Creators' Year in Review Part 5: Best Con-Foods

One of the pieces I most looked forward to at the end of every year was Multiversity's Creators' Year in Review. Brian, the man behind the curtain, would send out questions to comics creators all the around the comics world and come back with a list of answers that was every bit as eclectic as the people answering them. You never knew what comics or other creators would be reified en masse and which ones would bubble up from the underground, catching you completely off guard.

It was fun and I always got some excellent recommendations.

As is my wont, I wanted to fill that hole with my own Creators' Year in Review. and that's what you're reading now! Thank you to everyone who responded, whether that was to say they were so swamped they couldn't make it this year or whether they gave me five mini essays to format. Y'all are great!

So. Five Questions. Five Posts. Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the new year!

What comics are you looking forward to in 2025?

Rodrigo Vargas (“The Do-Over,” “Walking to Do”): We don’t get much food during conventions, this year we got some rugelach from a friend and we loved it. Timbits are also pretty good. Tiny and snackable. After a day of convention I find that some carbs are best. Last year with Coni and our friend Aimee Pong, after SPX, we found this place Taipei Tokyo Cafe and we happily went again this year.

Evan Dahm (“3rd Voice,” “Island Book”): I have a Complex about eating in front of people. I almost feel the same anxiety writing here about what I would eat or have eaten in the past. We don't have to talk about it.

Sebastian Girner (“The Dead and the Damned,” “Scales and Scoundrels”): At NYCC they sold mutant apples that were about the size of a small child's head. Probably not nature's finest but kept me going for 4 days straight!

Harry Bogosian (“A Better Place,” “Angel’s Orchard”): My favorite snack food is dried mango slices. They keep well, they are sweet and delicious, and I feel like they help me to not get scurvy. On a day when you only eat carbohydrates and meat, you can think "Hey! Dried fruit kinda counts as something healthy!"

Thom Zahler (“Love and Capes,” “Time & Vine”): Those big warm pretzels for normal situations. Cinnamon frosted Pop-Tarts for the long hauls shows like San Diego.

Pat Shand (“Destiny, NY,” “Private Dance”): Not often you get a con offering this, but there was a sausage and peppers stand at one a few weeks back. Unbeatable.

Ryan Holmberg (“The Translator without Talent,” Translator for Yoshiharu Tsuge Library): Miller Lite.

Taylor Robin (“Never Satisfied,” “Hunger's Bite”): This year's NYCC was actually my first time attending a con not as a regular guest, and my roommate made me a whole bento box for lunch. So, for lack of any other experience, the best mid-con snack is two soft-boiled eggs, rice, fresh veggies, and pork katsu. They really spoiled me.

Zach Weinersmith (“Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal,” “A City on Mars”): A sloppy burger, large quantity of fries, and a hotel room behind which no one can see what a piece of filth you are.

Tri Vuong (“Lego Ninjago: Garmadon,” “The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn”): Potato Chips. I'm a simple man.

No scratch that, they get your fingers all greasy.  An apple.

Blue Delliquanti (“O Human Star”, “Across a Field of Starlight”): This is a tough one! I've tried a bunch of options over the years and all my favorites still have a significant flaw. Veggie straws are delicious and taste like they're good for you but they still leave that chip-like residue on your fingers. Almonds are cleaner and pack a lot of energy, but nuts are too much of an allergy minefield for a big public event. Honestly, the best snack I've ever had mid-con is when a friend dashed out during Emerald City in Seattle to get a big to-go box of steamed dumplings from a Chinatown bakery. Char siu bao are packed with protein and carbs and easy to hold one-handed - they're perfect.

Grover (“Deeply Dave,” “Jake Spooky and the Wolves Within”): A can of garbanzo beans. Nutritious and filling. Save the junk food for the post-con celebration. But remember to bring a can opener! One year at San Diego Comic Con, I ended up giving several cans of garbanzo beans to my Uber driver, because I didn't have a way to open them. But he said he was planning on cooking beans that night anyway, so I'm glad I could help him out.

Meredith McClaren (“Black Cloak,” “Hinges”): First hour of the con. One Sprite. One pack of Reeses. And then I just fast until the con is over.

Kay Davault (“Misfit Mansion,” “Oddity Woods”): Honestly my go-to is always trail mix and coffee!

Joe Corallo (“Dahlia in the Dark,” “The Never-Ending Party”): That’s always a tough call and depends on the location and what’s available, but it’s hard to go wrong with a big, soft, warm pretzel.

Michael Moreci (“Barbaric,” “Dick Tracy”): Sour Patch Kids. Always stick with SPK.

Petra Nordlund (“Prague Race,” “Tiger Tiger”): CANDY DATES! I've completely fallen for these, they're not really food though but I can at least pretend they're healthier than candy, because they're dates, right? ...Right?

Mike Henderson (“Nailbiter,” “The Forged”): Sushi. Not too messy, not going to put you in a coma.

François Vigneault (“Titan,” “Orcs in Space”): I'll take this as an opportunity to give a bit of constructive criticism: I've been working the tables for Pow Pow Press a lot this year, at shows throughout Canada and the USA like SPX, TCAF, MCAF, and many, many more. One thing I have noticed is that even teeny-tiny shows in Canada have been providing free snacks for the exhibitors for years, with VIP green rooms stocked with everything from sodas and granola bars to sandwiches and more. I think it is waaaaay past time that American shows jump on this trend! It honestly doesn't cost much to buy some basic snacks at CostCo or whatever and it makes a huge difference to exhibitors... Especially if you are like me and hate to leave the table even for a minute!

Boum (“The Jellyfish,” “Boumeries”): Chocolate. How else am I supposed to last a whole weekend??

Zviane (“For As Long As It Rains”): Absolute discovery of this year: A little snack box of canned tuna with crackers.

Coni Yovaniniz (“The Do-Over,” “Walking to Do”): Rodrigo and I always bring chilean candy to give away at conventions, but we always end up eating our own snacks…WHICH WE HAVE BACK AT HOME…THE ENTIRE REST OF THE YEAR…during the convention!! It’s not my fault they’re so good!!! But besides that, I’m a big fan of Chobani greek yogurt drinks: it’s fresh, it’s tasty, and you don’t get food on your hands!

Vera Greentea (“Grimoire Noir,” “The Idols of Solanşehir”): Con snack foods are an extremely delicate business - you don’t want something that will put you into a coma, or give you 5 minutes of hyperactivity and then put you into a coma, nothing that makes your fingers dirty… and you definitely don’t want to eat ramen from an oversized container because it might prompt Humberto Ramos to ask, “hey, why are you eating out of a bucket?” Am I speaking from experience? I… don’t want to say. Basically, I think the answer is going to be the reliable and not super flashy trail mix, because trying to hand sell comics is about as difficult as hiking up a mountain.

Reed Hinckley-Barnes (“Hero of Legend,” Letterer on “Wild Wisps”): My anxiety makes eating anything at a con a challenging affair. So: The saddest, plain-est granola bar available.

Zach Clemente (Bulgilhan Press): Those packs of chestnuts that are in the shell but they've been partially opened for you. I get them at H-Mart and they're amazing.

Vimeddiee (“Under the Aegis,” “The Ocean Soul”): Dango, definitely.

Liked what you read? Good news! Become a paid member or upgrade and you get to read articles like these a week early! It's only $1.50 a month and you'll be supporting an independent writer. Truly, I hate this part but it must be done.

But if you aren't able to, that's OK as well. I'm just happy you're reading and sticking around to the end of these posts. Catch ya later!