W♥M

Bloomington Comic Expo at VFW Post, Bloomington (2021-11-13)

Read More Comic Books We attended the first Midwest Comic Book Fans show Spring Fling Comic Book Show at Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center, Mounds View, Minnesota, today, May 15th, 2021. …

There was a new comic book show called Bloomington Comic Expo at the Bloomington’s Everett McClay VFW Post on Saturday. Admission was free, so we decided to stop by to check it out. I thought this was the first show, but talking to vendors, they said the promoters had a lot of shows, “pre-pandemic, of course.”

First of all, we’ve been to venue before for a few Minnesota Toy Posse shows, so we knew the room was small. It’s about the same size as Mermaid Entertainment Event Center.

There were about 15-20 dealers, mostly selling back issues. If you’ve gone to other comic book shows, you know what to expect, lots of long boxes and a lot of digging.

There were a few selling toys, mostly out of print stuff. Surprisingly I didn’t see any Transformers or G.I. Joe’s. If they had them at the show, they didn’t put them on display.

Gordon Purcell

The convention advertised Keith Champagne (courtesy of the MCBF), Tom Nguyen, and Gordon Purcell. These names should be familiar with any comic book fans living in the area.

We had a little chat with Purcell, talking about that time he was asked to do a rush job for DC Comics’ War of the Gods. He said that the main artist dropped out, so he (he also mentioned Phil Jimenez) was called in to finish the last issue. The whole project was a mess, because writer George Perez was also working at Marvel Comics for Infinity Gauntlet, and he was over extending himself with War of the Gods. The interesting thing about under Perez’s direction, George would write in notes for the artist. For example, he would write in so-and-so’s heads here, etc. Thanks to War of the Gods, Purcell said that he got to draw a ton of DC characters.

I think the free admission was a real draw for me. As long as it’s free, or reasonably priced, I will attend future shows. I definitely did not attend Fallcon this year, because admission was $15 and offered nothing of value in return.

Bloomington Comic Expo at VFW Post, Bloomington (2021-11-13)

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Spring Fling Comic Book Show at Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center, Mounds View (15 May 2021)

Read More MCBA When the 26th annual SpringCon ended over the previous weekend and the dust settled, it became the largest attended in the group’s history and ended the so-called ....

We attended the first Midwest Comic Book Fans show Spring Fling Comic Book Show at Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center, Mounds View, Minnesota, today, May 15th, 2021.

To give you a little background, Midwest Comic Book Fans came out of the ashes of Midwest Comic Book Association (MCBA). It all started with the passing of organizer Nick Post in 2014, and the MCBA organization had an identity crisis, after re-branding itself as MSP Comicon… which sounded like a good idea, as it sounds like San Diego Comicon and to better compete with Wizard World Minneapolis and MN Fan Fest. I’ve mentioned in the past that I absolutely hated the “MSP Comicon” name, and locally, everybody referred to the shows as Springcon and Fallcon anyway… so what was the point?

The remaining organizers at the Midwest Comic Book Association decided to retire and left it to the remaining volunteers. They had a vote and reformed as simply Midwest Comic Book Fans.

MCBF’s main goal is to bring back Springcon and Fallcon, and its original goal of keeping the shows affordable. This is awesome, as one of my biggest complaint about the previous former shows, was that it was expensive ($15 was the price of admission that I paid on the last show) for what it offered. For that price, I wanted a good comic book panels, I want to see non-local artists, etc.

Based on what we saw at “Spring Fling Comic Book Show”, I think they are on the right track! The $5 admission fee was the right price for this kind of one-room show. There were about 15 local dealers, mostly dealing with comic books (some had toys and the usual convention-related things).

Artists

There was a small section for artists, as you can see from the photo, local legend Dan Jurgens (Superman), Gordon Purcell (Star Trek: The Last Generation), and Ale Garza (Deadpool), had a table. The flyer (complete with the wrong zip code), did not advertise Jurgens, as there were several fans who were surprised to see him there. In fact, if I had known he was going to be there, I would’ve definitely brought some books for him to sign (even though I’ve met Jurgens and got his autographs numerous times).

Anyway, the turnout for this show was so good that there was a long line of people trying to get in the room (since there was a capacity cap). I think there was a number of factors why there was such a large turnout… one of which is perhaps people were just itching to get back to normal conventions and shows (now that many people are vaccinated). Also, I think the price is right, a show like this should be $5 or less.

I think my biggest complaint is that it was just too small, especially with the capacity limit. If you were collecting comics, this kind of show is good for looking and buying. Prices are about what you would expect, not too overpriced, but not exactly great deals either… but it might be cheaper than what’s on eBay.

Overall, a good start. I’m very interested in checking out their next show… which I am assuming will be Fallcon.

Spring Fling Comic Book Show at Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center, Mounds View (15 May 2021)

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MSP Comicon at Minnesota State Fair, St Paul (05 Oct 2019)

Featured Guests Scott Beaderstadt, John Bivens, Andy Brase, Drew Brockington, Zander Cannon, W.C. Carani, Keith Champagne, Steve Fastner, Otis Frampton, Paul Fricke, Ale Garza, Dan Jurgens, Ryan Kelly, Kickliy Yilkcik, Peter Krause, Rich Larson, Ant Lucia, Clara Meath, Tom Nguyen Gordon Purcell, Jason Walz, Dave Wheeler, Jin Wicked Read More MCBA We haven’t attended a MCBA (Minnesota Center for Book Arts, not to be confused with Minnesota Center for Book Arts) show since 2015, which was a massive disappointment for us. ....

Since we were already in the area (for the annual Half Price Books Clearance Sale), we stopped by the MSP Comicon show (aka Fallcon aka Fall ComiCon). Fallcon is currently a one-day small show, put together by the Midwest Comic Book Association (MCBA).

What that means is that it’s a little cheaper ($10 for Fallcon vs $15 for Springcon), but there are no comic book panels (who cares, because we saw some panels in May 2015 and it sucked). Take it from me, you’re not missing anything.

There were fewer comic book guests and limited to artists or writers from around the area. However, I would have to add that this year, they got Dan Jurgens back at their shows (not really sure why he stopped going).

The room was also smaller, with less dealers, and possibly less attendees (although attendance has always been strong for these shows).

Prices and inventories were based on dealers, so you may find something for $10 at one vendor and later see the same thing for $20. I recommend walking around and making notes of prices. Dealers are more inclined to cut you some deals, which personally, I’m terrible at haggling.

Since it’s based on independent sellers, they don’t all accept credit or debit cards… so your best bet is to bring cash. And also bring your own bags, as many dealers don’t have plastic bags for your purchases.

Since we never arrive early enough, the 300 free grab bags were all gone. What I love about what they’re doing now (I haven’t attended in four years so this might have changed recently) is putting out free comic books on freebie tables located near the bathrooms. They go quickly, so I’m assuming they re-stock these tables every hour or so.

The other (minor) complain is that parking was a little difficult due to the HPB and Twin Cities Oktoberfest also taking place in the same area. We eventually found parking, but it was a bit far to walk to the Fallcon entrance.

MSP Comicon at Minnesota State Fair, St Paul (05 Oct 2019)

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Half Price Books‎ Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul (05 Oct 2019)

Read More Half Price Books We attended the 10th Annual Half Price Books Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Grandstand on Saturday. If you didn’t know, the annual free event …

The annual Half Price Books Clearance Sale took place at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Grandstand on Saturday, October 5th… nearby the MCBA Fall Comicon and Twin Cities Oktoberfest. Logistically, if you really wanted to, you can attend all three events at the Fairgrounds for less than $20.

As with previous years, everything at this sale was $2 or less. Comic books were 25¢ or 50¢, while trades were $1 or $2. Movies were movies in DVD format, but occasionally you do see Blurays (but they are rare). Most of the $2 video games were from the PS3 or earlier era (so, no Switch or PS4 games).

The worst part of this sale is checking out. Lines snaked all over the room and it took 15-20 minutes just to get to a cashier. I know it may sound unfair, but I wish there was a ten-items or less line, so customers who just had one or two items can get out quicker.

The first customers who attended each day (starting at 9am), got a free HPB tote bag. They limited it to one bag per person (of 16 years or older).

