COMIC CON 2024... IN MORNING FROM 2023...

*Sighs*  Well, another Comic Con has come and gone.  How was it?  I honestly don't know.  As long time readers will note, I write these posts weeks in advance!  It could've been the greatest show ever, or it totally could've sucked.  We'll find out next week!  For now, let's just move on to the pics because even though Past Jon is writing this, he knows very well that Future Jon will still be VERY tired from the recent show.  Even in younger years, I didn't bounce back too quickly from SDCC.

So let's strap on our Airwalks and pound another Code Red Mountain Dew as the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown reaches its penultimate edition for 2024!  Enjoy...

After finally making it off the island, Gilligan and Mary Ann hooked up and have been living happily off of the Little Buddy's bartending earnings from Daddio's Beach Bar!  (Bonus points for whoever gets THAT reference!)

Despite the insanely humid weather, Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket and the Ooompa Loompa all found ways to keep cool.  They also decided to skip any Scottish convention appearances in the near future!

Aye aye Cap'n!

After a weak year of photo ops, NBC came back in grand style with their offsite at Tin Fish Square in 2023!  I'm pretty sure they just cancelled all the shows they were promoting, but hey!  Hindsight and such!

The Empire is VERY shagadelic baby, yeah!

The massive Hulu offsite stands tall as FX's Shogun mightily wraps the front of the Hilton Bayfront!  Hulu gave out some pretty sweet swag, but it really wasn't worth the three hour wait for what was essentially photo ops that could easily been sped up. 

After a light post-pandemic return in 2022, the Petco Park Interactive Zone expanded things a bit in 2023.  More food trucks returned and the activations got a bit more immersive.

A lot of people say what's that?

It's PAT!!!

Weird Al has transcended everything to the point now that he's being cosplayed at conventions!

The Rocketeer is on patrol, keeping things safe on the boardwalk along the bay!

The Donut Bar had a popup shop at the Pendry Hotel on 5th Ave and J St!  A picture just isn't enough to convey how huge these things were in real life!  Both the Spider-man and Superman donuts were larger than my hand!  I gave the former to my brother because I knew he'd been stuck in the Marvel booth all day with no breakfast, and he wound up splitting it with the rest of the crew because it was just too big for one person!  

The Adult Swim booth was back in full force and ready to bombard would-be rodeo heroes with foam hotdogs as the rode the giant hot link!  As you can see, this rider didn't get too far!

The Voodoo Ranger dropped anchor again and provided lots of fun and liquid courage to con goers and passers-by alike!  This isn't a free activity as alcohol is served, but it does seem worth it!

We'll end things this week with a little nightmare fuel and a friendly reminder of why crystal meth is a very bad idea!

And that was Comic Con 2023!  After a soft return the year prior, SDCC hoped to make things big and loud again in 2023!  Unfortunately, they suffered a double whammy in the form of two Hollywood strikes from the Writers and Screen Actors Guilds.  Although stars could appear, none could promote and movies or TV shows while there.  In the end, only a handful of celebrities were able to fully take part as toys, books and comics were still fair game to promote, but few stars are involved in such deals.  With the strikes since settled, the future looks bright for now!

Well folks, that's a wrap on the month of July, but not a wrap on the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown!  That sad but necessary honor kicks off August, so be sure to come back next week and give SDCC the yearly sendoff it deserves!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2023 CRAZIES!!! BEWARE THE GREGARIOUS GOURD!!!

 

We've reached it CRAZIES!!!  We've reached Halloween!  Well, almost.  Still got six days to go.  But that's close enough!  The Gregarious Gourd is certainly ready for it!  What's that?  You've never heard of the Gregarious Gourd?!?  Well boy are you in luck, because I happen to be an expert, and there's still time to prepare!  Nobody knows where he came from or the method behind his madness, but every Halloween, the Gregarious Gourd visits numerous pumpkin patches, searching out those who have summoned him and rewarding those who've brought him an offering, even a simple one.  However, those who foolishly summon him empty-handed are punished by a bombardment of tricks worse than any fraternity initiation! The Gregarious Gourd's time is precious, and takes his job seriously.  So be prepared if you want to summon him!

