Posted in: Comics | Tagged: image comics, image expo, matt fraction, robert kirkman, walking dead

The Image Expo Gets Jesse Jamesed

Published Sun, 07 Jul 2013 23:00:34 -0500

Last updated Mon, 08 Jul 2013 05:58:32 -0500

Jesse James Criscione writes for Bleeding Cool

It was The Few, The Proud, The Image Fan this past Tuesday in San Fransisco for the Image Expo. This wasn't a very large convention and some would argue it wasn't supposed to be one. However, If you put Ron Richards (Director of Business development) into the mix with one of the greatest Independent publishers of all time, it's bound to be a awesome and intimate event.

Check in was very easy and figuring out the floor plan was too. There was a 1200 sq foot hall and then a big auditorium to sit in and watch and listen to your favorite creator just talk. There was signing area upstairs and that was pretty much it — but that's really all you needed to enjoy your self. There was always something going on so you really didn't have to make hard decisions other then where to eat.

There also was an area to buy product and this line opened up at about 11 a.m. and never stopped till they closed shop. There were 8 exclusives at this con and they were selling like hotcakes. Based on E-commerce sells they all were hits. Walking Dead #112 sales are tremendous online with the fact that #112 regular issue hasn't even come out yet. So this was a special treat only for the fans that came out to the expo.

During the programming session you had a feeling you were just in the back yard chatting. Robert Kirkman was relaxed and you felt like he was just talking to you, and he talked about just about everything under the sun. The crowd would burst into laughter almost on every thing he would bring up. I think it was just cool to see someone openly talk as if you were part of the family. The announcement of Walking Dead #1 in color sent the crowd into a frenzy and you could feel people already frothing at the mouth for NYCC con to start so they get one.

This was all the programming sessions as a whole. Just down right fun and it was open game. Matt Fraction seemed to steal the show whenever he talked or did a signing at this event. I'm sure however this could be said about everybody on this star studded event.

This type a show isn't for everybody. However for a Image fan this was Heaven. In fact this expo proved that a publishers could have some cool fun with their fans on a Tuesday before a major holiday from open till close. Image went one step farther though holding a party for the Retailers and Media/Press and then extending the party to the Image fans as well right afterwards.

This Expo was just amazing, and to think there were no Cosplayers there emphasizing the strength of this Expo in keeping the fans engaged the whole time at the show.

Over all I thought the show was tremendous. This is isn't something I would want to go to more then once a year. However it sets the standard establishing that a Publisher can do more then just produce and sell comics. Image proved they could give back to their fans in the best way possible. They brought the creators out, not to promote but to share the culture Image has built over the years. I would be very hard pressed to find anybody that went out to this event who didn't have the time of their lives.