Backup of David's Livejournal

ComicCon Report


Overview:

Sightings/Meetings:  David Mack, The Penny Arcade Duo, Josh Howard, Frank Miller
Far Away Sightings: Neil Gaiman, Kate Beckinsale, Steve Carell, Masi Oka, The Rock, Edward Burns
Loot: Signed Penny Arcade Poster, Signed Kabuki Loot, Signed Dead@17 TPBs, free junk.

Missed:  Ben Templesmith
Missed Loot:  An Anansi Boys T-Shirt.  (Crap!  I liked it.)

Details:

Barely made it to the Warner Bros. Screening.  ComicCon staff didn't know that that event had its own waiting line.  But the FAQ in the guide made note of it.  Huzzah for FAQs!  So I saw a custom trailer for Get Smart, followed by an interview with Steve Carell, Masi Oka, The Rock.  They were very respectful of the source material. 

Saw clips for One Missed Call and Whiteout, too.  Zack Snyder talked for a long time about Watchmen.

Neil Gaiman and Zack Snyder had interesting stories about Alan Moore.  Poor Zack.  Despite a fine movie, 300, based on a graphic novel, he knows that Alan Moore will never give him a chance.  Hollywood has burned Moore too much.

I made a slight fool of myself in front of David Mack, who is a very decent, tolerant, man.  Must learn to speak more eloquently.

Neil Gaiman's Spotlight interview was an informal conversation between himself and 5000 fans.  He stood the whole time, for no apparent reason.  There was a chair on stage right in front of him.

Mike and Jerry from Penny Arcade were kicking back in their booth every time I passed by it.  Looks like they take their job seriously.  I'd have enjoyed their panels if I could have made it.

At Slave Labor, I wanted to meet Aaron A., but just missed him.  The line for Jhonen's signing wrapped completely around the SLG booth.  He's quite popular.

Stepped outside to call my wife, and Frank Miller was walking in the same direction, just 10 feet behind.  I only found out when I overheard a couple of guys who recognized him, and were looking just past my shoulder.  I stopped and gawked with them, and he passed within two feet of us.  One guy called out, "Frank, love your work!"  Frank acknowledged him, but kept his stride.

SciFi Channel had an awesome KickIt space.  Just a weird, pretty blobby surface/space that you could get a breather in.  I don't know why it wasn't more crowded.

ComicCon was crowded.  A strange mix of exploitation and genuine art.  Studios had booths with booth babes.  (That seemed weird.  It was ComicCon after all.  There was even an amputee dressed as Cherry Darling from Grindhouse.  Yes, as stripper with gunleg, dancing around a pole.)  But not far away, you'd see the work of small-time artists who have a story to tell, or simply very compelling art.

All in all, not bad for a single day pass.

Zuda gave out pre-paid postcard for guests to draw on, and promises to post the best ones.  Remind me to come back and visit this link.

Up next:  Sandcastles!

Photos after I fly back home next week and get the cable to connect the camera to the computer.  Heh.  ^_^;
Tags: comics

Comments

 pastilla on Jul 28th 2007 at 2:05 PM
:: watches dreamily :: Re-entry to the "real world" can be bizarre after am interesting, crowded conference like that. Welcome back.

 davidd on Jul 31st 2007 at 5:47 AM
Thanx for the "inside peek" at Comic-con. It sounds like you managed to see and do a fair amount during your few brief hours there. Other reports I've read suggested huge impassible crowds and waits of hours to ensure a space at popular presentations and forums. The Frank Miller "sighting" is an amusing anecdote. As for the pole-dancing "actual amputee," well... I doubt photos will be forthcoming there, huh? I don't suppose you had the good fortune to encounter Leonard Nimoy? (The Star Trek movie announcement from the Con even merited mention in the Honolulu newspaper!) No Neil Gaiman autograph, huh? And no, I'm not being facetious. It woulda been kinda cool....

 dblume on Jul 31st 2007 at 5:02 PM
The Neil Gaiman autograph would have taken too much time to get. I could get more done elsewhere. Amusingly, Ben Templesmith took the photo that I was too self-conscious to take.

 davidd on Aug 1st 2007 at 1:20 AM
You just didn't wanna have to explain a photo like that to the Mrs.!