Well this was my first visit to Mid Ohio, and after spending a few hours there Sunday afternoon, I have to say I learned a few things…
#1 If you’re going to go to Mid Ohio, you need to bring lots of cash and if you’re like me and you talk to people, then you’ll also need to get there early so you have time to cover the whole show. I got there a little after 1pm and barely made it through a third of the show.
#2 Like I said bring cash, lots of it. The deals were crazy, one vender had some amazing classic Marvel books for almost nothing ($20 for X-men #12!). Box’s and box’s of classic comics, action figures and collectables from Marvel to indy vinyl figures. If you had the cash, you could walk out with some great finds for your collection.
#3 Independent creators were in full force (and that was where I spent most of my time) and some of the best (and worst) were there. If indy was your scene, or if you were looking for new friends, this was the place to be. These guys have some great stuff, as you’ll see in some of the upcoming posts, and you could have spent a couple hundred just on the indy stuff.
#4 Map it out, go with a plan, don’t just wander. I went with a focus on indy, so I did well, however with everything going on, if I had wanted to hit it all, I would have needed a better plan. Guys like Ray Park were tucked away on the side, while panels were here and there and the indy creators were tucked in the back. Bigger names were on the floor, but without a thought out plan, good luck finding them all. Spend 5 min at the beginning and figure out what you want to hit then go for it!
#5 Take your camera and make sure to use it, keep it out as well, I put mine away and started to head out when I saw a bunch of consumed superheroes on their way out.
#6 Have fun! These creators and stars are there to hang out and talk with you, jump in there and say hi, ask about their work and they’ll be glad to share.
As a newb to Comic Con’s this was a learning experience for me. For the most part, my time was well spent, but a few times I was left feeling like I wasn’t sure where to go next. Some was the layout and some of it was my not planning ahead, but all in all, I had a great time and met some great creators and stars that made the whole time worth while.
In the upcoming posts you’ll see a lot of photo’s, mostly from our new independent friends, and of course some stuff from guys like Ray Park. For more photo’s and coverage of Mid Ohio beyond what we’ll be sharing here, like panels and cosplay, check out our good friends over Comic Related.
Alright friends, keep checking back throughout the next couple days for our Mid Ohio updates and some lost shots from Champion City and the Main St Champion party!
-Jef Price Co-Founder NecessaryCool