COMIC CON 2025... IN AND OUT LIKE A RHINO!!!

*Sighs* Well, I guess it's time to do this.  After more than two months, it's time to bring things to a close.  But if you think I'm gonna start August off on a sad note, you are gravely mistaken!  Comic Con may be over, but the coverage still continues with this year's show!  And boy was it a doozy!  But we'll get to all that as we progress.  The stage is set and the pics have been selected.  For the last time this year, cap up those Code Red Mountain Dews and throw on a clean pair of Batman Underoos because the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown is pulling in fast!  Enjoy...

Last time we saw Bob, he was looking a bit flat.  Glad to see he's out and about and doing better!

I think Homer Simpson may have helped design some of the Fantastic 4's vehicles!

The infamous Abbott Elementary Block Party.  Last year's offering was a fun, fast and efficiently run experience that left everybody who came to it happy.  So naturally they went in a completely opposite direction with this year's offsite!  When I read about the six-hour-and-longer wait to get in, I skipped it altogether.  No offsite or swag is EVER worth a wait that long.  Sadly, it was often the same story at other offsites like Brawl Stars, Percy Jackson and Hulu.  Given some of the reviews I read later on and firsthand accounts of people who did go, I think I made the right call.

Way out on the other end of Downtown San Diego, the Super7 Store transformed their tiny-but-fun space into an AWESOME popup shop celebrating the Big G himself, Godzilla!!!  In addition to the insanely detailed signage, they also had a 6ft tall statue of the King Of The Monsters on display as well!

MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!

The super cool Doctor Who offsite offered exclusive merch and photo ops in addition to many props and set pieces from the actual show on display inside!  While not as encompassing as the current exhibit featured at the Comic Con Museum in Balboa Park, they made the most out of the space given.  As a bonus, they even had a nighttime version of the offsite that included a game that led to prizes for those who attended!

His name is Inigo Montoya, and he has come to get revenge on those that spoiled Deadpool & Wolverine for everybody last year!

Always a fun time at the Peanuts Museum offsite!  Although the weather was actually VERY agreeable this year, it was still hot enough for some Sno-Cones, and the volunteers were more than happy to serve them up out of a giant replica of an original Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine!

The brick wizards at Lego certainly outdid themselves this year with a Lego replica of the San Diego Convention Center!  Although not 100% accurate (There are steps in the center of the building on either side where Halls C and D meet), it's still a remarkable feat!

Sad to say that the glory days of the Petco Park Interactive Zone may be over.  The line to get in varied throughout the day and was pretty terrible at opening.  And I'm totally okay with bag checks by the way.  This is a wild world we live in, unfortunately, and I always prefer to be safe.  But with so few offerings, it really wasn't worth it this year.  With only four activations, and one of those was merely photo ops for something called Winx, the big offender here was the booth for Avatar The Last Airbender.  The line for this thing reached five hours numerous times, and what, pray tell, was causing it all?  A friggin photo op!  That's right, instead of just letting people who didn't want a photo with the beleaguered Cabbage Vendor go ahead and get there bags and cards, they made EVERYBODY wait in the blazing sun while people taking pictures took their sweet ass time with it!  If the Padres, who run the event, aren't gonna put any effort into it, then maybe the city should find somebody who will or just nix it altogether.  It's sad to say because I and easily millions of others have throughly enjoyed the Interactive Zone for over a decade now, but it's clearly falling short.  Hopefully things will improve next year.

After being rescued from the Planet of the Apes, Col. Sanders moved to the Moon of Vega and married a Dink.  They happily live in the now, now!

Crunchy Roll continues to kill it at Comic Con with their offerings both at their booth and with the awesome free concerts they put on behind the Convention Center at the Rady Shell!  This year they even added activations around the courtyard of the venue offering swag and photo ops!

Leave it to the Adult Swim Lawn and Rick & Morty to make sure that all attendees at Comic Con 18-and-up got plenty of ass this year!  Sorry, folks.  I'll go wash my mouth out with soap right now!

These Gremlins clearly aren't down with Christmas in July either!

Easily the BEST offsite at Comic Con this year, the Clown In A Cornfield experience presented by Shudder!  Admittedly, I'm not too big on horror, but the standby line was short and amazingly enough, they let us in early to line up despite not opening until noon!  The theming as you waited to get in was excellent, complete with props, sets and actors who were totally into it.  The experience itself was incredible as a group of us were brought into a dark and foggy maze, complete with eerie green lights and even more actors as a psycho clown chased us!  After an outrageous escape from a barn, we were led to a carnival area where they gave us snacks and swag and let us play games!  The folks at Shudder had this down to a science and it was amazing!  The only bad part was that it had to end!

