Using the lush Carlos Kastro art, Shiner adapted his disturbing love story "Scales" as the anthology's lead story. Widely ignored by both the comic and book industries, I received one professional comment, typed on the back of a postcard sporting an aerial view of New York City.

December 23, 1992

Dear Richard Klaw,

I enjoyed the OMNIBUS: MODERN PERVERSITY, particularly the rendition of "Scales."

I'm very much looking for to the second OMNIBUS.

Sincerely,

Ellen Datlow³

Usually discussions of this sort begin with introductions of the speakers. The moderator glowingly introduced Datlow and Dozois, ignoring me. Datlow mercifully jumped in and asked me to introduce myself. Throughout the panel, the moderator failed to acknowledge me not wanting nor asking my opinions or viewpoint. Thankfully, Datlow constantly interrupted the conversation, asking for my input.

In 1993 and at the majority of Armadillocons through the rest of the decade, artist Doug Potter and I were typically the only acknowledged comic book guests.⁴ Every year my argument that works like Watchmen, Sandman, American Flagg, Grimjack, Zot! (see sidebar), and countless others offered superior entertainment to the vast majority of currently published sf fell mostly on deaf years. The nadir of Armadillocon comic book ignorance occurred in 1999. Reportedly, the con chair was not aware of special guest Neil Gaiman's status as perhaps the most famous and acclaimed sequential writer of the decade.

In a dramatic change of course, two artists primarily known for their comic book work, Frank Cho and Scott Kurtz served as the 2002 Artist Guests. Suddenly, I found myself with some company in the woods. Comic book contributors flooded the convention as the previous detractors embraced this newly discovered medium.

And the change wasn't just with Armadillocon. Within a few years, graphic novel coverage was commonplace in newspapers and on prominent websites. Most major publishers now sport graphic novel lines. The New York Times even reviewed a reprint of Jack Kirby's famed Fourth World cycle. As I write this, The Dark Knight sits as the fourth highest grossing film of all time, well on its way to number one.

At Armadillocon, discussions centering around graphic novels became the norm and on last year's "The What You Should Have Read" panel, nary an eye was batted when I named Fantagraphics collection of Fletcher Hanks' bizarre strips I Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets! as my favorite book of the year. That's not to say that everyone agreed with my assessment. Blogger Elze over at A dimly lit cloud of a shadow of doubt admitted a degree of confusion over my choice and decided that the "panel is going to be less helpful to me than I hoped."⁵

I must have said something right or at least entertaining. As one of the two panelists returning from last year's similar discussion, I'll offer my suggestions once again (What You Should Have Read, Saturday 8/16 2PM) for the current Armadillocon (8/15-8/17 Austin, TX). In the face of potentially disappointed attendees (sorry, Elze), graphic novels and related books such as the The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite (see sidebar), Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko, The Complete Green Lama Featuring the Art of Mac Raboy Vol. 1, and The Number 73304-23-4153-6-96-8 all make my recommended list.

An actual comic book panel appeared on my schedule this year. Inspired at least in part by a previous Nexus Graphica ("Architects of the Real"), the panel Metafiction in Comics (Saturday 8/16 9PM) typifies the new thinking in Armadillocon programming, graphic novels as a serious medium. The presenters, comprised solely of graphic novel creators and critics, presents the opportunity for a serious discussion about an interesting aspect of the now-trendy field.

Even with the inclusion of graphic novel guests and panels, Armadillocon remains true to its core mission as one of the finest and longest running regional literary conventions. With no costumes and no gaming, the con, now in its thirtieth year, continues to explore the intelligent and insightful, if varied, worlds of speculative fiction.

¹ Who shall remain nameless for reasons that will become obvious. This was 15 years ago and her reactions may have changed since.

² Both with Blackbird Comics.

³ Datlow first published "Scales" in her anthology Alien Sex (1990).

⁴ Ironically, my literary/comics crossover anthology Weird Business found a publisher in the bar of the 1994 Armadillocon.

⁵ "What I Should Have Read This Year: an ArmadilloCon 2007 panel" A dimly lit shadow of doubt, August 14, 2007 Accessed August 14, 2008