SDCC 09 update

I'll be tweeting Comic-Con updates on Facebook...

If you're so inclined.

SUPER REAL NOTES: SDCC 09 info

Hey everyone!

Been real busy finishing up the Super Real graphic novel and final issue special, it's coming together very well... and also getting my new project, Pulp Girls, ready to debut at the big summer cons. Which brings me to...

I'll be exhibiting Super Real Graphics at booth 5331 in the independent publisher area at San Diego Comic-Con for the entire show, 7/22-7/26

That's right, this year I've moved over from small press, to a full booth (no promises for next year though)!!!

At the booth with me will be:

Dan Mendoza - artist - Super Real, Pulp Girls
Dave Dwonch (Friday and Saturday) - creator - SRG Presents Gnome
Grant Gould (Thursday-Sunday, first hour of each day) - creator - SRG Presents Wolves of Odin
Jerry Gaylord (limited times) - artist - Super Real, Pulp Girls
and maybe John (Super Ugly) Williams - cover artist - Gnome and G4TV SDCC correspondent... if we're lucky (for all you star fuckers out there!) ;)

And maybe some other folks, it'll be a bit of a revolving door of SRG friends.

We'll have:

A special pre-sale offer for the Super Real graphic novel (see below for details)
SRG Presents Gnome and Wolves of Odin
and my new project debuting at the show, Pulp Girls



If you can't make the show, the Pulp Girls con books are available via the website too here
Check that out, it's really cool stuff man!

All artists, including myself, can of course also do sketch commissions and signings.

Hope to see you at the show!

Next stop... Wizard World Chicago!

_____
SUPER REAL GN PRE-SALE DETAILS:

Since the books aren't ready for the big show, I'm having a special offer for those who haven't already signed up for it with their shops (which I'll also offer for a limited time via the site for those who can't make the show).
If you pre-pay for your copy of the book, you'll get:

The book shipped to you, free shipping
A pre-sale only sketch plate, with an original character sketch
And a free copy of either SRG Presents Gnome, or Wolves of Odin

PULP GIRLS DEBUTS at COMIC-CON '09

My new project, that I've been developing over the last year, Pulp Girls, is debuting next week at San Diego Comic-Con!

But just what is Pulp Girls?

Well, besides being really cool and exciting, let me give you a better idea...

Pulp Girls is a collection of concepts - inspired from grindhouse cinema, pulp heroes, and similar genre roots - in small cliffhanger style format, all with a female-centric twist.
In your face, fun, dangerous, colorful, short, and sweet.

GIRLS + WEAPONS x DANGER = PULP GIRLS

Ever since the release of the Grindhouse double-feature, there's been a shift in the pop-art/comic world, and a move to the more subversive genre fare that inspired that film. And while it didn't set any box office records, it's impact can be seen everywhere in comics, from the pulpy books on the rise, to the retro color effects and cover designs seen industry wide.
Pulp Girls is a celebration of that spirit, taking it to another level.
The artists, concepts, characters, and themes all share a similar drive, that provides for both unique stories and art, that also complement each other perfectly!
Rock'n'roll midnight movie serials.

The project features many talented creators, from across the globe...
England, Ireland, Germany, Norway, France, Mexico, and of course, the good ol' U S of A!
Just to name a few.

Creators like:
The Boo (Transformers Animated), Jerry Gaylord (ID Comics), Grant Gould (Star Wars the Clone Wars online), Josh Howard (Dead@17), Jason Martin (Super Real), Dan Mendoza (Zombie Tramp), Hector Sevilla (Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular), Nate Stockman, Bob Strang, Justin Wayne, and many more!

Basically, the same contemporary, colorful, animated house style I employ with Super Real Graphics.


Pulp Girls will be debuting at San Diego Comic-Con 2009, at the Super Real Graphics booth, 5331 (in the independent publishers area at the front of the hall).

We'll have a limited edition 2009 convention book that showcases the upcoming series available at the show, while supplies last.

