all of the costumes were. These folks really went the whole nine yards in order to bring these characters to life.

I saw everything from Storm Troopers to Jokers to Supermen and video game characters. It was interesting to see and all of the kids were excited to take pictures with these larger-than-life entities.

I don’t know if I have enough skill or nerve to attend a convention in costume, but I respect all of those creative individuals who do so and add a little visual spice to this convention.

My family and I continued on booth by booth and we were just floored to discover the next celebrity seemingly waiting for us to arrive. The next person we encountered was Charlene Tilton. She used to star in the TV show Dallas. Personally, I can’t recall which vixen she portrayed, but my wife knows the show up and down, so she definitely got a kick outta meeting two cast members in one day.

Charlene Tilton of Dallas fame

I considered Ms. Tilton to be a kind person. She was patient with us and answered any and all of the questions that my wife and daughter threw her way. She had oodles of pictures and snapshots on her table detailing her entire illustrious career. I was busy trying to sneak peeks at the issues of Playboy she posed for during her heyday.

My family is also a gigantic fan of the SyFy Channel ( I can’t get into too much science fiction for some reason, but that’s just my wacky preference). They virtually went hog-wild when they bumped into the two guys from the hit-show Fact or Faked. I guess while I’m busy drawing comic strips on the regular, they’re all watching this show about UFO’s and debunking popular myths, because I was totally lost in their fervor and had no idea who these guys were other than one was extremely tall.

The guys from the SyFy series Fact or Faked

These two were hilarious and they were more than willing to take pictures with us and talk to my fam about some of their adventures and also about upcoming episodes. My son really likes sci-fi so, for him, this was a major treat. I was glad to see him so throughly entertained. Even my daughter, who generally likes nothing but boys and fashion was entranced by the celebrity action that day.

We met many other celebrities, TV, and movie stars, but weren’t able to snap any photographs of them for one reason or another. Most of them wanted you to buy some of their memorabilia before they agreed to pose with you.

Some of the people we met were John Schneider (of The Dukes of Hazzard), Richard Roundtree (of Shaft), the original cast of Grease, Erin Gray (the girlfriend form Silver Spoons and somebody from Dallas), Max Fleischer (from Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Della Reese (from Harlem Nights and Touched By An Angel), a few guys from the Battle:LA movie, and Ernie Hudson (from Ghostbusters and HBO’s Oz). Ernie Hudson is a very funny and interesting guy. He can just tell a story and have you mesmerized and hanging on his every word. He was like an old uncle that you liked hanging with.

Goofin' around having fun

Well, I hoped you enjoyed Part 1 of our family adventure to Wizard World Anaheim. Part 2 starts here where I met all sorts of famous comic book artists!

(This story is continued from my last post.)

We were having a blast at the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Convention! After we finished speaking with nearly all of the superstar celebrities they had, it was time to go see the main reason I wanted to attend the con in the first place: I wanted to meet some comic artists!

The first person I tried to hunt down was fellow webcomic creator and Twitter buddy, Patrick Scullin. Patrick is the writer/artist of the series Super Siblings. It’s about a brother and sister who can’t stand one another, and they also don’t realize that the other possesses super-powers. The stories shift between home life happenings and saving the world excitement.

Me and Super Siblings creator Patrick Scullin

My stepson surrounded by Venom and Carnage

It was a pleasure meeting Patrick because I haven’t had too often a chance to encounter other webcomic artists although we all seem to communicate daily in one way or another. Patrick‘s table had an ample supply of good material for sale, so I purchased a 3-pack of his Super Siblings comic books (which look magnificent in published form). We took a photo or two, then I moved along to the next table.

My son had fun taking pictures with the many comic characters who were there. He especially got a kick out of posing with Venom and Carnage from the Spider-Man series (two of his favorites). I’m glad he was enjoying himself because he usually would rather stay home watching television or playing computer games. Thank goodness for events like these that bring the kids out in flocks.

The supremely-talented artist Mark Beachum. Anyone recall Samuree?

The next artist I got a chance to meet was one of my childhood heroes. I’ve been in love with Mark Beachum‘s art style since I was in 9th grade. I was a fan of Neal Adam’s Continuity Comics titles and my utlimate favorite was one called Samuree which was drawn by Beachum.

Mark Beachum draws some of the most beautiful and seductive women on the planet. And the positions he places these females in just puts a gigantic smile on a young fanboy’s face. Whenever I ran into a comic that he’s worked on, I would spent the last of my allowance to make sure I had it.

