CTG At San Diego Comic-Con 2013: Part 1

After going to San Diego Comic-Con for nearly six years in a row, I expected not to be impressed at my first day of the overcrowded show. While my results were fairly mixed on this first Thursday I just attended, there was still some fun to be had. First and foremost it needs to be said that this is a horrific show for any kind of shopping experience, except for toys as for some reason they all seem to be in abundance at San Diego. As a comic book junkie there were only a few vendors that really peaked my interest. Torpedo Comics always has quite a good selection of material available to any kind of fanboy. When I was shopping there, I noticed BRUCE TIMM just hanging out and looking at the collected volumes. The industry talent was perusing horror comics and picked up a copy of CREEPY that he then instantaneously put right back down.

The welcome to Comic-Con sign was illuminated at the first panel I went too. This bunch of industry talent was from Marvel, gathered together to show inspired fans how to break into the industry. The Information was insightful and many were eagerly taking notes and hanging on every word said by the panelists, which included Sam Humphries, Mark Brooks, Axel Alonso, and C.B. Cebulski. They all shared individual stories about how broke into comic books and detailed there time at Marvel. Once they opened the floor to questions, the hour started to get less interesting and I took off.

The Hyatt in San Diego is stunning, the massive hall plays host to some beautiful paintings. Lamps are also grand, usually at this point the average person begins to wonder how much money is put into this hotel. The answer would probably frighten both you and me. A year ago I spotted Jim Lee checking his relatives into the hotel. The famous artist was nice as could be, and I struck up a casual but brief conversation with him. He invited me to come to the signing at the DC booth. Upon arrival of the signing a half hour early. Jim Lee’s line was already capped, just goes to show you how much of a massive following he has cultivated throughout the years. The nineties artist seem to be a sweet spot in the comics medium, almost a decade later.


The bar downtown really showed off some of the personality that the entire town has regarding the show. If nobody else cared it would not be nearly as special to me, and my friends who attended the show. The vibe of the city can really start to affect you in a positive way. The case in point should be my cousin and mom who I ate dinner with. They both were intrigued by the nerd culture. When I asked what the pair were most interested in they unanimously pointed out the zombie parade happening later on in the weekend. Which seemed like an interesting choice, and something that anyone can enjoy. Whether they are a fan of the television show, video-games, the comic, or even neither one of these things. Seeing the scope of the parade and the craziness of the zombies is just exciting for them. While some may dismiss these people as “not nerd” they are wrong. These people are getting excited about something in this world, it is our job to stay positive and embrace those feelings.


Bates Motel and The Americans are two of the only big shows that I am not watching this year. Comic-Con is a painful reminder of that, because the show is covered in clever Bates Motel adverts. The worse part is that I will not get to it anytime soon because The Wire has completely consumed my life. Being a nerd can be really stressful sometimes, but in a silly way. None of these problems really matter, and it is great to see a show that I know get some awesome promotion. There were some really funny parts of the advertising towards the bathrooms, which were supposed to be part of the hotel.

I also have to mention what a delight the spotlight on Chris Samnee panel was. Mark Waid had control over the recluse Samnee. He brought all of the stops out of him, and featured a highly entertaining panel. It really showed why the two are made for each other on the projects like Daredevil. They both have a sense of grounded surreal storytelling that mixes well with the title. The audience adored these two creators as well, and were hanging on every word that the two had to say. The room was also fairly packed for two comic book creators in a small space. The relaxed tone flowed through all of the conversation featured within the 50 minutes. The writer has been in the industry so long that he has a lot of nuances and people to compare artwork to in the industry. The body of work talked about in the panel went all the way back to the 1930’s. For someone like me at times it is easy to forget that Fantastic Four was not the start of the entire Comic Book.


While I had a hard time looking for some of the things I wanted to pick up at the show (like Secret Six, Starman, and JLA for half price.) I still managed to grab some of the John Byrne Fantastic Four visionaries trades. These are awesome because they collect old things in a fairly decent sized book. Byrne is one of those talents that people in the industry are starting to forget really fast, go check him out if you haven’t!

That wrapped up my first day at the show. Thank goodness the only other day I got tickets too was sunday. I need an excuse to not leave my hotel room and relax for the next 48 hours. Enjoy your weekend and be sure to follow this madness as it continues to unfold.