Sunsetcon

If you are like us, you are very, very sick of San Diego. We’ll have some thoughts, some photos and this link roundup, but unless something of bold and shocking content suddenly appears, that’s it. We’re moving forward!

§ Hip flask photo set with lots of us and FMB!

§Sean T. Collins has many excellent thoughts:

* I really, really didn’t like when Jane Wiedlin and a platoon of stormtroopers presented at the Eisners. First of all, they caused a delay to the show and turned out not to be worth waiting for. Second, when they finally showed up, they entered aaaaaaaallllll the way in the back of the hall and we spent pretty much the entire Imperial March waiting for them to make it to the stage. Third–and I say this as someone who has the Rebel Alliance insignia tattooed on my arm and entered my wedding reception with my wife to that selfsame Imperial March–we were supposed to be celebrating the absolute best that comics has to offer. For that matter, Brad Meltzer and that horrible “Speedy and Halle Berry vs. rubble” issue of Justice League of America notwithstanding, a lot of the winners in their categories–Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, Taiyo Matsumoto, Dave Stewart, Ed Brubaker, Fletcher Hanks, etc.–really were the best that comics has to offer. And this is how we honor them? It was like the Rob Lowe/Snow White number from the Oscars. Tom Kenny was funny and Barry Windsor-Smith wrecking shop via a written statement read by Gary Groth was too, though.


§ Randomly chosen creator blog: Tom Neely:

The convention was a big success, too. I debuted my Melvins comic book “Your Disease Spread Quick” and it was well received. I also sold out of my mini-comic collection of comic strip poems. The biggest surprise was how quickly I sold out of my Moby Dick prints. I didn’t have them until Saturday morning, but all week people kept stopping by and looking at the proof I had on display.

§ We met our new arch-nemesis, LA Times comics blogger Geoff Boucher at the show, but he was so nice we couldn’t hate him. =( He also had a fine post on taking the comic book CULTURE out of Comic-Con:

Comic-Con, which used to be far more dungeon than dragon, is following a similar career path. The event began in the Nixon years as a swap meet for musty old pulp, but this year it had a red carpet and Hollywood squads selling comedies such as “Pineapple Express” and “Hamlet 2” as much as capes. More than 120,000 people attended the florid entertainment carnival, which now has a big enough tent for TV, toys and video games.

“There does seem to be some random booths here which don’t have anything to do with comics,” said Jaime King, the starlet who came south to promote the December comic-book film “The Spirit.” “Slowly but surely the entertainment community is taking over to promote their projects here even though they have absolutely nothing to do with comics. What’s next? A panel for ‘Deal or No Deal’?”


LOOK PEOPLE, EVEN THE NERD-LEBRITIES ARE MISSING THE COMICS, DO YOU HEAR ME?

§ They are also taxed by just getting in to all the parties they have to attend:

“It’s really hard getting into the parties,” explained Colin Ferguson, who plays U.S. Marshal Jack Carter in the Sci Fi series “Eureka.”

Sedan-sized balloons promoting “Fringe” carried this come-on: “Imagine The Impossibilities.” OK, here’s one: crossing the Gaslamp, by limo or cattle car, without becoming mired in gridlock. And once you reached party central, you had to run the name-checking, ID-inspecting gauntlet. The list keepers took no chances even, it turned out, if you were a guest of honor.

“With all the restrictions,” said Ferguson, who was due at the EW/SF shindig, “it takes 15, 20 minutes to get to the parties you are supposed to go to.”

§ Rick Marshall photos
§ NPR has three stories on Comic-Con:

Caped Crusaders Descend On San Diego
Comic Convention Draws Record Crowds
Librarians Harvest New Manga Titles At Comic-Con

§ John Jakala comments on the last with A Comic-Con Story You Won’t Find on Newsarama.

§ While we were away, the LA Times Book Review section passed from this earth.

§ Comic Foundry con photos. Yes, my Eisner outfit was HORRIBLE.

§ Pulp Secret Flickr set without my horrible dress!

1 COMMENT

  1. Blame it on the Con Crud, Heidi… One fox pass among many charming outfits over the years…

    And, hey, we get to see the future Mr. Beat!

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