Yes, its me again. Dont try and pretend you dont like seeing me again. Dont even try it. Anywho, I was looking at naked women... umm... I mean checking out High School Musical 2... awww Hell, Im less embarrassed about the naked women, so well just stick with that.
Anywho, someone posted about Lindsay Lohans plea deal for her latest criminal escapades and, honestly, I laughed in disgust. So I did some checking - specifically at Americas three little angels: Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay - and heres their rap sheet.
Name: Paris Hilton
Date: September 2006
Crime: Drunk driving, reckless driving
Jail time: 0 days
Name: Paris Hilton
Date: January 2007
Crime: Driving on a suspended license
Jail time: 0 days
Name: Paris Hilton
Date: February 2007
Crime: Driving on her suspended license while on probation, speeding
Jail time: 23 days (initially released after 4)
Name: Nicole Richie
Date: February 2003
Crime: Possession of heroine, driving on a suspended license
Jail time: 0 days
Name: Nicole Richie
Date: December 2006
Crime: Driving under the influence while going the wrong way on the freeway, admitted to also using drugs
Jail time: 82 minutes!!!
Name: Lindsay Lohan
Date: May 2007
Crime: Driving under the influence, cocaine possession
Jail time: 0 days
Name: Lindsay Lohan
Date: July 2007
Crime: Possession of cocaine, transportation of a narcotic, driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license
Jail time: 1 day
Lets recount this shall we.....
Crimes: 4 instances of drunk driving, 1 instance of reckless driving, 1 instance of driving the wrong way on the freeway, 1 admission of drug use, 4 instances of driving on a suspended license, 1 instance of speeding, 1 instance of possession of heroine, 2 instances of possession of cocaine, 1 instance of transportation of a narcotic.
Jail time: 24 days, 82 minutes
Flippin' hilarious. Naw, the rich and famous dont get special treatment. Nope, not at all.
-- DBW --
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Black and white
Racist. The word gets tossed around very loosely these days. And it seems that if one person of one color looks at another person of a different color the wrong way, then it automatically makes them a racist. Perhaps, with this post, I too may be adding to that problem, but quite honestly, I dont know what else to call it.
When the whole Don Imus mess happened, the NAACP came out and said...
"The Imus controversy has had the unexpected but refreshing effect of reigniting an American conversation about race and the coarsening of our society. We want to extend the conversation to include the prevalence of bigotry, misogyny and homophobia which cheapens our society, denigrates our population, and marginalizes our people. Whether it comes from so-called `shock jocks', rappers or the non-famous, it has to end, and the NAACP stands ready to assist in the dialogue and the solutions."
Thats all well and good and one should applaud any national organization, especially one with such power and influence, for coming out with such a statement. Things are wrong in society, and they need to be addressed and changed. But, if we were to actually take a look at other quotes made by the NAACP, exactly what message are they trying to send?
In official statements concerning the firing of Don Imus after his comments about black female basketball players...
"The NAACP commends CBS and MSNBC for removing Don Imus from their networks and also recognizes that further action is needed."
And...
"The announcement by CBS and MSNBC that they will no longer carry Don Imus' show is a welcome first step in removing this scourge from the airwaves."
Again, sounds good. But in an official statement concerning the firing of Isaiah Washington after his comments about a homosexual cast member...
"If he's being let go because of that incident, I'm not sure the punishment fits the crime."
So, is the NAACP saying that its okay for a black person to say hurtful and disrespectful things about a homosexual, but its absolutely horrible for a white person to say hurtful and disrespectful things about a black person? Or are they saying that homosexual comments are acceptable, but racial ones arent, regardless of who says them? Im confused.
To further my confusion, the NAACP just came out with this comment about Michael Vick...
“As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football. We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."
So again, according to the NAACP, it should be applauded and commended that a white person should lose his job (and rightfully so) for comments he made against black women, but we should be horrified that a black person could and should lose their job for homosexual comments, dog fighting, animal cruelty, and killing dogs in barbaric fashions.
Is that racism? I dont know. But what I do know is that, in certain situations, the NAACP is definitely not color blind.
-- DBW --
When the whole Don Imus mess happened, the NAACP came out and said...
