COMIC CON 2015!!! MORE BLAST, INCREASED PAST!!!

We are back CRAZIES!!!  And hey!  It's opening day of the San Diego County Fair!  Granted, I can't go due to work, but that just means I'll have more to spend when I do go!  So, yeah, you may have heard a little thing called Comic Con is rapidly approaching, but first, there's something else important that precedes it...  

For close to a decade now, I have contributed art to the Team Cul De Sac Art Auction held every year at HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC.  All proceeds go towards research in finding a cure for Parkinson's Disease, a terrible illness that has claimed many lives, including that of cartoonist Richard Thompson, the creator of Cul De Sac.  Below are the pieces I have sent in for the auction...

HERMIT CRAB HUNT: Alice and Mr. Danders have gone out hunting for usurping hermit crabs on the remains of the Bliss Haven Preschool.  Pen and ink mixed media piece illustrated on 9 x 12in. vellum paper and colored in Olo Markers and PrismaColor Colored Pencils. 

MIKE & MINDY: FRIENDSHIP IS CHAOS!!!: Mike and Mindy are back and taking their cartoony mayhem to unheard of levels!  Second grade just can't contain these loony tykes!  Pen and ink mixed media piece illustrated on 9 x 12in. vellum paper and colored in Olo Markers and PrismaColor Colored Pencils.

If you're going to be in the Charlotte area on the night of June 20, please consider attending the auction.  In addition to being a rare chance to own some CRAZY original art, it's also for a very noble cause.  Parkinson's isn't picky.  Anybody can get it and now, more than ever, researchers need funding to find a cure to this horrible disease.  So please make the rounds and drop some bids.  Trust me, there's gonna be some incredible artwork up for grabs.  Think of it as a duel prize: You get some cool art on your wall while Parkinson's Disease gets a swift kick in the ass!  It's a winning combination!

Now, it's time to head back to the surprisingly distant past for anther Comic Con long gone.  The time is 2015, the place is San Diego.  Hold on to your Flaming Hot Cheetos CRAZIES!!!  The CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN is on!!!

Another very rare behind the scenes shot during load-in, this time in Hall C.  It's wild to think how cavernous the building can be with no booths in it!

The FX Experience!  Quite possibly the longest running offsite at this point, it has become a grand tradition for all to enjoy at SDCC, badge or not! 

If only a baseball bat were enough...

Thank God for the Joker!  He spits some real truth!

Some ponies spreading some happiness with a little one!

Stormtroopers marching their way towards what would become a very legendary Hall H panel for Star Wars! 

The much loved and much missed NerdHQ!  Got some killer swag and snacks there!

A true power couple right here!

Another Nickelodeon Legend!

Always something really cool going on at the Petco Park Interactive Zone!

Suddenly Mario...

Is here to provide yooooooooou...

So Gandalf, a Spaceball and apparently Jeff Hardy walk into a bar...

Would you look at that?  Odlaw and Wizard Whitebeard!  Someone finally thought outside the box with their Where's Waldo? cosplay?

Dr. Hammond spared no expense for this date!

And that was SDCC 2015!  A pretty legendary year, largely because of the epic Star Wars panel and concert that followed.  This is another one that is such a blur now despite doing some really cool things, though I did get stung by a bee while taking part at the Hero Initiative's Drink 'N' Draw event!  I recovered though and spent some quality time with my nephew and niece, as seen in the pic at the top of the post.  They're all grown up now, but still have fond memories of getting fro-yo for breakfast with Uncle Jon!

 Well, another post bites the dust, but there's seriously nothing to worry about folks.  We got LOTS more Comic Con coverage coming, so hang tight and come back next week!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

HEY HEY HEY!!! IT'S THE CRAAAAAAAAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN!!!

 

WE ARE BACK CRAZIES!!!  We are just a little over a month away from that glorious weekend that is Comic Con!  Of course, that's still a ways away, but never fear!  The whole reason you're here is to relive past SDCC fun, and I am fully prepared to deliver!  So sit back, put down your Sailer Moon figurines and hold on tight as we head back to 2015 and the wackiness that is the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN!!!  Enjoy...

Do you think he's ready to rock?!?

