Aquaman Album #1 - Planet Comics

Comics Weekend From yesterday's stop in France, today we travel down under!

This title, Aquaman Album, hails from Australia, and started in 1978. Dig that funky "Album" in the Aquaman font!

Anyway, as the cover indicates, this book features a whopping 96 pages of content(!), and, unlike a lot of other foreign editions of American comics I've come across, it features material almost entirely centered around one character--the King of the Seven Seas!

It kicks off with a reprint of the first of three Adventure Comics stories drawn by Mike Grell:

...what's cool is, after the first story, this book features the following two stories, in order, making for a nice little collection!

Next up is a Sea Devils story--okay, sure, its not Aquaman, but its close:

Then the book jumps forward in time, back to another Aquaman story, this one from his solo strip in DC's Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin:

Then the book travels back a few years, to Aquaman (Vol. 1) #56, reprinting the odd little two-page Aquagirl story (by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo) that ended the issue, and the title at the time:

Then we're back to the Sea Devils, for another adventure:

Finally, the book manages to cram in one more Aquaman story, this one from Adventure Comics #441 (by Paul Levitz and Jim Aparo), Aquaman's first issue in the title as a headliner:

...whew! That's a lot of reading for a measly 75 cents (even by 1978 standards). If you were an Australian Aquaman fan, this book must have been a treasure trove.

One of the things I enjoy the most about looking at these foreign editions are the ads, which are almost always done by the "local" publishers, so they were never seen back in the U.S.

Here are a couple that ran in this issue, some featuring characters and titles us Americans are familiar with, some not:

I gotta say, that Doomsday comic looks pretty cool.

Aquaman #80 - French Edition

Comics Weekend I have a bunch of "new" foreign editions of Aquaman comics sitting on my shelf, so I thought I'd devote this Comics Weekend to looking at a couple of them.

This is a French edition of Aquaman, generously provided by F.O.A.M. member Russell Burbage.

And what a book it is! 76 pages long, it has all kinds of features crammed into it, all with some of the oddest formatting I've ever seen in a comic book, of any country.

After you get past the cover (printed on slightly thicker cardstock--and check out the all-around Go-Go Check border!), you get the same cover, again, this time printed on traditional comic book cover paper.

After that are two pages of what looks like those Statement of Ownership thingies comic companies used to have to put in all their books from time to time (except there, the dry facts and figures are accompanied by headshots of some characters like The Fox and the Crow). Then after that is yet another cover, this time of the story in question:

Inside, the whole book is printed on slightly better paper than standard comics were at the time (1973), giving the artwork and the colors a brighter look, even all these years later:

After the Aquaman story, there's a couple of text pieces (with accompanying spot illustrations), and then a reprint of what I think is a story from Strange Adventures ("Les Olympiades de l'an 3000"), featuring art by Carmine Infantino.

Then the book seems to sort of start all over, with another set of covers, printed on slick paper:

When I first saw this, I did a double-take: what Aquaman cover was this? Then I turned the page and realized that it was just this story's splash page, with some art changes made to turn it into a cover:

For some reason, this story is printed in alternating pages of color and black and white. Two pages of color, two pages of black and white, two pages of color, etc.

Luckily, Aquaman as a character has been blessed by having superb artists render his adventures, so the Nick Cardy work here looks just fine without the color:

Following this, there's another text piece ("L'Etrange Jimmy"), and then to top the book off...a Detective Chimp story?

Oh, I'm sorry--"Le Chimpanze' Detective":

And that wraps up the book, save for a one page ad for a French humor strip called "Pumby", which is a funny animal character.


Not knowing much about this series (I couldn't find any listing for it on the GCBD), I don't know whether this was an anthology series that just happened to feature Aquaman for this issue, or this was an ongoing Aquaman series.

If the latter, then that means this Aquaman series, at issue #80, lasted longer than any of his American series. *sigh*

Anyway, I loved getting a look at this French version of the King of the Seven Seas--thanks Russell!

Titans #15 Preview

F.O.A.M.er Joe Mello pointed me to DC Comics' blog, where they've posted some pages from the upcoming Titans #15, featuring (as you can see) a flashback appearance by Aquaman, in a story revolving around Tempest and his participation in Blackest Night.

Is Zombie Aquaman going to come back, just to be replaced in the role by his former sidekick? I guess we'll see...