As with their stores, they accept most forms of payments, including cash and credit cards - however they will refuse to accept HPB Gift Cards or coupons.

Saturday is the busiest day for the Hal Price Books sale, so if you can swing it, go on Friday… because you get first choice and there’s probably fewer customers (and likely better parking since they’re not sharing it with the comic convention or Oktoberfest fans).

Half Price Books‎ Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul (05 Oct 2019)

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Half Price Books‎ Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul (06 Oct 2018)

HPB Clearance Sale Read More Comic Books I really hate the title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I can understand it, it tells us that Batman will be fighting Superman... and somehow it involves the Justice … MCBA When the 26th annual SpringCon ended over the previous weekend and the dust settled, it became the largest attended in the group’s history and ended the so-called Minneapolis Comic Convention Wars ....

We attended the 10th Annual Half Price Books Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Grandstand on Saturday.

If you didn’t know, the annual free event features HPB’s clearance stock, and they sold everything for $2 or less. I’ll confess, most of it is junk, but occasionally, you’ll find a diamond in the rough. We were there to look at comic books and Blurays. There were some Blu mixed in the DVD area, but they were rare. I would say for every DVD cardboard box, there were one Bluray (or none at all).

Sometime, with the impressive attendance, it wasn’t easy to navigate or look at everything, but we spent a good amount of time looking at books, records, movies, and old video games. For the entry fee of $0, I felt like we got a lot of value out of it.

Twin Cities Oktoberfest

Next door at the Fairgrounds, were the 8th annual Twin Cities Oktoberfest and the 30th Anniversary of MCBA Fall Comicon 2018 (or locally we just know it as Fallcon).

We haven’t attended a MCBA (Minnesota Center for Book Arts, not to be confused with Minnesota Center for Book Arts) show since 2015, which was a massive disappointment for us. Since Fallcon was the “one-day wonder”, smaller show, it does not include any comic panels or any sort of entertainment. Basically your $10 entry fee doesn’t get you anything, other than the privilege of looking at back issues. To put things in perspective, the Oktoberfest’s $5 entry got you a beer stein and your first beer, plus free live music, etc. (see poster).

Anyway, Half Price Books Clearance Sale will end today (Sunday, October 7th) at 6pm. All sales are final, so closely check the item you are buying.

Half Price Books‎ Clearance Sale at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul (06 Oct 2018)

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MSP Comicon at Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis (16 May 2015)

Read More MCBA When the 26th annual SpringCon ended over the previous weekend and the dust settled, it became the largest attended in the group’s history and ended the so-called Minneapolis Comic Convention Wars ....

I originally wasn't going to go to the MSP Comicon (formerly Springcon) this weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, but ended up going at the last minute on Saturday.

This is the first year the Midwest Comic Book Association (MCBA) decided to rename Springcon to take advantage of the confusing "Comicon" name. No one I know liked the name change. We think it's too acronym-ey, the same way no one I know refer to this as the "MCBA" brand. Look, we understand why they want to rebrand, but given the 28 years of "Springcon" and "Fallcon", it is going to take a while for us to refer to this as the MSP Comicon show.

The last few times I've gone to Springcon or Fallcon, I felt like I wasn't getting anything out of it. Particularly the smaller Fallcon shows, which has no panels and only serves as something of a paid fleamarket for comics. Which is fine, especially if there are some books I'm looking for... but generally I get what I need at my local comic store or order them online.

The only advantage Springcon and Fallcon has right now is the affordable entrance fee. MSP Comicon cost $12 for both days, which is an unbeatable deal compared to Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con which cost $75 for three days. With the cheaper price, it brought in more attendees/fans and more vendors (with cheaper prices). For example, the V for Vendetta Mask was $10 at Wizard, but only $5 at MSP Comicon. It's probably no secret that exhibitor pay more for a table at Wizard World, so they have to mark up their merchandise to pay for their space.

I'll address some of my complaints now about MSP Comicon/Springcon. While I like the free parking, I'm not a fan of the Minnesota State Fairground. We got lost trying to find the convention (since they move to different buildings depending on the show).

