Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   Preview Day (Not Preview Night) At The 2014 Comic-Con International

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4002 -    In Blog #4000 I mentioned that I would be attending Comic-Con International on Preview Day / Night.   Although I didn't have a badge for Preview Night.

Well.. I just arrived back home after spending several hours there in San Diego.  From 10 am to 5pm.  I wanted share a few notes with you and the photos that I shot today.

Here's are the notes:

Parking was a little easier today, due to the fact that I arrived early. Of course I couldn't park in the pre-sold parking areas that Ace Parking had for Comic-Con.  I was on a cruise in Alaska when those were provided for purchase, so missed out on that.  I'll see what tomorrow brings, as my backup is using the Trolley to get to the Convention Center.

The Bayfront Hilton was busy, and I recognized a few attendees from previous years.  I also stayed a while at the Starbucks there, after obtaining a copy of the Comic-Con Program Book and the Mini-Guide.  

Going back to the convention center I ran into Ray Height, a great artist who is on a couple of panels this year.

I then went across the street into the Gaslamp Quarter to get some lunch.  I passed on the SyFy cafe, didn't know the show that was being promoted and the prices too high for the food in my opinion.

So I went down to the TinFish, which was promoting a different TV show, titled 'Blacklist'.  And man... the food and pricing there was great!  

I then walked around a bit more, ending up at the Petco Interactive zone that was still being built up at 4:30 pm.  It wouldn't open until Thursday. 

So with that, I decided to leave for the day, as I didn't have Preview Night membership.

Definitely found out that Preview Day is just a setting up period.  I usually arrive after 12pm and get in line to go down to the Exhibit Floor, so hadn't seen what was around San Diego off site before this year.

Check out the photos I took today at the special photo album on my Facebook Fan Page to see what is going on during Preview Day.

Oh, and I am looking forward to spending my 62nd birthday at Comic-Con this year, which is tomorrow, Thursday!  More on that in a future blog post.

If you were lucky enough to obtain membership to this year's Comic-Con International... Enjoy yourself!

I do have memberships for Thursday and Sunday, and am planning on checking out the off site events going on during Friday and Saturday.

~Michael 

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 4,002 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!   Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   The Comic-Con Advance Party At The Old Spaghetti Factory!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4001 -    In Blog #4000 I mentioned I would be attending an Advance Party before the 2014 Comic-Con started. 

It was called the "Comic-Con Advance Party at the old Spaghetti Factory" that Greg Koudoulian was hosting. It was being held in the upstairs bar at the Old Spaghetti Factory on Fifth Avenue.  Parking suggested at a garage at 6th & K Streets. 

I arrived there at 7:30 pm after walking the streets checking out what was going on for late setup for the Comic-Con.

I had brought my camera along also.  Those photos & those taken at the Advance Party can be found at my Facebook Fan Page' special photo album, as seen at this link.

Will Lund was already there, and so was Robert Doty.  I sat down with them, and we talked about the upcoming Comic-Con.  Robert had a special position at this year's Con.  Will had been with the Con in the early 1970s.

There were more persons arriving at 8PM when the party officially started.  Of course I saw Greg Koudoulian, and he had invited a photographer from Washington DC to attend.  His name was Bruce Guthrie, and he has already 'tagged' me on Facebook with last night's photos.

Others that I met there included Giovanna Salas and William Schanes.

Although the final turnout was small, it was a good start for this year's Comic-Con.  I'm looking forward as to what today will bring for me, as I don't have a Preview Night ticket. I'll share with what I come up with today later....

~Michael 

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 4,001 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!   Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents Blog...   Number Four Thousand!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4000 -    Yes... This is Blog #4000!

It has taken several years to reach this milestone, and I am proud to haved made it this far...

This blog started as an eBay blog back in September of 2007.  I won a cash award from eBay for my blog during their start up campaign for eBay blogs, and proceeded to continue my blog after eBay shut down their blogging platform.  This blog is now reaching the end of its 7th year of publication.