Titans #15 comes out July 15th. Thanks Joe!

Aquaman Lead Figurine - 2009

This is a lead figurine, about 4" tall, featuring an iconic shot of Classic Aquaman, which came out last week.

It comes with an 8 1/2 x 11" booklet (#31 in the series), 16 pages in length, featuring a history of the character and highlighting some of the big moments in his career:

Its a handsome product--both the figure and the booklet (although the book doesn't use Aquaman's classic origin, dagnabit) --but because the figure is cast in lead, it comes with all kinds of warnings about how to handle it, make sure you wash your hands after you touch it, keep it away from children, etc.

Which is why my figure is still in his Carbonite-esque package: I'm afraid to touch the thing!

How Do I Join F.O.A.M.?

This post is long overdue!

Ever since I first created the Friend Of AquaMan designation--F.O.A.M.--back in 2007, I've had a lot of ardent Aqua-Fans write me and ask how they can join F.O.A.M.

I cannot express how happy those types of emails make me, because it connects me up with another Aquaman fan, which was the whole point of the Shrine. And the idea that someone would want to join this silly little group so badly that they actively seek out the way to do so charms me to no end.

So I'm writing this post, which will feature the official rules of F.O.A.M. membership, and then there'll be a permanent link to it on the right hand side so anyone from this point on won't have to go to the effort of writing me an email: they can simply click, read...and then the hunt is on!

So, here goes:

1)Submit (via mail or e-mail) an item featuring or about Aquaman (or any member of the AquaFamily) to me for use on the Shrine.

The item has to be something not yet covered here on the Shrine--as we head into our third year(!) that's gets a little harder, but its still not as hard as it might sound.

If you haven't yet committed every single Shrine post to memory yet (and why not?), then use the handy-dandy graphic labels on the right and go through the old posts. If you don't see what you have to submit, or maybe still aren't sure, then email me and ask. I'm very friendly!

2)Please be aware that the members of F.O.A.M. are a quick and clever lot. When some news of an Aqua-Item breaks on the web, there are a handful of die-hard F.O.A.M.ers who alert me to it within (it seems) seconds of its posting on the web.

So if pics of some new Aquaman action figure get posted somewhere (like Newsarama or something), don't just send me a link and assume you're in--guaranteed, someone else has beaten you to it! Be creative and try and find something a little more unusual.

3)Home-created items are a-okay. That just means you love Aquaman enough to make something yourself.

4)It doesn't have exclusively be a physical "item" either. As you can see from the right hand side list of interviews, the Shrine has had the good fortune to get to talk to some of the wonderfully creative people who have worked on Aquaman, in one form or another.

I would love to talk to pretty much anybody who has ever worked on the character, so if you have a particular "in" with someone I've yet to talk to, being the middle-person between me and an interview subject more than earns you membership!

5)If you want to keep submitting things after you've joined, please do. Some F.O.A.M.ers have submitted dozens upon dozens of items (Russell, I'm looking in your direction) and it makes doing this blog so much more fun.

When I first started the Shrine, I thought we'd run out of stuff to talk about in a year or two. Now we're almost at our 3rd year anniversary, and I have no intention--and see no reason to--of stopping. And that's mostly because of the spirit of generosity and community that F.O.A.M. is all about!


So that's about it. Any other questions concerning F.O.A.M. membership, please leave a comment and ask! And thanks to everyone reading this for being such a big fan of Aquaman!
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Finally--the reason I was inspired to write this post. I've received several emails from one Craig McGinnes, always submitting things to get him into F.O.A.M.

For one reason or another (some of them not having anything to do Craig), none of those met the specifications I just laid out, but Craig kept trying.

Then I realized, anyone who has tried as many times as Craig is a true Friend of AquaMan, without a doubt. So for sheer tenacity and effort, Craig now the newest member of F.O.A.M.!

Thanks Craig, and welcome--finally--to F.O.A.M.!

JLA Mug - 1989

This shot of a Justice League of America mug was sent to me by F.O.A.M. member extraordinaire Russell Burbage.

Here's what Russell had to say about it: "I bought this mug in San Francisco when I was there either in 1989 or 1990.

And yes, that is Robin wearing brown. Not sure why he wasn't in green, since Green Lantern is right there in front of him! Maybe the shock of seeing Robin in brown turned Hal's hair white!!"

