See that pic to the left? I just googled ComicCon and got 873,000,000+ results in a quarter of a second!
My first visit to ComicCon was back in the late ’90s when I was doing THE SILVER SURFER on FoxKids.
I sat at a table beside Stan Lee and felt like a total imposter as we both signed autographs and later the same day we did a short panel about the upcoming show.
It was a small, cozy gathering of comic book fans, with just a smattering of TV and (maybe, I don’t remember) film announcements and personalities.
My old buddy Glen Larson was there because of NIGHTMAN, a show he had created and was producing (in San Diego).
I remember that at his panel no one thought to ask him about any of his other classic shows. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, KNIGHT RIDER, MAGNUM P.I., THE FALL GUY, AUTOMAN were all yesterday’s news to the ComicCon crowd.
Oh, and speaking of KNIGHT RIDER, David Hasselhoff was at the con too, talking about his upcoming starring role as Nick Fury in the NICK FURY: AGENT OF SHIELD TV movie.
As I recall no one asked him much at all. About anything. The fans just wanted to see a clip from the film, hoping they wouldn’t be too disappointed.
In the 15 or so years since then a lot has changed. ComicCon has become “Science Fiction and Fantasy Films and TV and Oh Yeah Also Comics Con.” Hundreds of thousands of fans pack the hall. Actors and other celebrities are everywhere, and huge presentations about various shows, films, and occasionally comics strive to outdo one another.
This year, like last year, entertainment news seems to be just another term for What’s Happening at ComicCon. No matter what your news source, if you want to know what’s happening in showbiz you’re assaulted by ComicCon announcements, videos, articles, the works. I love to see things grow. I love to watch the way culture changes. I love that my favorite genres – SF and fantasy – are now the dominant mainstream.
But I miss what was. I miss the magic and vibrancy of comic books and the fun of meeting with friends, fans, and heroes at our own special little gathering…and ComicCon.
