A list of exhibitors for this year's convention has not been published. In fact, only late last night was it announced that this would be coming, "pretty soon."
On the "promotional" page of the convention site, there's a note that reads, "Coming soon--we'll be building a number of 2010 banners! Stay tuned!" All you'll find on the page are 2009 banners, though. So if you're a creator, independent artist, or exhibitor who wanted to promote the fact that you'll be at HeroesCon this year on your own site, I hope you were able to make your own banner. I don't know how long you're supposed to, "stay tuned."
I know that it takes a lot of work to put on an event like this. I realize everyone involved is busy. This stuff comes across as amateurish, though, and they've done a better job in years past. Admission prices were increased last year, and vendors are charged $700-$850 for a booth on the convention floor. A small press table is $300. These are not insignificant sums of money. In addition to the $30 for a weekend pass, you also want attendees to spend plenty of loot while they're inside. Looking at all of this, though, one is left with the impression that the organizers aren't doing everything they could in the way of promotion. Whipping up a few banners isn't exactly tantamount to moving mountains.
Considering the state of our economy, shouldn't there be an emphasis on extra promotion? One of every ten people here in Charlotte is out of work, and lots of people are cutting back what they spend on luxury items. Not only should the organizers have created and uploaded more promotional material, but they should be sending it to every writer, artist, publisher, and vendor who's coming to the show, asking them to plug it on their sites. All they have is the banner on their sidebar, which I've added to the right here on the blog. It doesn't exactly grab your attention, though, does it?
Update: On second thought, I just decided to make a banner myself, using the Mike Mignola art for the incentive print. Since it's gone now, this is the one I mentioned earlier.
If you've searched for "HeroesCon" on Google for the last month or so, you found this page as the first result. Why? Because someone at Heroes decided it would be a good idea to move the page from /heroescon.html to a directory named /heroescon. Apparently, no one ever explained anything about the workings of search engines to the individual responsible for this decision. I'd wager there are thousands upon thousands of pages linking to the old URL, and maybe a handful linking to the new one. I've updated the last year's worth of posts here to reflect the change, but most people won't notice or even realize what's happened for some time. That means the convention's official presence on the internet is now buried with no PageRank behind a "File Not Found" page.
So here it is, the new HeroesCon URL. Remember, kids, consult someone with a working knowledge of search engine optimization before you go making changes to the structure of your web site.
Okay, so I know I said I was going to take more photos at HeroesCon this year. I really intended to do it, too. The best laid plans, and all that. Of course, I'm usually shopping for action figures, busts, statues, and various other collectibles at least as much as I'm shopping for books, but that wasn't the case this year. I only came home with seven or so action figures this time, which is less than I usually buy the first day. It wasn't for a lack of trying, either. The selection of stuff I didn't already have just wasn't there. No, I spent most of this year with my face buried in boxes of books, coming home with a dozen or so trade paperbacks and hardcovers and around 400 single issues. Sorting through all those books is a big part of why I haven't updated the blog yet. I did manage to snap a few photos, though, but I'll have many more pics of what I brought home than from the con itself. Anyway, here's what I managed to get:
This is the con floor from the seating area over near the concessions. That crowded booth in the background under the "Aisle 200" sign had just dropped from ½ price trades to $5 trades, so they were having a busy Sunday.
Here's the Sci-Fi Genre booth. I visited their store in Durham last year, and I've ordered from their online store several times. What a great, friendly group of people they are. Looking back, maybe I should have bought that $6 Supernova figure hanging there.
These next two photos are of The Outer Rim Collectibles' booth. He had a good selection of 25th Anniversary and "Modern Era" G.I. JOE figures available.
This guy was walking around in a Storm Shadow costume, so when he was standing next to me at the DC Comics booth, I decided to take a photo.
And here's a shot of Jennifer with a guy in a Cobra Commander costume. She's 5'6", by the way.
