Best dressed, best reads at Perry Con

The old blended with the new this past weekend at Perry Con 2015 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry.

The almost-nonstop rain was a factor in keeping some fans away from the comic book and superhero show, said organizer Mario Russo.

“There are three shows in November, and sometimes when they cross each other you lose your vendors or your guests,” said Russo. “This weekend I lost guests to a show in Rhode Island. It was a bigger show and they could make more money … look at the website and you’ll see they have a hundred guests.”

It certainly wasn’t 100 guests, but Perry Con wasn’t lacking for star power. In addition to the estimated 1,200 fans showing up, Russo said, the stage was graced by Catherine Bach, perhaps better known as Daisy Duke from television’s “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which ran from 1979-85; Vernon George Wells, notorious as Wez in the campy classic “The Road Warrior,” and members of AMC’s highly popular series “The Walking Dead.” Also included were many comic book artists and collectors.

“A lot of shows have popped up in the last year or so,” Russo said.

Many attending were decked out in costume as if Halloween were extended for another week.

“We’re big comic fans,” said Brandon York of Madison, who came attired as Victorian Deadpool with non-costumed sons Seaver York, 11, and Robinson York, 10. It was their first time visiting the show, they said.

“Comics now are like pulps. In the 1930s they became illustrated pulps, and the pulps hung on for about another 10 years,” Russo said. “Comics are fun. Everyone I know who started reading comics as a kid is now reading books as an adult – they’ve become readers. I’ve taught my son who’s 6 how to read through comics. And he reads avidly, you know what I mean.”

One guest who brought some avid fans was Bach, who gladly posed with fans next to the orange 1979 Dodge Charger better known as the General Lee.

The famous vehicle is owned by Adam Cochran from Warner Robins.

“I still get a lot of calls, and the recent publicity hasn’t really had a negative impact,” Cochran said. “There are 24,000 likes on the fan page.”

The car at the show originally was deep black with a vinyl top before Cochran customized it.

“I sold it before when times were tight with the understanding I would get it back when my situation improved. Well, it did and I got it back,” he said. The interior of the trunk is autographed by stars and stunt drivers from the show.

Cochran said he normally does six to 10 shows annually, but has done only three so far this year.

Wells said the character Wez from “The Road Warrior” was his first role, and he has been busy for the past 34 years.

“Director George Miller told the cast to write an essay on their character, like their background, where they came from, and so on,” Wells said. “The character of Wez, I played him up. It was easier. And I always played him and other villains over the top.”

He also portrayed Bennett in the military action film “Commando” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. He then reprised Wez in 1985’s “Weird Science.” More recently, Wells acted in the television series “Power Rangers Time Force,” portraying the series’ main villain, Ransik.

Bach had many admirers willing to pay $30 for a photo of them and Bach.

Here are some random thoughts from her as she took questions and told stories:

• Working in Georgia on “The Dukes of Hazzard” was the best of times. And I did it in my high heels.

• We were a real family working there in Covington

• I did all my horse stunts

• It was a hard show to follow

• I got the job in 1979 … Me and the car were the stars of the show.

• Used to get confused with Barbara Bach, Ringo Starr’s wife. One time at a party he came down the stairs and saw me and blurted out, “My long-lost wife!” and we laughed about it a lot.

• Pay inequality? I never felt I wasn’t getting what I should be getting.

• I convinced a stunt driver to let me ride with him during a car jump scene. It scared me to death … I never bothered them about that afterward.

Working at a table was Okama Schultz, a colorist on “Hero Cats.” The comic book series was created by Kyle Pettkammer.

“He wanted to make something his family could read together. He has a cat named Ace, which is the name of the main one, the white one. So he and his family decided they were going to make a comic book about cats,” Schultz said. “So they do it, it looks good, it sounds good and now it’s ready for the final test, which is the family. Now if the family doesn’t like it, it gets changed.”

Schultz, who grew up in Lawrenceville, went to school at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design).

He decided he wanted to be part of the Atlanta comic scene.

“I just sort of walked into Kyle’s comic shop one day and he was working on it, trying to find a publisher trying find a colorist. I showed him some of my work and he told me, ‘hey, you’re my new colorist!’”

While talking, Schultz was drawing a comic book cover using a photo of a cat supplied by a fan.

“This is actually my first convention,” he said. “We don’t have such a big group, only a handful of artists. That means every inch of the book will be done almost by one person. We don’t have a separate artist to do the cover.”

Interest in comics comes and goes, Russo said.

“Disney bought Marvel a few years ago and has put a lot of money into the superheroes genre. It’s really kept it up,” he said. “It’s really neat for teenagers to read them, for adults to keep up with them. It’s a personal soap opera for kids and it keeps it going. I postulated at one point that comic books are the pulps of the 20th century.”

Superheroes seem to have a never-ending attraction, he said.

“Back in the 1930s there were several ‘men about town who fought crime by night,’ and all of that seems to have come back,” he said. “There are dozens of them, know what I mean? And all of that came together with Batman. And now we have Spider-man, who is so popular with every kid in high school because they can identify with him. Superman? He can do anything, you know? With Spider-man, it’s my aunt’s sick, my girlfriend’s fighting with me, my scooter’s broke and I have to go to work. And then everyone wants to be Batman, ‘If I was rich and powerful, I’d be fighting crime.’ No, you’d be Donald Trump, right?”

HHJ News