Keystone Comic Con - 2019...
Aug
24
2019
I went to the Keystone Comic Con in Philadelphia this weekend. Highlights of this year's Comic Con in Philadelphia include:
Every year for the last few years, I've tried to organize a group outing to Comic Con, but, this year, I ran into some issues. Last year, I treated Sammy to his first Comic Con in many, many moons and he had a good time, but, this year, apparently, he had other plans for today and when the subject of Comic Con came up, Sammy said he forgot, so, this year I went without Sammy. Just between us though, Sammy is a cheapskate and the thought of buying me a ticket probably made him sick to his stomach, so, I'm sure he forgot on purpose. 😨 Of course, Anthony wanted to go, but, family business took precedence, so, he couldn't go. ☹️
In previous years, I got a wristband, but, this time around I got an actual badge! I arrived around 11:00am and entered the Convention Center at the Broad Street side. After passing through a security check point, I headed upstairs to the convention area. The convention area was divided into two zones -- the vendor and artists spaces where there were an array of vendors and artists and the main stage where special events and panels were scheduled. The main stage appeared to occupy the entire back half of the convention floor.
I spent much of my time looking at all of the vendors and artists in attendance. Along the way, I met Joe Bradford, author of the comic ANGELI ARBITRIUM published by TikiGod Comics:
Near the rear of the convention area, just in front of the entrance to the main stage, there was a huge gaming area where one could try out a number of video games or play board games. That's not really my thing, but, it was nice to see the gaming community well represented. Most of the concessions were on the right side of the convention floor and included the usual over-priced fare. As usual, I packed some food and a couple bottles of water and decided to forego finding a table inside, in favor of my usual spot out at City Hall. It was a nice day and there were plenty of places to sit in the shade.
There were a lot of comic books on exhibit as well as any number of Funko toys to be found. Sadly, none of the vendors were offering DVDs and the selection of toys and other goodies was somewhat limited. I did notice a vendor offering a number of trinkets including necklaces, key rings and a rather nice assortment of watch fobs. As is customary, I usually walk the entire floor first and swing back around later in the day to make my purchases. In this case, that vendor had disappeared before I came back around. In addition, I noticed more than a few booths looking rather empty around 2:00pm.
Before leaving, I swung around to the Keystone Comic Con store to see what sort of goodies were available. There were some T-Shirts and mugs, but, not really anything that I wanted to have, so, I moved on. I left around 3:00pm. This was my first time attending a Keystone Comic Con. There were lots of volunteers and event staff present and there was a visible police presence. The event itself seemed very well organized and professional. Compared to Wizard World Comic Con, Keystone Comic Con seemed to be more geared toward artists than vendors, in my humble opinion. Overall, I had a great time. 😍 I would have probably had an even better time going with a group instead of being by myself, but, maybe next year. 😜
- Nichelle Nichols, STAR TREK,
- Levar Burton, STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION,
- John Carpenter, Filmmaker, Screenwriter and Composer,
- Tom Holland, SPIDERMAN.
Every year for the last few years, I've tried to organize a group outing to Comic Con, but, this year, I ran into some issues. Last year, I treated Sammy to his first Comic Con in many, many moons and he had a good time, but, this year, apparently, he had other plans for today and when the subject of Comic Con came up, Sammy said he forgot, so, this year I went without Sammy. Just between us though, Sammy is a cheapskate and the thought of buying me a ticket probably made him sick to his stomach, so, I'm sure he forgot on purpose. 😨 Of course, Anthony wanted to go, but, family business took precedence, so, he couldn't go. ☹️
In previous years, I got a wristband, but, this time around I got an actual badge! I arrived around 11:00am and entered the Convention Center at the Broad Street side. After passing through a security check point, I headed upstairs to the convention area. The convention area was divided into two zones -- the vendor and artists spaces where there were an array of vendors and artists and the main stage where special events and panels were scheduled. The main stage appeared to occupy the entire back half of the convention floor.
I spent much of my time looking at all of the vendors and artists in attendance. Along the way, I met Joe Bradford, author of the comic ANGELI ARBITRIUM published by TikiGod Comics:
TikiGod Comics is a small independent publishing company. We are trying to tell new stories to inspire and entertain as many people as possible.There was a superhero booth where, for a modest fee, one could pose with a number of superheroes or even sit on Thanos' throne. One could also have a photo op with one of the cars from Jurassic Park or with the car from the movie Christine. Of course, the local phone company and the U.S. Army were well represented. One of the more exotic spectacles was the wrestling demonstration. Although, I haven't indulged in wrestling since WrestleMania III -- Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant, I have to admit the show was actually pretty good.
Near the rear of the convention area, just in front of the entrance to the main stage, there was a huge gaming area where one could try out a number of video games or play board games. That's not really my thing, but, it was nice to see the gaming community well represented. Most of the concessions were on the right side of the convention floor and included the usual over-priced fare. As usual, I packed some food and a couple bottles of water and decided to forego finding a table inside, in favor of my usual spot out at City Hall. It was a nice day and there were plenty of places to sit in the shade.
There were a lot of comic books on exhibit as well as any number of Funko toys to be found. Sadly, none of the vendors were offering DVDs and the selection of toys and other goodies was somewhat limited. I did notice a vendor offering a number of trinkets including necklaces, key rings and a rather nice assortment of watch fobs. As is customary, I usually walk the entire floor first and swing back around later in the day to make my purchases. In this case, that vendor had disappeared before I came back around. In addition, I noticed more than a few booths looking rather empty around 2:00pm.
Before leaving, I swung around to the Keystone Comic Con store to see what sort of goodies were available. There were some T-Shirts and mugs, but, not really anything that I wanted to have, so, I moved on. I left around 3:00pm. This was my first time attending a Keystone Comic Con. There were lots of volunteers and event staff present and there was a visible police presence. The event itself seemed very well organized and professional. Compared to Wizard World Comic Con, Keystone Comic Con seemed to be more geared toward artists than vendors, in my humble opinion. Overall, I had a great time. 😍 I would have probably had an even better time going with a group instead of being by myself, but, maybe next year. 😜
