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Creators Are The Backbone Of GalaxyCon

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The celebrity signings, merch booths, and high-profile panels are a big attraction, but the true heart of GalaxyCon Richmond is always found in Artist’s Alley.

It’s easy to get distracted by the excitement of meeting your favorite celebrities. Especially actors who portrayed characters in series of our youth, whether in live action projects or voice actors that we could pick out immediately in a crowded room. From Harry Potter and Smallville to newer animes such as My Hero Academia, conventions are the perfect time to get swept up in our comfort-food media of choice.

Often we forget about the creators of all backgrounds who bring the best out of any convention. Comic artists and writers illustrate the worlds and characters we fall in love with from the ground up, and create stories that we get lost in so we can forget about the mundane and painful in our lives. Without the Stan Lees and Jack Kirbys of the world, the world is indeed pure greyscale. 

“I love seeing the energy of everyone being excited about creativity and comics and art,” said Artist Emi Lenox. “It almost encourages me to work more when I get home. It’s like a little boost.”

Lenox is best known for her autobiographical approach to comics, combined with her cute aesthetic. However only time will tell how her approach will change in the future.

“I’m very interested in writing and drawing my own fiction book,” said Lenox. “The comics I’ve done by myself have all been autobiographical, so the next one coming out is autobiographical. I’m hoping after that, I can write my own fiction book comic, and draw it and do the whole thing myself.”

Fan creators hold the seams of all fandoms together like industrial duct tape and military grade thread. Not only is it always fascinating to see everyone’s approach to their favorite comics and films, it is truthfully the best part of any con, especially GalaxyCon.

Few fan creators are as detailed and painstakingly close to film quality as the work of Brazen Monkey by John Marks. Marks is a skilled prop builder and artist who has been creating for thirty years. At this year’s GalaxyCon Marks could be seen with his to scale replicas of Battle Cat from He Man: Masters of the Universe, and switching back and forth between cosplay as Negan from The Walking Dead or Iron Man’s Tony Stark, depending on the day you caught him.

Last year at the 2019 GalaxyCon, he brought what was easily one of the most popular exhibits in the exhibition hall: a to-scale Toothless the Dragon from How to Train Your Dragon. With the help of his girlfriend, he travels to various conventions in the country not only to display his pieces of the moment, but to let convention attendees have the chance to pose with them.

“I have an art degree but was a personal trainer for awhile so I was just doing small things,” said Marks. “I started making things for Halloween every year, then one year I finally decided to build a Hulk. I sculpted a seven foot tall, foam filled Hulk, and the next year I tried to do a convention. I decided to try and see if anyone likes these things.”

Marks charges a nominal fee to pose with — and even climb on top of — his creations and have your picture taken. Eventually he made enough from touring the props around that he was able to quit his day job and focus on his creations. Other creations he has attempted include The Iron Giant, and How To Train Your Dragon‘s Light Fury. While Toothless was a huge hit (I actually tried to interview Marks at GalaxyCon last year but had to give up because of the popularity of his booth), The Iron Giant holds a special place for him.

“The Iron Giant I think was really something that I was pleased I could do,” said Marks. “It was something completely away from what I was used to doing. I was doing a lot of organic builds, and this was going to be more of a challenge to build the neck, so I’m really pleased with that one. It’s kind of hard to say. Something you just hit a perfect wheelhouse.”

Artist Alley is always a big draw at conventions, especially for fans and collectors craving something unique to have in their collection, or sticker number 67 to slap on their water bottle as they walk about the con floor. Of all of the many conventions on the east coast, GalaxyCon Richmond has a solid argument for having the best Artist Alley tables, even in just its second year.

From traditional paint and canvas artists, to creators interested in making unique pieces featuring your favorite characters, to young comic artists and writers hoping that their comic will be the next one you fall in love with, Artist Alley contains some of the most important pieces in the convention puzzle. Artist Alley is one of the most important days of the year for both fans and the artists themselves.

“Last year I thought I was able to predict what I needed to make,” said Artist Jordan Kincaid. “I thought I would get more commissions this year, but this year I’ve actually been selling more prints, so that’s worked out in my favor.”

Artist Mackenzie Lemoine was also at the inaugral GalaxyCon Richmond in 2019. She does a few cons a year, but having last year under her belt, she felt more prepared for convention goers.

“I definitely feel more organized,” said Lemoine. “I feel a larger belt upon my belt in terms of preparation. I know more artists this time, so that’s a plus in terms of being able to bounce back and forth, and help each other out, but you also get more cross promotion. I feel like this year I’ve gotten more exposure just from being here and knowing more of the artists.”

MoonBoy creator Tammy Ung-Brown was also a member of the “convention number two” team. GalaxyCon is her second convention, and she was also excited to bring her knowledge from her first experience at Savannah Comic Con.

“It’s gone a lot better,” said Ung-Brown. “My first one I was kind of getting a feel for it, because I had gone to cons before, to take notes on what other people were doing as a guest. When I had my own table it was still kind of rough because I was trying to sell a lot of original stuff [as opposed to fanart]. Now, coming to GalaxyCon having some fanart has certainly helped. Most people are looking for something they’re familiar with.”

