The Con that ate San Diego Pt 1.
So it’s the crazist thing. Well to me at least.
Comic-Con in San Diego is sold out. Yep sold out.
It sold out last week I think on Tuesday.
The biggest con of the year starts tomorrow night. And if you don’t have a ticket you are out of luck babies. I haven’t been there in about three years, and trust me it’s nuts.
I mean nerds rule the city.
The hotels are at 98% sell out.
There are more than likely going to be close to 200,000 this year.
That’s my prediction, they did 150,000 the last time I was there, it was at 180,000 last year. And now for the 1st time the con is sold out before they even open the damn doors.
And crazy stuff is already happening.
Case in point.
They spoke with convention salespeople from L.A. and Las Vegas about their attempts to lure the con away, as well as plans to continue their pitches this year:
“We don’t like to go in and infringe on other people’s leases when they are in the middle of doing business,” says Chris Meyer, VP of convention sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nevertheless, he admits, “We will be down in Comic-Con 2008 to have some discussions.”
The way he sees it, Las Vegas has some dramatic advantages, including twice the floor space and a surplus of competitively priced hotel rooms. Meyers notes, “I’ve got more rooms on my corners than they do in most of their downtown area.”
But San Diego isn’t giving up without a fight:
“Comic-Con is a homegrown, San Diego-born, bred and maintained entity,” says Bill Harris, deputy press secretary for Mayor Jerry Sanders, and as such, “We have a lot of pride in it.” Further, Harris assures the economic impact of the event, estimated between $40 million and $60 million, is hardly lost on city leadership. “We are going to continue to work with Comic-Con to accommodate their growth needs in any way we can,” he says
Next: Political unrest.
A GOOD REASON NOT TO DRINK AT THE HYATT IN SAN DIEGO THIS YEAR
(from newsarama)
I moved to Bay Area of California a couple of years ago, and despite the Earthquakes, forest fires and insane home prices, I love it here. One of the reason why I love it is the diversity and acceptance of other cultures and lifestyles. It’s not perfect, of course, but things like race and sexual preference don’t seem to matter as much as it did where I used to live.
So when I see stuff like, this, it gets under my skin:
A $125,000 donation in support of an anti-gay marriage initiative by a San Diego hotelier has drawn the ire of gay and lesbian activists and local labor unions who are now calling for a boycott.
Organizers held a news conference in front of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, near Seaport Village, on Thursday. A coalition of LGBT community leaders and the labor movement spoke out against Doug Manchester, who contributed a donation in support of Proposition 8, which would allow only men and women to marry in the state of California. The group opposes the ballot measure because it threatens the recent state Supreme Court decision that allows marriage between men and women.
I know it’s unlikely that anyone is canceling a hotel reservation for Comic Con at this late date, but if you wanted to take the time to tell the owner what an asshole he is on those handy comment cards they provide you, or perhaps in other more creative ways, well, I would support your decision.
For my part, the Hyatt can go fuck itself. I’ll be drinking elsewhere. I’d invite you to do the same.
Here, here. I’m glad I’m booked somewhere else besides the Hyatt.
So…
BOOM! has changed its San Diego party plans at the Hyatt: It’s now dubbed the “BOOM! Three-Year Anniversary Drink Up!/Gay Pride Party”:
Where: Hyatt Grand Lobby Bar
When: Thursday July 24th from 9 to ??
What : As the sage Brian Wood stated, boycotting only hurts the wait staff so given that the Hyatt Hotel owner has decided to be a homophobic bigot the BOOM! DRINK UP is now the BOOM! DRINK UP/GAY PRIDE PARTY!
Everybody, come, wave your freak flag high, tip the waiters and we will be taking shots of the party and sending the pictures directly to the proprietor to let him know exactly who his customers are and how much money he looks to lose in the future.
(For those not in the know, a “Drink Up” is just like a “Meet Up” but with people drinking. This will be a gathering of friends and fans, so make plans to stop by and see what’s happening!)
Now me? I usually drink at ‘the fields” anyway, it’s a cool little pub where all the Brits get drunk. It’s nice, it’s cheap, it has a porch where all the guys can smoke so they don’t go mad. I only really go to the hyatt on Thursday night to see and be seen and get some numbers to hook up with people later.
See? Don't cross artists, or more to the point, comic artists, nobody drinks like comic artists.
But wait, there’s more weirdness…
Well, at San Diego, it's going to get messy. See, there's this performer who goes by the name of "Doktor Steel" with this whole singing mad scientist schtick. It's very different to the Whedon clan thing, but enough of his fans have taken offence as to flood blogs, message boards and the like with allegations of ripoffs. And it's not stopping there. From the Doktor Steel website:
COMICON MISSION " DR. HORRIBLE BRAINWASHING EXPO
When: Friday, July 25th 10:45pm " 12:00pm
Where: Room 6B
The "creators" of Dr. Horrible will be at the ComicCon Convention in San Diego, California. This is the perfect opportunity to pay them a visit, ask some questions and inform the masses about Dr. Steel.
Don't let Dr. Steel's work go unrecognized for the unique and brilliant vision that it is. Stand proud as a Toy Soldier and raise your voices to the cause.
1) Create propaganda dvds, manifestos and press packs.
2) Write "The REAL mad scientist" on the covers.
3) Create banners or leaflets that read "Dr.Steel. Taking over the
world since 1999"
4) Distribute these items during the Dr.Horrible showing on Friday night.
5) Let the fans discover for themselves that Dr.Steel is far more entertaining.
6) Be awesome and curtious and bust out the humour like never before. Remember how powerful your creative charm can be!
7) Inquire as to when the creators came up with the idea of Dr.
Horrible and inform them that Dr. Steel devoted his life to his
amazing cause in 1999.
8) Do not lash out or become confrontational, because you might get kicked out of the convention. We need you all to be there for as LONG as possible to gain awareness.
They sound like scientologists. Mad Scientologists.
See, see? All this already, and the thing doesn’t even start till Thursday.
Ok, well Wednesday night if you count the preview show.
Now me I won’t be there.
But it’s ok my filthy assistant will be. She’ll be reporting in and texting me all sorts of tid bits, and I’ll be giving her orders on who to talk to or if need be who to take down, hard.
So don’t cross me Marvel, DC, Image, my reach is far.