snap judgments no, really, there are some comics you really should read

Convention Zen

I sit in my car, the husband driving (sadly, he won't let me call him Happy Hogan as he's both chauffer and bpdyguard this trip), listening to Sirius channel 22 (1st Wave!) and anticipating the Big One.

And for once, I'm not talking about earthquakes.

The San Diego Comic Con is like nothing else on Earth and the name is slightly misleading.  It's not so much a comic book convention as it is a media blitz, full of sound and fury for everything from movies to TV shows to soft drinks to webisodes and oh yeah, comics.  For a few years, Marvel didn't even come ot the big show and let DC have all the fun, but now, lives are on the line as comic properties are product above and beyond the call of a monthly title.

Right now, I can say I'm intimidated.  It's a very daunting thing to see the list for the panels and previews and find yourself staring at the abyss of everything you wanted to know about.  Remember Tiny Toon Adventures and Freakazoid?  Yep, they got a panel.  Miss Mystery Science Theater 3000?  Yep, they got a panel.  Want to discuss the future of Star Trek?  They have three panels (and yet nothing on the upcoming movie?)  And oh yeah, comics.

How can they put so much into four days?  How can I possibly see it all?  Obviously the panel I don't go to is the one that'll have a cure for cancer and free t-shirts.  How do I manage my time?  How could you possibly see it all?

The answer is YOU CAN'T.

For serious.  You really can't see everything they offer.  And in a way, you shouldn't want to.  Don't be a slave to their marketing shill!  Don't forget to leave the convention center at least once every day and yes, before you go to bed.  Forage for food at a grocery store.  Go find the beach.  Do something non-Con related each day and I swear you will have a fonder memory of the experience than what was covered at any panel or picked up from a dealer's table.  Once you come to terms with the fact that you can't see everything, that all things are not attainable, that's when you will find yourself at peace with the Con.

Sometimes you might run into a friend.  Hell, you might make a new one.  Sometimes you'll go to something you hadn't planned on and find yourself enthralled by something new.  Sometimes you  might even win a free t-shirt.  Let Comic Con come to you, do not chase the dragon.