Archive for July, 2008

Saturday’s AOTS panel was well-produced, with just the right amount of fanboy mania and botched bits to make it seem authentic. Cobra Commander overshadowed both Kevin and Olivia, and Blair Butler held her own despite the heavy emphasis on the raunch and sturm that is AOTS.

But the main attraction of Day Three was the calmer crowd vibe, somehow smaller and more focused on comics than the usual publicity fest of loosely-related media. There is something special about an event built by people who have felt like outcasts most their lives. It creates a feeling of acceptance and curiosity that extends from the smallest press to the heavyweights. My only other industry comparison is the BEA, which doesn’t count because I was working the BEA and couldn’t fade into the crowd as a fan. But the Comic-Con rocked, and I can’t wait to return.

As for my interview with Kevin and Olivia, it ended where it began: with a shrug. After watching their panel, I left the room. No more jockeying for position with their publicist. I have never felt entirely comfortable with being a journalist–it’s the interview part that annoys me, unless I feel the interviewee has something good to say (like Bella Stander, for example). Kevin and Olivia spoke enough during their panel. How many blowjob jokes and memes do I need to listen to?

The late-night showing of Simon Pegg’s Spaced was terrific. Think of it as the proto-Shaun of the Dead.

A few side-notes to wrap up this woefully-abridged recounting of the 2008 Comic-Con:

1. If your budget allows, stay at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla. Excellent hotel, even better location. La Jolla is a twelve minute drive from the Con, and provides the perfect small-town antidote when the Con crowds become too much.

2. Eat at Trattoria Acqua in La Jolla. I’m skeptical of most restaurants with ocean views–the location translates to subpar cuisine because they can get away with it. Not so with Acqua.

3. Dark Horse has the best display, and the best lineup.

4. Support small presses. Your favorites once were small, and became big because of fan support.

In unrelated news, the NYT has a good article on trolls. I expected the worst, what with the first page academic breakdown of “lulz,” that had the same tone as those public service movies from the 50’s, on the dangers of “marijuana cigarettes.” But the article righted itself.

The 6-month challenge begins: First draft finished by winter ‘08/’09. Entries will be sporadic, and email response will be delayed. Slightly.

In a word: Terrific. In more than one word: An inspiring collection of talent, ambition, and work ethic. And that’s just the Small Press section. I spent most of my time browsing the Small Press aisles, looking for the next under-the-radar hit. I also bought more art than I expected. In a few days I’ll collect the names of the artists I liked and post them. I also stumbled across Cyborg Mouse, which is as quirky and entertaining as it sounds.

Saw a guy standing a block from the convention center with a petition in support of vampires. My highly-sensitive viral marketing radar suspected HBO’s new series, but I was mistaken. It was just a guy with a petition in support of vampires. That, my beloved readers, is the perfect example of why I like this event.

Tomorrow is the AOTS interview. G4 already seems to be the buzz leader in that overstuffed convention center, with Pikachu running a close second. Now, I’m off to Google Cyborg Mouse….

Two quick bits of news today: My travel essay The Not-So-Lonesome Highway is available on Eclectica, and next week I’ll be posting an informal interview with media icons Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn. Part of my Comic-Con schedule is a behind-the-scenes look at G4’s Attack of the Show (courtesy of their helpful publicist), and we’ve arranged the briefest of sit-downs with the show’s hosts.

I’ll be on the road from the 23rd – 28th so posting will be sporadic. But I’ll do my best to give some Comic-Con news, and if you have any requests–panels that look interesting, artist exhibitions, etc.–send them my way.

This is turning out to be the summer of badminton. I’m ridiculously competitive when it comes to badminton, which doesn’t result in any sort of ego gratification. As my friend and sometimes-business mentor Harvey Bravman says: “You can’t really say you kicked the shit out of someone on the badminton court.”

It hasn’t all been lawn sports, of course. I’m working on a writing column and my forever-bounced around essay The Not-So-Lonesome Highway has finally found a home. The online journal Eclectica picked it up, and I’m pleased. Eclectica has been around since 1996, which is a millenium in interweb years. They put out a quality journal with little fanfare, and that achievement alone deserves your business. So check them out, whether you want to read my essay or not.

What else…some viewer mail:

Hello Micah:

I was confused when I read your Italian interview and you mentioned your next book is a blend of giallo, spaghetti western, and samurai. First of all, this seems like a complete departure from Gods. Second, what the hell are you doing writing giallo?

-F.M.

That interview suffers from some translation problems. First, I didn’t say Jack the Bastard is giallo. I said JTB contains some giallo elements, which, looking back, was a naive description. Fun, but naive.

The spaghetti western/samurai bit was all true, and you’re right. It is a complete departure from my first novel. Changing genres is something I’ve struggled with for years–as long as we writers hide behind the label of “literary” we should be free to introduce whatever genre elements we like. Should is the key word. It doesn’t always work that way, and the challenge of the writer is removing as many should’s as possible. Expectations do funny things to writers, least of all fomenting bitterness.