Another great day of Comic-Con started and we made it around the many booths throughout the convention floor. We were at the Heroes/NBC booth taking pictures of the wonderful artwork by comic artist Tim Sale, when suddenly someone appeared before me. I was surprised by the appearance of Masi Oka, the actor who plays the role of Hiro Nakamura on the show. He must have teleported directly next to me, because I never noticed his arrival. Luckily we got a picture of him before he quickly disappeared, as a huge crowd followed him. Seeing celebrities at the Comic-Con isn’t unusual on the convention floor, but you’ve got to be lucky and at the right place.

Then there were the celebrities that were expected, like Stan Lee, at the Hasbro booth talking about his new action figure. Seeing Stan stand strong among all the cheering fans was a great moment. He’s super in front of a crowd and it was good to see him. Also at the Hasbro booth was Sgt. Slaughter, who was giving out autographs to his legions of fans. He still looked as tough as I remembered him from 20 years ago and I bet he could still snap you like a twig. He was surrounded by tons of new and old G.I. Joe toys. I bought the 25th anniversary figures and got some great pictures too.

We met up with our friend Gabe Swarr, who was in a panel Friday afternoon. It was about “Pitching an Animated Show” and included Jon M. Gibson, Jorge R. Gutierrez as well as some network executives. They gave the audience some great insight into the world of animation and even gave us a sneak peak at an upcoming cartoon they created. These guys are a lot of fun and you can learn a thing or two from them too.

We went by the Mr Toast booth and I got a new brown T-Shirt! Dan Goodsell always has some great stuff on hand. Sometimes it’s hard to choose what to buy. Then over at the Kleeman and Mike booth, we saw Randall Christopher and also met Rex Russell for the first time. (He’s the voice behind Kleeman.) We picked up some swell stickers and a fun cartoon on DVD. I can’t wait for his new stuff to come out.

We saw celebrities and friends at the Comic-Con. That was a really fun Friday!

Next up: Comic-Con Saturday July 28, 2007 - Crazy Day.

As the first full day of this year’s Comic-Con began you could feel the excitement. Now attendees could catch glimpses of celebrities and stand in line for their chance to get some Comic-Con exclusives. A lot of toys that were popular 20 years ago are making a comeback, but I guess that’s true with a lot of stuff every year. The nostalgic toy market continues to grow. It also seems that the vinyl toy market is getting more popular, as many exhibitors already have or plan to have their more popular items/characters go vinyl.

In order to get the Comic-Con exclusives you have to get a ticket and get in line. You usually need to get a ticket or you won’t get an opportunity to purchase the exclusives. Every year it is a common sight to see tons of people crowded around the booth areas. It’s a balancing act for exhibitors to garner people and popularity as well as controlling the chaotic crowds that form while they try to hand out tickets fairly. The gold and silver “Flamboyant Destro” sold out quickly, but you might find them sometime at the Hasbro Toy Shop or possibly on eBay for a small ransom.

It was cool that I saw Wil Wheaton. I’ve been a fan of his since he was Wesley Crusher.

Next up: Comic-Con Friday July 27, 2007 - Superstar Day.

I think that last Wednesday evening was one of the busiest Comic-Con Preview Nights on record. It’s a great perk to be able to spend a few hours getting a sneak peak of the Comic-Con. Attendees arrived ready to see all the show exclusives and exhibitor booths on the convention floor. The place filled up quickly with happy faces and the excitement grew. The show gets bigger and more popular every year and I wonder how the center will handle the ever increasing fan base going into the future.

After perusing the show floor and seeing some friends, we strolled across the street to enjoy dinner at one of the many fine restaurants in San Diego. We went to McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant and had a lovely dinner. At the table next to ours just happened to be actor James Hong, which was kind of cool. Overall, Preview Night went well with the fans and we enjoyed our sneak peak into the show. It was a great night and we were ready for more.

Next up: Comic-Con Thursday July 26, 2007 - Opening Day.

It’s contest time again at Old Man Musings! Enter to win a swag bag from the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con! I’ve got three (3) bags to give away and one lucky winner will also win a G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary card deck Comic-Con exclusive! Good luck everyone!

Rules
1. Enter by using the contact form with your real name and mailing address.
2. One entry per person, multiple entries will disqualify you.
3. Deadline to enter is Friday August 10th, 2007 @ 8 PM (PST).
4. Free shipping within the continental USA. Shipping elsewhere is paid by winner.
5. The winners will be chosen randomly.
6. Winners will be notified by email and must respond within 72 hours of notification.

Update: The winners have been drawn and notified. You should receive your swag in the mail in the upcoming weeks. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Since each of 4 days of the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con were sold out, there’s a good chance you didn’t get in if you didn’t preregister. Last year over 123,000 people attended the event and I imagine that we’ll see another record amount this year too. With all the exhibitors and hundreds of hours of programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture, the Comic-Con was definitely the place to be.

An interesting thing I noticed with the show this year was that even though it was sold out it felt less crowded than last year. Perhaps the maximum capacity limits that were put in place this year were less than last year’s, after the crowd control issues that occurred. When I went last year, I felt a little claustrophobic with the hordes of people everywhere. It made walking on the show floor a real feat. But this year the masses of people felt more thinned out. A lot of exhibitors that I talked to felt there were less people in attendance this year, as compared to last. (Perhaps all the people were at the panels instead…)

Please stayed tuned for my recap of each day - Preview night Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Well, I’m actually taking Sunday off because I’m exhausted from all the fun and merriment.)