The Ultimate Warrior surges off the energy of one of his little warriors!  For us wrestling fans, Comic Con was a bittersweet deal this year with the passing of Hulk Hogan on the first day. Among my favorite Con memories was being at the Mattel panel with Hogan and Paul Heyman when Sting made his surprise debut for WWE.  Hogan was certainly a polarizing figure, especially in his final years.  At the end of the day, we must remember that while Hulkamania may have been an unstoppable force for good (And sometimes bad with the NWO), Terry Bollea was a mere mortal, as flawed and as complex as any of us.  We all say and do things we aren't proud of.  Lord knows I am far from perfect.  A bigger person can always forgive and forget and as we move forward, try to remember the many good things he did contribute to society.

Another truly awesome offsite with surprising efficiency: Google Play's Fantastic 4 activation!  Unlike most of the activations that required online pre-registration, this offsite had you get in line ONSITE to register for a time slot.  I was early enough that I got an afternoon slot and it was a lot of fun!  Each zone was based off of each of the powers of Marvel's First Family, though the first stop didn't work all that well, the rest were really cool and at the end, we got pins!  Pretty sweet, eh?

I swear, some people are so rude.  Every time I asked this guy a question, he'd just start hurling insults and spit at me!

Apparently Mr. Smee wants some of that sweet Zardoz action!

The SUPER COOL Alien Earth offsite at the FX Lawn!  FX decided to simply things this year with a massive walk-thru attraction as opposed to multiple activations within the space.  It worked out well as the line moved quick and the photo ops were easy to slip in and out of.  Another standout among the offsites, this one was very immersive and even had a nighttime version called Code Red, which featured scare actors and some allegedly Hard R action (Nobody younger than 13 was allowed into the night version)!  I really can't believe the luck I had with offsite offerings this year!

Million Dollar Chef!  

Debbie was in the house and still upset over that Malibu Barbie!  I mean seriously now, who wouldn't be?!?

And the award for the most random and obscure cosplay of Comic Con 2025 goes to this Max Headroom costume, complete with the background!  He jokingly told me he could really tell which attendees were born past 1990 because people either got it or didn't!

And finally, we'll end this massive post with my pick for best cosplay of Comic Con 2025: Cousin Eddie!  This guy was great and played it to the hilt!  You wouldn't think that the Vacation movies could be cosplayed, but then we all remember the Randy Quaid trump card!  Hopefully this guy will do the blue leisure suit next year!

And that was Comic Con 2025!  Man, what a difference a year makes!  I was so worn out heading into it last year's show that I honestly don't remember much of it!  Things were thankfully more relaxed heading into this year's show and as such, I got all kinds of memories!  Right off the bat, it's gotta be said though about the way these offsites are being run.  I got very lucky with most of mine, but there were several others that were just F'ing ridiculous.  Nobody should miss an entire day or more of Comic Con doing the offsites.  There are so many better ways that these lines can be handled if only the producers putting these on would take the time to think about it.  Outside of that though, this was one of my best Con experiences ever, easily Top 5, maybe even Top 3!  The offsites I did try were fun and ran smoother than expected and for the first time EVER, I got every exclusive I tried for!  I even scored a BUNCH of rare comics, including the three I needed the most!  It's a show I'll certainly be talking about for years to come!

Well, that's a wrap on the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2025!!!  I hope you all enjoyed this look back Comic Con past and present!  I know I appreciate it.  This and the WonderCon Countdown are about the only times of year my blog gets noticed anymore!  But, the time has come to return to normal, or as normal as it gets at this joint!  But don't be too sad about the Con pics going dormant.  We're roughly six months away from WonderCon season after all!  So be sure to come back next week as we get a fresh look at Bubble Fox and pals with a fresh pair of eyes and a different pencil!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

COMIC CON... STILL GETTING OVER IT!!!

Well, Comic Con 2025 has come to pass.  And it was...  How the Hell should I know?  It' still June as of this typing!  Y'all know I queue these up well in advance!  I think it's probably a safe bet though that by the time y'all are reading this, those who attended will ALL be feeling pretty worn out!  Y'all are also likely to be going through HUGE Con withdrawals right now too!  So, let's just get right to the pics, okay?  The setting is exactly one year ago in Downtown San Diego!  Take those last rolls on your D&D campaign because the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown is entering the homestretch!  Enjoy... 

Two legends finally meet!

Castle Grey Skull's looking pretty hungry there!

Looks like Hades had some of that charm left!

