3 MINUTE MAX / CRISIS STRIKE

A Desperate Struggle

See this cool battle going on here? The one with the awesome added muzzle flash and sparks? <—(shameless plug for myself; Max’s art really starts to get brutal here.)

This is nothing compared to the struggle I had trying to get Internet access via 4G at the San Diego Comic-Con. I had planned to be able to do this update directly from the Con itself, for added coolness. But — perhaps not surprisingly — it turns out when you have nine zillion righteous geeks gathered in one area seeing things that get them sweaty and excited, they all whip out their smartphones and totally swamp the towers. I really should have known.

So this all had to wait until I got back home where there was a nice fat Web pipe and I could go online to see all the cool stuff about ComicCon that I totally missed because I had not been waiting in line for Hall H since 6AM Thursday morning. To tell the truth, I think it is easier to enjoy ComicCon online these days. You actually get to see more, due to all the people posting pictures from their smartphones. And, y’know, swamping the towers.

Even text messages were being delayed up to 15 minutes.

But I did get to see some friends, and bought a few comic books from other webcomic artists such as Aaron Alexovitch and the astoundingly prolific David Willis. However, it kinda felt like the Con is not really about comic creators any more. It still has comic-related appeal, but most of the flash and dazzle is for movies and video games based on comics. The big panels were for things like Arrow, Avengers, X-Men and a Superman-Batman team-up movie. Which, y’know, I can totally understand. No one really wants to look at comic book artists/writers if they can look at Scarlett Johansson instead.

Speaking of which, apparently there is some sort of cosplay rule at SDCC:

If you are female and have red hair (natural or not) you must cosplay in the following manner:

I swear I must have seen at least 30 of each. Not that I’m complaining.  But not a single Yoko, darn it.  I guess getting a .50 Barrett past security is just too daunting.

Now, onward to the requisite snapshots:

Max The Artist at the con:

3 Minute Max gets some curb appeal!

Younger son John cosplaying a Hotline Miami video game character wtf i don’t even

(He actually had to get that plastic bat safety-checked by Security.)

Minus the chicken head.

Self with the Halo Honeys. The Pink Spartan is my buddy Greg’s daughter Hayley with her friends in their home-made armor. Naturally they were mobbed the second they went downstairs.

So a good time was had by all.  Now back to reality!

Darn it.

— Bob out