Some came for autographs, or to catch a glimpse of a legendary comic book artist. Others were there to browse the seemingly endless rows of tables piled with graphic novels and shelves filled with Japanese anime figurines. Plenty of fans flocked to the New York Comic Con in midtown Manhattan yesterday for a chance to dress up like Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. For Steve Vincent and Mike McLaughlin, owners of a Forked River, Ocean County, comic book company, this weekend’s three-day convention was a chance to catch up with old friends and sell a few comics.
It’s like a family reunion of weirdos and people who don’t fit in,” Vincent, 36, said from behind the table he and McLaughlin were manning. “We look forward to it, just having some fun more than anything else.” Vincent and McLaughlin, 37, were two of more than 50,000 fans and artists who flocked to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for the event, which was created three years ago as New York’s answer to Comic Con International: San Diego. The New York expo has quickly become the largest popular culture convention on the East Coast.
Vincent and McLaughlin are former high school classmates who created their company, Angry Drunk Graphics, 10 years ago to publish Vincent’s comic books and promote the work of other young comic book artists.
A venture that started with the two trading comic books for beer in the parking lots of heavy metal concerts has become a full-fledged passion, and now they spend many weekends setting up merchandise tables at local punk and metal shows, where the attendees seem to like the dark, sometimes twisted tales explored in the comics they sell.
By day, Vincent is a mild-mannered public works employee in Forked River, and McLaughlin works with his father, selling and installing irrigation systems and sprinklers. They pride themselves on promoting artists whose work is unique, and sometimes uniquely offensive; the books displayed on their table were organized into sections of “all ages,” “PG-13″ and, in Vincent’s words, “really horrible.”
“It’s more of a hobby for us,” McLaughlin said. “I mean, we want to get published, and we like selling books, but mostly this just pays for our hotel rooms and being able to go around to places like this.”
Yesterday, McLaughlin and Vincent relished being able to spend the day talking with fans about their work, and occasionally imploring one of the many passersby to check out their wares.
The crowd inside the exhibition hall was already massive by 11 a.m. yesterday, with fans jostling for chances to try a new video game or get a picture with a costumed superhero. Elsewhere, people lined up to hear panel discussions on topics like the advent of comics on the internet, or tips on pitching a comic book series.
Each year’s convention also includes appearances by comic book icons. This year, Marvel comic artist Stan Lee, creator of characters like the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk, received the event’s first New York Comic Legends Award.
Allison Steele may be reached at asteele@starledger.com or (732) 293-4923. Story Source
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