July 25, 2009
Comic Con 2009 Part 1
As I sit in line at 7:00am waiting for the Lost panel, I realize that I have ample time to reflect on the past 2 days at Comic Con. Lost is why I’m here, but I’ve found many more fabulously cool reasons to enjoy my 4 day stay here. Day 1 (Thursday) was full of excitement… and plenty of long lines. With so many blockbuster movies on the horizon and all the craziness surrounding the Twilight and Lost events, this just may be the most hyped Comic Con to date. After waiting in line for my badge for 2 hours I was lucky enough to score a place in line for the Disney panel thanks to my friend Travis. He had waited for 4 hours in that line. God bless you, Trav. The first panel was all about Disney’s upcoming 3-D releases including Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol (yay Daryl Sabara!), Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and the eagerly awaited remake of Tron. Next up
that day was the Wonder Women in Entertainment panel which showcased women in TV and film who, for lack of a better term, kick butt. The panel featured Sigourney Weaver of the Alien franchise, Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost, Zoe Saldana of Star Trek and Eliza Dushku from Dollhouse. Walking the exhibit hall on Thursday was absolutely insane. It was almost impossible to weave my way through the smelly crowd. Lucky for me I’m small and spry. I ended the day with a panel on comic book podcasting. I picked up some great tips about podcasting and promotion from the guys who produce very successful comic podcasts and who know their niche well.
Day 2 was off to a slow start. I arrived a bit late to The Prisoner panel and was seated near the back where people felt free to engage in their own conversations and I couldn’t hear the speakers very well. The Prisoner is a remake of an old TV show and stars Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen. They showed a fairly long preview and it looks awesome. After eating my $8 salad (thank you San Diego Convention Center) I had the extreme pleasure of attending a panel with one of my all time favorite writer-directors, Robert Rodriguez of El Mariachi, Desperado and Spy Kids fame. Rodriguez is my hero and Rebel without a Crew is a book that every single filmmaker should read. The man is truly brilliant. He needed no introduction and no moderator as he is very comfortable talking about filmmaking all by himself! After walking the exhibit hall again and signing up at booth #315 to win a lunch with the writers of Lost , I attended my last panel of the day, which was unusually small. The Art Director’s Guild held a panel with some very talented Production Designers and they allowed us a glimpse into their process. Designers from Pirates of the Caribbean and the new Star Trek movie were on hand to answer questions about their craft. These people are amazing and don’t get enough credit for how they bring stories to life through the awesome visual medium of film.
It’s now almost 9am. Two and a half more hours before the much awaited Lost panel starts and I’m starting to get giddy! Must run for now, but I’ll write more later. Namaste!
