More specifically San Diego Comic Con. My husband and I recently sat down to talk about trying to make it out to San Diego Comic Con this summer, unfortunately it coincides with some family plans so we couldn’t. Then we talked about trying to make it next year but we are having some doubts. We have both been in the past. I made it the last year that they sold passes at the con for that year. He went the year the Twi-Heads destroyed it. Talking about these events made us wonder if it would really be worth going. I mean it is one of the few conventions we can attend that have some of the artists that do not make it to some of the smaller local conventions. Artists and Writers such as Jim Lee, Geoff Loeb, etc. It is also probably one of the largest gatherings of some of the lesser known artists. Guys who have been in the business for decades but no one stands in line to meet and barely acknowledges. I love meeting these guys, even if I do not know them by name. You can stand there for hours talking to them about their careers, looking at their books and they are always extremely friendly.

But one wonders is San Diego Comic Con really a comic convention anymore? Is it worth really going now for just the comics when it has become just another junket on the Hollywood Press tour for movies? And it’s not just comic movies they show anymore or even really sci-fi/fantasy. Most of them are centered on this but it’s about who can spend the money. I didn’t go and I don’t want to go to run into a famous actor or actress. This is not saying I haven’t met some famous people on the floor… I ran into Joss Whedon, Jim Lee, and more just walking around on the floor. And I loved it but that isn’t why I went.

While there is still a base of comics at the convention it is mainly just a basic con now. It has become a fashionable, hip place to go for your summer vacation. It’s now an item on many bucket lists. And sadly, it is because of this that we may not attempt to go. We want to because we have friends we want to see that will be there but not sure we want to deal with the mass crowds of people lining up to see some hip Hollywood star. This year we are hitting some smaller more local comic conventions in Albuquerque and Denver. As for next year, maybe we will go but we aren’t really sure. I think it depends on who is going and if we really want to hit the crowds. I personally want to go because there is a chance to have a wonderful conversation with a random person or sitting in a panel that others are ignoring and being slapped upside the head with a wonderful conversation that is going on. I don’t want to go to SDCC for the main stream things, I want to hit the Alex Ross table and see about purchasing one of his scratch papers finally. I want to sit in a panel of Garth Morrison as he waxes philosophical about Batman. I want to walk down an aisle and see amazing original artwork. I want to meet a random artist to discuss making comics with. I want to have dinner with friends I rarely get to see. I want to attend the costume contest and cheer for said friends as they conquer the event.

Damn it, I think I just talked us into going…