So. 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

[clevermanka]

First off, this trip wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of Tessa Gratton, who first brought up the idea of this trip by saying "Hey, Random House is putting me on a panel at Comic-Con, so I have a hotel room if you wanna go," and the enthusiasm of otterdancing, who basically kept me engaged and moving for 90% of the trip. Thanks also to my wonderful friends Paul and Amy, who put us up the nights we didn't have a hotel room and then hung out with me on Saturday when I didn't have a con badge. Thank you so much. You all are amazing friends.

Otterdancing and I got into San Diego late afternoon on Wednesday the 23rd. Because Paul is a pretty big nerd living in San Diego, he'd been to Comic-Con a few times and agreed that if we could pick up our badges on Wednesday, we should. So Amy (bless her) drove us to the hotel where these were being distributed, dropped us off right outside and picked us up in basically the same place. It was like having a valet service for our badge pick-up. MAGICAL. I was incredibly impressed with the efficiency of Comic-Con and Comic-Con volunteers. They've got this logistics stuff down to an art by now. Kansas City Comic-Con could benefit by taking some lessons.

Thursday morning, Amy dropped us off at the convention center on her way to work (I have such good friends, y'all) and otterdancing wanted to check out the Hall H line. The first Hall H panel of Thursday morning was the Dreamworks panel with Benedict Cumberbatch and otterdancing is something of a BC fan. We found the big Hall H Line Starts Here sign but there was nobody there. We walked a little further and found two women handing out Hall H wristbands. They confirmed that not many people were in line yet, and they'd only given out about 2,000 wristbands so far. Hall H holds ~6,500 people. WE WERE IN! We just had to wait two hours. So we did.

And that's the story of how I wound up doing what I swore I wouldn't--wait in line for Hall H. But it was so easy! Otterdancing is a magical fucking creature, though. She is my opposite. Woman has amazing luck with stuff like this. So we got in the hall and were seated close enough to the stage that I couldn't have thrown something and hit it, but close enough to see facial expressions without looking at the big screens. Nice! As for the panel itself, it was fun and entertaining, but if you want a blow-by-blow, that's what YouTube is for.

I left otterdancing to check out a teaching panel for mckitterick. "Comics Arts Conference Session #4: Teaching Critical Comics in an Era of Standardization and the Common Core: The Pragmatics of a Transformative Pedagogy." It was an interesting panel and the two men leading it were engaging, but alas, it didn't actually "provide educators with specific planning and facilitation strategies for using graphic novels and comics in the classroom to enhance student participation, academic discourse, and achievement" as advertised. It was nice to hear their own experiences about using comic books in student independent reading sessions but there wasn't a lot of pedagogy discussed, much less information that transferred to a college level.

After the panel, I hit the dealer's room/exhibit hall. It was overwhelming--and this was just Thursday. Over the three days I was there I walked the entire thing, down every single aisle at least once, and recorded it on the GoPro. I'm not sure when I'll have that footage available. I need to find stop-motion software. But...it's huge. Really huge. And honestly not nearly as loud as I'd feared. The carpeting helped. A LOT. Both with noise and body exhaustion.

The other small Thursday panel I attended was a first at Comic-Con. Breaking Barriers: Transgender Trends in Popular Culture. It was mostly fantastic. One of the panelists, Michelle Nolan, was simply not educated enough to be a panelist on the topic. She might be a "famed comics historian," but her knowledge of trans issues (ideas, language, respect for the experiences of others) was not so much minimal as it was non-existent. I am not known for my ability to remain neutral when someone is being offensive and at one point I had to put my head in my hands and murmur "Stop talking stop talking stop talking just please please stop talking" over her voice in my ears. I might have been seated on the front row for this. *cough* To compound the problem, the moderator for the panel was not, I think, much practiced in the art of diplomatically shutting people down and let her ramble on, repetitively and too much, for too long. Most of the members of the panel, though, were brilliant. In case anyone has interest in checking out their work, I'll put some links here: Dylan Edwards (Transposes), Melanie Gillman (As the Crow Flies), J. D. Saxon (Mahou Shounen Fight!), Elizabeth Lain (F*** the Limits!: The 30-Day Art Project, This Is Where). They were so so so amazing and if you google the title of the panel you'll get a ton of hits for people writing up the panel better than I can.

