Sometimes, the changing of the seasons makes one wistful and reflective, and as the convention season begins its proverbial sunset in 2019 and summer prepares to make way for fall, I find myself pondering upon all the cons I’ve attended this year. But as I reflect upon another magnificent year of nerdiness and autographs and vendor rooms, I also find myself thinking about what exactly it is that draws me to a particular convention. Because I did attend far fewer cons this year, simply because not every single one of them had me as excited as the handful that I went to.
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That’s not meant to be an insult by any means, because I know I’m not alone in picking and choosing where I spend my time since there are so many cons to attend in the state of Colorado. But to have the fun I had this year and find great joy in the ones that I attended, means that the ‘chosen ones’ were truly something special. Which really begs the questions, what is it that keeps us coming back to a particular con year after year? What is it they do that is so supremely unique and special? Well I’d wager that results vary based on an individual’s nerdy needs but for me, it comes down to two key elements; the experience as a whole and a sense of belonging.

Which is why I’m such a fan of Fort Collins Comic Con because it accomplishes both of those things in my mind. For it creates a grandiose experience by prompting myself and my friends to plan for a baby road trip up north, the kind that means snacks and drinks and music and good conversation and that in turn, builds anticipation for FCCC since the topic eventually turns to the con and what we will find there, prompting one to count down the minutes until you see the Fort Collins exit on the highway and let’s be honest, what nerd doesn’t feel butterflies as they get closer and closer to their geeky mecca for the weekend?

But it is what causes those butterflies that matters the most since the con itself is what we live for, especially when it feels like you belong there and that’s really the best part of Fort Collins Comic Con. Because the instant I walk through those doors everything feels like home, and that’s compounded by the fact that I have old friends to visit with once I step onto the vendor room floor and well, you can’t ask for much more than that from a convention. Because that sense of wonder is what we all experienced at our first convention, and it’s one we wish to replicate when we go to a new one and any event that can make that happen is worth its weight in gold in my opinion, and that’s why I keep taking the time to come back to this con year after year.

Because it just reminds us of why we go to conventions in the first place, and its down-home feel and relaxed environment make it a mid con-season palate cleanser. The kind that re-energizes a con goer and gets you ready to roll when it comes to whatever show is on your agenda next and that’s why this convention is important in its own right. For in the midst of a world of conventions that cater to every sub-genre and topic known to nerds and geeks, it’s necessity to have one that reinforces our love of fandoms and conventions and everything in-between and that’s why I’m thankful we have Fort Collins Comic Con in our proud state, since it accomplishes all those things, and I’ll definitely be counting down the days until it returns next year. 

Last weekend we got to experience the wonder that is Fort Collins Comic Con! With Denver Pop Culture Con still fresh on our pallets from just a few months ago, FCCC is a lovely refresher. With its home grown feel and its family friendly environment, FCCC was literally like being at a mini DPCC.
 
Now, it should be said that I am not from a small town and I am not really used to small towns, I always thought Fort Collins was a rather huge city with its college town feel, and so I was expecting something very similar to Denver. Yet, Fort Collins isn’t like Denver at all. It’s a wonderful, smaller, quieter, much ‘homier’ place than the massive city many of us here in Colorado call home. FCCC really encompasses the feel of their town and that made it one of the best Con experiences I have ever had.

The Con itself is not massive and I absolutely love that fact. Granted, there are a lot of upsides to a large Con, yet there’s always something missing. My first experience with conventions wasn’t until I was 15 and they were hosted at smaller venues. FCCC really brought me back to the very beginning of my Con going career. It was a much more intimate affair and offered a lot more one on one time with artists, guests, and other con goers.
 
I loved being able to talk to artists more about their works and was able to really take my time. The panels were also smaller and offered access for everyone. There was no waiting in a massive line for a chance at a panel just to be denied at the last second, which sadly has happened, especially at out of state cons. The atmosphere was very laid back and reminiscent of my childhood.

