LA Times Praises Bouchercon 2008; Geppi’s Entertainment Museum hosted book signing On Oct. 9-12, 2008, Baltimore played host to the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, with a special book signing held at Geppi's Entertainment Museum that caught the attention of the L.A. Times.
News-Antique.com - Nov 07,2008 - BALTIMORE – On Oct. 9-12, 2008, Baltimore played host to the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. Bouchercon strives to bring suspense and mystery fans together from all backgrounds, all over the world. Mystery and suspense fans celebrated the exciting genre, the thrill of discovering whodunit, and the tension of the unfolding story.
Fans this year were “charmed to death” in Baltimore, whose official nickname is “Charm City.” Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, located in historic Camden Yards, held book signings for authors and artists in attendance at the convention. Industry pros Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets), Tim Broderick (Cash and Carry), Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition), Gary Phillips (High Rollers), Duane Swierczyniski (The Immortal Iron Fist), and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) were among authors signing their work.
The special guests were set up throughout the museum’s many rooms displaying pop culture history from antique Americana to recent popular trends. Each author’s work was available for purchase at the museum.
After the convention, the East Coast-held event was featured in a West Coast newspaper. The LA Times recognized how crime fiction has become a popular genre in comic books and that the comics and collectibles industry is having a great year, even though many other economic venues are not. The article detailed the Bouchercon, starting with the Friday afternoon panel moderated by Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine editor. It also praised the author signings held at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum.
The LA Times article about the gave a short tour through a few rooms in the museum, particularly mentioning Lucille Ball’s “Vitametavegamin” skit, Howdy Doody memorabilia, and towering Batman statue. The article gave an abridged version of the museum’s history, calling it “a museum celebrating the history of pop culture in all its eye-popping, richly hued glory”.
You can read the full LA Times article, “Comics and Crime: A Dynamic Duo” on the newspaper’s Web site: www.latimes.com.
