JUNE IS DONE!!! BUT THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 ISN'T!!!

We've come to it at last...  The end of June!  But never fear!  That just means Comic Con is THAT much closer to happening!  I know we're all excited, so we may as well jump right to it!  Unless you enjoy this rambling?  No?  Then lets do this!

The year is 2014!  I'm formally in my 30's now but still feeling young as I make my way through the exhibit hall!  Strap in CRAZIES because once again, the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 is on!  Enjoy...

One of the more fun booths at the con that year was the isolation booth for the then-new Alien game.  You sat in the giant egg and played the game while cameras filmed the various jump-scares, broadcasting them live to a screen outside for people to laugh at.  In my case, the laughing occurred at my inability to play the game properly, missing ALL the jump-scares in the process.  It wasn't the first time I suffered at the hands of a video game for swag, and it won't be the last!

The Pixels offsite was hidden within the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel and was only open to badge holders.  It was a fun little retro arcade setup with great swag!  And for those that feel they missed out, the movie totally sucked, so there's that silver lining at least! 

No visit to SDCC between 2011 and 2015 wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Xbox Lounge.  This particular year, they had an odd rule that let kids into the lounge, but wouldn't allow anyone younger than 16 play games, despite having several titles that were clearly geared at a younger set!  Even the best screw up from time to time. 

Smaug kept guard over the Weta Booth.  Luckily, dragons are very heavy sleepers! 

Doctor Who cosplay has really tapered off in recent years.  Hard to say why, but for a few years, it reigned supreme over cons in Southern California. 

One of the least crowded areas of the convention center during Comic Con is Hall A, informally called Gamers Row.  The crowds are certainly there, but seemingly controlled better.  Now if only Hall H, Ballroom 20, Hasbro and Mattel could take a cue from the gaming companies!

One of the greatest heroes to many a child that grew up in San Diego and Tijuana: El Chapulin Colorado!  Gracias Chespirito! 

Batman always has time for a selfie! 

Always stoked to see some Captain Eo cosplay, but just once, I'd like to see someone dress up as the Geex, Hooter or Major Domo!  The Supreme Leader would also be a killer costume to do! 

The Disney Infinity Lounge was another hidden offsite only this one was exclusive to D23 Members. My nephew Dante really loved that game so I took him to play for a little bit.  Not really sure why Disney discontinued the game.  By all accounts it was popular, but Skylanders had a pretty large share of the interactive toy/game market already and with Nintendo and Lego honing in too, I guess Disney felt they should put their focus elsewhere.  At least they left some pretty cool toys in its wake.

He's a mad man people.  A VERY mad man! 

Col. Sanders, Dark Helmet and Barf!  There will never be a time where Spaceballs isn't cool! 

The Headless Horsemen brought a lot of people in to check out the Sleepy Hollow walkthrough at the Petco Park Interactive Zone!  I know this was for a show on Fox, but I honestly don't even know if it still comes on!  Cool offsite though!

I know you're tired Simon, but relax!  The post is over now!

And that was SDCC 2014!  A bit of a mixed bag.  The show itself was pretty cool but my professional life wasn't so hot at the time.  But I still enjoyed myself and got lots of cool pics to show off for years to come!  Well, three years anyway!

And that's a wrap on June!  We'll be back next time with some more Comic Con Fun in the Sun and maybe even some 4th of July fun, so stay "Tooned!"  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 REACHES 2013!!!

Alright!  We are halfway through June and roughly a month away from the glory that is San Diego Comic Con!  Excitement is hitting an all-time high here, so perhaps we should just dive right into the past?

The year is 2013.  Marvel has taken over the box office and five days of geeky bliss has descended upon the city of San Diego.  Hold on to your Code Red Mountain Dews CRAZIES.  The CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 is a go again!  Enjoy...

Finn!  Princess Bubblegum has told you MANY times!  You're just too young for her! 

The Yip Yaps continue to be a cosplay presence at SDCC! 

