Phoenix Comicon April 10

[Rob]

Who's going? I'll be there. I'm sure it'll be the 3rd disappointing year in a row for me. In my 2 years attending, I haven't bought a single item. I figure, I'd like to visit my LCS's anyway, why not go to where they're all congregated in one place? But a "convention" it's not!

 

http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/

[LordThanos1969]

I will be there. And I agree with you about the quality of the show, as I've gone two out of the three years it's been held, purchasing very little. Still, I support it by attending, hoping it might grow into something. Also, I know most of the local dealers that set up there, so it's bit of a walk down memory lane too.

 

Sadly, Phoenix has an unfortunate legacy as a poor place to have a comic book convention. The biggest one I can remember was at the Phoenix Civic Center about a decade ago, and it turned out to be a real dud, supposedly losing money for the promoters and disillusioning the dealers. I doubt this town will ever have anywhere near an impressive con again, unless an entity like Wizard decides to take up the cause.

[Sonofpromoterman]

What do you not like about the Phoenix show ?

[Rob]

Are you the show's promoter? It's just too small. Phoenix has great conventions that are non comic-related (Women's Expo, fishing expos) that fill huge convention centers. I know it's not going to compare to San Diego or the like, but you hear about great comic cons in Philly, Pittsburgh, Houston, DC, etc. But I get to the Phoenix con, and it's in this tiny room with about 30 local dealers, 10 or 12 of which actually sell comics. I know some dealers in town who don't even bother attending. When that's happening, something's wrong.

[LordThanos1969]

Well, I think it would be more accurate to describe the Phoenix Comic Convention as a show rather than a convention. Most, if not all, comic book conventions are multiple days with guests and programming. This "show" is just one day long, and, even more limiting, it only runs for a relatively short time frame as well, 9 AM to 3 PM.

 

From what I've heard from the dealers in town, the promoters of this "show" only have a small budget and can't afford much in the way of guests or advertising. And no major dealers have yet to attend one, and with the limited size and time of the event, there is no motivation for them to attend. The reality is the Phoenix Comic Convention is a small potatoes operation and cannot remotely be compared with anything approaching a major convention, such as a Wizard World one, Wonder Con, etc.

[Sonofpromoterman]

Rob and Lord Thanos,

Thanks for the eye opening info.Your constructive criticsm help me promote my "shows" in Texas by getting a idea how other promoters put on their "shows".

 

I always tell dealers and collectors my functions are "shows" not "conventions.

 

Maybe one day I will go from being a "small" potato to a "big" potato.

[Rob]

5 more days! Who's going? I know, I criticized it before, but it's the only comic event we have in town. I'm saving my real excitement for San Diego. But this convention will at least be the highlight of my week. Who else will be there?

[Apotheosis]

I'll be going. I'm not sure why since I don't have cash this year and they usually don't have anything I want to buy anyway. It's probably to support the ONLY thing that ever happens in this god forsaken state that has something to do with comics.

 

It is kind of sad that we live in the 5th largest city in the country and we can't even get a decent comic convention. Then again, we don't really have any good LCS's either. Atomic might be big, but they suck in anything pre-1980.

[Rob]

I'll be going. I'm not sure why since I don't have cash this year and they usually don't have anything I want to buy anyway. It's probably to support the ONLY thing that ever happens in this god forsaken state that has something to do with comics.

 

It is kind of sad that we live in the 5th largest city in the country and we can't even get a decent comic convention. Then again, we don't really have any good LCS's either. Atomic might be big, but they suck in anything pre-1980.

 

Don't get me started on Atomic!!! I live in Chandler, but used to have to drive to the Mesa store to buy CBM, as it was the only store in town that carried it. (For the non-Arizonans, Atomic Comics is a comic chain in the Phoenix area with 4 locations.) Well, last month I went, and they've never heard of the magazine. I said, "It's really odd that I can't find a magazine about vintage comic books at a comic book store." They have plenty Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and the latest comic books (WAY overpriced), but not much in the vintage realm. Oh, they have about 10 silver/golden age books in mid grade, but priced as if they were NM. Same books have been there for 10 years. Someone needs to teach them the importance of inventory turnover.

