As keynote speaker of the recent Ringo Awards, the Archie Comics president praised the art form that sustains us…  By MIKE PELLERITO Just had one of the best times ever going to Baltimore Comic-Con in October. It’s one of my favorite shows—totally comic-book focused and filled with some of the best talent and retailers in the industry. Long story short, we decided to rent a truck and drive down with a bunch of friends: the great writer, artist, and comic shop owner Franco (read his column here at 13th Dimension every Friday), Mitch Hallock, the creator of Terrificon (another favorite comic convention of mine), Aw Yeah Comics-New York’s co-owner Marc Hammond, and his lovely girlfriend, Sam Dempsey. I’ve never laughed so much in my life. The ride down and ride back, which was in total about eight hours of driving, consisted of nonstop jokes and constant laughter. If you ever have a chance to take a road trip with this crew, I highly advise it. Baltimore Comic-Con was wonderful, from seeing friends in the industry — like the Joe Kubert School’s president Anthony Marquez, Mark Waid, Tom King, and Dan Parent — to a breakfast with Howard Chaykin and my travel crew. That breakfast had just as many laughs as the ride down. There was also Charlie Kochman of Abrams ComicArts, with the team behind the must-read The Avengers: The Veracity Trap by Chip Kidd and Michael Cho. They stole the Ringo Awards show with a bunch of gags that had the room in tears. Before the awards show, I enjoyed a nice meal with Baltimore Comic-Con’s organizers, Shelly and Marc Nathan, and the legend Stan Sakai, who won a well-deserved Humanitarian Award. Marc is a good friend of mine I’ve known for a long time and he was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to be the Ringos’ keynote speaker. It took me a while, but I eventually worked up the nerve to speak to Stan, and he was just the nicest person. As a huge fan of Usagi Yojimbo, he exceeded any expectations. As I readied myself for the keynote speech, some negative thoughts crept into my head. As you’ll read in the speech, I’m not a fan of addressing an audience. But comic book folks are good folks; Charlie Kochman came over and gave me...