Man...  Can't even begin to tell you how many quarters I fed into a few of these Ninja Turtles arcade cabinets back in the day.  My brother and I probably put a few Roller Skate Land employees through college!

The incredible Abbott Elementary offsite!  The purist in me doesn't quite get why this show would even be at Comic Con as it doesn't fit any of the represented genres, but I can't complain about a well-run activation that saw quick lines and everybody leave satisfied! 

Last year marked 25 years of Nickelodeon bleeding SpongeBob Squarepants dry!  I love old school SpongeBob, but man, it is time to put him out to pasture already!

The Avengers Ferris Wheel!  I didn't go on it and if memory serves, you had to do something involving Google to be able to ride it anyway.

I think they're trading books...

The Downside of the Schwartz ain't too picky it seems!

The Bear Activation inside of the FX Zone at the Hilton!  Don't let its emptiness fool you, this spot had the most coveted swag of the con!

Some screen-used masks from the more recent Planet Of The Apes films were on display at the aptly-named offsite!  This activation did not get enough credit last year.  Much like the Abbott Elementary carnival, it was extremely efficient with short lines and high turnaround, not to mention, a live hawk for photo ops!  I'm not even a fan of the movies and I still enjoyed the experience!

Mothra on patrol outside the Convention Center!

Riddle me this?  What's green and red and easily slumped over?  This Riddler cosplayer a few minutes later!  Seriously, it was hotter than the 7th Level Of Hell that week!

And finally, PeeWee Herman hit the streets of the Gaslamp, hoping to collect enough spare change to hitch a ride to the Alamo!

And that was Comic Con 2024!  I'm not gonna lie folks, I honestly don't remember much about it.  The weeks leading into the show were among the busiest of my life!  In a span of about five weeks I worked four massive shows, pulled a muscle in my ribcage, got a severe sinus infection and remodeled ALL the bedrooms in my house in between it all!  Needless to say that by the time we finished packing up Nickelodeon's gear and I got home, I just plain crashed!  I had reached my limits.  Hopefully, next week's post will be a little more fruitful in terms of my experience at this year's show.

Well folks, that's all she wrote for July and the penultimate edition of this year's Countdown, but fear not!  I wouldn't end this year's proceedings without a look at this year's show, which is coming next week!  So be sure to come back and check out the finale of the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2025 as we start August off right!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

IT'S HERE!!! COMIC CON 2025 IS A GO!!!

IT'S HERE!!!  IT'S HERE!!!  COMIC CON 2025 IS FINALLY HERE!!!  Okay, okay, I know.  Gotta keep calm.  After all, I am a Professional here.  Wait a tic, I'm a professional cartoonist!  We're the most immature kids in class!  IT'S HERE!!!  IT'S HERE!!!  IT'S HERE!!!  Okay, now that I got it out of system, I think we can continue!

You may have noticed we're posting a bit earlier this week than usual.  As is tradition here at the CRAZYVERSE, we're posting ahead of our usual Wednesday time slot so as not to conflict with everybody's busy Comic Con schedules, including mine!  Believe, I ain't promoting crap this week!  I won't have time to!  As we go through today's post, we'll also be highlighting a few tips and pointers throughout, which will be marked as so:

"TIP:"

And now, without further interruption, let us cap up our Code Red Mountain Dews, toss out our empty bags of Doritos and put on a fresh pair Batman Underoos, because the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown has launched!  Enjoy...

Recess is out!

The unbridled joy of launching foam hotdogs at people riding a giant, mechanical hotdog cannot be accurately described in a single sentence!

TIP: This particular activity takes place at the Adult Swim Carnival behind the Convention Center near the bay.  It is free to attend, HOWEVER, only 18 and up are allowed in.  Also, as of this writing, it has yet to be confirmed to be returning, but it's almost a lock at this point, so prepare accordingly.  

The Lego booth has really stepped it up in recent years as opposed to the old booth which was literally just a video wall, a table full of Legos and a small shop in the back.  Now they do full-on themes and in 2023, they gave us all a nostalgic gut punch with a booth themed like an old Blockbuster Video store! 

Blizzard Entertainment always delivered big when it came to their booth as 2023 proved to be their final year (To date) at SDCC.  With all the turmoil surrounding their sale, it's hard to say what the future holds for them as even their huge show up in Anaheim, Blizzcon, has been postponed indefinitely.  Guess we'll see how it goes eventually.

Nothing like wasting money on a huge campaign for the anniversary of a (Sadly) tainted TV show on a network that doesn't even air in San Diego anymore.  When the Project Manager of this offsite overheard me tell one of the volunteers that LaffTV had left San Diego airwaves nearly three years prior, he just about had a heart attack.  This would be akin to promoting a Baltimore Ravens convention in Cleveland.

