Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   The 2014 San Diego Comic Fest... In Total

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4016 -    It is the Monday after the three day 2014 San Diego Comic Fest...

First, let me tell you that I am associated with this comic convention.  I am the administrator of the Facebook Fan Page for the San Diego Comic Fest, and have been since it started being organized three years ago by Mike Towry, who is a co-Founder of the San Diego Comic Con, now called Comic-Con International.

You can see my name, as well as the other Committee members in the Program Guide on pages 4 & 5 of this year's publication.  There are a lot of staff members involved with putting on a comic convention, that's for sure!

Anyway's here's 'My Take' on this year's third annual show:

Programs -  This to me is the highlight of the San Diego Comic Fest.  As you can see by the online presentation of the schedule, (this link), there was a lot of programming!   Saturday and Sunday, my youngest son and I attended almost non-stop, a program every hour!   There was a lot of variety in topics also, from films to sci-fi to comics and more.  This is what makes this San Diego Comic Fest a 'Must See' show!

Music Tent - Yes... A 'Music Tent'.  And there were several good bands there as well.  Madus, Leave The Universe, Digital Lizards of Doom were the bands that we listened to.  But there were several others. 

The Twilight Zone Cafe -  Which was a tribute to Rod Serling's TV show.  It was nice that his daughter was there to talk about her dad.   The prices of the food were very reasonable, and I ate healthy for a change!  The cafe was also the setting for the Friday night party, the Jerry Siegel Centennial Celebration Party!  See the top photo of Laura Siegel Larson along with her two sons cutting the Superman cake.  Laura is the daughter of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.  This was a good place to meet new people and get caught up with friends from the past.

Le Sommet - Which was basically the Childrens Programming room during the Fest.  A good place to bring your kids or grandkids to.

Artists Alley - Up to 36 different artists were showcased in this small room, but fun was had by all that attended!

The Dealers Room - There were a few less tables this year, due to Fire Marshall guidelines... But still plenty to see and buy!

Registration - This operation went smoothly, even though more admission tickets had to be printed!

Masked Ball - A good time was had by those that attended.

And yes, there were other activities... But I didn't attend those, so I'll not mention them.

Once again, I had a great time at this smaller in size show.  The aim was for about 2,000 total attendees. 

Where the 2015 San Diego Comic Fest will be located is anybody's guess at this time.  As the East side of the Town and Country Resort & Hotel is being torn down and replaced with condos next year.  But I'll keep you posted as to where the Comic Fest will be...

My thanks to all my fellow San Diego Comic Fest Staff members for putting on a pretty darn good show this year!.

Here are the links for you to follow and read more:

The Photo Album for photos I took and posted at my Facebook Fan Page.

The Facebook Fan Page for the San Diego Comic Fest.

The web site for the San Diego Comic Fest.

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 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 Mentions That...   The 2014 San Diego Comic Fest... Starts Tomorrow!  It Runs Friday October 17th thru Sunday the 19th!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4015 -    I just finished posting a couple of more articles with links on the Facebook Fan Page for the San Diego Comic Fest.  As several of you already know, I've been doing the Fan Page for the first three years of the San Diego Comic Fest.   Which is why you see so many of the posts on my own Facebook Fan Page.

Anyways, this is just a note to readers of this blog that the 3rd Annual San Diego Comic Fest starts tomorrow, and runs through Sunday October 19th at the Town and Country in the Mission Valley Area of San Diego.

You can buy single day tickets or three day passes to the Comic Fest at the door. 

There are some great programs / panels this year also.  See this link.

There are also several great guests!  See this link.

You can also dance at this convention, on Saturday night.  See the Masked Ball link.

The Friday night party is the Jerry Siegel Centennial Celebration.

There's also the Dealers Room, the Twilight Zone Cafe, Childrens Programs Area, the Live Art & Entertainment Tent, plus much more this year!

I'm pleased to have been associated with the San Diego Comic Fest the past three years.

I invite YOU to come join all of us sometime in the next three days!

For those that can't make it... I'll be posting photos on the San Diego Comic Fest Facebook Fan Page, as well as on my own Facebook Fan Page.   Plus I'll be uploading all of the photos I take after the Comic Fest is over, on my Fan Page.

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 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 Says...   Look Who's On The Blacklist...

