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Baltimore Comic-Con's Marc Nathan: Q&A

Posted: Monday, August 30, 2004
By: Tim O'Shea

Baltimore Comic-Con ’s chief Marc Nathan is the kind of guy that every time you talk to him, he makes you feel like he’s your best friend. It’s the same kind of vibe when you attend his convention, which is fast approaching—September 11 and 12, 2004, at the Baltimore Convention Center. Last year I had the good fortune of attending the con, and only wish I could make it this year. A quick scan of the guest list reveals that the show has a wide range of appeal, from such writers as Kurt Busiek and Bill Willingham to such artists as Howard Chaykin and Mike Wieringo. While the guest list is large, Nathan and company have a way of making the whole show seem like it’s just being held especially for you. I recently got a chance to find out the scoop on this year’s intimate gathering, as, what I consider to be, one of the industry’s best cons celebrates its fifth year.

O’Shea: Am I imagining things, or is this year's guest list much larger than previous years? If so, to what do you attribute the significant increase?

Nathan: Yes, I think the guest list is pretty sizable. It grows every year. Partially because you should always bring in new people to change it up and make the show a little different but at the same time always take care of the folks that believed in you from the start. I also asked more creators this time around and most of them said yes! So we have a full house, that's great for the fans!

O’Shea: While the guest list is heavily populated with high profile mainstream, it seems you've garnered your fair share of independent creators. How hard is it to strike a balance of diversity on the guest list?

Nathan: All comic creators all equal in our eyes. I know that's hard for some to believe. Come to the show and ask some of those indy creators what they think of the Baltimore Comic-Con. I think that most, and I say most because no matter how hard you try, you can't please everyone, most of the indy creators in the room will be pleased with their treatment (and sales!)

O’Shea: As hard as you and your staff clearly worked on the guest list, it seems that you've worked even harder on the con's charitable efforts. What is the charitable focus this year?

Nathan: This year we have strong efforts for both of the two main comic-book charities. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund should once again have a good weekend when John Gallagher debts this year’s anthology Even More Fund. It has a great Spiderman/Green Goblin cover by Frank Cho. A.C.T.O.R. has both John Romita Sr. and The Outsiders own Tom Raney signing and sketching in their booth Mr. Romita has even been kind enough to render a very patriotic cover for the free of charge show program, so that even the youngest of fans will have something in their hands for such a legend! I hope that both charities have a record weekend!

O’Shea: With both Busiek and Waid at the con this year, am I correct in assuming that there will be a trivia panel this year? What other panels do panel organizers KC and Johanna Draper Carlson have planned?

Nathan: KC is working on something. Just today he emailed me a quick run-down of both days’ possible events and they all look fantastic. I wish I didn't have to work the show. That's the one thing about putting on a show that you, yourself would enjoy. There is too much work to do and I can't enjoy it. Last year my wife took a break and listened in on the WAID/MELTZER/JOHNS panel and loved it. I couldn't get her out of there!

O’Shea: Your marketing efforts, such as the Fantastic Four 60 (Waid/Wieringo's first issue) giveaway for the 2002 con, have helped put the con on a higher profile. Do you have a similar high profile effort planned for this year? If I recall correctly, you advertised on TV last year (which I'm surprised more cons don't do). How much do you think such appeals to the mainstream, nontraditional con attendees help to boost/diversify the con's attendance?

Nathan: We are doing TV ads again. Yes, everyone should. However, I just couldn't sit around and not try something new, right? I'm way too nuts for that! This year, every Waldenbooks, 14 of them, in the Baltimore area is stuffing bags with show flyers and hanging up posters for the show. So far, it's been about 30,000 flyers to Waldenbooks transactions! Think they're in there to buy something to read? I hope so. It could be huge or just pretty good. Either way, it sure is worth it to try!

O’Shea: As a fellow baseball fan, when do you think Baltimore Comic-Con will be big enough that one of the industry guests will get invited to throw out the first ball at an Orioles game? But seriously, considering that MLB has had promotional comics produced as giveaways in the past, have you ever considered trying to make fans at Camden Yard aware of the con just down the street? Figuring the seating capacity is more than 48,000, odds are some of those folks might be comic book fans, one would think?

Nathan: Pretty good question, Tim! We had it worked out with the Orioles that a certain creator would throw out the first ball on the Friday night of the show at Oriole Park before a Yankee/Oriole game. The creator was flattered, but declined. Almost though.

O’Shea: This is the con's fifth year, is the con as strong as you'd hoped it would be when you started it five years ago?

Nathan: When I started this con, I thought only about doing one and that was it. At our "Dead Dog Party", some of our guest including George Perez started talking about the "next time". As we all know, we have had some set-backs that no one could have prevented or done anything about. So maybe we could have been further along, but I'd say we are still looking like a good thing, growing and moving in the right direction. Not everyone can say that.

O’Shea: For those folks that this Q&A hasn't piqued their interest yet, what do you wish to say to them to get them to attend Baltimore?

Nathan: I'd say for folks used to going to large shows looking for creators, you know that it can be very hard to find them. In Baltimore, everyone is much more accessible. It's just a show that is very fan friendly.