We saw half a mile of convention center filled with toys, anime/manga, posters, t-shirts, video games, movie promos, and comic book art and artists. If you can remember the name of that greasy headed kid who sat in your Algebra class and was always doodling or reading whatever would have been the equivalent of Harry Potter or Twilight, there is a good chance he, or she, was here at Comic-Con.
My son was overwhelmed. Heck, I was overwhelmed. The shear mass of products and promos, the thousands, I'm sure it pushed somewhere between 50 and 100 thousand people at its peak during the day, and the frenetic pace of all of it was something to behold. We were there with a family friend and industry insider (he has done every job that would get you to Comic-Con, currently a toy designer) and his 10 year old daughter. We were in good hands because we had someone with us that knew the ins and outs of the building and the right paths to take.
The "stuff", the really big "stuff" from Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, Hasbro, Mattel, Konami, Nintendo, Marvel, DC, etc., was not nearly as impressive as what was available for no cost at all. All of the biggies had freebies, giant bags, t-shirts, mini-mags, and the like, but they were not the soul of the "Con". It was in "Artists Alley" where we ended up spending most of our time learning about the art and love that makes all of the other "stuff" possible in the end.
Artists Alley is the place where the artists, inkers, and colorists set up shop. They are there to renew acquaintances, do some networking, and show off what they have done during the past year. They are folks have a genuine passion for what they are doing and have never worked a day in their life in this line of work. They love what they do and do what they love. I was able to find out from Steve, my friend who got us in as Professionals for the day, that these folks really are starving artists if they don't line up enough work to drown themselves.
Cal and Devon, Steve's daughter, brought along sketchbooks and smiles, and hoped to get a few drawings, say 7, to get s start on their collection. Steve is nearing the end of his third book, a collection that in the "Con" world is filled with priceless (I'm not kidding) gems that other artists sit back and marvel at. The kids were a bit shy at first and had to be prodded, but they picked up a number of drawings (all free) that was staggering. Between the two they ended up with 47 sketches (23 for Cal and 24 fro Devon) from artists that have done cover work, published books, done game cards, video games, toys, you name it. They both walked away with books worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $600.
The other things they walked away with were priceless. They both, me too as I watched almost each and every piece get drawn, learned the appreciation of what can be done by someone with the right mind set, training and purpose. These kids got to know what this, or any other artwork, is really about. They also got to learn how to give back to the artist. Many of the artists commented on the fact that it was nice to see the kids and a pleasure to get them involved in the work that has involved so much of their lives.
I loved watching what went on for my kid yesterday. To see his eyes grow as the sketch of "The Flash", or "Captain America" came to life. Our favorite drawing of the entire day was also one of the first. A young lady who is a San Diego local, just trying to get a start, drew a wonderful little platypus for Cal. It's cute. It's lively. Then she outdid herself with a drawing for Devon of a rabbit standing on its hindlegs eating a carrot sandwich. It is a classic image that I adore.
I'll go back to the Con. I don't think I'll stray to far from the Alley though.
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