You can see larger HeroesCon 2009 photos on my Flickr, but that's pretty much it. As I mentioned, I'll have plenty of photos of stuff I brought home from the convention to post throughout the week, but those were the only photos of the actual con I managed to take. From what I've seen on the web, there were several attendees in recognizable costumes, but I didn't see many of them. I guess I was too busy digging through $1, fifty-cent, and even ten-cent comic boxes and wondering why no one had any recent DC Direct releases (or Marvel Universe, or JLU, or any of the pricey G.I. JOE variants). Where I failed, though, others succeeded. Here's the official Heroes Aren't Hard To Find convention set on Flickr. Seriously, I never even saw this Cobra Commander & Baroness or any of these guys. Here's some more HeroesCon costumers on ComicBook.com, too. While I did see the GL from a distance, I never caught so much as a glimpse of Wonder Woman, Cassie Hack, Renee Montoya, or that Batman. I've seen that Harley before, though, and I hope to never, ever see her again.
HeroesCon 2009 officially kicks of in twenty-four hours, at least for those of us shrewd enough to purchase a three-day advance pass. I'm happy to see that Sci-Fi Genre is on the list of exhibitors. Unfortunately, I don't see many of the vendors from the Northeast who used to set up shop at HeroesCon up until a few years ago. I was hoping that with gas prices down from what they were last year, some of those guys might make the trip again, but it looks like mostly regional dealers from the Southeast. That's how it's been for the last few years, and the prices and selection suffer for it. There will still be plenty to buy and lots of great deals to be had, but the days of $5 DC Direct figures and $30 long boxes full of comics seem to be gone for good.
I always take my camera with me to the convention, but I never end up taking many photos. I'm going to make an effort to do better with that this year, so I'm hoping to have plenty of pictures to share here and on Flickr. I'll try to get shots of comics and toys at dealer booths, the DC and Marvel setups, some of the talent, and some of the costumers. And of course, I'll have images of whatever figures, books, and other goodies I bring home from the con.
With just one week to go until HeroesCon 2009, the Event Schedule has been released, and here's a look at the DC Comics panels:
From the HeroesCon 2009 Event ScheduleFriday, June 19 2:00 PM DC UNIVERSE | Room 213BCD Join DC's Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler, Editor Brian Cunningham and countless DCU talent for a panel that's not to be missed. With "Blackest Night" looming, what lies ahead for your favorite universe? Find out here!
Saturday, June 20 1:00 PM DC NATION | Room 213BCD The NATION calls out once more to the DC Faithful! DC's Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler and Editor Brian Cunningham lead a list of A-list talent to talk all things DC. Come one, come all, the DC NATION welcomes you!
For anyone who may prefer an inferior universe, here's a look at the Marvel panels:
From the HeroesCon 2009 Event ScheduleFriday, June 19 1:00 PM MARVEL COMICS :: PINT O' C.B. | Room 217BCD He’s one of the most recognized persons in the comic industry, at the center of many things Marvel. He’s C.B. Cebulski, Writer and Marvel Talent Liaison, and he’s joined by the top writers in the industry to take on all questions and drop a few surprise announcements! Join Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man), Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man), Ed Brubaker (Captain America), Mark Waid (Amazing Spider-Man) and more!
Saturday, June 20 2:00 PM MARVEL: DARK REIGN | Room 217BCD He lost, they won. They are the new Masters of the Marvel Universe, and they are NOT nice people. The villains finally have their day, now hear from the folks pulling the strings what happens next. This panel will have the announcement of the next big chapter in Marvel history, so be there for it! Featuring Brian Michael Bendis (Dark Avengers, New Avengers), Matt Fraction (Dark Avengers/X-Men), Jonathan Hickman (Secret Warriors), and editor Jeanine Schaefer.
And on the G.I. JOE front, Herbe Trimpe was added to the guest list on Tuesday. Mr. Trimpe was the artist on issues #1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the original Marvel series.
And while you're at the show, be sure to stop by booth #145 and check out the local Charlotte artists of the God City crew.
The deadline for voter registration in North Carolina is Friday, October 10. The latest polls from Public Policy show Barack Obama with a 50% - 44% lead.
