Big Lick NOVA 2023! Part IX: Michael Golden and Renee Witterstaetter

 

And I'm back, picking up with part nine of my amazing trip to Big Lick NOVA, 2023!

The last two guests which I came to the show to meet, and have books signed from were Renee Witterstaetter and Michael Golden. The two were working as a pair, and I would later find out that this was because Renee also serves as manager for Golden.

Of all the creators there, the prices they were charging were top tier high. Issue number one's were $30.00 to have signed, with all others being $20.00. This was clearly not sitting well with people at the show. As I later discussed these price points with someone on hand to verify signatures for CGC, he said, "Don't even get me started on her," referring to Witterstaetter.

Though I clearly didn't let the price point shy me away from getting books signed, there were admittedly more I would have liked to have gotten. Specifically, her run as colorist and editor on Marvel Age. Had her price been $5.00, heck, even $10.00, I would have ultimately ended up spending more money than I actually did. There were about seventy-eight books I had in mind for her.

Also signed by Mark Bagley
when I met him at Galaxycon 2023!

1st appearance of Annex, a veteran
of the Gulf War turned into a cyborg

Also signed by Rick Leonardi and
Michael Golden that same day,
as well as Mark Bagley when I
met him at Galaxycon 2023!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset by what I did get signed. Further, because she was collecting the money on behalf of both her and Mr. Golden, she was even kind enough to give me a very nice discount. I'm not shunning either of them at all. At the end of the day, this is work for them. They're coming to make money.

Price point aside, she was extremely nice, and even happy to pose for pictures.

Renee Witterstaetter posing with the issue
of The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 27 which
she just signed for me

Whereas Renee was very bubbly and outgoing, Mr. Golden was on the other side of the spectrum, and seemed a man of few words.

Though he made a quip here and there, and came off as quite humorous in nature, he definitely gave the impression as someone who perhaps didn’t want to be there. This may have just been a mistaken impression of him on my part, as he wasn’t rude or mean. He was quite the opposite actually. Like I said, he made fun quips multiple times while I was at his table, and thanked me numerous times for the purchases I made. He even posed for a photo. Perhaps, I was just reading him wrong.

What was most interesting about him is how inconspicuously he signed each piece. He kept his signature both small and hidden, as if not wanting to detract from the artwork itself. It intrigues me because this was the same sense I got of him. He would have preferred to be somewhere hidden, out of the public eye, with people just enjoying his artwork.

I brought a few select things for him, such as a handful of prints, and even bought a copy of Marvel Fanfare from his table. Like Art Suydam, Mr. Golden came prepared with books he'd worked on in the past to happily sell. Because he charged $20.00 for each one, and then signed them, it wasn't a bad deal at all.

Let's start with the prints.

Truthfully, I don't know why I bought this Star Wars one. I'm not too big into Star Wars these days. I think it drew me in with it's lenticular design that shifted it from Darth Vader to Storm Troopers. It probably didn't help that it was allegedly limited to just 1,000 prints.

It took me several weeks after the show to get around to hanging everything.

Hanging next to the prints I bought from Larry
Hama at Big Lick NOVA 2022. These were already
signed by Mike Zeck, and then signed by Hama
in person!

With a reminder that he also signed the above Marvel Age 114, now, the comics!.

1st appearance of Wrath, a Batman
foil whose parents were killed by
Commissioner Gordon

Also signed by Jim Shooter that same day!

Also signed by Jim Shooter that same day!

Getting into the more obscure, I also brought issues one through six of Echo of Futurepast. You wouldn't know it from the cover of issue number one, but this is actually notable for being the first appearance of Bucky O'Hare. Both Golden and Larry Hama created the characters, and they appeared in issues one through six, with issue three being the first cover appearance.

Also signed by Art Suydam that same day!

Also signed by Art Suydam that same day!

Also signed by Art Suydam that same day!

Also signed by Art Suydam that same day!

Also signed by Art Suydam that same day!

Art Suydam didn't do anything in issue six, so that's why it's not signed by him. I am, however, kicking myself for not getting my Amazing Heroes 51 signed by him. His name is right there on the cover! How did I miss this?

Oh well. Perhaps there will be another time in the near future. I didn't own these when I went to Big Lick NOVA 2022. As such, I didn't get the chance to, but would really like for Larry Hama to sign these as well. Maybe one day...

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.