Getting Ready for Comic-Con International: San Diego 2012 - Yes, Already

Jerry Robinson and Mark Evanier

Yes, it's only February - but February isn't too soon to begin to consider July's Comic-Con in San Diego. Anyone who has attended within the last decade knows it, and the strange aspect is that many of those who know it also find themselves becoming tense about what is, year upon year, a delightful mix of adrenaline and unexpected pleasures. The catch that makes many tense is the uncertainty over what is to come. So it's time to take a look at a few suggestions and to solicit even more from those who know what's what. (By the way, one of the most expert of those who know what's what is Mark Evanier, whom the convention drafted long ago to evoke anecdotes and other information from those who have made the comics industry what it is. If you have not made it a point to attend his panels, make this your year to do so. He is also a prime source of general advice about attending the convention, and you'll find that and more at his website. Don't miss that, either!) Anyway, in the midst of making my own plans, I've so far come up with suggestions to myself that I'll set down here for the record.
(1) Plan ahead. Look at the convention map, the San Diego map, the convention schedule, etc. Note whatever is of interest to you.
(2) Don't let #1 stop you from preparing to seize the opportunity, if something that looks like fun offers itself. Years and years ago, Don and I realized that we were growing so tense over planning that we decided to relax at the next Comic-Con and just enjoy whatever happened. We had a resultant relatively stress-free event that was packed with surprise encounters we'd have never experienced, had we gone with an agenda so strict that it didn't allow us to take time to hang out with nice people.
(3) Consider what to pack. If you want photos, take your best camera; it's not as though you'll see these folks all together somewhere else. Not to be morbid - but this photo is the last one I was ever able to take of Jerry Robinson. (And I love my digital camera and have since added a telephoto lens to the one I had last year - but don't forget to stick some extra memory cards in your pocket. I actually had to walk half a mile back to my hotel room last year to grab one I'd left there, when I realized the one in my camera was full.)
(4) Sign up for Twitter and begin to follow people you care about. Then check it during the show. Sometimes, folks will Tweet about where they are, what they're doing, and what news they've learned. It's a pop-culture festival, after all.
What have I forgotten?
And, before many minutes had gone by, Mark Engblom reminded me of his invaluable tip sheet.

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Looking Back at Comic-Con's Thursday

Valerie at the blood drive

Prying open my eyes following the first full day of Comic-Con, I realize that Valerie and I basically lolled about, taking things as they came, checking out Angry Birds items for Valerie's son, desperately pursuing a giveaway Tintin bag (unsuccessfully; on the agenda for this afternoon again), and hugging old friends as we came across them. If my goals had been to get as many photos as possible and troll for the latest news, well ... Didn't happen. But Comic-Con is what you make it - and we made it fun. We started the day with a Blood Drive appointment, and Valerie overcame her concerns about whether her iron level would let her be accepted. Woo hoo! We actually ended up facing each other in a donation race. (She won.) True Blood T-shirts in hand, we returned to the con.

Sergio Aragones and Stan Sakai
(with Gordon Kent hidden but laughing)

And it was really a "whatever happens, happens" day, complete with attending our own "Spotlight" panel (with a surprising attendance, considering just how many events were counter-programmed). As Valerie and I chatted about being raised as second- and third-generation fans, the room slowly began to fill even more - and we asked what the next panel was scheduled to be. Why would the room be so packed? Oh, of course! It was to be Mark Evanier with a Groo team. So, of course, we stayed for the fun. In the course of much hilarity were hidden a number of to-be-noted factual treats, such as that Tom Yeates will draw Conan and Tarzan for upcoming Dark Horse crossovers for Groo. Yes, Conan will have to deal with Groo - as will Tarzan - with, of course, the basic Groo material provided by Evanier and Aragones. Also noted: Sergio Aragones Funnies (available at the show). And a Bongo Maggie (no relation) comic book done by Sergio. Stan Sakai said that Dark Horse's Usagi Yojimbo #141 will actually be his series #200, and there will be treats.