There haven't been as many blog posts for the past ten months, and I'll tell you why.

You see I'm at the end of ten months of going through a divorce, which should be over after Comic-Con International 2014 ends this upcoming weekend.  The divorce should be final the end of July.

It has been hard to keep my mind on this blog... I used to blog once a day or even more, but with the divorce affecting my mental state, I've been both up and down on continuing this publication.

Add to that the fact that I've relocated to Chula Vista, (the South Bay area of San Diego), from North County San Diego.  So there has been an adjustment period that I have been going through...

That doesn't mean that I haven't been attending comic cons these past ten months... I've blogged about attending the 2013 San Diego Comic Fest, the 2013 So Cal Comic Con, the 2013 Long Beach Comic & Horror Con, the 2014 Wonder Con in Anaheim, the 2014 Free Comic Day event, the 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo, and the 2014 San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Expo in Baldwin Park.  

Plus this week is the 45th year of the (San Diego) Comic-Con International which I'm attending.  Well... Attending 2 of the 4 days of the con.   That's because I was only able to obtain badges for Thursday and Sunday.  Yes... The first time 1991 when the con moved from Golden Hall to the San Diego Convention that I'm going to miss a day, (well two days that is!).

So, I'm picking myself up from this blow, and attending the off site events that others are throwing on Friday and Saturday.  

Matter of fact, I'm attending a preview event tonight.  It is called the "Comic-Con Advance Party at the old Spaghetti Factory" that Greg Koudoulian is hosting. It is being held in the upstairs bar at the Spaghetti Factory.  Parking can be found at a garage at 6th & K Streets.

So even though I've been rocked hard by both the divorce and the lack of obtaining all 4 days & preview night at the Comic-Con... I'm still hanging in there.

I'm glad that you are reading this and hopefully you will be back for more reading in the weeks to follow.

Oh, and I'm once again celebrating my Birthday at Comic-Con!  Thursday, one of the two days I will be at the Con, is my 62nd Birthday!   That is nice that I will be able to attend there on my Birthday.    Plus the fact that I'm now able to take early retirement.

Thanks again for being here to read my 4,000th blog post!

~Michael 

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 4,000 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!   Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   The 2014 San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Expo!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3999 -    This past Saturday, I drove up to the 2014 San Gabriel Valley Comic Expo that was held in Baldwin Park, (part of the Los Angeles Metro area).  I haven't missed one of these Expos since first finding out about it a few years ago.   My youngest son, Vinne, joined me on the 2 & 1/4 hour trip from Chula Vista, (part of the San Diego Metro area).  

It was a long drive for me to attend this one day show.  The first nice thing about the show is that once again it was 'Free Admittance' to the Expo!   That in itself brought a little over 2,100 attendees to take part in this Expo.  Matter of fact there was a billboard at the I-10 & 605 Freeway advertising the Expo.  Pretty neat!

We arrived about 20 minutes before opening time, but took a look at the layout of the Expo.  This year there were booths at the North area of the center.   The vendors were setting up when we arrived.  The parking structure was not filled up when we entered it, and it was actually nice to be parked on the second floor without a pre-paid reservation!

We then went into the exhibit floor, where the comic book artists were featured.  A few were still setting up so we walked up to the 2nd floor and took photos of some of the artwork that was part of the month long comic book art exhbition at the center.   There will be photos of them and the whole day at my Facebook Fan Page.  Link to be shown below.

There were two tracks of programming at this show.  We attended four panels and both of us enjoyed being at the panels.  Vinnie and I especially enjoyed the final panel of the day.

Here are the four panels we attended and my thoughts on them:

Women Making Comics and Zines - Hosted by Grasiela Rodriguez, (who also planned all of the panels that were presented at both tracks.  Good job, Grasiela!)   Bernyce Talley, Aurora Pringle, Kim Burley Leonard and Jules Rivera shared their history with the attendees.   This was a good panel from the POV of women in comics.