Quote:
Last week Obama led by two points. He is now winning 82% of the Democratic vote,
compared to just 74% a week ago. For most of the general election his share of his own party’s vote has hovered in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
“If 80% or more of Democrats in North Carolina really end up voting for Obama then John McCain is finished here,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.
“Republicans have won here in the Presidential race for years by taking anywhere from a fifth to a third of the Democratic vote, but if that doesn’t happen this year the state is going to turn blue.”
Obama also has a 46-40 lead with independents in the state. He may have been aided by his trip to Asheville in this poll. After trailing by an average of six points in the region over the course of PPP’s last three polls he is leading 54-37 there this time.
He has also reached his highest percentage of the white vote in a PPP poll, at 38%. With increased black turnout this year that’s probably good enough to take the state.
There is NO EXCUSE next month, people. If John McCain wins North Carolina, it will be the result of one thing: apathy. I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you that Barack Obama is some kind of savior, but he is unequivocally the most progressive candidate Democrats have nominated in my lifetime. Yes, he is a mainstream politician, and he has his faults, but they're substantially fewer in number than those of his opponent. The same was true in the last few races, but the difference this time is that Obama actually has policies that could do some real good for the people of this country.
We can defeat McCain, and his plan for another four years of disastrous policies, right here in North Carolina. For the first time since 1976, this state is legitimately in play. If you haven't registered to vote, then stop wasting time. Not sure if you've registered in the past? Check here. If you haven't, get the form here. Here in Charlotte, get off your ass and take the form to the Mecklenburg County Board Of Elections. You can find the address here. It's on the right if you're driving into the city, on the left if you're coming from I-277, and their office is in the back of the building. Elsewhere in the state, just Google (your county) board of elections. If you can't find it, ask me, and I'll find it for you.
NO EXCUSES. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines.
And when you go vote in November, this would also be a good time to get Elizabeth Dole out of the Senate.
And they just recently debuted this on their blog:
The shirt was drawn by Evan Dorkin and colored by Sarah Dyer. Don't know who they are? You need to beef up on your DCAU knowledge. Check out Evan and Sarah's site.
The guest list is phenomenal. Highlights include Ed Brubaker, Cliff Chiang, Darwyn Cooke, Dan Didio, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Tommy Lee Edwards, Adam Hughes, Peter Laird, Steve Niles, Greg Rucka, Herb Trimpe, Ethan Van Sciver, Matt Wagner, Mark Waid, and Sarah Wilkinson. Unfortunately, Jamal Igle cancelled.
So the viral marketing campaign for Christopher Nolan's forthcoming Bat-sequel, The Dark Knight, is no longer confined to the net. Warner Bros. has taken the promotion to the streets with a "grassroots" campaign for Harvey Dent, as he plans his run for Gotham City District Attorney. In 34 cities across America, the "Dentmobile", a white van decorated with Harvey Dent banners, made stops to promote the fictional politician's campaign to end corruption in Gotham. Apparently, the marketers came armed with stacks of stickers, piles of t-shirts, and bags of buttons, free for anyone who attended, and remained in character throughout each appearance, even when confronted by Chicago police.
I say "apparently" because Charlotte, the 20th largest city in the country by population, wasn't on the list. Granted, it ranks 36th in terms of metro area population, but aside from the obvious choices like NYC, Los Angeles, and Chicago, consider some of the other locations selected for tour stops:
Tucson, AZ: 32nd in population, 52nd in metro area population
Colorado Springs, CO: 48th in population, 83rd in metro area population
Madison, WI: 82nd in population, 90th in metro area population
East Lansing, MI: doesn't rank in population (less than 100K), 107th in metro area population
Lexington, KY: 68th in population, 111th in metro area population
Tallahassee, FL: 142nd in population, 144th in metro area population
South Bend, IN: 238th in population, 148th in metro area population
Gainesville, FL: 226th in population, 176th in metro area population
College Station, TX: doesn't rank in population (less than 100K), 211th in metro area population
Columbia, MO: doesn't rank in population (less than 100K), 252nd in metro area population
Lawrence, KS: doesn't rank in population (less than 100K), 347th in metro area population
Eleven of the cities on Dent's list are smaller than Charlotte, most of them considerably smaller, so maybe its omission was based on economic factors? Maybe people in Charlotte are too strapped for cash to scrounge up disposable income for movie tickets?