What I also find unusual about the mug is that there's no Superman--pretty shocking for a piece of merchandise featuring a group of DC heroes. To see Aquaman on there instead of the Man of Steel is a welcome surprise--I definitely would've bought this mug had I seen it for sale.

Thanks Russell!


Update: This from former Aquaman writer (and friend of the Shrine) Shaun McLaughlin: "I'm drinking coffee out of that JLA mug right now. God, I'm such a closet geek."

Blackest Night Toyline Preview

Here's our first glimpse of the "Zombie Aquaman" action figure, which is part of the tie-in line by DC Direct for the Blackest Night mini-series, sent in by F.O.A.M. member Erik Brunbauer. Thanks Erik!

You can click the image to see the whole shot (courtesy IGN.com). And while its a handsomely-made line of figures (I expect nothing less from DC Direct), I'm really conflicted about whether to get this.

I just don't grok the whole Marvel Zombies thing--I thought it was a fun lark at first, but after a while the whole idea just started to sicken me--so I feel weird about buying a gruesome, zombie version of my favorite hero. (Don't get me wrong; I love zombie movies, comics, musicals, etc.; I just generally don't enjoy seeing my childhood heroes rendered in such a way)

That said, I probably will end up getting this, if for no other reason then to keep my more unruly Aquaman toys in line.


(Notes On the Process: I've been getting a ton of stuff from F.O.A.M. members lately--a million thanks, guys--and every so often there's something that maybe should get posted immediately, like this. So keep an eye out, I'll probably be doing more of these "bonus" posts in the future!)

Aquaman Prototype Figure - 2004

F.O.A.M. member Chris Rees sent me this shot of the original prototype to the Aquaman action figure that was eventually released as part of the JLA line back in 2004.

According to Chris, "[This is] the prototype figure that was going to be released before the new creative team took over the comic book and gave him back his orange shirt. Of course, after that, this figure was released without the facial hair and with the shirt.

I like this figure and I still kinda hope they might release one like it someday."

Hey, I'm all for every Aqua-variant I can get my hands on. Thanks Chris!

Sea World Poster - 1976

Almost two years(!) ago, I posted an image of the live-action Super-Heroes Sea World show that was run in an issue of DC's in-house magazine, The Amazing World of DC Comics. The show featured what I believe is the first appearance of a live-action Aquaman, not to mention a live-action Mera!

I never thought I'd ever see any better shots of the show than that, but then my pal and F.O.A.M. member Brian Heiler (of the awesome blog Plaid Stallions, among other online endeavors) posted this jaw-dropping image--a full-color poster of the super-heroes in all their water-skiing glory! Holy Aquatic Acrobatics, Batman!

As soon as I saw the poster on his blog, I begged Brian to send me a version to post here, which he graciously sent me. Ye Gods, do I love this thing. Even though I never saw the show, this thing just feels like my childhood to me, with all the goofy love of super-heroes that goes with it.

Aside from that, I'm just impressed at the athletic ability on display here--I cannot imagine having enough balance to form a human pyramid, while water-skiing, while dressed up in those silly costumes! At least the guys playing Superman and Aquaman had it a little easier than the rest of them.

This show remains the only instance of a live-action Mera--at least until Amy Adams plays her in the big-budget Aquaman movie.

I can dream, can't I?

Anyway, thanks Brian!

Aquaman Meets The Black Eyed Peas!

F.O.A.M. member King Megatrip sent me an audio clip of the Black Eyed Peas song "Let The Beat Rock" which features a shout-out to Aquaman!

KM was kind enough to edit the song down to just the clip featuring Aquaman, which you can hear here:

...I wonder which of the Peas is an Aquaman fan? (I hope it's Fergie!)

The song is not on their new album, The E.N.D., but you can purchase the full mp3 here. Very, very cool, thanks Megatrip!

Adventures in The DC Universe #1 - April 1997

Comics Weekend "Now You See 'Em..." by Steve Vance, John Delaney, and Ron Boyd.

I've covered Aquaman's solo adventures in the sadly short-lived Adventures of the DC Universe previously, but he also got some "screen time" in the book as part of the JLA.

Not only is he prominently featured on the cover, but here he helps his fellow JLAers take on a whole team of super-villains:

Some armed goons--under the command of Gorilla Grodd--kidnap an energy company bigwig named McKinney. The Flash manages to rescue him, bu Grodd escapes.

