Read Local, Shop Local, Attend Local Cons
By Dan Brown I’ll be honest with you: I don’t know how the Trump tariffs are going to affect the price of comics, if at all. But if you’re looking for ways to put your comic-book dollars back into the local economy, be it Southwestern Ontario or Canada, here are a few ideas for how to do so. For starters, you can patronize local comics stores like L.A. Mood, which employs Londoners and supports the local pop-culture ecosystem by hosting events like Godzilla Day. The Forest City has always been blessed with more than its share of places where you can pick up your favourite comic titles, and the same goes for all of Southwestern Ontario. Here’s a fun road trip idea for when the warm weather arrives: Make it your goal to visit all the comic stores in this corner of Canada, which will mean travelling to such communities as Sarnia, Windsor, Chatham, Kitchener, and Guelph. I did so a few summers back and it was a blast! Along the same lines, when convention season starts back up, you don’t need to go all the way to San Diego (or even Toronto) to hang out with other comic enthusiasts.London has cons aplenty, including Forest City Comicon – which this year moves to a new date (November 2) and venue (the Lamplighter Inn). Other shows to keep in mind include the Chatham Kent Expo, which happens April 26 and 27. I realize bigger cons get bigger names. That doesn’t necessarily make for a better experience, though. For example, almost every DC or Marvel panel I’ve attended at Fan Expo in previous years can be summed up in one sentence: “Our company has such cool stories coming out soon, but if we told you the details it would spoil them.” The difference at a smaller event is the friendlier vibe, which is much warmer. There is no substitute for meeting comic fans or cosplayers in your own backyard! And what’s that, you say you also want to read local at this moment in our country’s history? It’s easy to make that happen by throwing your support behind specific creators and publishers. There are guys like Byron’s Derek Laufman, the graphic novelist responsible for Bot 9, RuinWorld, and Crimson Fall. Fans can buy his books and art directly from his website. Laufman also has a Patreon page, which offers exclusive first looks at the projects he is working on. Other Forest City creators to check out include Diana Tamblyn, A Jaye and Alison Williams, Scott MacDougall and D.S. Barrick (who publish under the banner of River Donkey Adventures), Sam Maggs, and don’t forget Bryan Lee O’Malley. Among the cartoonists with connections to the wider Southwestern Ontario scene are Jeff Lemire, Seth, Scott Chantler, and Joe Ollmann. Or perhaps you want to support Canadian publishing houses. Done. There’s always Drawn & Quarterly in Montreal, the East Coast’s Conundrum Press, and Chapterhouse Comics (the publisher of Captain Canuck). They all do compelling work. If you don’t like my ideas and you need more suggestions, just consult with the staff at your comic-store or the nearest librarian. When it comes to comics, and pop culture in general, our dominion punches way above its weight. So if you have any other suggestions of other creators to support, or different ways to keep your pop-culture dollars circulating close to home, I would love to hear all about them in the comment box below! Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Forest City Comicon Celebrates a Decade of Nerdiness
By Dan Brown Where will you be this Sunday? I’ll be at London’s Centennial Hall among the many fans who have helped make Forest City Comicon the long-running local success that it is. Such a smash, in fact, that June 16 marks 10 years since the first edition of FCC was held. In that time, it has seen visits by a hobbit, an X-Man, a Ninja Turtle, a vampire, and both Pinky and the Brain. And I’m just talking about the celebrity guests! The real treat for me is savouring the vibe that’s created when the members of different fandoms come together to share the love they feel for a particular comic, movie, TV show, anime or video game. You might think fitting all those many pop-culture enthusiasts into one place would set off sparks, but it’s the opposite. The atmosphere is peaceful and positive. I really dig it. “What I love about comicons is these are people who are passionate about something,” says Ian Tyson, a host and member of the FCC organizing committee. “That passion makes for a good audience member” at panels, adds Tyson, who – as part of the Just Us League, along with Jeremy Bushell and Brad Bushell – has led panels in the past on topics like debating the merits of Superman movies versus Batman films. Tyson says the assembled fandoms have joined to make a community that has lasted a decade and counting. A highlight for Tyson came in 2017 when he made second breakfast live on stage during a question-and-answer session with Billy Boyd, the actor who played the heroic halfling Pippin in the Lord of the Rings movies. “Our goal starting out was to be an alternative to (Toronto’s) Fan Expo, not to replicate it,” explains organizer Carol Vandenberg. “We hoped to define a London version by focusing on local and more accessible talent.” As far as I can see, mission accomplished. This year features a guest lineup that includes a strong Star Trek presence. Both Sara Mitich and Patrick Kwok-Choon have appeared on the just-concluded Discovery while T.J. Storm is known for his motion-capture performances in such movies as Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Deadpool. “Our goal is to make the biggest one-day show we can, bursting with activities, local talent, emerging celebrities and not-forgotten fan favourites,” Vandenberg says. The cosplay contest at FCC is legendary, and there will also be face-painting, panels, two floors of vendors, a Harry Potter photo booth, food trucks, and a Mario Kart competition. Although it’s taken for granted now, no one knew before 2014 if a fan convention of this size would work in London. Fellow organizer Gord Mood says the show mostly draws fans from its namesake community, but also from towns as far as two hours away. “When I think about the first time I did it, it doesn’t feel that long ago,” Mood reflects. “We know what to do (now), but it’s still a lot of work.” And where a big-city show such as Fan Expo can afford to bring in 20 or 30 celebrity guests, Mood and his crew have to be more strategic about their resources. “I think cons have to be diverse enough to appeal to a large fan base rather than a particular type (of fan),” he says. “Early success led us to try out larger venues and weekend-long shows, but we found that really did not work out for us,” Vandenberg says. “COVID allowed us to go back to basics and perfect our original model.” I’ll see you there! Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 31 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group. P.S. Forest City Comicon tickets are still available