"The Imus controversy has had the unexpected but refreshing effect of reigniting an American conversation about race and the coarsening of our society. We want to extend the conversation to include the prevalence of bigotry, misogyny and homophobia which cheapens our society, denigrates our population, and marginalizes our people. Whether it comes from so-called `shock jocks', rappers or the non-famous, it has to end, and the NAACP stands ready to assist in the dialogue and the solutions."
Thats all well and good and one should applaud any national organization, especially one with such power and influence, for coming out with such a statement. Things are wrong in society, and they need to be addressed and changed. But, if we were to actually take a look at other quotes made by the NAACP, exactly what message are they trying to send?
In official statements concerning the firing of Don Imus after his comments about black female basketball players...
"The NAACP commends CBS and MSNBC for removing Don Imus from their networks and also recognizes that further action is needed."
And...
"The announcement by CBS and MSNBC that they will no longer carry Don Imus' show is a welcome first step in removing this scourge from the airwaves."
Again, sounds good. But in an official statement concerning the firing of Isaiah Washington after his comments about a homosexual cast member...
"If he's being let go because of that incident, I'm not sure the punishment fits the crime."
So, is the NAACP saying that its okay for a black person to say hurtful and disrespectful things about a homosexual, but its absolutely horrible for a white person to say hurtful and disrespectful things about a black person? Or are they saying that homosexual comments are acceptable, but racial ones arent, regardless of who says them? Im confused.
To further my confusion, the NAACP just came out with this comment about Michael Vick...
“As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football. We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."
So again, according to the NAACP, it should be applauded and commended that a white person should lose his job (and rightfully so) for comments he made against black women, but we should be horrified that a black person could and should lose their job for homosexual comments, dog fighting, animal cruelty, and killing dogs in barbaric fashions.
Is that racism? I dont know. But what I do know is that, in certain situations, the NAACP is definitely not color blind.
-- DBW --
Saturday, August 11, 2007
It aint Shakespeare
Put a bunch of monkeys in a room and eventually theyll write Shakespeare.
Basically, simplistically, it means that anybody can come up with anything at anytime. I dont know where that phrase originated from, but someone probably thought of it a long time ago, did nothing about it, and then someone else came along and "thought of it first" and became super rich cuz they didnt just sit on their butt.
And that, my friends, is why were all here.
When I was younger, I used to enjoy drawing. It was cool, it was escapism, and for a bit I thought I had some sort of talent, talent that would lead me to Disney - which at the time was the only kind of art I really knew. My interest in drawing led me to comic books. And comic books led me to a mind filled with ideas - ideas for the next big character and for the next great comic book. I was delusional.
The story I had written isnt really complicated, but too long to actually get into here. But I had plans, big plans. And stories, big stories. But then something happened... I lost interest. I stopped writing and I stopped drawing. Completely. Cant really explain why, but it is what it is. As I went back and looked at my Tripod account to research for this post, it showed that I uploaded my pictures and rough drafts back in May of 1999. Even though they had existed well before that, if we use that upload year for our example, Ive done nothing in 8 years.
So much for Disney.
Lets jump ahead to 2003. A new book was coming out - "Supreme Power" - and I thought it would be interesting to read since it was basically a Marvel take on DC characters. Going in, I knew nothing about any of the characters, but it didnt take me long to find quite a bit of similarities to this book and what I had written many years prior.
Before I continue, I dont mean to imply that anything published in these comics was stolen from me. To my knowledge, nobody had ever seen a single word I had written, so I dont see how anybody could have stolen anything. Its just that this is where the monkeys and Shakespeare come in. For example, lets look at the main characters - Marvels "Hyperion" and my "Diablo."
Raised by the US government, against his will, to be used as a weapon. Questioning his role and his existence, he left the government compound and ran away. In an effort to bring him back to the fold, the government sent a group of super powers after him. Not wanting to go back, he fights the government causing massive damage in the process. Teams up with eventual "Squadron Supreme" members to track down a bad guy who was given powers after being injected with alien DNA. Rejoins "Squadron Supreme" and becomes their leader - under the control of the US government.
Recruited by the US government, against his will, to be used as a weapon. Questioning his role and his existence, he left the government compound and ran away. In an effort to bring him back to the fold, the government sent a group of super powers after him. Not wanting to go back, he fights the government causing massive damage in the process. Teams up with "Badd Company" to track down bad guys who were given powers after being injected with alien DNA. Rejoins "Badd Company" and becomes their leader - under the control of the US government.
