COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL - TUES/WED, JULY 24-25, 2007
The Trip Down To San Diego
TUESDAY, JULY 24 -
After waiting for a year for the event to happen again, it was finally time - Comic Con International was back. We are a gang of die-hards who have been attending the Con together for almost 15 years, as a group (myself having gone since 1990). Along with myself comes Keith, Perlito, and his girlfriend Isabelle. Throughout the years have come the “others” - girlfriends of mine, friend, and friends of friends. It had always been an amusing year when we would end up with that “one friend” whom someone else knew and thought should be invited. This “odd person out” would inevitably be someone who just doesn’t fit in. One year was a claustrophobic/agoraphobic (imagine if you will) who freaked out at the convention doors, screaming, “I can’t be around people! Oh my God!” She opted to stay at the hotel for the entire duration - and, of course, I was to blame for the whole ordeal, though I personally had no idea who she was. Then there were the fun “extras” - people who would get the brunt of our silly, immature hazing. Every new person had to take the place of the previous years’ newbie, by being subjected to all sorts of pranks. But much of that took place in years gone by. Since forming the magazine, I’ve found that we have to give an impression of some professionalism. Well, we try. In any case, this year was much simpler as we had streamed it down to the core foursome, and were going to enjoy Comic Con in comfort and style - for once.
So we had worked hard to get everything together - finances, entry, hotels, interview questions, and all the little necessities that come along with traveling. At least we thought we had it together. We had a notorious habit of never leaving on time - in fact, leaving hours and hours late (usually attributed to myself as the catalyst for everyone else). We left from the San Francisco Bay Area, driving down to San Diego. This time, we were leaving on Tuesday, early enough to get down southbound and stay over in a cheap motel, so we could be early on Wednesday for opening night. Yeah. Not going to happen.
As Tuesday morning rolled around, none of us were too keen on rolling out of our individual beds. When we did, we found that we all had work to finish before leaving. By 5 pm, we seemed no closer to leaving than during the week before. Ah, but the fantasy must live for hope to exist. The night grew on, and more things were forgotten, and necessary to repack. Midnight came, and while yawning on the phone to each other, we still were “getting it together.” Keith, smartly, decided that he would fly down comfortably during Wednesday, forgoing the grueling drive. That plan works fine, IF everyone else makes it on time (which, we didn’t). But we promised to do our best.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 -
3:30 AM
We finally get the last bag into the truck and head out onto the highway. Quite simply, we are all insane. We’ve all been up since the morning, and really haven’t slept much in the previous couple of nights as well. But onward we march as the loyal Soldiers of Comic Con International. We have always done so, and forever we shall always do. Like ants on a mission, we’ve piled in and are driving on our singular mission - to find gas and snacks for the rest of the trip. This is all simple enough, but soon the story really begins.
5:30 AM
Styx “Greatest Hits” CD is playing, both for amusement and annoyance to keep us awake. In fact, this is a great sing-along hits collection, that begins with “Lady ‘95” and gets better from there - well, until it gets to a couple of later career sappy clunkers. “Lorelei” is a delight to hear though. Why do I mention this? We are on the highway, very early morning, listening to track 4, the appropriately titled “Too Much Time On My Hands.” The song is almost finished when in the distance we see police lights. An accident. Nice. We couldn’t have started a trip without one. Better it be someone else’s rather than our own. We see a car, mangled metal crunched into a rolled paper ball shape, in the distance. Track 5 begins, the every sappy, every popular “Babe.” Now it’s gets a bit strange. The piano tinkles as we pass by the accident which happened in the median grassy area, somewhere in the desert, just past Coalinga.
The words begin, and the tale happened exactly like this - lyrics, and my sudden comment fired in succession -
(Dennis DeYoung singing)
”Babe, I’m leaving. I must be on my way...”
(Me, looking sideways)
“Oh my God!! Is that a DEAD BODY in the road?!?!”
Ah yes, a sheet-covered dead body laying on the median, legs partially sticking out, feet pointed skyward, as a policeman walked past it. “What the hell?!”, we all wondered aloud.
Then, with our ever-journalistic dryness, Perlito and myself exclain, “Damn! And all the camera equipment is in the back. Now what?” We keep driving. Wow! What a way to start our trip. But it’s par for the course. Every year has had it’s own unique adventure tied to it. This one involved a deceased person.
We drive about one hour to stop at a Burger King in Lost Hills. I’ve called my vampire-enthusiast friend in Texas to tell her the news of the body. Luckily it’s later than our 6:30 am out there at that time. We ponder what we had just seen, when I blurt out that maybe we should take some photos. Everyone goes silent, until one person flatly states, “Why? It’s an hour back.” It’s amazing how our news media today has made us all so numb to the passing of another person, that it becomes not someone to worry about, but a point of interest at best. We get in line for the drive-through and order food. Suddenly, a black cat crosses the lane, and looks back at me before sauntering off.
“This cannot be a good sign.” I think aloud. But in fact, that was about the worst of it.
We stopped into a Motel 6 to get some sleep. We would definitely need it. Now if we could only get those managers to actually give us the wake-up calls that we request. Ah well, we knew we’d be late. Now it’s confirmed. We continue our trip to finally get into San Diego by 9 pm - long after the Con’s opening Preview Night is over. But, we think optimistically - we are on time for Thursday. Indeed. And on Thursday, not only will we be experiencing the Con, but I’ll get to see my old high school friend again, after 24 or so years. So for this evening, we are checking into the Embassy Suites Hotel. In addition to offering a bed, with a pillow to rest one’s head, the Embassy gives out full breakfasts in the mornings - cooked to order - and all-you-can-drink booze in the evening’s Happy Hour. That’s all fine, if one actually leaves the Con to get free booze. Rarely. But the breakfasts - there’s something to look forward to in the morrow.
THURSDAY, JULY 26 -
9 AM
Oh no, we must figure out how to reset our body clocks to get up in the morning hours. That was something we forgot to do before leaving town. Now, we will suffer for it. My friend Lisa arrives late, as we are already at the breakfast area. We are busy cramming on the eggs, sausage, hash browns, along with yogurst and fruit. One must remember that the amount of walking at the Comic Con does not always burn off the fat gained by greasy free foods.
11 AM
We finally arrive at Comic Con and head straight over to our old buddy Rafael Navarro of Ninth Circle, creator of the Sonambulo comic book. Modest as he is, Rafi never discusses his works with Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., or others, unless asked directly. However, this year we want to make sure he is OK, having suffered a bit of a heart-related issue - much too young in life. I myself had dealt with my own health issues just two years before, and now it was time to trade places and play caretaker for Rafael. But all seemed well at his booth, and so we meandered forth into the fray.
From there, the rest of our journey through Comic Con is documented through our daily itenerary from the first page.
Written by Philip Anderson |
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- Stories / Events
- Thurs. July 24
- Fri. July 25
- Sat. July 26
- Sun. July 27
- Comic Con 2008
- Photos
- Interviews:
- Conchita Campbell ("4400")
- Megalyn Echikunwoke ("4400")
- Ira Behr / Craig Sweeney ("4400")
- Jeffrey Combs ("4400" / "Reanimator")
- Rafael Navarro (Artist "Scooby Doo" / "Sonambulo")
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