San Diego Comic Con and Gam3r Con

I'm sure the entire geek world knows that San Diego Comic-Con International is this week. In fact, people have already started lining up. Ref. Many of my favorite comic artists, webcomic artists, bloggers and movie industry people will be making appearances. Unfortunately I will not, as I will be performing in Godspell Jr. But there are a number of excellent resources available for those attending.

I recommend following these twitter accounts:
Official SD Comic Con (the Offical SDCC twitter)
SD Comic Con (a SDCC blogger with great info)
Comic Con Blog (a Comic Con blogger)
Pop Culture Geek (an amazing photographer-it's where my profile pic comes from)
Crazy 4 Comic Con (I really like his packing list on his website)

Also, the SDCC website offers some great information, including a food guide, a customizeable schedule and parking/shuttle info.

Personally, here is what I'm sad I'm going to miss.

Thursday:
Comic Book Law School 101: 'C" Is For Creator (and Copyright!)
The Evolution of Web Series: The Guild to Dragon Age

Friday:
The Big Bang Theaory Screening and Q&A
How to Create an Effective Pose for Paneling and Illustration
Eureka

Saturday:
Attack of the Show! Attacks Comic-Con
Digital Disruption: Comics, Webcomics, and the Business Model of the Future
Webcomics Weekly Live!
The Penny Arcade Q&A
Mythbusters
Masquerade

Sunday:
Full-Time Creative Work on a Part-Time Schedule

Comic Artists/Really Cool People that I Would Love to Say Hi To (If you <3 my blog I don't mind gifts of autographs, merch, and doodles from artists.):
Emi Lenox Creator of EmiTown
Jennie Breeden Creator of The Devil's Panties
Raina Telgemeier Author of Smile and artist of The Baby Sitter's Club graphic novels
Danielle Corsetto Creator of Girls With Slingshots
Scott Kurtz Creator of PvP online
Bryan Lee O'Malley Creator of the Scott Pilgrim series
Kris Straub Creator of Starslip
Dave Kellett Creator of Sheldon Comics
Jeph Jacques Creator of Questionable Content
Vera Brosgol Creator of Anya's Ghost
MC Frontalot Godfather of Nerdcore
Felicia Day Awesome actress and creator of the webseries The Guild
Wil Wheaton Awesome actor and author
Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik Creators of Penny Arcade and PAX
Geek Girl Diva Awesome blogger
Anthony Lee Winn Comic Artist currently working on the Stripperella comic

Brad Guigar Creator of Evil Inc.

Edit 07/20/2011:

While I scoured the internet to see which of my favorite people were going I still managed to miss a few. So I would also like to include

Scuttlebutt, Inc Creator of adorable fan badges and Mahou Shounen Fight

Katie Shanahan aka KtShy Creator of Shrub Monkeys

Hope Larson Creator/Author of Chiggers

Claire Hummel Awesome artist

Ethan Nicolle Artist for Axe Cop

So, perhaps you didn't get badges to SDCC this year, but plan on going downtown and people watching. While you're there you could also check out Gam3rCon. Gam3rCon is a new con looking to revive the gamer presence that seems to be lost at SDCC. They have some other fun things set up besides games, such as GAMERS (a geek play), Dr. Horrible Sing-Along and Repo! with shadow cast, Elective Surgery. As well as a few panels and Rooftop Parties. Tickets are super cheap and this con will continue after SDCC shuts down. Please check them out if you're in town.

San Diego Comic-con, Saturday

Today was our last day to enjoy Comic-con. I really only had two panels to catch and the rest of the day was planned to wander the Exhibit Hall and get photo ops with people I'd missed the day before.

As per usual we were running late, but got there in enough time to catch everything. Also, H4773r was kind enough to drop us off again so we could enjoy the con. This time he parked on

Harbor and Sigsbee St. This was a good 6+ blocks away from the convention center and had free parking BUT I wouldn't recommend leaving any valuables in your car and leaving there late at night. It just didn't seem like the safest area.

My goal was to start at one end of the Exhibit Hall and work my way through all the alleys. That worked until I hit the main areas that had Marvel, DC, G4, WB, etc. The madness down those walkways was incredible. There was barely any room to move at all. Then I realized I

wouldn't even make it half-way through the hall before the panel started so I just gave up and started wandering.

I did find Frank Beddor and bought H4773r "Princess Alyss of Wonderland."

Shortly after getting something to eat and paying outrageous con prices we headed to our webcomic panel with Scott Kurtz, Brad Guigar, Dave Kellet, and Kris Straub. The panel was pretty informative and Scott Kurtz and Dave Kellet are pretty fucking funny. All the guys have collaborated to write "How to Make Webcomics" (which I bought). They also promoted their

sites webcomics.com and Webcomics Weekly (podcast). In addition they pretty much just talked about the biz: how you do everything yourself (from merchandising to advertising) and that it's the best way to retain all your rights; the importance of making something people want to read; that if you have 1000 true fans you can

maintain your business; and the most importance advice I learned from Kurtz "Solving the problem of where you're at." Meaning, let's say you have your comic online and have a few followers you might be concerned next with going to a con and setting up in artist alley. You should be solving that problem, not worrying about starting merchandise selling.

Right after the webcomic panel it was time for the Emo Boy panel. This upcoming movie will be

directed by Kyle Newman (also directed Fanboys) and will star Jaime King (from "Spirit" and "Sin City") and Lucas Cruikshank (of Fred fame). Newman also discussed other upcoming Vanguard films: Chupacabras, Alien Band, Space Chimps 2, and Oz Wars. Also we had the chance to meet and talk with Jaime King after the panel. She was incredibly nice, sweet and down to earth. By far a great actress to meet in person if you ever get the chance.

After Emo Boy I went back down the Exhibit Hall and got my photos with peeps.

GeekgirlDiva

MC Frontalot

Jennie Breeden

Scott Kurtz

We were in a rush during dinner time because H4773r and I were going to catch Aftercon. So we ate literally at the first place that was decently priced and had a vegetarian option, Jolt N Joes. By vegetarian option I mean veggie burger, but whatever.

We parted ways with Pievuhg and took a ridiculously long walk back to the car. We made it to

the Aftercon venue, the Casbah, after 7:00pm but it didn't and we found free parking nearby. The show didn't start til rather late, 9:30-ish. The guys from Cyanide and Happiness were there premiering two new shorts, as well as Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal show off new clips in-between sets. YT Cracker was the first one up, followed by MC Frontalot, and the MC Lars. There was a special guest appearance by Zealous1. I really enjoyed the show. The guys are so enthusiastic and have tons of energy and in general, put on a great show. The initmate setting is perfect. I love how MC Lars has his music videos playing along while he raps. The night ended, for us, with MC Lars playing "Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock." We missed Doomtree, but it was late and I was so tired. Only complaints, one, MC Lars encouraging the crowd to mosh and having the one douchebag try to be hard core. He almost got his ass beat by another concert goer who didn't want to play with him. Also, I guess there was someone "famous" there. I couldn't figure out who she was for the life of me, but she had a papparazzo following her, taking pictures, with an obnoxious flash. I could've taken her but H4773r doesn't like to encourage my violence and I hate lawsuits.

There were a number of things happening after Aftercon, such as the experiment webcomic meetup with Scott Kurtz, drinks with Geekgirldiva, Repo! with shadow cast and special guests, and Mythbusters at Hard Rock. Unfortunately, we didn't go to any of these BECAUSE I could no longer afford parking for another day and I was still so fucking tired.

(NOTE: Next year we WILL get a hotel room by the convention center and have more Red Bull onhand.)