I'd love to be able to report some vital, stirring news from the convention but all I have to write about is my day: Four panels and then the Eisner Awards. The "50 Years of Mad Magazine" panel was fun. But then, how could a "50 Years of Mad Magazine" panel not be fun? Then came the Golden Age Panel which was also great, especially when veteran artist Nick Cardy and Bob Lubbers got to swapping stories of their mutual days drawing comics for Fiction House. Irv Novick spoke briefly but eloquently about his longtime editor, the recently-departed Robert Kanigher. William Woolfolk was not quite as flattering in recalling his longtime editor, Mort Weisinger.
Then came the Oddball Comics slide show with Scott Shaw! displaying some of the weirder comics to be edited by Julius Schwartz and Julie sitting there, trying to remember why he put such odd things on his covers. (A lot of gorillas, most of them talking, and a lot of images of the Earth having weird things done to it.) This was followed by our "Quick Draw" panel: Scott, Sergio Aragonés, Erik Larsen and John Romita, Jr. doing rapid-fire cartooning based on challenges from me and suggestions from the audience. Folks loved it and I think we've got another one of those events that has to be done every year at the convention.
In the evening: I don't wish to disparage anyone's awards. I think awards are fine for what they are, which is probably less than most recipients wish to believe. I just can't sit through 2+ hours of clapping five times in each category — once for each nominee — then again for the winner and yet again for the winner's acceptance speech. Multiply that by the number of awards (26), then toss in applause for all the Inkpot Awards, honorary trophies, presenters, special guests worthy of recognition, Hall of Fame inductees, obituaries, etc., and I'm sorry. I just can't clap that much.
At one point in the Eisner ceremony, they gave out some sort of Retailer of the Year award for running the best comic book store. There were, I think, seven nominees so we clapped for all of them. Then they announced which three of them were finalists, so we clapped again for three of those stores. Then they announced which store had won the award so we clapped a third time for that store and again for its owner's acceptance speech. We also clapped for the award's presenter and for the award's various sponsors. There are acts in Vegas that risk their lives, two shows nightly, and don't get as much applause. Enough, already.
Anyway, lots of people won awards and you can probably find out who over at www.comicbookresources.com. Busy day tomorrow. Good night.