The Weigh In 65

This year, none of our regular crew here at the studio was able to make it to the show and were all busy digging up the latest news and rumors we could find floating around the net. While that still allows us to keep you guys up to date on all of the coolness, something was missing. We couldn’t give you the feel (and in this case the smell) of the convention floor. Luckily, with the help of the lovely and talented Katie Cook, we get a chance to see the convention from the eyes of a seasoned convention-goer on her first trip to the San Diego con.

So without further ado…

My First Time Going to Nerd Prom... or, My First San Diego Comic-Con

by Katie Cook

Now, I'm hardly wet behind the ears when it comes to comic book conventions. I've lost track of how many I've been to over the years, and now that I work in the industry as an artist, I frequently have my own table in artists' alley and have become part of the spectacle myself.

I've worked some of the larger conventions before. I boarded my plane to San Diego with a huge chip on my shoulder, thinking "It can't be too much bigger than the Wizard World Chicago show..."

But nothing, NOTHING, prepared me for how huge the San Diego Con is. I walked in the door, sporting my "professional" badge and an unladylike strut... and came to a dead stop.

Of course, the fact that I was in front of a ten foot tall Optimus Prime was part of that, but mostly because of the HUGEness of the convention hall, the displays, the throngs of people, the comic celebrities, the toys, the swag and the ever so awesome everything that bombarded me as I walked in the doors.

With my husband in tow, we pressed on into the enormous room. I had doubts that, even though we were there for 4 days, we'd never be able to see all of this.

…or buy everything that made me say "I HAVE to have that!".

The first day there was spent getting the "lay of the land" down. The map that came with the "comic-con program" had itty-bitty print... and my glasses were MIA... back on my kitchen table in Michigan. Also, it was located in a brick of a program that was more the size of a Christmas edition Land's End Catalogue than a program. Also, the first day was for collecting swag. Precious, precious swag. We seriously had to walk back to the hotel mid-afternoon to drop off our bags and bags of free comics and trinkets to come back and pick up the bigger things we'd bought!

Just a side note... but I'm pretty sure that every company has learned that the best way to bring people over to your booth is to offer up free buttons. No one cares what's on them, as long as they are free buttons. There were always a swarm of people around the tables and bins with buttons in them! I'm going to have to remember that for future reference at my artists' alley table...

But, after the first day, after we'd learned the terrain of comic-con, there was more mingling and networking. You meet SO many people at comic-book conventions... for me, sometimes they're good online friends that you'd never really met in real life. Sometimes they're people you've known from the convention circuit for years... and you're only best of friends for those few days you're together... and then your fellowship is broken on that last day of the con, but when you see them again it's like it's only been a few days since you saw them last. And sometimes, you meet other like-minded people that just make you feel a little less nerdy… because they can recite the original Star Wars trilogy by heart and you're not quite there yet.

That's my favorite part of comic-con. Not the giant displays and the overwhelming number of toys and comic and movies, but the people you meet and network with along the way. They're kind of my "comic-con family".

That's just me running on… sorry. I'm actually not sure where to start as far as what happened to me personally during comic-con. I had a portfolio in hand at all times... and had friends that introduced me to wonderful people that believe in my work, and them made sure I "bumped" into just the right people to show my work too. I went to parties with wookiees and jedi, was given a very drunk kiss on the cheek by Brian Singer, learned what a small world it was by meeting "a friend of a friend who knows that guy who knows THIS guy that knows my husband from this thing...", drank with the Star Wars artists, learned that much greater artists than I were fans of lil' ol' me, and had more fun than I've had in a long time. Even the lightsaber duel at my wedding reception could not compare the fun of the after-hours of comic-con.

To finish off this babbling review, I'd like to say that this comic-con isn't really a place anymore. It's not a noun to me anymore... it's a verb. It's not a place you go to... it's just something you DO. And I plan on returning to San Diego every July for comic-con for as long as I can... until California shakes off into the ocean, I'll be there. I highly recommend, if you are a nerd or enjoy nerd-type things, that you make plans to go too. But really, make your plans now... because hotels are already starting to fill up for next year!

Also, on a not-so-important-final note, because it needs to be mentioned:

There was always a lingering hint of nerd body-odor at the convention hall... it trailed after you long after you left... and only seemed to disappear after your second cocktail of the night. One girl I saw "lovingly" described it as "the smell of sweat and taco meat". That's slightly disgusting... yet true. But that particular smell was mostly wafting off those who've been wearing the same, un-washable costume to every convention for the past year. Mmm.... funky! One Terri Hodges has dubbed this smell "p-flower", and it shall be known as such for the rest of my convention days.

You can check out the art and all things Katie at www.katiecandraw.com.


This week at your local multiplex (8/4/2006):

Barnyard: Animated comedy
(voices)Kevin James, Courtney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Andie McDowell, Wanda Sykes
Plot: A carefree cow who is not really concerned with keeping their human-like secrets from humans is forced into responsibility and leadership.
Buzz: Not only is it getting harder and harder to differentiate these computer animated films from the next one, but doesn’t sound a lot like someone saw the first 20 minutes of Toy Story and thought “this is cool but it needs more cows”?

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: Comedy
Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Clarke Duncan, Gary Cole, John C. Reilly
Plot: The king of Nascar is threatened by a newcomer to the sport and after an accident is forced to rebuild his life and his career.
Buzz: Will Ferrell is pretty much box office gold. So far he has been a safe bet, but there is always the first.

The Descent: Horror
Shauna McDonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder,
Plot: A spelunking expedition by a group of thrill-seeking friends to help one of them get over a loss goes horribly awry when they attacked by a group of cave dwelling mutants.
Buzz: see my review

The Night Listener: Thriller
Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Rory Culkin, Joe Morton, John Cullum, Bobby Cannavale
Plot: Based on the novel by Armistad Maupin, the story of a radio host that develops a relationship with a boy and his social worker. He slowly begins to learn that this boy’s story may not exactly be true.
Buzz: While I am becoming less and less of the comedic Robin Williams, I am becoming a bigger fan of the darker more dramatic Robin Williams. He seems to have a knack for picking intriguingly creepy characters (watch Death to Smoochy if you don’t believe me), and I am looking forward to this movie.


This week on DVD (8/1/2006)

V for Vendetta (see review)
The Shaggy Dog
Curb your Enthusiasm (season 5)
The Girls Next Door (season 1)
A Fish Called Wanda (se)
Beavis and Butthead (vol 3)
The Blue Collar Tour (season 2)
Dallas (season 5)
Star Trek: Klingon
Broken Saints (series)
Mrs. Harris
Alice in Wonderland
The Comeback (series)
Good Times (season 5)
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert

As always, send your loving adoration or your hate mail to DPlace76@yahoo.com.  You can check out some of my random musings at http://bigdpimpin.livejournal.com/.  Come and learn about all the comings and goings of the Stumblebum crew at www.myspace.com/stumblebumstudios.