Emerald City Comic Con: The Oz Perspective

So last weekend, Laura and I went to our local comic book convention, the Emerald City Comic Con. It's always a fun event, and Laura has her reports up at these links: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, pictures, post-con links. I'll just add that I was there only for Sunday (I had to work Saturday — not that I think I could have handled both days anyway, at least not as well as Laura did), but I did have a few Ozzy encounters. Most of it involved the folks at Illusive Arts, the folks who bring us the wonderful Dorothy of Oz comic book. They not only gave us a copy of the trade paperback, they gave us a price break on the pendant, just like the one in the comic. It really is an amazing piece, and Laura looks good with it. (It is only the third piece of jewelry I ever bought her, after her engagement and wedding rings. I'm so lucky to have a wife that doesn't like jewelry much...) Anna at the booth also told me about some exciting possible new projects coming up for them — which I can't tell you anything about, since it's all still in talks and development. Let's just say that I was flattered they entrusted me with their secrets!

I also got a chance to get some more sketches for my sketchbook. At comic conventions, many artists will give you a free sketch if they're not busy doing something else and you give them something to draw on. When she first went to the big San Diego Comic Con (that same weekend, I was in Indiana for the big Oz Centennial Convention), Laura took a blank sketchbook for artists to draw things for me, and I've been adding to it ever since. I usually ask for Green Lantern, but I've also given artists the option of Oz sketches if they are so inclined. (Some have even combined the two, and I specifically asked Eric Shanower for "the Green Lantern of Oz.") This time around, I got a Tin Woodman from Erik Larsen, a painting (let me just say that again: a painting) from "Billis" of the Wicked Witch of the West chewing out a monkey that looks a bit like Mojo Jojo, a Scarecrow from Dev Madan, and my sketchbook's first ever Cowardly Lion, courtesy of Tim Sale. Maybe, if you're good, and I can find time to get to my scanner, I can eventually put some of my Oz sketches up on this blog.

Oh, yes, and the Witch's feet went along, and showed up in a couple of unusual places. I should get those up soon as well.

And finally, on a completely non-Ozzy note: Gigi Edgley, who played Chianna in Farscape, is a completely and utterly charming woman, and much cuter in person than in any picture I've ever seen of her. If she's ever at a con in your neighborhood, just go up and say hi, you'll see what I mean.