Wrong. Charlotte is the country's second largest financial institution, second only to NYC. It is home to Bank Of America (the nation's largest commercial bank), Wachovia (the fourth largest bank in the U.S.), Duke Energy, Family Dollar, Time Warner Cable, Lowe's, Goodrich, and Meineke. Males in the city have a median income of $38,767, while cost of living is the third-lowest in cities with populations between 400K and 1,000,000 (48% lower than San Francisco and 55% lower than NYC).
So if Charlotte is bigger than several of the cities chosen for the marketing effort, and there is plenty of spending money to go around, then why was the Queen City skipped?
Because Charlotte is fucking boring. Ask anyone who's lived in (or even been to) another large city in America, and is still young enough to get out and enjoy all that an urban environment has to offer, and he/she will concur. The place is completely devoid of anything even resembling a scene of any kind, no matter what your interests are.
Music scene? Sorry, but no. While arena tours make stops at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte pretty frequently, and you can always hit some bar for a band no one has ever heard of, most mid-level acts (the ones generally worth seeing) don't even slow down on the interstate while passing through Charlotte. To their credit, GWAR still comes to town on most tours, even though this is where frontman Dave Brockie was arrested on "obscenity" charges in 1990. Many tours depend on local bands to draw more of a crowd in their respective areas, but only one local band, ANTiSEEN, is really guaranteed to bring in fans, and opening shows for national tours isn't really their bag. Other than that, the list of local music worth hearing is a short one, and Jodeci is really the city's only claim to fame (unless you count Firehouse, an early '90s hair band, but I do not). Want to know what kind of live music is popular here? Cover bands, or "tribute" bands, as they're now called. At one relatively popular South End club, the calendar currnetly lists the following on its schedule of upcoming shows: AC/DC tribute, Pink Floyd tribute, Guns N' Roses tribute, and Led Zepplin tribute. You can also catch The Roots, if you're willing to spend $40 at the door. They've also had bands covering Poison, Sublime, and even Green Day songs.
And to think, at a club called the Milestone, which was reopened a couple of years ago after nearly a decade of mostly dormancy, bands and musicians like 10,000 Maniacs, R.E.M., Melissa Etheridge, Fear, the Dead Milkmen, Born Against, Black Flag, D.O.A., Mojo Nixon, the Violent Femmes, the Flaming Lips, Agnostic Front, Steel Pole Bathtub, the Go-Gos, the Dead Boys, NOFX, Prong, the Exploited, and Skinny Puppy played to Charlotte crowds in a venue with a maximum occupancy of 170 people. And Nirvana played to a much smaller crowd than that. What happened to those days?
Film scene? Take a guess. First of all, the list of "Hollywood" movies filmed here includes Juwanna Mann, Shallow Hal, Days of Thunder (because of the racetrack), and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (again, because of the racetrack). Parts of George Clooney's new flick, Leatherheads, were filmed at Memorial Stadium, which is adjacent to the central campus of Central Piedmont Community College. A couple of scenes from Nell were shot in Charlotte, and I believe something was done here for The Patriot (not much, fortunately, because Charleston, SC residents were not happy with the mess left behind by the crew). As you can see, this isn't exactly a list of cinematic glory.
Give credit to the Ballantyne Village Theatre for trying, though. Yeah, it's way out in the suburbs, and they're partnered with the corporate Consolidated Theatres, but the theater is actually owned by the shopping center in which it is located, and it showcases independent and foreign films as if it was... somewhere else. They also have Midnights @ The Village, screenings of "retro" movies on the weekends during the summer months. I caught The Big Lebowski and Jurassic Park there last year. They serve beer, wine, and concessions far beyond Goobers and greasy popcorn. Regal Entertainment's Stonecrest At Piper Glen offers the city's first Digital Projection auditorium, too, so that's a small victory that should have come years earlier.
