ComicsPRO 2010 pt. 2

I'd be lying if I said that the only reason I go to the annual ComicsPRO meetings is to compare notes with other retailers and people within the industry, as I also go to recharge and have a fun time on the side. Being that the ComicsPRO 2010 meeting was in Memphis again this year, we had to go to downtown Beale Street at least one night for some great live tunes.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) hosted a party upstairs at the Rum Boogie Cafe and they had as their guests Terry Moore (Strangers In Paradise, Echo) and Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl), pictured here from left to right, with Kate in the middle trying to keep them from fighting about who is a better cartoonist (as if these two fine cartoonists would ever resort to that and really anyone who is familiar with their comic book creations knows that Terry and Jeff are both at the top of this wonderful medium and are always challenging themselves). I managed to stay away from the Red Bull & Vodka drinks this year and just enjoyed a couple of beers and the great company of my fellow retailers (and wifey!) to the soundtrack of some good blues music provided by a local blues band. The CBLDF is a nonprofit organization for comic book stores and comic book creators who require legal representation of the first amendment order. Thank Charles Brownstein and CBLDF for all your organization does and for a great Memphis Rum Boogie Cafe party!
More lifestyles of the rich and famous, with Jim Lee, the new Co-Publisher of DC Comics (as well as probably the most famous comic book artist of this present age and the NICEST guy in comics bar none - and really most everyone in the comic industry are great people, but Jim Lee brings "nice" to a whole new level) slumming with the likes of my goofy self! I promise I wasn't trying to make rabbit ears upon Jim Lee, that's just my beer induced peace sign!
Catching up with some more retailer buds and industry buds (sorry for this not so great photo). I don't think all of those empty cups in front of Derrick (seated, with the white long sleeves) of Comic Oasis (here in Vegas of course) belong to him, but so what if they did because he wasn't driving and I'm sure he could handle them better than I could anyway (grin)!
In between sets that the band at Rum Boogie Cafe did, I took Kate for a little tour of Beale Street and wandered over to Club 152, to show Kate where I had too much fun with alcohol last year, and we stayed for a set by this really good funk rock band who call themselves the Grant Garland Trio (even though there were four members in the band). The Batman logo shirt I'm wearing was given to me as a gift and is uber cool because it lights up and pulsates to music (which everyone was jealous of!). So of course I had to get a photo with the bassist of the Grant Garland Trio who was wearing a Superman logo shirt.

Thanks Memphis!