Bakersfield Comic-Con 2011

On Sunday, we checked out the Bakersfield Comic-Con at the Double Tree. A client who printed posters at our shop for the event encouraged me to go and check it out and I'm glad I did. It was pretty neat. Five or six artists who have worked on The Simpsons, Futurama, Ren and Stimpy, The Flinstones (just to name a few) were there. Andrew was excited because Jane Wiedlin from the Go-gos was there too. I scored a free Futurama black light poster at the entrance. Noice!

It was an all day convention, from 10am to 4:30pm but we got there around 2:30pm. A couple people dressed up, but I didn't know who they were. We arrived just in time to catch the last half of a Q&A panel with a few Simpsons/Futurama artists plus Jane Wiedlin (she was there promoting her comic book, illustrated by Bill Morrison, "Lady Robotika"). I guess during the first half, Simpsons artist, Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics), gave a grand tour of 17 years of the Simpsons TREEHOUSE of HORROR Comic Book. Bummer, but we missed that. Tone Rodriguez and Scott Shaw sat at the panel too. There were lots of questions for Jane, of course, regarding her past with the Go-go's. It was pretty interesting hearing what people had to ask. It was my first time at a Q&A type of thingy.

After the panel was over, they told everyone they were going to be parked at the far end of the wall if anyone wanted to ask any more questions. It was cute because Andrew really wanted a picture with Jane W. and wanted to ask her a question regarding one of their records. It took a while for Andrew to muster up the courage to go up to her and start a conversation with her. When he finally did, he asked her about a record the Go-gos could have possibly put out back in the day. He cut the conversation short because he felt like he was bothering her and just asked her if he could take a picture with her. She said he had to buy something. So, he said he'd take the picture of her when she starred as Joan of Arc in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. She signed it and he got his picture taken with her.

Right next to her was Bill Morrison drawing this girl (and maybe her brother?) as Simpsons characters. It was really cool watching him draw. I just kept walking down the aisle from artist to artist, watching them work their magic on paper. Damn, I wish I could be a professional illustrator! Haha

"Bill Morrison: Simpsons Comics Writer/Editor/Penciler/Creator and Cover Artist. Bill has Been working as an Illustrator for over 30 years and is also responsible for creating a large amount of Disney Movie posters in the 1980's including Little Mermaid, Oliver & Co, Peter Pan, Rescuers Down Under and more. Bill is also co-creator of Lady Robotika with Jane Wiedlin." (Mini bio taken from here).

Tone Rodriguez. At the panel he talked about how he starred in one of the episodes of Dexter as a murderer, pretty cool.

"Tone has been to all 4 annual Bakersfield Comic-Con shows. He loves our city and the fans at this show. He has been working in comics for over a decade. He is an amazing penciler who has worked with Kurt Russell and John Carpenter on 'Snake Pliskin' the Comics that continued the adventures from the cult classic "Escape from New York". He is also the Go-to guy for Bongo Comics (The Simpsons) working on The Simpsons, Bart Simpsons Comics, Futurama and Tree House of Horror." (Mini bio taken from here).

On the bottom left corner, those were the posters we printed up for the event =)

"Mike Kazaleh entered the comics field through the underground comic Dope Comix at Kitchen Sink Press in 1983. Between 1986 and 1992, he worked on such Fantagraphics Books titles as The Adventures of Captain Jack, Anything Goes, Doomsday Squad, Usagi Yojimbo and Fontaine the Fox. In the early 1990s, he joined Archie Comics, where he did artwork on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. He has also worked on such Marvel Comics titles as Mighty Mouse, Ren and Stimpy, and Tummy Trouble.He has done work for DC Comics 'Johnny DC' all-ages line, including Camp Lazlo comics for the Cartoon Network Block Party, and an issue of Super Friends, a book based on Mattel's line of toddler-marketed action figure of the DC heroes.In addition, Kazaleh is active in animation. He directed TV spots for Geoffrey & Jeffrey from 1983 to 1985, and then worked as an assistant animator at Filmation Associates. Other animation credits include Bakshi Animation, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros." (Mini bio taken from here).

"Scott Shaw has been creating comics for over 35 years. He is best known in the world of comics as co-creator and artist for Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew. He also made a name for himself as an Animation Giant. He has worked on many great Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, and is responsible for over 20 years of great work with The Flintstones (including almost every "Pebbles Cereal" commercial for 15 years). He also drew and/or wrote many stories for the Hanna-Barbera comics in the 1970's thru the 1990's. He is now working as a Writer and Artist for The Simpsons Comic Line." (Mini bio take from here).

One of the booths had records. That totally made Andrew's day. He recognized the guy who was running the booth from a Record Swap he went to (possibly Culver City? I can't remember). So, he got to talk records with him.

Since everyone was packing up and getting ready to close down the event, we finally decided to leave and go have a nice big bowl of pho. Yum!