Comic Con Chronicles...

I have just returned from the strainously long trip that is San Diego > Philly > Glasgow, which made me arrive a whole day later due to the jump in time zone. Yes, I traveller forward in time. Sweet.

So after a small kip I just had (well 5 hours), I will document my experience of San Diego and Comic Con; the highs and lows, the fun and more fun and day to day activities of awesomeness.


DAY 1:

Okay more like night one since we arrived at 8pm and were train wrecked with jetlag. So we checked into the sleazy motel/fancy resort, a strange hybrid of both being a dump but servicable and comfy. Graeme and I hit the onsite convienence store for water and snacks, in which was probably the hardest short walk ever as the tirdeness anchored me down. We got back to the room, bitched about the place and near enough instantly feel asleep. Oh I don't unpack, I live out the case.

DAY 2:

2.30 am, shit I've woke up.

4.30 am, shit again!? The aircon is amazing, so it isn't sticky heat that is disturbing my slumber.

6.30 am, AGAIN! Well actually I feel awake! This will do, shower and clean up.

After the mundane ritual of the awakening male, we set out under the grilling presence of that big ball in the sky (a weird yellow thing) and I had to wear blacked glasses and everything.
Breakfast was shit hawt, and subsenquently would be shit hawt every day we ate there. It was an on-site dinner that was a stone throw away (someone with a good shot) across the carpark. So all of us, wearing sunglasses out of necessity, yet looking damn cool doing it, munched the food and went on to explore the crazy San Dan. Comic Con wasn't on till later that night for a preview, so the first day was the exploration of Diego itself.

A hazardous walk under the sun, with Katy and Lynsey nagging at me and Graeme, made us realise we aren't always right. Really hard to imagine. We finally got a bus to where we should be going, as the 10 minute walk to Old Town was actuallly a 15 minute bus journey. Apparently you can't walk on a freeway. Bummer.

Old Town is not only a lovely location, but the apex of our journeys to and fro Comic Con.
We stumbled off, spoke to a lovely Chinese local in a shop who sold me and Graeme an american flag for a dirt cheap price. We didn't burn it while dancing and listening to backstreet boys. Why would we?

So we actually then go to the old part of old town, A western themed historical park in which all the buildings, locations and even staff in dressing were authentic to the time period. It was a trip to the old west, and a simpler life. No pussy assed politics, just cowboys hats, cigars and shootin' mofos at noon if they pissed you off. I wanted to be sheriff, pissed out my tits and corrupt.
Graeme bought the most awesome cowboy hat, one that would make him look like Sam Neil and had me whistle Jurassic park at him every two seconds in San Diego Zoo. Oh, spoilers I go there!

Good times already had, it was Zoo bound. Just a roughly 15 minute journey away, it was a not bad trip, even tho we did go through the Clydebank of San Diego. The trolleys were great, being fairly regular and fast whereas buses could be sparse, but done the job.
The zoo was overwhelming (a feeling I'd get alot) as it was fucking huge. Oh and $35, say what!?
We saw animals, got sky lifted over everything, again more Jurassic Park references, "look there's the raptor paddick!" If only I saw one big pile of shit. So the Zoo was good, but still just a Zoo, burning up under the sun I felt ill as we trudged around the scortching rage of the sun. A good time, but a tiring time.

Home, shower, re-clothed, the usual bus - trolley journey and we were at Comic Con. Man it is huge. Transformer huge. The design also makes it look like a giant spacecraft that has landed to fulfill geeky needs. A very fitting design. We done the death march amonst fellow preview-nighters and got registered. Sweet, I thought! I'm at Comic Con!

Not so sweet.

No big panels or anything on preview night made it the busiest Comic Con visit of the trip, even tho only 4 day members could go. It was a constricted farm of people barging and bumping into each other. You couldn't take 3 steps without manouvering to a different trajectory.
So we looked around for 4 minutes or so before it was munch time. MMMMM food!

Nice night, home bound, in bed by 9pm. What is wrong with me?


DAY 3:

7 am, Blade to neck, brush to tooth, cloth to flesh.

breakfast, yummy.

Comic Con bound! Lovely weather again! Sore from yesterdays sun but I recovered in time.
Comic Con, while still heaving busy had several distraction from the main floor, freein up the space a bit. Comic Con takes up the entire centre, with two floors and even a part of the Hilton hotel nearby. It never used to, but each year it got bigger and bigger until it commandeered everything. Heck it was even announced as Comic Con week by the mayor of San Dan. The geeks will rule and salt the earth.