TIP: MANY offsites and activations line the sidewalks and grassy knolls between Petco Park and the Gaslamp Quarter Trolley stop.  Some are simple, some are quite sophisticated.  These spots also tend to be hotbeds for swag and photo ops.  Research accordingly which ones may be worthwhile.

Garner Holt is a pretty cool animatronics company responsible for many theme park installations that don't have Disney-size budgets but at least have Disney-size dreams!  You can count Knott's Berry Farm among their satisfied customers!

They paid their dues and the check's in the mail!

ARRRRRGH MATEY!!!  It be the Voodoo Ranger Pirate Ship!  For two years now they've set sail for Comic Con and plundered many a drunken sailor!

TIP:  As of this writing, the Voodoo Ranger has not been confirmed, but it is highly likely they will be back for a third go around in the bay.  Because alcohol is served, all attendees must be 21 and up and this is NOT a free outing.  I don't recall the price, but it wasn't expensive.  I also don't know if beverages are included in the price. 

Plenty of adventures to be found when a boy teams up with his tiger...

I wouldn't pick up THAT hitchhiker!

Hulu's Animayhem offsite!  A truly massive experience and a truly massive pain in the ass!  Some of it was cool, but to wait so long for photo ops you could simply walk up to...  It just made no sense!  I will say though, the mini backpacks and pin sets they gave us were pretty cool at least.  It was like a consolation prize for taking up half of our day and giving us heat stroke!

TIP: Another one that has yet to be confirmed as of this writing (They are seriously lagging on major announcements here with less than a month to go as I type this!),  but also a likely returner here as it's success can't be argued with.  However, the lines for this one are NOT quick and it is not a well shaded or even air conditioned area.  If you plan on doing this one, plan accordingly!

He's got a golden ticket!  Sadly, that didn't count with the badge registration people!

The big deal at the Nickelodeon booth that year was Good Burger 2...  Does anyone even remember that it had a sequel?  Does anybody even remember the first one at this point?!?  All I remember is the dance number at the insane asylum!

Nothing sadder than an abandoned Morty...

We were all Toys 'R' Kids once and largely still are to a degree, even though nostalgia probably paints a better picture of it than it really was.  Seriously, the two closest to my house always looked like a tornado tore through them!

The Pinball Lounge at the Marriott Marquee is truly one of SDCC's hidden gems!  I highly recommend the Godzilla and 60's Batman machines!

TIP: The Pinball Lounge is located in the Pacific Ballroom on the first floor of Marriott Hall, a large exhibit space added to the hotel several years ago that replaced the old Marriott Hall.  The Pinball Lounge is FREE and requires NO badge at all!  The Marriott is also home to the SDCC Film Festival, Anime Rooms, (Some) After Hours Movies, SDCC Gift Shop and Con Hospitality Suite.  The latter five DO require badges, though some of the Anime Rooms have been known to be generous towards those without badges, depending on how empty the rooms are.  Always ask first!

TIP: The Marriott Marquee is also home to the Dragonball Experience offsite.  As of this writing, it too has yet to be confirmed, but a 6th go around is highly believed to be happening given the many DB projects still in the pipeline and the fact that its distributor, Crunchy Roll, also has a massive offsite planned for Embarcadero South near the Rady Shell concert venue.

The awesome Shogun activation at the FX Zone thrilled con-goers with its martial arts displays and staged battles!  It was one of the real highlights that year!

TIP: The FX Zone is located at the lawn adjacent to the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.  As of this writing, it hasn't been confirmed yet (I know folks.  Lotta question marks here, but I can only work with the info available as I type this.  I promise I have SOME confirmations coming!), but it is highly likely to return.  It is a FREE event for all to attend, but it IS outdoors and unshaded, so sunblock, water and proper shoes are a must!

The Peanuts Museum was themed to Camp Snoopy that year and offered a few fun activities for all to enjoy, including a few unaired episodes of the new series and plenty of photo ops.

The Peanuts Museum WILL return this year at its usual spot across the street from the Gaslamp Quarter near the Hilton Gaslamp.  It is FREE for ALL to attend!  No badges needed!  See?  Told y'all there were SOME things confirmed!

PL-PL-PL-PLEASE EDDIE!!!  Put Roger down!  He may not be able to feel it, but toons still have feelings ya know!

We'll end today's loaded post with these attendees doing what I'm about ready to do right now: HAUL ASS TOWARDS THE EXHIBIT HALL!!!