The books are limited to 250 copies, and are an over-sized 8.5x11" perfect bound format, in full color, and feature 72 pages of Pulp Girls content!

They're $20 each (plus US shipping), come with a sketch, and you can pre-oder a limited number of them now if you can't make it to the show, right here via PayPal:

The 09 convention books have several of our complete serials, early versions of others, as well as some teasers, and pinups, in addition to an art section from our cover artist, the astonishing Bob Strang.
It’s really like an art book with comics, and as such, the book will make a great addition to both your reading stack, and your bookshelf!
We truly have some amazing artists, characters, and stories featured here.


Stay tuned to PulpGirls.com for more details on the developing project soon!
There's much more on the way!!

Jason Martin
(Super Real Graphics - Pulp Girls creator/editor)

SDCC 08 update 2 - Friday THE LOST CON UPDATE

Okay, so, with all that happens at the con, I try to upload the days shots and keep a live update going, but this year, my shots got tricky to format with software, so I never posted this, and update from last Friday...
Since it's now almost a week later, here you go (and it is a live blog entry, so it's a bit rambling after a night out and the days events, but here it is uncensored):

Yesterday I just dropped a slide show of booth crap, the big media cool stuff of sorts...

Today, lets name drop, both cool creator friends, and celebrity/comic celebrity... as well as give a taste of my SDCC exploits...

So, aside from the cavalcade of geek cool, comics, movies, TV, games, toys, etc etc, and trying to convert folks to your product, in my case independent comics, SDCC is not about sales, it's mainly, the single best place to network, meet kindred spirits and new contacts of every variety.
Sure, you can join online communities, and foster multitudes of great new connections business or personal, but nothing beets face to face, and sharing a beer, or a meal, or many beers, or whatever your social thing is. And SDCC is the best of all cons for that. The most people, of the widest variety, not to mention fans, and a totaly accesible city with endless eateries and bars within walking (or even train) distance.
Blah blah blah

Anyways, that's cool.
Cuz it's cool to meet and share with people that get your otherwise decidedly different world views...
blah blah, yadda yadda

Shit, I got off track (it's approaching 2AM and that happens, but I want to get the blog pics up in the PM rather than the AM so I can make it to the con hall earlier than I did today)....

My point was, none of the above, that's another point, my point was, I thought I'd share some of the geek cool celebrity-ish sitings I've had in the last 24ish hours...

Yesterday, small geek moment, taking the shuttle from the Sheraton Suites hotel to the con, we wind around downtown, and there outside the window, is Stan the man Lee, by himself, walking at a good clip, happy as a clam, looking around, passerbyes none the wiser...
I've seen Stan up closer before, but he's perhaps the biggest geek thrill, I'd really like to meet him. Regardless of his questionable past with his artists, he's undeniably an icon, and maybe genius, in his own indemetable way, at marketing. And I very much respect him for building the house of ideas...

Moving on, or fast forwarding to yesterday late evening, or early Friday AM, returning to the hotel after going out post show Thursday, I get to the hotel lobby, and there's Richard Hatch, original Appolo, sitting at the free internet computer... doing his thing. Just was, ya know, when you see people from TV etc, you don't expect to see them doing such mundane shit...

Skip back to today, or early Friday...
I grabbed some crappy breakfast sandwich from the hotel (no thanks on that again), and proceeded to the shuttle stop... I was already anxious after leaving much later than I wanted, and there was a good cueue for the bus, which is a good thing most likely, meaning it may be coming sooner than later. But, I didn't feel like waiting and quickly headed off on foot, as I wanted to pick up a some juice or decent stuff to hold me through the day en route anyway. From my hotel it's a good 14 blocks or so, a bit of a walk, but doable, and downhill to the con. Plus, it's Friday, and the con turns into a giant traffic cluster fuck with 125 thousand people descending to it on the weekend days... and shuttles can get held in limbo on approach.

A nice panoramic shot coming up to the massive con center, with folks buzzing in from everywhere.

