Greetings — Quickbeam here.
I’m currently sitting at the IGN booth in the San Diego Convention Center Exhibit Hall. It is an unbelievable cavernous space with thousands of people milling about in all directions. The atmosphere is at once casual and yet also energetic. Bright kiosks are littered across the Hall featuring the best new stuff from DC Comics, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and Wizards of the Coast.
I’ve been turned around so many times in this huge building that I’ve been hopelessly straining at the map every two steps I take. Many strange faces and bizarre costumes shine bright under the flourescent lighting. There’s nothing worse for Darth Maul’s complexion than that, believe me! Ironically, I have been reunited with some wonderful old friends from way back in my Chicago days, namely Brian Azzarello (who writes the award-winning “100 Bullets” for DC Vertigo). He is nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series… later this evening the awards will be announced in the Main Ballroom upstairs (good luck, Brian!).
All in all this place has a very positive vibe and is more fun than I expected. I’m afraid I won’t have any photographs from my digital camera until after I get back to Los Angeles on Sunday night.
I spent an hour at a special panel held by Harry Knowles of Ain’t-It-Cool-News where they discussed the perils and pitfalls of adapting popular comic book characters to the silver screen. It was very amusing and informative listening to Paul Dini (of “Batman the Animated Series” fame) and Harry yak it up about their dream comics-to-movies projects.
But the real anticipation bearing on everyone’s minds is the unspooling of the new LOTR footage. Tomorrow afternoon the largest room, which holds upwards of 6,000 people, will be standing room only as New Line Cinema shows the 6+ minutes of Peter Jackson’s work-in-progress. I will be there with bells on!
Look for more details here at TheOneRing.netª as I get them! Of course, I have to fight my way out of what will surely be a MOB SCENE and find a free computer, but when I do I will tell you all what my wondering eyes have beheld.
Much too hasty,
Quickbeam