I'm going to break up the linear format of this write-up briefly to recount an exchange I had with the other non-comics-publishing member of the panel, Ashley Love, on whom I might have developed the teensiest crush the moment she sat down at the panel table. She was obviously full of admiration and respect for her fellow panelists. Her facial expressions and body language were just--ah! Perfectly welcoming and happy to share space with them. It reminded me a lot of my first impression of Laverne Cox when I saw her earlier this year. Just...warm. A beautifully warm person with a steel core that takes no shit. I find it amazing that two of the most compassionate activists I've met lately are also two of the least privileged in regards to the pecking order of white men on down. I have so much respect for people who have struggled against so much without becoming bitter. Anyway, on Friday I saw Ashley as I was waiting in a hallway for otterdancing to get out of a panel. I intended to stop her just briefly to tell her how much I enjoyed Thursday's panel, but we wound up having a wonderful fifteen-minute conversation. One of the best things I took away from it was her stance on not using the term "cis." I asked her what she used instead and she said "Non Trans. Why do you need a special term? It's just another way to other us." Wow! How obvious is that? It was a brief, embarrassing moment of being called out on my privilege, but what a great thing to be gently and gracefully schooled by such an intelligent woman.

Attendance at my last panel of the day was unintended. I was tired of walking around the dealer's room when otterdancing texted to let me know she was in the Penny Dreadful panel in Ballroom 20 (the other giant hall at the convention center) and there were seats at the back if I wanted to get in. So I got to take away spoilers for the remaining episodes I hadn't yet seen (mckitterick, stop asking me random questions I DO NOT WANT TO SPOIL YOU), and a little pouch of some cool show-themed Tarot cards. I was glad that the shit with Aisha Tyler hadn't gone down yet, so I didn't spend the entire panel wanting to throw things at her. Everyone who was on the panel seems to enjoy being on the show, and my only negative comment would be to showrunner and creator John Logan. Mr. Logan, may I say that you, being a gay man, might consider paying more attention to what women tell you about your representation of female sexuality. If more than one person in the Q&A line brings this up, it might just be an issue that you want to consider more deeply than "well that's not what I intended."

And that was Thursday. To be honest, I don't remember a lot of Thursday evening. We went back to Paul and Amy's...I think we had dinner? Pretty sure they fed us dinner. Maybe? I know I showered and was asleep by 11pm.

Friday was a little more leisurely. Neither of us had things on our schedules that started before 11, so we just sorta moseyed around. We moseyed around to the tune of stopping by a Trader Joe's to get an early lunch while Amy had a short conference call before she dropped us off at the convention center. Otterdancing's goals for the day didn't match up in any way with mine, so we agreed to just text when we'd wrapped up our business. This was a terrible idea. But oh well. I learned better, and quickly, so...

The panel I went to was called "Game Your Brain to Superhero Status" and had the following blurb: National Geographic Channel's Eric LeClerc (illusionist, Brain Games), David Rees (Going Deep with David Rees), Tony Gonzalez (The NFL Today analyst, You Can't Lick Your Elbow), and Dr. Armand Dorian (ER physician, You Can't Lick Your Elbow) join together for a series of interactive experiments that will mess with your mind and show you that what may seem superhuman is actually within your reach. Moderated by Kal Penn. Fantastic, right? WRONG. It turned out to be an hour-long ad for some National Geographic television shows with very few "interactive experiments," only two of which were applicable to individual practice and those were delivered in the last five minutes. Eric LeClerc was funny and fascinating, but provided exactly zero information on how to do "superhuman" things. David Rees wasted a good fifteen minutes showing people how to fold a paper airplane--information that can be found with a five-second search on YouTube if you're actually interested. Hardly superhuman or interactive. By the time he was done with this agonizingly boring and pointless demonstration, Tony Gonzalez and Armand Dorian had less than ten minutes to talk about their stuff--how to hold your breath longer and how to keep a straight arm under pressure--things that actually pertained to the supposed subject of the panel. Very disappointing. The best things I took away from the panel were the little book (a very nice little book) of brain teasers and the realization that I should have just stuck with otterdancing.

I wanted to go to Fiona Staples's panel, but the line for her room was huge and I was feeling discouraged. I went up to wait for otterdancing to get out of her Marvel TV panel and that's when I ran into Ashley Love. See? Once I returned to otterdancing, things started to go well again. Lesson. Fucking. Learned.

There were two evening panels I wanted to attend, but they overlapped: at 7pm, Queer Horror, and at 7:30, Creativity Is Magic: Fandom, Transmedia, and Transformative Works. At this point, though, I was feeling a bit gun-shy and stuck with otterdancing. And otterdancing wanted to get into the Outlander premiere. So we left the convention center, managed to find a restaurant serving food I could eat (otterdancing = magical for real), and then got in line outside the theater. I think we waited for two and a half hours? And we were in the last five people to make it into the theater. THIS WOMAN I AM TELLING YOU. The show was quite good. Not my thing (historical fiction/romance), but very well-produced and pretty to watch. Also, there were many, many young men in kilts marching around the building at regular intervals to boost line morale. There was also free pizza and water. Starz is fucking hip to fan service, I tell you what.

