Our first ever contest has come to a close. Thanks for all of you who participated.

Congrats to Luke K. of Ohio for winning the Bone poster signed by Jeff Smith as well as a swag bag from the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con!

Also congratulations go out to our other 3 winners, who will also get swag bags from the show- William A. from Maryland, Noran W. from Indiana and John C. from California! Prizes will be shipped to the address we received and you should see the packages this week.

As a reminder: Our first ever contest ends this Friday - so you better signup now! Not only can you win a bunch of great swag from the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, but one lucky winner will also win a Bone poster signed by Jeff Smith. A quality piece, such as this, deserves a special place and would look splendid over the mantle, to be admired with friends and family.

We had a good time at the show this year and are ready for next year (July 26-29, 2007). As we made our way around to the panels and booths I saw an interesting trend. It was a fusion of tastes and interests throughout the show. An example: Ben Zhu, owner of the Nucleus gallery, who we met at the Flight 3 signing - he’s holding a Mr Toast by our friend Dan Goodsell from The Imaginary World. People meeting and coming together to have fun and share with each other and I think that says a lot about the show. It’s feels a like a small world and I’m glad we can all intermingle and have a good time doing it.

I’ve got a few more images that I thought I’d post as I wrap up my coverage of the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. I hope you enjoyed my reports of the show and my pictures. Don’t forget about our contest and tell us what you think about our coverage of the show. I’d like to hear your feedback.

Until next year…

Here are photos of my autographed limited Mozzarella vinyl from the Moofia series by Simone Legno, the designer behind tokidoki. I was lucky enough to win the raffle at the Strangeco booth for one of the few remaining figures left. The figure came with the accessories, but I didn’t photograph them since they’re still in their bags.

The raffle and the line for the signing was disorganized, so I’m surprised I won. The crowd was a bit tired because of the long wait and everyone was a bit upset with how things were setup. Perhaps Strangeco will change their raffle process next time.

I missed a previous opportunity to see him at his earlier Kid robot signing, so I wasn’t going to miss him this time. I already have my “Cactus Friends - Bastardino” on display at home and this limited piece makes a great addition. I’m going to have to get some more shelves or a display case…

Thanks Simone!

During my exciting adventures at the San Diego Comic-Con, I met a lot of great folks (and got a lot of autographs). With all their dedication and creativity, here are just a few of the people who made the show super.

Randall Christopher from Kleeman and Mike

Finally meeting this guy was pretty cool. His artwork and humor are fabulous and he’s quite talented creating Flash movies. Just seeing Kleeman and Mike surfing, skating or running around reminds me of my wild and crazy younger years. Be sure to check out his site - Kleeman and Mike.

The Flight crew

It was good to see Kazu, Phil, Rad, Reagan and the gang again after going to their signing party. These accomplished artists really have a lot of energy. This time around I got to meet Jeff Smith and Bill Plympton. I’ve been a fan of Jeff’s since the first Bone comic. While at the Flight booth I also got to talk with Joey Weiser, whose wonderful work I posted about awhile ago.

Kazu showed me some of his work for his upcoming book which will be his best work to date - Amulet. It was great to get a sneak peak at his work and if you want to see more, you’ll just have to wait for it to be released later in 2007.

Dan Goodsell and The Imaginary World of Mr Toast!

It’s always good to see our friend Dan. We bought several pieces of his colorful artwork and had a good time with him throughout the Comic-Con. His Mr Toast plushes were a hit with just about everyone that walked by his booth and I believe that he almost sold-out of his t-shirts and artwork. He’s got some grand ideas for the future, so keep an eye on his world.

Andy Runton and Owly

I was also able to meet Andy and check out his work. Unfortunately I was a little slow to pick up his Owly plush, which sold out quickly, but he assured me that they will be available on his site in the future. Andy’s affection for wildlife shines through his stories of Owly and the other creatures. It’s great to get back with nature.

There’s more great Comic-Con highlights to follow. Did you miss the show? Perhaps you can win our contest and get yourself some great loot from the Comic-Con.

Pretty sweet, huh?

It’s contest time! Enter to win a swag bag from the San Diego Comic-Con, packed with lots of great stuff from the show. Just fill out my contact form with your real name and mailing address. Not to worry, I’m not using your info for any purpose other than sending you the prize, if you win. All contest entries will be deleted after the contest. Please only one entry per person. Duplicate entries will result in disqualification. The deadline to enter is 5:00 PM Pacific time Friday, August 4th 2006. The winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Contest Rules
1. Enter by using my contact form with your real name and mailing address.
2. Only one entry per person, duplicate entries subject to disqualification.
3. Deadline to enter is 5:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, August 4th 2006.
4. Winner will be chosen by random draw.

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.