CiCi with Green Lantern and Black Lightning

And oddly enough and for some strange reason, I had always assumed he was a white guy. I know from experience that’s a mistake that can be made when it comes to considering artists. When I first began AC and was publishing comics, people would assume I was white. It reached a point to where I had to pull out ID in order to prove that I was George Ford.

My wife was still milling around the convention center speaking with the actors and actresses who were there, while my daughter kept searching for some comic guys to pose with. She manged to run up on these two gentlemen who were kind enough to pose with her for a photograph. She wasn’t too familiar with who these guys were, but I knew Green Lantern and Black Lightning when I saw them.

I also got a kick out of encountering this crew below. I loved how they all staged a cool comic scene for me to photograph. Don’t tell Oswald Cobblepot, but I hope Robin and Kid Flash beat the feathers off The Penguin.

Robin and Kid Flash versus The almighty Penguin!

The next person I ran into was one of my favorite artists from the mid-90′s era. Trent Kaniuga was just a kid when he created and self-published an independent comic called Creed. I had read about him in Wizard, and my local comic book shop owner saved a few issues for me.

I was really impressed by Trent‘s artwork and immediately became one of his many fans. Needless to say, but I was glad to run into him after all of these years. He’s still doing comic work and he’s also involved with Blizzard Entertainment which has a lot of new material due to come out this summer.

Trent Kaniuga (creator of CREED comic and artist at Blizzard Entertainment) and I

Talent Caldwell. Yes, that is his real name.

Another gentleman whom I was please to finally meet was Talent Caldwell. He’s best known for his work on the Top Cow Productions character Fathom.

He has also drawn for DC Comics‘ Superman and Marvel Comics‘ Spider-Man characters.

Talent Caldwell came to the attention of artist Michael Turner of Top Cow Productions and was signed to work with that comic book company. He made his professional debut drawing backgrounds on Turner’s Fathom. Caldwell went on to draw the Fathom mini-series Killian’s Tide.

Talent possesses an incredible talent to draw some of the most gorgeous babes in the realm of comics.

Robert Love of Gettosake Entertainment

I was very excited to meet the guy in the picture above. Robert Love, besides being an enterprising and extremely gifted artist, is also the brother of one of my webcomic, Facebook, and Twitter friends, Maurice Love. I had been an admirer of Robert‘s work for quite a while, never piecing together that these two gentlemen were siblings.

photo courtesy of David Brown

Robert Love has worked for companies such as BET as well as Dark Horse, all the while showcasing his inimitable style. He is also one of the head guys at Gettosake Entertainment.

He’s a very nice guy who didn’t mind me coming by to gush over the merchandise and posters that he had on display. As a mtter of fact, before I left his station, I purchased on of his trade collections called Fierce, which was recently published by Dark Horse Comics.
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Another artist I wasn’t familiar with but ws grateful to have met that day was David G. Brown. Brown has quite an extensive history and is very well-respected in So Cal for his talent and hard work. Here is a lil’ bio on him that I stole referred to from an article that was written about on the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists website:

“David G. Brown, an award winning artist, educator and publisher, has been inspiring young minds for more than a decade. Brown conducts workshops, presentations, and produces award winning cartoons, graphics novels and comic books with positive messages for young people.

David G. Brown and I

“In 2003 he became the political cartoonist for the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper. Brown was awarded the prestigious Merit Award for “Best Editorial Cartoon” in 2004 thur 2011 from the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA). His work is featured in the 2005 thru 2010 editions of the “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year” by Pelican Publishing Company Inc.”

“His book, “Obama, Race and the Media: Drawing my own Conclusions” was awarded a NAACP Image award in 2009. The book is a collection of satirical cartoons highlighting the historical Presidential run of Senator Barack Obama and other significant events affecting Americans.”

David G. Brown took time out to speak with me and find out about what I did. I gave him some ADDANAC CITY paraphernalia and we regaled about what it was like trying to break into the comic book business, particularly as African-Americans. We talked for a log time and exchanged information. Hopefully, we may be able to collaborate on a future project someday. You never know who you may encounter at events like these!

I purchased the 3-part set of L.A. Phoenix (a super-hero who premiered during the 1992 L.A. Riots) and also a few of the comics Brown has created that are intended for kids to help promote good health care and all around civic-mindedness. I’ve really been enjoying them.

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Ethan Nicolle, the artistic half of the duo who create Axe Cop

The gentleman pictured above is one-half of the creative force behind the comic sensation Axe Cop. This webcomic has been going full-steam since its creation and I’ve watched it soar while I’ve been doing my thing in AC. I was back in fanboy-stage when I ran across Ethan Nicolle‘s table. I’ve loved the artwork in Axe Cop, and to be able to meet the guy whose deft fingers make that happen was a real treat.