This was a pretty monumental moment for me.  It's not everyday you meet a character from the lone Gameboy game that you owned! 

Aw, the Gamespot Lounge that CNET hosted for a couple of years.  It only ran in 2012 and 2013, but it was a fun spot.  Most of us couldn't normally afford to eat at Lou & Micky's, so to be able to hang out in there and get drinks and appetizers for free was pretty sweet!  It was only open to badge holders, which helped with crowds, and they gave out some pretty cool swag!  My only guess as to why it doesn't run anymore is because the restaurant was probably not getting paid enough by CNET to justify closing for three days.

Damn!  The city's really getting chill on these support animals! 

I got this present for Jabba the Hutt for his big birthday part at Space Chuck E. Cheese!  It's a life-size chocolate man!  And when Jabba pushes a button,  it goes right in his mouth!  He's gonna eat it all by himself and not share with anybody! 

Onward and outward to the Nintendo Lounge! 

This was the first year the Xbox Lounge was held at the Hyatt Hotel.  It had previously been at the Hard Rock Hotel and had been open to all until a few bad eggs came in and caused trouble.  It doesn't take much to ruin it for all.  Still, the Xbox Lounge was loads of fun.  I really hope they'll return someday.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!  Seriously Gandolf, wait for the tossing symbol to flash! 

The Petco Park Interactive Zone.  A haven for all whether they have badges or not.  Most of the time, some of SDCC's most best things are happening there!

One of the best offsites ever: The Regular Show Experience at the New Children's Museum!  It was a bit of a walk, but totally worth it!  They had a retro arcade, a video chat with Mordecai and Rigby, and some exclusive swag!  I won two pairs of fuzzy dice AND a limited edition poster!  And best of all, Muscle Man was on hand to get the party started! 

Space Ghost took a break from zapping Zorak to come chill at SDCC!  Couldn't find Brak or Moltar anywhere though!

The Nickelodeon booth!  Long a staple of Hall E, I include it here because I built the LED wall on the top right side of the picture.  They haven't had a wall in a while, but I give major props to Nick for FINALLY honoring their past!  Well, their past from 1991-on at least.  Some progress is better than no progress! 

FX was kind enough to provide free pedicabs throughout the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village, where most of the offsites happen.  This particular year, they adorned the cabs with stuff for The League.

And that's that for 2013!  Another stellar year for me at SDCC and the last time until this year that I was on my own at the show!  For the last few years, I was being a pretty cool uncle and bringing my nephew and niece with me.  But now that I can't get them in anymore, I'm ready to go exploring again!  It's not that I didn't enjoy their company, it's just all they'd wanna do is play video games the whole time!  There's much more to do than that, but you just can't get explain that to pre-teens.

Well, we've reached the end of another week!  We'll be back time with more of the same to close June out properly:  With more of the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019!!!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 MARCHES ON... TO 2012!!!

We are back!  Summer's in full swing here at the CRAZYVERSE and with any luck, I would've already made a trip or two to the Fair for some deep fried goodness!  Of course, the other big event of the summer is the real reason why you're likely here today, but first, just one more reminder about a very special event going on this weekend...

As I mentioned last week, I donated another piece of original art for the Team Cul De Sac charity art auction taking place at HeroesCon in Charlotte this weekend, Saturday I believe.  It's not only your chance to own a framed, hand-drawn work of original CRAZY art, it's also your chance to help give Parkinson's Disease a swift kick in the rear and send it packing once and for all as ALL proceeds go towards research for a cure!  So if you're gonna be in Charlotte this weekend, stop by and place a bid!  In addition to my art, there will be MANY other fine pieces looking for a new home to be displayed in!  So drop in and drop a bid!  For more info, check out the Team Cul De Sac Blog here!

And now, it's time to start the show!  We've set the Wayback Machine to 2012, the year it was all supposed to end, and put on our finest Batman Underoos so that the following pics can be viewed in absolute comfort!  Let the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 continue!  Enjoy...

It's a Comic Con cliche these days to find Waldo cosplay, but huge props to the one guy that decided to go against the grain and dress up as Odlaw! 

The Ubi Soft booth, which has shrunk a bit in recent years.  Back in 2012, they were celebrating several big releases, including a new Assassin's Creed sequel, so they decided to go big, which included this LED wall that I can proudly say I helped build! 

The awesome Hilton Park display that Warner Bros put on for all to enjoy, badge or not!  These days, FX hosts it, although that could change with the Fox/Disney merger.  From 2010-2013, WB ran it and they put on a hell of a show and 2012 was no different!  They had all the different Batmobiles (up to that point) on display including my favorite one from the Tim Burton films!  Hot damn those were some bitchin' wheels!

Will the real Mad Hatter please step forward? 

The famed Gaslamp Quarter at a rare low point in the day.  I must've taken this pic fairly early in the day for the crowds to be this light!

The Frankenweenie offsite cohosted by Disney and HGTV!  Oddly enough, not a huge hassle to get into, but then again, the offsites were much better run when they first started doing them.  This one had life-size replicas of the animated sets and we all got a pretty nifty pin in the end!  Might have to dig that one out some day!  But the best part of the experience?  The whole tent was air conditioned!  Yeah, I was a big fan of this one!

The once great Nintendo Lounge.  This was its second year of operation and for a long time was a wonderful experience.  Last year, that all changed.  Hopefully this year, Nintendo can get their act together and make things right again! 

80's Mariachi fun here!  For those not old enough to know, those are the Noids and Rainbow Brite getting down in the Sails Pavilion with some random dude!  And yes, there WAS a Green Noid towards the end of the ad campaign.

Another very-missed offsite: The Shifty Look Retro Arcade.  It was a pretty cool little setup open to all at the Hilton Gaslamp.  That year saw the 30th anniversary of Dig Dug, so they were heavy in the theming Pookahs and Fygars all over the place!

As you might imagine, this room was popular! 

Sorry Slash, but there aren't any pianos for you to stand on while performing your wicked guitar solo! 

A nice overhead shot of the Hall H line, complete with fanatical zealots who think the people inside actually take this seriously! 

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!!! 

Galactus made his intentions clear: If Disney didn't get the Fox Marvel properties back in seven years, the world would end!  Luckily, Disney and Fox merged with three months to go, and we have all been spared!

And that was Comic Con 2012!  One of my all-time favorite years at the show!  Saw a lot, did a lot, collected a lot.  It was a LOT to take in!  Yeah I know, that's a horrible joke, but I've covered this year so many times now, its hard to find new ways to keep it fresh!

And that's all she wrote for this week!  Come back again a week from today for more old pics that are actually new!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 IS A GO!!!

Welcome to June my CRAZIES!!!  And with June comes many fine things!  Summer!  The Del Mar/San Diego County Fair!  And, of course...  COMIC CON 2019!!!  That's right folks!  We are roughly a month and a half away from the biggest show of the year and anticipation is already setting in!  To help keep our emotions in check, I will once again be delving deep into the CRAZY archives with a look back at the wonderful world of Comic Con!  But first, a little info about something CRAZY happening at another con across the country...

Long time readers will remember that I was a huge fan of the comic strip Cul De Sac by the late Richard Thompson.  I never met Mr. Thompson in person but interacted with him on Twitter a few times and found him to be a delightful person.  His comic was one of the greatest things to happen to the funny pages in a post-Far Side world and I, like many, were devastated when he was forced to retire in 2012 due to Parkinson's Disease, an ailment that he passed away from in 2016.  Even before his untimely passing, Chris Sparks of Team Cul De Sac has helped host a charity auction every year at HeroesCon in Charlotte and this year is no different.  For my fourth straight year, I'll be contributing a piece that will hopefully bring in a fair amount to help give this nasty disease the boot once and for all!  Parkinson's knows no bounds and does not discriminate.  The more research that's done, the better our chances are of finding a cure!  Many wonderful pieces of art will be up for bidding, so if you're gonna be in Charlotte, be sure to stop by HeroesCon on the weekend of June 14-16 for your chance to own some framed, original, CRAZY art!  For more info, click the Team Cul De Sac link here!

And now, as we do every year, it is time to delve into the past.  DEEP into the past!  The year is 2011.  The city is San Diego and the venue is the San Diego Convention Center.  The event, is Comic Con!  Let the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN commence!  Enjoy...

As is tradition, here's another rare look at the show before the show!  Comic Con is a massive undertaking to put together. In addition to stagehands like me, there's electricians, riggers, deco-carpenters, truckers, janitors and a whole host of others that all work together to pull this show off every year!  I honestly don't recall building any booths that year, as I was pretty low on the ladder back then, but this particular shot is in Hall D where the new side of the Convention Center (Hall D) meets the old side (Hall C).  Easiest way to tell the two apart since the signs aren't visible: The support columns are different as you enter the new side from old!  It's also worth noting that the old side of the Convention Center is on the north end of the complex.

Oh boy.  Now THIS was a moment for me!  Weeks earlier, CM Punk had won the WWE World Title and then subsequently "left" the company.  During the Mattel/WWE panel, he "Crashed" the question and answer session as I was waiting to ask a question and the rest is history!  I've covered this before on the blog, but I'll never get over how badass it all was!

Gee, for being the leader of a global terrorist organization, Cobra Commander sure does get caught a lot!  

It's the Borg!  He tried to assimilate my mind, but then suddenly slumped to the floor and began crying.  Everyone's a critic!

BARF!!!  Half dog, half man.  He's his own best friend!  Well, her own.  Barf's being played by a woman here! 

You never know which stars you'll run into on the streets during SDCC.  Even Professor Snape was chilling in the Gaslamp Quarter! 

This R2 unit was kind enough to serve drinks to everyone waiting outside the convention center lobby.  He later let us all use him to play an impromptu game of Beer Pong!

I was briefly held captive by Cobra at the Hasbro booth!  Luckily, I remembered how horrible they are at succeeding, and I simply slipped away after yelling "Look over there!" and they did! 

And now ladies and gentlemen, the REAL hero of Comic Con: The Paletero Man!  Depending on where you live, this is probably a novel sight.  But here in San Diego, you know your hot day's been saved when you hear that bell and see his cart! 

I've been in tighter scraps than this! 

The local hotels near the Convention Center make out pretty well from the various studios that pay them to plaster ads for movies, TV shows and video games along the front.  Does it always work?  Sadly no, as the above pic shows.  Cowboys & Aliens was far from a blockbuster, but I've seen more spectacular promotional disasters, as anyone who remembers the Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow bombardment in 2004 can attest to! 

Would y'all believe that this is actually considered a low-traffic area? 

She's only a good witch on paper.  Look at all Dorothy went through only to learn she had magical shoes that could've taken her home in seconds! 

We end today's post with a prototype that I really wish WWE would release already: A Gobbledy Gooker action figure!  Seriously!  They've released a Shockmaster figure, so why not the Gooker?

And that's all she wrote on Comic Con 2011.  It's a year I remember well for the wrong reasons as my health had taken a rather dire turn just before the show.  Thankfully the main problem is somewhat fixed now, but it was making life pretty damn miserable for me back then.  Still, I had some great moments at show despite my health and got many great pics.  This is likely the end of the road for 2011 pics.  Although I do have more unposted pics, I'm simply starting to run out of interesting ones to post!  Who knows?  Maybe some day I'll do a mismatch post of all the leftover Comic Con pics!  Could be fun.

Week 1 of the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN 2019 is in the books!  Buckle up and hold tight, as we got eight more weeks of this and next week will be no different!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!