The October 2022 Quad Con was Loaded with Comics, Toys, and Fun!

Today I attended the latest Quad Con event in Saint Charles. I had an incredible amount of fun, meeting a ton of stellar comic dealers, folks with creations to sell, and just generally chatting with fellow fans of popular culture! I kicked off the show by saying hello to my friend, Spike (of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles). He had a bunch of cool stuff for sale and posed for a pic:

Jack of Trade Up Comics had a booth full of great reads and I saw my good chum Bruce Reynolds who was selling some neat books as well. I checked out the booth for Bartertown Toys and Collectibles where I enjoyed digging through their comics and looking at all the toys they had. I proceeded to see my the always-awesome Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics who had so many superb books for sale! I snapped a picture of him:

I had a chance to check out Orion's Dragon Gems, their booth had some really cool jewelry available. I said hi to Larry of Bug's Comics and Games as he was selling at the show too. I then chatted with Red Den Studios about their snazzy paintings and prints. They were happy to be in a picture as well:

I met the folks at the booth for LuvKnotz and admired their amazingly done crochet. My good friend Chris McQuillen was selling wares too and we talked about how I looked forward to the next ToyMan show (which he runs). I then saw the Hero Initiative at the show, a fantastic charity that helps comic creators in need. I had the chance to talk with my friend Eric Meyer of STL Comics and bought a really cool, "Hulk," comic from him (I'll show what I got at the show when we reach this articles' end). He was pleased to have his picture taken with all his great stuff:

As I continued to explore the Quad Con I met Perler artist Leisure Time Treasures. I also chatted with creator Bilbus Thiq, he was very nice. My friend Justice of Wayne Kent Collectibles was there too! I met the folks behind Strangeville Comics, a cool multimedia entity that does comics, movies, and more! I got a picture of their cool booth:

I had a fantastic time at the latest Quad Con! I didn't even mention everyone at the show as I forget to get some folks' names or to take pictures, but there were other comic dealers, folks selling toys, collectibles, Funko Pops, and more! It was really fun and I was able to buy a snazzy, "Batman," comic from when Grant Morrison was writing for the series, that aforementioned, "Hulk," issue, and a, "Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars," #10 with a classic cover. Here are those:

This latest Quad Con was as awesome as I hoped it would be! I really enjoyed seeing lots of my old friends, meeting new people, and picking up some fantastic comics for myself. I'd recommend following them online so you can go to any other shows in the area and/or plan to attend the next one in Saint Charles!

The Saint Charles Quad Con Today was a Blast!

I had a blast today at the Saint Charles Quad Con. The Olympia event center in which it was held had a ton of space for the crowd that started out a little quiet at first and really grew once the afternoon hit. Here are some pics before it got a chunk more busy:

I started the show saying hi to some of the big guests of the con. I chatted with the talented Rags Morales, whose artwork on, "Action Comics," during the New 52 relaunch with Grant Morrison really wowed me. I also met Pixel Dan who had some awesome toys and a book about all the classic He-Man toys which was big and beautiful. Here's Dan:

I saw friend of the blog, acclaimed wrestler and actor Bishop Stevens as well. He was his usual friendly and fun self. We talked about how he had been doing since I'd last seen him pre-pandemic:

There were an immense number of vendors and creators too. When I entered the show I ran into my old friend Drew of CoMo comics. I bought a snazzy copy of the first issue of Spawn from his booth:

I chatted with my chum Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, then had the chance to sell some things to as well as buy some items from John of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles:

I met the acquaintance of Matt Cargal whose comic book about a stand-up comedian that gains superpowers, "The Comic," will be running a Kickstarter campaign for its latest issue soon: 

Author Cathy Jackson was the next person I had the pleasure of meeting. She creates what she described as, "Uplifting and encouraging romance." She had a great assortment of books in various sub-genres of romance and shared how it was actually the loss of her mother that inspired her to start writing more as a way to unpack her feelings and process everything. Her husband who helped to design much of her book, Matthew Jackson of Mad Celt Designs was at the show too! They were both great to speak with. Here is Cathy:

