Recap of Day 2 of the 2012 Austin Comic Con.

It’s been years since I’ve done a comic book convention so it was fun to check out the 2012 Wizard World’s Austin Comic Con this year. Back in my day, a comic con was just that; just comic books, and the writers and artists behind them.

But things are very different now. Ever since Hollywood figured out that graphic storytelling would make good movies (seriously, what took them so long?), movies and television have the biggest seat at the table.

But for me it’s still about the comics, and meeting legendary artist Neal Adams was HUGE. He reinvented Batman for the 70’s, made superheroes look more realistic, and helped lead the movement for comic book creators to keep financial rights for their characters.

Adam’s signed a print for me, and later did an irreverent Q&A panel. He didn’t take himself too seriously and had a lot of fun with the crowd.  He was also gleefully profane; when asked about the future of digital comics he replied; “we don’t f&*^%g know”. He was a riot, but was very attentive and left no question unanswered.

And check out these images from ‘Marvel Zombies’ Artist Arthur Guyndam:

As for the celebrities;

70’s ‘The Incredible Hulk‘  star Lou Ferrigno  was there and was charging for photos. Since I didn’t want to make him angry by asking for a freebie, I let him be.

The photo charging thing is the status quo at these events, and fans lined up for ‘Walking Dead” stars Michael Rooker and Norman Reedus. And for Trekkies it was a nerdgasm as the cast of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation‘ signed autographs before holding a full reunion.

The panel, I was most interested in was ‘The Psychology Of Batman‘, which was hosted by Dr Travis Langely, who hypothesized on whether Bruce Wayne is truly as insane as his villains. All fanboy conjecture, but fun nonetheless for any Dark Knight Fan.

And now for the shopping;

The geek item du jour these days is the comic book/movie/tv T-shirt, and the variety at this place was mind-boggling. I painfully narrowed my selection to 2; a Leatherface Tee, and a vintage ‘Ghost Rider’ shirt. (The comic not the movie!).

And if I had an endless cash supply I would’ve come home with rare comics, and vintage toys. Alas, I was on a budget.

But let’s not forget the real stars of the convention; the fans themselves. It’s the best people watching ever. And all were more than happy to have their pictures taken. Check them out.

And last, but not, least I got to see the DeLorean from ‘Back To The Future’! The flux capacitor was glowing, but I couldn’t get close enough to vouch if it truly worked…

I had a great time, and will try to hit Comic-Con again next year. Comic Conventions have come a long way from the secretive society of self-conscious comic nerds I went to as a kid in the 80’s. There is confidence on display, and for good reason. As Adam’s said “comic books are taking over the world.”

And it’s true as far as movies and television are concerned; if pop culture is a mirror to society, than the geeks have inherited the Earth (or at least the 21st century).

Austin-Comic-Con continues Sunday October 27th from 10am – 5pm

For the Neal Adam’s collectors:

[amazon_image id=”1401235379″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Batman: Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 1[/amazon_image]

All TV shows discussed here are playing on Netflix Streaming. Currently Netflix offers a free, month-long trial of their service. Click Here to get started today