Where I'll Be: San Diego

As I mentioned last week, San Diego Comic-Con starts next week, specifically July 22 (preview night) and runs through July 26.  It’s by far the most well-attended and media-saturated pop culture convention in the United States, a fact that has become both a boon and drawback for both creators and fans over the last few years. Sure, it’s great that the sequential art/animation/genre fiction industries are experiencing such popularity and growth. But it’s also created a clusterf*ck in San Diego for about a week every July, both in and around the San Diego Convention Center.

Unlike Las Vegas, San Diego does not have more than 100,000 hotel rooms within minutes of the convention center. Hell, it barely has 50,000 in the metro area. Rooms get reserved quickly and the ones left are pricey. I reserved mine back in the early spring, maybe even winter, and even then, the closest I could get to the center for less than $200 was a Courtyard by Marriott near the airport. By comparison, our last trip there in the spring got us a room five or six blocks from the bay with a towering view of the city for about $125/a night.

But I digress. While I was able to get my professional credentials for this year’s geekfest, I missed the deadline for a small press or Artist Alley table reservation. So, as described over at Pop! Goes the Icon, I’ll be wandering around the convention halls with a bag full of goodies, including the items found inside this box:

The Utopian samplers!

Yep, extremely limited-edition (only 50!) Comic-Con exclusive print samplers of The Utopian, ready for the unsuspecting public. These will be handed out for free to whatever suckers want them in San Diego, so if that’s you and you’ll be down there, I highly recommend letting me know ahead of time, and I’ll hold a copy for you to grab from me there. Otherwise, if you want a print edition of my ongoing webcomic, I recommend waiting for the official first issue this fall, which will have nifty bonus materials well worth the $3.50 cover price. More on that later.

Oh, you have been keeping up with the webcomic, right? Because some sh*t is going to happen next week you’ll need to be prepared for.

I will have other comic-related news to announce soon, including the next title from Pop! Goes the Icon. Stay tuned.

HEARTY DISCLAIMER: The girlfriend and I are in the middle of buying a house, and the lender is playing the shell game with the closing date. So there is a chance this whole trip could get borked, but I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen. If it does, I will make sure a deputy is down there to distribute materials, but I would like you all to pray to whatever god or demon you love that everything goes fine next week. Thanks for your support.

7 Comments

  1. Mama Kay July 16, 2009 8:21 pm 

    OK, this is my take on the trip to SD….. GO! and insist the girlfriend, AKA, my baby girl, escort you there. You 2 will purchase this home, so why have it hanging over your head that you didn’t go to something you both were looking forward to, just to sign on the dotted line a couple days earlier. Yes, I understand that Ann has a new renter, the bug guy needs to come, the movers need to be rescheduled, blah, blah, blah, BUT, go have a little vacation, some fun,talk,food, change of scenery, and come back loaded for bear! Love, Mamma Kay

    p.s. You know I’m waiting for you to become famous and stinking rich so that I can become your neighbor!!!! OK, truly, all my love, Mamma Kay

  2. Pj Perez July 16, 2009 8:30 pm 

    Yeah, that’s pretty much our take on it. Doubtful it’ll happen before then anyway.

    So that’s what happens after I become rich? I get stinky? And you move in next door? Free child/pet care? WOO! 🙂

  3. Perez July 17, 2009 8:24 am 

    Hey!!! who’s the mother here? I thought I was. That little green demon is coming out!!!

  4. Pj Perez July 17, 2009 9:37 am 

    Don’t fret, there’s plenty of room for every mother. We’ll put you all to work equally. 😉

  5. Hank July 20, 2009 5:55 pm 

    next year, if you dont like central air…i suggest bookin at the intl hostel that is only 3/4 a mile directly down the street from the convention center. like 30 bucks or so a night and you get to bunk with some crazy asshole from sweden that talks about how comic nerds jack up the rates.

  6. Pj Perez July 20, 2009 5:58 pm 

    Thanks for the suggestion, Hank. Though I’m kind of thinking the girlfriend wouldn’t quite be down for that.

    But seriously, I’m booking my hotel for next year as soon as I get back next week. 🙂