Well, another HEROES CON has come and gone… and this one was a great one.

Actually, they’re all great– but for several reasons, this one felt especially fun to me. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t taking on full commissions for the show. As I’ve said in previous posts, it’s become somewhat impossible to draw more complicated full-figure stuff at shows simply because of all the signing I do during the day. In past years, I’d take on a list of about a dozen or so pieces for folks who wanted sketches in the first half-hour of the first day of the show and then immediately stress about getting them done. Even in the evening and night of each day of the show, I’d have the nagging worry over finishing them in the back of my mind while out at dinner or hanging out in the hotel bar when I should have been enjoying myself. The show is, after all, not only a place to meet and greet those folks who might enjoy my work– but for me, it’s also supposed to be a bit of a vacation. HEROES CON is usually the one of two times a year I get to see my brother Matt and his wife Suzanne. Lucky for me, we’re all going to be visiting my parents this coming weekend… so this year, I’m hitting the jackpot. The show is also one of the one or two times I get to hang out with my bestest buddies Todd Dezago and Craig Rousseau. HEROES CON has become somewhat of a tradition for the three of us where we become a sort of ‘3 Musketeers’ and spend as much time together as we can during the show. We’ve also begun to do that at BALTIMORE COMICON. We’ve all agreed that we wish we lived closer to each other… because we all get along so well. We don’t live near each other, though… so those two shows are our time to be ‘hanging buds’.

This year was also very special because we were able to spend a lot of time with Nick Cardy. Nick was seated in the same row with me, Todd and Craig… and it was so much fun with all of us sitting there together. Nick has always been one of my favorite artists…. his work on TEEN TITANS, AQUAMAN, BATT LASH and all the wonderful cover work he did for DC absolutely thrilled me when I was a kid. So to become friends with Nick over the past few years and to be able to spend time with him at HEROES has become a highlight of my existence. We also had a wonderful brunch with Nick and his niece, Marianne, on Sunday for Father’s Day in the Westin restaurant. It was an amazing meal– and Nick’s stories from his long and eventful life were fascinating to hear. Nick’s a terrific artist, storyteller and person… and it’s an honor to be able to call him friend.

I also got to have breakfast with my good buddy Cully Hamner during the show. Cully and I don’t get the chance to talk nearly as much as we used to in the ‘old days’ when we were both getting into the comic book biz… but we still call each other once in a while. Cully’s one of the coolest, funniest and nicest guys I’ve ever known… and he’s an incredible artist to boot. I could go on and on about how much fun I had at the show… but I’ve got limited time because I’ve got to get back to the drawing board. I’ll just say it was a fantastic time– and I was thrilled to get to meet guys like Dean Trippe, Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, Eric Powell, Jonboy Myers and Robin “Pepe” Mitchell face-to-face. I’ve interacted with them online for years… and it was great to be able to see and talk with them in person. It was also terrific to see folks like Jeff Parker, Keron Grant, Ed McGuinness, Nathan Massengill, Tim Townsend, Brandon Peterson, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story….. I could go on and on. It’s probably the biggest reason I love this show so much– I get to see so many artists who have become friends who’s work I admire so much. It’s the most special part of being a part of this business.

So, to wrap up– HUGE thanks to Shelton Drum for starting and hosting HEROES CON for the past 25 years…. and for letting me be a part of it. It’s become a touchstone for my life. Here’s to 25 more…!

OK… back to work.

This is Entry 390 (the countdown to 400 posts begins…!)

Mike