SD Comic-Con 2006 v2
After waking up nice and early to arrive at the show, and finding parking, I waited awhile in line with the 110k+ other excited people. Each day the San Diego Comic-Con opens its doors at 10am, but they allow the masses to come in and wait, out of the warm San Diego sun. On Saturday they allowed us on the floor early at 9:20am. On Sunday, which is also family day, we had to wait until 10am. We were spoiled on Saturday since they let us in early, but it’s worth the wait.
I believe there’s a misconception about the Comic-Con: it’s that everyone must or does dress up for the Masquerade. When I watch the news, they only show these folks that are dressed up, so perhaps this perpetuates the idea that we all dress up. It’s true that a lot of people do, but the majority of us don’t- we just look at all the great garb. Yes, there are a lot of folks who dress up like Stormtroopers, but I somehow didn’t get any pictures of them.
Gaming
The game companies come to the Comic-Con in droves to show off their latest and greatest games. They like to get feedback from the consumer to learn more about what we want and enjoy. Plenty of gaming booths are setup for you to play at. Those include portable, console and RPG games from all types of gaming companies. You can spend hours at a booth playing these games and learning secrets from the pros; as well as getting the latest scoop about your favorite game releases and even get some great merchandise. That’s why you need to come with some $$$.
Comics
There are lots of comics from the big publishers and many smaller independent publishers are also showing off their stuff. Comics for every genre you could think of and loads of old favorites from the Golden and Silver ages too. If you’re looking for a particular issue to complete your comic book collection, you’ll find it here. I could have spent all day looking through the shelves, boxes and bins, since there’s so much too see. That’s why it’s good to make a list of what you want before you come.
Toys
There are tons of toys here, it’s terrific. Whether you’re a boy or girl, big or little you’ll find a toy you like. Whether you fancy the vinyl or action figures, classic toys, game and movie related, plush, pins, or whatever you’ll probably find it here. Lots of small shops and big retailers come here to sell their wares. Limited release toys, which are only sold at the show, are also available. You’ll be like a kid in a toy store - a really, really big toy store.
Panels
If you want hear and see your favorite celebrities, you can to head to the panel discussions on the second floor of the convention center. Studios discuss their latest movies, celebs talk about their work, and gaming and comic companies give you a sneak peak into their future plans. Watch promos of upcoming movies and games or hear discussions on how to break into the world of comics, cartooning, art or gaming. There’s so much to enjoy at the panels, it’s hard to figure out which ones to go to and sometimes your favorites will overlap. It’s also a great way to sit down and rest your feet from all the walking around the huge, packed showroom floor. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite folk and learning more about them and what they’re up to.
Cartoons
What’s better then watching cartoons? Watching lots and lots of cartoons! There are tons of shows to watch at Comic-Con. Some cartoons for kids to watch and some for us older kids too. Hours upon hours of cartoons to watch and even see some of your favorite cartoonists too. It was great to see Gabe Swarr and Jon Gibson again. These guys are a hoot and so much fun!
More to come! Pictured above: Nintendo, Activision, Sony PSP, Square Enix, Hasbro, Mattel, Capcom, DC comics, The Tick, Ugly Dolls, Strangeco, Evil IceCream, Chub City, Gumby, Christopher Paolini, Marvel, Stan Lee, Billy West, Phil Lamar, Gabe Swarr, Jon Gibson , Katie Rice, John K and Happy Tree Friends. For the vinyl figures just take a look at Vinyl Pulse for more info. I saw a lot of stuff and still have MORE to show. If you have any questions about any of these pictures or anything else about the Comic-Con you can always contact me.
*If you noticed the limited run, only 100 made, black & white Mozzarella vinyl from the Moofia series by Simone Legno of tokidoki - I got one! I’ll show you more soon.