Don’t let the size fool you, however, as FCCC brought its A game. Families were encouraged to attend and were in abundance with kids of all ages running about and being exposed to the many nerdy things their parents loved, local and beloved artists were there with their latest and greatest works; and the Special Guest list pulled no punches as fans old and new got to meet their heroes.
 
Above all, FCCC had the kind of feel about it that has you making friends with complete strangers as you bond over your favorite show, comic, and/or even a newly discovered POP figure. This con has so much to offer and I absolutely cannot wait to see what it brings next year. Admittedly, it’ll be hard to top this year’s experience, but I’m sure the con is up to the challenge.

When you take a moment to really think about it, we go to convention for two key reasons. First and foremost, we love the feeling they provide us with, as though we’ve stepped through the doors of a surrogate home where our nerdy beliefs are embraced and celebrated, and we also go to conventions to share said beliefs with our friends and other like-minded individuals. Oddly enough, as the con scene continues to grow and new conventions seemingly are popping up every single day, asking for our time and geekiness, I’m coming to find that reason number two is becoming harder to accomplish as time goes on.
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Simply because, when you have so many conventions to choose from and hit up, your time and focus are dedicated to getting through your own personal checklist. For there are guests to see, items to purchase and a schedule to keep and that doesn’t quite allow for item number two to get handled in slightest. I mean sure, we say hi to our friends and discuss the awesomeness of the con, but our ability to really sit down and chat with them and get that ‘hangout’ feeling is diminished when the con is too large or you’re hitting up another one on Sunday and that’s why, I’m so glad there are conventions out there that are designed to remove the hustle and bustle mentality surrounding these events, and one such con that works hard to create to that down home feel and relaxed environment is kicking off this weekend in Northern Colorado.

For the time has come again for fans to attend Fort Collins Comic Con and this is a convention that I often praise for the two key reasons that I just outlined a moment ago. Because it really does feel like a place to just hang out with your friends and relax while you take in the nerdiness surrounding you on the con floor and that’s really why I love this convention through and through. Because every year I’ve attended it, I’m able to just kick back and chat it up with people I know, and there’s no pressure to come back later or offer to do lunch another time because I have so much to do. It’s all about catching up and celebrating the latest episode or movie you enjoyed and being your nerdy self in a family friendly environment.

But, what makes FCCC so special is that it is more than a mere hangout weekend, because there is plenty to see and do every time I’m there, and I love how every single year they bring in a dynamic range of guests, since you’ll find fantastic local and regional artists such as Jason Meents or Nathaniel Hamel present over the weekend. Or, if you’re all about voice acting, the legendary Nikki Rapp will be in attendance at this event, as will some seasoned artistic pros such as Greg Guler and Ron Fortier and of course, you can never go wrong with getting your learn on at a con and Erin Macdonald, PhD will be there to help educate everyone on the wonders of the universe.

In the end, the bottom line is that conventions need to be all about the fun, and that’s precisely what Fort Collins Comic Con is all about. They just want nerds and geeks of all ages and walks of life to gather together for a weekend and do what they do best, nerd out, and enjoy themselves in doing so and that’s precisely why I’m excited to attend this convention once again and if by chance you’re curious to give it a look as well, then head on over to FCCC’s website and pick up your tickets and I hope to see all of you, at Fort Collins Comic Con this upcoming weekend. 

Take an Idea from Concept to Creation - HBO's ‘Asunda’
Sunday June 2, 2019 4:30 pm to 5:20 pm DPCCP 1 Happy Harbor (Comics)
How to take an idea from concept to creation by HBO’s ‘Asunda’ creator and Executive Producer, and Stranger Comics CEO Sebastian A. Jones creator of ‘Niobe’ and ‘The Untamed’, and the Executive Producer and writer of HBO’s new ‘World of Asunda’ series will share exclusive art and offer insight on how to take an idea from concept to creation (without selling your soul)! Using sneak peeks and sharing firsthand experience he will share tips and tools in this “How to” Panel. For young aspiring creators and fans the following questions seem to be the most frequent: How do I start? Where do I start? For how long? And how do I take a comic to television/film? Stranger Comics President Sebastian has lectured at universities worldwide. From personal experiences he will share tips on how an independent creator can make it happen while sharing first ever looks at his new comics, as part of the ‘Asunda’ series picked up by HBO. If you want to know trade secrets, this is a panel not to be missed and EVERYONE will have a chance to win free books!
Panelist: Sebastian Jones

