Free Comic Book Day – The Earth-2 Comics – Marc Silvestri Version
I started into the weekend with all these lofty goals of making it to several comic book stores to check out their Free Comic Book Day events.
Sadly lack of sleep and another day of high temps in Southern California had other ideas for me. First I ended up getting almost no sleep during the night, and then during the morning when I should have been getting ready to get a move on I ended up dozing off for another hour or so of sleep. End result a later start than intended.
Finally manage to get out the door with the first stop planned being Superheroes in Training in Escondido. The good news, as I approached their location I could see the big turn out lined up outside. The bad news, the big turn up lined up outside. Yes, it was to long a line and no visible available parking made me decide to keep going to pick up some caffeine. Once caffeine was acquired (and the feel good moment of paying it forward by paying for the caffeine of the car behind me in the drive thru) I decided to give Superheroes in Training another shot. Maybe the time I waited in the drive thru had the line moving… sadly no, the turn out was still to awesome to allow me to hit my local comicbook shop and still make the drive to Los Angeles to hit the shops up there that were on the list. Great seeing such a big turn out, just sad that I couldn’t show my support of what they were doing as well. Hope Jim Zub, Larime Taylor, Chris Mowry and Kissed Alive all had a great day with Mike and the crew.
It dawned on me at this point that even leaving right then without stopping at Superheroes in Training there was no way I could get to Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles before the end of Marc Silvestri’s signing. Scratch the second planned stop of the list.
Oh well that leaves me a cushion of time to make it to the third planned stop so I hit the road… driving to Los Angeles doesn’t phase me. Driving to Los Angeles in temps from 95-100 degrees in very exhausting. Not so much from the drive as from the energy sapping nature of such heat. Thank you nav. system for making it easier but by the time I found Earth-2 Comics and then found parking all I wanted was a bathroom and some form of cod caffeine fortunately as I walked back up to the street to get to Earth-2 Comics I noticed heaven across the street from them… a STARBUCKS. Yes after that drive this was heaven. It meant a bathroom, something cold to drink that would be caffeinated and something to eat while I chilled out (literally in the A/C) and did some writing while I waited for the scheduled time for Marc Silvestri’s signing.
Sitting there watching the line form up across the street I spot a familiar person that I was not expecting at this signing… Top Cow’s Matt Hawkins. And a little while later there is Elena Salcedo from Top Cow (now Elena I half expected to see so not as surprised there, somebody has to make sure the guys are all set at the signings and Elena does a great job of that). Ended up striking up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me as he tries to tell me that it is Free Comic Book Day, and that’s why there are all the people across the street. I was good, I didn’t laugh but I did tell him that’s why I was here too.
At last I spot Bridget Silvestri (we had already decided I would get them some much needed caffeine once they arrived). Though the line had formed up, I think the high temps had people choosing to get their comics and autographs from the earlier talent and move on rather than stay around. This was good for some that did wait for Marc as it meant that he did some sketches which was not part of the plan I believe. But it also meant that at one point it looked like a low turn out (which I don’t think it was, I think it just moved along much faster and that many just didn’t want to handle the heat and having to move vehicles with high tech 2 hour meters around)
Did I forgot to mention that one of the Free Comic Book Day books was Marc’s new book, Rise of the Magi #0 (free download). It was great to see the warm welcome this book was getting as I had already fallen in love with the book and a couple of the characters. Bloop needs to be made into a toy… a nice soft plushy toy, maybe if enough of us voice this opinion Top Cow will make it happen. Also, enjoyed being able to show Marc and Bridget a text I received, during this signing, from a good friend expressing their excitement and enjoyment of the book and Sumeyye Kesgin’s art.
The people at Earth-2 Comics in Sherman Oaks couldn’t have been nicer. Its a nice shop, with a few restaurants around and the ever necessary, previously mentioned, Starbucks across the street. Ran into some folks that I have met at various comic cons in the past year or two. Made a few new connections and best of all had fun spending time with Bridget and teasing Marc and Matt (when they weren’t too busy). Oh and being teased by Marc too. Seems that one of my friends went to the Golden Apple signing and ratted out my nickname to Marc. (I will find out who it is, just to have a good laugh with them about it)
A few of the sketches that Marc did at Earth-2 Comics:
Side Note: Sometimes it seems the universe ensures our plans are changed so that we are where we are needed most at the time we are needed there. Kind of like the TARDIS does with the Doctor. Seems that was what had been happening to my plans on FCBD. I’m now sure that I was intended to miss the Golden Apple Comics signing to ensure I was at the Earth-2 Comics and I am glad the universe had me there when a friend needed me.
