On April 7th of 2018 I attended the latest edition of Garden State Comic Fest. This event, usually held in Morristown, NJ, was taking place at the Showboat hotel in Atlantic City, NJ for the first time.
I must admit, when I first heard that GSCF promoter Dave O'Hare was going to hold an event in AC, I was initially skeptical. There have been several promotions that have not done well in AC over the last several years, and I would really hate to see that happen to GSCF, which is a show that I love. Would people from Northern NJ and NY be willing to travel that far? Would holding a comic convention in a town known for gambling and nightlife be a good idea?
Well, I am VERY happy to announce that my fears were unfounded! Even though it was a dreary day at the Jersey Shore, the show was well attended, and everyone seemed to be enthusiastic and having a great time!
I'd like to start with a few words about the venue. For those that don't know, the Showboat is no longer a casino. It is now solely a hotel/convention center. What was interesting was the fact that all of the decor associated with a casino was still there....the colorful carpets, the flashing lights, the ornate chandeliers.....all there. Add in tables of comic artists and vendors and cosplayers, and it made for a very interesting setting!
I must admit, when I first heard that GSCF promoter Dave O'Hare was going to hold an event in AC, I was initially skeptical. There have been several promotions that have not done well in AC over the last several years, and I would really hate to see that happen to GSCF, which is a show that I love. Would people from Northern NJ and NY be willing to travel that far? Would holding a comic convention in a town known for gambling and nightlife be a good idea?
Well, I am VERY happy to announce that my fears were unfounded! Even though it was a dreary day at the Jersey Shore, the show was well attended, and everyone seemed to be enthusiastic and having a great time!
I'd like to start with a few words about the venue. For those that don't know, the Showboat is no longer a casino. It is now solely a hotel/convention center. What was interesting was the fact that all of the decor associated with a casino was still there....the colorful carpets, the flashing lights, the ornate chandeliers.....all there. Add in tables of comic artists and vendors and cosplayers, and it made for a very interesting setting!
The casino floor is huge (100,000 square feet in total), so this made for wide aisles and lots of space. It was very easy to browse the many rows are artists and merchandise vendors, and it also allowed for lots of space for impromptu photo ops, which is always a challenge at conventions.
Having been to Atlantic City many times in my life, it was odd to see a casino that was no longer a casino, even though it still felt like one, but as I said, it made the event more interesting than other, similar shows.
Having been to Atlantic City many times in my life, it was odd to see a casino that was no longer a casino, even though it still felt like one, but as I said, it made the event more interesting than other, similar shows.
As far as content is concerned, there was the same great mix of artists, authors, merchandise vendors. etc. that I have come to expect from GSCF. Given the larger space, it was nice that Dave and his team could fit in more vendors, and spread them out more. I had a great time browsing all of the merchandise and artwork that was available. Some popular, familiar names were on hand. Bob Camp of "Ren and Stimpy" fame is always great to talk to and is very fan-friendly. Kevin Eastman ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") was there as well. Kevin is a great guy, and another fan favorite. Other notable attendees were Jim Steranko (an his hair!), Greg Hildebrandt, Chris Ivy and more.
Celebrity row had a nice mix of guests. Eric Roberts is always very nice to his fans. Oh, and a Horror Nerd fact....Eric and I were in a film called "Black Wake" together!. Summer Glau was on hand as well, signing autographs and taking photos with fans. David Dastmalchian ("Gotham", "The Belko Experiment"), and Marty Grabstein (the voice of Courage, The Cowardly Dog) were two of the more notable guests appearing at the show.
This is just my humble opinion, but I like the fact that GSCF does not focus solely on having "big name" guests at the show. They have a handful of well known people, which is great, but the focus remains on the fact that this is a COMIC convention!
Celebrity row had a nice mix of guests. Eric Roberts is always very nice to his fans. Oh, and a Horror Nerd fact....Eric and I were in a film called "Black Wake" together!. Summer Glau was on hand as well, signing autographs and taking photos with fans. David Dastmalchian ("Gotham", "The Belko Experiment"), and Marty Grabstein (the voice of Courage, The Cowardly Dog) were two of the more notable guests appearing at the show.
This is just my humble opinion, but I like the fact that GSCF does not focus solely on having "big name" guests at the show. They have a handful of well known people, which is great, but the focus remains on the fact that this is a COMIC convention!
As with any comic convention, the cosplay is a big part of the show, and this edition of GSCF was no exception. I loved the fact that they had a couple of rooms set aside for their cosplay guests, of which, some of the more notable names were Father Evil, Sharon Rose, Sutton Family Cosplay and, of course, the 501st Legion. I always love seeing the time and effort that people put into their cosplays and the passion that they have for this hobby.
There were a ton of cosplayers walking around the convention floor as well, and once again, the casino atmosphere made for some great photo ops. The fact that the hotel is on the beach provided a fantastic backdrop for photos as well.
There were a ton of cosplayers walking around the convention floor as well, and once again, the casino atmosphere made for some great photo ops. The fact that the hotel is on the beach provided a fantastic backdrop for photos as well.
Overall, I had a fantastic day. I'm glad to see that the show was a success. Dave O'Hare is one of the good guys, and he and his staff did a great job transitioning into this larger venue. I've watched Garden State Comic Fest grow over the years, to the point where they are having THREE shows this year! The AC Edition, The Great Adventure Edition (May 27th, 2018) and their usual Morristown, NJ Edition (July 7th & 8th, 2018). It just goes to show that if you put on a well run show, the people will come!
If you're into comics, graphic novels, books, cosplay or all of these things, you should definitely check out one (or ALL!) of the GSCF shows.
Cheers!
The Horror Nerd
If you're into comics, graphic novels, books, cosplay or all of these things, you should definitely check out one (or ALL!) of the GSCF shows.
Cheers!
The Horror Nerd
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