Note: at the time of this panel, I had not read any of the comics. On the first day of DPCC (Friday), I purchased ‘The Untamed Vol. 1: A Sinner’s Prayer’, and quickly flipped through it later that night. On Saturday, I purchased ‘The Untamed Vol. 2: Killing Floor, Niobe: She Is Life’, ‘Dusu: Path of the Ancient’, ‘Erathune’ (all trade paperbacks). Before writing this article, I read’ The Untamed Vol. 1: A Sinner’s Prayer’, ‘The Untamed Vol. 2: Killing Floor’, and ‘Niobe: She is Life’, so that my writing would be better informed. 

On Sunday evening, near the end of Denver Pop Culture Con 2019, Sebastian Jones of Stranger Comics shared some inspiration with us and clued us in on how he created The Untamed and Niobe, two of the comic book series set in his World of Asunda, soon to be an HBO series. According to Sebastian, the first season of Asunda will be based on The Untamed, which is where his epic begins. The first volume, A Sinner’s Prayer, “is a tale of retribution and redemption. A bad man stuck in purgatory makes a deal with the devil. (“I was given a second chance in death. Vengeance was offered and I was quick to accept.”) He is given seven days to take revenge on his killers, including his brother, his lover, and a young con-man who he reared as his son. Conflict arises when lust for his lover steers him from his path of vengeance, and hate is tempered by a young girl (Niobe) who reminds him of his daughter. She acts as his conscience and ultimately his salvation.” The story continues in The Untamed: Killing Floor (the subtitle is based on the song “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”), and then Niobe, who was introduced in The Untamed: A Sinner’s Prayer, stars in her own solo series Niobe: She is Life, which is the first major comic book with a black female lead. According to Viola Davis in her forward for Niobe (as well as her tweet), “We all have a Niobe inside ourselves, and it’s time to let her roar.” 
 
Sebastian told us that creating an independent property like this and having it get this far is no easy task: if you want to do this, you have to be a hustler. Also, you should strive to “do something timeless, NOT a hashtag.” Sebastian’s first big piece of advice was to stay off social media. Your first response might be, “how can he be against social media? What about that Viola Davis tweet?” That’s exactly what he thought you would say. Do you know how many more comic book sales they got as a result of the Viola Davis tweet? None. Plenty of people liked it and retweeted it, but no one bought any of the comics as a result of it. Instead of spending 3 hours a day on social media, he says that you should be spending those 3 hours on your creative project. If you want to create a comic and one day turn it into a film or TV show, you may ask yourself: (aside from staying off social media) “where do I start?” Sebastian laid out four key concepts: (1) The idea, (2) The script / project, (3) The presentation, (4) Is this a business? 

The idea is king/queen. For your idea, start with the big picture. What are some of the themes of your story? Is it an origin story? Is it about redemption? Hope? Does it feature the elements? Flight? Sebastian’s mother always says to write what you know (but if you want to write about things that you don’t know about, then collaborate with people who know more than you do). You can draw on your home life and experiences, and also all forms of art medium to be inspired (books, visual art, films, music, etc.). For Sebastian, it was the films of Akira Kurosawa (especially Seven Samurai) and Sergio Leone, and music such as ODB: Return to the 36 Chambers, Cymande, Freddie Hubbard: Hub-Tones, Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid and Rodeo, Alice Coltrane featuring Pharoah Sanders: Journey in Satchidananda, and Henryk Gorecki: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (he learned from the masters). Once you have taken in all of your inspiration, Sebastian suggests that you “...let it all go and create… something that will obliterate mediocrity. Something that will challenge the status quo. An icon.” Which brings us to the hero. Who is she/he? What is her/his soundtrack/leitmotif? (Is it 1960’s Spider-Man or 2013 Man of Steel?) How does she/he walk, dance, eat, and sleep? Where does she/he dwell? (In the light or in the shadows?) What does her/his voice sound like? (Like the Dark Knight or Eartha Kitt?) Does she/he have a color of significance? What are her/his firsts? Probably most important is “the rise and fall and rise of your hero - We build them up to break them, only to see them rise again… stronger.” Think of examples of this in your own life: “Key moments are what made you and what broke you.”
 
