Boston Comic Con Wish List

We are just two weeks away from the Boston Comic Con and I am starting to pull books for signatures and plan my commission strategy for the con. The good thing about this year is that I will be able to attend both days which allows me a little more wiggle room to accomplish my goals.

This is the 'big one' in my convention season. I moonlight an extra shift to make the money to subsidize the weekend and I try to aim high with who I want to approach.

Here are the key targets and some strategy:

The Big Two:
I usually pick two main targets at this convention, the artist whose table I run to first to try and ensure of getting on their commission list. This year those targets are Mark Bagley and Aaron Lopresti.

I try to contact artists before conventions so I can make sure they are sketching, figure out pricing, and try to pencil myself into a spot on the list (no pun intended). Unfortunately, I have had no success in contacting Bagley. If anyone knows contact info please forward to me.

Bagley is probably most famous for his work with Marvel books. But I really loved his work with James Robinson on Justice League of America. Yes, I know there was Dark Supergirl in that book. But Supergirl was the muscle of the team, a relied on member who kicked the snot out of Ultraman.

I also will add that going into the book, I didn't consider myself a Bagley fan but over his run on JLA I slowly began to appreciate him more and more. I hope he will be doing commissions.

I have been a fan of Lopresti for a while. I really loved his work on Wonder Woman with Gail Simone. In particular, I loved the 'Ends of the Earth' arc which had Wonder Woman teaming up with the 70's DC Sword and Sorcery characters Claw, Beowulf, and Stalker.

I was able to contact Lopresti and have him pencil my name down on his commission list. Still have to get there early to complete the transaction, but at least he knows I am out there!

The Next Two:
It has been a long time since I left a convention with just 2 commissions. So the 'Next Two' are always artists whose work I love and who I want to get a commission from as much as the 'Big Two', it's just they are next on the list of who to run to, hoping they will have spots on their list.. This year Amy Reeder and Marcio Takara are 'the next two'.

Reeder has such a great style and draws such a beautiful and fluid Supergirl how can I not want something from her. I loved her covers during her stay on the book and thought her work on Madame Xanadu and Halloween Eve was slick. While I have a head sketch from her, it was obtained by a pal who went to the NYCC and is loose (not in a sketch book). I, of course, want to meet Reeder and hope to grab a sketch.

Reeder has said she won't be doing formal commissions but will be doing head sketches throughout the con so I hope that I can get to her table relatively early.

Marcio Takara has drawn The Incredibles, Blue Beetle, and this month's issue of The Flash. But it was seeing this Supergirl sketch online that convinced me that I needed to get something from him. I have my name on his convention sketch list and will drop off my sketch book as soon as I can. I think this piece is going to be fantastic.


The Long Shots:
There are always a couple of artists on the list who I would love to get a commission from but realize that there is almost no chance that it will come to fruition. Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Frank Quitely, and Frank Cho have all been on that list.

This year both George Perez and Amanda Conner are going to be at the convention. The chance of either doing commissions is low. The chance of me being able to get in their lines in time to get on the list if they are sketching is lower. The chance of me being able to afford sketches by them on the odd chance they are sketching and I am in line early enough is even lower. I just don't think it is going to happen, but I'll see.

I know he is most famous for drawing the issue where Supergirl died. But it is that connection that makes a Supergirl commission from Perez so appealing. Heck, I would probably get the headband Supergirl from him, breaking away from the 'Matrix style' costume that dominates my collection. Even a head sketch of the headband Supergirl would be fantastic.

My guess is the line for Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner is going to wrap around the building. I don't think Conner sketches any more at conventions. But I absolutely love her work. I love her Power Girl. I loved her Wednesday Comics Supergirl. I can grovel and show what a big Supergirl fan I am and see what happens. Even a 'quick sketch' would be tremendous.

And those are my main targets for the convention. There are lots of other artists there whose work I love and who knows who I will walk away with come the end of the convention. These things seldom work out as I plan.

Any one else going to be there?