The best of 2008, a year of Pro's and Con's

Here is my best of 2008

• Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC - My daughters and I drove to Charlotte, ate at the Penguin and the Bar B Q King Drive In. It was an awesome roadtrip. We listened to an Artemis Fowl book on cd and stayed in a nice hotel with our Wii hooked up to a second television, ate fancy expensive french fries at the hotel and they got to play in the pool. Oh right, we also went to the comic convention. At the con, I got to meet Jaime Hernandez and he drew a picture of Maggie and Hopie for me. I met Matt Wagner and Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde, Danielle Corsetto, Robert Kirkman, Craig & Todd, and many more. My oldest got second place for her age group in the sketch contest. I bought an enourmous pile of half priced trades, and had a great time. It was just perfect, and nearly every bit of it was a highlight
• SPX - Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD - This was also my first year going to this con, that features small press and mini comics, etc. It was another fantastic experience. I met James Kochalka, Liz Baillie, Joe Flood, Paul Karasick, Renee Lott, The No Lemon Press folks, Justin DeCarlo, and more. There was so much energy and hope and potential at this thing. There really was a pervasive vibe of cameraderie that was infectious. I attended the interview that Jog did with Brian Lee O'Malley (meeting him and Hope Larson at heroes was yet another high point) and I actually asked a question... well mostly made a statement, but I also made a joke, and was nowhere near the oddest person raising my hand. This was all a big deal for me, as I am not historically very good at being outgoing in situations like this. Up until this year I attended cons and stood 100 feet from people I adored and refused to get closer or speak. Conventions are much more enjoyable when you get chatty and friendly with the mostly friendly Pro's that attend those things pretty much for that purpose.
• My Blog!! I had been posting comic book reviews and such on my personal LJ for a long time, but this was my first attempt at doing something like this. I was very nervous about doing it, but it has been extremely rewarding in my opinion, and I have learned a lot already, and have encountered a lot of really great people with some really great blogs and opinions as well.
  
• Zuda - Free comics online... REALLY GOOD free comics online.
  
• Super Hero and or Comic Book Movies - Iron Man, Dark Knight, Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Hancock... All good movies, with a few of them being GREAT movies. I know Wanted was changed to a crazy degree for the film, but I enjoyed the film more that the comic.
• The Middleman (TV Show) - Yep, this series gets its own entry. It is absurd and awful and sad that we probably won't get this back, and if we did, it probably wouldn't have the awesome Natalie Morales in it. This is one of the best and funniest comics related tv shows ever. It was superbly cast and acted, Hillariously funny every episode, and just all around great. Only the animated the Tick generated as much comics related funny in my opinion. Just a great show that I structured my schedule around while it was on the air.
• Hardbacks and trades on the cheap - I picked up a number of hard back comics this year, and while I always used to act like I didn't care for them or something, it was only out of jealousy. No I am not ready to pay 99 bucks for something I can get for 15, but when I can get the hardcover for very close to the price of the trade, then there are a bunch of things I would love to have the HC of.
• Talking comics and webcomics with my friend Frost - This was a high point of my year as well. She is an artist, and throwing ideas back and forth with her about those topics is always a good time.

Probably a lot more, but that is all for this post. If I get my stuff together in the next month, I may do a best comics post, but we'll have to see how things go.