Three Headed Monster - Moderated by Eddie Gonzales, with Lonnie Milsap, Jim Lujan and Jose Cabrera being interviewed.   The panel was fine, but the room was filled with round tables which was just a little awkward sitting at.

Animation Showcase -  Once again Jim Lujan showed off his cartoons.  Darn good!  If you get a chance to Jim's videos, take a look!

Forgotten Treasurers of Mexican Comics - Presented by Keith Rainville, with special panel guests, Rafael Navarro and Lestat.  I saw a presentation by these three at the Latino Comic Expo in Long Beach in 2013 that was also a lot of fun to view.   These guys know their stuff!

Vinnie and I also did some art craft work on the second floor, and there were other kids there as well.  That was fun!

The individual tables the artists were at were distributed well throughout the exhibit hall.  I knew most of these artists from previous comic cons throughout the Southland, and felt welcome there.  There were a couple of women artists there from Fresno that I had never met, so there was a mixture of old friends and new people for me to talk with.

Here is the link to my YouTube Channel, where I will be uploading short videos from the panels we attended.

Here is the link to my Facebook Fan Page photo album for the 2014 Comic Book Expo.

My Thanks to those that made this 2014 San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Expo another successful day!  And to Grasiela for presenting very interesting panels in the programming!

Here is the link to their Facebook Fan Page!  You should take a look at my photos and videos, and make sure you attend the 2015 San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Expo.  Especially if you are in the Los Angeles Metro Area and live within an hour's drive to Baldwin Park!

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,999 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!   Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   The 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3998 -    This past weekend, I drove up to the Long Beach Convention Center to take in the Long Beach Comic Expo, which I have done the past several years.  I haven't missed a one of these Expos, nor the larger Long Beach Comic Con since it started.

I knew that the Expo had expanded to two days this year, and that it had moved to the upstairs of the Convention Center before arriving in Long Beach.

I opted to buy just the Saturday membership, as I only saw one panel on Sunday that I would want to attend.  So I wanted to check out the exhibit floor before making a committement to drive back up the 125 miles from my place in Chula Vista.

The parking was easy to accomplish.  I arrived at 9:20 AM on Saturday.  Parking in the bottom section, I took the elevator to the Long Beach Convention Center ground floor. 

Upon entering I was met by signs / booths / etc. for a different convention, having to do with Tea.  (Not the Tea Party... Just Tea.) 

So I made my way up the stairs to the 2nd floor.   That is where there was a line for the pickup of pre-paid tickets, which I had done.  I sat down on a chair to organize myself, when I was met by Bob Bretall, who I have blogged about before.  He and his wife were there for the day, and I talked with them for a while.

The doors opened to the Exhibit Hall on time, and I passed the Expo's promoter, Martha Donato, on the way in!

The inside of the Exhibit Hall was a little strange in layout, and I almost missed a couple of rows during checking it out during the day.  I bought some comics for resale, and headed down to my car to place them in, so I could attend a couple of panels.

I enjoyed seeing the first panel titled:  Career Spotlight on Gerry Conway.  He is a couple of months younger than me, and I remember when he first broke into Marvel Comics back in late 1970.  He had been working at DC Comics prior to that.  I have a video that will be uploaded sometime soon at my YouTube Channel.

I also enjoyed seeing the second panel titled: Career Spotlight on Marv Wolfman.  I had enjoyed several of his titles at Marvel, especially the 'Tomb of Dracula' with art by Gene Colan.  I'll also upload a video from this panel at my YouTube Channel.

The third panel I attended, later on in the day titled:  Comic Pros In Other Media, had Gerry, Marv and also Len Wein.   Really good panel!

I found myself staying till almost closing... But decided not to come back the next day, as I had a San Diego Comic Fest monthly meeting to attend on Sunday.

However, I found this small comic con to be fun as usual, and was notified that next year's Expo will be even larger in size, as it is moving to another hall.  So I'll be sure to attend that one also!

Here is the link to my Facebook photo album on the 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo.

Thanks to Martha, Phil & Mike for another successful Long Beach Comic Expo!

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,998 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!   Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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