The Monkey Was Big

FCBD is an event I usually avoid. Comics and I are well acquainted, and I feel like a dork for taking the free books. The event is an outreach program, and believe you me, comics “reached” me a long time ago. Spread the four-color love to the heathens, I say. I’ll come by next week for my regular binge.

Despite this, last Saturday's FCBD saw me venture into a comic shop to pay my respects to two fellows I knew only by reputation. Big Monkey Comics of Georgetown was open on that beautiful Saturday afternoon, and it held two Legends of Bloggitry: the store’s manager, Devon of Seven Hells, and the store’s owner, Scipio of the Absorbascon.

Both men proved to be more than willing to take time out of their very busy day to chat with yers truly. As their blogs would lead you to believe, these men know their stuff. The three of us yakked about comic blogging and the powerful symbolism of Hal Jordan getting hit in the head. We threw around our ideas on what makes for good comics, the value of the modern age of comics, and how one pronounces “Busiek.”*

Moreover, as the three of us approach comics from different angles, our conversation left me with a number of ideas for future posts. Wedged into my own corner of comic book fandom, I can’t help but appreciate alternate views of the medium and the genre. Scipio’s understanding of the Big Two got me thinking about my own tastes and interpretations. While I agree with him that Vibe is a character of great potential, there are other areas where we do not see eye-to-eye.

It was a good FCBD. I contributed an apropos “Simpsons” reference. Devon made many fine points and at one point lept over a crouching customer with fluid athleticism. And Scipio? Scipio omnes sale superabat.

An embarrassing postscript: proving that I have the manners of an ill-tempered goat, I forgot to buy anything at Big Monkey, despite hogging two hours of Scip and Devon’s time. Nice, eh?

D’oh!

At least I didn’t compound the oafishness by taking any free comics or belching audibly.

That’ll be next year.

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*According to Big Monkey, it’s pronounced “Byuu-sek.” Works for me, yo.