Baltimore Comic Con 2026 - Part 1

Baltimore Comic Con 2026 - Part 1

Friday 25 Sep 2026

I went to the Baltimore Comic Con today. I left home around 8:55  and got to the convention center around noon. My trip involved two trains and roughly 3 miles of walking. I bought a few comic books, ten to be precise. I spent $1 to $3 on each of them. I mostly bought books from my want list. I bought a couple books that weren't on my want list but that could be. I hope to do a video explaining all this once the show is over. 

I almost went to one panel but then changed my mind just before I got to the panel room. I went back downstairs and bought some more books. I spent less that $25 at the show.

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 5

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 5

Monday 15 Jun 2026

I got up, took care of stuff and left the space where I stayed in Lynchburg around 8:45 this morning. Before leaving I ate the last bit of Saturday night’s dinner that still remained. I stopped at The Bagel & I for a little bit more. I’m not sure I got my money’s worth but it was filling.

I drove from there to a Sheetz in Ruckersville, VA. I took a short break and then moved on without putting any gas in my car or buying anything. My next stop was the Sheetz in Bealeton, VA. I was almost out of gas by then so I filled the tank and then drove the rest of the way home. I got home around 1:40 PM.

I unpacked my stuff, put things away, and then updated my comic book inventory and want list spreadsheets.

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 4

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 4

Sunday 14 Jun 2026

I got up early, took care of the usual stuff and then went to Family Dough Bagels. I got one bagel cinnamon raisin toasted with butter and a half dozen to take home with me. I ate the bagel with the last of the biryani from Thursday's lunch in Warrenton. I packed all my stuff and checked out of the place (where I spent the last couple nights) around 10:30.

I got to the convention center a little after 11. I did a little bit of browsing before heading upstairs for the Marvels and Monsters with Tom Scioli panel. It may as well have been called the Tom Scioli Spotlight panel because that’s basically what it was. 

Tom was interviewed by comic book scholar Michael Kobre. They discussed various projects on which Scioli has worked. The only one that I have read is his biography of Jack Kirby. There was a little bit of talk about projects he would like to tackle.

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 3

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 3

Saturday 13 Jun 2026

I woke up at a reasonable hour, took a shower, and got dressed. I had a bite to eat, leftover Indian food from Thursday. I decided to wear the red Indie Island t-shirt I bought yesterday. Unlike yesterday I made arrangements for parking in advance. Yesterday I parked in a garage a couple blocks from the convention center where I have parked in the past.

Usually I have paid less than $10 to park there on Fridays and nothing on Saturdays and Sundays. This time it cost me $21 to park there on Friday. I’m not sure why because I checked in advance and it looked like the price would be $10. I paid $11 today to park in a garage that was about six blocks from the convention center. I just made a reservation to park there again tomorrow, for the same price. Better safe than sorry.

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 2

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 2

Friday 12 Jun 2026

Everything did not go according to plan today. In retrospect I think the problem was that I skipped dinner last night. I got up on time, took a shower, got dressed, and packed everything up according to plan. I went and got some breakfast, a couple bagels. Maybe if I had got a breakfast sandwich with egg and sausage or something like that then I might not have had a problem, but I didn’t so I did.

I sat in my car and waited until I felt a little better. I started to drive to Charlotte but I felt weak despite having eaten half of one of the bagels. I pulled into a gas station and sat in my car, with the air conditioning on. I thought that maybe it was just a matter of having had a headache the night before, which was more or less gone by the time I left Lynchburg. It cut into the amount of sleep I got but resting in the car didn’t seem to help much.

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 1

Heroes Con 2026 - Part 1

Thursday 11 June 2026

I left home around 11:30 and drove to Warrenton, VA. With the heavy traffic in the DC area (mostly on the beltway) it took me about 90 minutes to get there. I ate lunch at Taj Palace Indian Cuisine. It was a very good meal. I had enough leftovers for another meal.

I had a bit of trouble connecting my phone to the internet once I got back in my car. I knew more or less where to go next. I made a stop at a Wawa in Warrenton before getting back on Route 29 and continuing south. My next stop after that was a gas station near Ruckersville, VA. I arrived there around 3:20. I stretched my legs, used the bathroom, and called one of my brothers before getting back on the road around 3:40.

