Thursday, August 03, 2006
San Diego Comic Con: Happy Chaos?
The next several days I'll discuss the complexity of this
enormous festival called the International Comic-Con:
San Diego. These are some tips given with the hope
to help one survive such an event with a certain degree
of sanity and finally why is such a popular culture
convention important and meaningful.
For those who have followed my my posts over the past
week or so you will recognize a common thread in my
convention experience. I am a Panel Hopper. Perhaps the
major thing for me at this convention is selecting from
the large set of overlapping options schedule what panels
and seminars to attend. Below are listed some other fannish
alter egos that you can transform into during the convention:
SF/Fantasy Movie Viewer: Want to see Batman Returns
or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode or The Hills Have Eyes.
Anime Film Watcher: Are you a devotee of Japanese animation?
There are three rooms going non stop for the entire convention
(10 AM-2-AM each day)
San Diego Con Film Festival Attendee: Each day has a
full slate of films produced by Hollywood hopefuls (Live action
and animated).
Comic Con Film School Student: Each day there are
seminars on how to produce your own films.
This is the digital age.
Comic Arts Conference Goer: Are you an comics scholar?
The convention has a full slate each day of college professors
and grad students reading papers on topics like
“The Secret of Sequence,” or “Burroughing Beneath
the Page: The Life of Matthew Nicholas Carter” and many others.
Web Comics Wannatbe: There is a series of seminars
on how to produce, promotion and make money from web comics.
Historical Comics Panel Listener: Interested in early
careers of Jerry Robinson or Everret Raymond Kinstler or
Shelly Moldoff or other artists and writers from the early
days of comic books? There are a series of panels for you.
Current Comics Company Promo Groupie: Need to
know what Marvel or DC or Dark Horse or Fantagraphics
or SLG or Devil’s Due planning for the next year?
Role Game Player: If you are really into Dungeons &
Dragons and numerous other RPGs there are whole rooms
set aside for you.
Autograph Hound Seeker: Want to get an autograph of
Ray Bradbury or Walter Koenig or J Michael Straczynski or
Barbara Luna and many, many other celerbries. They are all
on the schedule so just line up.
Portfolio Review Hopeful: Want to have your work
looked at and evaluated by a DC or Dark Horse or Marvel
or Disney rep? These studios and schools are there to look
at your work.
Back Issue Comics Seeker: Is that special back issue
or run eluding you? There are many back issue comics
dealers at the Con to help you find it.
Artist Alley Sketch Fanatic: Want a personal sketch
from your favorite artist. Try finding him or her in
Artist’s Alley.
Exhibit Hall Tourist: The huge exhibit hall has
hundreds of exhibiters and dealers of all kinds of
comics’sf/fantasy related merchandise.
Celebrity Addict : (Spotlights on favorite Writers
or Artists): Interested in hearing from George R.R.
Martin or Jean Claude Mezieres or Scott Williams or
Kuzuo Koike? They are all here and talking about
their work.
The Eisner Awards Devotee: The Academy
Awards of the Comic Book industry are given out
Friday night.
The Masquerade Fanatic; Very creator young
costumers dress up as your favorite comics or Sci fi heroes.
Trekkers Welcome: Star Wars & Star Trek
Programming: Friday is Star Wars Day with panels
and presentations.
Motion Picture & TV Program Promotions:
What is 20th Century Fox or Warner Brothers or
Disney planning. Coming and hear the latest
hype from Hollywood.
Special Interest panels: Black in Comics?
Gays in Comics? Jews in Comics? Hindu Comics?
They are all here.
Children’s Programming: Sunday has a very
large slate of programming especially for youngsters.
Dealers & Exhibitors: Most dealers will have
to spend most of their convention time at their
booth. This is a whole different set of
experiences than the attendee has.
All this and more make up this year's
San Diego Convention. As you can see by the
above it’s actually impossible for one person
to experience everything at the San Diego
Convention. On any given day and hour
of the convention there at 15 or more options
veying for your attention and there is also
night programming. Information overload and
things like resting and eating also intrude
on the convention attendee’s schedule.
enormous festival called the International Comic-Con:
San Diego. These are some tips given with the hope
to help one survive such an event with a certain degree
of sanity and finally why is such a popular culture
convention important and meaningful.