It also took us nearly one hour waiting in a very long line to get inside the convention, which I felt was kind of ridiculous. I understand there are a lot of fans, but how hard is it to take our money and let us in?

You're not going to see any actors like Gillian Anderson, but that's fine, we're only paying $12. We understand it's just going to be focused on (local) artists and writers. We saw/expect to see the same names like Dan Jurgens, Doug Mahnke, Gordon Purcel, Tom Nguyen, etc.

The panels were a joke. First of all, the title/description are all wrong. For example, "Scribbling with a Master" with host Angel Medina... featured no scribbling or drawing. The "DC Comics Today" with Aaron Kuder and Ben Templesmith had nothing to do with DC Comics. Templesmith came in and said he worked for DC but many of his works never saw the light of day and Kuder couldn't really talk much about his involvement in Superman. Instead the two just talk about "mullets" and Templesmith highly endorsed the latest Mad Max: Fury Road movie. Now... if they had change the "DC Comics Today" title to something like "Today in Mullets" or "We Love Mad Max", I would not have an issue. It just felt that none of the speakers were actually prepared for their topics.

The second problem is that it was incredibly noisy. The panel room basically had curtains. No one could hear anything, and even the speakers had trouble hearing each other (and they were speaking with a loudspeaker!) Questions that fans ask could not be heard. Maybe MCBA could set up a microphone for the audience?

Overall, these panels were the absolute worst this year, which is a shame because I've been to better panels from previous Fallcons/Springcons... and especially because we just saw Wizard World two weeks ago that had one thousand percent better panels.

We are not attending the MSP Comicon Sunday show, instead my friends and I would rather see Mad Max: Fury Road on IMAX and call it a day. Anyway, I said this last year, but I think this is probably my last year of going to Springcon/Fallcon. Based on the very strong turnout for the convention, I don't think the MCBA will miss us.

Aaron Kuder and Ben Templesmith at MSP Comicon, Minneapolis (16 May 2015)

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Comic Book News: Convention Season begins

Read More Comic Books Don't forget that the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will be taking place May 1st and May 2nd (which is also Free Comic Book Day) and May 3rd. We had a fantastic time last year at the ....

Spring has finally sprung, meaning among other things, that comic convention season is moving into full swing.

Locally, the offerings are expanding and here are just a few of the upcoming shows—

Sound+Vision MN

We start small with the charming and varied Sound+Vision MN Pop Culture Collectibles Show, a Free Admission show happening this Saturday at Valley Creek Mall in Woodbury. The show is in its third year and offers not only comic books and toys to peruse, but a great selection of music collectibles (Vinyl Records, CDs, concert DVDs), various memorabilia, rarities, and things you didn’t know you needed… but you do.

Additionally, Eisner Award winning creator Zander Cannon is special guest, promoting his just released Kaijumax #1 (Oni Press) about Godzilla-like monsters in a super prison overseen by Ultraman-like guards. There’s also free Star Wars: Rebels items and a first chance to possibly nab Avengers: Age of Ultron advanced movie passes.

A road trip should be considered for Chicago’s C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), happening at McCormick Place April 24-26^th.  This massive show is very comic book-friendly with most publishers and many of today’s superstars in attendance.  Stan Lee, Dan Slott, Gail Simone, David Finch, and Amanda Conner are just a few of the numerous professionals attending.

Entertainment media guests include cast members of Arrow, Orphan Black, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Game of Thrones, and celebrities such as Kevin Smith, Matt Dillon, M. Night Shyamalan, and many others.  Panels, screenings, cosplay, and more fill the weekend with plenty to do and see.

FCBD

The next weekend brings not only Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 2^nd, but also Wizard World Minneapolis May 1-3 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  Free Comic Book Day encourages everyone young and old to visit their participating area retailer, to receive a selection of fifty different titles, available exclusively for this event.

All major publishers participate on Free Comic Book Day, with some of the free titles featuring well liked properties such as The Simpsons, Transformers, Bob’s Burgers, Sonic, The Avengers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more.  Retailers also offer other incentives such as sales and giveaways, to make the day a special one.

