Another year, another Comic Con. Well, it’s actually only the 2nd Comic Con to be held here and I’ve got to say, it wasn’t half bad. After last year’s Con, there was a lot of talk about how unorganized the event was and how a lot of vendors were really displeased. We were actually a bit worried as to whether or not there would even be another, but to much to my delight and that of the cosplay community here, the show did go on.
This year’s Comic Con was definitely smaller than last year’s and there was a noticeable absence of Korean publishing houses and other Korea-based vendors. The floor space was pretty open and there were no particularly creative booths to note. While last years’s Con went all out with towering statues, a decked out Marvel cafe and even walk-through sets, this year’s Con was wildly underwhelming in comparison.
Of course it wasn’t all bad. What they lacked in creative set up, they made up for in amazing artists, panelist and celebrity guests. I got to mingle with so many amazing artists and writers from all over and I definitely dropped some serious cash on artwork and comics. I also got to hear a bit of the panels with Ezra Miller and Michael Rooker.
While it was amusing listening to the eternally angry tone of Michael Rooker’s voice bellowing through the mic, Greg Pak was probably the highlight of Comic Con for me. He’s a an American comic writer known for his work with Marvel, but he also works vigilantly at giving Asians and multiracial people a presence in the comic book scene. It was really great hearing him talk as a biracial person in the industry and seeing how he is actively changing the comic book scene. Giving those of us who don’t fit into one checked box a chance to see ourselves in comics.
I picked up a few of his books, including the Princess Who Saved Herself. It’s a children’s book, but the art is so pretty and the story is so cute I couldn’t resist. I really recommend picking it up, especially if you have a multiracial child. They’ll love it! I know I did =)
Please excuse my fan-girling… moving on…
I think one of the the things that will always make Comic Con great is the cosplay community. Like last year, there were a lot of amazing cosplayers and this year there were even more! Even I stepped up my cosplay game this year.
Overall, I think it’s a shame so many Korean exhibitors decided to sit this year out, but it was still a lot of fun… mostly due to the people who decided to participate. I think Seoul’s Comic Con still has a lot of potential and there is definitely a fan base here to make it successful. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to see even more amazing participants from abroad along with more of our locals. Until next year…