Artist Mariah Bryant chose GalaxyCon Richmond to get her feet wet as an artist, and while it was a little bit disappointing in regard to sales, it was still a positive experience from the career front.

“I was hoping I would sell my books more,” said Bryant. “But people aren’t familiar with them, so I’m constantly introducing people to them, but that’s why I’m here. I’m here to get people interested, spread the word a little bit, and also to network. Every time I’ve been to a convention as an attendee, it’s always to get business cards, make connections, see who’s in the area. And I’ve done that well, so that’s been beyond my expectations.”

Out of many artists that I met, artist Mana Stafford, who uses the tag Chibicabra, was probably the most seasoned in regard to conventions. They have been tabling since about 2010, and attending as a fan since about 2004.

“I really like meeting new people,” said Stafford. “I feel like every time I go to a con I make a new friend, and I like having those connections for traveling and stuff like that. I think as an artist, I really like doing art trades, which is a thing where artists will trade goods. Like, if someone likes a keychain or a print I have, and I like a shirt, we’ll trade. It’s just a really great community thing where the artists will get together, and we’ll get sushi or dinner afterwards. It’s really nice.”

Conventions are always fun. Being surrounded by colorful, fun paraphernalia, always having an interesting panel to go to, and getting the chance to be near your heroes? Of course, those things all rule. But those in the know know that Artist Alley and the Exhibition Hall are truly the heart of any convention. To be in a place where you can have one on one, honest conversations with your favorite comic and prop creators, and then turn the corner and be immediately welcomed by a sense of community from artists who may have just met you but want you to feel embraced in inclusion?

That certainly sounds like something we need more of in the world — especially right about now.

All photos by Ash Griffith

We Were Definitely Supposed to Be There Today: Clerks Come to GalaxyCon Richmond

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Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson of Clerks were in town for GalaxyCon, and RVA Mag’s Ash Griffith was on hand to ask the question on everyone’s mind: Will there be a Clerks 3? They talked about a bunch of other stuff too.

Of all the weekends to be at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, we were definitely supposed to be there during the weekend of GalaxyCon. While the unofficial theme for the weekend was reunion, as celebrities and creators from many franchises flocked to the convention for the weekend, one reunion in particular was the most anticipated for fans of Kevin Smith’s iconic View Askewniverse film series.

Dante Hicks and Randal Graves of Clerks, aka the film that started it all, made their grand long awaited debut together. Actors Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson (who played Dante and Randal, respectively) were available during the weekend to not only meet fans and take pictures, but also for a very special question and answer panel that Saturday night.

Clerks has been an iconic film in the indie comedy lexicon for a long time. As a matter of fact, it is coming up on 26 years. Last year the film that changed Smith and his friends’ lives forever not only turned 25 years old, it was also inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

“Filmmaker Christopher Downie, who made a biopic about Kevin called ‘Shooting Clerks,’ actually led that effort,” said O’Halloran. “He went on the fanboards of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and mentioned ‘Hey, [the National Film Registry] is taking suggestions,’ and since we are old enough to qualify, he went on this grassroots effort and the fans rallied behind him. We were really the number one [suggested film] of the inductees that year. We are incredibly flattered.”

Rest easy, brigadier, that when we are all underground in our bunker, at least we will have Clerks to keep us entertained in the after days. You can only watch Titanic but so many times.

O’Halloran himself does conventions relatively regularly, but also used to attend them as an ordinary fan when he was younger. While he is always excited to meet the fans of his work, as a fan one of the things that he loves about attending conventions is getting to meet creators from works that he loves as well.

“I like meeting the fans because they keep me sharp, they keep me on my toes about what they loved and what they didn’t love and things like that,” said O’Halloran. “But I also love coming to cons because I get to meet the other casts. I’m very fortunate to have a table to meet fans and stuff, but I used to go to cons as a younger man, and the fact that I get to meet some really great people is awesome. You’ve got people like Barry Bostwick, Brian Blessed, Michael Rooker, and Sean Gunn. I mean, those are the types of things that are really neat.”

Specifically, he praised GalaxyCon itself for their ability to bring in people of a variety of fandoms under one roof, allowing access to a variety of people that otherwise you may not have been able to meet at the same time.

“What’s great about GalaxyCon specifically is they really are good at programming,” said O’Halloran. “They know how to program quite a few guests in a variety of genres, from classic sci-fi kind of shows to the newest web series people are going crazy for. They have tons of programming [including] all kinds of interesting topics of panels, a video game room,  table gaming rooms… They have really taken the time to think about how to take care of the fans.”

One thing that is difficult to miss regardless of whether or not you are a fan of Smith’s work is his tendency to work with a similar rotating cast through his films. While this is, of course, not something unique to his work — directors like Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton tend to do this as well — it’s a tactic that works for a reason.

“It’s the familiarity of working together,” said O’Halloran. “It’s that kind of camaraderie. I always tell people, my family never sent me to summer camp, but I assume it would be like going to summer camp. Kids from all different schools, making different projects, and then after four weeks you go home and tell everyone how much fun you had. Kevin is a very chill and low key director on set, [Jason] Mewes is a hilarious riot of fun, and then we all go home. And instead of bracelets we made a film.”

