
As I put the finishing touches on my latest book, 'Comicopolypse - How To Survive The Comic Con Experience' I thought to myself... "how about a little tease for everyone?"
In the world of writing books (at least for me), the easy part is the writing. Once you are done, there are the edits, the cover stuff and the formatting to upload to the printer. Since I'm in that stage and am about a month away from having physical copies I thought i'd give you all a little taste of the book with the introduction! This will give you a little glimpse of what the book is all about.
First... this is what writer John Layman (Detective Comics and Chew) had to say about it..
"Matt Herring knows comics, and knows how to talk comics. And when he talks, he's always got something interesting to say."
INTRODUCTION – HERE I GO AGAIN
While I finished my first crazy day at New York Comic Con 2012 I made a call home to my family because I missed them, not because I had to check in or anything. When I spoke to my wife and super editor Amy, she told me she had an idea. My first thought was she was going to tell me ‘when you aren’t home the house is so much quieter and runs smoother’ so the idea was “DON’T EVER COME HOME!” Boy, I was way off. She told me I should put together a book about surviving a comic show, like a survival guide. Amy has watched me prepare and plan for comic book shows for many years and felt that I had a lot to offer since I can successfully navigate and get most of the things done that I plan to do. I was also shocked that she was encouraging me to write yet another book! Since I just finished my first book (POW-BAM-SELL, The Guide To Comic Book Marketing) I wasn’t really that interested at all in starting another one yet or even ever, but the idea was really intriguing. Soon my brain was swelling with words and ideas and well… here I am, back at the keyboard.
Comic book shows, no matter their size, can be a literal ton of fun. After all, comic cons are a place where we all get to not only prolong our adolescence but we get to celebrate the hobby and lifestyle that we all love so much. It’s like our Mecca. We get to hang out with other fans and meet the creator’s whose work we read each month. I have been a comic book fan and collector since 1974 but didn’t attend my first comic con (a large show in Boston, MA) until November of 2001. With all the guests in attendance I was a bit overwhelmed and didn’t know what to expect, what do or how to plan for the event. After I left the show I began to think about how I could make the next one that much better and get that much more done. As the years and show miles have piled on, so have my show experiences and so has my show preparation. With this experience comes my ‘survival tips’ on making the Comic Con experience that much more enjoyable.
Getting ready to attend a comic book show can be a lot of fun. However, if you don’t do it with organization and planning it can be an incredibly frustrating and overwhelming time. Despite the fact that I’m co–host of the Secret Identity Podcast and attend shows as part of the media (ooohhhh ahhhh I know, so cool), I still plan for a show the same way I did before I became part of the press. Since I’m still a comic book fan first, I love getting my comics signed by the creators, waiting in line with other fans and chatting with the creators whose work I admire. No matter if I’m meeting a creator at their table or at a scheduled interview, I still plan ‘the meet’ the same way.
What I will hope to do over the next 50 or so pages is help you to prepare, pack and have the best time you possibly can at (fill in the name of the show you plan on attending).
Enjoy the ramble,
Matt (Matman) Herring