Any way, meet a guy on the way that runs a bobble head vendor, or company, talk bobble heads, turns out Benders the shows best seller, and they have some Sleestack exclusives too, with a top secret appearance from Sid or Marty Kroft (I forget which)... ya know Will Ferrel and crew are doing a new movie that sounds pretty cool, especialy to someone of the right age like me, to have watched that crazy shit as a young child.

Just as he excuses himself to finish his cigar prior to crossing the main street and train track to the convention center, I notice a big backdrop with crew and cameras etc staged off to the side in the park block area that proceeds the street across from the con, at the main pedestrian route in... It's the new Kit car for the new Knight Rider show, about to be unveiled (and probably sit there the rest of the day or con)...
So I took this spy shot, just for you all...
Getting into the con, even though I've not much time till it opens, I start to look around, talk, check out, and snap pics...
I stumble on some kind of Greatest American Hero booth, I'd heard William Kat, and practically the whole cast of the 80's psuedo superhero show were there, including the old dood that played the FBI agent or whatever, who must now be really up there... Well low and behold it's (a quick IMDb check reveals) Robert Culp (and also reveals he's only 78 now)... I always dug him, so I ask if he's cool with me taking his picture, he's busy hanging Greatest American Hero posters on the front of the boot and says sure, "As long as he doesn't have to stop working"
I wanted a better shot, but he really was crouching and not photo ready, and time was short, so there ya go.
From there I tried to find some more cool stuff I hadn't captured, including this Clone Trooper that didn't come out good yesterday, nor today, but there ya go, crappy pictured number 3...
Found this cool life sized Cylon, complete with scrolling red LED visor...
Got back to the table and Grant (Gould) called, he'd come by to pick up preview copies of his Wolves of Odin book I'm publishing, but I wasn't there and he could find them...
So I had to jet down to the other end of the massive hall to his spot in artist alley drop them off (and the show had just opened, which meant things were going to get nasty)

When there, I forgot to snap a shot of him at his table, but I did run into my bud Jason Kruze, creator of The World of Quest, which got picked up as a kids WB cartoon series that now airs...
I met him as a neighbor at the infamous one and only Las Vegas Comic-Con, long story, lost of creators, no attendees...
He was an animator that turned me onto using blue Col-erase pencils... and had just finished World of Quest for that show (it later became a Komikswerks webcomic and trade, then book publisher graphic novel and cartoon)
Any way, he's good people, but as this pic shows, he had a rough go of getting to con this year...

I really wanted to try and get shots of friends/creators, because I'm bad at doing that, so I snapped these shots of Hector Sevilla and Dave Dwonch sketching this morning...
and here's Gnome cover artist and underground rap superstar Super Ugly hammin' it up with the Star Wars gals...

Fast forward again to the end of the day, and I was heading out of the con to try and catch a shuttle to the hotel, but again, it's a peak day, and travel out of the con towards Gas Town, is FUBARed
As I realized I went outside at about hall A/B, and my shuttles at about D/E (a long ways folks) things weren't looking good.
Then, as I tried to hustle to the shuttle, I noticed just about everyone was looking up in the sky, trying to read...
Turned out there was a skywriter, big deal, it's comic-con, who knows what crazy shit they're pimping, move along.
But as I kept trucking, I go curious as folks started to get more engaged, looked like some kind of LOST tie-in...

The wrote "seek the six" in the sky over the con.
Pretty cool. (turns out it was a viral promo leading to some TV show remake on the web)
Adding to the only at comic-con cool, I happened upon another crowd, mobbing and posing for pictures... After slowing down to get a loook, it was G4 TV's Olivia Munn. She, co-host of the cool Attack of the Show, a regular view of mine since before Kevin Perrera was more than a mere man-child, and through the numerous changes... When they brought in Oliva a couple years back, she seemed like eye candy, that annoyingly couldn't read a teleprompter to save her life... And with the whole show live via teleprompter, that was annoying as hell. But something happened, she got hooked on phonics and widdled down her stumble to one or two a day, and built a genuine rapport with KPer and the viewers...
Anyway, I snapped a few shots, in case they didn't come out, as she posed with all comers (while they ran tape)...