Anderson himself is very new to the convention circuit. In fact, his appearance at GalaxyCon Richmond was his second of all time, the first being at Astronomicon in Michigan a week or two prior. The fact that Clerks is coming up on its 26th anniversary, and how quickly time has gone by, was just as much of a shock for him as it was O’Halloran. 

When asked how it feels to carry Randal with him for so long, his immediate reaction was pure nostalgia. 

“Every time stuff like that comes up, it brings me right back to shooting it,” said Anderson. “We were in this crappy store in Jersey doing this stuff, and reading these filthy words. I never thought anyone would see this movie. I literally thought nobody was going to watch it except for us that were in the movie.”

Of all the places to show the film when it was first released, Anderson recalled the stark contrast of showing it at The MoMA in New York. Imagine a room full of well-dressed people sitting down to watch Randal Graves discuss Dante’s current panic attack over learning that his girlfriend had given 37 blow jobs before meeting him. What kind of hors d’oeuvres do you serve for that exactly? 

With his first convention appearance under his belt, Anderson admitted that he was still a little nervous about his second appearance at at GalaxyCon Richmond. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said. “I know these things go on, and I know Jason and Brian and all these guys do it, and they always talk very highly about it, but I just never worked up the courage to do it.  I have to say I had the best time [at Astronomicon], and I’m really looking forward to GalaxyCon.”

Much like O’Halloran, Anderson was most excited for two things – meeting the fans and meeting the cast of things he’s a fan of, such as AMC’s The Walking Dead. 

“Meeting people and hearing their perspective of the movie and hearing about their favorite parts, or the first time they saw it is really kind of fun,” said Anderson. “[Also] I wanna do everything Walking Dead. Actually, Michael Rooker who did [Mallrats with Kevin Smith], which I was not in, but he and I are represented by the same person, so I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

Of all of the memories he has of filming with the View Askew team, his favorites surround filming Clerks 2, mostly because he started to feel a little more comfortable in front of the camera. Anderson admits that he is generally more comfortable writing and directing, but for fans who have seen both films — and Randal’s small appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — it’s clear that Anderson made strides in the popular sequel.

“I had a harder time with the original Clerks, because I wasn’t an actor and I didn’t know what the heck I was doing,” said Anderson. “Being in front of the camera was all new and scary to me. Doing Clerks 2 is definitely a little brighter – I felt more comfortable, and we had an amazing time while filming it.”

He laughed while fondly remembering Rosario Dawson bringing back a haul from Target to decorate her room at the Days Inn where they stayed during filming, and playing poker until the late hours of the night. He remembers it feeling like a little community.

In regard to the question that was undoubtedly going to circle around the convention – is Clerks 3 finally a go? Anderson says the answer is a hard yes.

“I’d say it’s going to happen,” laughed Anderson. “I wouldn’t be going to these cons if Clerks 3 wasn’t going to happen, because I’d probably get beat up by the fans. I agreed to do Clerks 3 before going on this con tour. I shouldn’t say it’s most definitely going to happen because things happen, but from where I sit it’s a definite go.”

The seating for the Q&A panel was already starting to fill while the previous panel on the lineup was still in session, would-be audience members quietly sneaking in and grabbing what empty seats they could. The panel room quickly filled once the previous panel was over, excited fans already lining up behind the microphone to ask O’Halloran and Anderson their pressing questions.

Most audience members asked about their favorite memories while filming, many of which happened to center around the filming of Clerks 2. O’Halloran laughed as he recalled asking “the handler [of the donkey during the filming of Clerks 2] what the donkey’s name was, and he said Asphalt. I remember asking, like the road, or…?” [One hopes the pun was intended -ed.]

Other questions included what it was like to work with Smith and most of the other actors who reoccur in the View Askewniverse films. Naturally Clerks 3 was brought up once again, and both O’Halloran and Anderson confirmed that it is a go, and just waiting on Smith to finish up a draft of the script for the cast to look at.

The Q&A also featured a surprise sneak-attack appearance by Jason Mewes, who O’Halloran had earlier picked on for not being in the Clerks Q&A panel. Mewes dropped by just to say hello to the audience, and apparently to pay back O’Halloran. No better time than during a Q&A of course. Other questions dealt with the short-lived Clerks: The Animated Series; I even took a turn to inquire if Anderson believed Randal still held a vendetta against Bea Arthur and the other Golden Girls.

“Absolutely,” Anderson laughed. 

So many questions are in the air, as to what further ground could be covered in a new Clerks sequel that sees the bromance of Dante and Randal exploring life as adults in their forties. Did Dante hire anyone else at the Quick Stop? Has RST finally moved to a streaming service? Will Randal ever get a girlfriend (or a cat)?

Who knows, but regardless, here is to 37 26 more years of laughs and inspiring future filmmakers and storytellers around the world. We’re so glad that you weren’t even supposed to be here today.