The show got started late, of course, and then there was a Q&A, and then we had to go back to the convention center to get our luggage (which we'd dropped off that morning--bag check at convention center BRILLIANT), and then we hauled our sweaty and exhausted selves the half-mile or so to hotel room where we met up with Tess and Brenna and drank a little bit of wine before passing out.

I spent Saturday hanging with Paul and Amy, very glad to not be at the con on behalf of my back and hip joints. My hips were so very, very done with it all--to the point where I hardly noticed my back hurting anymore. We went to a wine tasting at the local winery where the Tobias buy their wine, and then I took a nap, and then we hung out some more and then we had dinner and then they took me back to the hotel where there was more wine, and Tess, and (finally!) Natalie.

Not gonna lie to you, I was ready to go anywhere but Comic-Con on Sunday. But Tess and Natalie were on the "What's Hot in Young Adult Fiction" panel which was standing room only (we did not stand). I did NOT throw things at a panelist who sorely deserved things thrown at her but I did, once, yell "SHUT UP" at her when she called for audience adoration because of her self-proclaimed low self-esteem. No I am not shitting you and I deserve a gold star for not doing more because this woman was an offense. Hogged the mike, interrupted other panelists, and ignored the moderator. There is a time and place to have fun being a prima donna (believe me, I know), but a large, well-attended panel with numerous other panelists is not that place, ma'am. SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE.

Tess and Natalie had a signing right after the panel, so otterdancing and I wandered around the dealer's area where I finally broke down and purchased my one take-home from SDCC--a limited edition print from Clive Barker. Then I went to stand in line at the convention center's FedEx shipping both because I was not carrying that bad boy around for hours, much less on the plane ride home.

I kinda wanted to see the Comic-Con Masquerade Replay and a 4pm panel, "The Battle for Multicultural Heroes," but not enough to risk losing otterdancing's company/mojo. We hung out until Tess and Natalie were done with their signing and then headed to get something to eat at restaurant where I didn't order anything but it was all okay because the entire waitstaff of the restaurant was beautiful enough to be on a WB show. Just...wow. So much pretty at that restaurant.

And then we all trooped back to the hotel, drank some more, sat in the hot tub for a while, and that was it. The con was over and I was done. Monday was lost in a blur of seemingly unending travel (both our flights were delayed) and a constant press of humanity that was made more unpleasant by the lack of shared convention camaraderie.

mckitterick asked me if I had fun and honestly I cannot answer yes to that question. Was it amazing? Yes. Am I grateful to have had the experience? Yes. Do I need to do it again? No. In fact, the only way I'll do it again is if one very specific friend of ours wants to go next year. Because as a badge-holder for 2014, I get to line up early for badges for 2015 and there's a better chance of getting Saturday badges and seeing the Saturday costumes. If he doesn't want to go, though, no way. I had my Comic-Con experience. It was incredible. It was worth every penny I spent and every moment of physical discomfort I endured. I don't need a repeat, though. Not even if Tom Hiddleston is there.

BTW, here is a rather more introspective and analytical piece on the Hall H experience by a stalwart soul who actually camped in line for the Hall H Marvel panel.

Today's Tumblr collection is, obviously, Tuesday, August 5: My SDCC Experience.

Comments

[gansje.livejournal.com]

It's wonderful that you got so much out of it! I know what you mean about something so edifying not being fun, though. I'm just glad you're home in one piece, and that you had a hot tub at your disposal while you were there.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It wasn't a very HOT hot tub, but it did allow me to relax my joints a bit before the l-o-n-g trip home!

[drinkingcocoa.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I so feel you on the clutching your head and mumbling "stop talking stop talking" while in the front row. (I may have done something similar while actually *on* a panel once...) I love your description of the men in kilts passing out pizza and water. If I ever go to SDCC, which I have no desire to do, I think what I would want most is to provide food and entertainment and comfort for line parties.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Setting up a fund for Food and Coffee volunteers at SDCC would be a fantastic thing to do with some of my spare change when I win the lottery.

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

Didn't have a chance to read it all yet (because it looks like tons of stories) but the pictures were fantastic. So glad you and otterdancing had the mojo to get into so many fun places because that really, really was a lot of people.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

So. Many. People.

