Non Comic-Con Jon!

I did not get a ticket for Comic-Con this year.  Boo.  I moved all the way across the country and, now living right in downtown San Diego, was totally psyched to finally attend the world’s premiere pop culturepalooza.  Nobody told me 100,000 tickets would sell out in 45 minutes!


So no, I did not go to the Con...but I did soak up every free ancillary event, and boy howdy, there were many! It’s amazing how not just the convention hall, but the entire city comes to life with sights to see and people to meet.  In addition to the Nintendo events described in my other post, these were the highlights:


Holy Batmobiles, Batman!

Every Batmobile from every Batman movie was out on display! Seriously, just sitting there on the lawn for everyone to see! Only a velvet rope and possibly armed security guard stood between me and having the most badass garage ever.  I can attest the Tumbler is in fact the coolest.  That thing looks like it feeds on lesser Batmobiles.

The SEGA Exhibit

Across the street from the Nintendo Lounge, as though rekindling the 16-bit wars, was the SEGA exhibit.  It was set up in a wine store, clearly to promote drinking and driving in Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed.  Outside was an actual race car adorned with decals from the game and a life-size Sonic statue securely bolted to the ground so I couldn’t steal it despite my best efforts.

The big draw was their much-hyped Aliens: Colonial Marines.  Syd Mead, renowned concept artist of Aliens, was on hand for autographs and a giant 20-foot Alien statue loomed over the premises.  Eight monitors played host to a LAN match where four guests as marines challenged four SEGA representatives as aliens.  Although I don’t consider myself a real FPS nut, I like shooters and ACM was fun.  As a Wii-only gamer this generation I’m excited to jump fully into the online arena, and I’ll pick up Colonial Marines when it debuts on Wii U.

While waiting to play the game I recognized one of the SEGA employees - Craig Harris, former member of the IGN Nintendo crew! I've been a loyal IGN reader since I first bought my N64, entered N64.com into my browser the next day, and came up with their website.  It's always great to meet someone who's not just a video game fan but specifically a Nintendo fan.  Craig was super cool and cleared some Miis from his Mii Plaza so we could StreetPass, and even gave me a cool Alien facehugger toy.  Thanks Craig!

Famous People

I saw a bunch of other familiar faces just walking the streets: Adam Sessler, Garfunkel & Oates, Mike Fahey.  I crossed paths with Anna Kendrick which was capital-A Awesome since Scott Pilgrim is one of my favorite movies.  The cast of Community did a free presentation on the Warner Bros. stage just outside the hall.  I meant to catch Kevin Smith on the same stage, but misunderstood the program schedule and arrived at the wrong time.  It’s comforting to walk the same streets as them and feel that these people you admire are not only industry employees, but fans just like you.


The Microsoft Lounge
The Microsoft lounge was a bit disappointing.  It felt too cluttered like your average LAN party but with prettier lighting.  On hand were some stars of a Crackle web series, a connection I didn't quite understand, though after watching enough Microsoft E3 conferences random celebrities appearing alongside games seems to be a chief marketing strategy.  My time was running short and all the TVs were occupied so I didn't play any games, but from what I saw Sleeping Dogs and Tomb Raider both looked like fun.


The Bandai Namco Arcade

Bandai Namco brought a fleet of classic arcade games and stationed them outside for anyone to play, no quarters required.  I jumped right to Pac-Man, anxious to get my fix since abandoning my Ms. Pac-Man machine at my sister’s house when I moved from Michigan (though I honestly tried to fit it in a mini-van along with everything else I own).  Most of their well-known properties were there, including Time Crisis, Tekken, and Soul Calibur.

The Spike TV Bar

Spike TV, a channel I loathe, nearly won me over by renting out the bar at the Hard Rock Hotel and offering food and drinks FOR FREE.  Beer, margaritas, whatever you wanted, done.  I tried to bankrupt them into not affording any more episodes of Manswers.

As Comic-Con's grown larger it's become blemished with companies whose agendas don't quite match the Comic-Con spirit.  A Spike TV photographer approached my corner of the restaurant.  She had her choice of subjects to photograph: the two blondes in mini skirts sitting at one end of the bench, or just five feet away, me in my Mario shirt and Power Glove eating Haagen Daz on a stick.

She did not pick me.  Sigh.

We Can Be Heroes

DC Comics overtook a local art gallery with some very creative and liberal interpretations of their most popular characters.  These were familiar images chewed up and spit out as uniquely personal visions.  The works were coupled with touching images of people being real-life heroes around the world.  As a whole, the exhibit was a thoughtful meditation on how fictional characters can inspire the best in us.  

Breaking Freaking Bad!

I didn't know until too late, but Breaking Bad premiered its season debut episode at the Gaslamp theatre Saturday night.  I knew they were at the Con, but I thought it was a paid event.  Bummer! Of course the cast was there with a Q & A and everything, but maybe it's for the best I didn't go.  I like knowing as little as possible about that show before each episode.  I even change the channel when the preview ads appear on TV.  Normally I don't care about spoilers because I'm not into entertainment for the surprises; I'm more intrigued by the mechanics of the story and how it's constructed.  Breaking Bad, however, is special as it's entirely about people playing their cards close to their chests.  What a phenomenal show in every regard.

Just Walking Around

Sometimes the best part of going someplace cool is not doing anything in particular, but just being there amidst the fun.  Without any particular plan, I walked the length of the hall several times, up and down 4th and 5th Avenue, and everywhere I looked was entertained by something: a guy playing guitar here, a zombie march there.  The pedometer on my 3DS said I walked nearly 11 miles that day, but I never felt like stopping.  I was on a treasure hunt, and obsessed with finding more.

Free to Be You and Me

I'm still not coming down from my Comic-Con contact high.  It was amazing, and remember, I didn't even actually go to the convention.  Everything I mentioned here was absolutely free.  I knew Comic Con was big, but its size is really something that can't be conveyed in writing.  It consumes all of downtown San Diego, brings together scattered and varying factions of nerd-dom under one roof and spilling out into the streets.  It reverses the trendy Gaslamp district to a welcoming celebration of all the people who'd normally be laughed back to their parents' basements.  To many, the Con itself is a superhero, bringing to the popular conscience their most beloved story or character - the axis on which their world spins.

Most importantly, it allowed me an excuse to walk around in public wearing my Power Glove, something I've always wanted to do.  I love that thing.  It's cool, I think, but now with the Con complete, if I'm still wearing it people will call me crazy.  This past weekend, I wore it proudly.  And from a lot of strangers who, otherwise, I'd never guess loved the Power Glove too, all I got were high fives.