Whew! This past weekend I was so glad the air conditioning was going strong and not in need of an AC repair at the Tampa Bay Comic Con 2014. 40k super fans from the Tampa Bay area and beyond gathered at the Tampa Convention Center for an all-out nerdtastic playdate of costumes, celebrity Q&A, breakout sessions, and nearly 400,000 sqft. of expo space for the whole family!  That’s right, you can now use your 6-year-old as a cover while you scope your favorite superheros, and stock up on your favorite big kid toys. In my mind, that plays out perfectly. Not to mention I’ve yet to meet a 3 1/2′ Superman I didn’t like.

Tampa Bay Comic Con Review

Tampa Bay Comic Con 2014 Review

This year, Tampa Bay Comic Con really took it to another level with a nice blend of fine artists, comic illustrators/storytellers, and vendors ranging from next art prints, comic books, movies, hand-made accessories, and collectible toys/action figures. So, I got up at stupid o’clock in the morning to set out and beat the masses. What I found was no lack of kick-ass to be seen.  I met some pretty sweet artists, posed for a close-up with a few zombies,  and stocked up on some killer prints for my Fairytale Traveler office cave (which is a rendition of a Bat Cave complete with pirate maps, my collection of vintage fairytale books, the Little Fairytale Traveler’s preschool art, and one unicorn head). After that, I popped into a few celebrity Q&As to get the skinny on some of my favorite stars. Check out my highlights:

Tampa Bay Comic Con Review
While most sane people were sleeping, I came down super early to meet a few of the artists before the doors opened.

Tampa Bay Comic Con Favorite Artists

I actually think I made some friends here! I really enjoyed having the chance to talk to some of the artists about their travels, where they find inspiration, and what cons they’re headed to next.

Jeremy Bastian Illustrator and Comic Book Creator

Jeremy Bastian is an American comic book creator and illustrator best known for the series Cursed Pirate Girl. He received an associate degree in fine art from the Art Ins