Tour de Comic Con 2008: Preview Night

After landing in in San Diego, parakkum, litlestar and I headed first to grab a bite to eat before heading for the pre-registration lines. As pros this year, badge pickup was quick, and a ticket for entry was secured for kwc, who will be joining us on Friday. The crowds are massive this year, and preview night seems even more disgustingly packed than the previous years. With the entire con sold out even before preview night, hope springs eternal that Thursday will be better.

A couple of stories; while most of the time I have been impressed by the professionalism shown by the comic con staffers and the hired security, this year's security seems somewhat more militant and rude; perhaps that is just one of the costs that comes with growing the convention to be so massive. littlestar picked up an early injury after clocked in the ear by a wayward elbow going for a Warner Brothers Bag, and we exited early to beat the exhibit hall. Wizards of the Coast appears to be a no-show this year, but the contents of the goodie bag include a booster of Maple Story and 30-card deck of Magic: The Gathering cards.

It really feels to me as if the indie comics have been pushed out by the mainstream publishers at the comic con, while the indies are still there, they are not as prominent as they were in years before, but at the same time, the Artist's Alley area is nowhere as empty as in years previous.