San Diego Comic-Con 2013

For the last of my Comic-Con 2013 portraits, I’m including this drawing of Allen Thomas. I can’t remember what panel we were in when I spotted him, but I loved his bunny hat so much that I had to draw him. Actually, I’m pretty sure this isn’t a bunny hat. It’s probably meant to resemble the ears of some well-recognized cartoon creature. Alas, I am so out of it when it comes to the cute animal/alien genre of comic media that I couldn’t begin to guess who that creature might be. At the end of the panel I showed Allen my drawing, and he was nice enough to give me his name and email address. Thanks Allen! You were a great model.

Ajuan Mance

I wish I’d taken the time to get this brother’s name. He was the videographer for the Hip-Hop and Comics panel discussion at SDCC 2013. Oddly (and, then again, not so oddly), people of African descent were dramatically underrepresented. For me, the highlight of the event was seeing Del tha Funkee Homosapien, the one rapper on the panel. Ironically, the guy who makes his money with his words and his wit had less to say than most of his fellow presenters. Perhaps he believes that his lyrics pretty much speak for themselves. Here’s one of my favorites, from his frequently quoted track, “At the Helm.” (I’ve done a minor “radio edit” to keep it PG-rated.):

Rap ain’t about bustin caps and [gettin’ chicks]
It’s about fluency with rhymin ingenuity
All of this is new to me, see I peep rhymes
with scrutiny, under a microscope I walk a tightrope
A thin line between insanity and sanity
mixed with a little vanity, boostin the morality
with Hiero hospitality, soon to strike it: rich
like calories, salaries, ahh sounds like a plan …

–Del tha Funkee Homosapien, “At the Helm“

Ajuan Mance

Here’s another entry from my Comic-Con 2013 sketchbook. I spotted this guy in the exhibition hall where he was staring intently at a small but impressively-detailed statue of Boba Fett. You may remember Boba Fett as the bounty hunter from the original Star Wars trilogy. Like a lot of Star Wars fans, my brother thinks Boba Fett is pretty awesome. Seeing the man in this drawing made me think of my brother who, when asked why he liked this character so much, replied, in his typical straightforward fashion, “He’s the bounty hunter. He’s cool.”

Ajuan Mance

Audience member, Heroes/Creators: The Comic Art Creations of Civil Rights Legends panel, San Diego Comic-Con 2013.

Ajuan Mance

At Comic-Con San Diego, a number of events are geared toward amateur artists, filmmakers, and writers who are trying to break into the mainstream.

The annual portfolio review is one example of this. Every year comic publishers, movie and TV studios, and video game companies send their editors and recruiters to evaluate the portfolios of aspiring artists and illustrators, all of whom line up early for the opportunity to get feedback from real industry professionals. It’s always interesting to pass through this area of the convention center, just to get peek at some of the amazing drawings that the waiting reviewees are preparing to show.

The portfolio review area also happens to be a very comfortable place to sit down and catch your breath, especially on the last day of the conference, when many of the seats in waiting area are empty. The man in this drawing was waiting a couple seats away from me, thumbing through his portfolio and holding it at an angle that allowed me to steal a glimpse of his work. His sketches included Black, white, Asian and Native American superheroes of all genders, including  women whose proportions were more in keeping with real-life female bodies than has been customary in comic art. I was feeling a bit too shy to ask his name, but I’d really like to see his work again.

Ajuan Mance