The Old Man And Bitter Girl take on Wizard World Austin Comic Con

When I was a kid, my dad bought my brother and I our first comic books. From what I remember, I think he thought late night TV was too racy or deviant for a couple of elementary school kids or something like that… I think that if he knew the monsters he was creating at the time, he would have probably just been better off letting our brains rot with mindless TV. The days, months, and years went on, my brother and I (already in love with Star Wars as was any birthright to children born in that time period) continued to be fascinated with comic books. The stories of heroes and villains, costumes, escapes, hot space chicks and other things that didn’t involve long division or lunchroom politics was a world to live and escape in. My dad continued to buy us books until he saw the problem, by then it was too late, we were hoarding our own money and going to the used book store next door to the local junior high school on Wednesdays and walking away with that weeks new selection or cheap back issues. Even one book was important. I couldn’t get enough of them. I needed more, and I couldn’t wait until I had a job of my own and could buy as many as I wanted with my own money… Flash forward to the present. While my other friends have moved on with their lives, I in my eternal Peter Pan complex, have never changed. If anything, my love for comics and all things Science Fiction has only intensified. So when Wizard World decides to bring it’s comic book themed, memorabilia/ celebrity/ artist/packed nerd heaven tour to Texas, it’s only a natural guess I should attend. I have missed Wizard World’s last few shows in Texas (they used to be in Dallas before they hit Austin) due to the band being on the road a lot, but I knew that Austin was going to be a hit. The thing about Comic Cons is that there is just so much to DO. I mean if you like comics… great they have tons of dealers to check out, including many that are desperately trying to sell back issues for pennies. Like toys, collectables, or even weird nerd wear? They got you covered. Maybe you think to yourself… “Yknow… one day I’d like to meet that hot chick from ‘Heroes’ or maybe I’d like to hear what Little Anakin thinks about his role in Star Wars” Well they had you covered there too, as a wide variety of celebs and sci fi staples hung out in their booths greeting fans, snapping pictures with fans. Or maybe you want to grab a print from your favorite comic artist, or talk with an indie artist about his/her new project… got that too. So that’s what we did. We walked the floors, gawked at celebs, talked with our favorite artists (interviewed them too) and yes… we shopped a little bit too. That’s when it hits. These are our kind of people. And we don’t just mean people who listen to good music or podcasts. The whole place is packed with people who get it. Those that love the genre, celebrate and revel in it. The ones that are looking for that next piece of cool art on their wall or the ones who squee with joy when they find old ROM comics. In that moment, I am transformed back to that kid who got his first books from his dad, it pleases me to no end to find those old issues in the cheap bin.