Photos by Ash Griffith

RVA Comics X-Change: Issue 39 — GalaxyCon 2020 Edition

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Happy Tuesday, comics fans! Welcome back to your favorite bi-weekly go-to for comics news and talk in Richmond. Not only that, we are your best go-to for in-depth coverage of the biggest annual comics and pop culture event in the River City – GalaxyCon Richmond. 

Conventions are beautiful events for many reasons; they bring people of all walks of life and interests together under the same roof, and also allow said people to experience the media that brings them joy in a new way. From artist alley, to vendors, to question and answer panels, to even shaking your favorite actor’s hand, conventions are full of magical events for so many people.

Naturally, this year’s GalaxyCon Richmond was no different. If last year’s line-up of celebrities and creators was excellent, then this year’s topped it as a solidified supreme. The unofficial theme of the year must have been “reunion,” as many franchise’s actors and creators joined forces once again, some having not each other in years.

From the central cast of The WB/CW’s Smallville to Disney’s Aladdin and even nerd king Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse, many different casts were reunited on the floors of GalaxyCon. It was a mighty good time to be a fan of, well, almost anything.

Linda Larkin is best known to many children of the 90s as the speaking voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin (1992). If her fans thought that they were the ones most excited to meet her and the cast, they have some competition. While she travels the convention circuit a few times a year, no one was more excited to be at this convention, and see the Aladdin cast reunion, than the princess of Agrabah herself.

“It’s really nice for [the cast to be back together],” said Larkin. “It’s just really nice to be able to meet people that love the movie, and all of us [to] be together when that happens. It’s really nice. ”

The best part for Larkin was certainly meeting the fans. Voice actors usually don’t record many parts of their script, if any at all, with other actors, so getting to see and meet other people who share the passion for her projects is her favorite. If you grew up with this film and let her know, she was just as excited to talk to you as well.

“It’s very moving to me,” said Larkin. “It’s very touching when I see another person across from me, and they’re telling me, and I can see in their eyes that this movie imprinted on them in a way that is lasting. I just feel really lucky to be a part of that for them.”

The event Larkin was most excited for was without a doubt the question and answer panel with the remaining members of the cast – Steve Weinger (Aladdin himself), Gilbert Gottfried (Iago), Jonathan Freeman (Jafar), and Frank Welker (Abu and the Cave of Wonders). Rarely are they ever together, and even then it is usually in smaller groups. It has been a long time since all of the remaining cast has been in the same room together.

The event was held on one of the main stages of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, which meant that the panel was held in a very large, almost stadium-sized room. The projection screens on either side of the stage were gratefully appreciated. Families, small children, and adults in their twenties and thirties filled the packed room, with barely a seat left to spare. With five minutes until the panel was set to begin, the long line to ask questions was already filling.

The cast answered a variety of questions, ranging from favorite recording memories to casting memories, and even their favorite lines from their individual characters. Two subjects, however, were the most popular in rotation – the shock of the film’s immediate and long-lasting popularity, and working with the Genie himself, Robin Williams. 

Most of the cast remembered Williams just the way we as fans assumed he was – kind, supportive, and hard-working. Weinger recalled Williams improvising parts of a scene with him, where Weinger’s Aladdin (in disguise as Prince Ali) is still trying to woo Princess Jasmine, while Williams’ Genie (in disguise as a bumblebee) advises him to just “beeeeee yourself.”

Of all the memories, the one that got many of the adults who are familiar with Gottfried’s long stand-up comedy career was when he recalled sharing the stage with Williams at a comedy show. When Gottfried was kicked further down on the lineup, Williams fought for him by insisting that he himself go early instead of Gottfried, because he had “friends who were here to see Gilbert.” 

As per usual at conventions, there were many cosplayers walking the exhibition halls. From Sailor Moon to Rey and Supreme Leader Kylo Ren from the Star Wars series, there was something for everyone. Among the booths and events were even tables and events specifically for the cosplay bunch.

A few tables were set up for cosplayers to quickly mend their costumes, or fix hair and makeup. Many cars were in attendance for fans to pose with, such as K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, the Metallicar from Supernatural, and the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters; plus, for the anime fans, Grace Klich’s Pikabug was hanging out as well.

Not only were there multiple costume contests, costumed pro wrestlers had a strong presence in the back of the exhibition hall as well. Who will win in a battle of Link versus StarLord? Only the headlock will tell. 

Pulling a strong audience amongst the question and answer panels was the reunion of some of the View Askewniverse’s favorites. Kevin Smith’s beloved franchise saw a new addition last year with the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, starring Smith and Jason Mewes. As Smith recently finished up the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Roadshow tour to promote the film, some of the cast, including Mewes, came back to Richmond to say hello.

Friday night’s View Askew Reunion Q&A panel was attended by Brian O’Halloran (Dante Hicks, amongst others), Shannon Elizabeth (Justice), and Mewes (Jay). Like the Aladdin cast, much of the cast of the films had not seen each other in person in a while. That was not true, however, of O’Halloran and Mewes. O’Halloran joked that he “sees this motherfucker all the time.”

