Mood:
caffeinatedTopic: Comic Cons
TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3191: Now it's only 6 days away until the 2010 Comic-Con International: San Diego, (a.k.a. SDCC), opens its' doors for Preview Night! As stated in this blog series in Part 1 and Part 2, Tina & I will be there for all 5 days and 4 nights. Tina has been going since 2001 when we were engaged. That was also the year that Hollywood 'discovered' Comic-Con. For those of you that don't know...I first set up as a comic book dealer back at the El Cortez Hotel in 1972 when the SDCC was at that venue. So we both have different expectations and outlooks about this comic convention. This pre-check off list, which is now in its' 3rd Part today, is what we will be preparing with between now and when leave to drive down to the San Diego Convention Center. We are lucky that the Comic-Con is only 35 miles South of us here in Carlsbad, California at this time. (Note: this blog post is NOT about the possible moving of the Con out of San Diego in 2013.) So what was 1st on our personal Check Off List? Here's the list of topics I covered in Part 1, along with any updates since then,(Note: please see that post for full details):
So don't be surprised when you show up there! If YOU haven't bought your prepaid parking yet, please see Part 1 of this series to do so NOW!
PROGRAM SCHEDULES: Addendum - There have been some 'Updates' on the schedule at the main web site, including revisions. Plus two cancellations at least that I noticed last night when I was finishing up my schedule. CLOTHING: No update. FOOD & DRINK FOR MEALS & SNACKS: No update.
Plus don't forget to bring the tube with you each time you go past the 'Freebies Table' in the area 'Under the Sails', as each day there are usually new posters and other freebies placed there that you haven't seen before...
Here is a recap of the Part 2 topics: MAKE A PLAN ON WHERE TO MEET IF GROUP GETS SEPARATED: No update. BADGES FOR KIDS: No update. LINE BUDDIES: No update. MAKING CONNECTIONS - No update. BALLROOM 20 IS THE 'NEW' HALL 'H': No update. CASH IS 'KING': No update. IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ATTENDING PROGRAMS, PANELS & EVENTS: Just a reminder to be sure to read the notes on this Comic-Con Page. There are several changes this year in venue for Anime Films, the Independent Film Festival, etc. They aren't where they were last year! ------Now for Part 3's topic - 'Must See' Programs for 1st Timers: Which are the programs, panels, signings, etc., that I am going to hi-light here. First up are the 'perennials' - programs / panels that I HAVE to see at least part of EACH year:
Of those I would personally state if YOU are attending this Comic-Con for the 1st time, make sure you attend at least some portion of the Quick Draw, Cartoon Voice Actors - either I or II. Then take in either 'Taking Back the Knight' or 'Remembering Dick Giordano' to get a 'feel' of how Mark moderates those type of panels. I do realize that there are a lot of choices to be made at Comic-Con, but these are 'recommended' by me to check out if you are a 1st timer. Plus Quick Draw and Cartoon Voices are always 'Family Friendly'. PLUS, last but definitely not least, as I have not missed one yet since Mark started this series: The Annual Jack Kirby Tribute on Sunday morning. The comic book industry owes so much to this one man. The guests are always fascinating, and usually rotate on who will be there, as some have come back to be guests again. But there's always new stories to be told! Don't miss this one! It's on the morning of the last day of the Comic Con.
Where Scott keeps coming up with these great covers, I just don't know....But YOU gotta see this Slideshow at least once during your San Diego Comic Con going visits!
That would be the Ric Meyers 'Kung Fu Extravangaza' program! Yeah, I drag Tina to this, but after being on her feet a lot of the day, she doesn't mind watching some of these excerpts from good to not-so-good kung fu flicks! But Ric's intros to these excerpts are worth the price of sitting through the so-so ones. You gotta see at least part of this program during the evening. It's on Thursday evening from 8:15PM to 11:15PM in Room 6BCF.
For you 1st timers, this is a 'Must See'. That's because you will see most of the headliners in the comics industry there in person. They may not all be there to win awards, but they are there to cheer their peers on when the winners are announced. This is held Friday Night from 8:30PM to 11:30 PM. This year at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront in the Indigo Ballroom. This is also the program where the continuing misconception comes from that there is 'free food' for the attendees at the Comic-Con. Years and years ago, that was true. The pros were let in first to have a buffet banquet, then the ret of the attendees. Unfortunately as the amount of attendees increased...the amount of food decreased. Down to where there is nothing for the general attending public today. Those were definitely the 'Good Ol' Days'! The above are what I consider to be the 'mainstays' or 'must sees' of programs and panels for the Comic-Con that a 1st timer should attempt to attend at least some of. I do realize how hard that is with all of the choices there are to choose from. I was going to list what new programs / panels / signings / special events I was planning on attending next, but it looks like I am once again out of room in this post! Looks like there will be a 'Part 4' to this Series. And if Tina wishes to share her 'pop culture choices' with the blog readers...there could be a Part 5? Again Tina is not a comic book fan(atic), she prefers to see the 'Hollywood' programs over the 'Comics' related panels I attend! I do want to re-emphasize this here however in case you don't see that Part 4, or take the time to read Parts 1 or 2: That there is NO WAY you are going to be able to do everything that you want to do or see at this comic con. It is too darn big to be at two places at once, especially when something is in Hall H at one end, and then someone is signing at a booth in the Small Press Section. You can't be at both within 10 minutes, not with these crowds anymore. And if you add on the two hotels that have programming in addition at opposite ends of the convention center, it is almost as tough as Disneyland to get from one end to the other. So have a 'backup' plan of what you would like to see if your 1st choice is full and you can't get in! Again, relax, prepare well on the topics I've blogged about today and the previous days, and enjoy what you can. Have a backup plan for a program at Hall H and Ballroom 20 because some attendees sit through several earlier programs just to see the ONE they want to see in those two halls. Because Comic-Con STILL doesn't clear the hall between programs! And lastly...Wear comfortable shoes...You'll be walking many miles during the Comic-Con! My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over the 3,190 total posts in number! ~ Michael D Hamersky @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com
http://www.comicbookscircus.com/
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PREPAID PARKING: Addendum - Please note that the Underground Parking at the San Diego Convention is 'Sold Out'! 
