This is as close as I'll be getting to Comic Con this year
If you never been to Comic Con International in San Diego, its an experience you'd have a hard time imagining. It's totally unlike any other comic convention -- you don't have a chance at getting some personal time with anyone working for the major publishers and the crowds make it impossible to browse through the dollar comic bins that seem like a good value anywhere else. Movie studios and TV networks have as dominant a presence as the major comic publishers and toy makers.
The one booth every gay comic reader should seek out at Comic Con is Prism Comics' booth. Prism is an organization dedicated to supporting gay visibility in comics, taking very direct action by making it easier for gay comic fans and gay comic creators to find each other, boosting the market power of both groups. To that end, every year Prism puts out the Prism Guide to Comics, which contains a directory of out creators, information on how to learn more about those creators along with articles and interviews, with the new Guide debuting at Comic Con. Prism also puts out "The Gay Agenda" -- their guide to the Comic Con for LGBT fans. Most importantly, Prism offers the space to LGBT creators, helping them to keep from getting lost in the flood of Small Press and Artists' Alley booths.
Tomorrow's panels start with a screening of Pushing Daisies followed by a Q&A session with series creator Bryan Fuller and the cast of Pushing Daisies, including Kristen Chenoweth. I understand the first 300 people in line will get some free pie. Hmm, pie for breakfast. If anyone reading this will be attending the panel, please send Bryan Fuller a "OMGIloveWonderfallsandDeadLikeMesomuch!" on my behalf. Tomorrow's panels end with the annual Gays in Comics panel, which is followed by a social mixer. Saturday night programming includes a screening of The Sarah Silverman Program followed by a Q&A with the entire cast, including Brina Posehn and Steve Agee, who play her gay neighbors. There's also the incredibly popular Masquerade Ball which a friend aptly described to me as "straight people's version of a drag show." Of course, that's just a tip of the iceberg. Comic Con has become one of those experiences so huge you don't really have to try to fill your schedule, but instead learn to prioritize your day. Submitted by on Fri, 2007-07-27 15:02. |
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Last year's Comic Con boasted 123,000 attendees -- that's about the population of a small city, so just imagine a small city populated entirely of pop culture enthusiasts appearing for four days. The exhibition floor is 460,000 square feet -- you can easily fill a half day just browsing through the aisles. Getting a hotel room is now a greater challenge than getting Madonna concert tickets and Comic Con is now a key part of
Some of the notable events for gay fans at Comic Con include yesterday's Torchwood panel as well as a preview of Lionsgate's upcoming films where Clive Barker was expected to promote Midnight Meat Train, a film based on the short story of the same name.
Comic-con crazy
ummm... I've been to a few San Diego comicons, and it gets bigger and BIGGER each time. As mentioned above, it's not just comics, and hasn't been for a while now. It's soo big now that it's starting to be more like multiple 'mini-cons' bunched up together.
For example, last year the floor had entire section the size of a football field just for GAMING: computer games, card games, games that use minature figures, etc. It's just CRAZY. Everybody is there and Advertisers know it.
And I won't even begin to talk about how much space is given to everything STAR WARS. It's kinda sick in my opinion. Alas, it seems that I can't go to any comic convention without seeing a thousand storm troopers and fifty Darth Vaders?! ...sigh.
It's tough sometimes to talk to the talent there or the creators because everyone is on such a busy/ hectic schedule. I spent almost the whole time last year waiting in lines to try and talk to companies and editors trying to get advice, tips, and show off my portfolio. If this is the type of thing you're looking to do (talk with professionals, etc.) then my advice is to stick to the smaller cons. I hear that WIZARD WORLD (in P.A.) is great for that. Heck, I've even heard that smaller, local cons in smaller cities are great. It's just a more relaxed atmosphere and people are simply more willing to let their guard down more.
Now run to comic-con San Diego to "get your nerd on" and hit the panel discussions and buy stuff, see exclusive clips, movies, celebrities, etc. And did I mention the hundreds of fantastic costumes that are there?! OMG! It's really amazing stuff.
Definitely.
And I hear you about the Star Wars. I am pretty surprised at the new merchandise I see each year. I think last year I was looking at Star Wars ornaments.
Also, San Diego probably has the second-best boywatching among all the comic cons I've been to -- with San Francisco's Alternative Press Expo beating it out.
I've Always Wanted To Go
But the only place in California I've been in has been San Francisco for Yaoicon.