2025 Baltimore Comic Con

Baltimore Convention Center

Friday, Oct 17, 2025

I got up bright and early this morning. I took care of most of the usual things I like to do and took off around 9:10 AM on my multi-stage journey from my apartment to the Baltimore Convention Center. I walked to the Metro and caught a train to Union Station. I got off the Metro at Union Station and caught a MARC train to Penn Station. I made it to Union Station with about 10 minutes to spare. If I had missed the 10:10 train then would have had to wait another hour for the next train. 

I arrived at Penn Station in Baltimore around 11:05 AM. I walked a little more than halfway to the convention center before stopping to get a bite to eat at Mekong Delta Café. I got the noodle soup with pork and shrimp. It was very filling.

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 5

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 5

Monday, June 23, 2025

I woke up bright and early today. I had what was left of the Basil Fried Rice for breakfast. I packed my bags and left the AirBnB. I got a toasted bagel plus a half dozen to take home with me. I headed west from Lynchburg until I reached the trailhead for Sharp Top Mountain. I got there around 9 AM and was on the trail within about 10 minutes. It took me about an hour to reach the top. I walked 1.45 miles on my way to the top.

The peak is just 1,300 feet above the parking area where I left my car but there were a few elevation drops on the way up and elevation gains on the way down which boosted my total climb a bit. I took one small detour on the way down to visit another outcrop of rocks which added to the total distance I covered, 3.07 miles. I headed home after that. It took me about 6 hours to get there, including stops. The heaviest traffic I encountered was in the last 25 miles. It took me about 1.5 hours to cover that last 25 miles.

I unpacked and added the stuff I bought to my inventory spreadsheet. In the process of doing that I discovered a third comic book that I bought at Heroes Con that I already have. It was another $1 book.

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 4

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 4

Sunday, June 22, 2025

I woke up a little later than I did on Saturday but still with plenty of time to take care of things before heading to the convention center. I had the last of the lamb biryani for breakfast along with a slice of bread. I cleaned up, played games on my phone, and packed my bags. I checked out of the AirBnB around 10:20 and drove to downtown Charlotte.

I was planning to park in the same garage where I parked on Friday and Saturday but that would have been considerably more costly if I had. I didn’t have to pay anything on Friday or Saturday even though the garage was just a couple blocks from the convention center. Today there was a sign in front of the garage reading “Event Parking $30”. I didn’t think twice. I figured there had to be somewhere else I could park that would cost me less.

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 3

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 3

Saturday, June 21, 2025

I got up bright and early on Saturday, feeling very refreshed. I had left over Lamb Biryani and leftover poppy seed bagel for breakfast. I warmed up the biryani in the microwave at the AirBnB and saved the time and money I would have spent going out for breakfast.

I left for the convention center at 9:30 and got there around 10:00. I walked around until 10:45. I bought some more comic books, just 3. See my video for more about those comic books.

The first panel I went to was the Edgar Rice Burroughs panel at 11:00. The panel members included Mark Schultz and Gary Gianni who were also part of the Prince Valiant panel on Friday. Roy Thomas and William Stout were also there, although Roy showed up late. The moderator was Henry G. Franke.

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 2

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 2

Friday, June 20, 2025

I got up bright and early, packed my stuff and was out the door by 7:30 AM. I stopped at a bagel place in Lynchburg and got a couple bagels toasted with butter and a bottle of water for the road. Once I had eaten enough I hit the road and continued south to Charlotte, NC. I didn’t get a great night’s rest so I was a little punchy. I stopped a couple more times than I otherwise might have, just to take a break from the road.

I got to Charlotte around 12 PM. I parked in the usual garage where I have parked several times before. It is just a couple blocks from the convention center. I had to wait in-line to pick up the 3-day pass that I bought online a couple days ago. I headed to the showroom floor, once I had my pass.

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 1

Heroes Con 2025 - Part 1

Thursday, Jun 19, 2025

I left home at about 10:15 AM. I drove to Crisman Hollow and hiked the Jawbone Overlook trail. One of the suggested routes seemed crazy to me so I had to try it. I drove up to Frederick, MD on I-270 and then turned west, eventually making my way to I-81 which I took south until I got relatively close to Crisman Hollow.

