I’ve spent most of the last two days escorting Scott McCloud and his wonderful family around and about the RIT campus. The lecture yesterday went off without a hitch ??? in fact, it was better than I could have asked.

Ingle was filled with a combination of students, faculty, and community members. We’re estimating about 375 in all! Scott told me that was roughly the same turn out as at MIT. Not too shabby!

You can read Scott’s account at the 50 State Tour Blog.

Here’s a shot of McCloud lecturing. For those traditionalists out there, note that he’s lecturing in front of a page from Learn to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.

After the lecture, a mini-lecture by McCloud’s daughter Sky, and a long Q&A session (facilitated by his other daughter Winter), we headed upstairs for the signing. As you can see above, the signing line wrapped all around the upper rooms. We sold out of Making Comics. In fact, I heard a couple disappointed attendees trying to bribe the bookstore to let go of copies that were on hold for people.

For more than an hour (by my count close to two) Scott greeted and talked with each person in line. He made every person seem like they are the only person that he’s talked to ??? regardless if they were at the beginning of the line or at the tail end of it (this is a quality that he shares with his friend Neil Gaiman). I can only imagine how tired his wrist is going to get on this tour.

Today was wonderful as well. Unfortunately, I need to grade, so that account will come tomorrow. Either way, I’m beaming that RIT seems to have matched MIT in turnout and hospitality.