Wizard World LA 2007

Finding parking at the LA Convention Center sucked as much this year as it did last, and there weren't any Buffy alums to beg autographed eight by tens from, but the 2007 leg of the Wizard World Convention in downtown Los Angeles provided just as much geeky enjoyment (maybe even more) as my inaugural visit did in 2006.

Last year I all but dragged Mikey along with me. This time Joe was my willing accomplice. Last year Charisma Carpenter and Stephanie Romanov were the big draws (though I'm still kicking myself for not shelling out for Andy Hallett and Elizabeth Rohm's signed pix). This time it was artists Marc Silvestri and Humberto Ramos.

Thanks in no small part to the never-ending Marvel Civil War, the advent of Buffy: Season 8, and most importantly, Joe's own love of the art, my appreciation of comics has been rekindled over the last few months. Though I'm still really more of a collector/completest, Joe is a true and avid comicbook fan, so his excitement at meeting his favourite artist, Ramos, was infectious. Not only did Ramos sign a few comics, but he drew Joe a very very cool Venom sketch. We followed that with signings by British writer Paul Jenkins and Anita Blake penciller Brett Booth (sadly the line for Top Cow founder Silvestri was way too long).

In addition to meeting the artistes, I found several of the Civil War tie-in issues I was missing (including the Wizard World Captain America #25 variant, though Amazing Spidey #529 still illudes me), as well as some adorable Star Wars character prints (which will nicely adorn my bathroom). We even came across a number of those exclusive Wal-Mart figures I mentioned previously, and though cheaper at $15 a piece, I still couldn't justify the price.

Without the glitz and glamour that Hollywood lavishes on the San Diego Comic-Con, and with guests the like of Jerri Manthey, Tony Burton and Lou Ferrigno, the comicbook artists and writers far outshown the competition at Wizard World. As well they should!