SDCC: Day Three

Day three is always the worst.

It has the largest crowds, the biggest media presentations, and by default, the most morons per square foot. Early on, I wished for death.

It happened because I pay no attention to the panel schedule for shit that doesn't interest me. That's how I found myself being (literally) swarmed by hundreds of Star Wars fans. That panel let out of Hall H while I was working my way from Hall G towards the other end of the con. And apparently they announced the name of the new film and announced a free t-shirt giveaway at the Lucasfilm pavilion, the 10,000 square foot monstrosity at that end of the con floor. I was stuck, unable to move as the line for those shirts formed around and seemingly through me. A nightmare of both numerical and body odor proportions. Fuck almighty.

I had gotten off to a late start thanks to Friday night's partying, so I missed friend and editor Chris Ryall's first IDW panel, but I did hit panels for longtime comics scribe Gerard Jones, who has a new history of comics prose book coming in October, and Marvel EIC Joe Quesada's "Cup O' Joe" panel, which, while amusing, announced nothing I didn't already know. Still, both of those panels smartly allowed me to sit and rest my legs and feet here and there, so I was happy about it.

During the day, I managed to have a couple of odd Hollywood moments, as Tom "The Punisher" Jane stopped by IDW (he's working on a book with Steve Niles) with barely anyone able to tell. Jane's back to blonde with a full beard and was completely unrecognizable. I also met Joss Whedon at the DC booth. Whedon was, at the time, traveling without a security detail. I asked him about that and he told me "security just makes people notice." I hope that continued to work. Somebody would likely hump his leg if they had the chance.

Caught up with and chatted up Greg Rucka, signing his forthcoming Queen And Country prose novel at the Del Ray booth, Laurenn "Rent Girl" McCubbin at post-Quesada panel, and bumped into friend Steven "Permanent Damage" quite frequently. All-in-all, the day turned out okay. I called it an early evening, grabbing dinner and heading for the room to get some rest. Off for the finale now...

Marc