by Genevieve Halton
This was my first trip to the city of Boston and their fantastic comic con and I have to say, I was impressed. Boston Comic Con had the staples: vendors offering collectibles, comics and original art. They had comedic performances and an art auction. Offering a very well balanced mix of artists from legends of the industry, to current big names, to a wealth of new & indy talent, this convention had something to suit every taste in artist’s alley and its panel selection. Add in a Marvel portfolio review, a costume contest, and creator Kevin Eastman, and you’ve got yourself a con significant enough to delay the doors opening by a couple of hours with a line wrapped around the block. Saturday’s show alone pulled in the convention business of last year’s Boston Comic Con!
To the delight of young and older fans alike one of the biggest pulls of this convention was the appearance of Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is currently in development as a feature film by Michael Bay. Buzz regarding the most recent screen adaptation of “Turtles” has had the fans in an uproar over Bay’s involvement. Eastman assured fans in Boston that much of what they are hearing is just rumors and misinterpretations. He said that Bay & company like the publicity that such rumors produce for the project, but not to take these things too seriously. Eastman said he feels that those producing the film are, in fact, listening to him in his suggestions, and that he is confident in the abilities of the screenwriters to adapt the story well. Apart from story, Eastman had also been concerned with the CGI quality of the film and he was particularly pleased to see that those working on it were referencing martial arts movies starring Jet Li to get character movement correct.
In addition to the “Turtles” movie, Eastman is also involved in the making of Heavy Metal 3 with longtime collaborator, Simon Bisley, which is also moving forward with a new director at the helm. Previously they had been in talks with David Fincher, but with the American adaptation of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” Fincher was no longer able to stay on board. Director Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”) has now picked up the mantle and the hopes are to make the film more like the first Heavy Metal: an anthology in 5 parts.
And here’s some pictures from the show:
Loooong lines…
‘Heavy Metal’ man: Simon Bisley
That Green Lantern girl is fantastic!!
Hey, there’s a pleasant surprise: a plug for my “Saga of Pandora Zwieback” young adult novel series in the Erica Henderson photo that I didn’t even need to sneak in! ;-)
I had a great time at Boston Comic Con. For me, I want a con that celebrates comics, and not TV and movie actors and other non-comic personalities. Boston Con is a solid comics-centric con. Also, I love the two day con — get in, get out, get on with it. At some point these three and four day cons turn into the Bataan Death March.
Not mentioned in the story were appearances by Peter Bagge, Al Jaffee, Cliff Chiang, Steph Buscema, Bob Schreck, Jamal Igel, Bernie Wrightson, and many more top notch pros. Lots of long boxes, comic related merch, and vintage comic art. Speaking of rare comic art, I ran into NYC’s own Mike Carbonaro.
I understand the crowds were much bigger than last year, they showed up ready to spend.
Thank you for featuring my Elektra Cosplay :)
Yay! Thanks for reporting on this con – it’s been growing year by year, and the last two shows have just been crazy packed and excellent. Go Boston!