Like I said, I dont see how they could have stolen anything, but can you see how I would think its my story being written by someone else?
"Supreme Power" would eventually morph into "Squadron Supreme" and soon after that I stopped reading it. Some of the characters were just really weak DC rip offs, so the aspect that attracted me to the title in the first place ended up driving me away. So I dont know how closely their story follows mine anymore. Maybe its for the best.
Now, lets jump to 2007. A couple weeks ago to be exact. Im in bed, reading "Robin" - my favorite character - and a couple pages before the end of the book a new villain was introduced. Her name is "Skill" and she bares a striking resemblance to..... "Diablo."
Actually, to be completely honest, the majority of her is "Diablo" and there are bits and pieces of another character I created - "Coda" - thrown in.
Anywho, take a look - http://www.geocities.com/dbwcv/Comparison-01.JPG - and decide for yourself. "Skill" is on the left and the other two pictures are "Diablo" (on top) and "Diablo" and "Coda" (on bottom).
I got to meet Freddie E Williams II - the "Robin" artist - at Comic-Con this year and he doesnt seem to be the type to steal someone elses work. So once again I have no choice but to blame those damn monkeys.
Anyway, thats it for me tonight. So until next time.....
-- DBW --
Basically, simplistically, it means that anybody can come up with anything at anytime. I dont know where that phrase originated from, but someone probably thought of it a long time ago, did nothing about it, and then someone else came along and "thought of it first" and became super rich cuz they didnt just sit on their butt.
And that, my friends, is why were all here.
When I was younger, I used to enjoy drawing. It was cool, it was escapism, and for a bit I thought I had some sort of talent, talent that would lead me to Disney - which at the time was the only kind of art I really knew. My interest in drawing led me to comic books. And comic books led me to a mind filled with ideas - ideas for the next big character and for the next great comic book. I was delusional.
The story I had written isnt really complicated, but too long to actually get into here. But I had plans, big plans. And stories, big stories. But then something happened... I lost interest. I stopped writing and I stopped drawing. Completely. Cant really explain why, but it is what it is. As I went back and looked at my Tripod account to research for this post, it showed that I uploaded my pictures and rough drafts back in May of 1999. Even though they had existed well before that, if we use that upload year for our example, Ive done nothing in 8 years.
So much for Disney.
Lets jump ahead to 2003. A new book was coming out - "Supreme Power" - and I thought it would be interesting to read since it was basically a Marvel take on DC characters. Going in, I knew nothing about any of the characters, but it didnt take me long to find quite a bit of similarities to this book and what I had written many years prior.
Before I continue, I dont mean to imply that anything published in these comics was stolen from me. To my knowledge, nobody had ever seen a single word I had written, so I dont see how anybody could have stolen anything. Its just that this is where the monkeys and Shakespeare come in. For example, lets look at the main characters - Marvels "Hyperion" and my "Diablo."
Raised by the US government, against his will, to be used as a weapon. Questioning his role and his existence, he left the government compound and ran away. In an effort to bring him back to the fold, the government sent a group of super powers after him. Not wanting to go back, he fights the government causing massive damage in the process. Teams up with eventual "Squadron Supreme" members to track down a bad guy who was given powers after being injected with alien DNA. Rejoins "Squadron Supreme" and becomes their leader - under the control of the US government.
Recruited by the US government, against his will, to be used as a weapon. Questioning his role and his existence, he left the government compound and ran away. In an effort to bring him back to the fold, the government sent a group of super powers after him. Not wanting to go back, he fights the government causing massive damage in the process. Teams up with "Badd Company" to track down bad guys who were given powers after being injected with alien DNA. Rejoins "Badd Company" and becomes their leader - under the control of the US government.
Like I said, I dont see how they could have stolen anything, but can you see how I would think its my story being written by someone else?
"Supreme Power" would eventually morph into "Squadron Supreme" and soon after that I stopped reading it. Some of the characters were just really weak DC rip offs, so the aspect that attracted me to the title in the first place ended up driving me away. So I dont know how closely their story follows mine anymore. Maybe its for the best.
Now, lets jump to 2007. A couple weeks ago to be exact. Im in bed, reading "Robin" - my favorite character - and a couple pages before the end of the book a new villain was introduced. Her name is "Skill" and she bares a striking resemblance to..... "Diablo."