In Denver, Blockbuster tries to commit a robbery of a jewelry store by Martian Manhunter. Manhunter is equally successful in thwarting the crime, but, like Grodd, Blockbuster manages to escape into thin air.

Over on the California Coast, Aquaman confronts Major Disaster:

(I like the "Sha-Mooo!" sound effect)

As you can guess, this happens over and over to the various JLAers: Parasite gets away from Superman, Cheetah with Wonder Woman, Dr. Light with Green Lantern, and Scarecrow with Batman.

The JLA all meet-up in the Watchtower, and share their experiences. Batman puts all the locations into the JLA computer, and comes up with a location as to where the energy burst needed to teleport all these bad guys is coming from: somewhere in the Southwestern Desert!

We then see all the villains, and of course they're squabbling amongst one another. The conversation is ended by a mysterious, shadowed person, who gave each of the villains they're teleportation devices. Now that they have all failed to accomplish their missions, their benefactor wants them back!

But before that can happen:

The JLAers take on their respective foes, and rather easily defeat them. But as this is going on, a giant robot emerges from a compartment, and manages to blast Superman, Manhunter, and Green Lantern! Uh-oh!

Batman hatches a plan-he has The Flash and himself distract the robot, while Wonder Woman and Aquaman pool their strength:

Superman and Manhunter, now recovered, rip open the robot to find it...empty! Well, not empty, exactly...there is a ticking bomb inside!

The JLA, with the unconscious villains in tow, clear out of the underground hideout just as the bomb goes off:

...to be continued, though not in the next issue.

Yes, instead of moving directly into part two of this story, Adventures in the DC Universe moved on to highlight its omnibus format, featuring solo stories of other DC stars (like Aquaman!).

The JLA did reappear in futures issues of the title, which we'll get to in a few weeks!

Justice League of America #112 - Aug. 1974

Comics Weekend "War With the One-Man Justice League" by Len Wein, Dick Dillin, and Dick Giordano.

Back in April, I said I was going to do an occasional Comics Weekend post on issues of Justice League of America that featured Aquaman in a participatory role (as opposed to the ones where he just sat around the satellite), and I got an inspiration to do talk about this issue by a comment made by a member of F.O.A.M. We'll get to that in a minute.

Anyway, the story opens with this grim image:

But we're getting ahead of ourselves! The story actually starts here, in the JLA Satellite, where the World's Greatest Superheroes are currently in the pit of despair: you see, they've lost most of their super powers, thanks to the super-villain known as Libra!:

(Two notes about the above panel before we move on: First, I love how Black Canary has to serve the guys food--super-powers or not, she'll still a dame! Second, I can't decide whether I hate that fish-tank Aquaman is wearing on his head because it makes him look so stupid, or that I love it so much I wish Mego had made an Aquaman doll of it)

Okay, anyway, while most of the JLA is moping, The Atom--having not participated in last issue's fight with Libra, and therefore still having all of his powers--arrives. Not only that, but he has a plan for the JLA to regain its powers!

He leads them to the JLA Trophy Room, where their foe, the robot Amazo, lies dormant. The Atom suggests that they revive Amazo, and revamp him so his body becomes a "virtual magnet, that will draw the missing molecules [the ones that contain the JLA's powers] back from the very depths of space!"

The JLA agrees to this plan, and reboot Amazo, with Black Canary even finding time to make him a new costume (man, does the JLA need another woman on the team!).

They then plant a suggestion in Amazo's mind that he is dying, and that the JLA holds the only cure. That will keep him on the move, and agitated, making him a greater magnet for the missing molecules.

They split up into teams (leaving a worried, shaken Batman behind) and teleport to Earth:

Amazo does manage to "defeat" the three heroes, but The Elongated Man manages to send Amazo thinks is his cure flying into the sky, with Amazo giving chase.

Things seem to be going to plan, except, back on the satellite, Batman makes a startling discovery:

(As you can see on this page, Aquaman has a different, heretofore unseen logo--I had completely forgotten about it until F.O.A.M.er Russell Burbage mentioned it when I did a look back at all of Aquaman's logos. Thanks Russell!)

Anyway, the object of Amazo's affection lands in the Arctic, where Superman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow are waiting.

Amazo finds them, defeats Supes and GA, and so it's up to Aquaman, in the last few moments, to send Amazo's "cure" hurtling back into the sky:

Up on the satellite, Batman continues working, sure that his friends are walking into a death-trap! Still wracked with insecurity, he hopes he's right, and continues on.