But an actual, local filmmaking scene? I'm afraid not.
So considering the name of my site, how about a collecting scene? Comics? Toys? Sci-Fi? Anything? Not much of one, I'm sorry to say. In fact, four of my favorite shops from years past have since gone out of business, Comics 'Nuff Said, Dragon's Nest, Collectors' World, and Kevin's Collectibles. There's Rebel Base Comics & Toys, which actually has an awesome selection of action figures, but some of the "vintage" '80s stuff can be pretty pricey. I love the store, though, and I shop for my comics there pretty frequently. Then there's Shelton Drum, whose Heroes Aren't Hard To Find store has grown from what seemed like a closet over off Central Avenue, to a very respectable establishment at Central and The Plaza, to the most impressive comic shop in the region on E 7th Street. He's been organizing the Heroes Convention since 1982 (and the Charlotte Mini-Con for a couple of years before that), and it's really the only noteworthy geek event Charlotte has to offer. Over the last couple of years, I've noticed that vendors from outside the Southeast haven't been occupying as much space on the convention floor as they had at previous conventions, but I assume that's due to rising fuel costs. It limits the selection of products a bit, and some of those old guys from up north were sitting on tons of inventory that they'd let go for dirt cheap, but HeroesCon is still the geek pride and joy of Charlotte.
But with all the marketing that takes place at cons in NYC, Chicago, and San Diego, do any of the big publishers, toy manufacturers, or movie studios promote anything heavily at our summer convention? Absolutely not. They totally ignore it, just like they ignore Charlotte in other ways. You know those posters you see in NYC subway stations, advertising upcoming films? The only place you'll find those here is the exterior of a theater. It's like Charlotte's money - and there's a lot of it - isn't any good.
Charlotte has attempted to sell itself as a "world class city" since landing the Charlotte Hornets in the late '80s. Of course, the Hornets are gone now, but the NFL's Carolina Panthers began playing in 1995 (settling into what is now named Bank Of American Stadium in 1996), and we're on our second NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats. They even got the uptown arena the Hornets could never negotiate, and since its opening, the city has added a light rail transit system that runs south from the city's center. On the list of fastest-growing cities in the country, Charlotte ranks fifth, but what is there to do here?
You can get drunk, as there are plenty of bars. Personally, I'm not much of a drinker, nor are most of my friends.
You can watch cars drive around in a circle really fast. They call it NASCAR.
You can shop. There are a few malls, if you're desperate enough to enter them, and an endless sea of strip malls. Real retailers like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Neiman Marcus finally decided there were enough yuppies with more money than sense to justify setting up shop in Charlotte, but a day of trying on clothes doesn't really appeal to me.
You can go to a bank. Seriously, there's a bank at damn near every intersection, sometimes two or three. Trying to find an ATM in another city when you've lived in Charlotte for any period of time can be a frustrating experience.
You can go to church. Honestly, the place is sometimes called "the City of Churches". There are almost as many churches as there are banks.
You can go out to eat, especially if you like chain restaurants. Honestly, one of the first answers you're guaranteed to hear when you ask someone from Charlotte what there is to do will be, "We have lots of restaurants." Congratulations. So does every other city in the world, only they have better ones.
You can play golf. You see, this place is what I like to call a Banker's Paradise. Lots of money changing hands, and plenty of green grass where you can hit a ball with a metal stick.
Some residents will swear the place isn't boring, but maybe that's because they're easily entertained. On a list of "101 Things To Do In Charlotte", the first entry is the "U.S. National Whitewater Center". Yawn. #2 is the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s Stanford Broadway Lights Series. Great, plays performed by actors who can't make it on (or even off) Broadway. Pass. #4 is the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. Craft and design? Stop, I don't know if my heart can take the excitement. #5 is the Mint Museum of Art, which I admit has had some decent attractions here and there, but they are few and far between, and that's being generous. The Bobcats are #6, but they can barely get a game televised, let alone sell tickets. "Don’t miss the excitement of the NBA Charlotte Bobcats as they host the league’s brightest stars in the Charlotte Bobcats Arena." Unfortunately, none of those stars play for the local team. It doesn't take long to get to NASCAR, which comes in at #8 with the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, whatever that is. I actually think it's "Sprint" now, since they bought out Nextel. Discovery Place is at #10, which is supposed to be a science nerd thing, but it's about as modern as Epcot (which is not very, for those who haven't been to Disney World). #11 brings us to golf with the Wachovia Championship. Not only is it a golf event, but it's a golf event named after a bank. Fitting. Carowinds, located on the border with South Carolina, is at #12. It's also like the Kmart of theme parks. NASCAR strikes again at #13 with the Bank Of America 500, giving us cars driving in a circle for an ungodly amount of time in an event named after a bank. Priceless.
