Come anticipate Comic Con International 2004 with me

Since last year's Bristol convention (which Jeff Smith was at), my daughter has gone beyond just liking comics to liking Bone. A lot.

She was really disappointed to find out he wasn't at this years, though telling Mike Carey how much she liked My Faith In Frankie made up for it a bit.

She's 9. Is anybody willing to bug Jeff Smith for a sketch or something for her? I'll reimburse, obviously. Mail me on this address if so (or tell me here if you like, but it'll save clogging up the thread).

aldo, I'm going to be asking Jeff Smith to do a sketch for me, so I probably won't be to ask him for one, though if he's selling prints or something, I'll be happy to pick one up for your daughter. (There's no hope for clogging up this thread.)

THURS
2:00-3:00 CAC Session 1: Defining Comics, Again?!
3:00-4:30 Freaks and Geeks
6:00-7:00 Fanthropology 101

FRI
10:30-11:30 CAC Session 4: The Superhero in Popular Culture: A Q&A Panel
12:30-1:30 Jeff Smith
2:00-3:00 CAC Session 6: Superman on the Couch—Danny Fingeroth
5:00-6:00 Hellboy DVD
6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Aaron McGruder
6:00-7:00 The Inkwell: Premiere of the Television Newsmagazine About Comics, Animation, and Pop Culture

SAT
10:00-11:00 ABC’s New Fall Series Lost
10:30-11:30 CAC Session 7: The Comics of Comics: The Page, Interactivity, and Metacognivity DAMMIT DAMMIT OVERLAP (though reading the latter's description is kind of UGH)
11:30-1:00 The Simpsons
12:00-1:30 Quick Draw! Cartoon Improv
2:00-3:00 Reality Stars Unleashed! OMG GEEEK HEAVEN
2:00-3:00 Dimension Films: Sin City WHO SCHEDULES THESE THINGS AARGH
3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Craig Thompson
5:00-6:00 Spotlight on Mike Mignola: 10 Years of Hellboy
5:30-7:00 20th Century Fox: Alien vs. Predator I CAN ASK IF THE DERELICT SHIP IN ALIEN WAS A PRED SHIP

SUN
12:00–1:00 CAC Session 12: The Modern and Modernizing Superhero—Aldo J. Regalado
2:00-4:00 Wonderfalls: Unseen Episodes

Also: sorry Matt!

More later...

T0pl3ss C0nni3 Chung stories to come.

Probably the most low-key day, spent mostly waiting (i.e. standing -- so on the first day my feet already start to kill) to get sketches from a couple artists. Jason Alexander is great -- when I asked him to draw Madman, he wasn't familiar so I pulled out a Madman gallery for reference, and he's all, "DAMN THAT'S TIGHT" (words to that effect). He says if I want a really quick sketch or if I wanted something with a lot of time put into it, and I tell him I'm in no hurry at all and leave it with him. I come back an hour-90 minutes later from a panel and wow, I love this guy.

Later that day I hover around a self-publishing title, and I get the guy to the Elektra (rah foreshortening!). The guys in the booth then ask me to go drinking with them later, but since I'm a teetotaler and flaky, I don't see them again for the rest of the con.

Fri
After a moderately interesting panel on a new superhero reference encyclopedia and then lunch, I make my way to the Jeff Smith panel. At this point, the con is all about Jeff and Frank Miller. I get in kind of late to hear him reading a bunch of pages from the Giant Bone TPB (also on sale was the hardcover version, which is jawdroppingly beautiful (gold-leafed, embossed titles) but $125, and even then it sold out by Sunday), I presume because of editorial changes to clarify and foreshadow ghost circles in the story. I ask him, "You can't spell THORN without HORN -- is that a coincidence?" and feel smugly intelligent. Also, a professor from Thursday's panel was sitting behind me and also asked a question -- proof of Bone's greatness, suckas! Some news about the entire run being republished in color (distributed by Scholastic) with a few preview pages, and it looks quite impressive even though I was skeptical about the idea at first (as Jeff was initially as well). Then he announces that he'll be signing at the Cartoon Books booth at 3pm. I'M EXCITED

When the Alias crew finally gets there (minus one of the actors), the line moves briskly since we were allowed only to have one item signed by the three of them. I have no Alias merch whatsoever, and even though there were Comic Con-exclusive Alias posters at the booth, I decide to make do with some signatures in my sketchbook, which, it turns out, was a suave move because JJ actually gives me a self-portrait. I felt special even though I probably put my foot in my mouth about how the last season rocked despite a convoluted plot because of the strength of its style and that, generally, the show is a triumph of style over substance. Then JJ sez, "We like substance too." Errr.

