Some Notes on Comic-Con 2008.

Hey everyone, thanks for the concern. Yes, I am back from San Diego. We all had a good time. That I know of--there is one coworker I have not heard peep from.

It is true, Paul Reubens canceled his appearance for reasons unknown to me. I was kinda disappointed, kinda relieved. We planned to hit the road early and Madmojo wisely double-checked the programming schedules. No Paul means no rush. We still tried to leave on the early-ish side and were out of Silverlake before 8 a.m.

Traffic was a little thick at the worst. Mostly smooth sailing. Ditched the car and took the trolley into downtown. The crowds were not insane as last year. I think this is the benefit of selling out before the Convention start. No latecomers lining up around the building only to be disappointed. It was also helpful to not be stuck in the annual heat wave. San Diego was a little overcast at times but by the afternoon, clear skies.

Every year as the number of attendees grows, it becomes more and more chill for me. No scramble to get a book signed, wondering where shit is, how to get lunch/drinks, how to get into panels. My biggest worry these days is how to get to SD, but I've always had a way thanks to friends. (Big thanks to Madmojo and Mark this year.)

Kinda scary: Early afternoon, my back was on the verge of giving out. I know this. I'm always having lower back issues and I know my limits. I get the same feeling after walking around the mall too long then sitting on a hard bench. I'm falling apart, man. I walked the Convention Center for 4 hours with no sitting. Oh man, what if I collapsed in pain right here in this aisle while people buy t-shirts? That would be bad. That's the kind of thing people capture on their videophones and put on the Youtoobs. By then I was glad I passed on the $100 Gary Panter collection. It's a good reason aside from the expense. Besides, you can almost always order the heavy stuff online. Still, I silently cursed the small softcover Fenwick book I'd bought (we made up later).

Met a couple guys I'd previously only known online. That was kind of cool. They were generous people and very cool. Met up with some people I know in person too.

Seems like there weren't as many costumed people this year? Am I wrong?

Rockin' Lobster. Should we kill this tradition? Probably?

More on the Convention and the spoils coming soon. I'm still uploading photos, but if you wanted to take a peek at the set so far, here's a link.