Chris Giarrusso Commission

I did an overall review of the ComiCONN last week, saying what a great convention it was.

As I had said in my pre-con report, I wasn't necessarily heading there thinking of getting commissions. But once at the con, things changed.

I had known that Chris Giarrusso was going to be at the con and I had read many of his Mini-Marvel strips in the back pages of some Marvel All Ages books I got the supergirls at home. They work much like Tiny Titans did for DC, poking fun at continuity in a way that both older fans and kids can enjoy. He also has his own comic G-Man. Here is a link to his website: http://www.chrisgcomics.com/

As for me, when it comes to commissions, the artists I go for fall into three categories - people who have a history with Supergirl, people whose art I love, and people who might have an interesting take on the character. Sometimes artists fall into more than one category.

Giarrusso falls into the latter two buckets. I have enjoyed his strips with my kids and like his art a lot. I also thought he would have an interesting take on the character and I wasn't disappointed. What a fun commission this is. Something that I really liked about this take on Supergirl ... she is wearing leggings, giving her a sort of Cosmic Adventures-like feel to Kara.

So this was another little treasure from the ComiCONN. Look forward to heading to this convention moving forward!

Off To ComiConn

By the time this is posted I will be an hour into a long drive down Interstate 95 South on my way to ComiCONN.

I haven't been to this convention before so I will post about it next week. The guest list isn't long but as I have said before it includes several Supergirl creators - Paul Kupperberg, Peter David, and Joe Kelly. It also includes Robert Greenberger (responsible for the Superman Encyclopedia), Jerry Ordway (inker for the bulk of Crisis on Infinite Earths ... and too many other things), and Mike DeCarlo.

As great as it will be to meet those guys, I am also excited to check out this con because it will be all new dealers.

As for commissions, I don't know if I will be lucky enough to get one this time around. We'll see!

Heading To ComiCONN

After a little work maneuvering, it looks like I will be able to head a couple of hours south and hit the ComiConn, 'Connecticut's biggest comic book, sci-fi, and collectible' show on August 18th.

Here is a link to their site: http://www.comiconn.com/

It'll be a new convention for me which is always fun. And unlike the other cons I usually frequent, this one is equally heavy on writers and artists. So I don't know if I will be getting any commissions.

But the writers ... it is like a Supergirl nexus! There are basically three generations of Supergirl writers in attendance as well as a Superman historian par excellence. I don't know if I will have enough time to ask all my questions.

Paul Kupperberg is going to be there, the writer for the entire Daring New Adventures of Supergirl in the early 80s. He wrote her in Superman Family. He wrote her last non-Crisis adventure. His Supergirl was strong and confident and comfortable in her own skin.

I interviewed Kupperberg earlier this year on this site but I have a bunch more questions for him. At the very least, I want to meet him as his Supergirl stories were solid with great characterization.

Peter David will be there too! David wrote the Supergirl book in the 90s, the Matrix/Earth Angel stories, the Many Happy Returns storyline. I absolutely love this book and still contend that Supergirl 1-50 is one of the best prolonged arcs in comics. I have briefly met David in the past, before I started this blog. I will gush I am sure but I hope to ask him some questions too!

Joe Kelly will also be there. I love Kelly's Superman work (especially Action #775). I found his run on the 2005 Supergirl to be troubling. I have certainly been critical of that run here any number of times. And yet, of the creators there I want to talk to Kelly the most. Maybe I missed the point of this arc? Maybe he had a grand plan that never got actualized? I hope I can ask even the broadest questions about this run with him.

But that means that Supergirl writers from the 80's, 90's, and the 00's will all be in one building! Fantastic!

I suppose that it will depend on the crowds whether or not I can pull up a chair and jaw with these guys. I'll take 5 minutes if possible.