Then too line up for Jeff Smith. A much slower paced line because Jeff, being a nice guy, chatted w/ his fans. And when it came my turn, he was incredibly accommodating about him signing all 9 TPBs (sketching a character in each (though most ended up being Ted the Bug)), plus the Giant Bone, plus a Madman pinup, plus another sketch in my sketchbook i.e. the "Kyle Bone" pic (I'd earlier gotten a Fone Bone sketch from Kyle Baker and shown it to Jeff, who was tickled pink) and I felt bad because I didn't dare get something for aldo like I said I would.

Punt around a bit, and see OMG TARA MCPHERSON CONCERT POSTERS. I bought the Sleater-Kinney one like a bat out of hell. I'M TWEE. The guy selling said that she was actually here at the DC booth (since she does the covers for The Witching, but turns out the guy lied like a kite). A random indie guy came up to me and asked where I got the poster and I showed him. So con-geeks aren't just nerds and hott goth girls!

Then to the Hellboy DVD panel. Guillermo Del Toro is a funny bastard. Then I call it a day.

Sat
By far the busiest day, me-wise and convention-wise.

I'm paranoid as hell that there'd be a huge glut of a line waiting for the screening of Lost (JJ Abram's new series) and I make an effort to get there early, but in getting ready to leave I end up there right when the doors open. Turns out the auditorium was only filled two-thirds, so there was never any problems. Excellent pilot, but the bad news is that it goes head to head with Top Model. In the post-screening Q&A, the obligatory hot chick stole Avril's mojo, wearing a tank top and a necktie.

Lunch, then Quick Draw. I appreciate Sergio now, the man is amazing. Jeff was also there, hence my attendance. When the prompt was to draw the worst fan ever, Jeff recounted a guy who asked him to draw a t0p13ss C0nn!3 Chüng with the body of a mermaid. Apparently, the guy had a sketchbook filled with C0nn!3 Chüng-beasts. Of course, later when the prompt is to draw a cross of two animals, Jeff gets C0nn!3 Chüng with the an octopus. Hilarity ensues.

I punt about again, then mosey over to the Sin City movie panel. It was in hall H, which is at the end of the convention center. Like I said, a line of mentalism extending for blocks out into downtown. Forget you Frank. I still have a chance to get his autograph when he and some castmembers sign at Dark Horse.

At least Craig Thompson's spotlight panel wasn't so packed. I'd thought of him as a worldy indie darling, but turns out he's incredibly regular with his own set of neuroses. He's got some serious hand/wrist problems (rheumatoid arthritis according to Carnet de Voyage) and I'm afraid I won't get a sketch. Nevertheless he gives me a couple inside Blankets and Happy Endings, though I probably made him uncomfortable with my babbling about missing Sin City's panel. Still, he's appreciative that I bought a collection of arty postcards, since he apparently is seriously strapped for cash.

By that time I'd given up on Frank for good, but walk by Dark Horse anyway to check out the action -- some action, they had to close off an entire aisle due to insane foot traffic. People were packed in trying to take pictures. I think Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson happened to be there, too.

To the Mignola spotlight, where I ask why he's so good at drawing monkeys, and then home.

Sun

I'm dead tired by now, and really don't care about getting sketches. Two panels, one at noon, another at 2 (Wonderfalls!) was all that I was interested in. Two unaired episodes of Wonderfalls! First one was immaculate, second was not so perfect.

Oh yeah, on Thursday, I'd resolved mostly to collect autographs and sketches and not bother bin-diving for YOU KNOW WHAT. However, going past one of the larger back issues booths, I said to myself I'll try this one place, just to say that I looked for it. And so, OMG, TWO COPIES LEFT OF LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #54!!! 50% off also! $10 $5!

I managed to not do anything Rucka-related (aside from getting two Q&C volumes signed by the artists), though I did see him smoking outside the building.

Chynna Clugston-Major is kind of hott!

1) Is that Ted Naifeh drawing Tara Chace or something?

2) What's Wonderfalls?

3) Did you meet any hott goth girls?

A minute ago I didn't know who Chynna Clugston-Major was, but I certainly do now.

Jordan:

1. Yep, that's Tara Chace. He actually started one in ink but gave it up and switched to pencil -- he did have his right arm in a sling! He wasn't terribly happy with the result, but it has scanned in surprisingly well.

2. ILE has a thread with a summary of the show.

3. No :(

I totally forgot, and this was a big deal at the time, was that a certain artist of repute, who has worked with one of my favorite writers and whose first name rhymes with Jeff and whose family name is represented by the rebus d→, had dropped his badge on the ground because he kept it in his pocket. I went to a nearby artist booth -- since all these guys happen to know each other -- and who pointed out d→. I return his badge and he insists on rewarding me, ultimately in the form of a neet Big Guy and Rusty poster. Cool guy!