Where I will be during Comic-Con International: San Diego 2015

The 2015 edition of Comic-Con International is almost upon us (Wednesday, July 8 through Sunday July 12). I would like to brag about my 30 consecutive years attending this geek gathering, but I know lots of people with much longer runs.

With an anticipated attendance in excess of 130,000 people, it is often difficult to find the people you are looking to see. If you are attending the show, these are the days, times and places you can find me.

THURSDAY 3:00pm – 5:00pm: Space Goat Portfolio Review. Under the “sails” near the Autograph Area.

FRIDAY Noon – 1:00pm (Rm 28DE) Space Goat Publishing Panel. Click HERE to get the details. Be sure to click through on the panel description and you can confirm your attendance at the panel.

FRIDAY 3:00pm – 5:00pm: Space Goat Portfolio Review. Under the “sails” near the Autograph Area.

FRIDAY 8:00pm – 10:30pm: Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards. Gala Ceremony at Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

SATURDAY 4:00pm – 5:00pm: Space Goat Portfolio Review. Under the “sails” near the Autograph Area.

I love comic conventions. I like the energy. I feel at home. Seeing old friends, making new friends. Seeing the amazing projects and the talented artists. It is a meeting of the tribe where I belong. Who could really ask for more?

That’s all for today. Hope to see you at the show!

My upcoming convention appearances (fall 2013)

So to anyone that regularly follows this sporadic blog, I apologize. I really had hoped to post a little something each day of Comic-Con 2013 San Diego. I failed. Spilled milk at this point … time to move on.

If you want to see me in person, I will be attending the following conventions this fall (2013).

SEPTEMBER 7 – CENTRAL COAST COMIC CON (C4)

According to their website, this convention will be “taking over the Ventura County Fairgrounds. We now have four buildings at the fair grounds for C4. Two for panels & workshops, one for gaming and the main vendor and guests hall. 
 New Beginning’s equals new Memories.”

Also in attendance at this show will be old friends Marat Mychaels, Matt Hawkins and Howard Chaykin.

Check out the details and get tickets at: http://www.venturacomiccon.com/

* * * * * * *

NOVEMBER 23 & 24 – LONG BEACH COMICS & HORROR CON

If the recent attendance at San Diego Con and WonderCon in Anaheim are any indication, this show should be well attended, but not so big that you make yourself crazy.

Attending this show will be old friends and work colleagues Marv Wolfman, Mark Waid, Gene Ha, Barbara Kesel plus the hardest working man in comics Jimmy Palmiotti and his new bride (and my favorite all-around cartoonist) Amanda Conner.

Make your plans to attend now and register at: http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/

And if you haven’t been keeping up with my comings and goings lately, I’m currently VP at Space Goat Productions. Check out the website at http://www.spacegoatproductions.com

That’s my version of the story,

Dave Olbrich (Aug. 13, 2013)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #140 – My favorite covers: Part 1

If I could own only one piece of original art, this might be it. I can’t even imagine what the price would be. (Perhaps someone can tell me.) John Romita Sr. really knocked it out of the park on this one, in my humble opinion.

Yeah, okay, I admit that part of it is nostalgia. It was released in August of 1971, the end of summer vacation when I was 11 years old. This was no doubt a sweet spot for the fantastic adventures of costume heroes to entrance of young Minnesota farm boy.

Written by Stan Lee and interior pencils also by Romita, this issue had A LOT to like: a cool looking villain that I’d never seen before, Nick Fury on the Helicarrier, Sharon Carter (who never looked better than when drawn by Romita), Cap trying out a secret identity as a policeman, the Falcon’s “radical” girlfriend Leila (who hated cops), the Falcon in his original green-and-gold costume, and a new threat to the world destined to fall into the hands of the Gargoyle, Element X. Thrills and chills in the Mighty Marvel Manner.

And don’t miss my personal story of attending a party in Hawaii with both Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. HERE.

That’s my version of the story.

The Ultraverse television commercials (enjoy!)

Featuring Larry Bagby Jr., Chris Ulm and the future former Mrs. Scott Rosenberg.

The Jonny Quest song I play for myself at least once-a-week.

I don’t have the time this evening to write a long diatribe about my deep and abiding love for all things Jonny Quest. I’ve written of it many times here before.

This animated classic got under my skin as a young fan who depended on television to be both my friend and my window into the worlds of the fantastic. And then as an adult my interest continued. I was beside myself with fanatic GLEE when Comico got the rights to publish comics featuring the further adventures of Jonny, Race, Hadji and Co.

As luck would have it, at that time, I was working at a fan magazine called Amazing Heroes, back when comic fans actually read fan magazines. The offices for the publisher of Amazing Heroes was less than fifteen miles from the home of Doug Wildey, the man responsible for the creation of Jonny Quest. Exercising my editorial prerogative, I assigned myself the job to get an interview and write a feature about Doug for the launch of Comico’s series. Besides being amazingly talented, Doug Wildey was soft-spoken and incredibly generous with his time. Doug even did a painting that we used for the cover of Amazing Heroes.

Then, he gave me the painting. And it hangs on the wall of my office where I can enjoy it every day.

At the bottom it reads, “For Dave, a fine writer and a nice human being. – Doug”

Many years later, I got a CD (we still have those, right?) called Saturday Morning, it featured many songs from my television-polluted youth by popular bands (of the time). If you enjoy this blog, you should own this CD. Then something happened this evening that drove me directly to my blog to write this new post.

I found a video featuring Reverend Horton Heat’s version of the Jonny Quest theme song. It segues in the middle into “Stop The Pigeon,” the theme song from Dastardly & Muttly, but I still play this song for myself at least once a week. If I had a guarantee that the good Reverend would play this song live in concert, I would travel across a time-zone or two to hear it in person. Now you can ENJOY!

That’s my version of the story.