Picked The Wrong Year To Skip Comic-Con

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.--Lloyd Bridges, Airplane!

I've been going to Comic-Con since 2004, when Sarah Michelle Gellar finally decided to go to plug her new movie, The Grudge. I discovered some new shows that we still remember, including Bones and Lost. It was big, but not and airy, and getting into any panel you want was a reality, not a pipe dream/deep delusion that it is today.

This year would have been my tenth straight Comic-Con, except I am still in between jobs. I send resumes to hundreds of prospective employees, and about nine out of ten of them automatically throw them away. So, I have to stay home.

This year looked like slim pickings to me compared to previous years, mainly because the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises, which really packed the con in years past, are over. Not to worry, because other franchises have taken over, including Marvel, Hunger Games, and the Hobbit. TV has also taken over, with its wealth of genre shows from Arrow and Walking Dead to True Blood and Game of Thrones to take over for past classics including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (natch), Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, and Smallville.

For those who think comics aren't that important at Comic-Con anymore, think again. Some titles pull in the fans, including the perennials such as Batman, Superman and Spider-Man, but comics connected with TV shows (even Adventure Time and many Dark Horse titles) keep them as a major part of the con. Toys are also getting bigger, thanks to Mattel, when they roll out models exclusive to the con.

What I'll miss most of all if that I can't cover stories for Whedonopolis. I am at my happiest when I write a story that, for the most part, wind up as exclusives that no other internet news site has. Did any other website interview Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker just before Much Ado About Nothing premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival..and came back for the movie's first officials weekend? Did anyone else talk to the original Slayer, Kristy Swanson, when she was in Sacramento for a small con in Sacramento? I did that, and I am sure I would have found a story at Comic-Con no one else could find.

So, what will I miss?

the panel for Intelligence, featuring Sawyer from Lost as the first internet-connected secret agent,
an EW panel that includes both Matt Smith and David Guintoli (and the Grimm and Doctor Who panels, too),
the 5th anniversary of Dr. Horrible,
a panel for Agents of SHIELD which should include lots from the pilot,
Joss of course,
maybe a preview of The World's End (Pegg and Frost's version of This Is The End),
what's next for Geek and Sundry,
the Veronica Mars movie,
how Amy Acker will try to break up Husbands (think scorned ex-fiancé who won't accept being the wrong gender for one of them),
the Eric Andre Show (mostly because of how he greeted Tea Party supporters with hoods...on TV),  How I Met Your Mother,
Matt Smith with Chris Hardwick at the Balboa (will burritos be included again?),
and the annual showing of Once More With Feeling.

Granted, I'd be lucky to see half this stuff, or even a third, if I was able to go this year. I was lucky to be at the Firefly panel thanks to lining up many, many hours ahead of time. Comic-Con has gotten so big, you have to stand in line at 6 AM to see anything...even if it's for something at 6 PM. That's why if I did get a ticket to the Nerdist podcast taping at the Balboa, I really wouldn't have to go to the Doctor Who panel the next day. Of course, I would have wished I could get him to autograph a burrito but that's unlikely. Who can autograph a burrito?

Fortunately, thanks to YouTube and similar sites, someone will be smart enough to record as many of these panels as possible, and I can still see them. Sadly, I wouldn't be able to find a story no one else finds, but I can still see what happened eventually.

Missing Wondercon and Comic-Con this year has been a real bummer this year, but I am glad I am still useful to Whedonopolis. I still wrote stuff about the SHIELD show, and two articles about Much Ado in San Francisco. I just wish I had some idea about whether people are reading my stuff, or even like it. The old Whedonopolis site measured how many hits my articles got, and I knew people actually read my articles.

Then again, there's one big reason why I'm mad I can't go....the swag!
I could always use another big tote bag that's really a portable billboard to the next big TV show, movie, comic book or whatever. It's still cool.
Sure, I found really rare swag that was never offered for sale, like a t-shirt from an early Butt Numb-A-Thon Harry Knowles hosted, or a Moonite t-shirt that recalled the day they accidentally put Boston on Red Alert six years ago. Still, it would be nice to have a foam TARDIS, a Kick-Ass 2 hat, or a plastic Captain American shield or Thor hammer...or a Mockingjay pin.

