Being a Geek- The Big Con

Going to a "Comic Con" or is it really a Comic Con?

A couple of badges from last year, including my “Tour Guide” badge for trying to help my brother’s family navigate New York Comic Con- which was an epic disaster.

Geek

noun: geek; plural noun: geeks

1. a person who is knowledgeable about and obsessively interested in a particular subject, especially one that is technical or of specialist or niche interest.

2. a performer at a carnival or circus whose show consisted of bizarre or grotesque acts.

In 2009 I started “My Geek Odyssey” as an exploration into geekdom. At the time I had received a Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship (one of the only good things about teaching in Indiana- if not the the only good thing) to travel to the United Kingdom and drive around in a MINI Cooper learning about the history of the car, while geocaching, and doing a daily comic strip online. It was a great time, and I learned a lot, especially about being a geek. Over the years I’ve shifted my areas of geekiness. I don’t geocache as much as I did then, I’ve added being an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) to the mix and I’ve learned that everyone is a geek… no, really.

Being a Geek

If you are passionate about something, you are a geek. It might be a sports team (GOOOOOOO Sportsteam!) it might be cooking, it might be… well anything. If you have an interest you are a geek and there is a podcast, website, magazine, and convention out there for you… heck, nowadays there’s probably even a cruise. If you start talking about something and you seen some eyes glaze over… you’re a geek. Unfortunately the term “geek” tends to only deal with comics and technology for the most part. People don’t talk about football geeks (I mean “fans”) - these are the folks who spend more on jerseys and season tickets than a comic book geek does on cosplay or their pull list. Football geeks also tend to be the ones belittling other geeks. Frankly you be you… just don’t disrespect someone’s geekdom.

The Big Con

I’ve been a curmudgeon about this before so I’ll just state my position right now. A Comic Con should deal with comic books and those who create them. A Pop Culture Con should deal with TV shows, Movies, and various aspects of popular culture, including books, and comic books. The problem is they don’t- Thanks to San Diego “Comic” Con (SDCC).

I love SDCC I’ve gone multiple times, watched the documentary about it… I’m looking forward to visiting the museum. However sometime in the recent past it stopped being a “Comic Con” and became a Pop Culture Con, but never changed its name. Which is fine, but that little bit changed the world’s view of what a Comic Con is.

When I first went to SDCC I recall getting texts from my sister in-law asking me if I had seen - fill in the name of a Hollywood Celebrity. If you are a comic book geek, SDCC is a nice Con to go to because pretty much everyone is there, and if you are a comic book geek you can actually see them. You can attend panels with them, you can talk to them without waiting in line. Why? Because the majority of the crowd is there for TV and Movie stuff. I went to C2E2 and waited in line for hours to get Jeff Smith to sign something. He stopped (due to a panel) right before me. Years later I waited 10 minutes in line to get something signed… it took 10 minutes because he was engaged with another fan, chatting about… comics.

I bring this “Comic Con” mislabelling up because this weekend is the “Indiana Comic Con” which pretty much has nothing to do with comics. Due to the branding of “Comic Con” the non-comic book geeks think comic con = autographs and photos of celebrities. If you are into this- great, have a wonderful time. For me, that’s not something I am interested in. Getting artwork, or comics/books signed by creators? that’s my thing and that is not what the Indiana Comic Con is about.

Some Cons I’ve Attended:

• San Diego Comic Con - not really a Comic Con

• New York Comic Con - not really a Comic Con

• Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) - not a Comic Con, but at least they admit it

• Indiana Comic Convention - not a Comic Con at last count 60 celebs and 14 Comic Creators

• GalaxyCon - not really a Comic Con

• Wonderfest - Not a Comic Con but never advertised as one - cool models

• HeroesCon - A Comic Con 184 Comic Creators listed- 3 months before the Con so they could still be adding people.

• Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC)- A Comic Con

• Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF)- An All Ages Comic Con

• PopCon Indy - Not a Comic Con- then again, it doesn’t call itself one

• WonderCon - Not a Comic Con although I was only there briefly

• PowerCon - Not a Comic Con but not advertised as one… Toys, lots and lots of toys.

• Comic Con Paris - Hard to tell, my French is nonexistent. I actually went to see Patrick Stewart and the cast talk about season one of “Picard” which was awesome.

• Gen Con - Not a Comic Con- but then again, in over 50 years it has never been advertised as one.

Pretty much my determination of a “Comic Con” is more from what the focus was or which guests were emphasized in most of the advertising- there is no science behind it, your mileage may vary. You are more than welcome to disagree- just bring up a valid reason not just that I’m an idiot- I already know that.

