First impressions count for a lot, and New Orleans Comic Con left quite the impression. Walking into Comic Con on the first day was quite the whirlwind experience.
The convention center was massive, and the many booths and exhibitors on the floor really fill out the space.
Walking through the hall was a bizarre and fascinating experience. In the halls of the convention, one can see celebrities, hundreds of immensely famous artists, “cosplayers” wearing elaborate costumes and vendors with all sorts of comics-related collectables.
The amount of rare and fascinating comics on the show floor was astounding. Some of the most valuable ones I saw were “Amazing Fantasy” #15 (the first appearance of Spider-Man), “Journey into Mystery” #83 (the first appearance of Thor), and “Avengers” #1. These are the kinds of comics that most people never get to see and just looking at them was a unique experience.
One of the highlights of the day was a panel on the history of Spider-Man, which included famous Spider-Man writers Chris Claremont and Marv Wolfman and current artist of “Amazing Spider-Man” Humberto Ramos. The panel discussed each artist’s personal history with Spider-Man, and their opinions on the current status of Spider-Man, including the ending of “Superior Spider-Man” and the upcoming movie “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
When asked about his experiences drawing Spider-Man, Ramos said, “When I started drawing Spider-Man, at that time I was like I can die today. To me, it was like I had reached my Everest.”
Another interesting part of the con was a panel discussing comic books in an academic setting. The panel questioned the place of comic books, a medium that is often ignored by the educational system, in the academic world.
“I went to (San Diego) Comic Con, an environment that celebrates interests that may be ostracized somewhere else, I knew I needed to be a part of this,” said Travis Langley, a professor at Henderson State University who wrote a book called “Batman and Philosophy.” Langley praises the use of comics as an educational tool, saying that they provide a fantastic opportunity to make students learn while doing things that they love.
At the end of the day, I felt that the con still had a lot to offer. While I had gotten to many of the booths, there was still a lot of space yet to be explored.
On day two of the con, there are a plethora of events to look forward to. Day two features include Sci-Fi speed dating, the Wizard World costume contest and a Q and A panel with Doctor Who superstar Matt Smith, which could be the highlight of the convention.