Ask anyone what aspect of comics they missed during the peak of COVID, and most of the answers will be the comic convention, aka the con. The gathering of like minded fans to show off cosplay, share stories with each other and your favorite creators, and spend provided community for those that may not have had it. Whether it’s the big behemoths of San Diego and New York Comic-Con, or smaller cons such as FlameCon or your a con hosted by your local public lirbary, whether you were a comics bookworm, an anime devotee, or a movie lover, you had a home – – and a family – – at the con. They may look quite different in 2023, whether that’s due to COVID or the Writers Guild of America strike (and as of this writing, a potential Screen Actors Guild strike), but the camaraderie they bring remains the same.
It should come as no surprise, then, that there’s been many a comic or graphic novel celebrating the con industry. The newest entry in this genre is “Con and On,” from longtime Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell, “Star Wars: Doctor Aphra” artist Marika Cresta, and AHOY Comics. We talked with Mr. Cornell about the series, his favorite con memories, and the state of the con in our nearly post-COVID world.
We also have a preview of the first issue of “Con and On,” available on Wednesday July 12th from your favorite comics shop and digital retailer. Our thanks, as always, to Paul for his time and to AHOY Comics for the preview pages.
This isn’t the first comic or graphic novel doing a little bit of navel gazing at our industry, and comic conventions in particular. What makes this book different from other comics that are about comics?
Paul Cornell: There have been titles about specific stories from real comics history, but I think this is the first one that takes satirical aim at the whole industry across decades.
Each issue of “Con & On” focuses on a particular year. Outside of the convention where the stories take place, how else do the issues connect?
PC: We follow the same cast of creators, fans and convention workers in every year, so their stories play out across the decades.
The first issue of this miniseries takes place in 1992. Was that chosen for a particular reason? Will we reach back to earlier times of the con in this series, or will the storytelling be more linear?
PC: I picked 1992 because I wanted a reasonable starting point for someone who’s in the full bloom of their career in the present day. We go forward from there, and get to somewhere close to now in the final issue.
Since this is a book about comic conventions, what’s your favorite convention memory, either as an attendee or as a creator?
PC: I think it’d have to be the many occasions on which I’ve sought out classic comics creators and heard their stories. I befriended Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Peter David, etc. and worked for Stan Lee. I never imagined, when I was a comics-reading kid, that I’d ever get the chance to do that.
Your writing career spans all kinds of media: television, prose novels, audio plays, and comics. Which do you enjoy doing the most, and why?
PC: Each has their pleasures! I love, with comics, the moments when you get art in your inbox and see how your words have become a whole world thanks to an artist.
While comic conventions are back, they’re in a very different form than what we saw in a pre-COVID world. And this year, the writer’s strike (and a potential Screen Actor’s Guild strike) adds a new wrinkle to things. Several large studios, such as Marvel and Netflix, have already dropped out of San Diego Comic-Con. How do you think comic conventions need to change in 2023 in order to survive?
PC: I think they’re doing fine. I’ve never had a problem with big TV shows and movies being heavily featured at comic events, because at San Diego, for instance, there are still enormous numbers of actual comics panels, more than anywhere else. I think the blend of fun and business will always make these events glorious occasions.
Continued belowWho are some of your writing inspirations, either in or outside of comics?
PC: Stan Lee, Terrance Dicks, Jacqueline Rayner, Ursula le Guin, N.K. Jemisin, both Christopher Priests!
What is one thing you hope readers take from this book after they reach that final page?
PC: I hope they’ve had an insight into how the comics industry has changed across time, and how in some ways it hasn’t damn well changed at all. And I hope they’ve had an experience with familiar characters who satirically represent so many major creators. It’s an Altman movie in comics form!
“Con and On” #1 is available at your favorite comics shop and digitally this Wednesday (July 12th), just in time for San Diego Comic-Con, and we have a preview of that debut issue below for you.
Written by Paul CornellCover by Mauricet
Illustrated by Marika Cresta
Colored by Paul Little
Lettered by Rob SteenNew series! Popular writer Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, Wild Cards) and artist Marika Cresta (Captain Carter, Doctor Aphra) follow an ensemble cast of media pros and fans down through the decades of America’s most colossal comic book convention! Meet Eddie and Deja—aspiring comics talents whose ambitions threaten to tear their friendship apart; Anthony, Don & Finn—brilliant, boozy, bombastic British creators; and all of the crusty editors, forgotten TV stars, and enthusiastic fans who make the convention experience memorable, year after year.
