Photos at http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/pcu_2006/

Well it has come and gone and I am already looking forward to the next one I can get to. This year's event was one of the busiest I have seen since going to my first one in 1992 for the old VCU (Valley Comics Update that we published in hard-copy).

This time, well over a 100,000 people faced the heat (which set record high temps throughout the city) and stood in line for as much as 5 hours to get a chance to see professionals from all walks of the entertainment industry.

From Ray Harryhausen to Students of the Unusual; from Robert Rodriquez to Samuel L. Jackson; from Conan to Snakes on a Plane, this year's Comic Con had it all.

And now that it is a little cooler here at home, I can sit down and tell you about my trip. I left at about 3 am Thursday and finally made it to the Convention Center at around 3:30 PM. Traffic was fine until I got to the San Diego County Line. Then it was stop-and-go the rest of the way.

I moved about 50 miles in three and an half hours. Yippee. By the time I got to the show, even with the car ac I was still hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. I had planned to change but I honestly don't think I would have had time.

Getting into the con was easy with my Press Credentials. I went to the Press Desk and just breezed through. This time they have switched to a bar code scanner that reads your information and prints out your pass. I was having trouble breathing, so I went to disabled services and checked out a wheel chair. I used it to both ride in and as a rolling cart for my stuff.

According to one person from DC, I was in costume as Doc Magnus personal servant, and he was taking a nap at the time.

Mostly, that day I just walked around the first afternoon, trying to figure out where everything was and saying hello to old friends I have not seen for a while, trying to make new friends and all the time chatting with folks about this movie or that Comic. It was great fun, and I discussed problems with Superman Returns and positive issues with Amazing Spider-Man.

At one point, I got into a discussion with some guy about a Batman/Phantom team up. We both liked it, and thought it had great potential; but as usual no one listens to us.

And panels, panels, panels. The DCU Executive Editor Dan Didio hosted the current DC Nation panel along with Stephen Wacher, the editor of the "52 line. Supporting them were Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, and Jann Jones and they kicked off their latest San Diego Comic-Con programming with its "DC Nation" panel, talking about everything from the 52 series, and other situations that Infinite Crisis brought down.

When asked about "52" and if they are already in the DCU One Year Later, Didio commented that readers have been reading about "52" all along, and left it at that.

Also, Wacher told everyone that Steel's story in 52 is far from over, and fans will love discovering the character is, 'the heart of the story'.
When one of the audience said his enjoyment of 52 was enhanced because he reads the series daily, taking a week to read each issue, one day's at a time, the panel applauded him, with Wacher telling him that he was their biggest fan. Waid asked it the story line up was Wednesday-Wednesday or Sunday-Sunday. The fan noted that as he read them, they line up Wednesday-Wednesday.

And of course, Superboy's death came into discussion. The question was did Superman have any grief over Kon-El's death? Didio responded that the upcoming team on Action Comics will probably deal with Superman's personal grief; Kent has been shown in 52 in the weeks after Conner Kent's death with no visible signs of mourning. But not every moment of the lives of the characters has been seen.

Didio said that Conner Kent, Superboy is dead - as dead as Sue Dibny, Max Lord, or Ted Kord. Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Je also said that, as it stands, Superboy's death mattered - allowing stories to be built upon it, and character development to come from it.
Didio also stated, in regards to Superboy Prime, and whether or not he would ever escape his prison, they had gone to a lot of trouble to create a villain with this power level for the DCU, and that there would be no sense to not use him again. There were also hints that there will be some connection between Superman and his years as a Superboy.

Friday, I checked out a wheel chair just to be on the safe side. I got to meet Brandon Peterson and some other guys from Image as well as ISG; great group of guys by the way.

Peterson was a lot of fun to talk to; he is an excellent artist with a great future in front of him. As long as he does not let people he works with who already have a big name try to 'talk down' to him. I picked up his latest sketchbook and one from last year. Got him to sign both of them as well, to me so he could be pretty sure they were not going up on Ebay.