[Apotheosis]

Could be worse... I'm closest to the north phoenix store and when I asked them about golden age they pointed me to a wall that had it's oldest book being a Fantastic Four 88. If you don't know what the ages are then don't point people to them.

 

But hey... they've got Manga wall scrolls all day long.

[Rob]

There used to be a great comic shop on 7th St (or was it Ave?) called Lost Dutchman's Comics. Nothing high grade, but he had everything! And all comics were half off guide. I got a bunch of great silver age keys in VG-F there back in the day. Sadly, Blake the owner committed suicide a few years ago.

[LordThanos1969]

I too will be there on Sunday. And like you, I don't expect much.

 

You can still get CBM over at All About Books and Comics. They used to have multiple locations, but since the boom, they have contracted down to one store near Indian School Road and Central.

 

I haven't been to Atomic since last year, and I haven't bought a back issue from them in almost 6 years. In the early to mid 90s, they did have some kewl, though usually high priced Silver and Golden Age comics. I don't think they have done much of anything post 2000 in terms of acquiring pre 1970 comics. And some of those comics on their walls do look they have been sitting around forever.

 

I used to go Lost Dutchman frequently and knew Blake quite well. I bought quite a few comics from there over the years and remember Blake introducing me to some obscure, kewl titles and issues from yesteryear. He and his kewl store are definitely missed.

[Apotheosis]

For you Far Easterner's... you might try Greg's Comics on Guadalupe and Alma School in Mesa. I've been there twice now. The set up is horrible and if they're eating lunch forget it, but if you can catch them when the owner is there it's not bad. He has some decent Silver and a splash of Gold as well. You just have to ask to see it because it isn't where you can get to it. It's the best stuff I've seen in AZ (not that it's saying much). He always has a couple of nice key SA's on the wall when you walk in.

[Rob]

For you Far Easterner's... you might try Greg's Comics on Guadalupe and Alma School in Mesa. I've been there twice now. The set up is horrible and if they're eating lunch forget it, but if you can catch them when the owner is there it's not bad. He has some decent Silver and a splash of Gold as well. You just have to ask to see it because it isn't where you can get to it. It's the best stuff I've seen in AZ (not that it's saying much). He always has a couple of nice key SA's on the wall when you walk in.

 

Yeah, Greg's used to be my favorite, but I don't shop there anymore because it's too much hassle to see his stuff. What's the point of filling your store with $1 comics, and putting all the good stuff in the back?!?! I asked him if he had any Bronze Age Batman in the back, and he just said, "No, nothing good." I wanted to look through his comics and just browse. My brother got a FF #3 in poor condition for like $20 or less there, and I wanted to see if I could find something similar. But you have to ask him what specifically to bring out, and it's too much of a hassle. I wish comic dealers could get a clue!! Greg (or I think the owner's name is really Howie) is really cool, but just doesn't know how to run a business. I think he caters to his regulars.

[LordThanos1969]

, well, guys, I've been buying comics from Howard at Greg's Comics since Greg Bulls, who eventually sold it to Howard, opened the store back in 1993. From the time it opened until about 1999 (about the time eBay got strong on comics), I used to buy the majority of my back issues there, as well as all the new stuff back when I would buy new comics.

 

Howard almost always had (and still has) the best prices in town, and I only wished I had bought more of the high end stuff that went though that store. During the early years of the store, they had white box after white box of low to mid-grade Silver Age for only $5 a comic and for $4 if you got a decent number. I amassed quite a bit of a collection just from out of those boxes.

 

These days I go over there every now and then, but as with all stores in the Valley, the pickings are much more slim. Not to mention, I'm now searching for mostly pre-1960 comics, something that was never common in Phoenix.

 

You might also want to check out Caveman Comics on Southern near Country Club. The owner, Tom Kalb, used to own Books, Comics, and Records, which, along with Greg's and Lost Dutchman, was among the best local comic stores through out the 1990s. The new store still has a very diverse selection and some very obscure things. As with Greg's, it's always worth a trip when I am on the east side of town.

