Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, grant morrison, morrisoncon

MorrisonCon Part One – MorrisonCon Takes Over

Lindsey Steffes writes for Bleeding Cool

If you missed MorrisonCon, you missed a weekend of rock star panels, intimate one-on-one's, and mind-bending performances, as promised. MorrisonCon, curated by Grant Morrison and Ignition Sequence, was held September 28^th-30^th at the Hard Rock Hotel inLas Vegas, featuring a small but impressive guest list, including Grant Morrison, Robert Kirkman, Darick Robertson, Jason Aaron, Jim Lee,Gerard Way, Jonathan Hickman, Frank Quietly, J.H. Williams III, Chris Burnham, and surprise celebrity guests Max Landis, James Gunn, and Ryan Keely.

MorrisonCon kicked off on Friday with an exclusive party at Hard Rock's underground club, Body English. Guests and creators mingled in a swanky nightclub, DJ'ed by British musician and party liaison, Akira the Don. At around 10 pm, Grant made his debut on stage, performing with My Chemical Romance members,Gerard Wayand James Dewees, in a surrealistic and passionate twenty

-minute spoken word performance. The crowd fell to an eerie silence, watching in reverence as Morrison performed. I was lucky enough to be front row, and needless to say, it was incredible. The crowd went crazy, and the after the performance, Morrison stuck around, socializing with fans, signing, and taking photos.

The best part of MorrisonCon was how easy it was to meet the creators, to talk with the writers, artists, and rock stars that you've spent your whole life idolizing. That first night of MorrisonCon, I met Grant Morrison and talked briefly about his collection of short stories and plays, Lovely Biscuits, and his interests in Lewis Carroll, which shows up in works like Arkham Asylum and Red King Rising. As an aspiring writer, talking with Grant Morrison was a formative experience. He was friendly, charismatic, and captivating, spending time with each guest, talking openly about his experiences, philosophy, and even his contact with the fifth dimension.

The rest of the weekend was filled with panels on comics, writing, art, music, tips of the trade, and Q+A's. In addition to the panels, each creator had his own signing, an opportunity for guests to sit down with their favorite creator and talk, one-on-one with unlimited time, in most cases. MorrisonCon also hosted live sketches, sessions where artists would draw any requested character, sketching souvenirs for guests to take home in their MorrisonCon hard-cover programs (part of the swag package). Audience members marveled at everything from Jim Lee's 30-second joker to Chris Burnham's hung-over Batman.

Although tickets were steep, MorrisonCon delivered on every count, providing a unique and personalized experience that tops anythingSan Diegohas to offer. As a small and successful convention, MorrisonCon broke down the barrier between creators and guests, revolutionizing the con experience. I wouldn't be surprised if this first-time event takes over the future of comics. Keep your eyes on MorrisonCon and the guys at Ignition Sequence. There may not be another MorrisonCon, but there's bound to be something new in the works after such a successful weekend. MooreCon, anyone?

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!