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

I squeed at your Christopher Carrion print- every year I am tempted by the booth that sells prints AND Barker's original art from the Abarat books, but it's just too far out of my price range. But oh is it beautiful and wonderful!

I noticed the lack of line for Hall H on Thursday morning (I guess because you had to have a badge to get a bracelet and most people were getting their badges Thursday morning?), and felt a twinge of sad that I had to work that morning. But my out-of-town guests both got in and you got in so I definitely got enough secondhand squee to be delighted :D

I had one panel that made me groan, too (a bunch of comics/tv/fiction writers self-congratulating for writing good female characters and nearly declaring the problem of unequal representation solved until one of the MLP:FIM writers came in late and bringing down the smack- I could have kissed her).

But yeah, the insight into how the media we consume is made is remarkable, and while it's fun to see what the makers have to say about it, it is utterly exhausting to be wrangled from POV to POV, not even taking into account physical exhaustion.

I loved that perspective piece about Chris Evans- that and similar thought pieces (and some RPF) really make me aware of the toll that fame takes, even when you're doing your dream job. Makes me want to sing the finale of Into the Woods... :D

I'm really glad you went to all sorts of programs so you could see the difference between a Hall H/Ballroom 20 audience and the people who showed up for Transgender Trends. And it's funny- every year I go to Comic Con, I wonder if it's my last year. But life keeps presenting me opportunities to go, and every time I go, I discover a new dream I didn't know I had. It's fun to live in all sorts of fantasies for four days. And who knows? Maybe one of these days I'll be on a panel talking about how going to conventions like this really spurred me to finish my damn novel already and contact that person I met about that panel we saw together... :D

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm happy your guests got in Thursday's Hall H event(s), too!

Going to lots of different types of events was important to me since I was pretty sure that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I did my best to experience as much as I could without killing myself.

How fantastic that you get to experience different aspects of it every time you get the chance to attend!

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

So many industry professionals go because the networking opportunities are unparalleled. F'rinstance, Nickelodeon announced that anybody could go to their booth and pitch them an idea for a show during the convention. ANYBODY! And the professional panels so frequently end up with a questioner being asked for their card by a member of the panel. It's more than being able to ask Benedict Cumberbatch his shoe size, it's potentially life-changing.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I loved that they had a portfolio review area. What a fantastic thing to offer!

Edit: could use FANTASTIC more? I am unsure! FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC

[wasabi-poptart.livejournal.com]

Great summary! If felt like I was there :-)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had the experience and I'm glad it was worth it in the end, but after reading this and the piece that you linked about Hall H, I'm not sure I'll ever go to SDCC even if I had free tickets and a free place to crash. I'm kind of depressed after reading that Hall H Marvel experience, to be honest.

I did really enjoy your Tumblr collection though!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, keep in mind that's her interpretation of things. I've read some things about Chris Evans where he talks about his social anxiety issues but he's still in the business! I don't think anybody really knows how he's feeling except him. I'm sure actors have days when they're up to dealing with press stuff more than other days. And obviously some actors (RDJ, I am looking at you) relish this sort of thing.

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a good point. It was the tone of the piece as well. Had it been a yay they're happy sort of thing, I would've felt differently after reading it, I'm sure.

[tessa gratton (from livejournal.com)]

I've been to SDCC* twice now and had wildly different experiences. The first time I was blown away by surprise excitement and fun, but the second time I was just exhausted and couldn't pull out of it, so everything was vaguely depressing. It is such an experience, though, if you've ever wanted to go and did get free tix and free crash space GOOOO.

The Hall H piece I think was barely about SDCC itself, and more about a certain side of the culture. (Also, as always, WHAT LYDIA SAID BELOW.)

*both times basically for free bc of my publisher

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

I only know one person IRL that's been to SDCC. I think the thing that I'm learning is that everyone who goes has a different experience in one way or another.

[splix.livejournal.com]

This was a fantastic writeup! It convinced me even more that I'll never be going to SDCC, but it's cool to get a vicarious look at it. Thank you.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I am exhausted and exhilarated, just reading about it. Glad you got a full-tilt kind of experience with some respite built in. "Go to a Con" is one of those things on my list of things to do at least once...your description reads like something of an introvert's survival guide. :)

One of the college-age daughters is doing a panel on gender at Motaku (?) this weekend. I'm very worried about her.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, SDCC is kind of The Mothership for this sort of con. I've been to a few local cons (ConQuesT, Crypticon, and KC Planet Comic-Con) and even the KC Comic-Con was nothing like this. I think she'll be fine. From what I've heard, the local anime cons are pretty friendly and encourage a more familial vibe.