This Old Man is a bit worn out from this weekend. I spent almost every waking moment at the San Diego Comic-Con. I had a blast and saw lots of great people and lots of great stuff. I’m still getting things organized, but until then I’ll post a few pictures of mine from the show this weekend. Stayed tuned for our contests - with prizes like swag bags and more. Click on the thumbnail to see the big picture. Enjoy!

The weekend has come and here I go. I’m off to the San Diego Comic-Con. There’s so much to do and see like art, comics, games, toys, etc. I’m looking forward to sensory overload. Whether or not you are able to go this year, you can come here to check out all the great reports, pictures and contests that we’ll be posting about shortly! Even if you can’t go to the show, you can still enjoy it here.

The San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow, are you ready? When I go, I know I’ll be visiting The Imaginary World booth with Mr Toast. There’s always lots of great stuff to get there. Don’t forget that it’s booth #1634, which is near the small press pavilion. Dan Goodsell will have plenty of Mr Toast Plushies, T-shirts, comics, original artwork and lots more. Be sure to stop by and say hi to Dan, he’s a pretty neat guy.

The San Diego Comic-Con is almost upon us. Be sure to grab your own Owly Plush at the Top Shelf booth (Booth #1721). They’re based on Andy Runton’s popular graphic novel series Owly. Even little Wormy is along for the fun.

Well, first off - Welcome Flight comic fans! I had a blast at the show and am glad that everyone is enjoying my post and pictures of the Flight 3 Book Signing.

The Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA is only a week away. Whether it’s art, comics, games, toys or whatever, before you get to CCI, make a list before you go. It’s a big place and even though you’ll want to visit every booth, just make sure you know where everyone is located. To make it easier for you, I’ve made a list of all the people and companies, that I’ve posted about in the last year, and where you’ll find them at the Comic-Con. Be sure a visit them while you’re there, I know I will. Make sure to check back here later for more posts and pictures from the show floor. (Is there anything that I missed or anything you’d like to find out more about?)

I tried to be as accurate as possible. Please let me know if there are any mistakes.

Dan Goodsell: previous post - (booth #1634 which is across from the small press pavilion) The Imaginary World with Mr Toast has art, comics, posters, shirts, toys and more for sale.

Randall Christopher: previous post - Kleeman and Mike (booth #J8) will have a 20 page full color comic -the 1st installment of KnM Fellowship of the Parakeet.

Flight: previous post - the Flight crew will have an island booth (#1131) and will be selling a limited number of signed copies of Flight 3.

ASIFA- Hollywood: previous post - info - (booth #5434) volunteer or donate.

Andy Runton: previous post - (booth #1721) Owly of Top Shelf Productions, Inc.

Matt Groening: previous post - (booth #2519) at the Bongo Comic Group, if you’re patient, you’ll just might find him. Creator of Simpsons and Futurama.

Bill Plympton: previous post - (booth #5496) will have lots for sale including DVDs with the new “Bill’s Dirty Shorts” and “Plymptoons”.

Creatures in my head: previous post - (booth #1434) hanging with the Dumbrella crew.

Billy West: previous post - (booth #1332) the famous voice behind most of the Futurama crew, Ren & Stimpy and tons more animated characters.

Nintendo: previous post - info - (booth #2429) playable demos of future games and more. Hear about the latest games, DS lite and the upcoming Wii!

Marvel & Activision: previous post - (booth #4315) comics and games!

Square Enix: previous post - (booth #4301) is where I get my Final Fantasy fix.

Devil’s Due Comics: previous post - (booth #1732) has costumed character appearances, comics and more.

Image Comics: previous post - (booth #2729) more comics!

Hasbro: previous post - (booth #3213) G.I. Joe, Play-Doh, board games and more.

Mattel: previous post - (booth #3029) maker of He-Man, Matchbox and Intellivision.

STRANGEco: info (booth #4629) the Purveyors of the Peculiar!

Kid Robot: info (booth #4529) vinyl toy fun from Japan, Hong Kong and the USA.

Make sure you prepare for each day of the convention that you’ll be attending:
Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

It’s a big place, know the layout of the land before you go:
Exhibit Hall Floor Plan and the Mezzanine Floor Plan

Check out the other great resource links:
The Comics Reporter and POVonline

If you’re bringing kids, be good to them and pack snacks, lunch and drinks and see Mr. Toast. While you’re at it, bring some food for yourself and save $$$.

Don’t forget that Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA is only a month away. With the largest gathering of comic book and pop culture in the world, it’s the best! You can register online or at the door, but just make sure to go. They’ve got seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming feature films, portfolio review sessions with top comic book publishers, as well as sneak peaks into future releases of your favorite video games -from the companies themselves, and there’s even a costume/cosplay contest called the Masquerade. Unlock your inner-geek with all the anime, art, comics, collectibles, memorabilia, toys and more; covering the science fiction, horror, action, adventure, and animation genres. The SD Comic-Con has it all!