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4008 -    I blogged the last few days on the 2014 Comic-Con International.  I actually have enough material gathered from that convention to post blogs on for a few more weeks!

However, today I'm posting about a TV show I've never seen... 'Blacklist', aired on Monday on NBC TV.

The reason I'm posting about this is a momento I received while eating at the Tinfish / Blacklist restaurant across the street from the San Diego Convention Center.

The restaurant had been changed to be a full building advertisement for the TV show.  The pricing was good for the fish dishes... I ate there twice during Comic-Con!

The TV show had a booth where they were shooting photos of the guests / diners.  I decided when there was a lull in the line to get in, to do it myself.  The above photo card is the result, with me as #59 - The Photo Bomber!

Now I'll have to watch the show for at least one episode when it returns for its second season!

Here is the Wikipedia entry link for the show. Not that it has anything to do with Comic-Con of old... But so many people attend Comic-Con nowadays that don't even pay attention to comic books!

(And NO... I didn't attend the Blacklist program held during Comic-Con!)

~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 4,008 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 Comic-Con International In Total...

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4005 -    It has been an hour since the 2014 Comic-Con International officially closed...

For a change I actually left the San Diego Convention early, yes early.  I walked out with purchases made and that I couldn't see carrying further with only 40 minutes left till the Con closed.

So I hoofed it over to the garage, sat down and turned on the ignition.  Then I proceeded to drive home, only stopping at red lights and at a local fast food drive through.

So how did I like / dislike this year's Comic-Con?

Well... I was actually glad I left early, seriously.  There were so many ups and downs this year for me.

If you have been this Blog the past few days, you'll know that for the first time since 1991... That I did not have a four day membership nor Preview Night privileges.   Yeah, that bothered me.  Actually it affected my thinking of this year's con each day of this past week. 

If I hadn't been going for the past 23 years I probably would have said skip it when Thursday and Sunday were the only options left for me to buy.  

But I did buy, and tried to make the most of this year's con.

Starting with going to an Advance Comic Con Party on Tuesday evening, (see blog #4001), followed up by going to the Con early on Preview Day (Not Preview Night as I did not have a ticket to get in), see Blog #4002, and then spending my Birthday on the first day of the con, (see blog #4003). 

Heck, I even tried to make the best of it by going to the Off-Site Activities outside of the Convention Center that did not require a con badge.  (See blog #4004).

Well, as stated above, the Comic-Con is now finished for 2014.  I'll post the photos I took today on my Facebook Fan Page, (as seen at this link).

The highlights for me today were the two panels that I attended.  First was the Annual Jack Kirby Tribute panel, which has now been held 20 years, (of which I have attended all 20 of them), and a Spotlight on Michelle Nolan, which I also enjoyed hearing Michelle, Maggie Thompson, and Bud Plant talk about the old days. But that was it, just two panels today.

The rest of the day was spent checking the exhibit floor, and running out to the car to drop off stuff I bought.  Yes, bought. There were next to nothing that was free swag this year.  Even the freebie tables had nothing of any interest to me.  Just advertisements for things to buy or other conventions to attend nationwide.

I did do my annual purchasing at the TwoMorrows booth.  Picking up the latest Jack Kirby Collector, and other miscellaneous items that John's company has published since last seeing the company booth.  More on that later after I've read the latest issue(s).

I also bought some comics for resale purposes at one booth, as the prices were too good to pass up, (after all it was the last hours of the con!).   But because my car was so far away, I held back on purchases this year also.

As stated in this week's blog posts I did have some fun at this con.  You can't help but do so, with so much variety of programs / panels to attend. 

But the long lines to get in the convention center, and long lines outside at the Off Site Activities just got me down this year.   First time I believe this has happened to me, and I haven't missed a day since 1991 when the con first moved to the San Diego Convention Center.

The crowds were in force both Thursday and Sunday as far as I could tell.  Not pleasant to navigate through.  I had to navigate them because Artists Alley is at one end of the center, and the Small Press almost at the end of the other side.

I mentioned my problem of not being able to attend all four days to a couple of the con's senior staff.  Time will tell if anything can be done to alleviate this problem for next year.

All in all, the Comic-Con International is something YOU have to see at least once in your lifetime. Seriously, even with all the problems with crowds, lines, etc., etc.  I realize it is getting harder to obtain admission but you have to do it at least once in your lifetime.

