Backup of David's Livejournal

ComicCon '09 Report


Overview:

Sightings/Meetings: Mike Mignola, Camilla D'Errica, David Mack, The Penny Arcade Duo, Josh Howard
Far Away Sightings: Peter Jackson, Tyrese Gibson
Loot: Nothing, really. Just my sketch notes and some free junk like promotional TPB/manga.

Missed: Flynn's Arcade, Tim Burton, CommunityChannel
Missed Loot: Swallow, Sparrow, BluRay Freedom

Details:

I packed a lunch and arrived at the con by 7:00am or so. The line for single-day admissions was already about a quarter mile long and wrapped around the Convention Center to the Marina and along the Marriott.

I'd planned on going to Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman's Making-Of-Coraline panel, but once I got to the con, I realized that I hadn't alloted any time for the gargantuan exhibit hall, so instead, I used the morning to map out places-of-interest. (For me, that was usually artists' booths with interesting art books.)

Yeah, I spent the morning walking along the exhibit hall drawing circles on maps.


ComicCon '09 Map with doodles and Sketchbook



I saw a few artists, like Josh Howard at their tables, but I'd already gotten his signature on his trades (in his case), or they'd already be talking to somebody else, and I was on a timeline. I also saw a few stars like Edward James Olmos and Adam Baldwin.

I did my most fervent shopping for davidd in the morning.

I got in line for the CBDLF Mike Mignola artwork panel a half hour early, and that was plenty of time to get in. There was another line dangerously close that was very, very long. ::shudder:: It might have been Twilight-related or something.

The Mike Mignola panel was great! He spoke about what he was doing as he drew a scene with HellBoy in it. He'd say things like, "I love knuckles with the fleshy parts moving around." He said that Frank Frazetta was an early big influence, but he went through phases, too, like when he wanted to draw like Vaughn Bode and Alex Niño. He said that since he's right handed, he tends to draw from the bottom left to the upper right, so that's why his scenes are always composed with the smoke rising to the upper right.

Sometimes he'll place a word balloon first, without anything to say in it, just because the balloon looks good there. Then he'll have to think of something for Hellboy to say in it.

I stayed in the room for the life-drawing of Amanda Palmer by Terry More, Camilla D'Errico and David Mack. That was awesome, too. Go check out this flickr set.

Camilla D'Errico did all her drawing with a cheap, blue Bic pen. David Mack did his with an ink brush. It was fascinating to compare and contrast their styles.

After that panel was over, I made a bee-line for the line for Hall H. I got in line for the Focus Features panel (with Tim Burton) about 20 minutes early. That wasn't nearly enough. I stayed in that line, outside, for the whole panel. I didn't get in until the next panel (which I also wanted to see), the Sony Pictures panel for Legion and District 9, with Peter Jackson.

After that it was back to the exhibit hall to revisit the places I made note of in the morning. I went from Hall H to the very opposite end of the exhibit hall. Phew, that place it big. After I'd had my fill, I headed back to the hotel, where my family was waiting for me.

It was another great con, but there's far too much to see and do for a one-day pass. Going alone was a mixed blessing. I missed being with friends, but I liked not making any compromises and doing exactly what I wanted. If I wanted to camp out at IDW or Slave Labor, I could. I think the one time I really paid the price for going alone was with regard to the line for Hall H. I shoulda had a friend waiting for the Focus panel for me.

Tags: art, comics, photos

Comments

 davidd on Aug 2nd 2009 at 3:35 AM
Thanx for taking the time to look around for me! I really appreciate it! I read a post by someone last week who calculated, by looking at the map and dimensions of Hall H, that just walking up the center of every aisle in the exhibit hall would work out to three miles. I guess that means if you wanted to make sure to pass by every table or booth, you'd have to double that figure. Fascinating write-up; I like the way you seamlessly meld "what happened" with the "why" behind your choices and your "opinions and observations" on what you did and did not see. And I appreciate your positive approach, focusing on what you could and did accomplish in one day, rather than lamenting not having more time or missing out. So there's a philosophical element here from which I might glean some value. Thanx for sharing your adventure. And again, thanx for looking for "stuff" for me! (Was the "Machine Girl" poster for sale?) Oh, and... I didn't know you were an artist... or at least, a "drawer." Should have figured, what with your interest in pens and all.

 dblume on Aug 2nd 2009 at 4:38 AM
Thanks, David! I did ask around for you, and I wanted you to know that. I don't think the Machine Girl poster was for sale, and I don't think you would have wanted it, it was in poor condition. You know, it was painful doing the write-up. But I figured an effort (even if a week late) is better than nothing. It seems that tweeting and writing Plurk posts really has had a damaging effect on blogging. I'll give you an extra cheer for NaNoWriMo! Go, Dave!

 davidd on Aug 2nd 2009 at 6:34 AM
Just curious about the Machine Girl poster; yes, I can see in your photo that it was a bit the worse for wear. It's an entertaining image -- I like the Mt. Fuji background -- but not quite as "over the top" as the Chanbara Beauty or Rebel Force of Competitive Swimmers posters! "Painful" to string that many sentences together coherently and cohesively, was it? I agree, it's the "Twitter syndrome." When I try to write anything longer than a couple of sentences, it comes across as a series of only marginally connected stand-alone tweets. Indeed, I missed a wonderful opportunity to have a piece considered for inclusion in an upcoming NASA Explorer Schools publication because I couldn't get it in gear sufficiently to put together 800 words in an order that made sense. I just got around to reading Ivy McCloud's LJ report on SDCC. Even as enthusiastic a con-fan as Ivy had trouble blogging it this year. And while Kendrooger started out live-tweeting from SDCC, the updates became notably fewer as the days progressed. I get the impression, after reading several accounts, that the experience was, although still fascinating and exciting, somewhat grueling this year. I think you made effective use of your limited time there. If you had the opportunity, would you want to spend two or more days at SDCC?

 zannah on Aug 2nd 2009 at 5:23 AM
I love this recap and I loved peeking at your notes. (I admit, I always do. I find them utterly fascinating and wish you would post more.) I totally wish we could have hooked up to meet at some point, but I know with only one day there, you really have to maximise your time. Maybe again in the future? Are you going again next year? Noitce you didn't pick up much loot, though. :)

 dblume on Aug 3rd 2009 at 4:48 AM
I'm the same way about my friends' notebooks. I'm on the verge of asking you to post pics of some signatures (even old ones) you've gotten. (So there's a hint.) Yeah, I'd have loved to have met you. Hopefully an even better meet-up could happen. I'm hoping that one day, Nari and Zades and DavidD will be able to go, too. Next year depends on who else is going. Wish we could know what the program is at the time tickets are available. The loot! I know! Strange, but I'm not in much of a materialistic mode. All that walking around the exhibit hall, and I decided against nearly everything. (I would have bought more art books, but my favorite artists were already doing sketches for others, or weren't at their tables when I walked by.)