Dallas Comicon (Fan Expo Dallas) -- May 16-18, 2014

[DvilleBookstore]

Well, I will have to post the pictures tomorrow because the computer is acting up.

[kaholo1256]

Any dealers have a 9.8 Uncanny X-Men 266? Will be on the lookout tomorrow.

[SteveoSupremeo]

Big up to Erazer for hooking me up with his VIP pass!

 

 

I don't know if it would be right for me to comment on the VIP and Premium Lounge.

[Drakeprimeone]

I was only there Saturday. The biggest positive for me is that the move of venue from Irving to Dallas was a serious upgrade. The layout was great and there was ample room on the floor. It didn't take nearly as long to get in the doors. That being said I did have 2 negatives.

 

The smaller neg is I'm fond of getting autographed celebrity comics cgc'd. You'd think the dealers would show up with tons of Firefly comics. I didn't see any. I'm sure there were a few but seeing as this was pretty much a reunion show with nearly every cast member there I'd expect not to have to hunt for them. The Dallas show before this one had Peter Weller and Karl Urban. I went thinking I shouldn't have a problem finding Robocop and Judge Dredd books... newp.

 

The larger negative is how pictures weren't allowed for many of the celebrities at their signing table. You had to pay for a photo session. Yes I know they have to make their money however you'd think if you paid 80.00 for someone's autograph the least they could let you do is let us snap a quick cell phone pic. I've been to plenty of shows where you were allowed to and it seems its only the Dallas shows that had this restriction. That being said I was willing to pay for both an autograph and a picture with Nathan Fillion however his photo op session was sold out. Shame.

[Captain Canuck]

I was only there Saturday. The biggest positive for me is that the move of venue from Irving to Dallas was a serious upgrade. The layout was great and there was ample room on the floor. It didn't take nearly as long to get in the doors. That being said I did have 2 negatives.

 

The smaller neg is I'm fond of getting autographed celebrity comics cgc'd. You'd think the dealers would show up with tons of Firefly comics. I didn't see any. I'm sure there were a few but seeing as this was pretty much a reunion show with nearly every cast member there I'd expect not to have to hunt for them. The Dallas show before this one had Peter Weller and Karl Urban. I went thinking I shouldn't have a problem finding Robocop and Judge Dredd books... newp.

 

The larger negative is how pictures weren't allowed for many of the celebrities at their signing table. You had to pay for a photo session. Yes I know they have to make their money however you'd think if you paid 80.00 for someone's autograph the least they could let you do is let us snap a quick cell phone pic. I've been to plenty of shows where you were allowed to and it seems its only the Dallas shows that had this restriction. That being said I was willing to pay for both an autograph and a picture with Nathan Fillion however his photo op session was sold out. Shame.

 

I'm confused, did they prevent you from taking pictures from a distance or did they prevent you from taking a picture with the celebrity as you got your autograph?

[JorgeRR96]

Not getting table pics is the norm, big names don't do that. Nothing rare there.

[Drakeprimeone]

I was only there Saturday. The biggest positive for me is that the move of venue from Irving to Dallas was a serious upgrade. The layout was great and there was ample room on the floor. It didn't take nearly as long to get in the doors. That being said I did have 2 negatives.

 

The smaller neg is I'm fond of getting autographed celebrity comics cgc'd. You'd think the dealers would show up with tons of Firefly comics. I didn't see any. I'm sure there were a few but seeing as this was pretty much a reunion show with nearly every cast member there I'd expect not to have to hunt for them. The Dallas show before this one had Peter Weller and Karl Urban. I went thinking I shouldn't have a problem finding Robocop and Judge Dredd books... newp.

 

The larger negative is how pictures weren't allowed for many of the celebrities at their signing table. You had to pay for a photo session. Yes I know they have to make their money however you'd think if you paid 80.00 for someone's autograph the least they could let you do is let us snap a quick cell phone pic. I've been to plenty of shows where you were allowed to and it seems its only the Dallas shows that had this restriction. That being said I was willing to pay for both an autograph and a picture with Nathan Fillion however his photo op session was sold out. Shame.

 

I'm confused, did they prevent you from taking pictures from a distance or did they prevent you from taking a picture with the celebrity as you got your autograph?

 

Both. I specifically asked one of the staff members if I would be allowed to take a picture of Nathan Fillion once I paid for an autograph with him. Her response was "no, pictures aren't allowed and I would have to buy a photo op session".

 

I'm willing to believe it's a restriction put on by the event coordinators. Last year I had to pay for a photo op with Kelly Hu despite getting her autograph. She was at WW Austin a few months later. No such restriction. My buddy got to snap a pic with her right at her table once he got an autograph.

[Captain Canuck]

I was only there Saturday. The biggest positive for me is that the move of venue from Irving to Dallas was a serious upgrade. The layout was great and there was ample room on the floor. It didn't take nearly as long to get in the doors. That being said I did have 2 negatives.

 

The smaller neg is I'm fond of getting autographed celebrity comics cgc'd. You'd think the dealers would show up with tons of Firefly comics. I didn't see any. I'm sure there were a few but seeing as this was pretty much a reunion show with nearly every cast member there I'd expect not to have to hunt for them. The Dallas show before this one had Peter Weller and Karl Urban. I went thinking I shouldn't have a problem finding Robocop and Judge Dredd books... newp.

 

The larger negative is how pictures weren't allowed for many of the celebrities at their signing table. You had to pay for a photo session. Yes I know they have to make their money however you'd think if you paid 80.00 for someone's autograph the least they could let you do is let us snap a quick cell phone pic. I've been to plenty of shows where you were allowed to and it seems its only the Dallas shows that had this restriction. That being said I was willing to pay for both an autograph and a picture with Nathan Fillion however his photo op session was sold out. Shame.

 

I'm confused, did they prevent you from taking pictures from a distance or did they prevent you from taking a picture with the celebrity as you got your autograph?

 

Both. I specifically asked one of the staff members if I would be allowed to take a picture of Nathan Fillion once I paid for an autograph with him. Her response was "no, pictures aren't allowed and I would have to buy a photo op session".

 

I'm willing to believe it's a restriction put on by the event coordinators. Last year I had to pay for a photo op with Kelly Hu despite getting her autograph. She was at WW Austin a few months later. No such restriction. My buddy got to snap a pic with her right at her table once he got an autograph.

 

That is not usually the norm and I understand why they want you to purchase a photo op ticket instead of a freebie, but if you were so inclined for a freebie you could have taken a picture from afar.

[buuduh]

so whos gonna go to the show next week and set up?

[Drakeprimeone]

I was only there Saturday. The biggest positive for me is that the move of venue from Irving to Dallas was a serious upgrade. The layout was great and there was ample room on the floor. It didn't take nearly as long to get in the doors. That being said I did have 2 negatives.

 

The smaller neg is I'm fond of getting autographed celebrity comics cgc'd. You'd think the dealers would show up with tons of Firefly comics. I didn't see any. I'm sure there were a few but seeing as this was pretty much a reunion show with nearly every cast member there I'd expect not to have to hunt for them. The Dallas show before this one had Peter Weller and Karl Urban. I went thinking I shouldn't have a problem finding Robocop and Judge Dredd books... newp.

 

The larger negative is how pictures weren't allowed for many of the celebrities at their signing table. You had to pay for a photo session. Yes I know they have to make their money however you'd think if you paid 80.00 for someone's autograph the least they could let you do is let us snap a quick cell phone pic. I've been to plenty of shows where you were allowed to and it seems its only the Dallas shows that had this restriction. That being said I was willing to pay for both an autograph and a picture with Nathan Fillion however his photo op session was sold out. Shame.

 

I'm confused, did they prevent you from taking pictures from a distance or did they prevent you from taking a picture with the celebrity as you got your autograph?

 

Both. I specifically asked one of the staff members if I would be allowed to take a picture of Nathan Fillion once I paid for an autograph with him. Her response was "no, pictures aren't allowed and I would have to buy a photo op session".

 

I'm willing to believe it's a restriction put on by the event coordinators. Last year I had to pay for a photo op with Kelly Hu despite getting her autograph. She was at WW Austin a few months later. No such restriction. My buddy got to snap a pic with her right at her table once he got an autograph.

 

That is not usually the norm and I understand why they want you to purchase a photo op ticket instead of a freebie, but if you were so inclined for a freebie you could have taken a picture from afar.

 

I wanted a picture with him. Like I said I understand the practice, it's just unfortunate it was set up this way and I was willing to pay but official photo ops require more line waiting and in this case sold out. Just wish I was able to pay for and take a photo right there at the table.

[Captain Canuck]

In that sense, I agree they should give the opportunity to pay for a photo with them at the table on top of the separate photo ops. I guess the logistics and the wait times at the tables would be more of a hindrance to some fans.

[Psithyrus]

They wouldn't even let you take them away from the table.

 

To be fair, he was pumping out autographs at a pretty incredible rate. Summer Glau, who you could get a pic at the table with, had a much slower turn-around time. A few others also had that option, but their volumes weren't as heavy.

 

I got all 7 in probably one day's worth of time, because I was shopping.

 

There were few comics from the "Those Left Behind" series (I saw 4), but there were plenty from "Better Days" and "Leaves on the Wind." I was looking for a specifc cover and didn't come across it.

[Psithyrus]

Any dealers have a 9.8 Uncanny X-Men 266? Will be on the lookout tomorrow.

 

Did you find one? I saw a 9.6.

[kaholo1256]

No... A few were selling at eBay asking prices and wouldn't cut down for a 9.8. Found two 9.6's but no deals for this one. One dealer mentioned Tanning Chatum was going to be playing him in a upcoming movie so of course that raises the prices...

[Pirate]

DWC was extremely busy all day long. DWC has been representing CGC at all of the Dallas shows for the last three years. And seeing the move to the big convention center seems to have worked. We will have plenty of witnesses available to help you get your books signed. You will find us in booth 1348 conveniently located on the edge of artist alley. So if getting your books signed by any of the celebrities attending the show or comic creators in artist alley is what you want, then DWC is your next stop. See you at the show.

