Nerds, geeks, movies lover and sport fans. The 2018 Motor City Comic con was the place to be in Novi Michigan this year. It was another big year for Motor City Comic con with over some 55,000 fans descended to the Suburban Collection Show Place for the annual event.
It place host to 42 special media guests, 229 comic artists with a wide array of talent to 107 different vendor and 36 crafters that was on hand for the three day event. So everything on hand there was a lot to see and do. Just like fans where able to see a lot so where the artist as they could talk with there fellow comic artist that where on hand, like we was able to do before the event even took place by getting the chance to interview Robert Pope. He was artist that we was got to interview the week of the event. Robert Pope is a artist out of the great state of Georgia . He love to draw from a early age and drew his inspiration for different comic book and other comic medias. He drew for companies like DC Comic, The Peanuts gangs. You can see some of the question we was able to ask him at the end of the article.
With all this thing that was on hand there was some sad new that blew a small sadness to the event this year. One of the biggest Media star for a special 40 anniversary had a passed away the Sunday before the event. But this still didn’t put a damper on the event, Motor City Comic Con made the best of it.
The passing of actress Margaret Ruth Kidder who played Lois Lane from the original superman movies, was going to be on hand for the 40th anniversary of the movies. So to show there support not just of the movie but of her career. They took the time to decorate her space with flowers and everything for fan to remember her. They even got a huge blow up picture of her that people could come by and sign along with a special guest book that was sent to her family after the event had ended.
But even with that loss at the event there was a few great gift at the event. First one was that Tom Welling from the TV Smallville and Lucifer. He brought with him just for Friday only was Michael Rosenbaum (plays Lex Luthor from Smallville). Rosenbaum cam in to share the spot like with Tom and event sit in on his panel for Friday. If you was lucky to sit in on the panel you might got a great treat for doing so. As Tom and Michael came out on stage first thing Michael ask was there a wireless microphone anywhere then he saw it down on the floor where fan where able to walk up and ask question. So instead of staying on stage Michael walk down and took over the fan wireless microphone. As fan where light up he said he was going to help them ask there question to the both of them.
Some of the question where ask was like what was your funny moment in Smallville. Tom would tell the young fan who was being hugged by Michael waiting for the answer was that it was the time that Michael was playing his farther in a episode. Tom would set the scene by explaining that when we walk on set he saw two huge crane that Micheal would be harnessed into for the shot to show him flying in. Micheal would then take over by explaining what had happen to make it funny. It’s the fact that he was to come flying in and then land perfectly in front of Tom and say his line. How ever as he would explain that as he would come flying it for some reason he start twisting in the rigging and doing a bit of acrobats that would have tom laughing so hard. That when he landed and Micheal would say his line Tom said that he just crack up even more and that it took about 5 take in the show of him flying before they got right form the laughing.
There were many media stars on hand and each had there own panel through the weekend. There was one media star who could be there cause she broke her leg and her doctor told her that she could fly in. How ever even with not being able to show. She tweeted that she is sending a ton of free stuff that will be given away at her panel for all her fans, each item was sign with a special note.
One of the biggest draw this year for media star was Stephen Amell from the TV show Arrow. His panel was fill to the max with fans that got a great answer to there waiting question that they wanted to ask him. He even during his panel would drop a few hint for what the next season of arrow will offer ask one of the fan ask him a question about what is next to come for him. He went on to answer the question and then drop the hint that in the new season he is planning on wearing the signature green arrow goatee. If you ever seen the original green arrow comic and in cartoons, the characters would wear a goatee. How ever he was very adamant that no matter what he would not wear the dopey arrow hate with the feather tuck in it (think of robin hood outfit).
There where many other panel that went on through the event that you would get little nugget like the one Stephen Amell drop. But if you wasn’t meet them in there panel you get the chance to stand in line to get there autograph of that favorite item you have or buy one of there personal photo they all offered.
You also was able to buy your own special photo op with each of the media stars that was on hand. But with the media star you still was able to do a lot. You could do a bit of shopping as well from the hundreds of vendors on . Some of the item you could been lucky to buy was the rare toy or your very own hand drawn comic art from of one of the artist that was on hand.
Some of the artiste who where on hand when they weren’t signing art,they was drawing it for everyone to see. Like this artist who use chalk as her medium to draw out huge works of art. Just like the one she was doing during the comic con.
There was a lot to see and do, but let’s not forget about all the fans that was on hand as well to see beside the artists and media guests. Fans came in all shape and size even a few cam dress up in there favorite costumes (to become a cosplayer) for everyone to see. You could see fans dress up every day of the event but on Saturday was the biggest day for those fans that want to do some extra to show off. There was a cosplay contest (costume contest) that they could enter for a chance to win thousand of dollar in prices.
The contest took place at near the end of the event. This saw hundreds of fans dress up in there cosplay outfits each of them that enter would come on on to stage where they could show off what they where wearing and even made. They also had the chance to talk or do a small skit to show off there cosplay. One of the lucky winner of the the contest on Saturday was a group who played out He-Man and mater of the universe.
But Saturday wasn’t the only day for costume contest. Sunday saw another contest for cosplay but this time it was for the small one. The contest on Sunday was the little kid. This would always a wide array of costume little one.
So if you missed out on this one you have to wait another for the Motor City Comic Con. Motor City Comic Con will be head on May 17-19 2019 and will be the 30th Anniversary. We can hope that it will be even bigger then this year cause also while we was at the event we learn that the Showcase was being upgraded by building new section to the location.
We will see everyone there and what new thing will come.
Gallery:
Interview with Robert Pope
Question: What got you into doing comic art?
Answer: I got into doing art when I was younger. I was always seeming to draw different characters. But it wasn’t till I look at the old peanuts comic strips that I truly wanted to make this what I wanted to due.
He would also tell yea some of of this other influences was the Loony Tunes and Walt Disney.
Question: How due you come up for the ideas when doing a comic book.
Answer: Most of the time I follow script but event then it hard to draw something. Sometime you have to come up with your idea. Cause unlike with television show when you see a action the screen would fade to black and then you see the what happen. Drawing a comic book I have to remember that when you see the cause of something cause of the way you ready it you have to do it in a way that you flip the page you see the action that had happen.
He would give example of the Willie coyote and road runner show. Where you see Willie strap him self to a rocket and it would fire then screen would go black and you next see the road runner as the rocket would fly bu just in time for Willie to be hit by a rock or something. This is what he would explain would be the hard party in drawing a comic book.
Question: What you like about going to Comic Cons?
Answer: The thing I like about going to them is meeting fans. Having them come up and having them ask me how I got me start. I love tell fans how I got my start. I also love it when I hear from fan as they talk to other artist on how they got there start as well. Learning that how we each differ in the ways we got our starts. This is what I like about going to Comic Cons. Seeing the interaction between fans and other artists.
As we finished up our out talk and getting a wide array of answer to the question we ask we wanted to end with this one.
Question: With the use of Digital media and internet Do you find that the way comic book and print media are changing?
Answer: Well even with the wide array of thing you can ready on the internet when it come to comic book. I still see that the print media will still be around. The reason being that as comic book are created the internet. That the publisher and writer still do a printed virsin for there own vaults, like in the case of DC Comic. They print thousands of comic booth for for digital media and print. But each one of them had a printed copy that a person can walk into there vault and see.
Michigan Event Magazine 