Okay, now that story time is over, it's time to get to this week's art!  Not quite as pretty as the piece above, but in 2017, I didn't know how to use colored pencils properly, so cut me some slack!  Anyway, here's the finale for October!  Enjoy...

Kamaji has many responsibilities in the film Spirited Away, but in his off time, he just wants to relax and jam on some consoles!  Three at once is certainly impressive and he's also a master at trolling ten-year-olds on Twitch!  Another entry from Animal Alphabets, this one was a lot of fun to draw.  Lots of odd shapes, twists and poses which I'm always down for!  Certainly helps that the movie is loaded with bizarre and imaginative characters that practically scream for fan art to one made!

That's a wrap on October 2023 CRAZIES!!!  Another month that seems to have blown through quicker than the Santa Ana winds, but never fear!  We got more fun starting next week as that wily old trickster, Tom Turkey, makes his return for even more battles with those dastardly, but less-than-bright Brat Twins!  The countdown to Turkey Day starts in seven days, so be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then take care, stay safe and watch out for the little ones on Halloween night.  It's gonna be dark out and some costumes stand out better than others, so always be careful.  Catch y'all later!

COMIC CON 2023: HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD... AND THE LACK THEREOF!!!

Welcome to August CRAZIES!!!  We are starting a new month by finishing up a CRAZY tradition here with the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown!  It's always a sad deal for me to write up the last Comic Con post of the year, but it's something that must be done.  After all, we gotta complete the circle!  So, for the last time in 2023, un-wedgie those Spiderman Underoos and cap up your Code Red Mountain Dews, because we are heading to COMIC CON 2023!!!  Enjoy...

COBRA COMMANDER WANTS YOU... To buy some stuff!  Seriously, he gave me a token for the Super7 Store WAAAAAAAY out on 8th and G St in Downtown San Diego, about six blocks up and three blocks across from the Convention Center!  I did get some exclusive swag though!

The Sandland booth!  I honestly never thought this one would make it to the US, especially after Dr. Slump oddly enough didn't catch on with American audiences.  Given the more action-oriented story, not to mention an incredible swag push at the booth, I see this one being popular!  Also, I built the LED wall for the booth!  Just about had a heart attack when I saw the signal fail Thursday morning since we tested EVERY single LED panel before placing it!  Modern tech, eh?

The Paramount+ Lodge!  Or, forbidden fruit as I called it.  If you weren't lucky enough to get reservations for this one, you were kinda assed out as the standby line was usually over three hours long and out in the blazing sun.  I did do their scavenger hunt thing though and got a really cool backpack, pin and tumbler!

BORK BORK BORK!!!  Swedish Chef was in the house and looking to cook!

The Petco Park Interactive Zone was back and somewhat close to its older, larger self!  Not exactly worth it for repeat visits, but what they did have was pretty cool, like these photo ops with life-size Transformers!

After an admittedly sweet prank last year, the Adult Swim Carnival was back and as hilarious as ever!  Despite a multitude of activations and events inside, the real highlight was still the large mechanical hot dog that continuously launched people off of it while bystanders pelted them with foam balls!

Funkoville was back and even bigger than last year, meaning an even smaller Artists' Alley.  However, attendees packed Artists' Alley like never before and quite a few of the artists reported record sales!  A big win for the underdogs!

Quite possibly the most coveted offsite at SDCC this year was the Hulu Animayhem Experience!  They had some awesome swag at the end and a few really cool photo ops, but that's all it really was: Photo ops.  I couldn't figure out why the hell it was taking so long to get through it?  My nephew Lucas and I spent three hours waiting to get into this thing and for what?  Pictures with inflatables and cardboard cutouts?  Always weigh the risks and rewards when it comes to Comic Con offsites.  

