Ah, San Diaaago…the whale’s vagina… After battling through the five hour drive from Santa Cruz to Southern California and somehow surviving the almost three hours of horrendous LA traffic without blowing my brains all over the sun-roof, I made it to San Diego for preview night at Comic-Con International 2008. To my shock and amazement, it seemed as if Preview Night, originally designated as merely an added bonus for professionals and 4 day pass holders, was any indication of the upcoming week’s events, it was set to be one hell of a packed convention hall. The convention center, adorned with booths ranging from the more extravagant and expensive, such as those of Fox, Walt Disney, SciFi Channel and Marvel Comics to the more humbling booths of IDW Publishing, and Image Comics, proved this year’s con had something for everyone…if only it were easier to navigate through the dense crowds… Unfortunately, I managed to miss the majority of my planned activities due to long lines and overcrowding all week... Probably the only time that I didn’t feel the qualms of social anxiety was during my interview with Joe Hill, when we were fortunate enough to find the one deserted, curtained-off area in the entire venue. One thing was very clear walking into the convention center everyday - Movies & TV have taken over. Whereas no more than five years ago, comics were the convention’s main focus, it seems there’s been a shift towards the highest bidder, and unfortunately, though comics are slowly becoming a more accepted art form and gaining popularity amongst young-adults and kids alike, their success is ultimately dwarfed by the mega-millions that Movies & TV continue to rake in. This year, it was more than apparent, and I won’t be surprised if next year we see fewer comic publishers & vendors deciding to make it out to what was once known as the definitive comic book Mecca....perhaps the coolest vinyl figure EVER! This is definitely NOT for children!
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