Cape Girardeau Comic Con 2011: The Recap

Cape Comic Con has come and gone--tomorrow will be one month since the start of the event. Fortunately, I'm getting this recap in just in time--if I had waited another day, it would have officially been a faux pas to recap an event from more than a month ago. You're in luck!

Cape Comic Con is such a big deal every year, I'm never quite sure what to do with myself afterwards. So much planning and preparation goes into the event that it leaves a temporary void in my life when its over. Also missing is the tremendous amount of fun I have at the show every year. I get to meet new people, see cool costumes, find great deals on comics, and generally have a good time.

This year's con was bittersweet in one sense because DL Moore is no longer with us to man the Night of the Dragon booth, but Amanda took on that task with a photo board of DL set up behind the booth. It was a great tribute to DL, and there was a lot of excitement from fans about his third and final book, which the DL Moore Team should have available at Cape Comic Con 2012.

On the other hand, my brother was on hand to help out with the booths on Saturday. This was his first trip to Cape Con, and I think he had a pretty good time helping Amanda and me man the booths and hanging out. I know he found quite a few comics that he was looking for, as well, so hopefully he had a good enough experience to come back next year! I was going to tell show promoter Ken Murphy that Craig came all the way from Chicago for the con, but I didn't get the chance. I'm sure Ken would have been thrilled to hear it. My sister, brother-in-law, and my two nephews also showed up later in the day on Saturday to browse and watch the costume contest.

I'm happy to report that I'm definitely getting the hang of pitching the comic and interacting with con-goers. Even today, after progressing quite a bit as a human being, I still can't stand how socially awkward I can be at times. On one hand, I don't get what I would call a lot of social interaction these days. However, having interest in entrepreneurship means I have to talk to people to try to find business opportunities and connections. The result? I'm still socially awkward, but a lot less shy than I used to be. So, it's still a mixed bag, but I'm getting there.

The Mike and the Ninja booth received a couple of upgrades this year. First, we had a new banner made out of a bunch of 12x18 sheets of paper taped together, forming a large Mike and the Ninja wordmark. Unfortunately, I destroyed the banner when breaking down the booth at the end of the show--the tape was a little too unforgiving. The good news is that I have several connections that will probably be able to get me an honest-to-God banner on the cheap. I'm very much looking forward to that.

Secondly, there's a new book on sale! And let me tell you, the booth looked much more full and attractive with two books on sale, rather than just one.

Sales for both books were really good, as opposed to last year, where things seemed relatively dead all around compared to this year. It probably helped that I had a new book on sale that people actually wanted, too.

I mentioned that things last year seemed really dead compared to this year. I'm not sure if there were more people at the convention this year than there were last year, but I thought that the energy and excitement level this year was much higher. There were more costumes, more gamers at the gaming tables behind our booths, and definitely a lot more vendors. There was also a true Artists' Alley this year--one part of the floor was dedicated solely to creators, and I actually went around to talked to not all, but a number of the creators. And, as usual, I got a lot of good advice, tips and tricks, encouragement, and updates on the lives of a bunch of people I only see once a year. I was also encouraged to bring Mike and the Ninja to a couple of other conventions. That was exciting to hear, as I'm always looking for new ways to promote the comic and have been thinking about possible exhibiting at some other shows for...well, maybe a year or so now.

By the way, here are some plugs, in no particular order, for the Artists' Alley folks I talked to. You need to look at what these talented people can do:

- Lin Workman (Bushi Tales and more)

- Kevin Williams (Muley the Mule)

- Nathan Bonner (Shamus Stone and Indavo)

- Brad Moore (Surrealist Paintings - WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK, 18 AND UP)

- Wade Moore (Custom Action Figures)

- Terry Huddleston (Freelance Artist, Commissions, etc.)

- Helock Comics (Small Press Comics Publisher)

- Chris Ebert (Freelance Illustrator)

- Lorenzo Lizana (Freelance Illustrator)

Also, check out Icons of Wrestling. This is a painting that features 355 professional wrestling legends. The masked creator of this piece appeared at Comic Con with the painting, prints, and a reproduction of the painting signed by over 200 of the legends appearing on it. I had a couple of great conversations with him about wrestling, art, entertainment, etc. Even if you're not a wrestling fan, the work itself is truly something to behold.

I don't think I really have much else to say. Of course, I didn't get enough pictures, and we were struggling with the quality of our camera throughout the show, but the very best we got is to your right and below.

I think the show was another big hit, and Amanda and I will definitely be returning next year to once again support our local comic convention. We always have a great time at Cape Con, and we hope that the show continues to grow and succeed. The media coverage and celebrity appearances this year were huge, and I believe the convention is becoming a staple of the area.

Can't wait until next year!

Darth Maul. Need I say more?

A more candid moment with our Sith friend.

Superboy and Black Cat arrive on the scene.

This young Padawan might be in some trouble.

The crowds got noticeably thinner when these guys showed up.

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