Now the small object Amazo wants travels to Brazil, into the hands of Green Lantern, The Atom, and Red Tornado:

(Speaking of logos, what's with that one for Reddy? It looks like it was designed by someone in the DC Production Department trying to shake off their five-martini lunch)

Amazo defeats GL and Reddy, and grabs a hold of what he seeks. But, as soon as he touches it, it shuts him off--a fail-safe implanted by The Atom!

Back at the satellite, the JLA prepares to sort all the super-powered molecules Amazo's body has collected. But, turns out Batman was right--instead of remaining docile, Amazo breaks from his glass tube, blasting them with his power ring, seemingly killing the JLA!

As they lay there, Amazo believes he has tricked them all--and why shouldn't he, since he now possesses the mind of the World's Greatest Detective?

Except, as he walks away, he is met by Batman, who is not dead! Not only that, but Amazo finds his powers suddenly gone!

With a quick jump and a well-aimed karate chop, its all over:

...Aquaman should thank Batman most of all, for no longer having to wear that fish-tank thing on his head anymore!

Spiral Notebook - 1975

I always like to post something school-related when the school year ends, and I'd say this relic definitely qualifies!

This spiral notebook was a companion piece to a portfolio that used the same piece of artwork. For whatever reason, I've never been able to find one for sale on eBay or at a con, but thankfully F.O.A.M. member Jon Helfenstein sent me these pics of his. As you can see, its in, um, near-mint condition.

Here's what Jon had to say about it:

"Unfortunately its not in the greatest shape as it got a lot of use, but its still in one piece. The back has got a number of Wacky Package stickers I stuck (as Wackys were the fad at the time), but fortunately I didn't put any on the front, and didn't put any on the head shots on the back."

Yeah, I'd have to say this piece is a veritable time capsule of what certain kinds of kids were like in 1975--superheroes, drawing on stuff, Wacky Packages...it's all there, except maybe a Whip Inflation Now button.

Thanks Jon!

Aquaman Shotglass

This is was the single Aqua-Item I picked up a the 2009 Philadelphia Con--a shotglass with Aquaman's "A" logo on it.

The dealer had a whole array of shotglasses with various superhero emblems (from both DC and Marvel) on them. None of them had any copyright notations on them, so I can only assume they're not "official" merchandise.

Normally I don't go for homemade and/or bootleg stuff, but this struck in me just the right way as I waited to line to buy the T-shirt for Darlin' Tracy.

Classic Impulse Buy--well played, Mr. Dealer--well played.
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By the way, master designer/letterer Todd Klein has posted one of his super-cool "Logo Studies", this on Aquaman. Like I guessed it would be when I did mine, Todd's effort is tops.

Check out Parts 1 and 2 here!

AquaSketch by Tom Hodges - 2009

This was the other sketch I picked up at last weekend's Wizard World Philly Con, by artist Tom Hodges.

Tom's cartoony work has a strong sense of design to it, and he added a bit of that here--I really like the blue tone he added to the background, a touch I didn't expect and really liked when I saw it.

I always try and "discover" at least one new artist per con and get a sketch from them, and this is a fine addition to my book.

AquaSketch by Kevin Maguire - 2009

This was the awesome headshot done for me by Kevin Maguire, that was started at the 2009 New York Con and "finished" at the 2009 Philly con a few months later.

Kevin, being a master of facial expressions, had a whole table full of headshots of various DC characters like Hawkman, Blue Beetle, and Guy Gardner. And even though there's no costume detail here, this is unmistakably Aquaman--I love it, and it was worth the wait!

2009 Wizard World Philly Con Report

I spent Friday and Saturday at the Wizard World Philly con, so here are some of the highlights!

Day 1 First off, Wizard was generous enough to grant The Aquaman Shrine a press pass, so I got one of those cool little badges with my and the Shrine's name on it, and a wristband that said "Press" on it. I never get tired of that.

I arrived right at the con opened on Friday, and it was a pleasant surprise to see there was actual room to move around in:

I first made a bee-line for Artists' Alley, to see who was there. After scoping out all the people there, I saw the work of Tom Hodges, whose work was cartoony and loose, yet solid and dynamic. I asked him to do an Aquaman sketch for me, and handed him my book.

