Blog

The 2010 Phoenix Comic Con was far more than I expected. The con has been going for about 8-9 years. My research showed that it has been growing for the past several years. A vendor who I converse with at both San Diego and San Francisco highly recommended this convention. In 2009, the con garnered 7,000 attendees. I have noted that these comic book conventions, such as WonderCon and Phoenix, have been growing every year over the past few years. But nothing could have prepared me for the fun and energy that surrounded this con.

First, there were the crowds. Last year, the con was held at the Meza Convention Center in Meza, Arizona. Con organizers expected bigger crowds, so the venue was moved to the Phoenix Convention Center. First estimates have the crowds at 10,000, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the final tallies reach 14,000-15,000. The crowds rivaled that of San Diego and WonderCon. Aisles were jam packed Friday through Sunday. Even the Thursday preview night had a steady flow of traffic. The only major companies there were Wildstorm, Top Cow, and DC. And even DC, had almost an invisible presence there. I can almost guarantee you that will change in 2011. With the numbers that were present this past Memorial Day Weekend, Phoenix has now graduated to the big leagues. This convention will only get bigger and better in the years to come.

The next surprise was the number of Christians that not only came to the CCAS table, but had tables selling their materials. There had to be at least 35-40 people who came to the CCAS table and identified themselves as Christians. Many stated they didn’t know the CCAS was going to be there, some shared that they thought they were only Christians that were comic book fans. One husband and wife wondered if there was a monthly meeting of the CCAS in the Phoenix area. When we shared with them that there wasn’t, they offered their church as a meeting place for the CCAS. Another Christian asked what he could do to be active part of the CCAS. We got their information and hopefully this can lead to a monthly meeting of the CCAS in the Phoenix area. With the number of Christians that expressed interest, this could be a possibility. Many Christians were very happy that we were there sharing the gospel of Christ.

Brent Donoho, who is a professional illustrator, was a wonderful blessing. He prayed for us at the convention and he had dinner with us on Friday. We were also to meet “ning” site member Kevin Anderson and another Christian brother, Robert Miranda. The Christians that had tables at the con were Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford of Blacklist Studios. They were selling “The King” and “R13” at their booth. There was Bryan Kilgore was sharing a booth selling his books, “Logos” and “bre bre & bj”. Then there was Pepe Melan selling “Watchman; Tales of Blood and Fire”. Joe King sold his book “Jimmy Jet” at the CCAS table on Saturday afternoon.

The CCAS was able to organize a “Spiritual Themes on Comics” panel for Saturday afternoon. The panel was hosted by Don Ensign and I, and the panelist were Tom Hall, Daniel Bradford, and Joe King. The panelist expressed themselves in an expressive and articulate manner. I believe them made a great connection with the audience. There were about 25 people in the audience. The discussions went well and there was a lot of interaction with the audience. The question/answer portion could have easily gone on for another 30 minutes. Don Ensign contacted people who were Mormons, Jews, and Buddhist and hopefully they will be on the panel for next year.

There was also interaction with people were not Christians. There was this one young lady who was 15 years, but her demeanor made seem much older. She was highly intelligent and being a middle school teacher, I could tell she probably had a high IQ. She didn’t have any religious conviction, but she talked with us and shared with us difficulties she was having at school and in her family. When she left, we immediately prayed for her and her family. As usual, the tracts were moving off the table and of course, the candy is always a way to get people to the table.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon (5 hour drive) and met with Don Ensign and Brent Hofstra. One vendor, who lives close to me, accused me of maybe breaking the speed limit, noting my 5 hour drive time. Needless to say I was deeply wounded by such an accusation. However, set-up went smoothly, except for the flat tires on the dolly. The table area was spacious and comfortable. Not as roomy as WonderCon, but definitely bigger than San Diego. The Thursday crowd was surprisingly large and active. We actually sold a few books that Thursday. After the show we had dinner at a TGI Fridays that overlooked the stadium where the Arizona Diamond Backs baseball team plays. It was a great view of the stadium and the food was good. We stayed at a hotel which was about a 20 minute drive from the convention center, and though it was a drive, we couldn’t beat the price for such nice accommodations. Don and I shared the room that came to about a little over $26.00 a night. We also had dinner at an upscale restaurant, and though they were a little pricey, my sandwich was outstanding. The three full days at the con were very, very busy. The only snafu came at break down when I had to get loading dock pass from the con organizer and not the dock foreman. But for a first convention for the CCAS in Phoenix, it went very smoothly. Lord willing, the CCAS will definitely be at Phoenix in 2011. It reminded me of San Diego 20 years ago. It was a refreshing experience. Continue to pray for the CCAS as the Lord continues to open the doors to us to be at these conventions to be a light.

You can check out photos from the convention in my album and on my page. Enjoy.