I may actually go. Anyone else planning on it? Big guest list, though I no longer know most on the list

https://fanexpohq.com/megaconorlando/comic-creators/

I don't either, but that list is so big there are quite a few on there that even an old dinosaur fan can recognize! Not to mention a bunch of notable voice actor names, and more. Sounds like "Mega"-con will live up to its name.

I get agoraphobia just thinking about the crowds....

If I was anywhere near Orlando, I'd definitely pop in. It's interesting that, among celebs, Chevy Chase will be there. He'd be tough to wrangle I'd think. I also see Steve Burns (of Blues Clues fame) on the list. My own Lexington Comicon is from March 23-26 and Burns is on that list as well. That's a tough circuit for a minor celeb trying to scrape together a few bucks...

That said, I hate the cringe factor involved with meeting celebs of any stripe. I admire the work of the actors, and often love the artists that appear but what do you say when you meet these guys? I see the allure of getting autographs if that is your thing but it's not mine. I was happy to finally chat with Neal Adams a few years back but for the most part I don't know what to do when I see these celebs at these Comic Cons. I guess I'm too socially awkward...

I don't chat them up much at all. I'm looking for a picture with them, and a signature on some item of theirs that I value as a keepsake. I usually print out the photo,a and tuck it in the signed book for a good memory. I also enjoy the panels they participate in, which for some reason are usually poorly attended except for the most famous rock stars.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the actual talking other than pleasantries.

I pretty much stopped going to the big one here in town when it expanded from being a comic convention to being a pop culture thing with a lot of celebrities, and comics became an after thought. It really frustrated me that what went from a relatively nice thing - a day to meet artists, dumpster dive and maybe find a key title or two is now just another retail event dominated by new product and non comic related merch. And what's worse is that the middle tier of dumpster diving has been hollowed out because the celebrity presence jacks up the vendor cost. So you get a shelves of really expensive flagship books, and a lot of the new hotness, but not much in the $20-40 per book range. And I use to love the full run vendors for bargains, but they stopped going, and it turns out, I never started reading the ones I did buy, so I stopped that. And none of the vendors do historical original art anymore - cost / benefit risk at a con isn't worth the effort compared to the web. And I'm not a big enough fan (and it seems kind of rude) looking at the original art for indy artists in the alley when I don't like most of it

My only real engagement with artists is that there have been a handful of people who I was a big enough fan of that I wanted to meet, get an autograph on a piece of their work, and say thanks. Sure, it's socially awkward, and easy to be star struck, but it's normally its the only window to meet comic artists, since you won't recognize them on the street.

The con autographs I have are limited to Frank Cho (who looked kind of lonely surrounded by a bunch of indy artists), Neal Adams (which was kinda awkward, since I don't like his current art), Gail Simone, Darwin Cooke (was a nice chat), and Joe Kubert (starstruck, yep). But it was only Kubert I really had to stand in line for; the year Perez was here, his line was about 2 hours, so I passed on that. I can't imagine doing that 4 times for the cast of Star Trek, and having that be your entire con experience. Especiially when you consider there may be a separate autograph / picture fee for many of the celebrity signings.

Too far for me to travel but it would be very cool to hang out with you at a con.

I have the same feeling. It doesn't feel worth it to wait in a long line (and potentially pay money) to just go, "Hey, I love your stuff. Okay, see ya."

When I did little 3-4 page samples of art, I'd wait in line to get critiques so that the meeting would at least serve some sort of purpose. Since I've already met Erik Larsen, the only two others I'd want to actually wait in line to meet are probably Jack Kirby and Alan Moore from a reverence perspective.

I got pumped up to meet Jim Lee a few years back since he meant a lot to me as a kid (not as much now, but nostalgia is a hell of a thing)... but then found out you'd have to buy a special package to meet him and get a single item autographed. Not only did it seem like a waste of money, it also felt a little insulting for some reason. I get it's his right and if people are willing to spend the money, then okay... but it seems off for a multi-millionaire to milk his fans for the "honor and privilege" of meeting him. I wonder if Stan Lee opened that door, because I don't remember creators doing that before him. Always the innovator!

I also had a chance to meet John Romita and Joe Sinnott by going to the Baltimore comic con a few years back... I regret it slightly, but ultimately decided the cost of admission, parking, and time wasn't worthwhile just to say, "Oh hey, I love your Marvel stuff. Boy, wasn't that Jack Kirby great?"

I'd also love to meet Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Michel Fiffe, Jim Rugg, and other creators who are from my generation but actually had the will and daring to make their funnybook dreams a reality. In these cases, I feel like I'd be meeting a fellow fan and peer rather than a great from the pantheon of comics like Kirby or Moore.

Around here, they have trade shows and dealer cons for fans who are actually looking to buy back issues and memorabilia, no "star power" outside of the occasional local artist trying to sell his wares and services. Here's the site for the local promoter who does that here in Maryland (which looks like it was built in 1996).

https://shoffpromotions.com/

One of those events is where I scored all these sweet Silver Age Superman issues for rock-bottom prices, among the greatest hauls of my collecting career:


viewtopic.php?p=2911834#p2911834

I got to HeroesCon and hang out with the artists, whom I’m now friends with.

Sorry to interject, but I miss sites like that. Easy to read and easy to navigate. It just gives you the info you want.

I understand the feeling. Fortunately I've never really met any celebrities. Well, I did get a book autographed by a well-known writer for my dad once. It made a good Christmas present.

What would really give me the heebie-jeebies is the thought of being a celebrity myself and having to be on the other side of such interactions all the time. I guess some people really like that kind of attention. If I were a celebrity I'd get the reputation for being the reclusive kind.

Yes it would bro

yep, this is a great haul. Especially if you love silver age Superman. It also proves my point - I'd see the first 10 issues of Spider-Man and multiple AF15 / FF1, but wouldn't see anything from 1965 to 1975 when the New X-men show up. I asked, and a vendor said it's just not worth hauling the later silver to big cons.

I think there's a bunch of different levels of celebrity, and i'm pretty sure comic book artist signings at cons are at the bottom of it; people know the name, but not the face, and so if they're out of context, they're just another person on the street. And if they're lucky, they still remember enough of their own fandom not to become too jaded at their niche adoration, and able to talk about things other than their own greatness.

But I agree, there's a levels of celebrity where people go from "hey, I know that person from somewhere" to "I know that person from that place" to "everyone knows that person form that place" to "can't go out in public without security". I think the first two might be kind of neat, if it were a good reason, but the last two? you couldn't pay me enough. And people who court that level of fame? I have to think they have deep seated issues.

My example of this phenomenon - my one flight ever out of LAX, I recognized two "celebrities". The first was Anthony Stewart Head - played Giles on Buffy. Wasn't accosted, might have passed one fan who cared enough to get an autograph. Nods, rare looks of recognition, but otherwise, business as usual for a traveller. But the second? Ed McMahon was on my plane. And everyone in the world knew who he was. And he was sheltered by the airline staff.