7.21.2011

Update from Comic-Con!

My super spy informant, Derek, is on the scene at Comic-Con in San Diego, every fanboy and girl's DisneyWorld.  Derek will graciously give those of us who are unlucky enough not to live in San Diego (or have a cool spouse who designs video games for a living and gets free passes to Comic-Con) a glimpse into what is arguably the greatest show on earth.  So, here's a preview of Comic-Con so far:

                Comic-con is officially underway, and I’ve spent a few hours at the convention already.  Here’s a brief breakdown of Wednesday’s preview night:
                -About a block away from the convention, I walked past a lesbian Batman and Robin couple making out on the hood of a car.   A little weird, but given that the actual Batman story involves a wealthy bachelor who lives with a young orphan that he keeps in a cave and dresses in tights, I don’t think they disrespected the source material.
                -Seconds after walking through the entrance, I spotted Stan Lee signing autographs.  Stan is a controversial figure at comic-con.  Some revere him as a god.  Others think he’s a sellout who is ruining his franchises, Lucas style.  However, no matter your personal feelings about him, everyone agrees that the ideas he stole from Jack Kirby were truly genius.   
-The convention floor is as crowded as always.  Thankfully, the bigger booths have been moved to the edges of the floor.  You’ll have to push your way through the crowds outside these booths, but at least you can move about the floor.
-A little girl saw a life-sized My Little Pony figure, and ran up to give it a big hug.  It is quite possibly the cutest thing that has ever happened.   
-Video games and television are the main attractions at Comic-con.  In the exhibitor’s hall, one entire wall is filled with video game developers demoing their latest games.  Another is filled with various television studios showcasing their fall line-up of vampire shows.  The hotels around the convention center have video game lounges set up, Sprint has a gaming pavilion right outside the hall, and Sega set-up an entire arcade just down the street.   On another note, I heard a rumor that someone tried to sell a comic book (whatever that is), and was summarily executed.
-If you want to meet celebrities, hang out by the novelty t-shirt vendors. 
There you have it.  As crowded and crazy as it is, it looks like it’s going to be a great convention.
More from Derek in the coming days.  Stay tuned!  Maybe there will be a Sarah Michelle Gellar siting.