So, let me take another slant on the Con which I am doubtful most are blogging about – inspiration. I, like many of you I would assume, am (or like to think of myself as) a creative. I enjoy producing original work in a multitude of areas. It’s a little known fact that I do write (other then these blogs). I don’t talk about my writing much due to confidence issues, and the fear that someone will take my drafts and make them better, or worse, or never actually read them. So while I’m sitting in the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” panel it hits me… these commercials I’ve written, these short movies I’ve drafted, the comic strip I’ve started, the movie scripts I’ve begun… what the hell am I doing? Why the hell am I not creating them? Why are they simply sitting on my computer taking up space? So, in the coming weeks I will be taking some of these ideas and concepts and doing something with them. When I do, I will finally share.
So, back to the actual Con… for those wanting to skip to the good parts, check out my Flickr photos to check out the images. Also, over at andrewdoak.com I’ve got additional cellphone images from the show and my Twitter stream while I was there (Tumblr was having some RSS issues with my posts and finally grabbed them all at once, as opposed to every hour while I was posting).
Of the sessions I attended, the best were in the beginning and the end. The Friday and Sunday sessions were awesome. Kevin Smith is always a treat to listen to, the new Punisher War Zone footage is simply crazy, and the first episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (that would be the first FULL episode they showed) is stupid crazy funny; simply the best footage I saw there. People were loosing their shit over The Watchmen trailer. I was pissed we couldn’t get into that panel; crazy long line. And while were on it, the lines were crazy, but the staff was fantastic. Jeff and I were going out of our way to be nice to them because they were dealing with, among other things, trolls, fairies, superheroes & random goth kids.
On the main floor I believe it’s appropriate to describe it as pandemonium. Studios booths mixed with comic dealers mixed with artists mixed with authors mixed with long lines for autographs mixed with idiots who look up and continue to walk mixed with cool-ass toys mixed with the smell of mom’s basement and Doritos. I got a couple books, didn’t get my copy of The Watchmen signed, bought the kids too much junk, and got a ton of promotional schwag. I couldn’t find to issue of LOBO where he kills santa, so that was a disappointment. Gav will have to find it on his own (Amazon actually has a couple copies from dealers available for like $10). SciFi had a crazy booth, as did LEGO and DC. DarkHorse had some fantastic books. I should have packed less cloths to allow myself more stuff. Next year I will plan better.
So, as a first impression it was an amazing experience. Things I would do different for next year:
- Bring water, snacks and Airborne
- Pack less cloths, more space for junk
- Only go for a couple days, not the full 4
- Prepare myself for the lines and get there early (2 hours early) for those that I can’t miss
- Bring a couple books I would like signed and get the signed
- Wear sneaks, not boots or flips
- Purchase a poster tube carrier and a more ergonomically sound messenger bag
- More cash (i was getting pinged when I used plastic)
- Believe in the impulse, if I want it, buy it, so I didn’t have to hunt back to find the booth later in the crowds
- TAKE MORE PICTURES… bringing my pro kit and HDCam would have been the smartest thing to do
- Dress up. As what, I have no idea, but I need to do something
My first Comic-Con was awesome. Looking forward to next years 40th anniversary for the show. And hopefully my favorite book (which is being adapted into a film for 2009) Y: The Last Man will have more exposure then.