Wizard World Minneapolis

Wizard World Minneapolis returns with an impressive list of entertainment guests that includes Gillian Anderson, Karl Urban, Luke Perry, and the voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy.  Comic book professionals attending include Neal Adams, Chris Claremont, Larry Hama, and Michael Golden.  While entertainment guests have always charged for autographs, many premier comic professionals are now doing so as well, so check details at their booth.

MSP ComicCon

The Midwest Comic Book Association has re-branded Spring Con as MSP ComicCon, to take advantage of the name recognition, and always offers an intimate, yet expansive weekend experience.  Happening May 16 and 17^th at the State Fairgrounds, comic professionals scheduled to attend include Ben Templesmith, Kris Anka, Pat Gleason, Mike Norton, and others.

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Pop Culture / Comic Book Shows - this weekend and beyond

Read More Comic Books Of all the comic book-related television shows that I follow, I'm most excited about Constantine. I know the source material very well, having own nearly all the 300 issues run of Hellblazer comic book. .…

Though winter’s cold bite is upon us early, there are still a few pop culture-related events, worth getting out of the house for.

Sound+Vision MN is a Pop Culture Collectibles show in its third year that brings together selections of vintage and current, rare and hard-to-find music (Vinyl, CDs, concert DVDs), comic books, toys, science fiction, horror and fantasy memorabilia and more, to a 3x annual show held at Valley Creek Mall in Woodbury.

Appearing November 22: Otis Frampton

For the latest installment, happening this Saturday, November 22 (9am-3pm), the show features Image Comics writer/artist Otis Frampton as its special guest and a chance to win early The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies advance screening tickets and prizes.

Frampton’s latest comic, an all-ages book called Oddly Normal, has its third issue out the following Wednesday, and he’s also involved in the YouTube popular How It Should Have Ended animated shorts, along with his own ABCDEFGeek.   Other promotions are on-site and the admission and parking are Free, for this one-of-a-kind east metro show.

Wizard World Madison

If it’s this cold and snowy out in November, will people go to a comic-con in early February? That’s the hope, as Wizard World expands its nationwide pop culture shows for 2015, adding a show in Madison, WI at the Alliant Energy Center on Feb 6-8, 2015.

Wizard began extending its reach last year, with the inaugural Wizard World Minneapolis and the company hopes for similar success across the border. Media guests announced so far include William Shatner, Eliza Dushku, George Wendt, Michael Rooker, Edward James Olmos, Billy Dee Williams, and Batman's Adam West and Burt Ward (perfect to get that long awaited TV series box autographed!).

Comic book creators include Mike Grell, writer Gary Carlson, and up-and- coming Marvel Young Gun artist, Valerio Schiti. Cosplay contests, celebrity Q+A sessions, and industry panels are all part of the weekend.

MSP Comicon

Locally, the longtime two-day SpringCon has rebranded itself as the MSP Comicon, likely in response for Wizard coming to town and to take advantage of the “Comicon” branding term. The 27^th annual show will be held May 16-17 in the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and features 100,000 square feet of comic book-centric collectibles.

Known as a fan and creator friendly show, the organizing volunteers suffered a heavy loss when Source Comics and Games co-owner Nick Post unexpectedly passed away, but the Midwest Comic Book Association carries on in his honor, to deliver a show that is both fun and satisfying to the comic book aficionado.

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SpringCon 2014 re-cap / Minneapolis Comic Wars aftermath

W♥M216: Comic Book Summer (36 mins) Read More Comic Books Just two weekends after the first-ever Wizard Minneapolis Comic Con, the 26th Annual MCBA SpringCon Comic Book Celebration takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds …

When the 26^th annual SpringCon ended over the previous weekend and the dust settled, it became the largest attended in the group’s history and ended the so-called Minneapolis Comic Convention Wars with a “win-win” outcome.

SpringCon, brought to life by the all-volunteer Midwest Comic Book Association, faced some additional pressure and competition after Wizard World Minneapolis, the area’s inaugural pop culture convention, came to town for the first time, scheduling itself just two weekends prior to the homegrown, more comic book-focused show.  Boasting over 100,000 square feet of floor space and more than 250 creators in attendance, Saturday’s headcount on a balmy warm weather day set a record, with Sunday staying fairly active as well.

