FanExpo report: First day.

Hectic.  Busy.  Exhausted.  And we’re only finished Thursday.

This FanExpo thing is getting bigger every time, and they’ve left the Earth’s orbit as of this year.  I didn’t get a moment to breathe, and for a Thusday, that’s a sign that this convention is rocking.  There were a thousand people to say hi to there that I don’t much get a chance to see, and for most of them, it was only a second I got as we were all swamped with fans.  I got maybe three seconds with Yannick Paquette, thirty seconds with Ken Steacy, forty five seconds with Salgood Sam, a few minutes with some of the guys from Heroes of the North, and a full five minutes with Richard Comely, creator of Captain Canuck.   I had a lovely SIX minutes with Playboy cartooning genius, Doug Sneyd, who I met last year, but it’s delightful to see him again.

This man introduced me to the art of cartooning, AND naked girls when I was a teenager. Beat THAT!

Many a former student was there, some of them in their own booths, pushing their own material, and this aging teacher couldn’t have been more proud.  I saw some of their portfolios that are being put together for a chance to meet Marvel and DC editors, and WOW!  these guys are all going to be MY boss someday.  I had the tremendous fun of leading many of the gang from Holmes Incorporated in their first big convention panel, talking about the process of creating comics, and we had easily a hundred some-odd people in attendance.  I hope I didn’t talk too much (I’m sure I did) but everyone on the panel had a ball taking questions and talking about the making of funny books.

Today, I’m hoping for a special treat:

Come to me, my child. I am your father...your FAAAATHER!

MARTIN LANDAU is a guest at THIS convention!  Long time readers of this blog might recall that Martin played my father, Charles Templeton, in a film about Billy Graham that came out a while back.  The film portrayed my father as, more or less, an agent of Satan, sent to Earth to tempt Billy into leaving god. (You can read the whole bizarre story HERE.)   So today, I’m hoping to get a moment with Mr. Landau, just to talk about the movie.  It’s pretty rare to see a blood relative portrayed by an Academy Award winning actor, and even more rare to get a chance to meet him….if I get a spare three minutes, that is.

Wish me luck.

Ty the Guy OUT!