DCN on the Road: East Coast Comicon

DC Comics News at East Coast Comicon!

After a two and a half hour trek from Baltimore, MD, I finally arrived at the East Coast Comicon! The event was being held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ. East Coast Comicon is a two day con, but sadly I could only attend on Saturday. But what a Saturday it was! During the course of the day I met up with Steve Rude and his lovely wife to discuss his upcoming appearance at CollectorsConMD, talked with “Silver Age Sensei” Arlen Schumer about his new book The Silver Age of Comic Book Art and, the main reason for the trip, got to see and work with my pal, legendary artist Jim Steranko!

Just look at this guest list!

Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Simon Bisley, Arthur Adams, Steve Rude, Whilce Portacio, Bob Camp, Herb Trimpe, Larry Hama, Ann Nocenti, Denis Kitchen, John Van Hamersveld, J.J. Sedelmaier, Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Kate Leth, Ian McGinty, Rudy Nebres, Basil Gogos, Rich Buckler, Don McGregor, Scott Beatty, Fred Hembeck, Paul Kupperberg, Cliff Galbraith, Fred Van Lente, John Holstrom, Jamal Ingle, Bob Wiacek, Bob Budiansky, The Frazetta Girls, Rick Parker, Dave Bullock and many more!

There were well over 300 exhibitors and indie creators present. Everything from New comics, back issue comics, zines, toys, legos, clothing, cos-play groups, statues and more! You could get your picture taken in the classic 1966 Batmobile, how cool is that!!

Steranko’s table was swamped with fans all day! Fortunately though, I was able to slip away for an hour to attend Arlen Schumer’s Art and Comic Book Art presentation, which you can watch in it’s entirety below! (Part 2 immediately follows)

The panels held on Saturday included:

12:00 PM: Arlen Schumer’s Art and Comic Book Art

1:00 PM: Wallace Wood.

Larry Hama, Bob Wiacek, and J. David Spurlock discuss the incomperable Wallace Wood.

2:00 PM: JJ Sedelmair SNL’s TV Funhouse and Other Animated Adventures.

J.J. will discuss his work at MTV, Schoolhouse Rock, Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law and the Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons for NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

3:00 PM: Marvel in the 80’s.

Ann Nocenti, Jim Salicrup, Bob Wiacek, and Peter Sanderson take us back to the days of blowing up the Baxter Building, big hair, Epic Stars, Secret Wars, Long Shot, and the Perelman aquisition.

4:00 PM: John Van Hamersveld: Album Covers and Posters That Rocked The World.

From his early days at Surfer Magazine to creating legendary album covers for the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour and the Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street, John Van Hamersveld’s story is the the story of American pop art, graphic design, typography, and rock’n roll. The man who designed the iconic Endless Summer poster, and the album covers for Kiss Hotter Than Hell, Blondie Eat To The Beat, The Grateful Dead Skeletons in the Closet, Beach Boys Wild Honey, Steve Miller The Joker, Jefferson Airplane Crown of Creation, and the new Gaslight Anthem Get Hurt. A conversation with Cliff Galbraith.

5:00 PM: Don McGregor and Rich Buckler

Join Don and Rich as they talk about their run on the 70’s Black Panther series.

A message from show promoter Cliff Galbraith:

We make comics, collect comics, and deal in rare underground comix, so we thought we’d like to make a con that embodied our sensibilities. As the major conventions grow exponentially, but focus less on comics, we felt a good old-fashioned con with a strong emphasis on comics was needed.

Our first show in 2012 started small, just 32 tables in a bowling alley that was converted to a rock club that was converted to a comic convention. Our second show had 48 tables. Our last show was held at Convention Hall and had 150 exhibitors and eight panel discussion sessions. April 2014 saw us expand to two days and feature over 180 exhibitors. While it is our intention to grow the size of our con, we do not book movie and tv celebs or pro wrestlers. We intend to keep our shows about comics.

Our past shows at Asbury Park Comicon and NY Comic Fest in Westchester, NY have seen great guests like Chris Claremont, Al Jaffee, Jim Steranko, Denny O’Neil, Peter Bagge, Herb Trimpe, Allen Bellman, Michael Uslan, Bob Camp, Larry Hama, Jamal Igle, JH Williams III, Todd Klein, Basil Gogos, Scott Snyder, Mark Waid, Shawn Martinbrough, Jay Lynch, Denis Kitchen, Mark Schultz, Rudy Nebres, Don McGregor, Ann Nocenti, Jim Salicrup, Paul Levits, Paul Kupperberg, JJ Seidelmeir, Craig Yoe, Fred Hembeck, Victor Gorelick, and many others.

While Asbury Park was a fun place at the Jersey Shore, we found many limitations to growth. Since the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, we’ve had to rethink our attachment to the city by the sea. East Coast Comicon has grown out of the success of Asbury Park Comicon, and will continue the spirit of the original con. The new venue in the Meadowlands enables us to offer over 300 exhibitors, a more convenient location to North Jersey and NYC, and plenty of free parking.

We’ll miss Asbury Park, and look forward to our new home at the Meadowlands Exposition Center.

Cliff Galbraith,
Crucial Entertainment, Red Bank N.J.

– See more at: East Coast Comicon

As of this writing, I am saddened to learn of the passing of comic book artist Herb Trimpe. Mr. Trimpe was a guest at the East Coast Comicon this past weekend and passed away sometime Monday night.

We at DCN send prayers and condolences to the Trimpe family in their time of mourning.