Longtime supporting creators and regional dealers all attended SpringCon to show their backing of the local show and had a (mostly) ‘silent embargo’ against attending the larger Wizard World Minneapolis, which was conspicuously scheduled over Free Comic Book Day; an industry event now in its 12^th year, that supports local retailers and encourages new readers with a bevy of free offerings and associated promotions available at your local comic book shop.

Dan Jurgens, Adam Hughes, Bill Willingham, Jeff Parker, Steve Lieber, and others, were among the marquee guests at SpringCon, which also included panel discussions, a cosplay costume contest, and charity art auction, with all proceeds going to the Lupus Foundation and industry-supported Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Ecto-1

The move by the MCBA in 2010 to shift their two-day event from the Fall to the Spring, has had both good and bad effects as a result.  Weather in Minnesota in mid-May (vs. mid-October) is generally good, with people eager to get out and find events to attend, after what’s usually a harsh winter.  The main downside of scheduling in mid-May is that it is at a peak of Convention season, with many other large shows happening that weekend or in close proximity-to, making securing more A-list guests and larger national dealers, much harder to accomplish.

In the end, both conventions were successful in terms of the promoters’ expectations and so much so, that 2015 has already been scheduled by both sides within again, the same two weekends of each other.  The MCBA returns before that though, with its “one day wonder”, FallCon, scheduled for Saturday October 4^th in a smaller building in the State Fairgrounds.

Some suggestions to make both shows better and here’s to another battle brewing in May 2015:

Wizard World Minneapolis-

1. Re-schedule Your Date- a different month/weekend would not as directly compete with local show SpringCon and would not be over Free Comic Book Day weekend—this would free up more disposable income for spending fans, make the calendar more bearable in terms of events, and not alienate every retailer that counts on FCBD weekend as their best-selling event of the year.  
   
   
2. Re-establish yourself as a more comic book-centric convention – while wrestlers and TV stars appearing are somewhat interesting, a lack of overall comic book creators and dealers in this first year, hurt the show’s core audience.  Comic book talent that did appear at Wizard World Minneapolis were contracted to appear at several national shows by the company, and unfortunately did not draw much activity. 
   
   
3. Embrace the local fan community – known more for its predatory tactics, Wizard World should actively reach out to the local fanbase and better support the pop culture its show brings, to create more of a camaraderie with area fans, instead of the impression that the industry’s 800lb. gorilla is coming to town, to bury the longtime local show. 
   
   

MCBA SpringCon/FallCon-

1. Use the competition aspect to attract more star creator guests – Heroes Con in NC is a marvelous example of a homegrown fan-friendly convention that attracts a multitude of top flight creators.  When Wizard moved into that area with its own show, creators and fans rallied to insure Heroes Con would flourish and the show and its reputation, has grown exponentially ever since.
   
   
2. Better highlight the show’s overall value - $12 for two days ($11 w/food donation) is an absolute steal in terms of rising prices, especially when compared with more national multi-media shows (Wizard and others) which can be $50-100 per day at the door. The overall nature of this local show, allows creators to be met in a one-on-one and relaxed manner that the major shows can’t offer.  The charity art auction is not only for a good cause, but often means that a unique piece of original artwork can be had for a fraction of its true worth.
   
   
3. Bring more old/new talent to town – While the larger shows only seem interested in the ‘hottest’ creators of the moment, MCBA has had a history of uniquely bringing more old and new creators to town, and needs to do more of this.  Older comic veterans like Joe Staton, Rich Buckler, Ernie Chan, and Silver Age legend Russ Health have all graced the show, as well as early appearances by then up-and-comers Michael Turner and Frank Cho among others. The show needs to re-dedicate itself to booking more of the old and new, that rarely appear elsewhere, to attract more out-of-area attendees.
   
   

SpringCon, Minnesota State Fairgrounds (17-18 May 2014)

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Minneapolis Music Guide: May 18 - May 24, 2014

Here is a guide of some Minneapolis (and Saint Paul) live shows and events taking place next week: May 18 - May 24.