Then of course a giant fat Darth Vader had to make his way into the shots...



By now I'd reached my shuttle, and got in line, only to find out there were two lines, mine being wrong (even though it started where the shuttle door was), and we had to move to the back of the longest shuttle line ever...apparently nobody rides anything but green...
As a group gathered behind me though, I could here them asking about who the girl was, taking all the pictures, "Who is she?", then one girl said, "I think she's a porn star"
Ha ha!
I let em know, but it was damn funny...

So, I figured if I didn't make the first bus, I'd walk or cab, and sure enough, it was a no go...

You see, I needed to meet up with my wife, and head to a Hollywood type party... I was supposedly put on the list for a certain talent agency shin-dig at the Hard Rock Hotel, but I didn't get many other details beyond that. You see after con last year, I got in talks with a certain 3 lettered agency (aren't they all 3 letters, that end in A as in Agency?) regarding interest in Super Real from a certain "family programing network"... I didn't think Super Real was a great fit there, but what the hell, how knows, the concept is certainly broad enough to spin any way...
Any way, low and behold it didn't work, but I've kept in contact with said agency, and I thought it was best to check out their swaray...

So, I headed to the hotel on foot, actually passing the Hard Rock hotel, where the packed patio bar was roaring and then cheering as someone made their way down the street by me (across from the action)... it was Mark Hamill, flanked by security and followed by cameras, apparently all of it being staged (come on, cheering for Mark? Flanked by security?!? Even for Luke Skywalker at comic con, that's a bit much)....
And I wasn't able to get a decent shot of it...

Back to the hotel then, to get ready and take a cab with the wife to the Hard Rock, when we get there and find the right entrance for the party, they inform us it doesn't start til 10pm, and it's about 20 til... So, since we hadn't eaten yet, we got next door to a cool Hard Rock coffee shop hat was really a nice swanky diner, with good food to boot.

We head back to the party entrance, and see a big line, after checking, sure enough we need to wait in it. It took a good half hour or longer, with much of that time being spent beneath a fryer vent of some sort, blasting warm fish/burger air upon us...

As we get up, show ID and make our way to the check in, the gal in front of us was heard told, "I'm sorry mam, your name's not on the list, do you know who was supposed to put you on it...", the exact frase I knew we'd hear...
And sure enough, no Jason Martin on the list.
God damn it.
It's one thing to say you'll do it, and not, but to make us wait on line, in fish fry vapors, that's fucked up.
Of course, I'd forgot my phone and couldn't call the man with the power to fix it, so we had no choice but to leave, as they would do nothing to check on it from their end.
I could see where he looked on the list, Avatar Press and Devil's Due, with names... fuck.
So, turning around back out the door, to pass backwards though security, there was a bit of hub bub, someone was making a stink about getting it... I quickly realized it was Carlton Cuse, Lost producer (from their story so far specials etc), po'd and storming off... and could hear someone say "He tried to get a minor in..."
Ah, comic con, you strange hybrid beast of psuedo celebrity madness...

What to do now, well, hit a bar, it's Gas Town, and there's literally endless choices...

Walking, we passed the dood that plays Brian Posehn's gay partner on the Sarah Silverman show (Steve Agee, again, IMDb), at an outdoor bar... I'd seen him earlier at the con...

I needed to pee, and there was a Bucca De Bippo handy, so we ducked in there, after finding my was to the bathroom, admidst winding corridors, and passing several comic types... I returned to the bar to find my wife waiting, they closed at 11...

So, onwards, towards the hotel, but more towards the main strip of bars... Passing Joe Quesada on the crosswalk, and settling on a pretty cool tiki bar. Whilst hanging there, Dan Didio came in and past us, then returned back out a minute later, now mysteriously wearing a Padres ballcap he didn't have on before, and smiling at my wife (dirty old man)...