O’Halloran and Mewes answered the majority of the questions, which ranged from favorite memories of the series (mostly centering on Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the only film aside from Jay and Silent Bob Reboot in which all three of them appeared), to filming, and of course what it is like to work with Smith himself. O’Halloran fondly recalled that filming the View Askew films is much like “what [he] imagined summer camp is like.”

Of course, the biggest questions centered around Clerks 3. There are always some theories or mystery around Clerks 3 and whether or not it will happen; quite frankly, there have been for many years. Allegedly there was a script previously written for it, but a test audience found it to be entirely too dark, so it was scrapped. 

However, O’Halloran confirmed during the panel that the film is a go, and the usual cast of characters are just waiting on Smith to finally finish the script.

That does it for this week, comics fans! We hope you enjoyed part one of our coverage of GalaxyCon. Stay tuned for more, as we dig deep into Artist Alley, talk with some of your favorite comic creators, and present a very special interview with the men of Clerks themselves, Brian O’Halloran (Dante Hicks) and Jeff Anderson (Randal Graves), as they talk to us about the convention and the future of the series.

Until next time.

All Photos by Ash Griffith

RVA Comics X-Change: Issue 38 (GalaxyCon 2020 Preview Edition)

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Happiest of Tuesdays, comic fans! Welcome back to your Richmond Comics X-Change: GalaxyCon 2020 Preview Edition. This week we see the opening of GalaxyCon in Richmond, and for year two, we are going to get you prepared just in time to meet all of your favorite actors, comic book authors, and — for the auto nerds out there — even a few of your favorite sci-fi and fantasy vehicles that will be in attendance this year, as well.

February 28th marks not only the opening of GalaxyCon’s Richmond dates, but the second year of GalaxyCon making its appearance in the River City. GalaxyCon has been a gem for central Virginia for many reasons, but undeniably because of the guests. GalaxyCon has brought in a variety of people from various films, television series, comics, and even anime that fans in Virginia otherwise would not have a chance to encounter without traveling quite a distance.

As we inch ever closer to the big event, we at RVA Magazine have compiled a to-do list of comics we recommend you check out before this weekend — or if time is not your friend, in some cases a film or two — just to catch you up to speed. While this is by no means a complete list of all of the guests in attendance, it should be sufficient enough to have you ready to walk in to the convention center to take on anything. Let’s dive in.

Gotham Academy Vol. 1, by Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, and Karl Kerschl

Only in Gotham City can a prestigious prep school for the elite be so much more, and so much weirder than it looks. Gotham Academy is a monthly teen drama featuring occasional appearances by, naturally, Bruce Wayne (who is a benefactor of the school) and many secret ties to old Gotham. Cloonan will be in attendance at this weekend’s festivities and is best known as, among other things, the first woman to draw Batman for DC comics. 

Clerks. The Comic Books, by Kevin Smith, Jim Mahfood, Phil Hester, and Ande Parks

Smith didn’t just manage to catch lightning in a bottle when he created the iconic comedy Clerks, he dumped it all over the place in what resulted in the View Askewniverse franchise (named after his production company, View Askew, which he owns with longtime friend and business partner Scott Mosier). As the story goes, one of the ways Smith financed the production of the film was by selling off his comic book collection; in the end, it only makes sense that his magnum opus received the comics treatment as well. The series features the ongoing stories of the main characters from the film — Dante Hicks, Randal Graves, Jay, and Silent Bob (snootch). Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Jason Mewes (who played Dante, Randal, and Jay respectively) will all be in attendance this weekend along with Shannon Elizabeth (who was in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as Justice, Jay’s love interest). 
Related Film Recommendation: Clerks (of course), and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.

Green Lantern: Sleepers: Book 1, by Christopher Priest and Mike Baron

The Green Lantern seems to have it all. He’s a member of the Justice League, and he’s the heir to the greatest weapon in the universe: the iconic Green Lantern ring. The problem? It looks like his girlfriend is in love with a normie who is about to become the most powerful villain he has ever faced. Awkward. One of writer Christopher Priest’s claims to fame is as the first African American editor in mainstream comics. The heroes he has helped shape besides Green Lantern include Black Panther and Deathstroke. Priest will be in attendance this weekend.
Related Film Recommendation: Black Panther (Let’s forget that the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern flick ever happened). 

Clue: Candlestick #1, by Dash Shaw

Shaw, who is a Richmond native and will be making an appearance at GalaxyCon this weekend, makes his own twists and impressions on the classic mystery story by reimagining it as a psychological drama. Spoiler: It’s always Colonel Mustard. Always. 

Emitown Vol. 1, by Emi Lenox

From the comedy to the tragedy, cartoonist Emi Lenox, who will be there this weekend, drops her diary in graphics to the world. Originally starting out as a web comic, Emitown was eventually picked up by Image Publishing for publication. 

The Walking Dead: Compendium One, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, and Tony Moore

This iconic series needs no introduction. Originally introduced in 2003 and unexpectedly ending in July 2019, the beloved comic spawned a long-running series on AMC of the same name. GalaxyCon guest Michael Rooker played Merle Dixon (brother to Daryl) in the first three seasons of the series before meeting his demise. 
Related Television Recommendation: The Walking Dead, of course.

