Round-Up, Recap and Review of Rose City Comic Con

It’s been over a week since Rose City Comic Con (RCCC)*and 3 months since I've blogged, and my family and I have finally recovered from our day trip to Portland, Oregon. It was our second time attending, my husband’s first and it was WonderWomanful.

While we were stationed in San Diego, we jumped into the San Diego Comic Con craziness two years in a row. We loved it both times then, even with the massive crowds, like 150,000 geeks strong. So, when we moved to Washington State, Rose City, although 200 miles south of us was a nice outlet for our geekiness.

Last year, we enjoyed a smooth flowing RCCC. And this year, I observed that the Con grew by about 30%, but I’m not a statistician. We were able to get there by 10AM, get our passes and rush to our first panel. My kids love Adventure Time (I do too, especially after identifying BMO’s Korean accent and falling for the Korean speaking, Lady Rainicorn). Jeremy Shada, the voice talent of Finn spoke of his work. My kids quickly broke out their 3DSs and began recording video. I urged my son to ask a question, but shyness ruled.

We scoped out the Celebrity Area, obvious with the sweeping red carpet, and an RCCC Henchman urged us to approach actors if their lines were short, so we did for a few of them, for us and their egos.

I stared at Sean Astin's busy table,(Goonies, Rudy, Lord of the Rings, The Strain) from afar, and since you get pounced on for taking pictures in this area, I just tried to paint mental pictures of higher profile celebs like Astin and Wil Wheaton.

Dirk Benedict allowed us to take a cellphone pic with him for a mere $10.00. Meeting the man from Battlestar Galactica and “Faceman” from The A Team was a childhood dream come true. He looks well for his 69 years and still has great hair. Long after my kids and I left his table, he carried on a conversation with my husband about how TV shows have changed since his time.

We met Jeremy Shada up close (who reminds me of the late River Phoenix), but of course my kids clammed up, so I did all the talking, especially about his work with Incredible Crew (I described it to him as the SNL type show my kids could watch). He asked what their favorite skit was…silence. I told him Solar System Wolf and the Pancake Genie were cool (which made me realize that I also like IC too much--too bad the show was discontinued, as he described).

I then tentatively approached and shook Michael Biehn’s hand. His dark stare made me feel like a kid again, being scared of the intensity he displayed in Terminator, so, after an awkward moment, we turned our attention to his wife, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn (CSI, Dark Angel)….she asked about my kids and gushed over my daughter’s Minecraft Creeper manicure. She offered a signed picture for free (most celebs charge $30.00 or more for a signed photo) to the kids.

My hubby and I then approached Sasha Roiz, Captain Renard of GRIMM.

He was nice, lovely to look at and thanked my husband for his service in the military. My kids could care less at this point as mom and dad geeked out, and Sasha pointed at my daughter and asked if she was having a good time and laughed when she stared back at him grimly (see what I did there).

I did pay for a photo op with Ernie Hudson. He was described as a Ghostbuster, and that was indeed cool, but for me, his role in The Crow superseded all his other roles. I’m a big Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee fan, and I wore my Crow t-shirt for the photo op. He smiled and gave me a big hug at the sight.

Cosplay was awesome this year. I was impressed by the dedication and artistry overall. Most of my pictures are with Wonder Woman cosplayers and my husband continuously pointed me in the direction of the numerous Wonder Women, but I was a bit snobby about who I posed with. I didn’t much care for the disco version of Wonder Woman, for example (spandex camel toe was not my thing). My favorite WW was Retired Wonder Woman. After a pic together, she told me to follow her on “twatter” in her raspy voice, and now I do. She ended up winning 1st place in the adult cosplay division.

I am very impressed again with the organizers of Rose City Comic Con. It is an annual family event for us and I’ve described going to cons to my non-geek friends as my Superbowl. The event continues to grow, and it may very well get as mammoth as San Diego’s, but until then (and especially when), keep up the great work and we can’t wait for next year.

Sincerely,
Guam Goddess in Training and her Geek family

Let's Meet...Tony Dela Cruz, Artist of TDCart

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."--Pablo Picasso

I've decided to start a Let's Meet...series to highlight artists, writers and the like whom I admire.

Tony Dela Cruz, a fellow islander from Guam is the FIRST subject of my series.

