I’m heading back to San Diego Comic-Con 2019 as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. Me and my favourite minion (Rob) are going again under my professional status as an author of fantasy. This year we BOTH received full access for free. This means all four days PLUS the preview night. SDCC changed the rules for professional status this year and eliminated a lot of the pop culture professionals and leaned toward the creators of comic books, writers of fantasy and sci-fi, and the like. Makes me happy. It will take a couple of years to have an impact since pro badges are grandfathered for three years.The perks of being a professional are not many (except the whopping savings of free access for the ENTIRE event). But I do gain access to the Professional Lounge with free water, coffee, snacks, etc. Its nice and a place to cool down and put your feet up. They have it policed by volunteers to make sure no one is sleeping there though. The single biggest thing about being professional is that we get to line up inside the air conditioned hallway at the convention centre to gain access to the Preview Night Vendors Hall 30 minutes before anyone else. It is surreal walking into the massively large vendor hall with no one else there. Every merchant sells something exclusive. Stuff you can only snag at SDCC. Some of this stuff sells for thousands of dollars. This allowed me to snag an exclusive Spider-Man print and #1 of 50 of an Indiana Jones portrait on canvas. Oh and a cool pair of Han Solo dice from the Han Solo movie. They hang off my car’s rear view mirror. Not sure what all my stuff is worth. But I don’t care. They are MY PRECIOUS THINGS! No nasty hobbits allowed at my house!
Last year, I was able to meet Kevin Hearne (author of the Iron Druid series). I shook his hand, and told him I was an author who wrote druid fantasy. He smiled and then went on to try and sell me his latest novel. It was disheartening, but I still admire his writing though. If I am ever famous as a writer I PROMISE to never do that. So say we all.
I also met Aisha Tyler and watched a live VLog she did announcing the new TV reboot of Roswell. It was fun. I shook her hand and afterward told her I didn’t think her hands were that big. Hint: Archer. I also met Richard Taylor from Weta. I ran into him and shook his hand and we talked for about 30 seconds. I have no memory of what I said. My minion ran into Felicia Day walking the Vendors’ Floor. No one had recognised her. She asked if he wanted a photo and he said no, he didn’t want to expose her. She was honestly grateful. See? That’s being Canadian for you. We are simply wonderful people.
I am hopeful this year at SDCC has better writing and author panels. A lot of the “author people” at the con have not yet published and are looking for quick solutions to their writing. They are at the stage of “not knowing the truth“. I was there once but always knew it was just pure hard work. There’s a free lesson for everyone: writing is hard work. There are no easy paths.
Anyway, I will try to put up pictures this year. Probably under a new tab on the website. Keep checking back.
Until then, ciao, everyone.
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