Actually, to be completely honest, the majority of her is "Diablo" and there are bits and pieces of another character I created - "Coda" - thrown in.
Anywho, take a look - http://www.geocities.com/dbwcv/Comparison-01.JPG - and decide for yourself. "Skill" is on the left and the other two pictures are "Diablo" (on top) and "Diablo" and "Coda" (on bottom).
I got to meet Freddie E Williams II - the "Robin" artist - at Comic-Con this year and he doesnt seem to be the type to steal someone elses work. So once again I have no choice but to blame those damn monkeys.
Anyway, thats it for me tonight. So until next time.....
-- DBW --
Friday, August 10, 2007
Countdown to Hell - Zero Hour
This post pains me. It really does. But I will continue to update it, and I fear on a regular basis, until the moment Barry Bonds officially enters Hell. In other words, until he passes Hank Aaron on the all time home run list. Join me, wont you?
May 5th, 2007 - Barry Bonds hit home run number 744. Thats just 11 behind Hank Aarons 755 mark for most home runs in a career. So sad. And Im sure there are a few people out there that think Im being too hard on the upstanding Mr Bonds, but for those of you I offer this: Bud Selig and Hank Aaron himself have both gone on record as saying neither will be at the game. Let that sink in for a second... did it sink yet?.... how about one more second... ok, the Commissioner of baseball and the home run king himself have both publicly turned their backs on Barry Bonds and the most hallowed record in baseball. If that doesnt say everything about this situation, then I dont know what does.
May 9th, 2007 - Barry Bonds has hit home run number 745. Hes now 10 behind Hank Aaron and expected to reach the mark on June 22nd. Boo.
May 27th, 2007 - After a drought that wasnt nearly long enough, Barroid hit 746. Whats the chances of him exploding - literally - before he hits nine more?
June 11th, 2007 - Two more long weeks passed before Barroid hits another homerun, number 747 to be exact. Think maybe... "someone else"... doesnt want this to happen and doing everything in their power to stall it? I hear Babe works in mysterious ways.
June 17th, 2007 - Fenway Park. Boston. Home to baseball legends Carl Yastrzemski, Cy Young, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. To name but a few. Today Barroid hit his first ever home run ther. Hippie skippy. Hes now at 748. Somewhere, Teds head is rolling over in its freezer.
June 22nd, 2007 - Yet another homerun for Barroid. Hes at 749. Im running out of words to describe my disgust.
June 29th, 2007 - Number 750 was hit by Barroid tonight. The good news is that its almost over and I wont have to write about it anymore. The bad news is that its almost over and Barroid will have the record. Also, a fan ran onto the field and up to Barroid and put his arm around him... unfortunately, he was not an Al Qaeda suicide bomber.
July 3rd, 2007 - Barroid hit 751... and like the previous 750, I did not care.
July 20th, 2007 - Barroid hit two home runs today. Hes now at 753, 2 away from Hank Aaron, and apparently no closer to leaving this earth before he passes him.
July 27th, 2007 - Barroid added another homerun to his total, putting him at 754 and just one shy of the 755 mark set by Hank Aaron. Come on people, its not too late for someone to step up and take him out. Not just for me, but for the good of baseball. Someone? Anyone?
August 4th, 2007 - Barroid tied Hank Aaron, against my Padres, today. I got to see it live, I was not impressed.
August 7th, 2007 - Barroid is now YOUR new home run king. Arent you proud?
After he became the "king" Barroid gave a press conference and said, "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Peroid."
If that statement right there doesnt prove that Barroid lives in his own world, a world where he really is the "greatest of all time", where he has never done anything wrong, and where hes the model of sportmanship, then I dont know what does. Good thing his roided head has expanded enough to contain his fantasy.
For now, thats all I got. Ill try and refrain from going off on Barroid again. Cant promise anything, but Ill try.
-- DBW --
May 5th, 2007 - Barry Bonds hit home run number 744. Thats just 11 behind Hank Aarons 755 mark for most home runs in a career. So sad. And Im sure there are a few people out there that think Im being too hard on the upstanding Mr Bonds, but for those of you I offer this: Bud Selig and Hank Aaron himself have both gone on record as saying neither will be at the game. Let that sink in for a second... did it sink yet?.... how about one more second... ok, the Commissioner of baseball and the home run king himself have both publicly turned their backs on Barry Bonds and the most hallowed record in baseball. If that doesnt say everything about this situation, then I dont know what does.
