Or – “I Didn’t Want Those Stoopid Grapes, Anyway!”
During a recent issue of the Major Spoilers Podcast, Stephen, Rodrigo and myself had a discussion about big comic conventions and the pros and cons (heh) of attending. The conversation turned to my thoughts on the sheer enormousness of San Diego Comicon, and the conclusion that it is probably not for me.
Shall I list the reasons why?
Well, I don’t see whyyyyyyyy… NOT.
10.) I Heard Famous People Are All Phonies!
If you’ve been following Major Spoilers on the Twitter (@majorspoilers), you’ve been hearing all the updates and bulletins as they happen… My particular Twitter feed is ablaze with news from the likes of Gail Simone, Kevin Smith, Seth Green and the lovely Felicia Day talking about the events of the day and the endless San Diego Comicon festivities. Now, I ask you: Who really wants to spend their day interacting with the creators of the things we endlessly obsess over every day? There’s far too much incorrect internet grammar to snarkily point out! (And what’s more, ‘snarkily’ ISN’T EVEN A WORD!)
9.) Nobody Really NEEDS This Stuff!
Among the announcements to come out of San Diego thus far include the official debut of a massive Legion of Super-Heroes box set that Stephen heard about months ago, new video games, toys, collectibles and even a little love for fans of Warehouse 13. Sure, it’s all cool, entertaining, awesomely shiny stuff, and actual SDCC attendees even get free swag while in attendance, does anyone really NEED it? Sure, it might be cool at first, but Charlie Bucket probably hated all that candy after a while.
8.) I Don’t Have Room For More Things In The Nerd Room!
Given that the Comicon was originally about collectors meeting to buy, sell and trade their stuff, we also have to ask the inevitable question: If I were to go and fill my ‘Hello, Kitty’ backpack with books, toys, comics and autographs of Wil Wheaton, where am I going to keep it all? I’d have to clean and reorganize my collection, which could lead to a shortbox-alanche, crushing my spleen and leaving me played by Pee-Wee Herman and sufffering from peritonitis, gingivitis and rickets! And then who’d be laughing, David Boreanaz? WHO???
7.) I’ll Learn It All Eventually, Anyway!
“But, Matthew,” you might be saying to yourself, which is an odd thing to say unless you’re named Matthew (although it is a quite common name, now that I consider it), “what about the reveals, the debuts, the official announcements of all the cool stuff to come in the near future? Don’t you want to know what Marvel, Capcom, Universal Studios and such have up their collective sleeves?” Maybe I do and maybe I don’t, but given enough time, I’ll hear about them. I mean, I found out that the Red Hulk is really Betsy Ross, and that the Fox network is reviving that ‘Family Man’ cartoon, and even that Beyonce had one of the greatest music videos in history… IN HISTORY, MAN! If I keep my ear to the ground, eventually it all trickles down to me here in Central Kansas. (Did you know that Natalie Postman made a baby outta dreadlocks?)
6.) Who Would Want Chocolate In Their Peanut Butter?
“And another thing,” you say to me theoretically in my head, “SDCC is a great time to find out about exciting new projects and collaborations, combinations of creators and properties and stuff that even YOU have to care about, right? Spock and Matter-Eater Lad could sit down over coffee!!!” Oh, sure imaginary-reader-voice-in-my-head, that’s all true and stuff, but change is inherently bad! That would be like taking a popular franchise from an independent comic book and having Bravo turn it into an ongoing series, or having new blood save the Batman franchise from the long and benippled shadow of Joel Schumacher! Next you’ll be telling me that they’ll revamp Superman! It’s madness!
5.) All That Walking Is Practically Exercise!
I think the esteemed Professor Willem T. Wonka expressed it best, thusly: “If the good lord had meant for us to walk, he wouldn’t have created rollerskates.”
4.) Those Poor Young Things Could Get Sunburned!
Oh, but what about the costume contests? What about the people who hand-craft movie-accurate Iron Man armor, or a sew a perfect Chun-Li costume, or hand-feather their Hawkgirl wings? And of course, many of these cosplayers are quite well-proportioned, providing onlookers with lovely glimpses of the human anatomy, both male and female. What about that, you ask? Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve been to San Diego, and there isn’t enough SPF-30 in the world to keep you safe from ultraviolet rays if you’re queued up in the street dressed as The Silk Spectre for seven and a half hours! Sure, I may not be getting my picture taken with a sexy Pikachu, a naughty Peter Venkman or a Jon Stewart with killer Green Lantern abs, but none of my moles have irregular borders, either! So, there!
3.) There’s Some Sort Of Fault Line Out There!
I’m pretty sure that Jurassic Park is less than a half-mile from the Golden Gate Bridge, too!
2.) Who Wants To Talk To People With The Same Interests?
