I was driving around running errands yesterday and pondering, among other things, what book I should read next. Just a few days earlier, fellow GT blogger John Wroblewski had written about some of the books and authors he enjoyed. He mentioned some which I had not heard of before but which sounded like the kind of thing I would like. I can get in a bit of a rut with what I choose to read — same genres or authors or subject matter – so I like getting a nudge in a new direction now and then.

I had my radio tuned to the local public radio station (if there is a decent local news/talk radio station in this valley, I have yet to find it) and only listening with half an ear when I realized the current interview was with an author . . . of a graphic book. Now, that’s definitely a subject I know next to nothing about. They’re basically comic books, right? Mostly about superheroes or science fiction/fantasy subject matter, biggest fans are kind of nerdy young men? I vaguely was aware that several had given rise to some very popular recent movies (V for Vendetta, The Dark Knight, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Watchmen). As a former English teacher and avid reader, I’m all for anything that will encourage kids — and older folks, too — to get away from a screen and read, but this format has never enticed me personally.

Having a healthy imagination, I’ve never felt the need to have pictures help tell a story when well-chosen words will do (although I greatly appreciate, even now, a beautifully illustrated children’s book). And as I said, action/science fiction/superhero stories as a whole aren’t very high on my list of preferred genres. But I’m always open to something new and decided it’s high time I checked out these graphic novels. Listening to the NPR interview, the first thing I learned is that not all of these books are fiction. The author of the one under discussion, Michael Keller, just completed a graphic interpretation of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. As I listened to the interview, I began to understand that presenting information or a story in the graphic format could allow a writer to present ideas and demonstrate concepts or theories in a way that the written word alone could not — much as there are certain things one can do or show in an animated film that are impossible or at least fall short in a live-action movie. Seems so obvious, yes?

Poking around the Internet last night, I found that, indeed, the format has been dominated by adventure and sci-fi stories, but that’s not the whole story. Back in 1992, the Pulitzer committee gave a special award to Art Spiegelman for his graphic memoir Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, about his father, a Holocaust survivor. In 2005, Time magazine included Spiegelman in its list of 100 Most Influential People in the world. There are graphic books for kids, tweens, teens and adults, and the subject matter can be light or very heavy. Though fiction dominates, one can find subjects from biography to science, history to philosophy. A recent publication, The Book of Genesis Illustrated by Robert Crumb (anyone out there old enough to remember Fritz the Cat?),  gives what one reviewer calls “a new perspective on this ancient work” and says the detailed artwork makes the text (from the King James Bible) more accessible to all, no matter their religious background or beliefs.

I have to say, reading some of the reviews on graphicnovelreporter.com’s website has me eager to check out this genre and some of the very intriguing-sounding titles listed there. I’d be curious if anyone reading this blog has delved into the graphic novel world and has any comments/recommendations to make.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Last weekend, I was in Novi, MI, primarily for the Motor City Comic Con, although, technically, I was working. It is hard to call it work when it is as much fun as this event.

First, I made the rounds, distributing Global Traveler to all of the hotels near the Rock Financial Showplace. As always, the hotels were very happy to receive the copies.

The MCCC is a three-day event, featuring dealers, artists and celebrities. Over 15,000 fans attended this year. Carrie Fisher (of Star Wars fame) was the biggest and most popular celebrity, but the other 20 celebrities were also kept pretty busy by long lines of fans.

I laughed with the Honky Tonk Man, a pro wrestler who was disappointed that he was not the first person to tell me that I look like Jay Leno. I semi-saved actress Joyce DeWitt from a well-meaning but lingering, talkative fan. I joked with actor Gil Gerard, who somehow was stuck holding a fan’s purse while she showed him a small photo album. I talked business travel with Christy Hemme and Kevin Nash.

I met a new friend, Jack Odanovich, who was representing the Star Wars Society of San Antonio (SWSSA). The SWSSA was just one of many groups from all over the country. At the MCCC, Odanovich (in full Anakin Skywalker garb) attracted almost as many people as some of the celebrities. Odanovich is somewhat used to this, though, as the SWSSA has also been to hospitals to cheer up young patients.

The MCCC is a true success story. The former little comic book show has grown to be the best convention I have attended. I have never heard one complaint from anyone. It is smoothly run and somehow every celebrity seems to be in a great mood all of the time.

The hotels deserve special mention. The Doubletree is the host hotel, but all of the hotels welcome this convention. Despite the fact that they would all probably sell out anyway, each hotel goes above and beyond.

On Saturday evening, GT route manager JayHawk Evans and I trekked (just keeping with the sci-fi theme) over to Detroit to watch the Tigers thump the Oakland As, 9-1. Comerica Park is a beautiful baseball park. The park, which opened in 2000, is one of the biggest reasons for the revitalization of the downtown Detroit area.

On Sunday morning, I took a long and refreshing run. From my hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, I ran past Twelve Oaks Mall, where I saw all of the new development. I continued running past Ella Mae Power Park, where I resisted the urge to beg into one of the softball games. I finished the six or so mile run in decent time, but I’d have a lot of work to do to be ready for the Detroit Marathon in October.

I always enjoy this trip to Novi/Detroit. Unfortunately, the weekend ended on a sour note. I drove back to Chicago in time to catch the Chicago Blackhawks being defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in the first game of their series. I could have done without that little piece of the Motor City.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Last week I wrote about Aurora, Ill., a great city just west of Chicago. Many readers responded that they would like to read about more such cities. Today I present Novi, Mich., one such city about 20 minutes northwest of Detroit.

One of the fastest-growing cities in Michigan, Novi is home to the Twelve Oaks Mall, which opened in 1977. This mall made Novi a major shopping destination in the Detroit metro area. It is located at the Novi Road and I-96 Interchange, like a large portion of Novi’s business community.

Novi is also home to the Rock Financial Showplace. It is Michigan’s largest privately owned convention and conference center with 214,000 square feet of exhibition space and 25,000 square feet of pre-function event space. Over 1.5 million people attend events there every year.

One of the biggest conventions is the Motor City Comic Con, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary at their May 15-17 show. The MCCC started as a two-day comic book show. It has grown steadily, including the addition of media guests in 1993 and the move to the Rock Financial Showplace in 2006. This year, there will be about 15,000 attendees, over 100 comic guests and over 50 celebrity guests, which will make it the biggest MCCC ever.

For Jay Brant, artist and creator for Head’s Up Studios, the MCCC was the first comic con he ever attended, and he was immediately hooked.

“It was the greatest thing I had ever seen for comic and toy fans — row upon row of cartoony, comicy goodness,” exclaimed Brant. Brant is almost as excited as the throngs of fans who enjoy meeting the artists and seeing all of the works on display.

One of those fans is GT’s own JayHawk Evans, distribution route manager, who will be in attendance again this year.

“Last year, I was floored by the scope of this show as compared to other cons. The variety of personalities, exhibits and events kept me busy throughout the entire time with an urge to see it all over again,” said Evans.

Heading the list of celebrity guests this year is Carrie Fisher, but Princess Leia isn’t the only big name. John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville), Julie Newmar (Catwoman) and Doug Jones (Hellboy) are making rare appearances. The star-studded lineup is packed with too may other stars to list everyone.

It is impossible to put an exact number to MCCC’s impact on the Novi economy, but last year more than 15 hotels, totaling 2,500+ rooms, were sold out for the weekend. The Doubletree (the host hotel) has already sold out. Convention coordinator Jeff Serling stated that he “gets notes of thanks from hotels and restaurants for the added business.”

Serling has been with MCCC for over 18 years. It’s that type of dedication which makes the MCCC one of the best cons in the country. Everything is handled very well. I have been to hundreds of these conventions, and the MCCC is absolutely the smoothest, best-run convention I have ever attended.

Like my GT colleague, I will also be at the MCCC next weekend. I will be meeting some of the celebrities and also looking for some oddball Aquaman pieces. I will also be enjoying the rest of Novi when not at the con. I might even make the quick drive to catch a Tigers game or hit the Motor City Casino.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Today marks the release of the highly anticipated follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight. It is expected to gross over $100 million during opening weekend and Heath Ledger, who plays the Joker, is earning rave reviews and there is talk that he may win a posthumous Oscar following his death in January. I was never a huge fan of superheroes and comics, but I always enjoyed Spiderman and, particularly, Batman and I am excited for the new movie.

Even if Ledger does not win an Oscar, he earned himself a spot on the Top 25 Movie Villains list, as compiled by Moviefone. I heard about the list on the radio during my drive to work yesterday and I decided to check it out further and see if I agreed. According to the list, the top ten are:

10. Queen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

9. Max Cady, Cape Fear

8. Hans Gruber, Die Hard

7. Chigurgh, No Country for Old Men

6. Goldfinger, Goldfinger

5. Joker, The Dark Knight

4. Hannibal Lecter, Silence of the Lambs

3. The Wicked Witch of the West, Wizard of Oz

2. Darth Vader, Star Wars

1. Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter

Personally, I do agree some of those villians are scary - Hannibal Lecter, Chigurgh, Voldemort. But I also think Michael Myers, Halloween, should have been higher than #12. And the Wicked Witch, #3, come on!

Anyway, this list inspired me to create The Global Traveler Blog Top 25 Best Travel Movies of All Time. Please send me your suggestions and we can put together the list in a future blog! I thought of Lost in Translation or the new one, The Darjeeling Limited, about brothers on a trip through India. Maybe Thelma and Louise on their road trip? Start sending suggestions!

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and public relations executive

Trying to write a report on an event like Wizard World, with unique characters at every turn, is a daunting task. More than just a Comic Con, it is a world in itself. As one attendee, Jason Fleigel, stated, “Wizard World is the place to go when you just want to be yourself…to not worry about stigmas and perceptions, but instead to immerse yourself in whatever your hobby is.”

The Chairman of Wizard Entertainment, Gareb Shamus, explained that Wizard World took over ownership of the Chicago Comic Con in 1997 and it quickly became the biggest comic convention in the Midwest (later expanding to Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Texas). Wizard has roughly 75 talented individuals who produce three monthly magazines, two websites, four conventions and numerous special publications including Toy Wishes.

One of the 250 exhibitors was Robert A. Kraus, founder of RAK Graphics, who displayed his popular superfreek superhero spoof series. Kraus, one of the first independent comic book publishers, has done conventions since the 80s, doing about 30 shows a year. Eager fans looked for their favorite superfreek or for new ones, of which Kraus said, “I get tons of requests….wrestlers and sports will be next (to be spoofed)”. The constant traffic at the booth indicates new ones cannot come soon enough. I am waiting for the Distribution Specialist series, featuring Lou, me and the rest of the Arch News Agency.

The most unique celebrity guest might have been wrestler, actor and instructor Al Snow, who enjoys the shows because they are part of the whole picture for him. He said, “Without wrestling, I couldn’t do these shows or instruct, but without these shows I couldn’t wrestle (and so on).” Snow is currently planning to open a new wrestling school and take over the world with his own evil army. It’s this type of humor that has earned Snow his tremendous following.

Terri Runnels is making her return to the convention circuit after a several-year absence. Runnels has worked for CNN, Ted Turner and the WWF/E, as well as owning SoccerTots-Gainesville, which she is selling. Runnels stated, “It’s a wonderful program, but I just don’t find joy in running a company day-to-day.” Runnels does have fun at the conventions, enthusiastically greeting her fans and promoting her latest project, Make the World Write. “This show (Wizard World) is not quite my specific audience, but so many great people have stopped by…it’s so much fun,” Runnels exclaimed. Runnels also planned on picking up some items at the show for her 14-year-old daughter, Dakota.

Other celebrities appeared as promotion for their employers, like Beth “Venom” Horn of NBC’s American Gladiators. While waiting for filming of AG to begin in November, Horn “has been traveling all over the place, having a blast promoting the show.” The success of Gladiators has Horn very excited: “They are doing a comic book, a tour and I’ll have my own action figure.” Despite her hectic schedule, Horn filmed a movie, Fancy Pants, to be released in 2009.

The enormity of this convention is really mind-boggling. I spent 3 days at Wizard World, but I feel like I have only scratched the surface of many stories from the dealers, celebrities and fans. I suppose that means I must return next year.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist