Comic Con 2011: Preview Night/Thursday
Before I get into talking about the time spent at the Con itself, I have to get something off my chest, and I will do my best to keep it short and not too soapbox-y: I don't have tickets for next year's Con, and this is because it is impossible to get them. At 10:30 yesterday morning, I went over to the Hyatt, all set to procure them, only to be to told that the number released for today had already been sold out. And (here's the kicker, wait for it!) people were *already* lining up to buy tickets for the limited number available tomorrow (i.e., today, Friday.) So the upshot is that even though I live in San Diego, have the cash, and am prepared to spend it, I cannot buy the tickets. I am not willing to waste a day of my Convention experience waiting in line so I can have it again next year. This is ridiculous. Of course, there will be a certain amount available online later this year, but I'm not holding my breath, given the experience others have had with that system. I think at this point, a lottery system is the only fair way to distribute these, if they're this limited. But making people wait overnight in line? That's just messed up.
OK. Now to the fun part!
Preview Night! yebisu9 and I had an awesome time poking around in the exhibition hall, although the lines were already insane. I couldn't figure out who, exactly, was doing the lining up. But, regardless, we got to see a lot of fun stuff. Even though there are purportedly fewer movies this year, the big studios are certainly around and their booths are usually jammed full. The hyping is still at epic proportions, especially for TV shows and cartoons. (The entire Con appears to be bankrolled by basic cable networks, HBO, and Showtime.) The swag is still rolling in, too. Yesterday, I ended up with untold numbers of postcards and flyers, an inflatable plastic sword from EA Games, a plastic water bottle, a paper model of Godzilla, sunglass promoting "Psych", pins, tote bags, a superhero toy made out of popsicle sticks, and several temporary tattoos (one for Dexter that is actually pretty awesome). The best swag was a bag of microwave popcorn promoting Movies On Demand (appropriate AND useful!)
Best Dialogue Overheard On the Exhibit Hall floor:
"Wow, this is a nerd nexus!" (Said by some people behind us as we were all trapped in a large scrum of people trying to get to the Hasbro booth.)
And, another time:
Guy 1: (pointing at a screen) Oh, that's from "The Exorcist".
Guy 2: The movie, or the musical?
And, yesterday, between a mother and daughter:
Mom: Who's that character?
Daughter: (disbelieving/amused/affectionate) Mom, how are *you* at Comic Con?!
Thursday: After the ticket debacle, I spent the day on the floor, going through the Small Press Area and Artist's Alley. I had the great good fortune to see Katherine Brannock and buy her gorgeous sketchbook; her artwork is amazing combination of Arthur Rackham and Charles Audobon. I also chatted with Ryan Clayton of Elephant Eater comics, who is kind enough to remember me even though I only see him once a year. (We talked about teaching comics; he is someone who I wish I could do a joint Comic Books course with--I'd tackle the literary end, and he could handle the artistic end). I also visited Nemu Nemu Comics at the behest of a friend, and was pleasantly surprised to find an adorable comic and related merchandise. There was also a great double-header in the form of The Frantic Meerkat and the Mincing Mockingbird, which showcases some awesome bird paintings and funny animal comics; again, nice people to talk to, and with some really fun, innovative stuff.
There are photos, too, but I'm waiting to post them until I work out a kink with LJ. :p
OK. Now to the fun part!
Preview Night! yebisu9 and I had an awesome time poking around in the exhibition hall, although the lines were already insane. I couldn't figure out who, exactly, was doing the lining up. But, regardless, we got to see a lot of fun stuff. Even though there are purportedly fewer movies this year, the big studios are certainly around and their booths are usually jammed full. The hyping is still at epic proportions, especially for TV shows and cartoons. (The entire Con appears to be bankrolled by basic cable networks, HBO, and Showtime.) The swag is still rolling in, too. Yesterday, I ended up with untold numbers of postcards and flyers, an inflatable plastic sword from EA Games, a plastic water bottle, a paper model of Godzilla, sunglass promoting "Psych", pins, tote bags, a superhero toy made out of popsicle sticks, and several temporary tattoos (one for Dexter that is actually pretty awesome). The best swag was a bag of microwave popcorn promoting Movies On Demand (appropriate AND useful!)
Best Dialogue Overheard On the Exhibit Hall floor:
"Wow, this is a nerd nexus!" (Said by some people behind us as we were all trapped in a large scrum of people trying to get to the Hasbro booth.)
And, another time:
Guy 1: (pointing at a screen) Oh, that's from "The Exorcist".
Guy 2: The movie, or the musical?
And, yesterday, between a mother and daughter:
Mom: Who's that character?
Daughter: (disbelieving/amused/affectionate) Mom, how are *you* at Comic Con?!
Thursday: After the ticket debacle, I spent the day on the floor, going through the Small Press Area and Artist's Alley. I had the great good fortune to see Katherine Brannock and buy her gorgeous sketchbook; her artwork is amazing combination of Arthur Rackham and Charles Audobon. I also chatted with Ryan Clayton of Elephant Eater comics, who is kind enough to remember me even though I only see him once a year. (We talked about teaching comics; he is someone who I wish I could do a joint Comic Books course with--I'd tackle the literary end, and he could handle the artistic end). I also visited Nemu Nemu Comics at the behest of a friend, and was pleasantly surprised to find an adorable comic and related merchandise. There was also a great double-header in the form of The Frantic Meerkat and the Mincing Mockingbird, which showcases some awesome bird paintings and funny animal comics; again, nice people to talk to, and with some really fun, innovative stuff.
There are photos, too, but I'm waiting to post them until I work out a kink with LJ. :p