After years of taking up a back corner at the Petco Park Interactive Zone, Adult Swim decided to go all-in and created their own offsite on the lawn behind the Convention Center!  It truly is a lot of fun and among the few offsites that do nighttime programming!

Lydia Deitz has been ready for a Beetlejuice sequel for awhile now!

Woodstock and Snoopy enjoy some downtime at the Petco Park Interactive Zone where you can sort of make out part of the giant inflatable doghouse set up to promote The Peanuts Movie.  They also had beagles up for adoption! 

Pretty much since I've been going to SDCC (Over 20 years now!), this guy has been there, leaning against a pillar, pretending to be Silent Bob.  He never leaves, he never breaks character.  I admire his commitment to the bit, but that's just a waste of a badge!

2015, the year of Mario Maker!  No shortage of irony that the Wii U took off just as it was ending its service life with games like Splatoon, Smash Bros U and the aforementioned Mario Maker being monster hits.  Talk about a late bloomer?!?

The beloved Xbox Lounge, enjoying what turned out to be its final year.  It was an otherworldly experience that was completely immersive.  The next year they partnered up with NerdHQ to sponsor their gaming areas, but it just wasn't the same.  Then NerdHQ got evicted!  The life of an offsite is a fickle one.

Zombies.  They are still a threat to unsuspecting con goers!

The FX Experience at the Hilton Park!  Not always the most ideal location, due to the sun, but FX always delivers big with their offsite.  It's also one off the few offsites you are usually guaranteed to get into at some point during the week!

Johnny Depp seems to really have a knack for playing characters who wield sharp objects!

So back in 2015, Kentucky Fried Chicken set up several statues of Colonel Sanders cosplaying as various things.  They ranged in theme from the weird, like the alien above, to the downright disturbing, like the one they had dressed up like a Sailor Scout!  Needless to say, KFC hasn't been back since.  I'm sure the millions of pics of attendees doing inappropriate things with the statues that surfaced during and after the con didn't help!

The finale of the big Star Wars concert that those lucky enough to get into the Hall H panel were able to attend afterwards for a night of music and fireworks!  I just watched it all from the steps behind the convention center!

This was obviously promoting something.  I just don't remember what?!?

And finally, we'll end things this week with Sexy Skeletor because...  Why not?

And that was SDCC 2015!  Another fun year that saw my brother's kids run me ragged that week!  You'd like to think I'd be a pro at this by now, but if there's one thing I've learned about comic conventions, it's that having a plan is almost pointless because you're likely not going to be able to stick to it.  If nothing else, they're more like guidelines!

Another week down as we head towards our June finale, but never fear!  There's plenty of the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN left to get to, so be sure to come back next week and check it out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN!!! 2015 BOUND!!!

 

Wow!  We are deep into June now CRAZIES!  And we are also now less than a month away from the grand daddy of them all!  No, not Starcade you dolt!  Comic Con!  So let's not dilly dally here, there's pictures to look at!  Get some comfy walking shoes on and grab some trail mix because we're heading back to San Diego and the summer of 2015!  The CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN continues!  Enjoy...

Huckster's in the house brother!

Never knew the Colonel was into that!

The famed Warner Bros Booth!  Sporting two iconic designs over the years, they skipped last year's show to focus on the then-pending merger with Discovery Communications.  Considering all the controversy they've stirred up since, I wouldn't put much hope into them coming back this year! 

Here's a rare look at the Petco Park Interactive Zone being set up!  That tall structure just right of the Hilton Bayfront was the Scream Queens Drop Tower!  Only just a week before, it thrilled thousands at the San Diego County Fair.  It stayed behind to thrill a few thousand more at SDCC before heading up to Orange County for their fair!

One of the best cosplays I've ever seen!  I love it when people go the obscure route, and the Brave Little Toaster may be lesser known then Song Of The South at this point as far as Disney animation is concerned.  And they used to show this one on the Disney Channel a LOT back in the day!

60's Batman is fun Batman!

Another visit to the legendary Xbox Lounge!  Did I mention how badass this place was?  The lighting, the atmosphere, the games, the activations...  Good God Microsoft!  Please bring this one back!

Depending on the year, the Petco Park Interactive Zone will sometimes have a stage set up, often for celebrity appearances or local band performances.  In 2015, a local radio station held an impromptu cosplay contest that gave all the participants weekend passes to Comic Con!  Talk about a swell door prize?