May 9th, 2007 - Barry Bonds has hit home run number 745. Hes now 10 behind Hank Aaron and expected to reach the mark on June 22nd. Boo.
May 27th, 2007 - After a drought that wasnt nearly long enough, Barroid hit 746. Whats the chances of him exploding - literally - before he hits nine more?
June 11th, 2007 - Two more long weeks passed before Barroid hits another homerun, number 747 to be exact. Think maybe... "someone else"... doesnt want this to happen and doing everything in their power to stall it? I hear Babe works in mysterious ways.
June 17th, 2007 - Fenway Park. Boston. Home to baseball legends Carl Yastrzemski, Cy Young, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. To name but a few. Today Barroid hit his first ever home run ther. Hippie skippy. Hes now at 748. Somewhere, Teds head is rolling over in its freezer.
June 22nd, 2007 - Yet another homerun for Barroid. Hes at 749. Im running out of words to describe my disgust.
June 29th, 2007 - Number 750 was hit by Barroid tonight. The good news is that its almost over and I wont have to write about it anymore. The bad news is that its almost over and Barroid will have the record. Also, a fan ran onto the field and up to Barroid and put his arm around him... unfortunately, he was not an Al Qaeda suicide bomber.
July 3rd, 2007 - Barroid hit 751... and like the previous 750, I did not care.
July 20th, 2007 - Barroid hit two home runs today. Hes now at 753, 2 away from Hank Aaron, and apparently no closer to leaving this earth before he passes him.
July 27th, 2007 - Barroid added another homerun to his total, putting him at 754 and just one shy of the 755 mark set by Hank Aaron. Come on people, its not too late for someone to step up and take him out. Not just for me, but for the good of baseball. Someone? Anyone?
August 4th, 2007 - Barroid tied Hank Aaron, against my Padres, today. I got to see it live, I was not impressed.
August 7th, 2007 - Barroid is now YOUR new home run king. Arent you proud?
After he became the "king" Barroid gave a press conference and said, "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Peroid."
If that statement right there doesnt prove that Barroid lives in his own world, a world where he really is the "greatest of all time", where he has never done anything wrong, and where hes the model of sportmanship, then I dont know what does. Good thing his roided head has expanded enough to contain his fantasy.
For now, thats all I got. Ill try and refrain from going off on Barroid again. Cant promise anything, but Ill try.
-- DBW --
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Comic-Con 2007
Hola --
How many of yall went to Comic-Con this year? Raise your hands. Me? Yeah, I went. Of course I went. And for the first time, I went all five days. Not every minute of every day, but I was physically there for five days. Heres how it went.....
WEDNESDAY
This was Preview Night. The exhibit hall was open from 5 to 9 and it was our first chance to see all the goodies. Didnt see anybody famous or anything, Justin and I walked the floor and left.
THURSDAY
Today was a... different... day. I got to Comic-Con at 2pm... alone. Justin was in Del Mar at a work thing, and so I went by myself with the expectation that he would join me later for the "Lost" panel which starts at 5. So I get there, see a couple people "in line" and decide theres no need for me to sit there with them, so Ill go look at the people signing autographs to kill some time. So I walk around the corner, heading for the door to Sails, and... I see a bunch of people sitting on the floor in a line formation. Next to them is a sign that says "Lost line starts here." So those couple people I saw "in line" before really werent. So I walked the length of the real line, followed it around another corner, and saw even more people sitting down. At 2pm. For a panel that starts at 5. Peachy. So killing time would not be an option, instead I would have to sit down and join the line. I called Justin, he said hed be leaving around 3:30, and I wouldnt be alone for long. At 3pm, the line starts moving. They opened the doors and we start filing inside. By 3:30, when Justin said he was leaving, I had already sat down and saved him a seat. Its 3:45 and Justin calls and said he was just leaving and would be there in about 20 minutes. So hell be a little late, but all is well. 4:00 comes, then 4:05, twenty minutes have passed so I call to check up and see where hes at. No answer. I leave a message and go back to waiting. 4:10, 4:15, still no word, so I call again to see whats up, no answer. 4:20 I call. 4:25 I call. No answer. 4:30 another call and finally he picks up. He cant find parking, doesnt know if hes gonna make it. 4:35, hes still not parked. 4:40, still not parked. I talk to security walking around and they say if the seat isnt filled by the time the panel starts, I have to give it up. 4:40, 4:45, still no Justin. I call again, hes still not parked, and while Im on the phone he does some illegal stuff to get himself a space. Hes now parked, its 4:50, and he still has to get inside, upstairs, and then stand in a huge line. 4:55 he walks in the room... just passed the entire line and walked right inside. Talk about cutting it close. So we watched "Lost" and then after that we went to the exhibit hall to pick up our Mini-Mate Treasure Hunt package (which we never participated in), I bought Blancas niece a special edition Comic-Con exclusive My Little Pony, and then we left around 8:00.