On the plus side, being in the Hulu line DID lead to some great random cosplay pics, like Sideshow Bob and his OTHER arch nemesis: RAKES!!!

Tintin had little trouble finding adventures in the Exhibit Hall!

FLUFFY WAS IN THE HOUSE!!!  Despite the SAG strike, celebrities COULD appear at SDCC.  They just couldn't promote any current projects.  Luckily, Gabriel Iglesias was just promoting toys!

"A lot of people say 'What's that?'"

"IT'S PAT!!!"

Probably couldn't do this skit today, but Pat was legitimately one of SNL's funniest routines.  The strip poker sketch in particular was hysterical!

ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU!!!  Gonna go ahead and say it, this is probably the most obscure movie Cosplay I've ever seen!  Somewhere in Heaven, I'm sure Sean Connery is smiling.

Every year the pedicabs of Downtown get a sponsor and this year didn't disappoint as Disney of all companies put out themed "Doom" buggies for the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie!  Some riders (Like my nephew Lucas and me) were even lucky enough to pick up a hitchhiking ghost as they rode through the Gaslamp Quarter!  For those in the know, this was quite a surprise as Disney and SDCC have had a very longstanding feud with each other.  Glad to see that relations seem to be repairing.

Master Lopan was looking for a woman with eyes of green!

FX was back with their awesome activation over at the Hilton Lawn!  With no reservations required and lines that hardly ever went longer than 30 minutes, this was a very well-run show!  And the Shogun performances were amazing!

Can't have SDCC without Snoopy, and the Peanuts Museum across the street from the Convention Center delivered!  Camp Snoopy was the theme this year and the small space had plenty of fun photo ops for all to enjoy, not to mention a watering station!

I've seen plenty of Addams Family Cosplays over the years, but this was the first time any of them ever included Debbie and I loved it!  They had lost track of their Uncle Fester, but I just chalked it up to Debbie finally being successful!

D'OH!!!  Stupid Sexy Flanders!  Gotta ruin my last pic of the post by photobombing Ace Ventura!

And that was Comic Con 2023!  Going into it, many folks were worried about the impact that the WGA and SAG strikes would have on the show, and indeed, MANY panels were cancelled as actors and writers couldn't promote any current or future projects as a result.  But you know what?  You wouldn't have known that walking out on the exhibit hall floor as it was more crowded than ever!  People were giving comics and art an actual look this time with many in Artists' Alley either reporting record sales or higher than average sales.  So in that regard, I'll call it a win.  On the other hand though, the lack of aisle carpeting took a heavy toll on many attendees and security was at its absolute worst, and I've been going to SDCC for over 20 years now, so imagine the territory THAT covers!  Still, the good far outweighed the bad this year as exclusives were more readily available and attendees even seemed friendlier.  There's a lot to build on here and I feel we are in a good spot for next year!

And that's a wrap on the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2023!  I do hope you all enjoyed the look back at Cons past!  It's always a thrill to go back through these pics and reminisce about the good old days!  With any luck, we'll be back next year around February or March to start counting down the return to WonderCon!  Sadly, no Long Beach Comic Con this year.  I'm just getting back to work after a long layoff from a knee injury and had an unexpected car expense last month that just makes it too tough to swing it this year.  Not to mention, that show's just gone downhill since the move to Labor Day Weekend.  Maybe next year, things will work out better for all.  Be sure to come back next week as the CRAZY art returns!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

COMIC CON 2014!!! A JOURNEY TO THE PAST THROUGH THE PRESENT!!!

 

We are back CRAZIES!!!  One week in and plenty of past Comic Con fun is still to be had!  But we'll get to that in just a moment.  Just had to drop this quick reminder about another cool con I got some stuff going on at...

