Thursday, April 4, 2013

RETURN FROM WONDERLAND

WonderCon was...well, pretty wonderful.  Got to sign lots and lots of comics and meet lots and lots of fans; spend time with old friends (like comics great Len Wein, animation legend Stan Berkowitz and Teen Titans Go! writer/producer Michael Jelenic) and new (like X-Men: First Class scribe Ashley Miller and Free Enterprise director Robert Meyer Burnett); hang out at the IDW booth with two of the nicest guys in the business, Chris Ryall and Greg Goldstein; take part in one of the most interesting panels I’ve ever been on (along with Mark Waid, Ann Nocenti, Dan Slott and Doug Mahnke) and...well, there was more, much more, on both the professional and personal fronts.

With Mark Waid, Ann Nocenti and Dan Slott
Photo by Rudy Manahan ©copyright 2013 Comic Con International 

But the best part for me was hanging out with my son, Cody—who took some time off from his job as production coordinator at Adult Swim and joined me for a father-son pre-birthday bash.  (Cody was born on April 6th.  Everyone say “Happy birthday, Cody!”)  Having my son interview me for my Easter morning Spotlight Panel wasn’t just a highlight of the convention, it was a highlight of my life.  (We recorded the entire panel and I'll be posting the audio here soon.)

Spotlight Panel with JMD and CRD
 Photo ©copyright 2013 Ken Fries

The weekend was capped by a wonderful dinner with (among others) my manager, Josh Morris, screenwriter David Tully (my collaborator on a wonderful, top-secret project), Blood: a tale movie director Marc Rosenbush and Harish Rao and Melinda Woolf of Agni Intercative.

So thanks to everyone mentioned here and everyone else I encountered in Anaheim, pro and fan alike, with special thanks to the terrific WonderCon crew, who treated me—and Cody—like gold.  We’ll have to do it again one of these years.  (Sooner than later, I hope.)

Photo ©copyright 2013 Cody DeMatteis

10 comments:

  1. Glad to hear it went so well!! Would loved to have gone, and maybe someday I will--same with San Diego Comicon, at least once. Sounds like you have a lot coming out, too (top-secret project??). Sweet! Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Cody!!

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    1. Wait. You've NEVER been to SDCC? Everyone has to go once, A. Jaye: it's kind of like Las Vegas, that way.

      On behalf of my son, thanks for the birthday greeting!

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  2. Cool pic, JMD. Not surprisingly, you stand a head above the rest!

    --David

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  3. So THAT'S what Cody Sunn-Childe looks like in real life! Happy birthday and may the Force be with you!

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  4. hey J.M I was born on April 6 too! Happy birthday to your son!

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    1. A VERY happy birthday to you, Daniel! And on behalf of Cody: thank you!

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  5. Hey, it's late but happy birthday, JM!

    Without the beard you look a bit like Larry David. We should form a club!

    On a sad but nostalgic note. Did you get to know Carmine?

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    1. MY birthday's in December, Rafa. My son's birthday is TODAY...so you're right on time.

      Larry David, eh? Maybe it's time for a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM comic book.

      I didn't know Carmine personally, but I worked with him twice, very early in my career. Once on a MYSTERY IN SPACE short and once on an issue of STAR WARS. His work echoed through my childhood...and echoes still. His impact on comics was huge.

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