Here were are, our final installment of My First San Diego Comic Con. Wow. Con was well over a week ago, and I’m still feeling excited to talk about it! It was an amazing experience, one that will stay with me for a very long time, and as the title of this column implies, it was my FIRST ever San Diego Comic Con. Heck, besides a little convention I attended in Buffalo, NY when I was 10, this was my first ever Comic Con period. It exceeded my expectations and I’m already counting the days until next year.
I honestly don’t know where all the SDCC hate comes from. A common gripe nowadays from the hardcore comic community, and one that I hear often from not only customers in my store, but in various internet forums, is the notion that Comic Con International has “sold out” to the media and Hollywood. I’m going to be straight with you guys- I don’t really see that angle. Sure, both the media and Hollywood have a presence at Con, but when I was there last Friday I didn’t find them hindering me from enjoying what the Con is really all about: comics. Sure, you could let the Twilight booth ruin your day solely because it exists, or you could just do what people do in their local shop with comics they don’t read: avoid them. Stay away from the things you don’t like and pay attention to those that you do. It’s that easy! Now, like I said, this was my first Con so I have nothing to compare it to, but I found it hard to accept the claims I hear so often from fans that SDCC is “all about Hollywood and not about comics anymore”.
SDCC is still VERY much about comics. Every publisher, no matter how big or small, had space on that floor to set up shop. The indie section was my favorite part- there was so much cool small press stuff that I didn’t even come close to seeing half of it. It’s incredibly easy to dodge the stuff you don’t care for and just immerse yourself in the awesomeness that is Con. For instance, I’m not a huge gamer but when I walked by the video game section, it was PACKED with people waiting to demo the next big thing, so I avoided it the rest of the day. Easy peasy.
And about Hollywood; whether you guys like it or not, comics are now mainstream and it’s only done wonders for the industry. Hollywood is a HUGE cash cow for these companies, so it only makes sense that they’d have a presence at the largest geek convention in the world. Besides, I’ve been reading my fair share of post Con coverage and it seems like the hype is mostly about the movie news for the upcoming films. So how do we explain that one?
Something many of you may be wondering about my coverage of the Con is, why didn’t I attend any panels? Well, to be frank, I didn’t want to waste my first SDCC experience waiting in line all day. The Chris Claremont adventure took about two hours of waiting, and after that I was done with wasting time in lines. I only had 1 day to do all the things I needed/wanted to do, and the panels just weren’t a priority. Next year things will most likely be different, but this year I wanted to take it all in. Besides, you can read everything from the panels online within 10 minutes of them being over anyway.
One of the coolest parts of Con for me was experiencing the section with all the retailers. I work in a comic shop, and while I love my job, I don’t get that exciting feeling most patrons feel when entering their LCS anymore. I’ve missed that feeling. But at Con, seeing all the retailers and their sweet deals; it came back to me in full force! It felt great! One end of the Convention floor is dedicated solely to retailers, and for people who know how to bargain, you can find some pretty amazing deals. Most TPB’s and HC’s are anywhere from 50%-60% off, and toys, statues, and back issues are all marked pretty low to begin with. It’s a great time to look for those gaps in your collection!
Here is the awesome stuff The Movie Lady and I scooped up from retailers:
Thanks to my buddy Billy, I also got my mitts on an exclusive Black Lantern Hal Jordan!
These are the freebies they give you; a ridiculously large bag that’s impossible to carry anything in, and two Con programs:
To close out our coverage, I strongly encourage any comic book fan to make the trip to San Diego Comic Con at some point in their life. It truly is a remarkable experience and one that will most likely stay with you for a very long time. When you’re there, you feel like you’re a part of something important in the medium, helping it strive and thrive in this rough and tumble world. Plus, meeting the people who make the industry go ’round is truly something unforgettable.
…and seeing a knock out Emma Frost cosplayer is worth the ticket price alone.
See you next year my fellow geeks!
For previous segments of My First San Diego Comic Con, click here!
Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net
I think the main problem that they (or at least I) have with the Comic Con now, is the lines. I think I remember James Rolfe of Cinemassacre joked about it being called the “Line Con” instead. Perhaps if the films and comics got separate conventions, there would be less crowding. But oh well, as long as you stick to most of the comic sections and small panels it’s a good time. Rather than trying to get into some ridiculous 2 hour line for a big budget movie panel. Still, I remember going there about four years ago and being able to just walk into a panel ten minutes early (with good seats too).
Just a heads up…I am one of those gripers you mention at the outset (though I do love going still, when I can), and following on an ET article, I wrote a letter to them that they say they are going to publish in the next issue (or close to that).
I shoulda told you to look out for a 7 foot vertical banner with a recent painting of mine for a proposed book (Goth Girl Dragon Hunter Zombie Slayer…or something like that).
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I went this year for the first time as well. And I’ve got to say, I pretty much agree with Andy. Yeah, I’m still a little confused by why some of the shows had panels, but for the most part those panels were at a location that didn’t hinder my experience in any way.
I had a fantastic time. Easily avoided those groups of people there for reasons not related to comics. Was it crowded? Of course it was, you’ve seen the pictures. But at any given time my high school was just as crowded. It was really no big deal. There was only one line that was so long that I didn’t decide to stand in it, and that was the Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis line.
Just like Andy I had a great time. I got to meet a bunch of awesome artists , got some cool sketches, saw some awesome stuff. I can’t compare my experience with years past, but for my first ever comic convention I had the greatest time.
At the risk of sounding full of myself, you can read up on my experience here:
SDCC
FUNKY BUTT LOVIN’! That Prince Adam you opened with was KILLER!
And feel free to guest write Gotta Have It! this Saturday with that Black Lantern, you lucky dog!
@Hudson Yeah, waiting in line for Claremont did suck, and it’s for that exact reason why I didn’t wait in anymore lines. But yeah, I can only imagine what it must have been like to not have to wait for lines back in the day (a few years ago). And The Angry Video Game Nerd is the shit!
@Ken Dude, why didn’t you tell me this stuff before!? lol
@Arnab Nice link man! Looks like you had a blast too!!
@Aron I will, but not this week!!
What the heck is up with that Rogue statue’s left foot? Feet don’t bend that way, unless she is in the middle of turning into some hoofed X-man.
Ew, yeah, her foot does look really weird. What the heck?
Um guys, hello, she’s a MUTANT! lol
Hey, y’all. Stand up and do it. Right now. I just did it and totally touched heel to butt!
@Andy Awesome, man! I can’t wait!
No, Aron, you didn’t…not like she is doing it.
Andy: I am an idiot.
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