For those of you who are unaware (like myself until recently), Comic-Con is in its 40th year this year. It is the largest convention of its kind and includes sneak-peak movie premiers, artist booths, informative panels, outrageous costumes, and many more activities and events. The following is my experience going out to L.A. to visit my brother, then driving down to San Diego to meet up with a fellow comic compadre, Keith Quinn.
Comic-Con: First Day (Thursday)
This was my first Trip to San Diego and the first to see the convention center. While the facility itself is beautiful with several courtyards and balconies overlooking Embarcadero Marina Park, getting anywhere near the building took some time. We first tried to drive up to the entrance, but realized quickly that it was too crowded to even attempt it. Instead, my brother dropped me off several blocks away and I walked. This enabled him to escape the insane traffic jam that had formed and gave me a little more flexibility to maneuver through the crowd. While I had planned for him to come with us, our recent experience with getting tickets online from an individual selling them was a complete nightmare. I will save the details of that story for another post. Suffice to say he had other plans while I was attending.
The plan was to meet up with Keith, my Part-Time Comics podcast partner and pass procurer, once I arrived. Although I reviewed the map and had what I thought was a good understanding of scale, I underestimated how large the place was. It took 15 minutes to finally get together and get situated at the table. Keith had reserved a table in Artist’s Alley for himself and another friend of his that couldn’t attend. Luckily for me, he had an extra pass and all it took was coordinating with the event organizers to get my name on the list. Keith spent the majority of time at his booth with me relieving him two or three times during the day. While he had all three of his titles available for sale, he was gracious enough to allow me a small space to stack the limited numbers of Brawn books I had brought.
The first chance I got to explore was an absolute blast. The biggest comic convention I had been to prior to this was Staple! Independent Media Expo in Austin, Texas. In addition, I had attended SXSW Interactive for years, as well as other educational conferences and events. None of my previous experiences could have prepared me for the wall-to-wall people at this event. Comic-Con was by far the biggest I had experienced, and as one fan described it, “it’s the Superbowl of conventions.” It took me all afternoon on Thursday just to get half way through the trade show area. During that time, I saw an amazing array of costumed folks socializing with the artists, vendors, and celebrities who where there.
The evening festivities included Keith and I meeting up with my brother for some drinks at Yard House, a local brew pub near one of the hotels. The food was excellent as well as the beer selection. The restaurant had a nice ambiance – slightly upscale without being too pretentious. After that, we walked Keith back to his place, then headed off to our hotel.
Second Day (Friday)
I got up early Friday morning and hit the buffet at the hotel. I knew I’d need to fill up considering the limited options at the convention center. As we experienced Thursday in trying to get some lunch, the fare ranged from $5 hot dogs to $3.75 cokes – not my idea of fine dining. I made sure I packed a lot of granola bars, water, and comfortable walking shoes for the day ahead of me. After filling my backpack with comics, posters, and giveaways the first afternoon, I made sure to empty it for the second days events. I wandered around for a bit at the opening, then took my turn at the table. It was really interesting talking to the variety of people that approached us with questions. Most were there to see the big names from Marvel, DC, Image, Wild Storm, Dark Horse, etc., but they were eager to talk and/or get a quick sketch done. One grad student even asked if we used Deviant Art to present any of our work. Apparently it was for a paper he was writing, so I shared with him my limited experience of uploading personal illustrations to the service. We also had people asking to share their portfolio, listen to their music, and even drop off samples from other booths. The day concluded with the three of us hitting the House of Blues for some music and dinner.
Third Day (Saturday)
The final day (for me anyway) was a short one. I made sure to substitute for Keith early, as I wasn’t going to be there all afternoon. Although Comic-Con goes on through Sunday, my brother and I had planned on heading back to make sure we caught some of the sights in L.A. before I headed back to Austin. We ate at some really great restaurants including Bright Spot and Fred 66. My brother was a great tour guide and took me to the observatory overlooking he city, the Hollywood star walk, and to the Arc Light theatre to see the Hangover. The Arc Light is known for it’s spacious seating and optimal movie experience, for which it didn’t disappoint. I left Sunday afternoon feeling as though I could’ve spent another three days in L.A.
Aftermath
All-in-all, it was a great trip and I’d definitely like to go back next year. Next time, I’ll be more patient waiting in line for autographs and simply decide to go as a fan rather than a vendor. While I actually bartered a few comics during the event, I didn’t sell any of the 6 comics I brought. Some of the panels I had a chance to attend were informative, including How to Market your Indie Comic and another on podcasting. One of the more amazing things was seeing people actively expressing themselves by dressing up in their favorite hero costumes. Celebrity sightings included Lou Ferigno, Leonard Nemoy, Kevin Sorbo, Jon Favreau, Amanda Palmer, and others. Despite the crowds, it was a wonderful experience I hope to be a part of next year.