I spent last weekend in Novi, Mich., for the Motor City Comic Con and some work. This was my fourth time at the event. Last year, my friend JayHawk Evans joined me. This year, Chuck “Cuzz” Gekas joined us.

After my work was done, I joined my friends at the MCCC. Cuzz and I meandered through the celebrity area, where he met one of his all-time favorites, Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from TV’s Gilligan’s Island). JayHawk is more of a Star Wars collector, so he spent much of his time perusing the vendor area.

As I have written before, the MCCC is possibly the best such convention. The vendor area is huge. The MCCC staff is pleasant and helpful. The Rock Financial Showplace is a great venue. The celebrities at the event are more talkative and spend more time with everyone than at any other show.

After the MCCC, we dined at Bagger Dave’s, a cool burger place. I had the best turkey burger of my life. It consisted of two fresh turkey patties topped with sauteed mushrooms and drizzled with blue cheese, all contained within a honey wheat bun. The unique menu at Bagger Dave’s allows you to create your own masterpiece by selecting from a myriad of options. JayHawk and Cuzz had their own burger creations. We split some regular fries and sweet potato chips. The food was outstanding.

After the meal, we headed to Comerica Park to watch the Detroit Tigers play the Boston Red Sox. We got to meet Tigers legend Willie Horton at a pre-game book signing. Cuzz is a lifelong Tigers fan, and he really enjoyed meeting a childhood favorite. The Tigers won the game in the 12th inning.

This was Cuzz’s first time at Comerica Park. It is a really beautiful baseball stadium. It features open-air concourses, some statues of Tigers legends in the outfield section, several displays honoring various events in Tigers history and great sightlines from virtually every seat. Other than having a boring food selection, you really couldn’t want much more out of a ballpark.

I know Detroit is going through a rough time, but Mayor Bing is doing everything he can to improve things. Events such as the MCCC bring in a lot of tourism money. Hotels are usually sold out all around the area. We also saw many fellow MCCC attendees at the game. I know other attendees were heading to Detroit for other reasons. I think we all came away with positive things to say, and most of us will be back next year.

I always enjoy this weekend. The MCCC and the Detroit Tigers are a nice start. Mix in some good food, great friends and few new activities each year and you get a winner. I certainly will be back in 2011.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist