IT AIN'T GETTIN' ANY EASIER!!!

Man, Comic Con just keeps gettin' bigger and bigger. For the first time ever, I actually got tired of it! Still, I had a good time and made many new friends. I also got a lot of good feedback on my cartooning skills and even won my first award for cartooning (More on that next time)!

It was a busy week and I'm still recovering from everything, and sorting through my swag! So enjoy these pics while I try to make room for everything.

That's my nephew, Dante, hanging out with Lego Spongebob in the awesome Jack Skellington costume my mom made for him last Halloween.

The Mattel/WWE panel was better than I could have imagined. Bret Hart, Triple H and Rey Mysterio were all there to give sneak peaks at the newest action figures, including the Papa Shango Legends Series figure. All was going well until HE showed up...

Yep! I was right there for CM Punk's crashing of Comic Con and was standing next to him the whole time! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro wrestler. That dream obviously never came true, but being part of a wrestling angle comes pretty damn close to being the next best thing. It's definitely something I can cross off my bucket list.

It's Arthur, King of the Brittons. He was looking for a shrubbery.

Cinderella and the Ugly Step Sister. Wally Gator appears to be stunned by there presence.

Glenda the Good Witch cuttin' it up at the Walking Dead booth. Is floating around in a bubble her only real power or something? It just seems that the other Witches of Oz were capable of more.

How important is Comic Con? Why, Nickelodeon actually dusted off Pick Boy just for the occasion. What? Was Stick Stickly too busy?

Whoa! Must've forgotten a step while doing the fusion dance!

The Black and White Spies celebrate their 50th by spreading mayhem!

Fry and Bender share a tender moment.

Luchador Trekkies! Only at Comic Con.

Would ya look at that? It's John Goodman! Oh wait, it's just Bigfoot.

Speakin' of John Goodman, WIIIIIIIIILMAAAAAAAA!!!!

Ah, now here's a true legend: El Chapulin Colorado. For those of you not in the know, this was the inspiration for the "BEE Guy" on The Simpsons.

What the? Is that a (GASP) GOBBLEDY GOOKER ACTION FIGURE!!! Dear God, what's next? A Damien Demento figure!

THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

To sum it all up, Comic Con was crowded but fun. It was great to see and catch up with my old pals Eddy and Luis. I go way back with these dudes, and it seems like Comic Con's the only time of year we ever see each other anymore. I really miss the days when we used to kick it at La Bella's and Mr. V's after school. What can I say? Growing up sucks!

It was also great to see my good friends Matt Lorentz, Phil Yeh and Tyrell Lloyd again. Matt's a cool dude and an awesome artist who helped set up a phenomenal mural that appeared at the airport down here. Phil sadly suffered a stroke a couple of months ago, but seemed to be doing pretty good all things considered. He's still crusading for literacy and the arts, and seems to think that I'm going to be a big part of the future of comics. I don't really know what I'm artistically capable of just yet, but if you're reading this Phil, I'll do my damnedest to make things happen. Tyrell's a friend back from my SDSU days. He'd never been to Comic Con before, so I was able to scrap up a pass for him. Tyrell just finished his first 3D movie and is gearing up for his last year at USC. He's got a great mind for producing and directing, and I look forward to the day when I can say I knew him before he was famous.

There's much more to be said, but it's late and I got some drawing to do. I'll be back next time with some new cartoons, an expanded Mike and Mindy guest gallery as well as some special thank you's to the many artists I talked to who gave me tips and critiques on my artwork. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

COMIC CON COMING SOON!!!

Here we are! Just a week away! I originally planned to do yet another long, overblown intro on how great this year is going to be, but I've decided to just let the pictures do the talking. So once again, the Wayback's been set, and we're heading to 2010! Enjoy the pics!

Carmen San Diego! Turns out she'd been at Comic Con the whole time.

Voltron about to get some sugar!

The Mexican Avenger! Arriba!

Super Chicken Nugget Boy! The world's first processed meat super hero!

Li'l Hit Girl gets down at the HUB Pavillion.

Subzero enjoying his gift bag.

The iconic Warner Bros. Water Tower. I had to help take this thing down last year. I was going to take the logo home, but I couldn't fit the damn thing in the cab of my truck! It was made of foam core too, so I couldn't just toss it in the back either.

Ash is back! Is it me, or has there been a lot of Evil Dead cosplay in recent years?

The Fandango Bag! That thing was really hungry too!

The rock wall at the Clash of the Titans Challenge. I'm terrified of heights, so I don't know why I did this! What can I say? The pursuit of swag makes us do crazy things!

Wow! Talk about out of left field. I didn't realize anybody out there even remembered Gargoyles. Still, this isn't the most obscure costume I've ever seen at the Con. That distinct honor is a tie between the guy who dressed up as Captain EO in 2009 and the dude who went as Captain N the Game Master in 2008.

Love Boat: the Next Generation! According to this guy, I was one of only three people who got his costume. (It's based on an old Saturday Night Live skit for those of you scratching your heads)

Strong to the finish!

Pimp Mario!

A Clockwork Orange. A lot of guys came dressed like this last year.

The Rocketeer, paying tribute to the great Dave Stevens.

Don't stop 'til you get enough!

UMMMMM! BEEFY!!!!!

Gary was there, but lost his "friend of friends."

Wow, Dark Crystal cosplay! Creepy!

Well, that's all for now folks. There won't be any new post next week as I'll be busy with Comic Con. I'm really looking forward to this year's show and I hope to have many great pictures when I get back. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES...

Hey there folks! We are now less than two weeks away from Comic Con and excitement is already building as banners are popping up around Downtown San Diego. And the news just gets better as the whole "Hall A 3D Theater" rumor turned out to be just that, a rumor. This is good news as it now means that there won't be any deserving small press or indie publishers getting pushed out by more mainstream crap. The schedule for the first couple of days is now up on the Comic Con site, so I'm already making plans. I've been looking back at past program books and am really kicking myself for missing certain panels because I wanted to go to a movie preview or get an exhibit hall exclusive. I'm going to try and be a little different this year and actually go to panels that might benefit me. Will I still go to a movie preview or two? Probably, but I'm really going to limit my mainstream attention this year.

Anyway, it's time to continue my trek to the past and take a visit to Comic Con 2009. This was a very fun year that had many highlights, despite the many attempts by Twilight fans to ruin everybody's good time (It looks like there might be a repeat this year as the first big Hall H panel on Thursday will be for the new Twilight movie, so consider yourselves warned!). Still, I had a good time and want to share the photographic evidence with all of you. So hop into the Wayback Machine and get ready for the ride! 2009, here we come!

Rorschach and Riki, when legends meet!

Halo Action! Love the costume, but the bag kinda kills it.

The Flaming Carrot!

Straight outa Bluffington, it's Quailman!

Somehow, I don't think George Lucas would approve.

So that's why he's always so amped up.

He's here to change the world.

I'd hire him!

He's on a mission from God!

A view to a kill. Many jealous dudes were watching this guy work!

When franchises collide!

The Ghost with the Most, Babe!

April O'Neal gets an exclusive interview with the Ratking and the Shredder at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 25th Anniversary panel.

Make way for Dark Helmet! Amazingly enough, that's a girl under that helmet!

Silent Bob skipped the Morris Day concert just to put in a Con appearance!

Fred Flinstone was a load of laughs, at least until he twisted his ankle while doing the Bedrock Twitch!

Gotta love the homage to Jack Nicholson's Joker from the original Batman movie. To this day, seeing it in theaters is still one of my happiest memories.

He shovels well!

Barf! He's his own best friend.

Master of disguise!

Well folks, that's all for today. I'll be back next time with a look back at Comic Con 2010. In the meantime, try to settle down and prepare for the Con at hand. After all, you don't want to walk into this thing unprepared! Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!