FRIDAY
Justin couldnt make it today, but Mary decided to come for her very first day ever at Comic-Con. There wasnt any panels we wanted to see, so for 5 hours - 2pm until 7pm - we walked the floor. Saw our share of famous people and then we left.
SATURDAY
Saturday was me and Mary again, and today was panel day. The only thing she wanted to see was "Heroes" and it started in the afternoon so we got there at 10 thinking wed have plenty of time and still be able to get good seats. Nope. Before "Heroes" was two other panels - "Bionic Woman" and some "TV Guide" thing. When we got there, we saw something rather surprising... the line was HUGE! For "Bionic Woman"? Really? We did get in, but ended up with seats at the back of the room, but it was okay, cuz when "Bionic Woman" was over, people would leave, and wed be able to much closer. Again, nope. Turns out, 95% of the room had the same idea we had: sit through the first two panels just to get to "Heroes." Thankfully, I was entertained by "Bionic Woman" and not bored with the "TV Guide" thing, and much to my surprise, I really enjoyed "Heroes" and I think I need to start watching this Not a horrible start to the day. After "Heroes" was over, we walked the floor for a bit and then decided to go get some lunch, so we left the Convention Center and walked to Gaslamp and got some pizza. Pepperoni for her, teriyaki chicken for me. And lots of iced tea. So then we head back to Comic-Con for the panel I wanted to see: "Smallville." Learning a lesson from earlier, we got there in time to sit through two other panels - "Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen" and then "The Sarah Conner Chronicles" - just to get to the third. This time, after the first ended, we were able to move closer and we got some really good seats. The Rays are entertaining to listen to just for the history that they bring so it was ok, and again, much to my surprise, the "Sarah Conner Chronicles" really kicked ass. It was an awesome action movie. Yet it wasnt a movie, it was just the pilot episode for a new tv series based on the "Terminator" mythos. I look forward to this. And then "Smallville" starts and pretty much all the secondary characters showed up to talk about season two... no Clark, no Lex, no Lana, but Lois, new Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow were there, so all was not lost. I did mention Lois was there, right? Yeah, shes cute. So that was it, six panels, 9 hours, and home we went.
SUNDAY
Today was a pretty slow, relaxed, uneventful day. Kind of like Preview Night was. Justin and I left my house around 10am and got to Comic-Con around 10:15, but drove around for like 45 minutes looking for a parking space. Well, a free parking space. Finally we just decided to pay for a spot underneath the Convention Center. So we finally got inside, walked every single aisle of the exhibit hall, and then left. Thats pretty much it.
So, another year come, another year gone, and it was alot of fun..... even if it was extremely tiring on me. I already got my tickets for next year, and I cant wait!
Until next time...
-- DBW --
How many of yall went to Comic-Con this year? Raise your hands. Me? Yeah, I went. Of course I went. And for the first time, I went all five days. Not every minute of every day, but I was physically there for five days. Heres how it went.....
WEDNESDAY
This was Preview Night. The exhibit hall was open from 5 to 9 and it was our first chance to see all the goodies. Didnt see anybody famous or anything, Justin and I walked the floor and left.