Art-A-Whirl at 331 Club Poster Read More Art-A-Whirl The corporate-ish website of Art-A-Whirl does a terrible job showcasing what's going on this weekend in Northeast Minneapolis. Art-A-Whirl, this year, seems more focused on food and music (and less about art and, er, pottery).…

MAY 16-18
VARIOUS NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS
Art-A-Whirl

Art-A-Whirl... yeah, it's a dumb name, but what can you do?

It's that time of the year again, the NEMAA (Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association) is putting together their annual Art-A-Whirl show. The event is free and open to the public and takes place May 16 to May 18 at various places throughout the Northeast Minneapolis area.

Event schedule:

Friday, May 16th - 5:00-10:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 17th - Noon-8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 18th - Noon-5:00 p.m.

Some highlights:

Anchor Fish & Chips

Sat 05/17 at 8pm: Marijuana Deathsquads

Sun 05/18 at 7pm: Romantica

Grumpy's

Sat 05/17 at 9pm: The Blind Shake

Indeed Brewing Co

Fri 05/16 at 4:35pm: Little Man

612 Brew

Sun 05/18 at 4pm: Botzy

331 Club

Fri 05/16 at 9pm: Mark Mallman

Sat 05/17 at 8pm: Metallagher

Sun 05/18 at 5:30pm: Davina & the Vagabonds

Read More MCBA Meanwhile, the SpringCon is taking place a few weeks after Wizard's convention: May 17-18 at the usual Minnesota State Fairgrounds. I have been going on and off for many years, from that hotel near Mall of America …

MAY 17-18
MINNESOTA STATE FAIRGROUNDS
Springcon

Comic Convention Wars continue in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Just two weekends after the first-ever Wizard Minneapolis Comic Con, the 26th Annual MCBA SpringCon Comic Book Celebration takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds inside the Grandstand. Hours are 10AM to 5PM both days with tickets only available at the door, and a savings if non-perishable food item(s) are brought to donate.

The friendly and longtime show (which was scheduled well in advance of Wizard’s date) is more comic book than “pop culture” oriented (i.e. no wrestlers attending) and features 100,000 square feet of dealer space and some 250 different local and national comic book creators, along with dealers from all over the United States, free panel discussions/programs, costume contests, and an art auction.

Notable comic book creator guests include Dan Jurgens, Adam Hughes, Bill Willingham, Pablo Marcos, Carlos D’Anda, Ale Garza, and many more.

Factoids! Things You Should Know:

GUEST CREATOR PANELS - will be running all on both days! It's a great way to get up close and personal with some of your favorite comic book creators and best of all no extra ticket is required and all SpringCon Guest Creator Panels are FREE!

FREE PARKING! Follow the signs when entering the fairgrounds via the Snelling Avenue main entrance.

FREE GRAB BAGS - st 500 Attendees on Saturday & 1st 250 on Sunday!

FREE Creator Autographs!

ONCE AGAIN, the MCBA will be supporting three charities at SpringCon. They are the Minnesota Lupus Foundation lupusmn.org & the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund cbldf.org and the Minnesota Food Shelves 100% of all proceeds go directly to these charities!

Blood Red Shoes US Tour Poster Read More Blood Red Shoes UK rock duo Blood Red Shoes will be returning to North America this May in support of their self-titled album, which is out this week (March 11, 2014) via Jazzlife/[PIAS] America. .…

MONDAY, MAY 19
7TH STREET ENTRY
Blood Red Shoes w/ Radkey and BNLX

Blood Red Shoes are a UK rock duo (Steven Ansell & Laura-Mary Carter), currently touring the U.S. in support of their new self-titled album, out now via Jazzlife/[PIAS] America. The record is available in standard and deluxe version.

Opening up for the Minneapolis date are Radkey and BNLX.

Tour dates:

5/16/2014 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison*
5/17/2014 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas*
5/18/2014 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency*
5/19/2014 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry*
5/21/2014 - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room*
5/22/2014 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
5/23/2014 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
5/26/2014 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah*
5/27/2014 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo*
5/28/2014 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar*
5/30/2014 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza*
5/31/2014 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar*

* with Radkey