Just go to a con with your eyes open and some idea as what to expect. If they list celebrities or wrestlers as their big draw- probably not a comic con. Will they have comics, and stuff related to comics? Most likely, but that’s not where they are putting their efforts. If you do happen upon one of these- go to Artist Alley and chat with the people there. Some will do a hard sell of their work (something I really don’t like, but I do understand) others will just like to have someone to talk to. If you can, buy something from them. Unlike the celebrities who are paid to be there listed prices for this weekend’s Indiana Comic Convention range from $40 to $120 for an autograph- more for a photo op, for the most part the artists need to “make table” a fancy way of saying cover their cost to attend. If you chat with them for a while and tell them how much you like their artwork (which is a self esteem boost) add to that by purchasing something- even if it’s just a sticker. At many cons more known comic creators now charge to sign things, not all, but more and more.

I’m trying out Baltimore Comic Con and the Lake Como Comic Arts Festival this year. I’ve heard good things about both. I’m also thinking of returning to HeroesCon, but with the current state of the economy (have you seen the price of eggs?!?), I may need to skip it this year. You’ll notice that the “headliners” at these conventions are either artists or writers… imagine that!

Most of these cons will have cosplayers, and that is a wonderful thing. People who love characters enough to dress as them… some are better than others, but that also is an entirely different level of geekdom.

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Brickworld

For those LEGO fans (AFOLs) out there, this weekend Indianapolis will also host Brickworld Indy. A place where you can see the wonders of things built out of LEGO elements (aka bricks). The majority of the displays are built by local or regional fans… not professionals (although I’m sure they’d all like to be). There are not panels, it’s just wander around and look at stuff. The builders are more than willing to tell you all about their creations. Any geek wants to tell you about what they built and how many pieces it was, and what Easter eggs they’ve hidden in it. They love to talk about this… they are geeks after all.

If you make it to Brickworld, make sure to check out the Great Ball Contraption (GBC). This is an engineering marvel that is never the same each time it is set up.

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Same Old Stuff

I used to take kids to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama early in my teaching career. I realized after many visits I needed a break. I was no longer in awe of the Space Shuttle they had on display. The kids would go “WOW!” and marvel at the sheer size of the thing, but for me it was- just the Shuttle. The same thing goes for conventions. The same things are usually in the hall at every “Comic Con.” You realize after a while that you’ve “been there, done that.” This goes for almost any convention. I was taken aback at HeroesCon when I noticed that there weren’t the same people I see at every other con.

At Brickworld it’s not only the vendors, but also the displays. Think about how much time and effort goes into building a massive LEGO display. Now consider what it takes to build something new every year… ugh. My fingers (and my wallet) hurt just thinking about it.

Caveat Emptor

If you want to buy something… hmmm… I try to make a circuit around the vendor hall and take photos of booths that have stuff I’m interested in. I’ll then go back and check it out later. Now, If I want some artwork from an artist… That’s a priority and sometimes you need to get on a list if you want something unique. Besides that I’ll go aisle by aisle and then return. Does this mean I might miss out on something- yup! I’ve lost out on a few items. Does it mean I don’t buy something the first time I see it? Nope, There are times I jump at something, but that’s usually original art.

At Brickworld the hardest thing is those people not “in the know” will buy a set not knowing that they could find it if they just looked at their local big box store. I remember the first time I was working at the LEGO store and I went around looking at what vendors were selling - a lot of it was straight from the LEGO Store and $20 more than LEGO was charging. Thanks to FOMO people were buying the stuff. Later on they might head over to the LEGO store and get upset. Why do you think so many booths have a sign “All Sales are Final”? That’s a polite way for them to say- I know some other place is selling the same thing cheaper- you just haven’t seen it yet.

Then there’s the crossover of LEGO stuff being sold at a “Comic Con.” Sadly, most of this stuff is knock off pieces. There are some places that make things specifically for enthusiasts- obscure Star Wars stuff, or military items the LEGO Group doesn’t make. Many of these item are good, but a lot of it is junk. With the proliferation of 3D printers it makes it easier and easier to create “unique” items.

Whatever Brings You Joy

Basically, you attend the convention that makes you happy. I’ve learned over the years that I grumble more when I go to a convention that focuses on “star” power and not comics, but that’s me. If you are a photo op and autograph collector- have fun! You probably won’t see me there. Heck I’m planning on going to a yarn festival instead of New York Comic Con this year, sheep and llamas will bring me happiness.

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Please Note: as an introvert I tend to attend conventions on my own and just wander. Talking to people is scary, but it is a wonderful feeling to know that everyone around you speaks your language.