Rhode Island Comic Con Approaching

The Rhode Island Comic Con is coming up next week and I will be attending as I have every year since its inception. While 'Comic Con' is in the name, this is really more of a pop culture festival with comics making up just a small amount of the actual event.

The biggest draw seems to be the celebrities and this year is no exception. There is a whole original Star Trek contingent on the guest list, something which I think will draw a crowd. While there are lots of names I recognize, I think the only ones that I might go out of my way to meet are Christy (Kim Possible) Romano, Samantha (Jem) Newark, and Karen (Marian Ravenwood) Allen.

I mean ... Marian Ravenwood! How can I not want to meet her?

As for comics guests, there are a few names that I definitely want to meet and at the top of the list is Pat Broderick. I am a huge fan of his work and consider Fury of Firestorm one of the first comics I loved and collected monthly. The art on that book was phenomenal.

Plus, Broderick drew Captain Atom post-crisis. One of the frequent guests in that book was another favorite female hero of mine ... Nightshade.

I am hoping Broderick will be doing commissions at the show because I would love to have one in my collection. And, given my recent leanings to mix things up, I think I would get one of Supergirl in her hot pants Bronze Age costume.

I am also hoping to rub elbows with legend Jim Steranko at the show. I met Steranko briefly a while back at another con but I forgot to bring Superman #400 for him to sign. At that con, I just stood around and listened to the knowledge; he was basically lecturing about comic art but people were rapt like it was the sermon on the mount.

His story in Superman #400 is very cool, a sort of philosophical look at Superman done with 2 page spreads and text below.

I already have Howard Chaykin's sig for his cover art. So this issue will be very special if I get Steranko's on it as well.

Anyone else local and going?