THURSDAY
Today was a... different... day. I got to Comic-Con at 2pm... alone. Justin was in Del Mar at a work thing, and so I went by myself with the expectation that he would join me later for the "Lost" panel which starts at 5. So I get there, see a couple people "in line" and decide theres no need for me to sit there with them, so Ill go look at the people signing autographs to kill some time. So I walk around the corner, heading for the door to Sails, and... I see a bunch of people sitting on the floor in a line formation. Next to them is a sign that says "Lost line starts here." So those couple people I saw "in line" before really werent. So I walked the length of the real line, followed it around another corner, and saw even more people sitting down. At 2pm. For a panel that starts at 5. Peachy. So killing time would not be an option, instead I would have to sit down and join the line. I called Justin, he said hed be leaving around 3:30, and I wouldnt be alone for long. At 3pm, the line starts moving. They opened the doors and we start filing inside. By 3:30, when Justin said he was leaving, I had already sat down and saved him a seat. Its 3:45 and Justin calls and said he was just leaving and would be there in about 20 minutes. So hell be a little late, but all is well. 4:00 comes, then 4:05, twenty minutes have passed so I call to check up and see where hes at. No answer. I leave a message and go back to waiting. 4:10, 4:15, still no word, so I call again to see whats up, no answer. 4:20 I call. 4:25 I call. No answer. 4:30 another call and finally he picks up. He cant find parking, doesnt know if hes gonna make it. 4:35, hes still not parked. 4:40, still not parked. I talk to security walking around and they say if the seat isnt filled by the time the panel starts, I have to give it up. 4:40, 4:45, still no Justin. I call again, hes still not parked, and while Im on the phone he does some illegal stuff to get himself a space. Hes now parked, its 4:50, and he still has to get inside, upstairs, and then stand in a huge line. 4:55 he walks in the room... just passed the entire line and walked right inside. Talk about cutting it close. So we watched "Lost" and then after that we went to the exhibit hall to pick up our Mini-Mate Treasure Hunt package (which we never participated in), I bought Blancas niece a special edition Comic-Con exclusive My Little Pony, and then we left around 8:00.
FRIDAY
Justin couldnt make it today, but Mary decided to come for her very first day ever at Comic-Con. There wasnt any panels we wanted to see, so for 5 hours - 2pm until 7pm - we walked the floor. Saw our share of famous people and then we left.
SATURDAY
Saturday was me and Mary again, and today was panel day. The only thing she wanted to see was "Heroes" and it started in the afternoon so we got there at 10 thinking wed have plenty of time and still be able to get good seats. Nope. Before "Heroes" was two other panels - "Bionic Woman" and some "TV Guide" thing. When we got there, we saw something rather surprising... the line was HUGE! For "Bionic Woman"? Really? We did get in, but ended up with seats at the back of the room, but it was okay, cuz when "Bionic Woman" was over, people would leave, and wed be able to much closer. Again, nope. Turns out, 95% of the room had the same idea we had: sit through the first two panels just to get to "Heroes." Thankfully, I was entertained by "Bionic Woman" and not bored with the "TV Guide" thing, and much to my surprise, I really enjoyed "Heroes" and I think I need to start watching this Not a horrible start to the day. After "Heroes" was over, we walked the floor for a bit and then decided to go get some lunch, so we left the Convention Center and walked to Gaslamp and got some pizza. Pepperoni for her, teriyaki chicken for me. And lots of iced tea. So then we head back to Comic-Con for the panel I wanted to see: "Smallville." Learning a lesson from earlier, we got there in time to sit through two other panels - "Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen" and then "The Sarah Conner Chronicles" - just to get to the third. This time, after the first ended, we were able to move closer and we got some really good seats. The Rays are entertaining to listen to just for the history that they bring so it was ok, and again, much to my surprise, the "Sarah Conner Chronicles" really kicked ass. It was an awesome action movie. Yet it wasnt a movie, it was just the pilot episode for a new tv series based on the "Terminator" mythos. I look forward to this. And then "Smallville" starts and pretty much all the secondary characters showed up to talk about season two... no Clark, no Lex, no Lana, but Lois, new Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow were there, so all was not lost. I did mention Lois was there, right? Yeah, shes cute. So that was it, six panels, 9 hours, and home we went.
SUNDAY
Today was a pretty slow, relaxed, uneventful day. Kind of like Preview Night was. Justin and I left my house around 10am and got to Comic-Con around 10:15, but drove around for like 45 minutes looking for a parking space. Well, a free parking space. Finally we just decided to pay for a spot underneath the Convention Center. So we finally got inside, walked every single aisle of the exhibit hall, and then left. Thats pretty much it.
So, another year come, another year gone, and it was alot of fun..... even if it was extremely tiring on me. I already got my tickets for next year, and I cant wait!
Until next time...
-- DBW --
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