For those who have followed my my posts over the past
week or so you will recognize a common thread in my
convention experience. I am a Panel Hopper. Perhaps the
major thing for me at this convention is selecting from
the large set of overlapping options schedule what panels
and seminars to attend. Below are listed some other fannish
alter egos that you can transform into during the convention:
SF/Fantasy Movie Viewer: Want to see Batman Returns
or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode or The Hills Have Eyes.
Anime Film Watcher: Are you a devotee of Japanese animation?
There are three rooms going non stop for the entire convention
(10 AM-2-AM each day)
San Diego Con Film Festival Attendee: Each day has a
full slate of films produced by Hollywood hopefuls (Live action
and animated).
Comic Con Film School Student: Each day there are
seminars on how to produce your own films.
This is the digital age.
Comic Arts Conference Goer: Are you an comics scholar?
The convention has a full slate each day of college professors
and grad students reading papers on topics like
“The Secret of Sequence,” or “Burroughing Beneath
the Page: The Life of Matthew Nicholas Carter” and many others.
Web Comics Wannatbe: There is a series of seminars
on how to produce, promotion and make money from web comics.
Historical Comics Panel Listener: Interested in early
careers of Jerry Robinson or Everret Raymond Kinstler or
Shelly Moldoff or other artists and writers from the early
days of comic books? There are a series of panels for you.
Current Comics Company Promo Groupie: Need to
know what Marvel or DC or Dark Horse or Fantagraphics
or SLG or Devil’s Due planning for the next year?
Role Game Player: If you are really into Dungeons &
Dragons and numerous other RPGs there are whole rooms
set aside for you.
Autograph Hound Seeker: Want to get an autograph of
Ray Bradbury or Walter Koenig or J Michael Straczynski or
Barbara Luna and many, many other celerbries. They are all
on the schedule so just line up.
Portfolio Review Hopeful: Want to have your work
looked at and evaluated by a DC or Dark Horse or Marvel
or Disney rep? These studios and schools are there to look
at your work.
Back Issue Comics Seeker: Is that special back issue
or run eluding you? There are many back issue comics
dealers at the Con to help you find it.
Artist Alley Sketch Fanatic: Want a personal sketch
from your favorite artist. Try finding him or her in
Artist’s Alley.
Exhibit Hall Tourist: The huge exhibit hall has
hundreds of exhibiters and dealers of all kinds of
comics’sf/fantasy related merchandise.
Celebrity Addict : (Spotlights on favorite Writers
or Artists): Interested in hearing from George R.R.
Martin or Jean Claude Mezieres or Scott Williams or
Kuzuo Koike? They are all here and talking about
their work.
The Eisner Awards Devotee: The Academy
Awards of the Comic Book industry are given out
Friday night.
The Masquerade Fanatic; Very creator young
costumers dress up as your favorite comics or Sci fi heroes.
Trekkers Welcome: Star Wars & Star Trek
Programming: Friday is Star Wars Day with panels
and presentations.
Motion Picture & TV Program Promotions:
What is 20th Century Fox or Warner Brothers or
Disney planning. Coming and hear the latest
hype from Hollywood.
Special Interest panels: Black in Comics?
Gays in Comics? Jews in Comics? Hindu Comics?
They are all here.
Children’s Programming: Sunday has a very
large slate of programming especially for youngsters.
Dealers & Exhibitors: Most dealers will have
to spend most of their convention time at their
booth. This is a whole different set of
experiences than the attendee has.
All this and more make up this year's
San Diego Convention. As you can see by the
above it’s actually impossible for one person
to experience everything at the San Diego
Convention. On any given day and hour
of the convention there at 15 or more options
veying for your attention and there is also
night programming. Information overload and
things like resting and eating also intrude
on the convention attendee’s schedule.
# posted by Dino Don @ 9:58 AM 