Katy and Lynsey diverged from me and Graeme and headed for the Twilight panel. Lyns is a fan and wanted a peek at Robert Pattison. Lysney would get slagged for her Twilight fandom rather harshly off me. No wonder! As they done that, we headed to IDW's panel regarding their new comics and fo shizzle. I do admit I fancied some of their stuff, mostly being a reprint of something called WINTERWORLD. At least they announced that ASH WOOD was signing down in the main area.

Down to the pit and we were again bedazzled by the glitz, glamour of it all. The fantastical sites and promotions, the crazy and stunning cosplayers dressed up. The atmosphere each time is just so electric, and belonging. Not to mention the freebies. Oh man I love free stuff. Promo material and merchandise = sweet times! Everyone wanted their business known, and that meant stuff at the cost of them for my hand. Thanks.

IDW booth, at the far right of the hall, in amongst the comic stuff (Video games and movie stands to the far left, liberals) and Ash Wood was signing along with Ben Templesmith of 30 days of night fame. I cleverly call Ben's work, 30 days of shite - hardy har har, but I haven't read it yet( really, really needing to) so tis all in good faith.
Ash Wood signed my awesome robots art book which was freshly purchased. He's a cool Aussie geezer (or is it New Zealand?) Flight of the Concords would be mad. He dressed like me, Skate shoes and baggy shorts. He done an awesome zombie thing doodle on my book which was fricking sweet. It only took us 20 mins as the guy in front was talking with him for ages. He felt my luger press against his back and finally went off.

Graeme and I wanted Comic Con tees but we skipped it on that day because of the huge line, who would have thought that we would never get one as they sold out. Shit.

We embarked on the Odyssey that is getting to hall H, the far end of the centre to see Lyns and Katy in the queue for Twilight. Despite them being 4 hours early, it was already fully packed. Avatar by James Cameron was also on after it. These two HUGE events next to each other like that is a spelling for disaster. If you wanted to see Cameron, you'd probbaly have to queue for Twilight.
We sat on the grass looking around the lovely location of the centre. Great buildings, trees and a clear sky. Katy and Lyns, drained of thier energy from the Twilight mishaps headed back to the resort's pool for a chillaxing soak and sunbathe. The doods charged on through Comic Con exploring the main floor. Only for a short time tho, as it was Dexter's panel next.

The queue was big. but not bad. Ballroom 20 holds 4,000 plus, so we were definetly getting in. It was just a slight annoyance, but queuing is a big part of the Comic Con experience. We got a look at the harbour from the upstairs queue on a rooflike area. I just imagined Dexter dumping body chunks from his boat. How fitting.

We got damn good seats for Dex, nothing amazing but close to the middle. The stars came out (including the fantastic Michael C hall) to much applause and we got a sneak peak (the usual routine for these panels). John Lithgow joined the cast and he was a fucking badass and hilarious. He's the big bad in season 3 and looking good. Oh and Julie Benz was smokin'.

More freebies then home time. Ritual, ritual - clean and clothed and out for dinner at Kansas City BBQ.
The food was okay, but the atmosphere was on fire! Afterall it was used in Top Gun, where thunder God Tom Cruise himself graced it. The place was covered in Top Gun memorabilia. No awesome volley ball net tho.

DAY 4:

Up.

Munch.

Out.

Usual Comic Con awesomeness and then a lovely ballroom 20 queue for the 24 panel. We got in early, or should I say late for the Big Bang Theory panel, which meant when the fans of that left we could snag closer seats. They weren't bad but I wish I was closer to the presence of Kiefer.

The cast and crew of season 8 came out, with the man himself last. The crowd was in an uproar of cheering as was I. Kiefer is such a great actor and awesome guy in general, it was great to see him in person and hear him speak. He was gracious and thanked fans for thier support (sorry for season 6 Sutherland). We got a sneak peak of Freddie Prinze Jnr in action and Jack doning a strange leather coat. CTU is back and is edging towards to the SCIFI look, but definetly intentional as the producers discussed it's appearance before the clip.

So FPJ doesn't look at all that bad in it... maybe. The guy from Slumdog on stage was awesome, what a badass! The Q and A was good but too many Battlestar Galactica comments made towards the latest female cast member. She's blonde haired and a Cylon or something? Never watched the show.

The biggest dissapointment was the missed opportunity to get Kiefer and the ENTIRE cast and team's autograph because we weren't around to get the tickets for it. There was no mention in the guidebook or notices for such ticket collection. Comic Con is also about sacrifice, you can't do everything and doing something else makes you miss other things. We thought we got the tickets at the panel, but these turned out to be for free swag, a crappy 24 alarm clock. We only realised this after rushing down to the FOX booth and being shunned. Completely. Gutted.

