SDCC 07 update 5: Final wrap up

With San Diego Comic-Con 07 firmly in the rear view, and Wizard World Chicago only a few more days away, I'm back for a final review.

I've shared shots of the con floor, and some of the better costumes and celebs that passed by, but I haven't shared pics of friends or any highlights from the after hours fun that was had.

Friday night was reserved for the 9PM screening of my friend Javier Hernandez's comic book film adaptation, The Dead One, based on his comic book El Muerto. Javier and I had met as small press neighbors at the con in 2004 (my second year), and have become good friends since. I've followed Jav through his journey from comic to film, and heard many stories of the production and everything in between, so with the film making the festival circuit for months now, I was very excited to get my first look at it at the con. With the show going til 7PM it was a mad dash with some friends to grab some dinner before the screening, but we managed to get back to the hall (and find the right screening room) just in the nick of time!

The movie features Wilmer Valderamma (of that 70's Show fame) in the lead as Diego the Aztec zombie, El Muerto. Tony Plana (from Ugly Betty) plays a supporting role and was onhand with Javier and producer Larry Rattner afterwards for a Q&A...


The Q&A session... Me and the Jav-Man... Jav and my wife Tami...
The film was great (as witnessed by the two-thumbs-up above), a cool mixture of an original character driven story grounded in Hispanic culture, with comic book and horror movie themes! Do yourself a favor and check it out 9/18 on DVD. Rumor has it, I'll even have an El Muerto artwork original in the DVD extras art gallery!!!

After the screening it was off to the Hyatt bar to catch up with more friends, where we had many drinks, got a little rowdy, and closed the place down...


Most of the gang at the Hyatt, makin with the pose... my buddy Dave Dwonch (Special Ed) posin with the one, the only, THE WOLF!!!

Friday and Saturday my buddy from Portland, Randy Kintz (aka Rantz - who's currently working on Jason and the Argonauts for Bluewater Productions) flew in for his first SDCC. Rantz hung at the table Friday and sold the last of his sketchbooks, and also crashed at the suite that evening. He was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the con and the crowds (who isn't)...

Here are some shots of familiar faces from the table...

My neighbors the last 2 years in small press, the creators of GRAVY BOY... me with my buddy Daniel Campos (Stalk) guest artist from the first Super Real Special and current KISS4K artist...

Rantz in action... the man, the one and only, Felipe Smith!! (MBQ) Super Real issue 3 variant cover (pictured) artist...

Rantz with Ray Height (Raheight), upcoming SR pinup artist...
Saturday night it was off to Old Town via trolley (always an adventure) with Javier and his group of friends (a new con tradition) for some Mexican food and pitchers of Margaritas... I didn't get any pictures that evening to share though. I got to catch up with Stan Yan (The Wang), whom I'd met in small press at my first SDCC and was also at last year's outing, and met Shane another fellow comic maker from Portland...

Afterwards I met up with Rantz and Jason Metcalf (my neighbor from the past Emerald City Comicon) for some drinks at the Marriott bar, which was filled with tables of people sketching... like the whole place. Since I didn't have any drawing materials with me, I was kind of out of place, and we all agreed we didn't really get the whole mass communal comic sketch thing...

Sunday, was not only the last day of the show, but also my last chance to get to Filippi's Italian for pizza. Filippi's is widely renowned as the best place for pizza in SD (and indeed some of the best period), and since the wife and I didn't make it the year prior, I was resolved to get there this time. So, after the con closed down and packed up, we met up with good friend Dave Montoya (Dave's out of NYC and the creator of Moho, and was also a former neighbor at the show) and Hector Sevilla (Lullaby) and his friends to throw down on some pizza. I met Hector the year before after he'd done a pinup I used as a variant on issue 3, where we hit it off and hung out, and since we hadn't had a chance to hang out his year, things worked out for dinner this evening. We had a nice relaxed dinner, over many laughs, and many excellent slices of pizza pie! A great finish, to another great year!!


The best pie... the Sunday Filippi's pizza crew; me, my wife, Dave Montoya, ??, Hector's friend, Hector Sevilla (Elsevilla)...
And thus another chapter closes on the massive San Diego Comic Con. I did my best to capture it on film, and share in the shenanigans, but it's nigh impossible to pin down even a fraction of what transpires over the course of these seven crazy days in southern California. The only way to truly get a taste for it, is to experience it for yourself (highly recommended). Word of warning, be prepared to do battle with massive crowds, and allow yourself the maximum amount of time possible. Even if you can't survive 5 days at the convention hall, there are no shortage of things to do in and around the city. It really is a phenomenal place to host the show. Each year my wife and I take a day or two extra and take in another area attraction, and this year we walked Balboa park, the massive park that's host to scores of museums and ornate buildings, nestled just between downtown and the zoo.

I'll be back one last time to share a couple pieces of artwork I received at the show, but otherwise, I'm turning the page on San Diego, and looking forward to Chicago (and White Castles!!!)...