I will say I have done pretty good overall. Who else has way too many Joss autographs, but still has one framed...and even a picture? Last year, I got Tarantino's autograph on a Django Unchained poster, which is more valuable since he won an Oscar for Original Screenplay. I still have the dog tags from the Inglorious Basterds premiere, and a few other posters that can't be found anywhere else.

So, I have to stay home, but someday, I'll be back. Maybe I can return in time for Avengers 2.

Comic-Con: I'm Here, and That's All I Know

I've had a chance to look around and get registered, but it's still not certain which panels I will get to see. Some are confirmed, like a panel on the evolution of webseries with Felicia Day, the Knights of the Guild Live Podcast, seeing Castle and Merlin, and maybe Sarah Michelle Gellar from a quarter-mile away.

The big news is that people would stay in line for 48 hours or more to see some glimpse of the new Twilight movie. Wisely, everyone who ws on line agreed to keep their places in line while they got their passes.



A nice edition is a Skybridge from the Hilton Bayfront to Petco park. It's quite flashy. Too bad the bottom of the bridge is spoiled by the most bizarre looking Smurf I've ever seen.



Hammer Improv was a gas at 4th and B. Felicia was not there because she has a busy day. Still, the group was great, mocking Game of Thrones, Inception, the Jurassic era and the problems of having an imaginary friend. Greg Aronowitz, propmaster for The Guild, was also there to provide props to the group, which explains...





and why the show ended in a world filled with Jeff Lewises, or Vorks to you Guild fans.

What's next? Well, it will be a while until my next post, but once I have time to type, you'll like what you see. It will include a movie premiere, Buffy in a new form, and a bunch of Firefly cast members talking

Comic-Con: Other Visits and Sights, part 2

People take dozens of pictures during Comic-Con, but trying to organize them is the toughest task of all. These pictures are sort of the best of the rest, with some comments.



First off, when I heard the Westboro Baptist Church was going to picket Comic-Con because they thank worshipping super-heroes just isn't Christian. They probably also hate fans of Superman or Doctor Who, since aliens probably don't know anything about the Bible.
However, these Christians are not with the WBC, which I was told by e-mail. They just want attendees to pick up a Bible once in a while rather than a graphic novel. At this corner, though, they had to compete with girls promoting Jackass 3-D.





Remember the episode in South Park when the missionary teaching African orphans said English was God's language? The WBC protesters may think that way seeing these Klingon trolley signs. After all, what kind of blasphemous language is this?
It's a good language, and I'm sure Klingons had some choice words for the WBC guys as well.



I may never attend another Rifftrax panel at Comic-Con because it gets rooms that are way too small. That's only because Ballroom 20 can't be used. Still, Rifftrax is a big deal in entertainment, and it should get a bigger room. I'm not saying that because I lost out on seeing the panel. These guys, of all people probably didn't get in until most of the panel was done.



I was surprised that Craig Ferguson's evil robot sidekick, Geoff, was at Comic-Con. I thought I'd ask him how he compared himself with Ed McMahon. It said "Ed McWho?"
Figures, since Ed never worked on CBS. Looking back ,this was a natural.

Comic-Con: All the World's a Billboard

I remember a couple of years ago when the most usual way to promote a show at Comic-Con is to get an airplane that flies a banner than just says "I (heart) Dexter".

This year, there are other ways. This one is big, but not too new if you've been to Hollywood



Pretty big for a movie about an alien invasion, huh? Not to be outdone, the guys promoting Scott Pilgrim vs. the Expendables, I mean World, used the Hilton Bayfront to plug its movie.



Doesn't get bigger than that. As long as I catch the matinees, I'll see both him and Sly and the Knights of Kick-Ass next month.
Other movies, TV shows and networks have found better ways to plug themselves. The latest classic example is the Cafe Diem from Eureka at the Hard Rock Hotel...



