Rhode Island Comic Con

This Sunday, I'll be heading to Rhode Island Comic Con, the last convention of my con 'season'. This is a huge con with celebrities and comic creators which has grown over the years to now fill the RI Convention Center and the floor of the nearby Providence Civic Center.

I have been heading to this con since the beginning and have grabbed some great commissions and signatures in the past (including Stan Lee!). This year I'll only be there for one day and so I doubt I'll luck my way into a commission. That means that the main goal is signatures. It is a shame because there are some huge favorites of mine that are going to be there, artists I haven't seen at other cons. But, c'est la vie!

Probably the biggest name for me that is going to be at the convention is Chris Bachalo, an artist whose work I have loved forever. For me, he is always going to be the main artist of the Pete Milligan Shade, The Changing Man book from the 1990's. I loved that book!

Bachalo has also done runs on other books in my collection that I love - Death, X-Men, New X-Men, etc. If I could get a Bachalo sketch I would be absolutely thrilled. But I can't imagine it happening. Instead I had to pare down a big stack of books to a manageable size for signatures.

But look who else I'm hoping to meet.

Rags Morales is going to be at the con and he also has been a name in many books in my collection. But he was the primary artist in the Grant Morrison New 52 Action Comics run, redefining the early Superman adventures of that continuity.

If I could, I'd bring every issue he drew of that run, including all the variant covers. Of course, that would be around around 25 issues. So I can't be *that guy*. So I have to pare things down.

I can't wait to meet him. I also love that run, my favorite run of the New 52 universe.

Then Jim Shooter is going to be there. I have plenty of old Legion Adventure Comics written by him when he was a kid. These issues are in sort of scragged condition but I will hope to get them signed. This includes the first issue he wrote which introduced Karate Kid, Ferro Lad, Princess Projectra, and Nemesis Kid. I'll have the first Fatal Five storyline, the first Mordru, and the first Universo issue with me for signatures. And I'll also have Superboy and the Legion #212 with me because of Calorie Queen!

And Mitch Gerads will be there as well. I met Gerads back at GraniteCon a couple of years ago. But I love ... LOVE ... the current Mister Miracle book. So some sigs there too!

And other folks will be there. Chad Hardin will be there. I'll add his name to Harley Quinn #0! And John Cassaday! Steve McNiven! And others!!

From a celebrity point of view, there are too many names. I'm not a big celebrity guy unless someone stands out. But Chris Sabat, voice of my boy Vegeta, is going to be there. I have to shake that man's hand!

So wish me luck! I'll report back when I can!