Now that you have your idea, your hero, and an idea of what their journey is, you need structure. You need to “know the story you are telling.” Is your project going to be a comic book? A novel? A screenplay? A game? Writing a screenplay is very different from writing a novel. It can be very daunting and very easy to get lost in all of your details, so Sebastian suggests that you make a “road map” for yourself first. Start by creating an outline within the very basics of three-act structure: Set-up, Conflict, Resolution. If we were to use a screenplay as an example, first, write 11 to 15 scenes per act, with no more than 6 to 8 descriptive sentences per scene. Once you have the overall story mapped out, you can go back and add some dialogue to the descriptive sentences, if you are inspired. Then, walk away from it. Give it some space and let yourself forget about it for a little while. When you come back to it and continue to add more details, make sure that whatever you do, even if you think that it has already been done before (which it probably has), you can still make it your own, as long as you are telling the story with your own voice.
 
When it comes time to present your project to the world, you need to know who the audience is that you are creating it for. Is it just for you and maybe your friends and your mom, or are you pitching it to a publisher, studio, or director? Sebastian says that it is important to be able to get the attention of people in the first 60 seconds. He says that if your first page doesn’t grab him, then he won’t care, and if your first scene doesn’t hook him, then he won’t read any more. An example he showed us was from the first page of Niobe: She is Life, with Niobe on the run from shadowy figures, which makes you want to turn the page and keep reading. You need to be able to draw them in by keeping them interested, but don’t give them the big payoff too soon. You should “play the King like the reader is expecting you to play the Ace” (keep the Ace in your pocket for after they think you have played your best card). Keep in mind that all of these ideas don’t happen spontaneously, they need to be “thought of, developed, and nurtured. They deserve your time and attention. Don’t wait for the muse. Work.” One thing that can help is to work with people smarter and more talented than you are. You can team up (it’s recommended that you work with a familiar face): one of you writes and the other one will be the artist. Sebastian showed us an example of when the artist’s interpretations and additions improved upon his original idea. A few pages into Niobe: She is Life, Niobe is going over a waterfall, and in the original sketch, most of the page is taken up by the waterfall, and on the bottom of the page when Niobe hits the water, the hand of The Untamed is grabbing for her in the darkness. The artist then added the angel of light at the top of the page in the sky above the waterfall, to balance The Untamed at the bottom of the page in the dark water. Maybe if you are feeling stuck and want to break out of the monotony, you can really shake things up by switching jobs: the writer does the art, and the artist writes.
 
An important question that you must ask yourself at some point is “is this a business?” Are you working on this project as a career or as a hobby? Are you the type of creator who would write whether you get paid or not? How long do you give this dream a shot? Which is more important: the security of a day job, or the fulfillment of your dream? Sebastian says that a big part of success is having resources and opportunity. He also talked to us about confidence. He said that a “large ego fails in commerce, but you need enough to succeed.” Even he struggles with it. Half the time he feels like, “I’m kind of the shit,” the other half of the time he thinks, “I’m really shit.” He harkened back to the artists of the 60’s who thought, “This is me, I don’t care,” but nowadays people put on a show: it’s all about what’s current and popular. Sebastian says, “Bollocks to current… create something that is going to stand the test of time”

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For some additional reading, check out these articles: “We Need a Black Girl Fantasy Lead Character Like Niobe on the Big Screen” (AFROPUNK), “‘Asunda’ Drama Series Based On Epic Fantasy Comics In The Works At HBO” (DEADLINE), “HBO Developing Epic Fantasy Series Based on Asunda Comics” (CBR.com).