ACCESSORIES: Addendum - Tina reminded me to mention that for those of YOU that enjoy picking up posters, to bring your own tube, as the booths selling these tubes are not plentiful. You don't want your poster to get bent or wrinkled! 
Special Programs That I don't want to miss even if they conflict with other programs / events would have to include some of the ones that Mark Evanier moderates. Here is his own list of those that he set out on his own blog: 
Next for you 1st timers...You have to check out the Scott Shaw! Oddball Comics Slideshow! You get a chance to sit down, see slides of some of the funniest comic book covers ever produced, plus do it in a setting where you aren't embarassed to laugh out loud with others doing the same thing. 
This next choice may seem way out of character for me...But I always take in at least part of this program that is always during an evening of the Comic-Con. 
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards is like the Oscars for the Comics Industry! 
Note: Our online comic book store carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at:
My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! 
Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 
Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review!
WEB PAGE NOTE: This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that!
My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! 
Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review!
WEB PAGE NOTE: This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that!
CLOTHING: Updated: Tina and I highly suggest comfortable clothing, especially if YOU are there the long hours that we are. She and I have been shopping this past Sunday and yesterday for what we need for this year's con, including clothing. Because we do a lot of waiting in lines, long pants are best for both of us. Those have been obtained. Again, I'm going to mention that for myself, Tina suggested that I stop wearing comic book character t-shirts and 'brand' myself for easier recognition. Thus if you are attending and run into me, I'll be wearing my signature indigo colored polo shirt with the white lettering 'ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com' on the left pocket area. I've got a half dozen of these, plus new dark blue jeans to go with those. If YOU see me at the Comic-Con, feel free to stop me and say hello! 
MAKE A PLAN ON WHERE TO MEET IF GROUP GETS SEPARATED: That's right! Because cell phones don't work in every nook and cranny of this convention center. So know where to meet up at! 
BADGES FOR KIDS: Yes, each kid has to have a badge to obtain entry to the Comic-Con!
LINE BUDDIES: Because 'Press' is not treated 'special' at this con, we are in lines just like everyone else. So 'Line Buddies' are important. We have certain people we see almost every year at this con, and we trade off with those people.
MAKING CONNECTIONS - Not the same as 'Line Buddies'. I exchange business cards with creators all 5 days of the Comic-Con. It's getting a little late, but if you do anything that is comic book or comic con related, you should have a business card to exchange with. 
BALLROOM 20 IS THE 'NEW' HALL 'H': Tina asked me to include this in the blog post. Last year the Comic-Con changed the line set up for this room. Ballroom 20 was almost as bad as Hall H to get into, because the Comic-Con had moved the line outside of the airconditioned hallway to outside in the sun. 
CASH IS 'KING': Having been a comic book dealer who set up at comic cons, it always amazes me that several dealers here don't have enough currency on hand to make change. 
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ATTENDING PROGRAMS, PANELS & EVENTS: Be sure to read 
Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review!
WEB PAGE NOTE: This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that!
PREPAID PARKING: First of all, this year there is the pre-paid parking option! We've already "reserved' parking space for all five days of the con under the Convention Center itself. 
PROGRAM SCHEDULES: Then, believe it or not, the Wed - Thur - Fri - Sat Comic-Con schedules are already posted! I double checked before starting this post at 4:30 AM PST Sunday Morning, July 11th, and Sunday's wasn't up yet. But it should be soon. You can start with 
CLOTHING: Next is clothing. For the 2009 SDCC, Tina suggested I stop wearing comic book character t-shirts and 'brand' myself. Thus if you are attending and run into me, I'll be wearing my signature indigo colored polo shirt with the white lettering 'ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com' on the left pocket area. I've got a half dozen of these, which is why last year's photos from the con show me in similar clothing each day.
FOOD & DRINK FOR MEALS & SNACKS: Tina & I are really looking closer at this topic for this year's con. That's because Tina came down with food posioning on Saturday evening last year during a program, and we had to leave. She more than highly suspects a certain food choice made from the concession stand was the reason, and is currently revising what we will do this year. 
ACCESSORIES: Due to the fact that we are so close to the SDCC, and that we almost always have underground parking, we can bring a lot of accessories, but not necessarily have to lug them around. For instance, we both have learned that sitting on the ground, whether pavement or grass or carpet is hard to do off and on all day / night. Thus we have opted to bring tiny, and I mean 'tiny' fold up stools. The convention center does not allow full size fold up chairs in the hallways, and you will be asked to take them out of the center. However the tiny fold up stools are perfect sized.
That's going to be it for this blog post, as I'm running out of room in this format. I do want to emphasize this however:
Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review!
WEB PAGE NOTE: This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that!
Here is 
Anyways, this TV Series and the two comic book mini-series have been really good viewing for Tina and myself since first finding it in 2007 at the SDCC by 'accident'. 
WEB PAGE NOTE: This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that!