Williamsburg Comic and Toy Show 2020 Review
The Williamsburg Comic and Toy Show was a relatively small one-day event. It was hosted by Retro Daddio on March 14th, 2020. According to their website Retro Daddio is,”Williamsburg’s one-stop geek shop!” The past Saturday had significantly fewer attendees because of the threat of the COPID-19 virus. During last year’s venue, 400 guests were present. However, during this year’s venue had only 107 attendees.Whilst the number of attending pedestrians was limited, the venue still packed a plethora of vendors, networkers, and a large amount of comics/toys!
I started the day with Amtrak, and then headed to Retro Daddio. I arrived at the store around 11 PM, and proceeded to the sofas in the back. I waited until the starting time and met Mathew, a man who was selling comics at his booth. He was representing Key Issue Comics, but was called off at the last minute. Jen, the store owner, contacted them and gathered a few items to sell. Mathew specialized in selling independent comics, and his attire expressed such. He wore a MadMan T-shirt and a Wolverine hat. The lasting impression about him was his passion for Paul Pope and the THB series.
After my conversation with Mathew, I ventured off and sat on the chairs close to the small stage in the store. I would eventually venture back to converse with Deb, another small business owner. Deb’s business was Misfit Geek, who was Perler beads with multiple characters. The fandoms displayed at her booth were Pac-Man, Super Mario, Pokemon, and Harry Potter. She was excited to discuss art, and there was a mini Van Gogh painting made out of beads. This sparked the conversation of the Vincent van Gogh pop-figure around her work. When she first received it, she took various photos in many backdrops at work. Afterwards, she paid zero attention to her judgmental coworkers. Eventually, I bought two items from her. Both of which were Pokemon characters; Gengar and Pikachu. The canvas combined Friday the 13th, and Pokemon, with a Pikachu body. Followed by a Jason hockey mask with an accompanying knife. From speaking with her, I learned that art is universal and speaks volumes to all whom are pleased with it.
Misfit Geek was fun, but Pop iCollectibles stood out in a different capacity. Chris was the visionary for Pop iCollectibles and had items that were Pop and others. The one thing that I noticed was the Dragon Ball set by Bandai. The Dragon Balls were orange and did look like the ones in Dragon Ball, which was the original premise for the show. The legend stated if you collect all 7 Dragon Balls you shall be granted a wish. I asked Chris,”If you were to have one wish what it would be?” He had great difficulty selecting an answer, and asked me for my response. I exclaimed,” World unity and no mindless violence.” Afterwards, Chris met with the ending of poverty to finally realize that it was problematic. He stated, “The dragon curse is indecisive, Shenron has put me down a rabbit hole.” Apparently, he was referring to issues concerning poverty; Those who would determine the disparity between rich and poor. In essence, we concluded that a wish was too powerful and Goku made the right choice concerning the Dragon Balls.
After Chris, I reconnected with the staff from MarsCon and experienced Mad Max cars. The team from MarsCon in January 2020 were making their rounds since the show. Furthermore, their conventions were both in Williamsburg. Previously, I volunteered for Mars Con, and it was refreshing to see some of the senior staff again. Earl was probably the most influential because we had a conversation about photography and Audio-Visual effects for the event. We discussed the process on which DSLR camera to buy for someone’s wedding. The wedding couple wanted an album, but they did not realize the substantial cost associated with their choice. In return, Earl took the pictures with a release for the couple to print as much they wanted. The significance of the statement meant that they did not have to go to him and get additional points. Photographers make their money by second-end sales of reprints! This is because they produce original photos, and give the copyright to those pictures. He gave me his business card. Worst case scenario, I will not be able to attend the photography business but maybe taking photos at next year’s MarsCon alongside Earl.
Earl had me going, but so did Mad Max Props and Adventures. This group had two people represented in the parking lot with their cars. Both vehicles were fashioned with the classic rustic look, and desert feel of erosion. They were the same model of car, a GT Tornio! However, both models were produced in different years. The GT Torino 71 was painted with a rustic iron pigmentation. It was based on the new remake for the franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road. The other GT was a custom-made model in the Mad Max videogame. I loved both, for they each had their gas tanks on the back.The drivers were kind, and traveled to the Mojave Desert for Wasteland Weekend; A five-day event where Mad Max enthusiasts came out and stayed in character. I hope to see them at Tidewater Comic-Con’s next scheduled showing.
Furthermore, Williamsburg Comic and Toy Show presented new opportunities, showcased grave issues, and served as an example of general public concerns; Such as the Coronavirus. Many people were concerned with taking care of themselves, and actively practiced basic hygiene. Jen said, “What is the point of canceling the event if the store would still be open?” The show proved that having normalcy in crisis is a far better option than giving up/starting to panic. In conclusion, Williamsburg Comic and Toy Show was an 8.5 out of 10! It will continue to facilitate Virginia’s passion for comics and toy-based collectibles for many years to come. Head on over to Williamsburg, Virginia, and take a peak for yourself.
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