Invader Zim Vol. 1, by Jhonen Vasquez, Eric Trueheart, and Aaron Alexovich

The king of quirk and Hot Topic t-shirt sales, Invader Zim, is back in the last few years in the form of a comic series, though #50 will be the last before a quarterly series begins. Originally beginning as a cartoon on Nickelodeon in 2001, the show followed the misadventures of an alien named Zim looking for world domination with the help (or lack thereof) from his robot sidekick, Gir. The show was ended after two seasons, but revived in 2015 as a comic. Voice actors Richard Horvitz and Ricki Simmons (Zim and Gir respectively) will be there to fill the doom-shaped hole in your heart. 
Related Television Recommendation: Invader Zim

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: The Final Gauntlet, by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw

Starlord is back, the world is on fire, and Thanos is finally dead…. Kind of? Fans of the popular films will be sure to enjoy digging deeper into the universe with our favorite 80s songbird, Peter Quill, and his friends. Sean Gunn is best known as Kraglin in the series, and will be in attendance this weekend. 
Related Film Recommendation: Avengers: Endgame

All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

In this retelling of the classic Superman mythos, our favorite hero battles Bizarro and Zibarro Superman and tackles the revenge of Lex Luthor, amongst other tales. Superman is one of the most retold stories in comics history, with one of the best interpretations undeniably being the television series, Smallville. Starring Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum (who will both be in attendance) as Clark and Lex respectively, the series watches the man of steel grow as a teenager and all of the pitfalls that entails. 
Related Television Recommendation: Smallville

Disney Princess Comic Strips Collections, by Amy Mebberson

In a tale as old as time, even Disney princesses get the comics treatment. While the princesses have always had their own comics, Mebberson’s touch is quirky, fun, and dressed in adorable artwork. While Mebberson will not be in attendance this weekend, we can do you three better. Linda Larkin, Scott Weinger, and Gilbert Gottfried (Princess Jasmine, Aladdin, and Iago respectively) will all be there to answer your questions about a whole new world with you. 
Film Recommendation: Aladdin (2019) – While the Disney remakes are a hot topic, this new take on the classic tale starring Will Smith brings its own touch to the classic animated film that can’t be missed. 

That does it for us this week, comic fans. We leave you today with plenty of homework ahead of you, but much like us, we bet you’re counting down the minutes until the doors open at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Friday at noon. We’ll hopefully see you this weekend at the convention! Otherwise, until next time, comic fans.

Top Photo: GalaxyCon 2019, by Ash Griffith

Who Loves Galaxy Con? Kel (and RVA Mag) Loves Galaxy Con.

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Is it true? Mmhm, we do, we do, we do-oooooo...

Conventions are easy to get lost and overwhelmed in. Between Pikachu and Ms. Frizzle cosplayers on your left and volunteers on your right screaming to see your badge, it’s a lot. But they are absolutely worth it.

A couple weeks ago, one of the biggest fan conventions in rotation right now, GalaxyCon, made it’s long awaited arrival at the Greater Richmond Convention Center — and it absolutely brought the party with it. From panels and a sizeable Artist’s Alley to meet and greets with some of your childhood’s favorites such as Paige O’Hara, Kel Mitchell, and Austin St. John, GalaxyCon was, no question, the party to be at this month.

If you managed to miss it this year, no worries, friends — because I managed to snap all of the best pictures, and talk to many of your favorites, including St. John himself, along with his fellow Power Ranger Karan Ashley, and your favorite blue-head with the plan: David Fielding, aka Zordon.

GalaxyCon was absolutely massive, just to put it lightly. The best thing I knew how to compare it to was Washington D.C. favorite AwesomeCon, which is held in the spring every year. Richmond has a lot of smaller conventions, for sure, and those are fantastic — but they couldn’t even hold a match to what GalaxyCon brought to the city.

One look around was enough to tell you that — aside from a few folks with strong connections to today’s nerd-ery, including Alice Cooper and John Barrowman (who, yes, is even more handsome in person) — if you were a child of the nineties, a good chunk of your heroes were here.

Most agreed that they came to GalaxyCon because they’d heard it was a fun convention to be part of. They also agreed that I was asking them an impossible question with no quick, easy answer.

That question was: How does it feel to meet the former children who grew up into adults with families of their own, but still love them so much? Adults who can still tell them, word for word, the lines they loved most from their television shows, or sing every lyric to the songs from their films?

Paige O’Hara will tell you it’s everything.

O’Hara, best known as the voice of Belle in Disney’s classic Beauty and the Beast, actively loves meeting her fans and hearing their stories. And let me tell you, I am one of those fans. I have no shame in admitting that when I met her for this interview, I cried so hard that my makeup ran down my face. As a writer and owner of an English degree, it should surprise no one that Belle has been my favorite Disney princess since I was a little girl. And it broke my heart, in the absolute best and most positive way, that O’Hara was just excited to meet me as I was to meet her.

“I love to be able to meet the fans and hear what the film meant to them and hear their ideas,” said O’Hara. “It’s kind of a wonderful circle. This is really the first time since I was a teenager to be able to sit back and do what I want, and this is a way to just meet the fans and hear their stories.”

