I used to think comic cons were just for buying stuff, but a panel at Emerald City changed that.
I mean, I went to one about indie creators in Seattle last year, and hearing them talk made me start actually reading the books I buy. Anyone else get into a new genre from a random con panel?
Ever have that with music? I bought a CD at a show just because the singer told a dumb story about his dog before playing a song. That track ended up being my favorite, but I never would have picked it out on my own. The story got me to listen closer. Sometimes you need the person attached to the thing to make it click.
My first con was a small one in Portland maybe ten years ago. I sat in on a horror comics panel just to get off my feet, and the artist described a scene so creepy it stuck with me all week. I ended up buying his book and it completely flipped my view of the whole section. Isn't it weird how a five minute talk can do more than a whole store display? Those panels make the work feel human in a way a shelf never can.