CM
text + photos TONE RUBIO
Over the May 12-13 weekend, Fantasia Comic Con was held in my hometown of Indio, California. Naturally being the huge nerd, I had to attend. For those not familiar, a comic con is a convention celebrating all things comic book and popular culture. You will see a space filled with countless vendors selling anywhere from comic books, the best vintage toys you wish you still had, pop culture memorabilia, or the best geek clothing that money can buy. You will also see many great artists that have created your favorite characters in comics or cartoons. And some artists you may not have ever heard of, who are new to the industry and grinding it out to make a name for themselves. You’ll even come across celebrities that may have starred in your favorite television, movie, or these days, internet cult classic. Put that all together in one space, and you’ll have walked into a nerd Coachella.
Upon entering the convention the first thing right in front of me was one of my favorite toy vendors Rogue Toys out of Las Vegas. At that point, I had to tell myself: just relax or you will blow your budget within the first ten minutes. I briefly said “what’s up” to the owner Steve who was already trying to show me all the Star Wars stuff he brought for the convention. I put the blinders on and kept on my way! One attendee a few vendors down already had a tote bag with ten Funko Pop figures purchased and the convention had only been open for a half hour. She said this is adding to her 500 plus she has at home. For those that don’t know, Funko Pop figure collecting has turned into a whole culture unto itself! Seeing her dedication almost hyped me up to run back to the toy vendors and start buying like crazy, but I kept my cool again and stayed with the game plan of walking the whole floor and taking everything in first.
Me being a fellow working artist, one of my favorite things to do at comic cons is to talk to the other artists that are representing their work. It is a great way to meet like-minded individuals who share the same passion. It is always fun to learn tips and tricks from one another, hearing how they approach something in a completely different way that you do. But most of all, it is always a pleasure to meet another fellow artist and to hear their story. One that stuck with me was David Phillips of DB Comix. He was telling me how at one point he was homeless and that all he really had left was his drawing skill. He would draw every day and that helped pull his life back together. He started off by going to print and copy stores and xeroxing his drawings and stapling them together to create his own comics that he would sell on his own. And now he is in the comic con circuit getting his work out there. The Agents of S.O.U.L is his creation.
This year, it was very pleasing to see local artists representing at the convention as well. Coachella Valley natives Fernando Ramirez and Cece Cruz were in attendance showcasing their artwork. Even Orlando Harding who is the founder of Fantasia Comic Con, is a comic book artist who resides in Cathedral City, California. That’s great for local youngsters who were in attendance and have a passion for art — to be able to see that this is a career they can do as well.
On my way through the artist alley I passed by a giant Deadpool robot, Batman checking his text messages on his cell, and a Sith Lord waving his lightsaber. Sounds crazy right? But that is to be expected at comic cons. These people known as cosplayers spend many hours creating these awesome costumes to wear just for these conventions. Some did it for the cosplay contest that was held at the convention, and some do it because they just love to do it. There are those that have even made a career of cosplaying. It is a culture that spans all walks of life and knows no age restriction. Hell, there were whole families in cosplay over the weekend. It definitely adds to the whole ambiance of what a comic con is.
Comic con panels are areas of the convention where you can hear presentations on topics directly related to the culture. Stuff like, Comic Writing 101, how to break into the industry. Or a spotlight presentation with one of the top comic book artist in the industry. The panel I stopped to see was one that I really enjoyed from last year. It was called Hip Hop and Comics. It discussed the influences that comic books had on the hip hop culture. And being such a fan of hip hop, it was a discussion I really enjoyed. For those that know hip hop history, many artists have always referenced comics in their lyrics. Comic book art also had a direct influence on graffiti as well, which is one of hip hop’s elements. Panels usually last about an hour, so it was a nice way to sit down for a break from walking and to get some good knowledge.
Kevin Eastman is the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and this years main draw for Fantasia Comic Con. He gave an informative timeline slide presentation that discussed the start of his career and how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came to be. It was a very entertaining panel to listen to.
This all worked out perfectly for me, which led to my end goal: meeting and getting some memorabilia autographed by Kevin Eastman himself. The wait wasn’t long at all. The line was about 40 people deep at any given moment, but moved at a good pace. Waiting in line gives you a chance to chat and nerd out with other convention-goers. I made my way to Kevin Eastman’s table, shook his hand. Thanked him for coming to my little hometown of Indio and being part of this event. He was a very nice and down- to-earth person. He did an awesome big drawing of his character Casey Jones on a blank comic cover and signed it for me. That made my weekend complete right there.
I went on my way and did a few more laps around the convention after that. Checking out a few more things, saying “hello” to the rest of the artists that I hadn’t gotten to meet yet. Then finally decided to call it a day and head home. Shakey’s pizza parlor across the street had been calling my name for a few hours now and I was starving.
Comic Cons are truly a place for dreamers, creators, a place where one can let their imagination run wild and where you can be who you are. One wouldn’t have to worry about what the person next to them is thinking because everything is fair game here. I really enjoyed myself and was very proud to see the second year growth of Fantasia Comic Con, the mighty little con that could.
By the way…. I did end up going back to the Rogue Toys booth and bought a bunch of stuff before I left. Until next time, hope to see you all next year.
WEB: fantasiacon.com
LINKS: roguetoys.com
Photo gallery by Coachella Magazine