O’Hara also thoroughly enjoyed being at the convention and meeting the artists who were there. She was happy to nerd out over Donnie Dunagan, one of the voices of Bambi, among other things.

“I’m a geek, too, you know?” said O’Hara. “I’m a painter and an artist, as well as a singer, so I’m kind of geeking at some of the people I’m meeting here. It’s just a wonderful, joyous experience. I had a few people here earlier coming to tell me about how Belle made them feel good about themselves, and to hear their stories, it’s like: ‘Wow. How cool is it to be a part of that?’”

If you were born in the late eighties, there was no bigger star by the time you started elementary school than the five California teenagers known collectively as the Power Rangers. Actors Austin St. John, best known as Jason the Red Ranger; Karan Ashley, best known as Aisha the Yellow Ranger; and David Fielding, best known as Zordon who led the team; were all in attendance at GalaxyCon, and they were ecstatic to talk to everyone — from fans who have been with them since the first time Rita Repulsa crawled out from the Earth to little ones just beginning to understand how powerful it is to chant “It’s Morphin’ Time.”

Ashley, who was making it her mission to make sure that everyone got plenty of time to talk to her and ask whatever questions they had, made just as much time for us. How exciting is it to meet former Rangers-in-training now all grown up? In short: very.

“Literally, the blessing,” said Ashley. “I always tell our fans that you always give us more than we could give you. Everyone who walks up to this table becomes five years old again, and it’s just like love on top of love. It’s a nonstop love fest. I absolutely love it. ”

Nothing had sent shivers down my back in a long time the way it did to hear Zordon himself say “Rangers!” Fielding was also beside himself with joy to meet all of the fans who got up at 5 AM every weekday morning to see what kind of havoc Lord Zedd would throw at our favorite teens.

“It’s surreal,” said Fielding. “Most of us go through our lives, and life happens and you can be very focused on what you’re doing. You don’t understand the impact that you have on other people until you hear their stories or what they have to say. The fact that I did something twenty-five years ago, and that has rippled outwards and touched people and influenced them… you forget that one touch, or one smile, or one phrase, can turn a corner for them and make it so much better.”

Austin St. John went on to become a real life Power Ranger for a long time before coming back to the film industry and other projects. St. John was a paramedic and EMT in and around Lorton, VA and the Washington D.C. area for over a decade before deciding to return to acting. He admits that he could have stayed doing that and would have been very happy, but it was meeting the fans that made him want to come back — if nothing else, so he could hear their stories.

“There is really no way to sum that up in a 30-second answer,” said St. John. “Social media wasn’t around back then, but I knew [the show] was popular. After getting two college degrees, going to war, coming back and meeting my fans now that you’ve grown up? It’s taken it from something that I knew was wildly popular, and it helps me understand that it’s touched hearts and minds all around the world.”

St. John continued to tell me stories of fans who came up to him with stories from terrifying to hilarious. And all of these fans credited the Power Rangers franchise for helping them survive this thing that we call life.

“We’ve been a part of some of the sweetest and the hardest moments in twenty-five years,” said St. John. “There is no way to some that up, and it’s not over. We’re crossing into our third generations of fans. Your parents loved it, you loved it, and now your littles love it. How does it feel? I guess it’s mind blowing and humbling.”

In the early to mid nineties our comedy kings were none other than Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, and their throne was Nickelodeon’s premier sketch comedy show, All That. Mitchell himself was in attendance, and was delighted to see everyone grown up.

“It’s so sweet, man,” said Mitchell. “I love that the shows hold up today. I love it when people come up to me in the street and go, ‘Welcome to Good Burger!’ or ‘Orange soda!’ when I go to a restaurant. It’s super funny.”

Mitchell was bringing the attendees of GalaxyCon some important news — the return of All That, with himself and Thompson producing. “It’ll be back June 15th,” he said. “It’s just been awesome, and we’re so excited that the fans still love it. You guys did that — you all did that.”

There was much more to see besides our celebrity favorites, from various panels covering things like general cosplay and creator questions, to Q&As with your favorites. There was even a life size recreation of Toothless from the film series, How to Train Your Dragon that guests could get their pictures taken with.

The dragons were created by John Marks, who is not only a special effects and props designer, but literally the best Tony Stark cosplayer you will meet. I’m still not convinced he isn’t Robert Downey Jr. in a super clever disguise. Please confirm or deny, Rob.

GalaxyCon was undeniably one for the books. If you missed out this year, trust me, I’m bummed for you too. But hopefully our round-up made you feel like you were there with us that weekend. And take heart — GalaxyCon will return to the Greater Richmond Convention Center in February 2020. Only nine more months to wait! Cheers until then.

RVA Comics X-Change Issue 21: GalaxyCon Artist’s Alley Edition

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Happy not-yet-rainy Tuesday, comic fans of the greater River City! Welcome on back to issue number twenty-one of your RVA Comics X-Change, where every other week we talk about what is on the radar in comic world and pop culture. This week we take a big stroll down Artist’s Alley – GalaxyCon’s Artist’s Alley that is.

