Comic Genius

First off, just let me say that I’ve never been to a comic convention. So if you thought that I was going to be talking about how wonderful and great it is, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I hopefully will get the opportunity to attend one in the near future, though.

San Diego Comic-Con, the grand-daddy of all comic conventions, is this weekend and I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at why these events are so important for not only comic book fans, but movie and comic fandoms in general.

One of the first things I look for when I know a convention is taking place is the transcript (or even an audio clip) of the panels that I’m interested in. Mostly, this is the DC Nation panel, but for San Diego I’m also interested in listening to the Geoff Johns special panel that will be coming up this weekend. These panels are cool because they give fans the chance to ask questions of their favorite creators in reference to the books they’re reading. Just imagine being able to ask an author about what’s going to happen next in a book you’re reading on a monthly basis. They don’t always give you a straight answer, but San Diego Comic-Con has become such a huge event that comic book companies specifically save big announcements for the last weekend in July.

Another panel I’ll be interested in is the Smallville panel scheduled for Sunday morning. The new executive producers will be in attendance, as well as cast regulars Allison Mack (Chloe)and Justin Hartley (Green Arrow/Oliver Queen), and newcomers Cassidy Freeman (Tess) and Sam Whitwer (Davis Bloome/Doomsday). Everything I’ve heard so far about the upcoming season has sounded promising, and I can’t wait to learn more about the direction the show is going in what will probably be it’s final season. Boo Hoo.

And we can’t forget about the floor of the convention. The major comic book companies aren’t the only ones represented–every company tries to put their best foot forward here. Not only can you meet authors here, but you can venture down Artist Alley and have your favorite artist draw a favorite character for you. It will cost you money, but it’s definitely worth it to be able to say that you stood and watched (insert name here) draw your Batman just the way you wanted. I would also think it to be amazing to watch these artists work, to see how they go about drawing these characters and see just how fast they can work.

I’m probably leaving tons out about everything that is offered for fans at comic conventions. I know that San Diego especially has grown so much that they offer something for just about everyone, not just someone who is interested in comic books or popular TV shows. But this is definitely enough to make me want to save up for a long weekend in sunny California in the near future.