 

Great report

[Psithyrus]

No... A few were selling at eBay asking prices and wouldn't cut down for a 9.8. Found two 9.6's but no deals for this one. One dealer mentioned Tanning Chatum was going to be playing him in a upcoming movie so of course that raises the prices...

 

I didn't pick up much. It was a Firefly weekend.

 

I did find a Men in Black #1. I thought that was a cool book and for 50% off. I grabbed a book from Duncanville. One other. I was under budget for comics, even though there were some nice books popping up.

[DigsUT]

I have never really done a con report, but since this was my first to be with a guest, thought I would put one together.

 

First and foremost, the venue was gigantic. At no time did I feel claustrophobic or felt the need to "throw bows" to get through the crowds. Parking was not terrible if you were staying at a hotel close to the venue. As far as food options, there were quite a few, but as you would imagine, overpriced. Not really a surprise there. On the plus side, I never had to wait in line to use the restroom, HUGE plus right there

 

As stated, this is the first time I have sat with a guest for a con. We brought Art Thibert. Really awesome guy and has been a big part of the last 3 decades of comics with Marvel and DC. Needless to say, his stories of the industry was worth the experience alone.

 

As far as the assortment of dealers, there was a significant increase from past years, at least in my eyes. On top of that, they were placed, for the majority, at the from of the vendor hall, which was nice to see.

 

On to the specific days observations.

 

- Friday:

 

Due to the sheer size of the venue, it was really tough to gauge just how many people were actually there. I spent the first 2-3 hours standing in line for JSC, only to find out they were doing a lottery for sketches. Completely understand the rationale behind it, but was still bummed, having stood there for that long unnecessarily. His line was pretty ridiculous by the time he showed up. It was a very odd placement for him, imo, but it worked out.

 

Once I got back to my table, it was pretty steady until close. It was really awesome to see fans come up and get books signed, shake the mans hand and get pics taken. Friday was pretty much steady. Did not see to many cosplayers running around artist alley, but still managed to snap a pic or two from the table.

 

All in all, Friday was a win.

 

- Saturday:

 

Glad I had guest access, cause the lines this morning were HUGE. The nice thing about this venue is the fact that no one had to stand outside while waiting.

 

Got a bit of a late start, but gave me an opportunity to browse the dealers and snatch a couple of Gamestop ASM variants. Said hello and shot the bull with some of the dealers I see at most of the cons. Duncanville was well represented. I saw Graham Crackers for the first time. Plus all of the regulars. Did not get to do too much browsing, since I was technically working.

 

Once Art got started, it was pretty much non-stop for the rest of the day. There had to be at least 40,000+. There was a line for everything, ATM, food, etc. At least there was no line for the restrooms:p Got to snap a couple more cosplayer pics from the table. There was a large group of X-men running around, like 20+ people. That was pretty cool to see. David Finch was the big feature comic guest that day and he had quite a line. Once 7pm rolled around, we were just ready to get food and some booze in our bellies.

 

- Sunday:

 

Seemed really slow to start the day, but ended up picking up after the typical Sunday church time. It was steady until about 1-ish, then the Firefly panel let out and the sea of humanity descended on the show floor. Bagley and Slott were the big names for the day and had quite a few people in both lines as expected.

 

I took the opportunity when the lull was happening to get the exclusive bag signed by all the artists. It came out really nice and I will post a pic of it when I get home. I did not see anyone having the bag signed, so I figured it would be unique. Bubbagump did me a solid and took some books off my hands, so I did not have to haul it home. Picked up my first BA 12 from him and promptly took it over to DW to have graded. Hoping to hit a 9.4 on that one.

 

3:30 rolled around and we had to get Art to his car and to get to the airport. Spent the rest of the time talking with some artists, then headed out.

 

I can say with confidence, it was a great con. Got to meet quite a few new folks and experience things from a different side. I would definitely do it again and will be at Capital City Comic Con in July.

 

PICS:

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Cos-players

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assorted Loot:

 

 

 

Lost the Campbell sketch lottery, but managed to snag a little OA doodles

 

 

In retrospect, I should have tried to snag Campbell's sign as well:p

 

 

Awesome OA from Matthew Weldon

 

 

This one was fun to get. Wish I could have snagged Stan Lee's sig, but he was gone by that time.

 

[Psithyrus]

Honestly, I had a super fun time. Got to see a buddy I almost never to see.

 

My only thing. . . they could have used some extra signage for the morning lines. I didn't have an issue, but people were getting whiny on Sunday. I also heard from several guests (my friend included) that if you didn't like the answer you got from one volunteer, ask another one. Again, I didn't experience that, but it was something I heard quite a few times. Perhaps, some coordination issues.

[mysterio]

Thanks for the report and pics, DigsUT! It sounds like this show is taking a step forward, at least in terms of growth and a change in weekend.

 

Looking forward to October in Irving!