Th hike wasn’t too long, only about 2.6 miles round trip. It was very warm when I got there but about halfway to the peak the sky got dark and when I got near the peak it started to rain lightly. The view from the top wasn’t great and I was a bit too distracted by the rain to hunt around and see what choice of views there might be. I did get a couple nice shots but then I headed back.

Baltimore Comic Con 2024 - Day 3

Baltimore Comic Con 2024

Baltimore Convention Center

Sep 20-22, 2024

Sep 22, 2024

I was originally planning to return to Baltimore today for the third and final day of the convention. I decided not to. I was a little worn out from all the walking I did. I walked about 20,000 steps each day. Walking from home to the Metro and from Penn Station to the Baltimore Convention Center and then back again added up to about 6.5 miles per day. I was ready for a break when I went to bed last night and was still feeling the same when I woke up this morning. I enjoyed the trek by train and foot but it definitely takes something out of me.

Today I put away all the comics I bought. I updated my inventory spreadsheet. I put together a couple drawer boxes that I bought a few months back and reorganized some of my comic collection. I also took care of some more mundane tasks that had nothing to do with comic books.

Baltimore Comic Con 2024 - Day 2

Baltimore Comic Con 2024

Baltimore Convention Center

Sep 20-22, 2024

Sep 21, 2024

11:15 AM

I woke up later than I meant to but I still had plenty of time to do everything I wanted to do before leaving for Baltimore. I woke up around 6:15 but I didn’t get out of bed after 7. I did laundry and left for Baltimore after putting my second load of laundry in the dryer. I didn’t do anything fancy or time consuming like I did on Friday, such as making waffles.

I did take the time to watch an episode of Justice League Action. It was the one where Firestorm, Blue Beetle, and Star Girl accidentally release three criminals from and trap Superman in the Phantom Zone. It was okay.

Baltimore Comic Con 2024 - Day 1

Baltimore Comic Con 2024

Baltimore Convention Center

Sep 20-22, 2024

Sep 20, 2024

10:00 AM

I got up bright and early this morning. I made waffle batter. I had one waffle and a bowl of Rice Chex for breakfast. I put the rest of the waffle batter in the freezer. I probably have enough waffle batter in there for about 20 waffles.

I got most of my stuff ready for the con yesterday. I got out the door this morning at 8:50 and walked to the Takoma Metro. I perspired a little bit but didn’t sweat too much. I got to the Takoma Metro at or just before 9:30. I didn’t have to wait long for a train. I got to Union station just before 9:45.

Baltimore Comic Con 2023 - Day 3

Baltimore Comic Con 2023

Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore, MD

Sep 10 / Day 3

I could have slept in a little bit longer than I usually do but I chose not to. I didn't leave until about 9:55 AM. I was originally going to drive to Baltimore but I decided instead to drive to a light rail station and catch a light rail train in to Baltimore. One advantage of the light rail over the MARC train is that the light rail drops you off right across the street from the convention center.

The trains were running a little later than scheduled but I still managed to get to the convention center by about 11: 35. The train ride in was kind of crowded. It was opening day for the 2023-24 NFL season and the Ravens were playing a home game that started at 1 PM.

I walked around the convention floor looking for books that I might have missed in the past couple days. I didn't find anything I wanted but I noticed that one of the dealers had cut his $5 books down to $3. I didn't have the time to check those boxes at the moment but I made a note to check back later.

Baltimore Comic Con 2023 - Day 2

Baltimore Comic Con 2023

Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore, MD

Sep 9 / Day 2

I got up at the same time today as I did yesterday but I left about 75 minutes earlier today. The train to from DC to Baltimore runs less frequently on Saturdays than it does on Fridays and the show opened earlier. I left home at 7:30 AM, walked to the Metro, and arrived at Union Station about 25 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart. I got up to Baltimore around 9:55 AM.

On the ride to Baltimore I did some research to see which issues of the Star Trek (1984) series I was missing. I knew that I didn't have very many. I made a list of the ones that I didn't have and checked to see how much they were going for on some of the more popular sites.

There was a 12-mile race in Baltimore this morning which ran right past Penn Station down the route that I took to the Convention Center. The race started early enough that the route for the race was still closed to vehicles, even though I didn't see more than a handful of competitors. I got to the Baltimore Comic Con around 10:30.

