In an effort to feature more attendees, rather than featuring just one per week, we’re featuring lots of you! We’ll have a new question each week, so be sure to keep an eye on our social media channels for each week’s question. Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s question:
Deon Sinquefield
Houston, TX
I had to think hard on this one when I realized that most of my comics from SDCC were freebies!!!
After thinking on it, I came up with two that are my favorites that were actually “purchased”… but the reason I bought them was because I was in a pinch and needed them for autographs. The first is Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 (Con Exclusive). Patrick Horvath was doing a signing and I was fresh off reading volume 1 on Webtoons. I plan on getting the other five issues signed this year. So good.
The second one is Drakkon: New Dawn #2 (foil cover). The late great Jason David Frank was promoting the series, and I was honored that he signed it. I told him an abridged version of the whole reason I even started watching Power Rangers, and he laughed and said, “That makes sense.”
Ariel Estandarte
Orland Park, Illinois
One of my favorite “purchases” was this Wonder Woman Burbank variant by Jenny Frison. It wasn’t an official SDCC variant, but it was given away at the DC booth to someone who answered a trivia question. I just happened to be there when he won.
It was originally a giveaway that you could only get in Burbank, California, for the Wonder Woman statue reveal. I’ve been hunting this book down for a while. When I saw someone win it, I asked if he wanted to part with it. He initially said no. I then saw him about to shove and damage that book, which was worth over $700 at the time, into his pull-string bag.
I think I may have let out a small scream and immediately drew my wallet out faster than a speeding bullet and offered him a $100 bill to buy it from him before he destroyed what I’d been searching for. He saw the money and immediately took it in exchange for the book. So, technically I didn’t purchase it from a booth, but I’m assuming this sort of counts.
Michael Gilliam
Dallas, TX
Here is my favorite comic purchase ever. Grabbed it on Thursday in 2022 after waiting in line starting at 2am the night before. I missed getting one on Preview Night. I was first in line, but there was a mix-up with the distribution of the sketches. Thankfully, this was available, and it was better than the ones offered on Preview Night. Beautiful Amazing Spider-Man #1 signed with an amazing double sketch of Black Cat and Spider-Man by J. Scott Campbell. It’s my favorite piece in my collection.
Michael Rodgers
Bogota, Colombia
I move around the world a lot. So, I have to be very selective about what I buy and keep. I don’t have a treasure trove of high-value comics. I saw this gem written up in a UTT. I had to grab it at SDCC and put it on display at home. Why? It brings me joy.
Andre Bringas
San Diego, California
My favorite comic purchased at San Diego Comic-Con would have to be the 2021 edition of Avengers Mech Strike #1 (Variant), written by Jed MacKay, featuring front cover art by Jarold Sng.
My journey into Marvel comics is actually a direct result of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-present). Watching Avengers: Endgame (2019) on television blew me away and made me want to dive deeper into the lore of the Avengers by reading stories about them, like what many Marvel fans are doing right now. The story of Avengers is different and made me wonder, “What if the Avengers had super-powered fighting machines similar to the Transformers franchise?”
The answer was waiting for me the moment I bought this series at San Diego Comic-Con in 2023. As a huge fan of epic team-ups and giant fighting robots, Avengers Mech Strike brings thrilling energy to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!
A.
I’d like to share the comic I picked up last year at SDCC. This has become one of my favorite pieces in my collection. I had the pleasure of meeting Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes. Not only did Bilquis receive an Inkpot Award, but she won an Eisner! Before that, I knew I was going to queue up for their signing, and I only had my copy of Helen of Wyndhorn. I thought, how cool would it be to get a copy of Supergirl? Especially with the movie coming out! I walked up and down the Exhibit Hall, booth to booth, table to table, looking for a copy. Every vendor I asked gave me the same “good luck with that” answer. Accepting that I wouldn’t get the book, I lined up for the autograph session. To my surprise, displayed on her table was a blank sketch cover of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow with an original sketch she had done!
While I was waiting in line, I had grabbed a CGC witness to witness the signing of my Helen of Wyndhorn book. I asked about the Supergirl book and whether I could get it witnessed as well. Now, I’m very new to CGC and how their grading and witnessing rules work, but I knew this was an opportunity I needed to take. The witness told me that he could sign off as witnessing the signature, but not the sketch on the cover. As he’s explaining this to me, my heart was racing anxiously.
Then Bilquis’ handler stepped in, and they argued back and forth. When the handler said, “How is this any different from a commission?” the witness conceded and signed off on the piece. My new book was placed in a tamper-proof bag, and I promptly took it over to the CGC booth for grading. I was over the moon excited! It took a few months for the grading process, but it was well worth the wait. I opened the box, and to my delight, the books were graded at a 9.8!
Ray
San Diego
Not really a book reader, but I asked my niece Alyssa if she was going to SDCC, and she said no but asked me to be on the lookout for her favorite author, Pierce Brown! I sought him out, and not only did he sign a copy of Red Rising for her, but he made her a video message saying sorry she couldn’t make it to SDCC!
Next Week’s Question: What Is Your Favorite Cosplay From SDCC?
Please send in your Name, Location, Picture, and your response to [email protected] by Tuesday, July 14th to be featured! This will be the last one for 2026!
(If you have submitted for past questions, feel free to submit again!)
