by Derek B., The Savage Duck
A Little Background -
or Why I love going to Comic Conventions
I've always been a very visual, creative type. In my gaming group, I was the one spending hours creating terrain, buildings, and paining figures. It had to look realistic. Growing up in Texas and being an hour away from Dallas meant that conventions were within easy driving distance. It was there in Dallas, during the early 1980s, that I encountered the artists behind my favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy worlds.
Ralph McQuarrie creating the first images of Star Wars, the
Brothers Hildebrandt and their wonderful visions of Middle Earth,
Chris Foss and his remarkable spaceships,
H.R. Giger's nightmares, and just as importantly, a diverse group of awesome comic book artists, like
John Byrne and
Jack Kirby and, slightly later, new-comer
Frank Miller.
Confession: My parents were both fine artists who were lovingly dedicated to keeping me out of the artist's lot in life. I was drawn to technology but always had an eye for art. I decided RPGs were a cool way to be creative as a hobby.
A Fun Discovery
I discovered that most artists at the conventions are very approachable and some will create works of art for you at very reasonable prices. These experiences became some of my favorite moments at
Comic-Con,
Wonder-con, and a slew of other Cons starting way back at Bulldog Production's DallasCon / Dallas Fantasy Faire 1982. Here's a link to a
sketch by John Byrne from that Con.