Lyns and Katy left for me and Gra to Comic con'it. The usual wonderful sites, some things bought and being knackered aswell. We got food at this awesome irish bar with guiness in Gaslamp. Sweet.

[Oh and while waiting for 24, Gary Oldman and Denzel were in a room close to us for people with exclusive tickets to get an auto. OKay I didn't actually see them, but still pretty cool right?]

That night it was Mexican night as we went to FANDANGOS, yes it has some funniness to it! Nice food with a band making their guitars weep for us. Gave them a tip for being awesome, despite noticing their fancy sounding guitars were basic shitty easy chords that I could crap out. N00bs.

Home.

Sleep.


DAY 5:

The most important day so it was an early exit from our rooms. This saturday was the day of the LOST panel and it was held in the mammoth hall H, which means queue galore outside in the hot sun.

Oh and today I wore my kilt like a badass.

We arrived there, nourished from breakfast and joined the huge queue amongst the tapes and barriers that form a zigzag of Losties waiting patiently. 2 hours early and it was giant, we got a little worried until 30 minutes later, the queue stretched out behind is and across the street and nearly all the way uptown. It was ridiculous, and we were in comparison in a pretty good spot. We got not bad - but a bit far to the back for my liking - seats. The best panel at Comic Con then begun...

Freebies, comedic fan videos, one being Brokeback mountain with Jack n' Sawyer. The producers having a laugh and giving out info about the upcoming seasons along with teaser clips (Kate Austen not killing her dad, instead a worker by accident as reported on a news show...) Wait a minute that didn't happen Cartlon Cuse sneakily jibed.

Suprise guests arrived one by one, Jorge Garcia snuck in by queueing to ask a fan question. Then Michael Emerson arrived and had a slagging match with him, it was fecking hilarious. We were then treated to a faux video of Ben trying for Hurley in the audition.

Sawyer then jumped on stage to a screamig reaction from fangirls. Katy's oggling of him was not amusing!

Then Charlie came out after a video tribute to the dead on Lost; okay as you can see I'm fed up using the actors names, it's easier this way okay?

Will Charlie be back? Is this the reason for his surprise visit?

It was epic, a great laugh, insightful and a must for any Lost fan. Too bad it's finishing and there won't be another one. I love you Comic Con and Lost.

More conage as Katy and Lynsey went home to the pool. Graeme and I explored the many depths of the main floor again and checked out the video games. We also got an awesome picture with the Suicide Girls, with our OR tee's on. We'll be on the website apparently, just waiting for them to put them up! Katy was maajor grumpls that I had a photo with some hawt chicks, but she knows that she's the only tattooed babe for me.

Perhaps the most surreal moment is when me and Graeme actually signed a copy of the Villainous prolouge. An indie publisher and creator was amongst the small press section and I bought his graphic novel. I them got him to give an opinion on our promo material and gave him a copy. he said it was good and asked for it to be signed. Such a weird weird experience, yet flattering and ego boosting. He signed mine and we signed his. He gave some good advice on potential publishing. Very very sweeet!

Home, change, dinner at Karl Strauss which was delicious and had homebrewed beer, sooo good!

Night came to a close and back to slumber, for tomorrow, the sad last day


The last day:

Usual.

Comic Con for buying lots of graphic novels and shit. No real panels of interest, this day was just for a last minute goodbye, getting rid of our promo stuff and spending spree. We dumped our cards, booklet and posters on a table with freebie pick ups, we didn't even know if we were allowed so we coincidentally set them down when the workers didn't look. People were picking a good few up much to my liking.
Katy and Lyns done Seaworld which was excellent.

Home.

Dinner at the diner on site.

sleep time.

THE REAL LAST DAY:

2 am fucking wake up for the flight. Absolute ball buster. Even more so when we find out we actually didn't have to check in as early as we thought, and could have had an exra hours sleep. bastard.

The long journey home was a monotonous flight, waiting, flight. Only interesting thing was the thunder storm that was too close for comfort to the left of our plane.

We arrived home a day later.

I slept.

I then wrote this.

And I notice that my spelling and grammar is getting worse as I type this, it is epic after all.

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So yeah, Comic Con along with San Dan was amazing! Lovely people, locations and plenty of great comic book purchases.
All my pics will be on Facebook for viewing pleasure.



- CHUD