
For those who don’t live on the East Coast, you may not think this is that big a deal! But from someone who has gone to at least 50 of these shows, this is a very sad day. You always knew you were at a Mike Carbo show; great guests, incredible deals and a fun atmosphere. Mike always made each show an event. As a comic fan, you always knew you’d get some great face time with creators, PLUS there was an incredible mix of artist and writers; big name or up and comers. I remember when Phil Jimenez, Jamal Igle and Chris Giarrusso were the up and comers.
Think about this one… where else was I going to get a headlock from Rowdy Roddy Piper, talk Sgt. Rock with Billy Tucci and Russ Heath and pick up a bunch of comics I really didn’t need for a quarter each? Times like this were only happening at a Mike Carbo show.
When Brian and I started Secret Identity, it was the ‘Big Apple Cons’, ‘Nationals’ and ‘Comic Book Market Place’ shows that gave us the bulk of our interviews. In fact, Mike was the first promoter to recognize what Brian and I did as legitimate and always made us feel like a part of the show experience. When we first started doing this, Mike would help arrange interviews and make things real easy for us. I can honestly say that I have never been to a bad Mike Carbo show.
When I first saw Mike I have to admit I was a little freaked! He is a bundle of energy who appears to be quite insane. But when you talk to him, you understand that he is very passionate about what he does. He also wants to make sure every fan has a great time. Plus… he is a very snazzy dresser.
So here we are, the day of the last Mike Carbo promoted show and I feel kinda emotional. I have some incredible memories from the old church basement at St. Paul’s and some great friendships that were forged at the Penn Plaza Pavilion.
So thank you Mike, for the work you put into each show that I (we) enjoyed. We don’t know how insane things got behind the scenes and that was credit to you that all everyone saw was fun! Good luck with all your future plans!
Matman