I’m sure it was Fate, that blustery, not quite spring day, when my friend and I ventured off to Toronto Comic Con. I was determined to find a copy of Jeremy Whitley’s Princeless, but none of the vendors had heard of it — until I got to Comic Book Addiction. Yes, we love Princeless, they said, but no, we don’t have a copy here. You could stop by the store though…
Crestfallen, I figured I was out of luck. Surely their store was local, while I was not. But lo and behold, it turns out their store was located just off the highway on my drive home! My little town has no comic store, and I had long been out of the scene. Walking through CBA’s doors was like coming home.
I picked up my copy of Princeless, and managed to restrain myself I before I bought all the things (ooooh that mohawk Storm statue… it calls me…). Once again, I have a pull list–a little file with my name on it where all my favourite comics will be waiting for me on each visit. CBA runs many regular and special events, so I returned later with my daughters for my first official Free Comic Book Day. But most importantly, I was invited to attend some of the special events they regularly run, including Ladies Night.
Never underestimate the importance of sideboob.
“We welcome women (18+) who are long-time comic book enthusiasts, as well as those who have never set foot in a comic book store before, and anyone in between!” the flyer read. “Come share your love of a modern art form and join an in-depth discussion of women’s issues in an ever evolving medium.”
And so history was made.
Okay, maybe not your history, but once a month, I look forward to spending time with my ladies as we talk about everything geeky. Our topics range from what’s hot in the comic and gaming world, to the latest controversy. We flail over Red Weddings and Deadpool movies. We question the existence of Garth Ennis’ Crossed, and we discuss the importance of sideboob.
Oh and we also read and discuss books and comics, including:
We celebrated our first anniversary with cupcakes and Shulkie, chatting with Marta Acosta, author of the She-Hulk Diaries.
It’s one thing to chat about these kinds of things online in forums or social media. But it’s something else entirely to enjoy such discussions face-to-face with people who share your interests and know that you are totally normal. Mostly normal. Sort of. But at least we’re mostly sort of (but not really) normal together.
I’ve met some truly wonderful women at CBA’s ladies night, and subsequently, our adventures have extended beyond the monthly meetings. We’ve headed out to the movies as a group, visited Game of Thrones exhibitions. We’ve celebrated birthdays and welcomed babies. Up next, slumber parties! (Okay maybe not, but these awesome jammies were on sale at Target….)
Wendy and Elisabeth in super cozy superhero jammies
