Hello Internet! I am in San Diego. Comic-Con is the most horrifying thing I’ve witnessed (and smelled) in quite some time, and I have said some very sarcastic things about it. I know how you like it when I am sarcastic, unless I am aiming it specifically at you, but hey!
Say hello if you see me tomorrow, because Friday morning I’m going home, and I am never ever coming back to this event, unless I somehow become a famous comics artist by accident and the public demands my appearance. Reason enough never to draw another comic again, I figure.
I used to help manage a 10-stall booth at Comic-Con every summer, before I went to graduate school. It was… an experience, that’s for sure. Though one week’s worth of work + overtime covered my rent for the next 2 months back when I was living in Portland, so I can’t say I regret doing it.
The worst thing I ever saw at Comic-Con was Fatimus Prime. Which is to say, a morbidly obese man crammed into a Optimus Prime costume. After that, the various stormtroopers and cosplayers really didn’t even register as odd.
I won’t see you tomorrow, so I’ll just say hello from Japan. Oh, and I saw the back of Phil’s head in one picture. It was interesting.
Someone should turn up to Comic-Con with a hose and soap.
I’m sure it’s not all bad. It looks like Brian Lee O’Malley has some neat buttons to give away, at any rate.
I was supposed to go to Comic-Con to represent the business, but I couldn’t make the travel/boarding arrangements happen.
thanks for helping me not feel so bad about it!
Just some random stuff since I lost my 1up password years ago and thus can’t comment there:
– Capcom does the ring every year for something. I think this is the first time it’s ever been appropriate.
– Oddly enough, the “preview” night is now the most crowded one of the entire weekend. I blame the lack of panels to keep people off the damn floor. (Sorry that had to be your intro, though.)
– Avoid the Star Wars booth at all costs, if you thought the regular floor was funky. Seriously, that’s not a joke. The air is thick with stench.
That said, I’ll try and give you a high-five tomorrow (or, uh, today, at this point). Hope it’s not too scarring.
In regards to that 1UP blog, I like Toriyama too when his name isn’t attached to Dragon Ball – but man, I thought his BD designs were pretty weak.
Also, is that a Soul Eater poster in the SE booth? Have they officially announced a NA release? Kinda surprising…. it interests me, but you look at their other manga-licensed excursions (FullMetal Alchemist), and your hopes are dashed. Hm.
I hate big comic conventions because they combine my fear of dense crowds with my fear of getting into an argument about whether the Thing can beat the Hulk. I was going to recommend that you stop by the Fantagraphics booth to check out the new book on Steve Ditko, but after reading your report I think the best option is to look for a dealer with a large quarter bin section, not to look for hidden gems, but so you can stack the long boxes like a fort for protection.
That was good for a few hearty chuckles.
“…mingled with the stench of moist, unwashed nerd flesh…”
What an awesome bit of imagery. Sounds almost like a postmodern take on survival-horror.
Oo! Oo! What about anime conventions– maybe you could get sent to one of those! More video game companies are setting up a presence at those types of venues. Just think, you could talk about how better you are than the people there, too, PLUS make fun of people who dress up in even more ridiculous costumes then at Comic Con!
I’ve always wondered how hygiene could be such a tough thing to grasp for some people. This is why I will never go to one of these things.
Likewise. I shower daily, because I feel awfully gross if I miss a single day. Many of these people come from elsewhere, so they have hotel rooms or similar accommodations –don’t they have bathrooms? Don’t they pack at least one change of clothes per day?
One more off: damn you for vanishing about five minutes before I could run into you. I head to the PA booth and get told I’ve just missed you when I ask about the sketched Telebunny on the table.
Apparently a lot of people have asked them about that doodle! How unexpected.
I was under the impression everyone draws on the PA table at conventions, but that telebunny still stood alone at the end of the day.
To add insult to the Comic-Con injury, when I left the episodic gaming panel yesterday it was because someone had stolen Akemi and Kazuo’s passes. We got them replaced, but still… :-(
Just a small nit-pick, Parish. CCG is ‘collectible’ card game, their crack-like nature isn’t exactly hidden beyond something even slightly opaque like ‘customizable’.
… oh, god. I’m one of *those* people now, aren’t I?
Am I the only one who caught the “Thriller” reference in the title or did everyone else also catch it and didn’t want to point out the obvious? Either way…nice!