No, sightings at the 7-11 though, and no 80's sci-fi actors in the hotel lobby, but there you have it, 24 hours that can only be had at San Diego Comic-Con!

So, I left all the "Ooh, look who I saw" crap in there, cuz, that's the fun of doing the con, so for those who can't make it, that's what it's like, pretty fun...
Tune in tomorrow for my final pics and tidbits to share from Comic-Con 08!!

SDCC 08 plans and goodies galore!

Well folks, the ginormous event that is San Diego Comic-Con is upon us, and I have tons of stuff planned for the show...

First, we'll have all issues of Super Real, and copies of Super Real Graphics Presents: Gnome, naturally.

In addition to that, I'll have the last of my 08 sketchbooks, new custom sketch cards to do sketch card commissions on, and also, I'll be giving one out with each purchase of my stuff with a quick head shot.
Then we've also got all the upcoming publishing stuff...
From the new Super Real Graphics Presents volume, The Wolves of Odin by creator Grant Gould, we'll have limited edition preview books.
And the from my new project that I'm unveiling at the show, PULP GIRLS (a mix of exploitation cinema and pulp hero inspired concepts, created mostly by me, and featuring tons of cool artists, but all with a girl centric twist), I'll have limited to 100 copies preview books, featuring 3 covers.
I'll also have a slew of prints for Pulp Girls too, including a limited to 25 edition print of Josh Howard's concept for the project, Stitches.

Additionally, creators Dave Dwonch, Grant Gould, Josh Howard, and Hector Sevilla should be on hand to do signings, just check at the table for times.

All this will be going on at space S16 in the small press pavilion, so please come by and say hello, pick up some stuff, or get a sketch!

If you can't make the show, most of the items are available directly from me/SRG, so just send me an email.

Please visit the brand new Super Real Graphics News Blog (your source fall all information on the different SRG products) and the respective pages for the different titles for more info, or my gallery for more peeks at my exciting new project, Pulp Girls, with much more info to come on that!

IN CASE U MISSED IT: SDCC 07 attendance

With San Diego Comic-Con International growing larger and larger, and with rumors of numbers being up to around 140-150k at this year's event, along with unprecedented sellouts, the general consensus was that the show had grown again considerably from 06 to 07.
Not so, according to ComicBookResources.com and the show's organizer, David Glanzer...

Let's get to what everybody wants to talk about - the numbers. What was attendance like at Comic-Con in 2007?

We actually just got our numbers in and the number is 125,000 individuals.

Interesting. Considering people were bandying about numbers like 140,000+ over the weekend, I think that number is going to surprise a lot of people.

I think you're right. We're very meticulous about our numbers. We made sure to get rid of duplicates and make sure that the people who are counted are people who actually attend the show. Remember, one person who attends 4 ½ days is only counted once. It's a very large facility and 125,000 people is a lot of people. Last year we had about 123,000, so we saw a little increase this year. We're very meticulous about our numbers.

Do you have any idea how many of those were exhibitors and how many were press?

Exhibitors was about 9,000 and I don't have the break down for press, but the preliminary numbers we had look to be about 3,000 press.

Another prevailing rumor about the con is that, due to the overcrowding, it must be moving, Anaheim, Vegas, somewhere? Soon?
Again, nope...

One of the perennial rumors following the close of a Comic-Con show is how the show is too big for the San Diego Convention Center, it's reached capacity - which you have - and you're fleeing San Diego the following year for another city that can handle your growing needs. So, to put those rumors to rest, remind us again how long you're contracted with the San Diego Convention Center.

We've contracted through 2012.

So there you have it, Comic-Con International will be in San Diego way off into the far flung future. Check out the whole article though, as they address other big questions like panel space, hotel space, and pedestrian traffic to and from the con.
Click HERE for the full scoop.

SUPER REAL NOTES - STOP! Pinup time!

Received a couple pinups from San Diego, and another that's been in the works since Pittsburgh, so thought I'd share...

First up we have this digitally painted (and rather risque) piece from Super Real issue 3 variant artist, Hector Sevilla (Lullaby, upcoming Leviticus Cross from Dabel Brothers)...


Next is a sketch that I received from artist Charles Holbert Jr. at the con. Charles had stopped by the table with a friend the day before to check out the book, and dropped this off to me a day or so later, which was really cool...
He had a great portfolio, and you can check out his DeviantArt gallery HERE

This great action shot is from Penelope Rivera whom I met at the recent Pittsburgh Comicon... Pene is engaged to Jerry Gaylord, an artist I'd met the year before at Wizard World Philly, who has done a section of pages in the upcoming Super Real Special (and he actually colored this piece too)...

Pene (or Peng Peng) and Jerry are both great artists, and really cool people, with quite a talented crew of creators working for the their Identity Comics collective... check more out from them HERE


I actually have a few more pinups that came in this week from Dan Mendoza, but I'm holding those back till I showcase what he's been working up as one of the contributing guest artists for the next Special...
So, tune in next week for that!

SDCC 07 update 5: Final wrap up

With San Diego Comic-Con 07 firmly in the rear view, and Wizard World Chicago only a few more days away, I'm back for a final review.

I've shared shots of the con floor, and some of the better costumes and celebs that passed by, but I haven't shared pics of friends or any highlights from the after hours fun that was had.

Friday night was reserved for the 9PM screening of my friend Javier Hernandez's comic book film adaptation, The Dead One, based on his comic book El Muerto. Javier and I had met as small press neighbors at the con in 2004 (my second year), and have become good friends since. I've followed Jav through his journey from comic to film, and heard many stories of the production and everything in between, so with the film making the festival circuit for months now, I was very excited to get my first look at it at the con. With the show going til 7PM it was a mad dash with some friends to grab some dinner before the screening, but we managed to get back to the hall (and find the right screening room) just in the nick of time!

The movie features Wilmer Valderamma (of that 70's Show fame) in the lead as Diego the Aztec zombie, El Muerto. Tony Plana (from Ugly Betty) plays a supporting role and was onhand with Javier and producer Larry Rattner afterwards for a Q&A...


The Q&A session... Me and the Jav-Man... Jav and my wife Tami...
The film was great (as witnessed by the two-thumbs-up above), a cool mixture of an original character driven story grounded in Hispanic culture, with comic book and horror movie themes! Do yourself a favor and check it out 9/18 on DVD. Rumor has it, I'll even have an El Muerto artwork original in the DVD extras art gallery!!!

After the screening it was off to the Hyatt bar to catch up with more friends, where we had many drinks, got a little rowdy, and closed the place down...


Most of the gang at the Hyatt, makin with the pose... my buddy Dave Dwonch (Special Ed) posin with the one, the only, THE WOLF!!!

Friday and Saturday my buddy from Portland, Randy Kintz (aka Rantz - who's currently working on Jason and the Argonauts for Bluewater Productions) flew in for his first SDCC. Rantz hung at the table Friday and sold the last of his sketchbooks, and also crashed at the suite that evening. He was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the con and the crowds (who isn't)...

Here are some shots of familiar faces from the table...

My neighbors the last 2 years in small press, the creators of GRAVY BOY... me with my buddy Daniel Campos (Stalk) guest artist from the first Super Real Special and current KISS4K artist...

Rantz in action... the man, the one and only, Felipe Smith!! (MBQ) Super Real issue 3 variant cover (pictured) artist...

Rantz with Ray Height (Raheight), upcoming SR pinup artist...
Saturday night it was off to Old Town via trolley (always an adventure) with Javier and his group of friends (a new con tradition) for some Mexican food and pitchers of Margaritas... I didn't get any pictures that evening to share though. I got to catch up with Stan Yan (The Wang), whom I'd met in small press at my first SDCC and was also at last year's outing, and met Shane another fellow comic maker from Portland...

Afterwards I met up with Rantz and Jason Metcalf (my neighbor from the past Emerald City Comicon) for some drinks at the Marriott bar, which was filled with tables of people sketching... like the whole place. Since I didn't have any drawing materials with me, I was kind of out of place, and we all agreed we didn't really get the whole mass communal comic sketch thing...

Sunday, was not only the last day of the show, but also my last chance to get to Filippi's Italian for pizza. Filippi's is widely renowned as the best place for pizza in SD (and indeed some of the best period), and since the wife and I didn't make it the year prior, I was resolved to get there this time. So, after the con closed down and packed up, we met up with good friend Dave Montoya (Dave's out of NYC and the creator of Moho, and was also a former neighbor at the show) and Hector Sevilla (Lullaby) and his friends to throw down on some pizza. I met Hector the year before after he'd done a pinup I used as a variant on issue 3, where we hit it off and hung out, and since we hadn't had a chance to hang out his year, things worked out for dinner this evening. We had a nice relaxed dinner, over many laughs, and many excellent slices of pizza pie! A great finish, to another great year!!


The best pie... the Sunday Filippi's pizza crew; me, my wife, Dave Montoya, ??, Hector's friend, Hector Sevilla (Elsevilla)...
And thus another chapter closes on the massive San Diego Comic Con. I did my best to capture it on film, and share in the shenanigans, but it's nigh impossible to pin down even a fraction of what transpires over the course of these seven crazy days in southern California. The only way to truly get a taste for it, is to experience it for yourself (highly recommended). Word of warning, be prepared to do battle with massive crowds, and allow yourself the maximum amount of time possible. Even if you can't survive 5 days at the convention hall, there are no shortage of things to do in and around the city. It really is a phenomenal place to host the show. Each year my wife and I take a day or two extra and take in another area attraction, and this year we walked Balboa park, the massive park that's host to scores of museums and ornate buildings, nestled just between downtown and the zoo.

I'll be back one last time to share a couple pieces of artwork I received at the show, but otherwise, I'm turning the page on San Diego, and looking forward to Chicago (and White Castles!!!)...

SDCC 07 update 4: costumes on parade

Well, as it tends to, San Diego Comic-Con gets out of hand, and turns into a full throttle marathon... leaving no down time to upload photos, and blog and such.
With Monday a travel day, and today back to work (day job, not fun job), this evening was my first real chance to finish up sharing all the pics and stories from the con.

It was a phenomenal show, as always.
Each year I do a little better, the crowds get a little thicker, and the booths get a little bigger.
The big news of the con wasn't the mega-ton of celebrities or Hollywood announcements, but the first ever string of sellouts, with the show being sold out Friday through Sunday.
Even though it was sold out, the crowd was still weird... everyone I talked to noticed slower sales on Saturday (than usual), and the typical hyper nuts activity was reserved for Sunday this year (instead of both days).
Perhaps the Heroes cast panel, Iron Man cast/trailer/suit reveal, passing of Spock ears, and gazillion other distractions on Saturday take it's toll on the floor attractions...

As for sights of my con, lets continue with that, moving away from more booth-centric to more costume heavy pics. With the masquerade on Saturday, there are no shortage of crazy costumes to be found (and the occasional celebrity sighting)...

First up we have Edgar Wright and Nick Frost (writer/director, and supporting actor of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) who my wife and I were walking past one morning while I was on the phone, and even after repeated requests for her to get out my camera and get their picture she was puzzled unwilling, until I explained who they were, then she chased them down and got them to pose for this shot...

A great Superman and Slave Leia...

A really cool Abbey Chase, Danger Girl...

An awesome Haruhara Haruko from FLCL (Fooley Cooley), Catwoman with Ghost Rider...

The giant Optimus Prime booth display, and a funky Bumble-Bee!