 

If you ever go down to Tucson, check out Fantasy Comics. While they no longer have as much of a selection of pre-1970s stuff as they once did (But who does?), the store is the most organized, well maintained comic book store I have ever seen. They also have very deep runs of all the major titles and quite a bit of off-beat comics too. And again, the prices are very reasonable. I could never have completed my Silver Age Marvel collection without that store!

[PaperAxle-migration]

Well, throw in my hat for attending the Phoenix Comicon on Sunday...

 

Not expecting to buy much. Not gonna see any back issue pre-1970 stuff (unless it's the overpriced stuff prominently displayed), and there aren't too many action figures I'm into. If I want the golden age comics, I'll do the ebay thing and save myself the headache. You sure can't find any good, reasonably priced golden/silver age stuff in any of the local stores anymore. (Atomic, you listening? I said "reasonably priced"!) I thought last year's San Diego Comicon a disorganized mess last year, and only attended to get some books signed (like the Spirit Archives), and to pick up my yearly update of ComicBase.

 

I tend to go to the con for things like cheap graphic novels and magazines I haven't been able to pick up all year. I can more easily afford DC Archives at these conventions than I can through a retailer (sometimes, even a better deal than Amazon!).

 

And sometimes I can get a great deal on some of my missing magazines, like CBM (I haven't seen that advertised in the past two or three months of Diamond Previews, is it still published?), Alter Ego, and Back Issue! The only store I know of on the West side that carries these is Stalking Moon.

 

As one of the owners of Hero II in Mesa (don't laugh if you've heard of the place, I only invested in it, sorry to say I never was allowed to have any direct input in the operations, else it would still be around), we had a subscription service that allowed you to "pre-order" magazines such as these from the Previews catalog, probably your best bet for getting these kind of magazines, unfortunately.

 

Marv Wolfman is the only reason I'm attending the Comicon on Sunday, and only to get my Crisis hardcover signed. I hope the selection es muy better than it was last year, otherwise I'll be leaving with as much money as I came in with.

[Apotheosis]

Hero II? Is that related to Hero Comics on Thunderbird in the north valley? I live half of a mile from there and still never go in. The set up is horrible and the selection... well... there isn't one. Some imput would have been helpful.

[Rob]

The set up is horrible and the selection... well... there isn't one.

 

This pretty much sums up every comic shop in Phoenix.

[Apotheosis]

True... but the Hero by me makes Atomic look like Metropolis.

[HighVoltage]

Man, thanks for the trip down memory lane, guys!

 

I used to hit all those stores when I lived in Phoenix in the 90's.

 

Atomic was pretty decent with back issues at their Mesa store from about 90-93, but they never seemed to get much older stuff in after that. Mike must've figured out that the new stuff & 3,000,000 multiple covers was where the $$ was at. I bought a ton of silver & bronze from them early on.

 

Tom Kalb's store was great if you had the time to go through everything. You could get great deals in the bins & stuff 'behind the counter' if he felt like getting it. What a cranky sob! I'm certain some of the Simpson's Comic Book Guy is modeled after ol' Tom. Gawd, he never had any air-conditioning in that place. Oy! Still he'd get good turnover on old stuff & he'd make a deal like no one else in town. I think it'd be a kick to hit his new store for old-time's sake. Got my FF 1 from Tom!

 

Greg's (Howie's) was a pretty nice set-up when I went there. Clean store & tons & tons of back issues for decent prices. Howie always showed me the new silver & bronze he'd gotten when it came in. Got some sweet issues for nice prices - probably the best store in town for quality at the time.

 

Lost Duchman's was choc-full of old stuff, but WOW was it a chore to go through it! I got some great stuff, but you practically had to spend half the day in there to come away with something for your labors.

 

All About Books & Comics had some decent stuff, but it was ususally priced pretty high & seemed like it was never anything I needed.

 

 

Good luck at the PHX-Con guys, chime in with what you were able to find!