I passed out some more of the 'Press Kits' my co-editor Ugo Milani and I created, telling about our cheap ad rates (as low as $10 a month for a million potential customers to see you) and some past comments about us from industry professionals and fans of the site or the old paper magazine we printed. This one comes with a nifty folder you can use for budget reports or hiding your love letters from all your store groupies in.

Talking to a few other guests, I discovered that some of them had problems at the show. Not with the Convention itself, but with the Convention Center. I went and checked on a couple of their complaints and turned out they might have something to complain about. Overflowing garbage cans, toilets that were filthy, no supplies and no one who seemed to care could be found. I mentioned it to one of the security people, since I couldn't find anyone else, he called it in but when I went back an hour or so later it still had not been cleaned or supplied.

I have never seen the Convention Center so lax in keeping itself 'prettied up'. San Diego is supposed to be the cleanest city in America, and the city itself was this year. Shoot, even the slums looked nice compared to other cities slum areas. So, what happened this year? Was it more guests then they expected? A lack of professionalism on the part of the staff or is it just time for a major housecleaning at the Convention Center?

I went to a couple of panels and made it to the Heroes (NBC TV) premiere. Looks like a first class show. It is on NBC on Monday nights, so catch it if you can. It has some great characters and the actors actually look like they were having fun with their roles. From a high school cheerleader who can't be hurt to a Japanese business man who can stop time or teleport himself this show looks like it might be a winner.

On the way out, I went to get into the elevator and discovered something. The elevator doors opened fairly slow but seemed to go much faster when they would close. So, the doors opened and I move forward, and the freakin door tried to shut, ripping a dime sized chunk of skin off my knuckle. Hurt like the devil and bled like a stuck pig. I got down to First Aid and they cleaned it and gave me a couple of band aids. After that, I went home. With traffic, I got to the motel about 7. That was after leaving the Convention Center between 3:30 and 4.

Saturday, I planned to get up early and get a really good parking space. I also decided to take my oxygen in the same rolling bag I always take to shows, local, Wonder Con, Comic Com, Wizard World...everywhere.

I had to wait outside the door to the con floor because I got there early, and spent the time talking to a couple of the security people. They let me in, and I start hitting tables. I swear this was the busiest show I have ever been to down there. I understand that it was the most attendance they have ever had. However, I did get into the DC Comics Stamp line pretty quick.

I then talked with Robert Tinnell and the rest of the guys from ISG for about an hour discussing some of the new projects they have going and coni…uhm… talking them into letting us run their new Web Strips on our site; then met with Frank Cho and Brandon Peterson again trying to dig out of Frank any information about new work he was doing but about all I got was "Come to the panels". But I did get his latest Convention art book with a little something extra on the first page. Thanks a lot Frank. That was real "Super" of you, "Man".

After a break for a $4 hotdog and cup of water, I talked with a couple of friends from Dark Horse where I found out a bit about the new project Gremlins which simply looks cute but not in a stupid goofy way. The artwork is nice, as is the extra stuff Dark Horse and Gemstone are putting together for the book.

I had to rush to watch the Spider Man trailer and discussion, and if you miss this one you might as well move to an island somewhere, because no one will let you live it down; took pictures of McGuire and Raimi but I was too far off so I don't know how they came out, same with Samuel L. Jackson from Snakes on a Plane.

But, speaking of Snakes this thing looks like it is going to be a nerve jangler. Personally, I hate snakes and if I even remotely felt that the premise was possible I would never get on a plane again.

The studio had an inflatable plane cabin set up and as you entered an air hostess (I still have to fight not to call them Stewardess) handed out a pamphlet on what to do incase of snake attack. As you walk though the set you hear snakes hissing and rattles all around you. Cool, but in the dark it would have been more fun.

Going back to the main floor I passed out folders about PCU and chatted up a number of other people.

I also got the chance to see what many of the dealers had brought and what sort of prices they were running. This time out, Lee's Comics and Robert Beerbohm's seemed to have the best deals on back issues, with Lee's using an old spinner rack loaded with lower grade *but still very nice* Bronze age books. Beerbohm's was running a sale, with up to 70% off on some titles and I admit I made a pig of myself at both tables.

