I've been going to comic book and s-f conventions since 1970…shortly after they cancelled Star Trek and a lot of us were happy to see the last of it. I have been to good conventions and bad conventions, big conventions and small conventions. I've even been to cons that were supposed to be big but turned out small. There was one where I agreed to be one of eight judges for the Masquerade…and only four people showed up in costume.
Some of my favorites have been mid-sized and some of my favorite mid-sized conventions have been Mid-Ohio Cons. Every year, on the Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving, Roger Price throws one in Columbus, Ohio — and whenever I can get there, I'm there. In fact, I'm there now. This year's ended this afternoon and, apart from the bummer news about Dave Cockrum, a good time was had by all.
I did two panels — one with former Marvel talents Dick Ayers, Herb Trimpe, Gary Friedrich and Tony Isabella…and one with the longtime editor of MAD, and therefore one of my personal heroes, Al Feldstein. To answer a question I always get when I write here about panels I've done: No, neither was recorded…but I suspect you'll be able to enjoy a close replay of the Feldstein interrogation at next year's Wondercon in San Francisco. Al is scheduled to be a guest and I'm scheduled to subject him to more of my relentless prying. (Remind me to get him to repeat the tale of how he tried to get Bill Gaines to hire Harvey Kurtzman, years after Kurtzman had left MAD, to come back and edit a companion magazine.) Glenn Haumann was in the audience and he "liveblogged" a few choice comments.
Here's the obligatory Namedropping Section. In addition to the folks on the panels I just mentioned, I talked with Dan Mishkin, Roger Stern, Joe Edkin, William Messner-Loebs, Craig Boldman, Matt Haley, Beau Smith, Dennis Mallonee, Brian Kane, Matt Feazell, Bob Schreck, Don Rosa, Thom Zahler, Michael Davis, Bob Ingersoll, Mark Wheatley…and I know I'm leaving a whole bunch of people out. Also had a nice reunion with Joyce DeWitt, who most of you will recall from Three's Company. Joyce was on a special I produced many years ago which also starred Ted Knight, Howie Mandel and the voice of half of Western Civilization, Frank Welker. She was a real trooper throughout a grueling tape session that went into the wee, expensive hours of the morning and I never got to thank her properly for her total professionalism. I had to come to Columbus, Ohio to thank her. Also had a nice talk with her Three's Company co-star Richard Kline, who was so good in that production of Company (the Sondheim one) I reviewed here many moons ago.
One other thing I liked about the con is worth a mention: The facilities. The hotel, which is the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus, is quite pleasant. It's not plush, it's not fancy but our room is nice and the staff is friendly and the hotel/convention center layout is ever so convenient. From our hotel room to the convention was about a three minute jaunt…close enough that you could dash back and forth to pick up or drop off things, far enough away that you were removed from the con when you wanted to be. There's a food court on the lower level, a friendly restaurant and bar on the second — plus the rooms for panels — and the convention is on the third floor. (The hotel sleeping rooms start on the fifth floor. For reasons no one seems to know, the hotel has no fourth floor. Maybe one of those people who likes to steal towels decided to graduate to bigger things and made off with it.)
Anything I didn't like? Yeah. Across the street is a restaurant called Max & Erma's where we — Tony Isabella, Bob Ingersoll, Carolyn Kelly and Yours Truly — had a dinner this evening that could make you yearn for a Denny's. It was all stuff that wasn't food to begin with, dipped in kerosene and fried to the consistency of linoleum…and that was just the salad. When we got back to the con and joined folks gathered at the bar, everyone told us they'd dined there on one of the two previous nights and hated it. Gee, everyone…thanks for keeping it a secret. Next con I go to, I want a big Local Restaurant Review Board posted in the lobby. And even if it's in another city, I'm going to warn everyone away from the Max & Erma's in Columbus. You can't be too careful about these things.
If you can make it to Mid-Ohio Con next year, do. Just stay away from you-know-where.