Comic-Con Issue #2

So yesterday at Comic-Con, I caught the end of a lecture on the legal issues of comics. Somehow, it was awesome, but I don't know how.

Immediately after, Mike Mignola gave a fantastic talk about how he does his creepy minimalistic artwork. If you don't know who Mike Mignola is, he is the creator of Hellboy. If you do know who Mike Mignola is, you are a nerd.

After a failed attempt to get into a Neil Gaiman panel, my brother and I sat in on a panel with Kevin J. Anderson. I hate Kevin J. Anderson. It wasn't that he seems like a schlock writer who seemed proud that he can pump out a complete novel in about a month. I hate him because he was a self-worshiping jackass who talked shit about some truly great writers like Ray Bradbury.

After Kevin J. Godihatethisguy, Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine, gave a truly great talk about creating a popular comic strip. He was genuinely funny and self-deprecating. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire room was laughing for most of the panel. Afterwards, he signed books and sketched his characters.

Most of the day, I wandered around the show floor. This was supremely interesting, but i don't have a way to upload the photos I have. Look for that early next week.

Comic-Con

Well, it's 8:30 in the evening in San Diego. Day one of Comic-Con is now behind me. After waiting in line for an hour or more, myh brother and I went to another line to wait for an hour or more to play ten minutes of video games.

After hitting a few booths, we waited in line for an hour or more to see sneek footage of James Cameron's Avatar. In 3D. By the way, it looks really cool. The story looks ok, but visually, I was super impressed.

The next panel I saw was Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It looks like a great Gilliam movie, in other words, the visuals look amazing and the story sounds incredible. I cannot wait.

I also saw a bunch of people that can only be called famous in very limited circles. But I saw Richard Hatch. Also the guys from Penny Arcade and two of the guys from Red vs. Blue.

All in all, this is truly nerd mecca.

The Beastie Boys

So I was hanging out with my boy Wade, when he told me some crazy shit. MCA has cancer. Here's the official announcement, via beastieboys.com

The Services I Provide

This week, I will be subjecting myself to jetlag, Southern California, and my brother in an attempt to bring the very latest in geek news to my readers. I will be attending the San Diego Comic-Con this week. Despite the hectic schedule, long days, and tiny laptop, I believe that the sheer volume of awesome will compel me to be somewhat more timely in my posts.

Here is a story I wrote.

The wind claws at her eyes, but she grins ferociously as the tears pour down her face. Gordon was right, this hill is worth the drive. She readjusts her front foot slightly. She must be doing thirty, she thinks, as she checks over her shoulder for any cars. None. She is in an aggressive lunging crouch, perched on her longboard. Her arms held back and relaxed belie the adrenalin coursing through her body. Her legs twitch slightly, sending minute course corrections to her board. Almost unconsciously, she turns slightly to avoid a small rock. That one was probably not large enough to kill her, but better safe. Blinking away the tears, she double checks for oncoming traffic. Seeing none, she checks behind herself once more. There. One car. Red. Mid-size. Maybe ten seconds back. She drifts into the oncoming lane and waits. As the car passes, she grins at the startled driver. One pair of devil horns for the gawker, a double-check on traffic, and a small shift in her weight. She is back in her lane and still accelerating. She briefly wonders how long this run has been. She has never bombed a longer hill. Over two minutes in, and less than halfway down. She lowers her stance, hoping to lose a little wind resistance. Her thighs are burning now, but she is flying. Thirty five at least. She sees the red car slowing down. No, she is accelerating. The wind must have been killing her speed. She lowers herself again. This is almost too low. Her legs are screaming, but she is gaining on the car. As she approaches, she sees an oncoming car. Black SUV. Blinking furiously, she does a quick calculation. No time to slow down, definitely no chance to stop, and just enough space between the lanes. For five seconds, she is a blur on the yellow line, surrounded by steel and shrieking wind. The wake of the SUV nearly tears her off her board. Wobbling slightly, she regains her footing. Then, only the board and the road are left. She resists the urge to reach out and touch the car as she finishes the pass.