Posts Tagged ‘san francisco’

SFMoMA, viewed from Yerba Buena Gardens

A lot of people complain about the overcrowded, over-popularized atmosphere of San Diego Comic-Con, but after dropping in for about half a day on San Francisco WonderCon, I have to admit: I kind of prefer the hustle and bustle of America’s Finest City’s summer nerdfest.

As an editor friend noted, WonderCon is more of a true industry convention, where colleagues from different publishers can actually get together without the eyes of the world so intensely upon them. And admittedly, it was nice to be able to have quieter conversations and not wait in lines to meet with people. But the palpable energy of Comic-Con is truly a unique experience — one that, after some consideration, I’ll likely endure again this year.

Still, the three-day excursion to the Bay Area was good. Sara and I met up with her friends from Michigan, spent a too-short lunch at the Metreon with pals I hadn’t seen in easily a decade (super-couple Frank and Jill Beaton, down from Portland for the con) and enjoyed a tasty meal at Ponzu with another buddy and ex-Las Vegan, Leo (and his fab boyfriend). I spent some time exchanging comics industry and Vegas stories with Steve Englehart. Paul Horn and I finally connected and I picked up a collection of his engaging and funny strip Cool Jerk. I did more walking in three days than I typically do in six months — which was OK, aside from the vagrants, junkies and whores every 5 feet. Most of the photo-snapping was left to our party’s resident amateur shutterbug, Aaron, but I did capture a few moments from the “It Was the Age of Marvel Comics” panel, Alcatraz Island and Yerba Buena Gardens, if you’re interested.

I also did something this weekend I haven’t done in about four years: turned over a freelance assignment to another writer. Without going into details, a few other stories that should have been wrapped up weeks ago bled over into time set for this other story, which then crashed into WonderCon weekend, before which I had to scramble to tie up other loose ends. Thankfully, I not only had a star writer to pick up the ball running, but I also have a good editor who (I think) understands the circumstances (right, Michael?).

That being said, the results of tying those loose ends will hopefully make themselves evident sooner than later. Stay tuned, true believers, because as always, news is forthcoming.

When cosplay goes bad ...

I guess I haven’t actually even mentioned this on here, which is a bit odd, but if anyone’s looking for me over the next four days, I’ll be in San Francisco. We’re meeting up with friends old and new, both SF denizens and parties coming from distant points. And … going to Wondercon, the smaller, less insane, but just as geektastic comic book convention being held at Moscone Center Friday through Sunday.

The last pop culture convention I hit was San Diego Comic-Con in 2007, which I covered for Racket magazine (and by “covered,” I mean took pictures of cosplayers and wrote mocking captions about them). It was also the first one I’d been to since I was 13 or 14, when I attended a relatively small convention in Philadephia, where I only recall a) buying Avengers #28 (to this day, the only comic book I keep in a mylar sleeve) and b) meeting inker John Beatty, who signed a bunch of Batman comics on which he worked.

Comic-Con was fun but exhausting — I spent two days there with about 8 billion people*, bought a bunch of $1 comics, a sketch or two, took a lot of pictures and ate too many pretzels. Oh, and met Henry Rollins, attended a preview of Reaper with pilot director Kevin Smith and … um … got free hugs.

We’re only hitting Wondercon for one day — tomorrow — and I plan to attend only one panel, “It Was the Age of Marvel Comics,” moderated by Mark Evanier. Otherwise, I’m going just to go, you know, take in the sights, snap some pictures and maybe stalk an editor or two (a writer has to keep his options open, you know?). Given the “big day” of the convention is Saturday, it should be pretty chill. In theory.

Surely I’ll be randomly updating Twitter throughout the weekend, but don’t expect to see any photos, videos or reports from SF until next week, as I’m not taking my laptop to the Bay Area.

Oh, and if you haven’t bought tickets to my band’s next show yet, they’re going really quickly, and I would strongly recommend doing so now. Thanks.

*Estimate only.

When cosplay goes bad ...

I guess I haven’t actually even mentioned this on here, which is a bit odd, but if anyone’s looking for me over the next four days, I’ll be in San Francisco. We’re meeting up with friends old and new, both SF denizens and parties coming from distant points. And … going to Wondercon, the smaller, less insane, but just as geektastic comic book convention being held at Moscone Center Friday through Sunday.

The last pop culture convention I hit was San Diego Comic-Con in 2007, which I covered for Racket magazine (and by “covered,” I mean took pictures of cosplayers and wrote mocking captions about them). It was also the first one I’d been to since I was 13 or 14, when I attended a relatively small convention in Philadephia, where I only recall a) buying Avengers #28 (to this day, the only comic book I keep in a mylar sleeve) and b) meeting inker John Beatty, who signed a bunch of Batman comics on which he worked.

Comic-Con was fun but exhausting — I spent two days there with about 8 billion people*, bought a bunch of $1 comics, a sketch or two, took a lot of pictures and ate too many pretzels. Oh, and met Henry Rollins, attended a preview of Reaper with pilot director Kevin Smith and … um … got free hugs.

We’re only hitting Wondercon for one day — tomorrow — and I plan to attend only one panel, “It Was the Age of Marvel Comics,” moderated by Mark Evanier. Otherwise, I’m going just to go, you know, take in the sights, snap some pictures and maybe stalk an editor or two (a writer has to keep his options open, you know?). Given the “big day” of the convention is Saturday, it should be pretty chill. In theory.

Surely I’ll be randomly updating Twitter throughout the weekend, but don’t expect to see any photos, videos or reports from SF until next week, as I’m not taking my laptop to the Bay Area.

Oh, and if you haven’t bought tickets to my band’s next show yet, they’re going really quickly, and I would strongly recommend doing so now. Thanks.

*Estimate only.