PopHorror Let's Get Scared
There is one name that stands above all in the convention world; San Diego Comic Con. While New York Comic Con gives it a run for its money, SDCC’s reputation is unlike any other in the world. This east coast boy thought, after years of daydreaming, it was time to check it out. Usually, it would be customary to tease the reader by making them wonder ‘how will this review look?’ Instead, I’m going to cut straight to the chase; San Diego Comic Con is the best convention on the planet.
Throughout my 22 years, I have attended roughly 20 different conventions; ranging from comic cons to horror cons. So when I say San Diego is the best, that’s coming from someone who has had quite a sample platter. The hardest part was keeping up with everything that there was to do. Friday especially, I was running from location to location all day. Never before has exercise been so fun.
I arrived Thursday and, after getting through the mess of opening day entry, I found a very well organized grid system of booths. So many that, by sheer comparison, it made gargantuan Fan Expo Boston look like a farmers market. I’m also not one that usually gets seduced by the items at the booths, but I did get my hands on quite a few trinkets. I was a repeat offender at the Reel Arts Collectibles booth, which primarily sold original movie posters. I got two 27×41 one sheet posters for Flatliners and Monkey Shines as well as an original press kit for Tales From The Darkside: The Movie… All for $45. It was insane how great the deals were there.
The first, and really only, event of the day was the signing for the new comic book series Archie vs Minor Threats at the Dark Horse Comics booth. The creators were all there signing posters; amongst them was Patton Oswalt. I mentioned to him that I thought Freaks of Nature was criminally underrated. “Thank you very much! I agree.” he responded. This may be a good time to add, this signing (as well as the exclusive poster) was absolutely free. That is something rarer to see at cons than a stick of deodorant.
The next day was Friday, which started off with a bang. Those who pre-ordered an exclusive Bloody Monkey figurine from the movie The Monkey were able to pick it up at the booth… And get it signed by the director Osgood Perkins for no extra charge. You also got to give your phone to a handler, who would take your picture with him. The line was long, but Perkins was still gracious with everyone he met. My interaction lasted, at most, 15 seconds, but the handler took photos that made us look like lifelong friends catching up. The dude should be a professional photographer, honestly.
Next up was a press junket for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which is now promoting its third season. In attendance was Dixon himself, Norman Reedus, as well as Melissa McBride (who plays my favorite character, Carol), Scott Gimple, Greg Nicotero, and David Zabel. The junket was very intimate; it was more of a conversation. I asked the panel what was something they enjoyed filming the original seasons, and what is something they enjoy filming these new seasons. Reedus gave a very detailed and thoughtful answer (for being, self-admitingly, very jet lagged). He said that these new seasons feel just like the good old days, it’s just a revolving door of characters, all with their unique thought process on the apocalypse. As a longtime fan of the show, it was beautiful seeing that the actors still are just as passionate as we are.
After the junket I had to run straight to a very special signing. Hulu was there promoting Alien: Earth, and I was lucky enough to score a ticket to the signing. Now, here is where I am a little iffy on the whole process. The signing was absolutely free, yes, but I didn’t know I would be attending it until a few days before the event. In fact, I didn’t know I was doing anything until just a few days (or, in some cases, that day) before the show. That’s where the good ol’ pros and con list comes in handy. Pro: my wallet isn’t absolutely milked. Con: You could travel all the way to this con and get none of the signings or events that you want. Luck has to be on your side for a lot of things. Thankfully, she shined her pretty smile on me that day.
Another thing I should note is I had no idea who was going to appear at this signing. Could be a few actors, could be just a showrunner. In this case, the signing was chalked full of talented individuals. The one that stole the show for me, however, was Timothy Olyphant. I am a mega fan of Scream 2, The Crazies, and Dreamcatcher, so I was over the moon at the fact that I got to meet him. The signing was run like an assembly line, where a person would sign your given poster and pass it to the next person. I told everyone I was super excited for the show and thanked them for coming. When I got to Olyphant, I said “If Scream 2 and Dreamcatcher taught me anything, it’s that you and horror mix very well.” He laughed and said “I appreciate you saying so.”
The last notable thing I partook in was the Nathan Fillion signing at the Dark Horse Comics booth on Sunday. This was just a few days after Superman came out, so this guy was like a walking God at comic con. The only way to get a ticket to this signing. I ran to the booth first thing in the morning. I had to roll a 20-sided dice. If it landed on 1-11, I got nothing. 12 and above, I got to choose which of the many signings I wanted to attend. Nathan Fillion’s queue was flooding instantly, so I got very lucky. The interaction was the shortest of all, because of the length of the line and the limited time he was there, but he was still as gracious as you would imagine.
With that, my San Diego Comic Con experience came to an end. Absolutely worth the seven hour flight. While, yes, places like New York Comic Con are more guaranteed that you will get to do everything you want, it costs more money. Right now, it looks like I will be spending around $500 at this year’s NYCC. So, with all the things I did at SDCC, how much did I spend? A whopping $60. No guarantees, but also no financial strain. That, in my book, is a happy ending.