Plus there’ll be another Comic-Con Swag Bag Contest from Old Man Musings.

While you wait, please enjoy our pictures from the Comic-Con.

It’s time for me to enter the splendiferous sights and sounds of the SD Comic-Con. Be sure to check back later with Old Man Musings for lots of news and pictures.

Update: Enjoy some of my pictures from Preview night up on Flickr. More to come!

Update 2: Just about everything is sold out except for Sunday. The place is packed!

Update 3: All tickets for the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con have sold out! WOW!

Last Update: My coverage on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It’s time to dance and do the twist cause Marvel will have their very own booth at the San Diego Comic-Con this year. That’s right! Unlike in recent years past, Marvel’s presence is bigger and better with their super signing and presentation schedule. What that means to you is more Marvel comics, toys, video games, movies and celebs! Since there’ll be so many Marvel writers, artists and editors giving out autographs, they’ll have two stations going nearly non-stop to bring all of them to you. Check out Marvel’s signing, event and panel schedules on their site.

First off, I know that this wonderful artwork that was done by Sergio Aragones is of the 1972 New York Comic Art Convention, but I thought it looked great and it serves as fond and fun reminder of how it was at the comic conventions of yesteryear.

Next up is big news which I’m sure you’ve heard: Saturday One-Day Memberships to the San Diego Comic-Con have sold out! So I hope you got your tickets already. We all knew it would happen, with the popularity of the convention and the crowds last year, it was just a matter of time. Not to worry if you can’t make it, I’ll fill you in later this week about all the glitz and glamor that is the Comic-Con.

If you are going and want the Comic-Con exclusives, you’ll find this checklist to be quite helpful in your pursuit of obtaining all the rare items that you can only get at the San Diego Comic-Con. Happy hunting and bring comfy walking shoes.

If you’re a fan of Stan Lee like I am, you’ll want to know that the man will be at the Hasbro booth (#3213) Friday, July 27 @ 12:45 pm. He’ll be there promoting the Marvel Legends’ Stan Lee action figure ($14.99) created by Hasbro as an exclusive product for the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. Plus at the Hasbro booth you’ll find lots more including toys from the recent Transformers movie, Star Wars, the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, Marvel and G.I. Joe. (Sgt. Slaughter will also be at the Hasbro booth Friday, Saturday and Sunday!)

Update: The Hasbro Booth will have a free G.I. Joe give-away item - G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary card deck.

Update 2: San Diego Comic Con exclusives are online at Hasbrotoyshop.com now. You can use promo code: comic2007.

With the Simpsons movie opening worldwide in a week (July 27), we find more evidence that the world is Simpsonizing - in the August edition of Harpers Bazaar. Seeing the Simpsons in fancy fashions like Versace and Chanel rather than their default wardrobes looks a little strange. I know there’s an episode where Marge finds a pink Chanel suit hidden within the racks of the bargain basement clothes store in a Ogdenville, but that outfit didn’t last. I guess it just goes to show you that there is no limit to what can be Simpsonized. I wonder what will be next…

Now back in the mid 80’s I was a big Star Wars fan. I can’t recall when I first saw the original three movies, but I had it bad for the Star Wars action figures and the comics. I still have all of the stuff and enjoy looking at it from time to time. Here’s a comic ad from the 80’s for a bunch of Star Wars merchandise including comics, calendars, sketchbooks, buttons and t-shirts. They even gave you the option to get the iron-on transfers so you can make your own cool Star Wars tees. (We older folk did that sort of thing back then for some reason.)

It’s hard to believe we’re at the 30 year mark and Star Wars is as popular as it ever was. Although I’m a purist and enjoy the original untouched flicks, it’s good seeing kids still enjoying the story today.

The Jedi sized, full page version of this ad is right here, padawan. (And yes I still do the “Luke, I am your father” bit while speaking into a spinning fan.)

The Crazy 4 Cult show was a packed with happy people coming to see their favorite art and artists. I had lots of fun seeing everyone and enjoyed all that super artwork. Everyone in LA must have been there after they heard that it was hosted by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. In the interest of time, enjoy my collection of snapshots from the show in this slideshow. Enjoy the entertaining artwork!

Opening Reception: Tuesday July 17, 2007 from 7 to 11 p.m.

Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight
7020 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Great work Jensen and Katie!

And that’s this game!! You’re a loose cannon cop looking for the egg that someone is hiding. You must visit different locations, question suspects and gather info. Then with your relational reasoning in hand, shoot the correct person with the egg and win an award. This thrilling new game is by Videlectrix, makers of Vii and other fine games.

I found you out John McEnroe!

Flight Volume 4 is now available and you can enjoy a preview of it before you buy. As I said before, if you want an entertaining collection of stories wonderfully written and illustrated by some superb artists and storytellers, get Flight 4.

Update: Enjoy some of my snapshots of this fun event.

Don’t forget that the first annual Crazy 4 Cult is this Tuesday, July 17th, 2007 at Gallery 1988 in L.A. The show should be a lot of fun with over 50 artists showing off their skills with some original classic cult movie artwork. Here are just a a few thumbnails to whet your appetite. Just click to enjoy the full cult classic art goodness.

Edward’s Losing by Greg “Craola” Simpkins	Reefer Madness by Dan Goodsell	Leon the Professional by Andrew Wilson

I really enjoy trying to guess the obscure classic movie references. What about you?