After listing the Carolina Panthers at #14 (remember, there are all of eight home games in an NFL season), #15 is the Levine Museum of the New South, named for Leon Levine, founder of Family Dollar. My ten-year high school reunion was held there, and I thought it might be interesting. It's not. #16 is Concord Mills, which isn't even in Charlotte. I wouldn't call it something to do, either. It's more like a dolled-up outlet mall for rednecks. It's the return of excruciating boredom with more NASCAR at #19, this time with the Coca-Cola 600. I hate this city during "race week", because it adds at least 20,000 people to the population, not one of whom I want sharing my roads. At #20, it's the Charlotte Knights. Great. AAA baseball. If I ever develop insomnia, I'll look into it. Can you believe they're trying to get a stadium built uptown for that? At #23, it's Charlotte Checkers hockey, another minor league sports team. If you're going to try to convince me of your "world class city" status, should you really be throwing minor league sports clubs at me? The "Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah Alexander home site" is #26. Look, I enjoy history, but this place would put you to sleep in the middle of a methamphetamine binge. The Visulite Theatre is listed next, but it's only so often that a live band worth paying to see is actually booked. The Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre at Discovery Place is #28. That's great, right? You get to see all the latest, greatest IMAX releases on that thing, yes? No. I had Batman Begins on DVD before it ended up here. #29 is the Carolina Raptor Center, which is pretty cool, but how many times can you go before you get so bored, you're begging a bird of prey to scratch out your eyes?
#30 is NoDa, or the "North Davidson" neighborhood, which offers some clubs, bars, and art galleries. When this area first started to thrive, it actually wasn't bad. As it has become more trendy over the years, the yuppie infestation and resulting gentrification has stripped the concept of whatever soul it originally had. The list continues with more shopping malls, Reed Gold Mine (digging through dirt? yay!), lots more NASCAR (their Hall of Fame opens here soon, too), several neighborhoods (because a neighborhood is something to do, I guess?), and some things that only happen once a year, anyway. The problem is that if you've lived here for any length of time, you've already done this shit, and it was never that interesting in the first place. The very fact that you have to create a list of "101 things to do in Charlotte" should tell you that there is nothing to do in Charlotte. A "world class city" has so much happening on any given night, that you don't have to search through a list. You have to decide which thing you want to try. The very existence of this list demonstrates that there is nothing going on in Charlotte.
This all begs the question, Why so tedious? For one thing, so much of that population consists of people who moved here to "raise a family", which means breeding, which means committing social suicide. Going out to have drinks and dinner is their idea of something to do, because that's as much time as they can possibly get out of the house. Another factor is the sort banks attract to live and work here: bankers. These are boring people, and they create a dull, lifeless city of annoying yuppies.
Yes, I freely admit Charlotte is boring, and I understand the idea of passing on it when you're conducting a marketing campaign like the Harvey Dent promotion. For selfish reasons, I'm tempted to say, "But that's just it! Charlotte is boring, which means the people have nothing to do, which means they'll come out and support the idea. They'll show up, get excited for the movie, and then spend their cash when it's released in theaters. What better way to improve a dull city than to bring something fun and entertaining to it?"
But I would be lying. If there's one thing the people here don't know how to do, it's support something. I get why the company responsible for the viral marketing would ignore Charlotte. I just don't like it, and I'd like to see it change.
Some folks in a real city have fun with the promotion.
