Comments on: Cons Should Be Good – Our Man Dan’s SDCC Report

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 04:47:18 +0000

I attended the SDCC for first time! I just laughed so hard reading your list of rules and suggestions. I went to the panel for Frank Miller’s 300 and half the question askers were kissing the actors’ asses so badly that I was embarrassed for them. The deodorant suggestion, man, people should take that one seriously! I found it really hard to get to any of the panels in general just coz the place was so big and getting anywhere took forever! I’m used to the conventions in Toronto, which are wee comparatively! This being my first visit to the con, I found the whole experience very exciting! You don’t just see people like Olivia or Carmine Infantino sitting around at a table unattended just any day! I guess after 6 visits you’re gonna get a bit blase about it! hehe.

By: bacci40

bacci40 — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 18:03:12 +0000

i may not understand a word grant says…but he’s still cool

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:11:49 +0000

“They had to do that because the regular magazine is no longer appropriate for children.”

Well, I’m okay with that. I mean, I went through it today (making fun the whole way), and it really is atrocious. All the jokes are about skateboards or pimples, and there’s an interview with a “wacky” DJ from AOL who talks about his respect for Hillary Duff’s work.

For shame, MAD Kids.

By: MacQuarrie

MacQuarrie — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 23:33:13 +0000

The other downside of there being so many kids there is that we start seeing crap like â€œMAD Kidsâ€ a neutered bastardization of the magazine for 8-year olds.

They had to do that because the regular magazine is no longer appropriate for children.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:06:43 +0000

“Iâ€™ve never been to the con, but I think itâ€™s a good thing that itâ€™s becoming more of a kids convention every year. Growing the fanbase for comics can only be a good thing.”

Except that it’s not really growing the fanbase for comics. It’s growing the fanbase for Naruto, Yu-gi-oh, and the Nintendo DS. These kids weren’t running around with Dark Horse bags, after all.

The other downside of there being so many kids there is that we start seeing crap like “MAD Kids” a neutered bastardization of the magazine for 8-year olds.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:03:35 +0000

Damn, I keep forgetting little things. Now, I’m gonna look really awesome with my three replies in a row to my own post.

Brian has the pronunciation correct. Either A-po-dah-cuh or Ah-po-dah-cuh is acceptable. Also, Apocaca, Avocado, or Abuhbabuh will get my attention when said aloud.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:00:20 +0000

Oh yeah, I just wanted to say that this year’s Weenie Roast was a bit different from the usual. We had fewer attendees than before, and it was a bit of a motley crew.

Making fun of people isn’t the only thing we did, it’s just my favorite.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:57:43 +0000

Yep, that’s Matt with the temporary tattoos. Trust me, those girls were not hot. They were very nice, though.

Here’s a blog with a little bit of information on the Puppet improv show. It seems, unfortunately, that their most recent show was the same weekend as Comic-Con. I can’t find anything on future performances, though.

http://swazzle.com/blogs/2006/06/jim-hensons-puppet-improv-live-in.html

Though that’s Matt in the Magneto shirt, I do have one, also. Yes, it is nerdy. I make fun out of love. And also hate.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:48:57 +0000

Great wrap-up, Dan. I don’t remember you mentioning the Tomine sketch…that’s a plus.

The Mutt, yes, the tattoos were a Car Bomb-inspired moment of temporary fun meant to provide laughs at my own expense. I’m not above such things and I think everyone thought it was funny.

And Dan’s well aware of the irony of his wearing an X-Men t-shirt. But trust me, that in no way puts him in the nerd category that he describes.

Lex, no, the CBR gatherings weren’t all bashing of posters. Yes, talking about posters you hate is a part of these things, but so is discussing the posters you love, not to mention the general discussion of comics and entertainment in general. It’s a great chance to discuss topics without worrying about the other party mis-interpreting your tone or meaning.

At this point I’m in the same boat as Dan. There’s little for me to do at the Con itself. Sure I found things to do, but I was in San Diego to hang out with and make new friends.

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:18:08 +0000

Screw the transcript! You can listen to Grant Morrison’s ridiculously thick Scottish accent at the panel video here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6165305576181681554&hl

By: Cheeseburger

Cheeseburger — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:04:08 +0000

I’ve never been to the con, but I think it’s a good thing that it’s becoming more of a kids convention every year. Growing the fanbase for comics can only be a good thing.

By: pinguino

pinguino — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 16:28:46 +0000

Heya.. I live in LA and can’t find where they’re playing the puppet up show. i heard about it here on your blog if you find it, could you send me the url?

By: Lex

Lex — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:29:45 +0000

I’ve never been to SDCC, so I’d always pictured the CBR meat-up as this really cool event. But Dan’s description killed that a little bit for me. I mean, making fun of other posters if fine (I’m assuming it was mostly about Cronin), but was that it?

Other than that part, I found your discussion of the Morrison/Chopra pannel very interesting. Newsarama said they’d put up a full transcript this week, so I’m excited to read it.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:49:13 +0000

Dan has to stop hanging out with nerds, then. He might become infected!!!!

By: The Mutt

The Mutt — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:49:02 +0000

My bad, then. Temporary doodles are cool, especially if they cause cute girls to wag their tongues at your butt.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:45:00 +0000

That’s Dan’s friend, Matt, with the tattoos.

And I believe they were temporary. And if they’re temporary, you’d be a fool NOT to accept them!

By the by, I updated the piece by adding captions for each pic, to clear stuff up.

By: The Mutt

The Mutt — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:43:04 +0000

I’m sorry, but anybody with permanent doodles on his ass really has no business making fun of anyone. At the end of the day, I can take off my Han Solo costume. 40 years from now, you’ll still have proof that you’re drunk and stupid right there on your wrinkled ass.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:32:20 +0000

That’s Dan’s friend Matt, with the shirt.

And if Dan is anything like the other folks I know named Apodaca, it is Ap (as in Apple)-oh-dac-a.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:24:18 +0000

Okay, a few things: I thought my eyes would explode when I saw that naked Beast … but then I saw your plumber butt. Then my eyes did explode and my wife had to read me the rest of the article.

Morrison is a great writer and all, but I think he’s a bit off his tree. I bet he was up on a hill chanting in 1987 during the Harmonic Convergence. Boy, that sure ushered in a new era of mankind, didn’t it?

I love that Magneto shirt, but I think it might make you the very kind of nerd you ridicule! Oh, the horror!!!!!

How do you pronounce your last name?

Good report, sir. We’re all very proud of you.