Again, don't forget to check out the pics I'm uploading at this link.

~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 4,005 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 & Photos On...   The Off-Site Activities At The 2014 Comic-Con International

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4004 -    I have already mentioned in this Blog that I didn't have tickets to all four days of this year's Comic-Con International.

So yesterday I and a friend went to see the Off-Site Activities that circle the San Diego Convention Center.

First of all, I was too late in driving to my newly found parking area that I had been parking at since last Tuesday night.  So I checked other areas in Downtown.   The only lots left wanted $35 for the day... Sheesh!

So I went down to the South Bay and checked out three parking lots at three different trolley stations.  Would you believe... Not one parking spot for my car!

So I drove back to the $35 parking lot and that was full!  However, they suggested going to the MTS building, where, also for $35, I could park.  So I did.

That building was next door to the first Off-Site Activity that we walked to.

That was the Petco Park Interactive Lot.  There we stood in line for the 24 Drones, the Amazon Locker, the Norton 'Take Control of Your Future' X-Men tent, the Hello Kitty truck & booth, and the Gotham City auto show. We could have stayed even longer, but the lines... The lines were so long.  We spent a few hours just at this park and did not do all of the interactive areas.

We then went to the Art Expo, located in the old Wonderbread Building.  I used to work across the street, at Hoffmeyer Company, before the land was purchased to extend the parking lot for Petco Park.  Inside the two story building was a lot of artists with varying genres of art.  Not all was comic book related.  I did find a few works that were interesting to me.  One was a mash-up comic book created by Mark Todd.  I am going to have to blog about this book, as I enjoyed seeing it so much, that I purchased a copy for my own collection.

Heading back to the car to unload what we had picked up, we then walked across the bridge to the Bayfront Hilton area.

There we saw the Simpsons area and took that in.  See the photos I snapped.   The lines there were long also, so we didn't stand in each of them. 

Right by the Simpsons area was a zipline that had a long line also!  It was for the upcoming TV series titled 'Gotham', which I am going to watch this upcoming 2014-15 TV Season.

Behind that was the Godzilla exhibit. We stood in line for a photo to be inserted into a movie poster, and then another line for a mini-clip.  I will be sharing that at my Facebook Fan Page next week.

After finishing a stay at Starbucks lounge to rest up, we walked by the Hall H line, up the pavement past Halls G, F, etc., until we came to the crossing to the 5th Avenue exit.  We then went to Tinfish, where we had the same fried fish burrito I had on Wednesday that I posted about.   The restaurant was extremely busy, (great pricing!), and we took turns going to get a photo taken at the Blacklist booth.

Leaving there we took in the Nerd HQ inside of Petco Park.  It was busy, although there really wasn't much of interest to me.  By now it was past 5:30 pm, and I really wanted to see the 'Vikings' area, so we hoofed it to 2nd Avenue.  We arrived there just at 6 PM and they had just closed it down for the day, with hundreds of people inside waiting to get their photos taken in costume on a Viking warship.  Looked like fun, but not for us due to the closing of the venue.

We then walked back to Tinfish / Blacklist, and came across two more areas that were also closed down for the day.  I shot a couple of photos of Assain Creed Unity.

Stopping at the Omni Hotel, I shot a few pics outside the windows of Petco Park.

We left at 7 PM, and had seen if not actually been interactive with, the majority of the Off Site Events outside of the San Diego Convention Center.

Quite honestly, I can now see why people are told to check out the Off-Site activities, as first of all you DON'T have to have a Comic-Con badge to get involved, and we saw a LOT of folks with four day badges partaking in these activities also.

Myself, I've always stayed inside the convention center from early morning to late evening, as the cost of joining the con has been so high priced in recent years, and quite honestly there is enough programming inside for me to stay throughout the day & night.

But... Trust me, after checking out this year's Off-Site Activities, you don't have to have a Comic-Con badge to have fun outside of the San Diego Convention Center!

Oh, and here is the link to the special photo album from yesterday, as posted at my Facebook Fan Page.

Today, without a badge for Saturday, I slept in, and after posting this blog and uploading the photos, I am going to get ready for the final day of the con, Sunday, which I have a badge to get into.

Thanks for reading this, and if you are in San Diego this weekend... Check out the Off-Site Activities that don't cost you anything to participate, other than finding parking!

~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 4,004 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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