Manhattan Beach San Diego Comic Con Comic creators prep for event of the year
The Comic Bug crew ready for Comic Con. Easy Reader file photo
South Bay comic book artists, writers, letterers, publishers, vendors, and fans will make their annual pilgrimage this week to San Diego Comic Con, united under one cause: an affinity for all things comic book… although the origin of these affinities may vary.
Comic book creator and Comic Bug co-owner Mike Wellman’s story began at a comic book rack in his local grocery store in the 1970s.
“Sci-fi was everywhere” in the ‘70s, Wellman said. Iconic sci-fi movies and TV shows were being released, movies and TV shows that still impact our entertainment today. Comic Con began in 1970, which further aided locals’ accessibility to comics. Children now have an even larger opportunity to become passionate about the world of comics thanks to the internet and the accessibility that comes with it.
“[The digital] medium is wide open for anybody who wants to make comics,” Wellman said. “There’s no reason for them not to.”
Wellman himself provides a publication forum for local independent writers and artists within the walls of the Comic Bug. Two groups, the Sketchy Bugs, and the Lady Bugs, meet at the store every Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Wellman, with his first-hand knowledge of comic book creation and publication, initiated the gatherings as a monthly class he taught alongside friends from throughout the industry, including colorists, lettering specialists, artists, and editors. From this, a community was cultivated.
Redondo Beach resident Chris Brandt will be attending the Artists’ Galley at Comic Con, which consists of booths that are free to artists. Brandt is an artist, but he does not create solely comic books. His full-time job is as a storyboard artist, and he has worked on music videos, commercials, and films such as “Hidden Figures” and “St. Vincent,” for the past 17 years. He also directed Comic Book Geeks, a Torrance community cable access TV show, which lasted 45 episodes. Each episode featured a different person involved in comics. Brandt worked alongside Wellman, who played Wonder Boy, one of the hosts.
Stuart Ng, of Stuart Ng Books, has been exhibiting his comic book store at the convention for the past eighteen years. His years of practice, however, do not protect him from last-minute problems.
Just last Friday — a week before the event– the company hired to provide the company with a twenty-four-foot truck to bring their merchandise and equipment to the San Diego site, did not reserve a truck for Ng. In past years, pallets have been delayed, forcing Ng to order their delivery straight to the convention center, rather than first to his store. With Comic Con being, according to Ng, “the biggest convention in the U.S.,” exhibitors learn to expect the worst and remain calm when it happens.
Wellman can attest to the difficulties of last-minute problems. He tries to release a new issue in his comic book series, “Guns A’Blazin’!” prior to each Comic Con, and last year, he had to pick up the copies of his fourth book en route. He will be releasing the fifth issue at this year’s convention, and he hopes to have the copies delivered to his store.
Because Comic Con is so well-attended, the pressure is on for vendors. The multitude of attendees provides a forum for potential fans to be convinced of a product’s quality. Wellman is excited to make new fans in the coming years while keeping in touch with old ones. He is not, however, looking to make new fans as a money-making opportunity.
“As a creator,” Wellman said, “you go there for the exposure.” Writing comic books is his passion, and he wants people to see the work of which he is so proud.