I did notice that a lot of the DVD dealers, you know the ones with home printed covers and Wal-Mart cases? Well, many of them have raised their prices, up from a couple of years ago at $20 to $25 or more now. And no, I didn't buy anything from then. No one had any Doctor Who or British Comedy.

I had just left Bill Cole's where I had bought some Mylar sheets for some art when this Nazi in an Elite Security Shirt (and a Kilt, I think) stopped me and said "You have to have that bag tagged. It is a danger on the floor. Leave, be removed out or get a disabled tag."

I tried to explain to him that I was not aware of this rule, and no one else with Elite had said anything, to me all day.

He told me my bag might cause someone to trip.. I pointed out people wearing Batman length (movie version) long capes, people in Godzilla suits with long tails, costumes with 6 foot wide shoulders and none of them were a problem? That I needed the bag to carry my Oxy in and to balance myself, but nothing else mattered.

He walked me to the door, the whole time talking about what a danger I was, and how I could hurt someone. All sorts of horrifying predictions, the guy was like a television psychic.

I told him I go then to Disabled Services and he said "Fine. You can get back in tomorrow as long as you are not belligerent."

Being the sneaky bastich I am, I stopped at the professional booth in the lobby and got one of their people to run down to disability services for me, and take care of everything. Then I snuck back in via another door. I am so ashamed. After a little more time I went on and left, making my way back to my motel and dinner.

Sunday, I get up. I finally find a place about three blocks from the center which is strange, because usually Sunday is typically the slowest day at the con. I pass out folders, talk with some more people, went to Top Cow, went back to Image and talked with Frank again, found the Moonstone booth, met Jim Steranko, and he is just as nice in person as anyone could be. Met Steve Rude and talked about "The Moth" and if or if not we could expect anything else from that area. We can, he said. "Maybe" he added. I just love definitive answers. But the guy was a lot of fun to talk with.

Met Tom DeFalco at the Moonstone booth and talked about his work on The Phantom and some of the other books he is doing for them.

But I kept missing Frank Espinosa.

That sucked.

I decided to hit a few tables and look for some cheap books and some Doctor Who. No luck on the Who, but I am going to keep trying. I will be in Portland/Salem/Eugene next week, so I will check stores up there. Someone has to have them. Lol

As I am going through the aisles, guess who comes up to me? That's right, same little Nazi. Telling me "You will have to leave, that bag is not checked."

I looked at him, told him to check again. "Oh, it's you" he says. Then he looks at the tag on my bag, looks back at me and tells me to not be a smart Alec today. Then he sees one of Robert Beerbohm's employees looking at him (actually, I don't think the kid knew what was going on) and said, "Have a good time at the con" and walks off.

I left San Diego about 9 am on Monday morning and pulled into my driveway at about 6 Tuesday morning. There were road closures from fires all over the place. There were something like 35 burning around SD and LA. The cops kept stopping cars and making up go through only a few at a time, with another cop car as a lead. Smoke was blowing across the highway for about 8 or 10 miles in one place. I saw orange flames not far from me, eastward.

But, I did get to see a couple of those water dumpers at work. I kept hoping to see a scuba diver come out of one, but no such luck.

Got a few good pictures, a few lousy ones but I am still having trouble loading photos. I have been thinking of using one of those Photobucket type places for pictures and just giving a link.

Now, finally a huge "Thank You" to Brandon Peterson and Bill Cole. Seems I left my art work, prints, sketches everything somewhere and didn't notice it until I was back at my hotel. Frantically I tried to contact people I knew to find out if I had left it there. No such luck; finally I remembered I had Brandon's card (and I bet this will be the last time he hands out a card with his phone number on it) and called him.

He was still at the con, in the Fed Ex office. I pleaded with him to go over to Bill's and see if I had left it there. When Brandon got there, he explained what was going on and Bill told me not to worry, I had left it there and "We will ship it too you as soon as we get home."

This is what Comics fandom is supposed to be about; friendship, trust and honor to each other. Not the price of a book or "how much is it worth" or even how many books you have in your collection. It is supposed to be about people with the same interests, looking out for one another. So call me a dreamer, I'm not the only one.