And that was Comic Con 2023!  A rather bizarre year actually that saw a good chunk of the panels get cancelled due to strikes from both the Writers and Screen Actors Guilds, which led to the Producers and Directors Guilds also bowing out in solidarity of the writers and actors.  It was actually kinda nice to see comics and art be the primary focus of SDCC once again, but it also led to some of the most insane exhibit hall crowds I've ever witnessed in over 20 years of attending!  It's a year I certainly won't forget anytime soon for sure!

And now, here's a few more pointers for a more enjoyable con before signing off.  Most of these tips are pretty much common sense, but you'd be amazed how quickly that flies out the window once Comic Con starts, and I am no exception in that regard either!  Anyhoo...

TIP: Wear proper shoes!  No wing tips, no sandals, no boots!  You're gonna be doing a LOT of walking on concrete, and no, it doesn't look likely that the Convention Center is gonna be bringing the aisle carpeting back anytime soon, but we can always hope, right?

TIP: Bring water and sunscreen!  It gets VERY hot during the show and a lot of time WILL be spent outdoors doing the offsites.  And even indoors, with so many people crammed inside, air conditioning isn't always noticeable, so stay hydrated and try to wear lightweight/light colored clothes if you can.  Also, water coolers at the Convention Center are pretty much gone unless the client pays for them.  If they won't foot the bill for carpet, they ain't gonna foot the bill for water either!  Luckily, all the participating hotels have water coolers, so take advantage of refills when you can.

TIP: The San Diego Convention Center is a cashless facility; credit and debit only.  HOWEVER, that is merely for Convention Center services like concession stands and Starbucks.  Most of the booths still take cash and often prefer it.  Some exhibitors even offer discounts when paying with cash, so be sure to ask around.

TIP: WiFi at the Convention Center is absolute garbage and most cell services fall flat in the building too with so many inside trying to use their phones.  Just know you'll be lucky to get text messages off.  Also, consider investing in a portable phone charger if you don't already have one.

TIP: Restaurants in Downtown are gonna be packed, especially in the immediate blocks.  As a result, many don't do reservations because the demand is too great.  There are periods though, usually between 11am and 1pm, where the action is focused on the Convention Center, so take advantage of the down periods and grab a bite.  Also, if you don't mind the walk, about four or five blocks out, the crowds lighten up a bit and there are some solid eats around Market and G Streets.

TIP: Many offsites are walk up and wait while others, like the Paramount Lounge, require reservations.  Some are easier to get into than others.  Just know that even with a reserved spot, the waits can still be very long.  Do you due diligence when picking events!

TIP: News CONSTANTLY changes surrounding every aspect of the show.  Luckily, there are numerous social media accounts across numerous platforms that are always on the case, with the SDCC Unofficial Blog being among the most reliable.

TIP: If cosplaying, try to make your costume out of lightweight material and have a handler to help out with things.  Also, take bathroom breaks into account.  The call of nature and a cumbersome costume are a bad mix!

TIP: Finally, be cordial!  It's hot, it's crowded and things aren't always gonna go as planned.  As easy as it is for tempers to flare, it's even easier to simply walk away.  Nothing is ever worth going to jail for or even getting banned from a show for, it just isn't.  And if someone is causing trouble, there are HUNDREDS of overzealous security guards that are more than happy to try and impress the dozens of police officers hidden and not-so-hidden within the exhibit hall!  We're all fans and we're all in this together, so let's be kind and respectful of each other.  It goes a long way.

And now for something REALLY exciting!  For the first time ever, I will be BEHIND the table at Comic Con, sketching for the Cartoon Art Museum out of San Francisco!  That's right folks, CRAZY is now a featured guest!  If you'd told me back in 2002, the first time I ever set foot at SDCC, that I'd be a guest at a booth someday, I would've asked what you were smoking!  But here we are, 23 years later, and I'm at a table!  I'm very honored to be there and very humbled as well.  For those attending and interested, you can find me at the Cartoon Art Museum Booth #1634, around Hall B on Thursday, July 24 from 1-2pm PST!  Because it's only an hour, the sketches will be simple black and white, pen and ink sketches.  As much as I'd love to add colors, it's a slow process for me and these gotta be done quick.  I should also mention that all proceeds help fund the museum, so it's all for a good cause!  I hope to see y'all there!

Well CRAZIES, it's time to head out, but I'll be back next week with more past Comic Con fun to keep our Con withdrawals from setting in!  If you are going please be safe and have a wonderful time and come say hi if you see me!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll see y'all at COMIC CON 20205!!!