SDCC 2010: The Write-Up

Driving down Tuesday night was surreal, like something out of a David Lynch movie. Nobody was on the highway. It was just me, my friends, the dark, and headlights. Nick had written a book for our friends at Fat Rabbit Farms, and had chained himself to signings starting at 10am every day. It was a SDCC Exclusive. Fancy. We got to the hotel pretty late, and promptly crashed.


Wednesday was interesting. It took the entire week to figure out why Kroze had not received his pro badge, and our journey started here. Altogether, it took about five different people to find out what exactly had happened, and only a few of them were nice. Oh well. In addition to Elite staff this year, there were these new white-shirted security guards, and they all did not look happy. Met up with the usuals: my friend, Liz, from The Looking Glass Wars; the Blank Label Comics people; RoosterTeeth - and I noticed how little foot traffic there was. I'd go as far as to say that it was at 2006 levels. Now, I don't want to attribute it to the fact that 152 panels were held at the Marriott and Hilton, but that could be the case. I just hope it does not affect CCI moving the con to a different location. Because it needs a bigger space. Every year since the population boom, it has been slowly crushing itself under its own weight. ent to Ralph's to buy provisions because the hotel did not get us a mini-fridge; everyone else was also at Ralph's. We discussed who was the most insignificant Flash in the lines.


Thursday, I began my coverage for ScriptPHD.
Panels: Tripwire Magazine and J.J. Abrams/Joss Whedon.
Thursday honestly felt like an entire week. It was really good. Did a lot of good stuff, talked to a lot of great people. Picked up the rest of the things on my list to pick up. Went to the BOOM! Studios party. Met up with the Timony's and some of the other Zudaites. Left to find Adam Atherton and go see the new Lost Boys film. Walked all the way to the center and then realized that it was back in the Hilton Bayfront, no more than ten feet away from the party. I talked with some people camping out for Ballroom 20 - and that should of been my clue to get in line early the next morning in order to cover Friday's panels.


Friday was a mess. Ballroom 20 closed during its second panel, but still people held their place in a line that stretched the entire upper portion of the center. Still felt like an extremely long day.
Panels: Graphic Novels: The Personal Touch
The moderator for the Graphic Novels panel was my good friend, Shaenon Garrity. A completely awesome person, it was really great seeing her again. Then met Karen Knighton, who I had not seen since APE of 2008, selling Owl Pillows. Went back to the Webcomics Pavilion, told the Penny Arcade fellows of my woeful getting-alongs with their nemesis, Jesse Thorn, in college. Probably the only thing we have in common. Met up with my friend, Matt the Super Actor, on the upper floor. Had a nice chat about acting, growing older, writing, and other stuff like that. We went to Joe's Crab Shack, a delightful place that I never knew existed before this year, but were too late to meet and eat with the rest of the Geeks. Followed them to another eatery on the Gaslamp, but could only stay about ten minutes. Went back to the center, where a panel with my friends, Chris Leone and Laura Harkom, just got out. They had just announced that they were writing the comic version of The Lost Room as a second season. That made me giddy. Went to a late night showing of SyFy's latest original picture, something about giant pirahnas. It was completely horrible, and yet, the most hilarious thing that I had ever seen. It seriously gave new meaning to SyFy's current slogan: 'Imagine Greater'. Ran into a Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers group meet-up. We discussed the suggestive nature of Gadget Hackwrench's name.


Saturday: I got sick, which took me out of one of the panels that I was to cover that day.
Panels: The Event screening and Teching Out on TV.
Chatted up Chris and Laura before they left. Extremely nice people. Talked to the Red 5 Comics guys about their submission policy. Tried in vain to find Frank Beddor at the Looking Glass Wars booth. Said hi to my friends, Phil and Brian Peterson, of God the Dyslexic Dog; they had just completed their trilogy. Promised Brian a review later. Met up with Nikki Harper, a friend from the Roosterteeth forums, and quickly got separated from her. Things happen.


Had dinner with LK, Kroze, Bam (a fascinating artist), and a few others from ComicsOnline, another geek blog. Learned that the CCI staff had been talking bad about me and Kroze and our quest to figure out what went wrong with the badges. That made me really annoyed, since they were extremely unhelpful, unwilling to actually let us tell our tale, and just cranky. Plus, it could hurt ComicsOnline.


Then went to the GeeksOn meet-up. Stayed about ten minutes. Said hi to Matt Mercer, and made plans. Got back, wrote my articles. Computer died. Wrote my articles again. Some other press dude came in and very rudely tried to get me and another press guy off the computers. Then left, and ten minutes later, security came. Finished up my articles never-the-less.


Sunday was the day that I finally showed up at the Fat Rabbit Farms booth. Patty, the artist of Nick's book, did not want to be photographed. Too bad. Stepped outside after a fascinating panel on the Ethnography of SDCC, and it was amazingly sunny. I welcomed it, for it had been amazingly windy and rainy in San Diego this year. It felt good on my skin. Said my farewell's.

Left.
All in all, it was a great one. I had more fun than I had in 2009, and the most fun I've had since my first SDCC. Everything was packed. Everyone brought their A-Game.

Gwen asked us all, while the car was still in the gaslamp district, if we should start thinking about hotels for 2011.

I can't even do that at this point. Then this happened.