This weekend's Boston Comic Con has all the virtues of a small show and most of the virtues of a large one as well. The headliners of this year's show, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, are Mad Magazine artists Al Feldstein, Al Jaffee, and Paul Coker. That alone would get me onto the T, but there's plenty of talent for all tastes: Peter Bagge, Simon Bisley, Becky Cloonan, Greg Horn, Jamal Igle, David Petersen, Jill Thompson, and Skottie Young are among the featured guests, while the Artists Alley will be graced by, among others Ming Doyle, Jarrett Krosoczka (creator of the all-ages Lunch Lady books), Adventure Time team Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline, and local favorites the Boston Comics Roundtable. There's a solid lineup of panels, and Marvel Comics will be doing portfolio reviews.

The nice thing about a small con like this is that it's more relaxed than a big con. It's easier to talk to artists at their tables and to browse the work of new creators if you don't have the crowd at your back. If you're in the area, it's well worth checking out. I highly recommend taking public transit if you can--street parking is difficult and the garages are expensive--but I wouldn't let that stop me from coming in if a car was my only option. The Pru garage offers significant discounts if you spend ten bucks in the restaurants or shops there. The upside is that unlike a lot of convention centers, the Hynes is located in an actual urban neighborhood with lots of interesting restaurants and shops, so you're not stuck eating $9 turkey sandwiches for lunch.

See you at the con!