After years of hosting a booth at SDCC, Adult Swim decided to take things a step further and open up their own free offsite!  While a badge isn't required to get in, you do have to be older than 18 to enter.  It's Adult Swim after all!

Signs, signs, everywhere signs!  By the time this posts, some of them will already be going up!

My favorite part of Comic Con?  All the new and interesting friends I always make!

FX upped their game a bit in their second year on the Hilton Lawn!  Some great activations, though some of the wait times just weren't worth it!

When his father isn't available, Thor seeks wisdom from another wise master.

We'll end this week with a reminder that it never hurts to check out some of the hotels during SDCC, regardless of whether you're staying at one of them!  In addition to more than a few of them hosting offsites over the years, the many hotel bars offer special drinks and rates for the con, like this one at the Marriott next door to the Convention Center!

And that was Comic Con 2015!  A fun show that saw me solidify my spot as Hasbro's lighting and monitor guy for the next five years!  I also got stung by a bee that snuck into my swag bag, the little bastard!  They can't be 100% perfect I suppose, but this one came close!

Well, only one more post to go this month, but the fun of Comic Con will continue to roll through to July as we end June on a high note, so be sure to come back next week and check it out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN PLOWS THROUGH 2015!!!

 

We have come to it at last... The end of June!  What?  After all these years did you NOT think I wouldn't do another blog ending fake-out joke?  For shame CRAZIES!!!  But it's all good!  With June ending, that just means we are even CLOSER now to SDCC!  Rather than drag this on further, how's about we just roll on into the post?

The year is 2015, and all systems are go for a return to the San Diego Convention Center!  Hold on to your foam Cosplay armor!  The CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN is on!  Enjoy...

First up is a sentimental pick for me.  Those two tykes are my niece and nephew, Kristen and Dante, Jr.  They've been a part of the con experience with me for many years.  Dante graduated high school two years ago while Kristen graduated this month.  They're all grown up now so it's with a misty eye I look at this pic of us in younger years having fun at the Peanuts activation at the Petco Park Interactive one that year.

So THAT'S the kind of shrubbery he wanted!

The Dwarves of the Iron Hills don't mess around!

And here I'd always heard that George Lucas was super shy!

These Avengers were so stoked that Lego got the Marvel license away from Mega Bloks!

One of the cooler offsites was one that only a select few got to check out that year: Skeletor's Lair!  At the Mattel booth, they had a volunteer asking people who walked by if they knew what Skeletor's real name was.  When they asked me, it was so casual I literally thought the girl who asked just wanted to know, so I said "Keldor,' which it is.  She smiled and handed me a token and an address and boy I wasn't disappointed!  Though the walk was insanely long!  I still have the token and even bought a Mossman Chia Pet!

The Petco Park Interactive Zone did not disappoint that year, with sweet activations, an impromptu cosplay contest and even a drop tower ride that they rented from the San Diego County Fair that had recently ended the week before!

Not to be outdone, the FX Zone at Hilton Park also made their presence know outside of the con!

This is without question one of the best cosplays I've ever seen!  I loves me some obscure cosplay and it's hard to top The Brave Little Toaster!

Never fear folks!  The ambulance is just there as a precaution (Though they have been used at the show before sadly) and the crowd was merely being moved from Hall H to the Pops Site behind the Convention Center for an exclusive concert of Star Wars music after the Star Wars: Ep VII panel!

The Turtles were incognito that year!

My niece just couldn't wait to get a slice of that sentient cupcake!

Nothing like some failed movie hype!

Lastly, since wrestling cosplay is also awesome, here's Andre the Giant!

And that was Comic Con 2015!  A great year and a great show!  All sorts of awesome cosplay, some great offsite activations, even the swag seemed above average that year!  About the only bad thing that happened was a damn bee stung me while I was reaching into my bag, but it was dealt with swiftly!  These things happen sometimes.

And that's a wrap on June 2022!  We'll be back next week to kickoff July on the right foot with even more SDCC madness as the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN marches on!  So be sure to come back!  In the meantime, take care and stay especially safe this weekend.  It's the 4th of July folks, so really resist the urge to put on your own fireworks display.  Plenty of professionals provide great shows for free!  Catch y'all later!