Baltimore Comic Con 2023 - Day 1

Baltimore Comic Con 2023

Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore, MD

Sep 8 / Day 1

I got up bright and early this morning (5:30 AM) and took care of everything I wanted and needed to do before leaving at 8:30 AM. I wanted to walk to the Metro but it was already kind of warm. I knew I had a long day ahead of me and that the walk to the Metro was long enough that even if I didn't exert myself too much I would still probably work up a sweat so I took the bus.

I didn't have a long wait for the bus, maybe 5 minutes. I had a similar wait for the train. I got to Union Station in time for the 9:40 train but I decided to wait and catch the 10:15 train instead. I walked around Union station for about 15 minutes and then spent the rest of the time waiting for the train fiddling with my iPhone near the departure gate.

I made some notes about the last comic book I read, Kane 12, during the train ride north. I got to Baltimore around 11:15. I walked about a mile to Charles Street Center where I ate lunch at the same Vietnamese restaurant where I usually eat lunch on the first day of Baltimore Comic Con. I ordered a different soup than I usually do, by accident. I usually get the one that had pork and shrimp but this time I ordered the one that had just pork. It was (of course) delicious. I finished lunch around 12:30 and then walked to the Baltimore Convention Center.

Heroes Con 2023

Heroes Con 2023

Thu Jun 15

I got up on time and left home around 8:10 AM. I usually take the Beltway around to I-66 but the maps app recommended that I go through town and get to I-66 that way. It claimed that it would save me about a half hour so that’s what I did. It took me about an hour to get to cross the Beltway on I-66. I doubt that it would have been any faster going the other way. I turned off I-66 onto Route 29 about 9:35.

I made my first stop at 10:40 at a Sheetz. It was right where I turned off of Route 29 and headed towards Shenandoah National Park. I made it to the park entrance by 11:10 but then had to wait in line to get in to the park for about 10 minutes because someone (a few cars in front of me) had lots of questions for the park ranger at the gate. There was road resurfacing work happening on Skyline Drive so it took me over an hour (until 12:20) before I got to the parking area for the Riprap Trail.

I hiked the Riprap Trail out to Chimney Rocks and then a little further because I was a little unsure if what I had found was indeed Chimney Rocks. I think it was. I hiked a total of 3.9 miles and climbed about 930 feet. It was an out and back hike. The only option that didn’t involve retracing my steps would have meant hiking about 10 miles and climbing about 2500 feet. I think I could have done it but it would have taken longer than I wanted.

After I finished the hike I drove to Lynchburg, VA. I left the parking area in SNP around 2:30 PM and arrived in Lynchburg around 4:10 PM. I checked in to my hotel and then went out for a bite to eat. I had not eaten lunch and was very hungry. I got a chicken burrito and a lime soda at Tacos Locos. It was a very good meal, not spectacular but it was filling and tasted good.

I went back to the hotel and took care of some odds and ends. I drove to the multiplex theater which was less than a half mile from the hotel but only as the crow flies. There was a highway between the hotel and the multiplex. I went to the 7:00 PM show of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). I enjoyed it very much.

Small Screen Scrawls: Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

After the movie I drove back to the hotel, wrote about the movie, and then went to sleep.

Baltimore Comic Con 2022 - Day 3

Baltimore Comic Con 2022

Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore, MD

Oct 30 / Day 3

11:00 AM

I drove to Baltimore today. I parked in a garage that was close to the Baltimore Farmers Market. I went to the farmers market and where I bought a couple pastries and few groceries (apples, tomatoes). There were plenty of breakfast options at the farmers market but I wanted to save my appetite for later in the day. The pastries tasted good although they were a little overpriced. They were enough to satisfy my appetite at the time.

I went to the convention center after dropping off my groceries in my car and eating the pastries. I got to the convention center around 10:20 AM. I walked around browsing more dealers tables. There were considerably fewer people on the convention floor which made it easier to get to some of the tables. I bought 3 more comic books. They cost me $1 each and they were all issues of the Legion of Super-Heroes from 1983-84 that I was missing to fill the gap between the Great Darkness Saga and when the title became Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes.