Ramblings of a Fanboy: By the Time I Get to California…
In Ramblings of a Fanboy, regular contributors and guest writers alike take a look at modern fandom through the lens of their own behavior and obsessions. This week, Matt. Murray, SAC’s Chairman and President, talks about the amp up to next week’s San Diego Comic Con.
So, this is my first year going to San Diego Comic Con. The Big Dance. The Nexus of the Entertainment World. And yes, I must say that I’m rather excited. My bank account, however, isn’t. As of the publishing of this piece, SDCC is less than a week a way, and by the time I get there I’ll probably be broke from all of the pre-orders and advance solicitations for merchandise that I get bombarded with from various exhibitors that I’ll be seeing out there at the “Nerd Prom.”
This past weekend dropped $31.00 pre-ordering, Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans and Friends, the 40th Anniversary commemorative book that they’re hawking at the official Comic-Con International website. I figured that I was going to pick it up at the show anyway, so I might as well save myself the additional $9 (+ CA sales tax!!!) that I would have to hand over at the show itself.
Then of course there are the seemingly endless lines I’ll have to stand on to get the stuff I can’t pre-order. Anyone who read my February 9th piece about He-Man knows how excited I was to pick up the Faker figure that was exclusive to this year’s New York Comic Con — so I’m sure that you can actually feel the anticipation building over here on my side of the interweb for the release of He-Ro, a figure that never made it out of the prototype phases during the original Masters of the Universe run and is now being released as an SDCC exclusive.
He-Man nerds have been waiting for over 20 years for this little man to pull his magic sword out.
Retailer, Entertainment Earth, will be launching Bif Bang Pow!‘s new line of Twilight Zone memorabilia at the show and I’ll literally be damned if I don’t go home with the bobble head replica of the fortune telling machine from “Nick of Time” — which in my opinion is the superior Shatner episode of TZ, and yeah I’ll fight you over that.
The frickin’ thing comes with the fortune cards from the episode, how am I supposed to say no to that?
And I just got word that June Foray will be at the Van Eaton Galleries booth signing her memoirs (co-written with one of my idols, Mark Evanier), Did You Grow Up with Me, Too?, and if I dont get a chance to meet Jokey (er) herself, I just wouldn’t be a happy Smurfologist.
Yeah, she also voiced Rocky the Flying Squirrel, too. And just about every other character ever…
So, those are just three of the booths that I have to go to, some at specific times, all in completely different locations on the floor which I understand is roughly the size of San Diego itself. With all the standing in line I imagine that I’ll be doing to pick up merch, swag, and whatever little euphemism you can come up with for what it is… STUFF, I’m wondering if I’ll actually have any time to do what it is one’s supposed to do, catch panel sessions, gawk around and make a jackass of one’s self with their closest friends — or at least the biggest nerds they know. Luckily for me, those two categories happen to be one and the same.
Allan “Doc” Dorison, Cobra Commander, Matt. Murray and surprise guest the Shocker let rip with a Cobra-La battle cry ay New York Comic Con 2009!
Expect a report or twelve from me when I get back and start sorting through all of my stuff looking for new subjects for the Media Madness columns – and maybe expect a surprise guest or two to pop up if I get get to do any networking and meet & greets between my mad dashes to buy whatever books and tchotchkes I already don’t have room for on my shelves…
Like this Hellboy Mez-Itz available exclusively at the Mezco Booth! (I seriously can’t stop… Somebody help me!!!)
Matt. Murray earned his BFA in film, television and radio production from NYU. He has curated exhibits focusing on the art and commerce of Saturday Morning cartoons and the adaptation of illustrated media into live actions films and animation. Murray is the country’s leading (if not only) Smurfologist. His personal blog, It’s Time for Some Action, can be found at http://actnmatt.blogspot.com/
So jealous, I wish I can make it to comic con this year.
Also, That pic with the cobra commander for the win.
Hey, Dom! Yeah, I think you can expect hundreds of more photos up like that after next week… I know the rampant jealousy and animosity I felt when I would read other people’s reports from the Con, so I’ll try to ramp down the in-your-face I-had-a-better-time-than-you-did tone when I write about it. 😉
Keep reading, kiddo and thanks for the feedback! Talk to you soon! -M.