Review: The Comic Con Survival Guide
From CoCo Comics Publishing
As well as being behind CoCo Con, there is also a selection of comics available from various creators. At the last minute, I decided to back their anthology - The Comic Con Survival Guide.
The Comic Con Survival Guide is a 30-page Anthology featuring the work of different artists from around the world.
Each artist has created a short comic around the theme of Comic Cons, the good, the bad and the overly priced sandwiches. Some of them are autobiographical, others are more fantastical.
With a selection of stories being told, and ones that may warn those looking to do a convention or make you smile if you ever have, there is a good mix. Let’s have a look.
Comic Con Translation Guide By Thomas Philipson
Starting off with a good single page. I’ve often suspected some of these, and I do feel I need to ask this question of some of the creators that I know if this is how they have often felt about tabling at a convention. It makes you look at an exhibit in a different way…
Too Real By James Patricks (W) and Connor Tierney (A)
The blurring between the lines of fiction and reality is excellent here. You can really feel the tension and the moments of madness. It builds up to a finale which explodes and has some excellent panels and double takes!
The Hike… or 6 cons, 4 countries, 3 homes, 1 year! By Ymir Arnarson (W/A) and Cat Azevedo (W/Shading)
A happy-go-lucky story, which I think holds excellent advice for those who want to exhibit at a convention. This had some excellent moments, with a massive range of emotions across the board. I think the final words are key to this story.
The Rite of Passage By Marlene Santos
This one hit harder for me as I am seriously thinking about going to some fairs and conventions to sell my zine and comics. I like the style and the way it makes you feel.
Die Hard at Comic Con By James Patricks (W) and Sola Simpson (A)
it’s always great fun to see Sola’s art; this is a fun look at not only conventions but also the culture. I love the build and the tropes being used - the ending is perfect, with a nod towards the other aspects of comics.
Small Time Con By Matt Smith
So many different things to worry about with cons. This had some excellent thoughts and was a good, fun read. I liked the rallying cry too.
Comic Con Horror Story By Matt Simmons
And finally, a very personal short story with some feelings that I’m sure creators can relate to - I’ve seen this too!
In conclusion, if you want to have fun and read short stories about conventions, pick this up. Also, there is a whole host of creative teams to check out and look at their further work.