|
|
|
|
Computer Times Article by Angie Kibiloski
Last week, I attended Comic Con down in sunny San Diego, CA. Held in July every year, this event is one of the biggest pop culture expos in the world, with exhibitors spanning the spectrum of entertainment. This was the 42nd successful year for Comic Con! From comics, novels, and artwork, to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys, this convention has a little of everything. During the 4 days of the show, over 125,000 people gather at the San Diego Convention Center to find out what’s new with their favorite franchises, snag exclusive merchandise releases, get absolutely loaded down with free goodies, and meet some of the icons of the entertainment industry. Not only is the entire show floor of the convention center packed with booths of all kinds, there are hundreds of panel discussions throughout each day, where those lucky enough to get a seat can hear all about the newest developments in TV, movies, comics, and more. The crowds are a bit overwhelming, and the shear quantity of things so do and see makes Comic Con one hell of a crazy 4 day experience, but its also a whole lot of fun. And, if you have a super hero costume lying around, don’t be afraid to wear it…you certainly won’t be alone.
The exhibit hall booths are not just for the giant, well-known companies, though there are plenty of them there. You can find some gems in the smaller, independent booths as well. Sometimes, its easier to see the smaller booths, as the hoards of people are swarming the larger spaces, in hopes of seeing a celebrity or scoring some premium swag. It’s amazing how normally mild mannered nerds can become ravenous beasts, practically climbing over each other to possess a pack of Breaking Dawn trading cards. Now I confess, I am not above descending on a booth, vulture-like, just to get my hands on a super hero button or a Sharpie with the name of a TV show on it, but I still value all of my limbs, so quickly learned to choose my battles. I came home with my fair share of free junk, which I estimate weighs about 10 pounds, or at least that’s what it felt like while lugging it on my back all day at the show. In fact, all said and done, I got 19 free comic books, 20 buttons, 12 posters, 3 t-shirts, 4 bags which include the 3 foot tall official Comic Con carrier bag, and a random assortment of toys, trinkets, stickers, novelty items, and cards…and one stuffed purple squid. Some particular faves are the ThunderCats button, the Supernatural saltshaker, the Square Enix tarot cards, and the collapsible water bottle from Vampire Diaries shaped like a blood bag. Are any of these things useful? Probably not, but I had a great time collecting them. I also thrilled at the chance to get a selection of photos and autographs from some of my favorite industry people, like Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and Jo Chen. These sightings satisfied the geek who lives inside me.
I couldn’t possibly list all of the major players in the industry who were there, but I can give you a taste of what the show had to offer. In video games, we had EA Sports with their new snowboarding game called SSX, Telltale Games with the first look at their Jurassic Park title, and THQ with the very exciting announcement of a Voltron game in the works. Nintendo, Konami, Activision, Square Enix, and Capcom were also on site. Notable comic giants were DC, Dark Horse, and Marvel, each with super fun booths and autograph signings all day. Mattel, and LEGO represented the toys, while higher end stores like Sideshow Collectibles appealed to the really avid scale figure collectors. Some popular authors were there, including Jim Butcher, George R.R. Martin, and Frank Beddor, who’s autograph I was thrilled to get inside my brand new copy of Seeing Redd. All of the TV and movie studios you’d expect to attend were there, including CW, Showtime, WB, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Starz, and FOX, all featuring their current or upcoming shows and movies, with cool giveaways for all.
The panels, which run every hour, and fill 18 meeting rooms, can cover anything from the screening of a new pilot, to the basics of drawing for comic books, to an intellectual discussion on the possibility of a zombie apocalypse. As long as you feel like waiting in line long enough, there is a panel for everyone. This was actually the most frustrating aspect of the show for me though. They don’t clear the rooms in between each panel, so people can just stay for one after another. I waited over 4 hours to get into a panel for The Big Bang Theory, and still didn’t get in, because there were 2 panels in that room before mine, and NO ONE left. So, a tip for anyone who goes next year…get in line VERY early in the morning if you want to have a prayer of seeing your chosen panel, and be prepared to sit through some you don’t care anything about, to claim your seat for the one you actually want. I DID get to see the Castle panel on the last day, and thoroughly enjoyed the hour. 5 cats members there, including Nathan Fillion of course, and all were very witty and charming. I even got to see a little teaser of the season opener, which will air in September. Some other panels that sounded interesting were The Early Works of Jim Henson, Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes, The Walking Dead, Writing for Books vs. Comics, Game of Thrones, Profiling the Serial Killers of Gotham, and a multitude of new pilots for the fall.
The biggest frustration of the show was the crowds. On the show floor, for much of the day, I literally had to shoulder my way through the masses of people, just so I could get from booth to booth. The whole thing is a bit chaotic and less organized than other trade shows I’ve been to. However, with that said, I’m certainly glad I went, as it was an incredibly fun time despite the craziness. What pop-culture fan wouldn’t enjoy 4 full days of being surrounded by everything they love, from movie and TV, to books and comics, all in the same space? Who wouldn’t want to get within photographing range of their favorite stars? Who wouldn’t be overjoyed to come home with a bag full of free collectibles from all sorts of entertainment properties? Comic Con in an experience unlike any other, and one I’m sure to partake in again sometime in the future…maybe not 2 years in a row, but definitely soon. Thank you Comic Con, for one unforgettably good time.
|
|
Send mail to
comptimes@aol.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
