This weekend, thousands of comic book fans -- including many in costume -- will head to the convention center for Baltimore Comic-Con, a celebration of all things graphic and boxy. The Baltimore Sun's Chris Kaltenbach spoke with organizer Marc Nathan about the two-day gathering, which is designed for purists rather than for a broader pop culture spectrum. A costume contest with a $1,000 grand prize is set for Sunday. So unleash your inner Flash or Wonder Woman and head downtown. Here's an excerpt from the article:
"Having fringe sci-fi people, from shows that were popular back in 1972, doesn't make that much sense to me," [Nathan] says. "That's not my show, that's not what I want to do."
What he does want to do, Nathan says, is provide area comic-book fans with a forum where they can celebrate their hobbies and their passions. More than 80 dealers have bought space at the show. They'll be selling comics ranging from the 1940s golden-age adventures of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (for which collectors can pay thousands of dollars) to the most recent adventures of Gen 13, Wolverine and Watchmen (which can often be found in bargain boxes for a quarter).
Nathan has also booked more than 150 guests for the show, including Todd McFarlane ("Spawn"), Adam Hughes ("Wonder Woman"), Herb Trimpe ("The Incredible Hulk") and Marc Hempel ("Sandman"), many of whom will be doing sketches and signing autographs for fans. Saturday night, the annual Harvey Awards, voted on by comic industry professionals, will be awarded. An artists' workshop, run by comic-book veterans Howard Chaykin and Klaus Janson, is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, just one of dozens of workshops and panels being offered throughout the weekend.