Justin Mosley of Wayne Kent Comics was at the show--on his birthday no less--cutting his usual stellar deals. I also so my buddy Bruce Reynolds who was kind enough to pose for a pic:

My friend Jack of Trade Up Comics was selling all kinds of cool books too:

James Doe of Cabal Books had a number of cool books. I bought some from him as you can see with this pic of him and some of his, "Wall books," as they are called:

I met Cosmic Comics for the first time and they were awesome! They let me snap a pic of one of their cool shirts and I have a picture of some of the snazzy books I got from them:

MWS Comics was new to me as well and they chatted with me about how they also clean and press comics:

I saw some really cool comics created by Biff! Bam! Boom! Comics. He was showing off a super-hero book that was a bit like the Justice League, a sci-fi one, and a title geared towards younger readers with a Teen Titans-vibe as he described it. I ran into Christa from Hearts Adorned Designs as well. She is very talented at creating costumes and cosplay with custom clothing alterations being something she specializes in too:

Larry of Bug's Comics and Games was present, and we discussed how I continue to be excited for the grand opening of his new store at the end of October--expect me to be there and report on it! Royalcomic had a bunch of cool comics too and I bought this snazzy, "Marvel Knights Wave 2, "comic with an early appearance of Yelena Belova:

I had a fantastic time at the Saint Charles Quad con today! There were tons of awesome comics for sale (and some I had the pleasure of buying, as I showed), stellar guests, impressive creators, and it was a stupendous day! I can't wait for the next show and will be sure to keep everyone informed of future events!

The Heroes for Kids Comic-Con Was Great Fun!

I attended the Heroes for Kids Comic-Con today and had a fantastic time! Heroes for Kids is a nonprofit and they held this con to raise funds and give everyone a great time. I went down to Perryville with my good friend Greg and we had a stellar time seeing old friends, making new ones, and (obviously) buying comics.

One of the first people I met and really enjoyed talking with was Eric of PJ Comics. I bought some cool stuff from him including a, "Batman," #6 from the New 52 era with beautiful Greg Capullo artwork and a, "Secret Invasion," #1 second printing variant cover (ya'll know love snazzy variants). I also met Ethan from E&A Comix who had an assortment of cool stuff (including some stellar, "Daredevil," issues from the Bendis and Maleev run). I bought some cool, "Avengers," comics from Red Brick Collectibles as well. I checked out some laser-etched items by Mr. Laser which were snazzy, saw my friend Justin of Wayne Kent Comics, and saw the always-delightful Bruce Reynolds. He had a bunch of comics for sale! Bruce was kind enough to let me snap a pic of him with a chunk of his wares:

I proceeded to meet some really cool creators. I met sci-fi and fantasy author Jason J. Nugent, chatted with author and artist Chely Penn who had some really snazzy prints for sale, and had the pleasure of meeting the author and cartographer Ellie Mack--she can custom make maps for RPGs and such! I talked with author Molly Daniels as well. Then I met the folks behind Russxplode Studios who had a fun book called, "Xenonanite Titan!" I met Lacye Lembcke, one of the creators of the cartoon Dope Bunny and Clive. I saw my friend, author J.E. Nelson (we had just chatted at Toyman last week too), and met artist Breanna Horneker. I had the pleasure of meeting author Ellie Mack and learned about her cool book, "The Awakening." I also saw Bradley Potts, who I've written about before, selling his awesome comic, "Stalker."

Before heading out in the afternoon, Greg and I watched a fun cosplay parade (a pic of some of the lineup is above) and I had some coffee from Villainous Grounds--a shop in Perryville that sells comics and coffee! The Heroes for Kids Comic-Con was a real treat to attend and I already can't wait for the next one in 2022!

The First ToyMan Show of 2020 Was a Delight!

Today was the first ToyMan show of 2020 and as one would expect, it was stupendous fun! I kicked it off exploring all the awesome wares for sale on the first floor. I chatted with John of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles and he told me they would have some shows in the future as well. I requested he keep me informed about them and he said he would! As I looked around I was able to trade a comic of mine for these really cool, "Mars Attacks," mini-comics. I am of course a big fan of mini-comics and ashcans so these really appealed to me. Give them a look:

Then I saw Justin Mosely from  Wayne Kent Comics and was pleased to purchase a Moon Knight comic from him my collection lacked. There was plenty of other awesome vendors as well, I saw some really old Lego sets that were astounding and some die-cast cars that looked quite impressive. I also ran into my chum Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles before I bought a couple other snazzy comics from some vendors--a neat team-up of Spider-Man and Ghost Rider fighting the (underrated) villain, the Orb, and an issue with Spider-Ham. Check them out:

I went upstairs and saw an assortment of my author friends. I talked with Leigh Savage about some of her latest erotica books being released and saw J.E. Nelson and her daughter, we discussed how busy they'd been lately! I also chatted with Jessica Mathews & Jennifer Stolzer about how things had been going for them and how they had some upcoming books in the work as well. I met Stevie Tisius of Steveidrawsdinos and loved her artwork as well. Before I headed back downstairs I saw Lonnie Johnson of Heroes for Kids too. I then went downstairs and browsed some more, at which point I got this first issue of, "Wolverine," when his ongoing series started. I was very pleased:

This ToyMan show was a lovely way to start the year. With an assortment of great comics, toys, video-games, and collectibles it is always jam-packed with incredible items and talented creators. The next show is on March 8th and I would strongly encourage you to attend if you'll be in the area as it is such a stellar show!

Make Sure to Attend the Latest STL Comics Micro Con Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, July 29th, from 10AM-4PM there will be the latest Micro Con held by none other than STL Comics! They are always stellar events full of fantastic vendors I enjoy seeing such as Cabal Books, Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, Trade Up Comics, Wayne Kent Comics, and plenty more! It is only $3 to get in, with free parking, and kids 10 and under are always free. Do note it has a new location, the Manhattan Antique Marketplace located at 10431 Saint Charles Rock Road in Saint Ann, Missouri, 63074. It should be a fun time as Eric Meyer (the head of STL Comics) always puts on a great show!

The Comic Book Presser Does Great Work!

Awhile ago I said how I had complicated feelings about CGC and comic grading/encapsulation in general. As I've gotten older and wiser I see how it has its uses and for some rarer comics or ones in really good condition it can be a good idea to keep them from falling apart over time. I had two comics I wanted to get graded but my hope was to make sure they were in stellar condition before I submitted them. I've heard about comic-book pressing and dry-cleaning in regards to how it can assist comics with some assorted issues (aging defects, spine roll, and so forth), but if I wanted pressing done I had zero idea whom to get help from. Should one look around online there are services that range widely in price, speed, and reviews, so it can be hard to know who to turn to for pressing. With this in mind, I asked some of my assorted comic-selling friends who have a lot more knowledge about comic-pressing and CGC grading than I do. My chum Justin of Wayne Kent Comics had plenty of glowing things to say about Chris, "The Comic Book Presser."

I reached out to Chris and he walked me through the form on his website you fill-out to be sent an invoice for his services. I then mailed him two comics. I sent him a Mexico variant of, "Amazing Spider-Man #11," featuring a J. Scott Campbell cover of the Black Cat that also appeared on a, hard-to-find, "Superior Spider-Man," cover in America (I got this as a present from my awesome friend who lives in Mexico and I trade comics with, Oziel). I also sent-in a copy of, "Avengers #196," which features the first full appearance of Taskmaster. The above pictures are from before the press. As you can see the Spider-Man comic is in mostly great condition but has some spine issues from my own occasional rough-handling, while the Taskmaster appearance has a number of concerns here and there that were evident when I bought it. It took about 4 weeks (I didn't pay for a rush-order which is an option, but I was good with the standard time) and my books came back as such:

The Spider-Man cover looks even more gorgeous and has nary a defect I can spot, and my, "Avengers," comic looks incredibly better--especially in regards to the extensive spine-roll it earlier suffered from. I look forward to submitting these to CGC for sure--I have no intention of selling the awesome Black Cat variant but think it would display wonderfully in a CGC case with a high grade. I may sell the, "Avengers," once it is graded as Taskmaster is getting more and more speculation heat lately. I found Chris' prices extremely reasonable compared to some quotes I'd seen online from other pressing services and am extremely pleased with the result of his work. I also was happy he kept in touch during the pressing-process, letting me know the books had arrived, when he was shipping them back, and so forth.

