Nashville Comic and Horror Festival 2013

This is a great time to be a comic book fan in Nashville.

First of all, you’ve got plenty of stores to scratch your itch. Besides my store of choice, Rick’s Comic City on Old Lebanon Road, you’ve also got two Great Escape locations, the main store on Charlotte and a smaller branch in Madison on Gallatin Road. Down the road from the Madison Great Escape is Comic City Too in Rivergate. It’s in the Home Depot shopping center, also on Gallatin Road. The newest addition to the Nashville-area comic scene is Flint Town Comics in Gallatin. It’s the smallest of the stores that I’ve mentioned, but it’ll definitely handle all your new comics and Magic the Gathering needs. The back issue selection is pretty limited, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find enough to keep me busy every time I’m able to pop in (which is less than I’d like).

That’s not a bad selection of stores to choose from.

The big thing, though…the thing that really makes this a great time to be a comic fan in Nashville, is the number of comic shows that’ll be happening here this year.

Wizard World has added a Nashville date this year. Held at the Music City Center on October 18-20, we’ll be treated to such celebrities as Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Norman Reedus and Jon Berenthal (The Walking Dead), Billy Dee Williams (Lando), James Marsters (Spike), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Dean Cain (Superman), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Jason David Frank (the first Green Power Ranger), Lou Ferrigno (Hulk), and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules). Comic creators scheduled to appear include Neal Adams, Tom Bancroft, Paris Cullins, Fernando Dagnino, Nathan Edmondson, Pascal Garcin, Ale Garza, Michael Golden, Mike Grell, Greg Horn, Stan Lee, Mike S. Miller, Mico Suayan, Arthur Suydam, and Freddie Williams II.

My oldest son is going to receive a photo op with Tommy the Green/White Ranger for his birthday. I’m excited to get some pretty awesome autographs.

The previous month, the Nashville Comic Expo will be at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. September 14 and 15 will see appearances by celebs Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead) and Drake Bell (Ultimate Spider-Man), as well as comic book creators Jim Steranko, Dennis Calero, Joe Jusko, Clay Mann, Pablo Marcos, Don Rosa, Andy Smith, Tim Townsend, and Herb Trimpe. If this expo is anything like the expos in Tampa and Orlando, additional guests will be announced pretty regularly up until the day of the show.

I will pay for a picture with Cohan, and I will not be a victim of hoverhand. Also, more comic autographs! Yay! I’ve got a Strange Tales waiting for Steranko’s John Hancock.

But there’s a show happening sooner than these two. It starts tonight, actually, and it’s the Nashville Comic and Horror Festival being held at the Hotel Preston tonight through Sunday. This is a smaller, more local show, so the celebs are going to be quite as mind blowing. That being said, appearing will be Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island), Jeremy Shada (Adventure Time, Incredible Crew), Sgt. Slaughter, and Doug Jones (Hellboy). The big draw for comic book fans is Jim Starlin, the guy who killed Jason Todd and made Thanos a force to be reckoned with. Other creators appearing are Jonathan Glapion, Steve Scott, and Joe Pruett. Like I said, it’s smaller, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be awesome. 

My son is excited to go to the Jeremy Shada Q&A on Saturday (he’s a new but big fan of both Adventure Time and Incredible Crew), and he has saved up his allowance to get a photo op with him. I’m going to be the good dad and spring for an autograph. J As always, I’m showing up for some autographs (I’ve got a Strange Tales for you too, Starlin!), but I’m also going to sit in on Starlin’s Q&A. I’m always on the prowl for back issue deals, too, so we’ll see what happens.