In my day job, I work with people who wouldn’t know Bouncing Boy from Boy George, or differentiate Ashley Williams (housewares) from Ashley Williams (star of ‘Good Morning, Miami.) I get to do the service of introducing people to the wonders of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and I can explain how, while there have been many ‘Sixth Ranger’ figures dating back to Tommy Oliver as the Mighty Morphin’ Green Ranger back in 93 or so, only the Titanium Ranger doesn’t have a Japanese counterpart. I’m an ambassador of our shared hobby in a new world, and just because nobody is listening doesn’t mean that they can’t hear me…
1.) I’m Fine In The Hundred-And-Seven-Degree Heat!
Sure, my Chrysler threw the air conditioning belt, and sitting in an unventilated sedan, on leather seats, during a Kansas summer has had me ending up with the strange smell of cooking fat guy (oddly pleasant, sort of a smoky bacon with tinges of pork) wafting through the air. By contrast, San Diego tomorrow will be partly cloudy, 79 degrees, which will prove nothing about the strength or intestinal fortitude of the SDCC attendees, and they will not gain self-respect like that time the Queen had to fight the crazy dog with only a brick in her handbag… It’s a true shame.
Really, there is almost no reason to go to SDCC, unless you really want to, y’know, see people or have fun or meet your favorite creators and such. I mean, honestly, who wants to do that kind of thing?
13 Comments
I actually felt kind of sorry for you until I looked around and realized that I, too, am not in San Diego. Let’s cry together on the internet.
Wow, how could you not list: Poor Fanboy and FanGirl Hygiene? Or how about Poor Fanboy/Fangirl Manners(to fellow attendees)? They may suck up and kiss the ring of thier fave creators and celebs but from personal experience of attending 5 SDCCs since 2002, both problems of hygiene and manners have not changed much. You would think that a big mass of so-callled “progressive inellectuals”(that make up 90% of this pilgrimage) in one gathering of similar minds and tastes would be just as good in thier motto of “coexist”(yeah I ve seen those lame “progressive” bumper stickers).
How about: The Lame Stream Media Kissing Up to Big Hollywood? Yeah, the same ones that year after year still make fun of and ridicule SDCC and its stereotyping of fans of pop culture…yet still hunker down and cover this massive 4-day event(mainly because Big Hollywood has taken over CCI). That should be Reason #1. Most come here for the media attention but give no respect to the common SDCC attendee. For ratings, they always go for the totally weird and uber geeky fans that fit the sterotype and always makes we regular, normal everyday fans look bad. They almost never seem to interview and cover what SDCC is really about(comic books and the creators) and go for the sensational just to get ratings. That’s not true objective journalism. For those few objective media groups(print, tv, social, etc)that have gone above and beyond the stereotype, I admire and salute them with my utmost repsect.
Your last paragraph states exactly why I have a hard time taking San Diego seriously much anymore. If I have to see footage of the “let’s protest the DC revamp” people as somehow speaking for all nerdom on the TV news, I will have to ask for a reporter hunting season. About the only time their stereotyping actually was decent was in last year’s nerds v. Westboro “Church”.
There’s a Titanium Ranger? O.o
Used to live in San Diego in the 80s as a US Navy brat and the weather was just as perfect then as I last remembered it at last year’s SDCC.
Loved the the smell of the beach and the ocean. The nice fit females jogging and roller-blading.
But yeah, the #1 reason I am glad I am not in Sunny Diego: I’m already broke so I wouldn’t be able to really have fun and enjoy SDCC anyway. We are in a bad recession(after 3 years in office Yobama still blames everyione else but himself), un-employment has gone beyond 9% contrary to what YoBama promised, no real recovery in sight(sorry Yobama but you got no excuse…how’s that No Hope and No Change coming along anyway?), and yet people can still afford to go to SDCC? Is there some kind of Nanny State Government Hand-Out Welfare Progam for SDCC that I don’t know about?
I’m saving the pennies and planning on going next year…can anyone recommend a got hotel/motel?
Love the Monkees Movie Head clip of Mickey in the desert.
I live much closer to SD than you guys and I share most of the same sentiments. Also, I very much appreciated the David Boreanaz reference. Thanks Matthew!
Can we start a Send Matthew to SDCC 2012 fundraiser?
Home much would it cost to get him room, meals, travel, and attendance/press pass?
Surely in a year we could raise that right?
If the number of people who listen to the Major Spoilers Podcast AND Critical Hit were to becoming recurring donors (see that link in the upper right side of the site), you wouldn’t have to worry about sending Matthew to JUST SDCC 2012. If we had that number of recurring donors, we could send the entire Major Spoilers Crew to SDCC every year. As it stands right now, we’ll be able to send Matthew to the A&W for a soda next month for a children’s sized water…. :D
Don’t forget, I may have to fly Southwest, which will be two seats. :)
In that case, Greyhound sounds like the best option…
The Matthew Cruiser