Each summer, I look forward to the San Diego Comic Con with all of its celebrity sightings, out-of-this-world costumes, and tons of free swag and goodies to purchase… really, what’s not to love? Scheduling time to attend can be a little hectic because the SDCC usually follows the ALA Annual Conference – however, I thank my lucky stars that I’m local so I can squeeze in at least one day of good times. Librarians take note – you are eligible to apply for a creative or trade professional badge, so definitely look into that!
Last Thursday, I kicked off my Con experience at a lovely party hosted by Graphix (the graphic novels division of Scholastic, Inc.) on a swanky hotel rooftop a few blocks away from the convention hubbub. Several favorite authors and artists were in attendance to hang out with old friends, meet new ones, and of course, talk the night away about books and Con adventures. Graphix provided everyone with a print showcasing artwork from the likes of Raina Telgemeier, Mike Maihack, Dan Santat, Jeff Smith, and more. As an added bonus, artists were equipped with pens, and happily autographed/doodled near their respective sections.
Graphix also announced that they will be publishing BONE #1: Out from Boneville, The Tribute Edition in February 2015. This special edition of Jeff Smith’s first book in his immensely popular BONE series is part of Scholastic’s 10th anniversary celebration of its Graphix imprint which launched in 2005. The BONE Tribute Edition will be in full-color and feature artwork from sixteen additional artists including Jeffrey Brown, Dav Pilkey, Kazu Kibuishi, and Raina Telgemeier.
As I mentioned before, SDCC wouldn’t be SDCC without at least one celebrity sighting, and gosh did we have one! On our way out, my friend Sara and I ran into John Bradley-West (a.k.a. Samwell Tarley on HBO’s Game of Thrones) – he was kind enough to take a photo with two admiring fans (it helped to mention that we were librarians ;) ). Continue reading San Diego Comic Con 2014: A Recap for YA Lit Fans