• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Cool and Collected

Collecting pop culture toys, comics, and collectibles collections

August 24, 2011 By 6 Comments

I met Stan “The Man” Lee! What did you do last weekend?

Hi folks! For those who don’t know me, my name is Will, and I’m the pop culture guru to the stars. Well, maybe not yet, but a guy can dream. In any case, Brian knew that I’d be heading off to the Baltimore Comic Con, and he was nice enough to invite me to do a write-up about it.

Baltimore Comicon Superman

This was my 7th Baltimore Con, so I’ve pretty much met most of the professionals by this point. In fact, I’ve seen Liberty Meadows/Avengers artist Frank Cho so many times that he lovingly refers to me as his “stalker”. That funny guy! As much as I love comics, I wasn’t there for Artist Alley or any of the other creators this time. No, I was there to meet The Man.

In case you’re not in the know, Stan “The Man” Lee is essentially the father of Marvel Comics. He created (or co-created, depending on who you ask) Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and many other iconic characters. One of the industry’s greatest cheerleaders, Stan never has a bad thing to say about anyone or anything. It has always been my dream to met both Stan and Adam West, and I saw this show as a chance to at least check one of those boxes.

baltimore comicon Batman and X-Men comics

I had paid for the BCC VIP package, which meant that I’d get a photo with Stan, as well as an autograph. It also granted access to special lines that moved more quickly than the standard lines. Here’s something that I wanted to mention about the VIP line: I was impressed that con organizer Marc Nathan, along with the aforementioned Frank Cho, walked along the VIP line, introducing themselves and thanking each and every person for coming. It might seem like a little gesture to some, but it was a classy gesture, nonetheless.

Baltimore Comicon Marc Nathan and Frank Cho

Once the doors opened for the show, there wasn’t much order in keeping the VIPs together. Once we got to the area where Stan would be taking photos, I had somehow gone from #75 in line to #7 – not that I was complaining! Considering they had to do so many pictures in a short amount of time, it was run like a machine. Sadly, this mean that you didn’t really get to talk to Stan. In fact, he didn’t even look at you. He sat on stool, and you were rushed in, told to smile, and rushed off. When my photo was done, I told him that it was an honor to meet him. He turned his head towards me as I was leaving, and jovially responded, “Well, it’s an honor to have been met!”

The photos and autographs were handled by two separate vendors, so I had to get in another line for the autograph. Instead of paying for *access* to the signing, we were actually paying for each item signed. So, if you wanted him to sign four things, that would require four tickets, at $55 each. I had two items, and really couldn’t decide which I wanted signed. I actually figured out how to game the system, but I chickened out at the last minute. He signed my copy of The Origin of Marvel Comics, and I shook his hand before leaving the booth. A fanboy’s dream come true!

Baltimore Comicon cosplay

baltimore comicon redskull

Like any comic convention, there were loots of folks in costume. At San Diego Comic-Con, there’s a plethora of Slave Leias. Here, either due to the weather or an East Coast sense of shame, we don’t get those. That said, there were still a lot of great costumes on display. There’s also a funny phenomenon — when you’re about to take a picture of a great costume, there’s usually someone with a crappy costume who doesn’t get out of the shot. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, so it becomes “OK, dollar store zombie. You get a picture, too.”

As for merchandise, while this was certainly a great show for collectors of older comics, it wasn’t the show for collectors of older toys. The oldest toys seemed to be fire sale Phantom Menace figures, yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spider-Man’s first appearance) under one roof. Seeing as Stan was the guest of honor, it was a good occasion for dealers to sell older stock that people may want to have signed. Oddly enough, toys were all that I bought. In fact this was my first convention where I didn’t buy a single comic book, trade paperback, or graphic novel. It was an all-toy show for me, and here’s the haul from Day 1:

Baltimore Comicon haul

As you can see, I ended up with a bunch of Mattel’s DC Universe Classics figures, both carded and loose. I also got my girlfriend a bunch of Hasbro’s Marvel Mighty Muggs (that’s the one thing I’ve convinced her to collect). It’s kind of blurry, but I got a postcard set signed by artist Cliff Chiang. My pal, Filip Sablik of Top Cow, gave me a copy of the his new comic, which I got signed by the artist. You’ll also notice the Stan Lee Toon Tumbler, as well as my photo with Stan. To round it out, I got an awesome DC Universe “Faces” poster, which you see underneath everything. In all, it wasn’t a shabby haul, and that was just Day 1. What about Day 2? Well, you’ll just have to read part 2 – tomorrow over on my website!

Filed Under: Other

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brian says

    August 24, 2011 at 10:06 am

    Great post Will! It looks like you had a pretty good haul even if you didn’t pick up any comics. My budget would have been blown on a single signature. 😉

    I’ve always wondered how those premiere signing events go. They have sports shows around here with football and baseball legends, and it always amazes me how much they charge for a signature. I guess it’s their livelihood now that their playing days are over.

    Can’t wait to see part two of your write-up!

    Reply
  2. Tommy says

    August 24, 2011 at 11:29 am

    Awesome! I’m going to have to remember to use that “It’s nice to have been met” line sometimes, although it will sound 0.000001% as cool coming from me rather than Stan Lee.

    Reply
  3. kngfu says

    August 24, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    I went to the STEEL CITY CoMIC CON to get Adam West’s autograph, but found out it was $60 for just the signing. Pictures were extra. Gone are the days of the $17 con admission price with free autographs from all the guests. SIGH.

    Reply
  4. jboypacman says

    August 24, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    Sounds so awesome and now i hope you will get to meet Adam West next. : )

    Reply
  5. Will West says

    August 25, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    Thanks for reading, guys! Make sure to read the epic conclusion here: http://www.williambrucewest.com/2011/08/25/the-stan-lee-panel-day-2-of-baltimore-comic-con-2011/

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Stan Lee Panel – Day 2 of Baltimore Comic-Con 2011 « WilliamBruceWest.com says:
    August 25, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    […] is Part 2 of a 2-part saga. In case you missed Part 1, click here: Go ahead, I'll wait. Done? Good. The following takes place on Sunday, August 21 from 3:00 PM to […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes
  • “I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
  • Hake’s is tempting me again
  • The Black Hole Action Figures
  • The Christmas display is up!

About Cool & Collected

This site is devoted to us crazy few who go to great lengths to acquire items for our collection. Read more.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Support this site:

If you enjoy reading articles on Cool & Collected, I would greatly appreciate you clicking on this eBay link before you do your shopping. I will get a few pennies from any purchase you make, but those pennies can add up. Thank you for your support!

Footer

Submit a Product for Review

Want to have your product(s) featured on Cool & Collected? This is how you can submit something for review.

Recent Posts

  • Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes
  • “I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
  • Hake’s is tempting me again
  • The Black Hole Action Figures
  • The Christmas display is up!
  • My new ride
  • I “might” have a problem — too many toys
  • Vintage Halloween collectibles on TV all month long!
  • WANTED: 1966 Commonwealth Batman & Robin Dolls
  • This mission to Mars is being scrubbed

Topics

  • Art and Photography
  • Books
  • Collections
  • Comic Books
  • Games
  • Other
  • Pop Culture League
  • Shows & Events
  • Toys
  • TV & Movies

Pages

  • About Cool & Collected
  • Blog
  • Contact Cool & Collected
  • Privacy Policy
  • Submit a Product for Review
  • Tips for starting (and enjoying) a collection

Copyright © 2022 Big Fish Design. All rights reserved.