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Counting Down to San Diego

You'd think I could come up with a different topic - especially given that I already wrote about it a couple of days ago - but to many of us (except Mark Evanier, who can cover more topics more entertainingly in 24 hours than anyone else I know) there is no other topic right now. I'm actually feeling slightly relaxed, given that my flight leaves in something like 60 hours and that I still have to finish my column in Comics Buyer's Guide, my laundry, my "to do" list, and my convention schedule, not to mention ... Oh, never mind. It's all about what I have done:

* made name badges for me and my booth buddies
* designed with Brent Frankenhoff three Excel files for convention schedules (including a list of booths we want to visit in numerical order) Comics Buyer's Guide is Booth #1419; have I mentioned that yet? Stop by, won't you?
* tried on an infinite number of slacks to see which ones will do nicely for con wear (and begun a pile of rejects that will be donated to Goodwill upon my return)
* begun watching The Towering Inferno (No, that has nothing to do with Comic-Con. I hope. But a bunch of KP current and former denizens gather each month to chat about a movie they've picked, and TTI is the next choice - which I'd like to have out of the way so I don't forget to watch it before the next meeting. I lead an exciting life.)
* bought a slew of convention supplies
* made a list of the convention supplies I'd forgotten to buy
* saw In - deliverable? -decisive? -direct? -dispensible?  No, wait. I almost figured out a mnemonic when I first realized I couldn't remember the title for five minutes in a row. Let's see. It was "insep" something, wasn't it? Inseparable? Doggone it. I vowed I wouldn't actually stoop to looking it up. But I must. Ah, yes. Inception. Enjoyed it a lot, have quibbles (my dreams, at least, change from moment to moment a lot more than these - and, yes, I gather that the "architect" keeps things more under control), but it's imaginative science fiction and nicely handles a "what if" that could not have been easy to develop. Wups. Major digression. Sorry.
* contacted the nice people who invited me to events scheduled opposite the Eisner Awards to thank them but to point out that they were, yes, scheduled opposite the Eisner Awards.
* speaking of which, begun to write the annual "In Memoriam" portion of the Eisner Awards - and I'm not at all sure I'll be able to get through them without a tremor this year.

That noted, there are sure a lot of things left to do. After all, the slacks have been sorted - but that brings up such basics as footwear, not to mention tops and jackets. 60 hours? What will I forget? (Good thing the hotel is near the Horton Plaza shopping center.)

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Monkey See is my "Must-See" NPR blog

Since it began 11 months ago, Monkey See has become my favorite blog on the favorite-blogs-filled National Public Radio website -- and one of my two favorite blogs, period. (The other is Mark Evanier's newsfromme, packed with insights, hilarity, and information that's mostly about things I care about. But I digress, though it must be clear from this that popular culture is one of my ongoing affections.)

To quote its own information, Monkey See aspires "to be a haven for the geek and a translator for the confused, and to carve out a space where both longtime residents and curious visitors can comfortably roam the pop-culture landscape." It is presided over by Linda Holmes, whom I first encountered on Television without Pity, where her remarks (as "Miss Alli") actually kept me following The Amazing Race for a season or two, despite my lack of interest in "reality TV."

Monkey See is a spot that keeps me informed about events at which I could turn out to be entertained -- by its commentary as well as by the events themselves.

Yesterday, for example, there was an intro to Bravo's Top Chef Masters. Such is Linda's skill that she managed to provide a hook that explained the show, evaluated the differences between it and "Top Chef Classic," and concluded with the reason to see the episode in question. Succinct. Entertaining. Enlightening. Even for someone who has never watched Top Chef.

So it is that Monkey See rambles through the forest of pop culture, blazing a trail so that members of its expedition can keep up to date, even on aspects of entertainment to which they're not personally devoted. They provided a link to a Harry Potter quiz that's one of the best current promos I've seen. (I scored 31 out of 35 and would have scored 32, had my screen display made me more aware of precisely which of the films I was supposed to respond to.)

And, as host, Linda presides over other insightful commentators on today's entertainment. For example, Glen Weldon's comic-book commentaries are something I always find intriguing. A recent post, for example, was "Let There Be Bike Shorts: A Profile in Comics-Geek Courage." It's about DC Editor Matt Idelson and Supergirl, it was posted July 1, and it already has 37 comments. Rightly so.

So the link to "Monkey See" on my home page is no accident. It's there to remind me not to miss checking its most recent postings, because I don't want to be out of the pop-culture loop. Do you?

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