One of my absolute must stops when I go to conventions is always Artist’s Alley. Sure, it’s really cool to walk by vendors, go to panels, or quickly run past your heroes at meet and greet tables and hope that they noticed you. But what really makes it for me is meeting independent artists, writers, and creators of all mediums, who are not only passionate about the same fandoms that you are, but are also excited to share their original works with you and the world.

This week with Comics X-Change we’re going to take a different turn in the road; instead of check out the comics coming out this week, or that are already out and deserving of a second glance, we are going to talk to some of the folks who made GalaxyCon so special. I talked to illustrators, writers, and creators of all kinds who were passionate about everything from general fantasy to anime to sci-fi and everything in between. It is my privilege to introduce you to some of the biggest names of tomorrow.

Andrea Rose Washington

Andrea Rose Washington has your new favorite novel to get sucked into. Originally from the DC area, the author of Adalithiel and Elendil heard that GalaxyCon was a good one to come to. After she heard that GalaxyCon had not been to the Richmond area in, well, a minute, her interest was piqued.

“I’m a sci-fi writer, [and] my first book took me about five years to get it done completely,” said Washington. “The next one took me about a year to do, so [I’ve been] writing officially for five years.”

Jordan Kincaid

Jordan Kincaid is a local illustrator who lives just around the corner here in Richmond. She focuses on whimsical fantasy elements, and knows how to make your childhood favorite stories look like absolute art. When she heard that GalaxyCon was going to be coming to the city, she was happy to support a really good convention that we were in need of.

“I think that [tabling at artist’s alley] helps get our name out there, and with our social media prescence,” said Kincaid. “It’s just a really good learning experience for newer artists as well. It’s a good opportunity to slowly build on what you already have.”

Steve Howard

Steve Howard is another DC favorite who made it down south to share his skills with us. Howard is an illustrator and designer who does a lot of comic styled art, among other skills. He was looking for another convention to hit when another artist recommended GalaxyCon. When he isn’t at the table, you won’t catch him doing any window shopping, but he will be found meeting fellow artists and networking.

“Anybody doing anything creative, especially if it’s just you and the people around you, artists, writers, and craftsman, they need to have their ear to the ground,” said Howard. “Most of the time when we do this, we’re in the studio. We rarely get to interact with the public. I think it’s important that every once in a while artists get to meet their public. It’s very important to meet people and find out what they like, or what you could do that they could see. On the other side, especially with comic artists, people may know your style but it’s always an extra added to treat to put a name to your face of these pictures you like.”

Grace PikaBug

Grace is another Richmond local who is probably the ultimate Pokemon fan, at least while the Richmond area is concerned. Not just a collector of merchandise, she ended up with the biggest collectible she could have – one of the only ten Pikachu Volkswagen Beetles ever made. She is still in the process of fixing it up, but got it up and running enough to take it to its very first convention. This is her first big convention, and one of the best parts was surely talking to people about the history of the car and answering questions.

“It’s a piece of Pokemon history,” said Grace. “Even though it isn’t perfect, I wanted to show it off, and people seem to be really enjoying it.”

Mackenzie Lemoine

Mackenzie Lemoine is an illustrator and artist based out of Raleigh who specializes in the cute, pink, and spooky. Prints featuring subjects such as Mothman, ghost Pokemon (including a tattooed, punk rock Jigglypuff, naturally), and Tim Burton-styled Totoro decorate her table, proclaiming her really cool aesthetic. Much like the other artists here, she is excited to be in Artist’s Alley, and for all that it brings to the art community.

“It’s really good to meet the people who want to see your art and are interested,” said Lemoine. “It’s good for artists to have that face to face interaction with people who enjoy their art. For me, whenever I started illustrating, illustration is my safe place to go. When people come up to me and go ‘It’s so much pink! That’s so cool!’ It’s so good for me and my mental health.”

Celestial Fawn Designs

Bridgett McPherson, aka Celestial Fawn Designs, is another illustrator out of North Carolina who came up to the convention to see what GalaxyCon was all about. Her designs focus a lot on color and pop culture, and have their own way to make some of your pop culture favorites like Kiki’s Delivery Service your new treasured piece of art. She is a big fan of seeing the costumes as they go by, and as an artist who does a lot of pop culture based work, she truly enjoys seeing the things she draws in real life.

“I think nostalgia is what grabs me the most, because you can do crossovers with your art and make stuff with everybody,” said Bridgett. “It’s cool to see dads go, ‘Hey look, there’s that thing from when I was a kid!’ It’s easy to talk to the parents who intimidate you, but are bringing up our future so that when we get old they’ll be into the good stuff.”

There were so many more artists and creators that we talked to that we could not fit in here, but we’ll see some of them in the future for more issues of Comics X-Change, sharing their picks of the comics out there right now.

Until then, a word of advice: if you’re tired of the same old stories of Superman vs Deadpool, please take a break from the vendors and panels and just take a good stroll down Artist Alley. Not only will you shake up your own aesthetic, but you will leave with so much knowledge you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.

Also, if you’re like me, about $20 worth of stickers.

Until next time, comic fans!