Month: July 2006

52

After initially deciding that I would skip 52 entirely, or maybe pick up the collections after it’s finished, I broke down today and went over to the comic shop and picked up issues one through twelve. I just finished reading the first issue, and it looks like it might be an interesting series. I’m still balking at getting all 52 issues at $2.50 a pop though. That’s a bunch of cash.

another Comic-Con down

I’m done with the con, and back in my hotel room, trying to figure out how to fit all my stuff back in my luggage. I think I’ll get everything packed away OK, but I’m wondering how it will all look by the time I get back to Newark. Hopefully, everything will still be in one piece.

Looking back, I think I did most of the things I like to do at a con:

  • Ric Meyers’ kung-fu thing.
  • A few DC and Marvel panels.
  • A couple of the panels done by the CFQ guys. (This year, the movie preview and Robot Rumble panels.)
  • A couple of Mark Evanier’s panels. (This year, the cartoon voices panel, and a panel on cover art.)
  • A couple of TV or movie panels. (This year, BSG and Blade.)
  • I picked up a few cheap TPBs from TFAW’s “nick and dent” sale.
  • I picked up a few books from Mile High’s “last hour of the con” 50% off sale.
  • I picked up a stack of books out of somebody’s $1 box.
  • I picked up a couple of action figures. (Hellboy and the Ikki Tousen figure I mentioned in a previous post.)

As usual, I’m not 100% sure if I’ll be going back next year. I probably will, but the con is getting so big it’s almost a hassle to deal with it. I find that I can still have a good time, if I set my expectations correctly. I don’t assume I’m going to get into any particular panels, or get any specific signatures, or anything like that. That generally works.

Comic Con – oddball stuff

I picked up an exclusive Ikki Tousen PVC statue today: Kanu in Red School Girl Uniform. I’m not sure if I should be ashamed of that or not. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m just not sure where I can display it.

I also picked up a Harry Potter trading card “mystery box”, which included a “costume card” that has an actual piece of cloth from Neville Longbottom’s pajamas attached to it (from the Goblet of Fire movie). Weird.

On the more mainstream side of things, I picked up a couple of sheets of the new DC superhero stamps. The USPS has a little booth in the convention center lobby that’s doing a *lot* of business.

heat wave

After working in an office without air conditioning for the last two days, I’m ready to get out of New Jersey and head off to San Diego. The temperature outside in NJ was about 99 degrees today. In our office, it got up to 87 at one point. In San Diego, it was only about 78 outside today. Nice.

They got the A/C in the office fixed at around 3pm today, so it should be fine in the office for the rest of the week. I’d still rather be in S.D. though!

Infinite Crisis

I just started reading Infinite Crisis. This site has some nice notes explaining the many references in each issue. Whatever happened to footnotes in comics? In this case, I guess, the footnotes would have gotten quite overwhelming. Still, it’s weird to pick up a book like this and not get maybe half the references, despite having read a number of the prequel stories and having at least some knowledge of the other stories via the web.

World Cup

Well, Italy won the World Cup about an hour ago, and the crazed, drunken fans are still running around up and down Main St., waving flags, yelling, and generally carrying on. A while ago, there was a guy running around in the middle of the street with an Italian flag in one hand and a beer bottle in another. I’m guessing somebody gets hits by a truck within the next half-hour or so.