CliqueClackPutting the wraps on SDCC 2013
The 2013 San Diego Comic-Con was over days ago, but its memory — like all other SDCC’s — forever lives on. Here were my personal highs and lows from this year’s event.
Before embarking on my (what has become) yearly jaunt to San Diego for the International Comic-Con, I wrote a list of a few things I was most looking forward to. My list today is a bit different, for what truly were my high points of the event.
Let’s start with my previous list and go over what worked and didn’t work.
Hop-Con: The W00tstout Launch Festival — It turns out this was a spot-on choice to be on my list, and it definitely earned a spot near the top. Coming off a long-ass flight from heat-wavey Boston, having some GOOD beers — with a friend I hadn’t seen in a year, outside, in upper-60-degree temps — was a perfect way to kick the weekend off. The pouring was generous and the brews were strong. To top things off, I finally got to have that beer Wil Wheaton and I had been talking about having together for years. OK, so it wasn’t the 20 Guinnesses we owed him for every new CliqueClack writer who came on board, but it was pretty fucking cool.
The Veronica Mars fan event — I won’t hide the fact that Ivey and I both spent a fair chunk of change to get guaranteed seating at this event. It could have been better. The content of the panel was cool and fun, for sure … but unless you were in the first few rows, you couldn’t get a good look at most of it. The event was held in a movie theater, but without stadium seating. We could all see the screen perfectly, but the cast all sat at near ground-level — it was frustrating. In many of the official SDCC panels, all attendees are given some sort of swag, like a t-shirt, so we were kinda-sorta hoping to get something at the end of this event. Instead we walked away somewhat satisfied of seeing a whole bunch of characters from a show (and soon movie) that we love … and a bunch of pictures of them through a bunch of heads.
The annual NBC party — Since the party last Saturday night, I’ve been carefully considering what to say about this. Yes, I have complaints. The thing is, I got to go to this thing, most of you reading this didn’t, and the folks organizing it were and always have been so nice to me and this site. So how can I sit here and say anything bad about it? So, I’ll say what was good, and you can work out the rest for yourselves. I liked that I got to at least say hello my friend Reggie Lee for 60 seconds; I liked that we got good free food and booze for two hours; I liked seeing some old colleagues I hadn’t seen since last year; I liked that I at least saw some other NBC talent for ten minutes. I’ve written to those who helped organize the event with kind criticism and have even offered to not attend if it means that the rest of those attending can have the same experience I’d had in years past. From the response I got back, there was no surprise.
2 Comments on “Putting the wraps on SDCC 2013”
Quick Draw was definitely fun last year. Seeing how those artists (and of course especially Sergio Aragones) came up with clever cartoons right on the spot based on audience suggestion was priceless. Was he there this year? Since I could not attend, I purposely did not follow it this year. So your post was fun to read.
I found in my limited experience I enjoyed the press rooms the most. Panels were crowded and gave little info and just a lot of gawking and strutting by the performers. Most weren’t moderated well.
Press rooms are where it’s at for me. But as I said in a private CliqueClack feed, I had Cory Monteith on my mind that week, as just one year ago he sat next to me and gave a great insight into Glee and his character. I feel lucky to have had that press room experience for just a few minutes. The majority of the crowds at Comic Con (Sorry I just don’t like the term The Con) don’t get to experience that. Which is one of the great perks of getting that press pass through writing for your site Keith. So thanks. I encourage other writers to hop on board to CliqueClack not only for that possibility of course, but to be able to engage in the craft of writing with a nice group of folks jawing about the Nothing and Everything that is pop culture.
Yes! Sergio was there again. Highlight of the panel, bar none.