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

I'm with all of the others who love your write-up and are glad we didn't have to suffer through it to hear all about it. ;) I'd love to go just for the people-watching, though I imagine that'd be a ridiculous expense if that's all I was going to do. But still! To be a fly on the wall for free? I'd be all over that. ;)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It makes me happy to hear that people are enjoying the write-up. Hurray for loyal and supportive readers!

...

[tessa gratton (from livejournal.com)]

This sounds like a nightmare to me.

OH WAIT I WAS THERE. :D

I am now reading all your links, except the SDCC diary which I read yesterday and wanted to hug.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Best part of the weekend?

[sherwood21.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it was amazing and you got to have the experience. But yeah, I can completely understand once being enough.

I hope you're starting to feel a little better. *hugs*

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Once I stop itching and bleeding, I'm sure my attitude will improve. =D

[sherwood21.livejournal.com]

Y'know, itching OR bleeding is annoying and uncomfortable enough on its own. Both at the same time is kinda like the universe laughing at you and kicking sand in your face. I so hope you get some relief soon.

[grnvixen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the report! Sounds kind of like Mardi Gras, fun to do at least once :). My legs were aching in sympathy. Really appreciate all the pics. Costuming would be the big reason I would ever try to attend this, need bionic feet first!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I feel like my lack of badge for Saturday meant I missed out on a lot of good costumes. Not that I didn't see a lot of great costumes, but I think most people save their best of the best for Saturday and the Masquerade.

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

The pictures over on Tumblr were AWESOME. I have no desire to ever, ever go to SDCC (I mean, obviously, I can barely go to a 100 person due South convention with three of my best friends holding my hand) but I am really glad you got to go and experience it and found it worthwhile, even if it wasn't "fun."

I wanna know where Otterdancing gets her mojo, she is seriously magical. I don't even know her, and I'm impressed.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was amazing. But if I hadn't had the opportunity to go to it, I'd have been joining you at RCW 139!

I think otterdancing's mojo mostly comes from her being one of the most (possibly the most) full of love/joy/passion people I've ever known. I am so incredibly lucky to have her for a friend.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.. that was like taking a long slow sip of whiskey: tart on the lips, burning through the mouth, and slowly spreading warmth from the inside out.

Attending it was probably more like the aftermath of the empty Jameson's bottle above. Aching, soreness and a sense of what all really happened being missing in bits and pieces.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA HA HA!!!! On the nose, bb. On the nose.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Barker print is super-rad. Where are you going to hang it? If you've got a dedicated bar, I think near the drink mixer or juicer would be a great choice. ;-)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ha! It's going upstairs next to a piece of fiber art that I bought because it reminded me of the bad guy in one of mckitterick's novels.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. It made me realize that though going sounds amazing that (for me) it wouldn't be worth hauling myself across the country (and all the money) to deal with the crowds, and maybe or maybe not getting to do/see/hear what I want. But I'm glad to hear about your experience, the perspective is valuable.

A new event in D.C. is AwesomeCon. A female friend of mine went last year (she has a degree is neurophysics I think), and attended a panel about women and gaming. One of the panelist's first sentence was about how the physical structure of men and women's brains is inherently different, to which my friend actually said out loud, "No!" We're trying to get her to pitch or get on a panel for the next one.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! I just posted this (http://clevermanka.tumblr.com/post/94280242296/the-bottom-line-is-that-saying-there-are) on my tumblr! Check it out.

Glad I could help you make an informed decision about an event!

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

I saw and immediately posted it to FB for her! She responded with with link:

"Playing an Action Video Game Reduces Gender Differences in Spatial Cognition"

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/18/10/850.short

and said, "But yes, the general rule is that the differences are based on experiences, much like those that may be reinforced socially, rather than simple biology."

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Also, found your recap of your conversation with Ashley Love interesting and giving me something to think about. I haven't easily picked up using the term cis, but it's new to me. I try to make sure to use it within what seems to be a relevant conversation. But then I wonder if using it all the time can (trying to find the right word here) bring attention to something that doesn't always need to have attention turned on it? Say, if I was a speaker on the panel you were at it would made sense to be introduced as a cisgendered woman because of the topic, so people would know where my perspective and experience are coming from. On the other hand, putting that on, say, my personal bio on a work website is irrelevant because why would anyone need to do that unless it's relevant to the work being done?

I may not be explaining this very well, but thanks for the food for throught!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome!