Comic fest ‘draws’ fan crowd

November 9, 2009 by Jorge Labrador 

Fans, creators gather to celebrate local subculture

Tucked away from the rest of the Vegas Valley Book Festival happenings, the Clark County Library on Flamingo Blvd. weaved its own special brand of magic this weekend – thanks to Saturday’s Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, an offshoot of the other festival.

For a comic fan like myself, the upstart festival had a little bit of everything.

Discussion on topics from Batman and comics legend Jack Kirby to a locally produced comics anthology throughout the day? Check.

Merch from local comic shops, including comics, huge art prints and even little plastic Green Lantern rings – the viability of which as a cosmic weapon has yet to be disproven – for sale? Check.

A showcase of art from Kirby’s genre-defining work in 1960s to modern artists like Jim Lee and Joe Quesada? Check.

Yeah. It was the happiest day of my life the week.

This second annual celebration of comic book culture drew a larger crowd than last year’s, with staff estimating about a thousand people filtering in throughout the day.

The main hall of the festival was lined with comic creators promoting their work and chatting up fans. Matt Wagner, of “Grendel,” “Mage” and “Sandman Mystery Theatre” fame, acclaimed “Captain America” scribe Steve Englehart and Emmy-nominated TV and comics writer Mark Evanier were among the big-name draws at the event, but local talent was in abundance as well.

The team behind “Drunk,” an anthology of comic stories rooted in Las Vegas bar culture, and UNLV alumnus PJ Perez both proudly displayed their high-quality works – “Drunk” is an fanciful hardcover release, while Perez’s “The Utopian” is the first time his webcomic has seen print in a deluxe format.

Perez said the next project in store for his Pop! Goes the Icon label is a comics anthology, for which he is still seeking local writer-artist creative teams.

But what would a comics convention be without discussion panels?

Evanier’s ‘Hail to the King!’ talk was especially engaging, as Evanier knew Jack “King” Kirby well and was even his biographer – Kirby was responsible for creating characters like Captain America, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, which defined the modern superhero concept.

Kirby is an industry legend, but the festival’s panel on “Drunk” showcased another favorite aspect of mine in comics: the indie scene.

“Drunk” is a series of stories about the highs, lows and everything that happens when one is, well… drunk.

“Drunk” writers and artists Kim Deitch (an Eisner Award winner), Noelle Garcia, Jarret Keene, Sean Russell and Michael Ogilvie – the latter four are UNLV grads – spoke on the editorial process behind putting together an anthology of comic stories gathered from various artists, self-publishing and marketing them at indie-friendly local comic shops. Discussion touched on the “DIY,” or do-it-yourself, ethic of the collection, the production of which was handled from beginning to end by the group of six creators.

The panel on “Drunk” was a particularly strong point for the festival and a sign that next year’s event should continue focus on local indie comic projects.

The rate at which local projects like “Drunk” and Perez’s own upcoming anthology project are popping up has me excited for the future of the Vegas comic scene. Next year’s festival should be an interesting one.