I've been sleeping in an odd pattern this con: Sleep for an hour or two, wake up and write for an hour, sleep for an hour or two, wake up and write for an hour, etc. I think I'm getting the proper number of cumulative hours. Then again, I did briefly nod off for a minute or so during a panel the other day. Fortunately, I was not its moderator but still.
My hotel room has a great view of the convention center and throughout this weekend, I've looked out at it at all hours of the night. Even at 3-friggin'-A.M., there are small groups of people walking by, reminding one that it isn't all about the dealing and the paneling. It's also about the partying and the socializing. A lot of folks have a very good time at this convention simply because they're all in one place.
Yesterday was amazing. I had to be up, cleansed and clothed for a 9 AM breakfast and I had one business-type meeting before sprinting upstairs to host the annual Quick Draw! competition. I'll tell you about it and some other things with the visual aid of my pal Bruce…
Those were the cartoonists. Left to right, we have Lalo Alcaraz, Sergio Aragonés and Scott Shaw! Their Sharpies were sharp and so were their minds as the audience and I threw challenges at them and they swatted 'em back with very funny drawings. Voice actors Fred Tatasciore and John Mariano played our Secret Words game and I introduced Joye Murchison Kelly to the crowd. Joye was the uncredited writer of many of the best Wonder Woman stories of the forties and as such, was the recipient of a Bill Finger Award on Friday night. A couple thousand Quick Draw! attendees gave her a long, living standing "o" and she certainly deserved it.
On the stage for our Cartoon Voices I panel were these folks, left to right: m.e., Julie Nathanson, Kari Wahlgren, John Mariano, Roger L. Jackson, Gregg Berger, Matthew Mercer and J.P. Karliak. Leaving your loving moderator aside, you have here some of the workingest voice actors in the business today. Don't believe me? Check out their IMDB listings — and remember that doesn't include things like commercials and promos and dubbing and many videogames. Very funny panel…one of the best "readings" we've ever had.
I did a panel for one of my new employers, Blizzard Entertainment, where they gave away free copies of the first comic book I've written for them. With my customary ineptness at self-promotion, I don't believe I've mentioned this gig on this blog. I'll post about it soon along with a photo of this panel once I get one. (Forgive any typos, people. I'm typing as fast as I can to finish this before I have to vacate this room and dash for a Kirby panel…)
The highlight of the con for me — and I daresay for many people — was when the splendid cartoonist-historian Trina Robbins and I got to interview Joye Murchison Kelly. As you can see below, the room was packed with people who understand that Comic-Con is still a lot about comic books. Ms. Kelly delighted the crowd with stories of her days ghosting for Dr. William Marston — or "Doc," as she called him. I would tell you more about it but Sunday Programming awaits and those panels won't host themselves.
Thanks to all of you who's stopped me to say you enjoy this blog. Hope to see more of you today as I post this without proofreading and haul my luggage outta here.