Now that I had given out my sketchbook, I felt more free to peruse the dealers' aisles, and see what was up for sale. One dealer had an amazing collection original DC and Marvel out:

...ooh, those original JLA covers! Drool.

After scoping out some of the other dealers, I ran into my friend Kevin Miller (who runs the horror collectibles website The House of Mysterious Secrets), who I hadn't seen in person in years.

We walked around and visited the autograph booths, where Kevin screwed up the courage to go talk to make-up artist legend Tom Savini:

While Kevin and Tom talked, I looked around to see who else was there, I saw con regulars like Erin Gray, Lou Ferrigno, and assorted wrestlers and cover girls.

I was pleasantly surprised to see actor Michael Hogan, who kicked butt as Tigh on Battlestar Galactica:

...I would've gone over there and thanked him for the show and told him how much I enjoyed it, but I always feel a bit like a geek (I mean, even more so) when I do stuff like that, especially when I'm not there to buy anything.

In addition to the celebrities, there were a few people in costume, like this industrious fella:

I have/had no idea what character this is (someone from Generation X?), but I admired the sheer effort and chutzpah needed to make this outfit.

Another artist there was a guy named Tommy Castillo, who had a huge booth full of vivid, dark, and exciting paintings. This King Kong one really caught my eye:

...they should've gotten him to the remake's movie poster!

I stopped back in Artist's Alley, and picked up my sketchbook from Tom Hodges (the sketch will appear here on Wednesday).

Then, a few tables town, I saw Kevin Maguire--one of my favorite artists, ever since his days on Justice League--working at his table.

Kevin was at the 2009 New York show, and I had commissioned an Aquaman head-shot from him. When he told me he wouldn't be able to finish it before I left, we made plans for him to finish it at home, and then he'd send it to me.

But months past and I never received it, and I had no way of contacting him, so I thought I'd go over and see if he remembered to do the piece. I introduced myself, and after just a few words out of my mouth, Kevin's face lit up and he reached down, and pulled out the piece!

He had lost my contact info, and therefore had no way of getting a hold of me. He brought it with him, figuring that if I went to the NY show I might be going to the Philly one. Nice call, Mr. Maguire!

I really loved the piece, and told him so--it was worth the wait (it will appear here tomorrow).

By that point, I wanted to head home, and save a little money for Saturday.


Day 2 I met up with my old pal and fellow Kubert School grad Dan Eaker and we went to the show together. I don't see Dan as much as I'd like, so it's always cool to take trips like this together.

While there was a bigger crowd than yesterday (this being Saturday, traditionally the biggest con day), perhaps the torrential downpour outside kept the crowds from getting too thick:

We took another trip through Artists' Alley, but most everyone who I might have wanted a sketch from looked busy, so we headed into the dealers' aisles.

While Dan looked for stuff for his two kids, I made sure to snap pics of some of the best costumed fans in attendance:

There were some others (like a particularly alluring set of women, dressed as The White Queen and Harley Quinn), but hands down my favorite was this fella, Aquaman's #1 nemesis, Black Manta!!:

I thanked Manta for the great suit, and he touched a control panel on his belt, issuing a "Thank you" in that classic weird-ass Black Manat voice. Awesome!

It wasn't until later, and we saw him again, that Dan pointed out I should give him one of my Aquaman Shrine business cards. So I went up to him, handed him the card, and once he got a look at it, Manta clenched his fists and let out a guttural "Arrrrgghhh!!" My favorite moment of the con.

Dan and I walked around some more (somehow never running into my pal and F.O.A.M. member George Rears, who was also at the show), and I--with Dan's help--found a great little item for my M*A*S*H blog.

I then bought t-shirt for Darlin' Tracy (a powder-blue top with Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl on it), and Dan and I decided to call it a day. We headed back out into the rain (we've had virtually nothing but rain since April---did I move to London and not realize it?) and then had lunch back in Jersey.

I never end up finding any Aqua-Merch at these shows, since I have almost everything there is to have, but I keep hoping some day I'll spot some weird, unrecognizable little orange and green thing on some table somewhere... (although this time I did find one tiny little piece, which we'll see later this week)

All in all, a fine show--the staff was friendly and courteous, and the aisles were not overfilled so as to make walking the floor a Battan Death March-like experience.

My thanks to the kind folks at Wizard World for giving the Shrine a press pass!