And the Mach 5 from the upcoming Speed Racer Wachowski brothers movie...


Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on one morning walk-through when I was surprised to see Rosario Dawson turn around and walk out the Dark Horse booth... there was also a great Nacho Libre with full on massive gut that I missed snapping a shot of because I couldn't think of the Nachoooooooooooooooo cry soon enough...

There's always next year. :)

Tune in tomorrow for some details on what off hours of the con were like, and some shots of friends in and around the con.

SDCC 07 update 3: Thursday

Another day, another shitload of people, and the sell-outs continue, as Friday (tomorrow) has also sold out as well.

I tried to get shots of interesting attendees, but missed a couple... most notably, Stan Lee as he was whisked by in front of my table surrounded by security. Alas, my camera takes forever to set for a shot, so I missed him!
I did grab Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding of House of 1000 Corpses, and The Devils Rejects fame), and he was cool enough to hold this pose for a ridiculously long time...

There were at least 3 slave Leia's walking around, this was perhaps the best (there's no shortage of them around cons these days)...

And this morning, as I grabbed my copy of Comics From Mars #1 (by Paul Pope), and King City volume 1 from Tokyopop (by Brandon Graham), I found the Cherry Darling amputee model, and got her picture (along with a mob of other photogs)!

My wife, Tami, made it to the show, for the first time this trip, around quarter to 5, just in time to hit the Lost season 4 panel... I'll try and upload some pics on that later...
Sounds like they basically highlighted how "everything ties together, and they know where it's all going", ha ha. Look forward to more flash forwards, the Dharma initiative fully revealed early on, the return of Michael (who appeared as a surprise guest on the panel), and the significance of Rousseau and her story over the next two seasons.

Tomorrow I've got two good friends hitting the show, Randy Kintz (Jason and the Argonauts), who's also from Portland and will likely be hanging at the table, and Javier Hernandez (El Muerto), who's got a screening of the independent film adaptation of his comic at 9PM at the con. Tami and I, and likely some friends, plan to attend the Aztec Zombie Wilmer Valderrama feature!

SDCC 07 update 2: Preview night gridlock

Wednesday/preview night at San Diego Comic-Con 2007 was much like 2006... packed!

Click for a look at the finished Heroes booth, as you can see it's meant to be Isaac's loft, complete with floor mural, and the Tim Sale paintings from the show (I assume they're prints)... and some of the crowds outside the hall Wednesday afternoon.
As with last year, what used to be the one night one could comfortably walk the floor, was just like every other day of the con, wall to wall people. Many people complained that the main floor (the media/big booth center of the con) was an aisle to aisle wall of people.

Meanwhile in small press, sales were slow, as usual for any preview night/first day of a show. No worries there. I did sell quite a few things, and catch up with many many friends.

The buzz on the floor so far, at least at my table where my sketchbook and prints sport Grindhouse/Cherry Darling images, is that there's apparently an actual amputee model dressed up as Cherry at one of the booths...

I'll have to investigate and bring back photographic evidence today! (stay tuned)

In the meantime, here's some photographic evidence of what the studios want you to be talking about, the 300 DVD...
Not only does Dark Horse have stacks of 300 Spartan shields (with the DVD release date emblazoned in all it's glory), the studio has even gone so far as to have mobile billboards cruising the streets (something I've not seen here before)!


Here's the back of the Marvel booth, a giant blow up of the massive recent X-Men 200 wrap-around cover art from David Finch (sorry for the crap pics, I need a new digital camera!)
After looking over today's program, the only panel I'd like to see is the Lost Season 4 panel with show runners Lindelof and Cuse discussing the new season, series finale buildup, and season 3 DVD (and surprises oh my!).

So, I'm off to catch the Sheraton Suites green route shuttle and tool around the hall looking for items like Paul Pope's THB preview book, and maybe the Jason Pearson Body Bags preview... not to mention the millions of items I've forgotten or don't know about yet, before the doors open!

STAY TUNED!