Comic-Con 2009

It's coming up on Wednesday night, and this is the 30th anniversary of my first trip. It's impossible to totally describe or compare the experience back then--when everyone who went to fill want-lists of back issues, attend panels on comic books, and rub elbows with the people who made comic books--and now. But back then there were no guides to Comic-Con published by Entertainment Weekly or E! Channel. Costumes had more of the swords & sandals element and less on cosplay. Anime was still called Japanimation, role playing games were still played with toxic pewter pieces, and the balance of Star Wars vs. Star Trek was almost even. Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Sergio Aragones, and Scott Shaw! were all there as peers, if that seems possible. There were a lot of parents who took their little kids on day trips--that's how my brother Greg and I first got there, and we've only missed one since then.

Yes, today it's crawling with contrived, corporate movie hype types and lineups for ridiculous pieces that people are buying for the sole reason of selling on eBay. But behind all that, there's still a pretty amazing collection of highly talented writers and artists, not to mention hardcore geek fans, and it's cool be on both sides--I hope the former, at least--even if I'm cemented on the other side of a vendor's table. Come by Booth 1729 (same as usual) and say hi because I'm not going anywhere. I browse, shop, and attend panels vicariously through friends like you, and if I you could eat or pee for me, too, that would be cool.