Mmkay, this con is about a month old. If I wait much longer to post it’ll be ancient history, so here we go. This was my second visit to MegaCon. For those of you unfamiliar with the wide world of comic booking and other such niceties then here’s a good chance to learn. I became fully invested in this sort of thing when I started dating my boyfriend, who happens to own a comic book store- Read More Comics– which he has been successfully operating for the last, what, eleven years? That said, even I, who have only been in this game for a year and a half or so, have heard things like, “What? They still make them things?” or “I’ve got a ton of comics…how much do you think they’re worth?” One can quickly realize that, in most cases, they’re worth next to nothing. (But if you’re looking to buy/sell the ones that are? Cons like this are where to be.)
But this year? STAN LEE WAS THERE.
Now, if none of the information at the top made a difference, this is the big one. Have you seen Spiderman? Have you seen Iron Man? Are you going to see Thor or Captain America? Yes to any of the above (as well as many others)? Well- without Stan Lee and his amazing contributions to the comic-ing world you probably wouldn’t be. I’m not really into the Superhero thing. I do read some Thor but that comes from a deeper love of the Nordic pantheon rather than comics. But because Stan Lee and the early creators spent the time, energy and dedication to building this medium we’ve been given more independent projects like The Walking Dead, Y The Last Man, Scott Pilgrim, Scarlet and other great stories that may not have gained any sort of popularity without their superhero predecessors.
We ended up at two of his panels, a signing and picture op (literally we stalked this man from room to room the whole time), and the impression I leave with is a creative man who loves and respects the characters, stories and fans that have built his life. He feels privileged and appreciated and in turn gives that back to the generations that continue to build the popularity through both print, Hollywood, etc. His energy, even at his growing age, was inspiring. When we heard him talk about his career he made it sound like the world had fallen in his lap and he just took advantage of it, but you can see the concern, years of worry and determination etched into his smiling features.
I’ll never forget, in one of his panels, someone asked him earnestly, “Who, of all the superheroes, is your absolute favorite?” We all waited, speculating, until finally, as earnestly as the question was posed he responded, “Well, me of course.” He laughed jovially and moved on. In the answer you heard his entire life. The struggles, humor and honest humility. He does what he does because he loves it and the people he’s met through his travels. And he has become a legendary, iconic piece of entertainment world with a foot print that will never be forgotten. I mean, to have effectively created modern societies gods and role models is no small feat, but this man wears it so very, very well. A living god, himself, as it were. I feel honored to have seen him and hope that I’ll get to do it again before he finally decides to step out of the spotlight.
(These were all shot with a 50mm prime lens. No zoom.)
BONUS!! Thor was there!!!
Life of a Panda 