The Big Easy

If you’ve never been to one of Roger Price’s shows, then you haven’t had the best Con experience of your life. Roger runs both the Big Easy Con and the Mid-Ohio-Con. Every year (or now, with the two shows, half year) he tops himself with his shows.

Mid-Ohio and Big Easy aren’t the biggest cons around. San Diego, or excuse me, Comic-Con International is. But the problem I have at San Diego is that you don’t really meet anyone. You have sightings. “I saw Terry Moore,” you might say. But you rarely say “I had a great conversation with Terry Moore.” San Diego’s just too darn big. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable and important. Where else can you be rejected by the entire comics industry at one sitting?

But Roger’s, now those are something else. He gets a number of big guests like John Byrne, Mark Waid, and Harlan Ellison, to name just a few. The thing is, the show’s guests are so accessible. You can have a conversation with someone. The shows are well attended, but not crowded.

Roger’s also got the best Con Staff, bar none. If you tell someone in a staff shirt that an alien ship is landing in the parking lot, they’re likely to get on their Space Ranger headset and say “We have a code eleven.” You can’t faze these guys.

Roger also makes you feel like you’re the most important guest at the show. Fortunately, in my case, I know that to be true. Thom Zahler, letterer, inker, and caricaturist is obviously a bigger draw than anyone else. But I’m sure Roger makes Roy Thomas feel just as important as I do.

Now, on to the show.

Big Easy Con is a three day event over Memorial Day Weekend. There couldn’t be a better time to go. The weather’s generally pretty pleasant. (Okay, this time out, the average temperature during the day was in the 90s. But everywhere’s air conditioned. And it was still very pleasant, I thought.) You’re minutes from the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, if you’re into that whole party scene. Fortunately, I am.

I came in on Thursday, meeting Rob Kelly, my war buddy from Kubert at the airport. We got settled in to our hotel, took a look around, and started the pre-Convention process of bumping into people. Paul Storrie, currently the writer of Robin Hood for Moonstone Press was also sharing a room with us.

Rob, Bob Ingersoll, writer of The Law is a Ass for CBG and online, and I had reservations at Emeril’s restaurant, that I had made three months prior. Proper attire was supposedly required. And convincing Rob to do the suit and tie thing is no small effort, let me tell you. But we went and had a lovely dinner. Emeril’s isn’t as upscale as they seem. The three of us were probably overdressed comparatively. But the food was excellent. The chocolate souffle was my favorite part.

We then did our first of many “laps” on Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street is strictly for adults, make no mistake. It’s bar after bar, separated only by strip clubs and gift shops. But it’s got a feel all it’s own on a long weekend like this. Kind of a constant party. And even if you’re not into the whole drinking scene, you have to go just to people watch.

Now, at the risk of offending the women in my audience (both of you) there seemed to be... shall we say an abundance of attractive women and a shortage of fabric. Not that I am complaining in any way, mind you. Very attractive scenery. This was kind of a theme for the weekend. In fact, there seemed to be some kind of Big-Eyed Waif Convention going on in the hotel concurrent with Big Easy.

It was all good.

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