Event Recap: Wicomicon & Our Weekend In Baltimore
If you have yet to catch yourself up on the Universal Fan Con debacle, I’ll give you a moment to do that right now.
Got the gist of the story (or at least one side)? Good. If you’d like to help some of the artists left stranded by this incident, make sure to check out the virtual artist alley and spread the word!
Left with nonrefundable lodging plans and tickets to see Infinity War, our team was still set on making the best of our weekend. The movie kicked it off and we had a lot of feelings. I won’t post them here, because #ThanosDemandsYourSilence, but a picture does speak a thousand words.
We figured it was also a good time to go check out and support some of the local comic and bookshops in the area. We made stops at Collectors Corner, Atomic Books, and Protean Books & Records.
Collectors Corner: 403 N Charles St, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Our group spent a good hour here chatting with a bunch of strangers about our Infinity War feels. It’s an awesome space where you can find new & vintage comics, toys and collectibles AND they host a girls-only comic club, which just doubles their cool factor in my book.
Atomic is an independent bookstore that focuses on indie comics and small press. Catch us hanging out at Eightbar in the back— their very own bar that serves beer and wine for when you need a break from shopping.
It doesn't look like much from the outside, but walking into Protean Books was like wandering into the Cave of Wonders. Think of it as the treasure chest of used books, records, games, and collectibles. And of course, we couldn’t let Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities go unexplored. This little museum tucked in the back of the store boasts a collection of peculiar artifacts from around the world, as well as recreations of creepy characters from folklore and is a must-see for any fan of horror or the peculiar.
Note: Protean Books was also home to The Magicians panels and signings for the weekend and deserve all the props for helping make it awesome.
Even more exciting? You can now pick up our first issue of The Sartorial Geek in any of these stores!
Team Jordandené was fortunate enough to not be left without an event to vend at for the weekend, either— the heroes behind The Nerds of Color, Black Heroes Matter, and other partners pulled out all the stops (in less than a WEEK, mind you!!) to bring us Wicomicon, an all-day pop-up convention featuring guests, artists, and vendors from the con that never was. Fans of shows like The Magicians and Killjoys still got to enjoy their panels and photo-ops and cosplayers still got to show up and show out. Everyone’s favorites were pretty unanimous, though:
We cannot express enough gratitude to those who made Wicomicon possible. Their generosity and hard work truly did pay off and make this weekend salvageable for attendees and artists alike. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements regarding Wicomiccon 2019— if they can make a successful event possible in less than a week, imagine what they can do with a whole year.