HeroesCon in Charlotte is THIS weekend folks!  And with it comes the Team Cul De Sac Art Auction and Drink 'N' Draw put on by Chris Sparks!  I got TWO pieces in this year's auction which I hope will raise some serious coin to help fight Parkinson's Disease.  Below are the CRAZY art options available should you be attending and interested:

Behold!  Mighty Alice!  Ink, marker and oil pastels on vellum paper, 9x12in.

BUBBLE FOX!!!  FOOOOOSH!!! Ink, marker, colored pencils and oil pastels on vellum paper,  9x12in.

Parkinson's is no joke folks.  It just plain happens and can literally hit anyone.  We lost a great cartoonist because of it.  Great strides have been made and with more research, they can continue to happen until a cure is finally found!  So don't wait! Send in your art today, as TODAY is literally deadline for it, and be sure to head over to the Westin on Friday and bid on these pieces, among many others!  Seriously, these took a week to do!  With a little hard work, we can help give Parkinson's a final boot to the ass for good!  For more info, click the link near the top or the one here! 

And now, on with the show!  Week 2 of the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN commences with a trip back to 2014, July to be precise.  Y'all know the drill by this point.  Crack open some Code Red Mountain Dews and Flaming Hot Cheetos, because here come the pics!  Enjoy...

RU-FI-OOOOOOOOOO!!!  How come nobody ever cosplays the other Lost Boys from Hook?  It's not like Rufio was the only one visually distinct from the others?

Last week we saw my nephew hamming it up for the camera, so it only seems fair that I post a pic of his sister, Kristen, hamming it up as well!  At least I think she is.  Hard to tell with the giant helmet!  This was at the Xbox Lounge by the way.

The problem with Bedrock traffic?  LOTS of car accidents!  Yabba dabba D'OGH!!!

Lotta cool cars in Downtown during SDCC! Some of the old buildings are really haunted too, so the timing here is perfect! 

The Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge.  A true godsend during SDCC and a great spot for photo ops!

The fabled Xbox Lounge!  The cartoony looking thing in the back was for some thing that aired on Hulu WAY back when!  People lined up to record stuff inside of it, me included, but I have no idea what happened to it.  They never emailed me the files!

The Weta Booth!  The Hobbit movies could've been better, I'll admit, but they definitely didn't drop the ball with Smaug!

Who'd have thought that just four years later, Hasbro would own the Power Rangers?  There's nothing legally stopping them from doing a Power Rangers/Pony crossover ya know?

Pacman is in the house!  Keep those cherries away from him though!

2014 was a record year for Quailman sightings.  Curious that Nickelodeon's never tried to capitalize on this.  They run all their other old properties into the ground.  Why not this one? 

Can't talk about Comic Con without a stop at the Petco Park Interactive Zone!  This year, the Sin City sequel had its own impressive activation!  Too bad the movie wasn't quite as up to par.  There are some things that just only work once.

Remember when you couldn't go to any con anywhere without being swarmed by zombie cosplayers that took the zombie bit a little TOO seriously?  Yeah, those were the days... 

The Joker's looking for the joker that splashed his makeup job!

And finally for this week, we wrap up with the Pixels arcade, a really crappy movie that had a really cool activation at least.  Although it was an offsite, it wasn't open to all, only badge holders.  Still, considering that it was built in a very tiny hallway between the lobby and Starbucks in the Hard Rock Hotel, they pulled off a pretty cool setup!

And that was COMIC CON 2014!  An interesting year in terms of stuff going on in my professional life, it was still a pretty fun show that also saw FX take over the offsite on the Hilton Lawn across the street from Hall H.  So much was going on at the time it really is just a huge blur at this point, though it was the last time I got into Hall H for a panel!  Saw the Warner Bros pale and man was it fun!  But that's a tale for another day...

Another week down in the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN, but don't fret!  Even more fun is coming next week!  And if you're in Charlotte this weekend, don't forget to head to HeroesCon and bid on some original art for a good cause!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!