Tampa Bay Comic Con! 2-20-11

Although always a big deal to local fans, it seemed as though this trip to the Tampa Bay Comic Con held more weight of importance then conventions of the past. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that it was thanks to a highly anticipated return to old stomping grounds at The Double Tree hotel in Tampa. An appropriate location thanks to it's centralized location to residents of both Pinellas and Hillsborough.

Don't get me wrong, I treasure the days of the cons short lived time at the Honeywell Minireg (is that even hows it's spelled?) location in Largo. Alot of purchases were handled in that building as well as alot of life long memories made. But nothing feels more at home then the conference room at The Double Tree. It's a completely seperate experience altogether.

With a reasonable admission fee of only $5 it's hard to debate the punch packed into this convention for the price, the fact that it's held right in my own back yard makes it all the more of a great deal.

There has been some discussion over the cons shrinking dimensions, booting local talent from the room just outside of the front door entrance in exchange for paying merchants with tables held inside of the conference hall. While I find it tragic that local talent isn't as properly showcased as it should be, I respect that this is still a capitalist economy and people don't hold events like this as a means charity. I give respect where respect is due and will boldly say that new ownership has breathed new life into this show.

There was a revitalized energy with a fresh and diverse variety of dealers. Along with something I had never seen at one of these shows, celebrity guest (well, celebrities to us.). The guys who drew Spider-Man and Captain America, plus an aging professional wrestler may not be George Romero or Spock but still considered a positive step in the right direction if you ask my opinion (which you may or may not have asked for but I'm giving it anyways, and yes I realize there have always been guest, these just seemed a little more interesting then usual).

I was a little disappointed by the almost total extinction of bootleg DVD titles at this show, but was more then impressed by the other deals available. Mainly posters and such. Two in particular I would have liked to purchase was a framed Ghostbusters theatrical poster and another framed Wizard magazine cover with Wolverine fighting that guy from GI Joe.

What I wound up leaving with was all the more special on a personal level. A dealer who claimed to have worked for Nike caught my attention with his pair of Freddy Kruger edition Nike Dunks that he was willing to part ways with for roughly $600. When I looked down at the floor to vomit some promotional concert posters caught my eye. They were special prints made up for local shows hosted by The Skate Park of Tampa. I inquired about the Ghostface Killah and Raekwon show held at The Ritz in Ybor and hosted by The Skate Park of Tampa (and sponsored by NIKE SB!), he thankfully had a few sheets left. He wanted $20, I offered him $12 and the deal was cemented. The sweetest purchase I have made at one of these shows, if not ever.

All in all a positive experience that I recommend to any and every fan in the Tampa Bay area.

Sneakerhead Sunday @ Club Skye

Those who know me, know what a rarity it is for me to suffocate my brain cells under the merciless torture of mainstream radio (that goes for any genre). The endless drivel of useless mall bands, teen-friendly pop starlets and pretty boys wailing about nothing behind computer-enhanced vocals and the nihilistic raps of metrosexual über-thugs are all to much for this fanboy to handle. Luckily, my good friend Kramer whose brain has already been reduced to the size of a Hershey's Kiss thanks to dollar beer nights and joints laced with god knows what, has built up a tolerance to local "Hits" and "Hip-Hop" station 94.1 and was able to convey to me the information regarding an event called Sneaker Head Sunday taking place at Ybor City's popular Club Skye.

Another thing that those who know me know very well, is that I love sneakers. It's an addiction on par with crack. No trip to the mall is complete without first browsing rack by rack in every shoe store and giving the clearance section a thorough once over. Every deal passed by is a possible missed opportunity at something that could eventually be the best purchase I ever made. It's so bad that at times I have found myself on distant trips to flea markets and random thrift shops in search of neglected Nikes that could use a good scrub down or a fresh pair of laces. Hell, at one time I was jonesing so hard for sneaker uniqueness that I even taught myself how to paint them.

Without hesitation my mind was made up and plans were being set in motion, the rarity of such an event is such that missing it would lead to life long regret and possible depression. My only question was, where in the hell are the sneaker heads going to come from exactly, surely they exist in the Tampa Bay area, but enough to support an actual event? This was going to be interesting.

Arriving to a rain soaked Ybor City around four-ish, I made my way through the hoards of leatherclad men in short-shorts and sleeveless bull dykes who have taken over the areas sidewalks to my destination in the Centro area. When I made my way through the doors at Club Skye I was immediately greeted by a display case full of sneaker collectable's that included the dopest pair of Nike Huaraches I have ever had the privilege of eye screwing. The dance floor in the center of the room had accumulated a gathering of break dancers and a crowd of onlookers. The outskirts of the main floor were covered by dealer tables pushing everything from custom painted sneakers to rare Nike Dunks, my favorite being the Nightmare On Elm Street editions.

I floated around the room for a bit, snapping pictures and enjoying the sonic sounds of old school / new school sneaker friendly hip hop blasting from the speakers. In attendance was DJ Clark Kent who is probably best known as the producer of the legendary Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. track Brooklyn's Finest. Clark himself is a rabid sneaker collector who boast a collection of nearly 2,500 pairs and is an occasional designer for Nike.

I took so many pictures that the generic Walgreens batteries in my camera died, convinced there were more photos to be taken I left the club and went in search of AA batteries to one of those convenient stores on Seventh Ave that exist basically to sell condoms at three in the morning to drunks. Re-loaded with fresh Energizers, I decided to take a brief detour through the back alley ways of Ybor snapping photos of graffiti (which may be featured in a upcoming issue) and other assorted oddities that peaked my interest.

When I got back to the club a girl working the door charged me five bucks and gave me a wristband. Guess I just sort of slipped through all of that the first time I went in. By this time the crowd had swollen and a B-boy contest had broken out on the dance floor. I stayed for another hour or so, giving the dealers tables another spin and finding a previously unseen gold mine of painted Vans sneakers hidden in a back room with almost no foot traffic, what a shame that was because this table was full of heat.

Leaving just as the MC Cypher was beginning, I headed back out onto the slippery night time streets of Ybor. Inspired by what I had seen and hopeful that crappy local radio station 94.1 and Club Skye would continue the event in the near future. I could very easily see this growing and becoming larger given the proper time and promotion.

NIKE ZOOM ONCORE HIGH!

I'm not normally into high top sneakers, but these shits are hot! My girl snagged these at Zoomies for a whopping $25. That is a deal way to sweet to pass up. Thanks babe! These are quickly becoming my second favorite pair of sneakers.

By the way, I remember back in the day when skaters and apparell companies were getting their panties all twisted over Nike SB's and the threat they posed to their industry. Boy how times have changed. After a trip to Zoomies I have certainly gained a respect for the growth shown by these skate board brands, their marketing is awesome. But it's something crazy when I can walk into a store and snag some Nike SB's for $25 and DC Shoes, Osiris's, etc are in the range of $100-$140. That is bananas!