It’s no San Diego, and it’s no New York, but Seattle gets a comic convention of its own–The Emerald City ComiCon. Yes, one word. Don’t ask me. Ask them. My original plan was for a trip to SDCC this year, but for a family of four, that’s no easy trip to plan in the space of three months–not on my income at least. So, instead, I turned my attention to more local fun. And boy, am I glad I did.

The convention was held in the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, which is the same place PAX–The Penny Arcade Expo–moved into last year. The place is HUGE. We walked in and just sort of stood there at first, taking in the place. What was really astounding was that the place was packed! They had all the booths and tables set up in a grid, and there wasn’t more than six to eight feet of walking space between the booths. Quarters were definitely tight, and there was certainly the potential for something to get ugly, but then, this is Seattle–home of distant politeness. Combine that with the generally passive nature of the average comic book nerd (once they’re off the Internet, that is), and you get a very mellow, enjoyable experience.

But then, you don’t care about that. You wanna know about the schwag, right? Fifteen feet from the door was the first booth selling toys. I gravitated to it instantly, and I’m glad I did–ALL action figures were $10. ALL of them. They had the newer Justice figures, Infinite Crisis, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Green Lantern, Dark Victory, and a host of other DC Direct figs–some common, some rare–all below retail value. I even got a Toyfare Exclusive Emerald Shield GL figure! Granted, I’m not sure what that figure ran for initially, but given the kind of prices Wizard usually charges in their online store, you can bet it wasn’t $10. That first store netted me that GL, a DCSH Kal-El Superman, A CoIE Monitor and Batman, ML Hydra Soldier and Variant, and the Last Son Zod and Ursa figures.

But that’s not all! Searching through the rest of the Con turned up a CoIE Lex Luthor for $5 (!), and an Infinite Crisis OMAC for $10. I found Stealth Jumper Batman from Hush and Two-Face from the Long Halloween set. Amber scored me an ML3 Ghost Rider while I was waiting in line for a sketch from Jeph Jacques, and I even found an Ice Armor He-Man in package for six bucks! I know the MOTU Classics line is due soon, but I could not pass that up.

What else? Oh, a Crimson Mist Batman (disappointing–the wings won’t stay in), and a Red Son Wonder Woman (now if I can only find the rest). I also found a FF Classics Super Skrull going for $35, which the guy then discounted when I realized I was running low on available cash (not to worry, we made an ATM run soon after–thank you, economic stimulus checks). I finally scored the 12″ Deluxe Movie Ghost Rider, and even found a great deal on a G1 Ultra Magnus. I’m not a big “G1er”, but I AM a big UM fan, for some reason I can’t figure out. I love the guy, I dunno why.

I also found a Secret Files: Unmasked Martian Manhunter, which is my new favorite MM figure. The blue for his cape and boots is a bit darker (and shinier, for some reason) than I’d like, but other than that the figure is GREAT–I’m not a big fan of the JLA Classified version, and the Alex Ross Justice version just looks…old. Like most DCD figs, it could use more articulation, and it doesn’t have the ball jointed head that the First Appearance MM has, but it’s still a great figure of the guy in his classic costume, and just the right size to give him that intimidating presence among the DCUC figures coming out.

Oh yeah, and a First Appearance Nightwing I got for the strip tops off the list. Oh, wait! Amber got a little plush Cthulhu! It’s the most adorable little horrific monster ever.

Also, I managed to acquire quite a bit of reading material–all of DC’s various Crises currently in print, in their collected forms, plus the first two volumes of 52, and I grabbed The Watchmen as well, plus Marvel Zombies in hardcover, and a Loeb/Sale Daredevil book, both of which we then got signed–the first by Art Suydam (from whom I also got a zombified version of the classic Crisis cover, featuring Superman holding Supergirl’s body), the second by Tim Sale.

Perhaps the most amusing nerd moment was rounding a corner to find Wil Wheaton chatting it up with Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade–while a bunch of awestruck geeks stood in a semi-circle around them, watching with rapt attention. Wil Wheaton, by the way, wears an impressive beard now–I’m certain it’s to hide the fact that he never ages.

Unfortunately, ECCC does not yet garner the level of attention its larger counterparts do–this however, should change, as the convention simply continues to grow. I was almost overwhelmed by the event–I didn’t get to do half the things I wanted to, and it was my first comic convention in over a decade. I’ll definitely be going back next year, though, and I’m planning a much more organized approach this time– the camera, a journal for note-taking, etc. I intend to get the most out of ECCC next year, and for several years after, so stay tuned as I report on the con’s growth in years to come!