I've met Tony once, at a Comic Con, which is no surprise to people who know me. I set off to find him at the artists’ tables because my brother and sister-in-law told me he was there. Rose City Comic Con was a welcoming, laid back experience and finding Tony was a breeze (I compare my Portland con experience to San Diego’s, which is massive and overwhelming and tons of geeky fun having been to twice).

When I found Tony, he recognized me as my kid brother’s sister. Sonny is also an artist. We exchanged pleasantries and I recall asking him if he had any Wonder Woman art, my favorite hero of all time. He graciously directed me to another artist, but I leaned in and told Tony that I would only want to support him, both being from Guam.

Thanks to Facebook, I’ve been able to watch Tony’s art portfolio grow. I’m eying several of his Wonder Woman designs and will make good on my promise. Soon, Tony, soon!

With his own words, I hope you enjoy learning more about this talented artist!

1. When did this passion for art start?

Pretty early, a couple things really stand out, I remember being a kid watching some artist on PBS drawing workers on a bridge with charcoal and I recall trying to copy what the artist was doing as he was doing it. I also grew up watching my Dad doodle on tiny strips of paper, something I find myself doing from time to time to this day.

2. Why the comic genre specifically?

When I was 13, a lot of my classmates and specifically my cousins were heavily into comic books. It was either that or Dungeons and Dragons, which I never really understood. I opened up one of my cousin’s comic books and I was just hooked from the get go. I started collecting then and have yet to stop. Comics have also helped me grow my skills too. I believe if you’re going to learn something why not incorporate things you love and make the journey enjoyable.

3. Where are you based?

I am based in Seattle, WA more specifically West Seattle.

4. Where can people see your art, purchase? Contact info.

I am currently hosting an art page on Facebook (facebook.com/TDCart) I also have my professional portfolio page (adc1171.wix.com/adc.) This site showcases my professional work in the gaming industry. I also now have an art store (tdcart.storenvy.com) and I can be reached at adc1171@gmail.com

5. How is the comic con experience for you as an attendee/fan and artist vendor?

The funny thing is have been doing conventions for 8-9 years now and have only attended as a fan once. As an exhibitor in Artist Alley it has been an enriching experience. It has pushed me out of my artistic shell and comfort zones and has forced me to grow and learn to network and market myself better as an artist. Something not every artist is taught in school.

6. How would you describe your style?

I tend to favor a very illustrative style. Comic books have definitely influenced this. I used to work as a graphic artist on Guam and some elements of that type of work also drive certain decisions.

7. Who are your influences?

In comics, I was very influenced in my youth by John Byrne, Art Adams, John Buscema, Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson to name a few. More modern artists have played a role as well like Alex Ross, his composition and sense of design is very strong. In terms of art as a whole, Normal Rockwell, Salvador Dali, and the great masters of course.

8. Which character(s) are you all time favorite(s) to illustrate?

My absolute favorite character to draw is the Hulk. By far, the most challenging yet most liberating. I actually find myself making angry faces/expressions as I draw him.

9. What medium do you illustrate with? Digital? Paints?

I primarily use the digital medium nowadays. Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro and Manga Studio are my go to tools now. But when all else fails I always go back to pencils and paper. I just feel I am most comfortable with a pencil in hand.

10. Any comments/observations/criticisms on any of the upcoming comic based movies?

As a whole I think we are living in a great era of cinema and comic books. Advances in technology have helped. My personal opinion though is that the writing has yet to catch up. The movies coming out of the Marvel/Disney pairing are a strong step in the right direction. There are still some curious creative choices being made from the top out there. It’s definitely a challenge when the Internet and the notion of ”creating something new and exciting” come into play. My biggest criticism is too much information gets spoiled early now. A certain movie that just came out is a perfect example of overexposure killing interest.

11. Marvel or DC?

Ah, I grew up Marvel. To this day 98% of my monthly pull box at the comic shop is still Marvel. There was a brief dalliance with the DC universe in the mid to late 80’s, but that has stopped as a whole. I’m not knocking the DC universe, but my first love of comics will always find me back at Marvel.

12. We are commonly connected because of growing up on Guam. What do you most miss about the island?

I definitely miss the people and the culture. I love Seattle, and generally people here have been terrific, but nothing beats home.

13. Please add any additional information you would like the readers to know about you.

As a Marvel fanboy, it was my dream come true to work first hand on an online game for Marvel called, Marvel Superhero Squad Online as well as providing artwork for the physical trading card game that accompanied.


Thank you, Tony! Please check him out at TDCart!