I took this today before getting them prepped to be sent-out to CGC.

I'd eagerly recommend The Comic Book Presser to anyone who is interested in having their books pressed/dry-cleaned/otherwise fixed-up before getting them graded, or simply if they want them to look snazzier. I want to thank Justin for his recommendation and Chris for doing such a superb job with my books. I look forward to getting them back graded and am excited to know they'll without a doubt grade much better thanks to Chris' hard work.

Another Great Micro Con is in a Week!

I am a fan of local toy and comic events, and have often discussed my great enjoyment of the Mirco Cons put on by STL Comics. Well, a week from today there will be another Micro Con! That's right, February 24th, 2019, from 10AM-4PM you can see all kinds of great vendors, awesome guests (Kenneth Rocafort will be there along with such stellar guests as Lorenzo Lizana and David Gorden), and otherwise have a ton of fun for just $3 admission (kids 10 and under are free). I always find stellar stuff at the Micro Cons, which feature such fantastic vendors as Trade Up Comics, CoMo Comic Books, Wayne Kent Comics, Cabal Books, and more! I look forward to attending the show next week at the Holiday Inn located at 3400 Rider Trail South, St. Louis, MO, 63045. Should you be a local who reads my blog or just happen to be in the area I'd encourage you to attend--I'll be there buying wares and trading my own stuff!

The STL Comics Geeky Extravaganza Was Great Fun!

Today I went to the Geeky Extravaganza that was held by STL Comics and it was a stellar time. I was able to trade some stuff I brought with me, sell a handful of items, and acquired a lot of great reads as well. I ran into some of my favorite vendors and met some great new folk too. After chatted with the head of STL Comics itself, Eric Meyer, I checked out everything on display...

I enjoyed running into James of Cabal Books who is both a friend of mine and a fantastic vendor.

I got these neat varied comics which caught my eye from Jack Brown of Trade Up Comics.

I met Erica of Straight Outta Comics (the link goes to her snazzy Etsy store) who had all kinds of cool comics for sale as well as some really impressive handmade pop-culture-themed crafts!

David from Callisto Comics was selling some delightful assorted books.

Drew Stuart of CoMO Comic Books sold me some comics featuring Moon Knight I was happy to snatch-up.

Last but not least, I saw Justin from Wayne Kent Comics, who was selling a smorgasbord of books.

I had an immense amount of fun at the first ever STL Comics Geeky Extravaganza where besides the vendors I mentioned there was all kinds of other wares on display from toys, to other crafts, and it was a spectacular time. The location it was held, Manhattan Antique Marketplace, was super-nice as well and I hope to attend any future ones. I'm also excited for the next STL Comics next event on February 24th, the first Mirco Con of 2019! All-in-all, this was a great time for sure and I had a ton of fun today, thanks again to STL Comics for organizing this and all the amazing vendors for being there!

I'm Pumped for the Upcoming Mirco Con on December 1st!

Anytime STL Comics puts on a Micro Con that I'm able to attend I get very excited. For a very reasonable price ($3, kids 10 and under are free, parking has no cost) you can visit with a variety of cool guests, observe the wares of an assortment of vendors, and otherwise have a great comic-con experience in a smaller form--instead of having to dedicate a whole day or two you just need a couple hours to have some fun. With guests including (but not limited to) Kyle Strahm and Lorenzo Lizana as well as vendors I love buying from such as Cabal Books and Wayne Kent Comics, it is sure to be a great show. I'll be there for sure sometime between 10AM-4PM at the Holiday Inn Airport West (located at 3400 Rider Trail S, Earth City, MO 63045). I hope to see anyone else who is able to attend there!