It now has competition with Ciro's Pizzeria, which is "borrowed" by the Cartoon Network.





It won't be long before the Adult Swim bar is next.

Fox also got into the act by turning a downtown fish restaurant into "Bob's Burgers" which is a new animated show in the spirit of Family Guy. They gave out hundreds of burgers and even had burger eating contests. Not a bad deal.



Machete gave out tacos, and passes to a special panel that included some bloody action. If not for the fact I had the Serenity screening, I would have checked it out. It's produced new trailers, but I still liked the first one.





As I mentioned, Let Me In had a party at Basic at 10th and J. They had pictures from the movie...



and it was a full crowd. Pizza, 80s music and beer will do that.



and look at this. Matt Reeves with a guy who should have smiled...shouldn't I?



Finally, the simplest kind of "ambush" marketing.



This guy is trying to get the Rifftrax fans with Cinematic Titanic, which features the MST3K crew from the beginning, and the middle, too.

At Comic-Con, all the world's a billboard...some more effective than others.

Comic-Con: Riding the Black Beauty

A couple of days after Comic-Con, there seems to be doubt that Seth Rogen can be a credible costumed hero as The Green Hornet.
As far as publicizing the movie, though, you have to admit they gave it a good hard try. First, get some gals that rival the Iron-ettes...



Then you get something called Britt Reid's Garage at 10th and J, near Petco Park...



Then add some cool muscle cars that kind of look like the Black Beauty....



Imagine that car on the road...a little smaller...and a hybrid...made by Road Rage Motors. That will save the car industry.

Several fans were lucky enough to take a ride around the block in this car. I was lucky to get a ride during preview night. First, we just walked there...



We left the driving to her...



and looked inside to see all the electronic hardware. Remember, this pre-dates such supercars as Knight Rider.



Thing is, you'd get something like this in an Acura or Lexus...without the remote-controlled machine guns.

I do want to add this picture from inside the garage..



I'm guessing this was the stunt car, or the Black Beauty without bullet-proof anything.

It'll be a few months before The Green Hornet arrives in 3-D. Maybe it will surprise us. Let's hope so.

At Least My Comic-Con Evenings Are Set

Lately, some enterprising people have discovered that Comic-Con fans may not want to see the latest blockbuster hit that's in town for a sneak preview, or attend a panel of terrible animation. They search for exotic things, or stuff that's cooler than what some call "Cannes for Nerds"

I think this all started when Rifftrax had a live show at the Balboa, tossing venom on Plan 9 From Outer Space. Since then, more people have decided to become the alternative to Comic-Con at night. In my case, the places where I'm going occur after some panel does take place. I still hope to see The Expendables, only if the screening does happen on a Saturday, or the movie ends around 10 PM. Otherwise. I'll be occupied.

Still, my post 7 PM plans are pretty much set for most of the week. I snagged tix for Hammer Improv, also known as the Knights of Good Improv since Felicia, Sandeep and Jeff are in the group. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the guys dropped by, or even Wil Wheaton. He has to warm up for his w00tstock show.

I'd go to that, but I'm instead going to the Gaslamp 14 on Thursday for the Serenity screening. It's been five years since I was told this movie would screen at Comic-Con...the day after it happened. It was the reason I got a cell phone. This time, I'll go to the 5th anniversary. Who knows if this event will bigger than before? The alumni sure are.

Then there's the Patten Oswalt late show at the House of Blues. I'll bring my Serenity Float Out issue, in the hopes he'll sign it. If that's not possible, that's no problem. At least I will get to see him up close for the first time since the Ratatouille panel at Wondercon.

Saturday's up in the air, aside from Kevin Smith at hall H after the Marvel fans are in shock. In any case, it looks like it may be much better than last year's Laptop Suicide event. I'll use my briefcase to carry everything at all times. It's just good half my stuff will be at a safe place through Monday.

So, here's to what could be the end of the San Diego era, unless Comic-Con decision to add two hotels to the lineup will be enough to keep it away from Anaheim three years from now. We'll actually find out before it begins.