Ethan was very friendly and he explained to me what was going on in the world of Axe Cop and what they had planned for the near future. I bought a couple of the latest Dark Horse-published comic books which featured brand-new Axe Cop stories as we exchanged info, and I made way to the next table.

Neil Segura and Ray Mendivil of Forever Freshan

These two guys, Neil Segura and Ray Mendivil, were possibly the funniest duo I encountered at this comic con. They had jokes and they played off each other wonderfully. I could really relax around them and I could definitely see us out at a bar having way too much fun than the law would allow.

Segura and Mendivil create a comic called Forever Freshman. I almost passed by their table without stopping (there are literally hundreds of artists in attendance and it’s almost impossible to visit them all), but the artwork caught my attention and made me stutter-step. I really liked the visuals of Forever Freshman. It was energetic, colorful, and seemingly promised tons of fun.

I spoke with these gentlemen for about twenty minutes and we also exchanged info. I bought their latest issue and promised to look them up on the requisite social networks. I also got some cool FF stickers and buttons.

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My wife was throughly amused when I almost lost my cool when I saw who was sitting at this table. It was the world-famous, Image Comics co-founder, Cable and Deadpool creator, Extreme Studios head-honcho Rob Liefeld!!!

The legendary Rob Liefeld gettin' his art on

I had been dying to meet this legend ever since I first saw his work one Sunday afternoon after church when my dad stopped to get gas and I bought this comic book called Hawk and Dove. many people argue about the validity of Liefeld‘s drawing style but I, for one, really love it!

Captain America by Rob Liefeld

I was standing in front of Rob‘s table, struck utterly speechless. My wife had never seen me without something to say, but this was that moment. Liefeld was intently inking a comic page and he was accompanied by his two young boys. When i was first introduced to Rob’s art, he had just recently asked his girlfriend to marry him in the back of one of his comics. I was amazed to see that his kids were approaching puberty. I’m gettin’ old, y’all.

While I was fawning over Rob as he drew, my wife was getting somewhat miffed (which I didn’t know at the time). She says he was being rude to me because while I was speaking with him, he never looked up from his drawing pad and he never gave me eye contact. I rationalized to her that it was okay because…it was Rob Liefeld. I had heard about his cockiness and eccentric ways for years, so my mind was somewhat prepared for any primadonna action.

Wifey was also peeved because, when I asked Rob if I could take a picture of him, he didn’t even look up then. I’m not mad at him in the slightest. I don’t feel offended at all. I got my pic, was able to cast words in the direction of one of my favorite artists, and meandered onward.
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Scott Beaderstadt, artist and co-creator of Trollords

The gentleman in the photograph above literally made my day. I almost missed him and his booth, but there was a small image on his table that caught my eye. It was a symbol from my past, from way back in 1985 when I was just entering junior high school.

I was heavy into comics in those days, particularly the black and white independent series that flooded the market as a result of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle success story (I’m talkin’ the real TMNT, not the pizza-chompin’ surfer kids). One such comic that I was a faithful reader of was Trollords.

The comic was wonderfully drawn and the story was unique and interesting to me. So, I was pretty amazed to pass by this guy’s table and see an image of one lone Trollord beckoning to me. In fact, I stopped so suddenly that my wife slammed into me, nearly dropping her swag bag of goodies.

Lots of characters here

The man sitting at the table smiled at me and greeted me kindly. I don’t know if he was accustommed to people just passing him by in favor of the latest hot artists or not, but he was nice enough to me. This man was none other than Scott Beaderstadt, artist and co-creator of Trollords!

He was impressed that I knew who he was and that I recalled his work from over 25 years ago. I told him about how he was one of my influences as a kid, and that my decision to want to be a comic artist practically came from his inspiration. Scott and I spoke for the longest time about loads of things.

He granted me exclusive sneak-previews to Trollords’ upcoming resurgence and showed me some of his other current projects. It was so cool to see these things. It was like having your favorite uncle pullout his prized Playboys and letting you just run thru ‘em at your leisure.

I eventually purchased a trade collecton of the classic Trollord mini-series and Scott not only autographed it for me, he included a personal sketch along with it. I was in comic book heaven! Scott even took a look at some of my ADDANAC CITY stuff and gave me some promising initial feedback. After trading email addresses, I finally left his booth.

Me, CJ, and TJ

All in all, we throughly enjoyed ourselves at the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Convention that day. By the time we left, our legs were sore, our feet hurt, we were hungry, and our bags of swag were heavy-laden. Even with all of that, he exited with a smile on our face and memories that will not be soon forgotten. I can’t wait to go back again next year! Thanks for reading!