Anime Boston 2017 – Part 2 of 3
SATURDAY:
Morning came too quickly, as it often does at a con, and I grabbed a quick bite and went to set up the table. I got a text message from Johnny Young Bosch (Power Rangers), inviting me to hang out that night and grab some dinner. It’s been a while since he and I had a chance to hang out and catch up, so I was very interested.
This is the face of a (sleep-deprived) man who wants to sell you some comics
My helpers showed up around noon, and I headed off to my first panel of the day (with my good friend and Spinnerette creator, Krazy Krow), Crafting Fictional Worlds. This was a fun panel, and was the first time I had done it in ages. And the first time I had done it with another creator. Learning about his process, and talking about my own (and how it’s changed over time) was a lot of fun, and informative for the audience. We talked about how even worlds based in “reality” (like Batman, or Strangers in Paradise) still need world building. They have rules, and you can’t break them or else the reader gets taken out of the story.
Crafting Fictional Worlds panel – standing room only, and (believe it or not) our least attended panel for the weekend
After the panel ended, we headed back to our tables and kept selling. I had a helper get me a little lunch, and then had to pack up again for my final panel for the weekend: Writing for Comics. This is always a fun panel to do (once again, Krazy Krow joined me), since we get to talk about techniques, styles, overcoming plot holes and “writer’s block,” and talk about our stories. How did we come up with them? Where did the characters come from? And the audience gets to learn about us, our process, and how they need to get started in comics.
My table helpers for the weekend, cosplaying as character from Spinnerette
After the panel ended, we went back to selling at the tables (and managing the hordes of panel attendees who came with more questions, or to buy from the table). The night ended soon enough, with time to break down before heading to the restaurant to meet up with Johnny and Polo (his friend and band member). I walked into the restaurant and found them already enjoying a relaxing beverage, and having ordered their meals. I grabbed the waitress and made my orders, and sat down and chatted them up. Johnny and I did a series of cons together several years back, seeing each other several times a month throughout that particular year. I haven’t seen him as much since then, but it was good to get to catch up and talk cons, anime, and his favorite thing to watch on Netflix right now (Samurai Gourmet).
After dinner, I went back to the hotel and tried to unwind by watching some Samurai Gourmet, but the bandwidth wasn’t working so well and I gave up trying to stream it after a few tries. I went to bed later than I should have, ready for the final day of the con.
