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So, I just got back from the first day of Comic Con. It was a lot of fun. Here are some things that stood out.

- The pilot for the Limitless TV series is pretty good.
- I saw a scene from the upcoming Victorian special for Sherlock. Can't wait for the full product.
- Benedict Cumberbatch has a lot of female fans. Seriously, the audience must have had a 3:1 female to male ratio. And they were loud. Not a complaint, just an observation.
- I was part of a five-man team trying the new Rainbow Six Siege game. We placed second amongst all the teams, even though I blew up a teammate and myself when I got hit whilst priming a grenade. Now I have a closed beta access code and no idea what to do with it.
- The Walking Dead booth gets more packed every year. There was at least an hour wait just to get photographed on set.
- The Marvel Entertainment booth is even worse. They had to cap the line forty minutes into the convention.
- Maybe it's because the economy is still shaky, but there is a lot less free swag than there used to be.
- Fear the Walking Dead looks awesome.

And here are some photos.




And yours truly.

I love how live action cartoony Bowie junior is making that Warcraft movie.

so what about the comics?

My friend is hosting an Ultraman panel there this year. He has been teasing me about going for the last month. :/

I've never been able to go and now I'm not sure I would. I think the magic is gone and it's very corporate.

It's still worth going. I wouldn't call it worse than the Con I remember from high school, just different. But if you go there, for the love of God try to stay with a friend. The hotels jack up their rates specifically for the Con. Luckily my folks still live in San Diego.

@Covar - Believe it or not, there were comics there. They still have a few tables where you can buy, sell, and trade old issues. Those booths are sorta shoved to the ends now.

And more pics.

Here is part of the set for Fear the Walking Dead.



An impressive Thanos cosplay.



And the brothers Holmes with Moriarty.

I don't care how much people complain about SDCC, I still love that con and am SO SAD I'm not there this year. And the complaint I hear most often is how it doesn't focus on the comics, but it's the MEDIA that doesn't focus on them. There's dozens of panels and signings for artists and writers for comics specifically. And in the dealers room there is row up on row of comics to buy. So I always feel sad when people say its not about the comics anymore.

Anyway...

Looks like you're having a wonderful time! I hope it continues to be a great con!

My biggest issue is the same I had with the Toronto Fan Expo: the companies that were promoting needed this STUPIDLY huge, gimmicky booths (like some of the ones pictured above) that took up so much room. Like, there was a massive booth at the one I went to promoting the new Alien Quadrilogy on BluRay. And they had these cryo-pods you lay down in and watch the trailer from inside. Yeah, it was neat, but it was stupidly gimmicky for a collection of movies that were 15+ years old.

And yet at the same time, there were overcrowding issues where they actually couldn't let some people back in because it was at capacity. Maybe there'd be more room for people if these stupid giant booths didn't take up all that room. What's so wrong with a simple table, with pamphlets, merchandise, and a TV showing off footage? Then there could be more room for smaller vendors who are trying to make it.

Also, the fact that it seems like cons now are used for Hollywood or game companies to show off their stuff. It's become less and less about comics as the years go by. There's still ROOM for comics, but it seems like they're being shuffled away in favour of promoting BluRay sets for old movies.

One of the things I've learned about the Con recently is it has attracted legions of fans... and non-fans. The former add some much-needed new blood to the convention while the latter are a detriment.

You have many different kinds of fans, and all are welcome. The cosplayers who have been coming to Comic Con for decades know why they're there and love showing off their passions, even Man-Faye. The 15-year-old girl and her 45-year-old mother, who wait for 8 hours to see the Sherlock panel, also get it. They are enthusiastic fans who want to see developments related to their show and create memories as mother and daughter. Even the 400-pound Klingon, who hasn't showered in three days because it takes four hours to apply makeup and two hours to remove it, is a welcome sight even if you can smell him from 100 yards away. Then you have the Marvel movie fans who haven't ever read the books, but at least they want to learn more about their favorite films. Awesome. All of them are true fans and the Con is a venue for them to celebrate their shared interests.

Then you have the non-fan attendees who have no interest in the comics, TV shows, or movies. They often work as models or professional party guests and are there only to see and be seen. They need to be photographed at a trendy spot so they can post it to social media and promote themselves. A new nightclub, a concert, or Comic Con, if it's trendy they show up. These are the same people who get invited to box seats at baseball games and they appear just long enough to photograph themselves with a moderately famous local celebrity, then they leave in the fifth inning so they can photograph themselves at a new bar. My point is their attendance at the Con means that an equal number of genuine fans get turned away because the tickets sold out, tickets that otherwise might have gone to people who really have an interest in the convention.

So... here are a couple more pics that you all might enjoy.

The Walking Dead area. I wasn't about to wait an hour just to get a photo of myself on set.



I need this.

See, I have absolutely no problem with the fans that the cons bring in. Hell, the more casuals the better. That means something new (to them) might catch their eye and thus create new fans. I'm totally okay with this.

It's more the corporatizing of the con in general. It feels like a giant, glorified flea market where everyone is trying to sell you something.

Hmmm, you make a good point. The Marvel booth was capped within an hour largely because they had announced limited edition mini-figures. They weren't even going to be sold for at least a couple hours but people were still all over it. Most of those in line weren't even dressed in costumes. They were professional collectors who were going to immediately sell those figures on eBay.

And don't get me started on the collectors swarming the My Little Pony booth.

Meanwhile, across the street, an awkward family dinner takes place...

"It's bad enough you put your ELBOWS on the table, but do you also have leave THAT thing on it as well?"

Cheesy1 said:

"It's bad enough you put your ELBOWS on the table, but do you also have leave THAT thing on it as well?"

Click to expand...

ThatNickGuy said:

And yet at the same time, there were overcrowding issues where they actually couldn't let some people back in because it was at capacity. .

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's because of fire codes, and not because of what booths are or aren't there.

figmentPez said:

I'm pretty sure that's because of fire codes, and not because of what booths are or aren't there.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's true. But the overall crowdedness wouldn't be as bad with those giant booths. I just think they're a useless eyesore, personally.

SDCC has become another E3. It's got lots of cool things to see, but booths have become spectacles and the whole event tends to lose the feel of a 'con in comparison to things like Dragon*Con and AnimeExpo. I'd still love to get a chance to go again, but I know it's not what it used to be.

I attended in 1991 and 1994, and would like to go back, but it feels way too crowded and Hollywood now (and much more expensive just to get there). It doesn't sound as fun now if I have to stand in line for half a day to see a panel that might fill up before I get in the room. Of course, I could just browse and shop which sounds like it hasn't changed as much, with the exception of exclusive collectibles, where at least half are picked up strictly to re-sell. With talk about the venue at capacity and the need to find larger accommodations, it seems reasonable to move the Hall H stuff to another location that can hold more people that are fully willing to travel and wait in line to see it (I would, depending on the panel). After all, if they're waiting in line, they're not spending money anyway at booths. Also, lately I've been traveling alone, which I enjoy, but this is one place where going with friends would make it much more fun and tolerable.

http://io9.com/star-wars-just-pulled-off-the-ultimate-comic-con-mike-d-1717179143
this made me legitimately jealous I did not attend.

@IronBrig4 despite what anyone is saying, we're all jealous as hell.

except for @fade of course.