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Day 0 - The day before the Con
We arrive in San Diego and check into the hotel. Walk over to the SD Convention Center.
Security tells us we should get in line for Pro and Press passes. After waiting in line for 45
minutes, we finally get to the head of the line, but our passes are nowhere to be found.
After another 15 minutes of fooling around and acting helpless, staff discovers that we are
Press, instead of Pro. "Oh, we don't give out the press passes until 9 a.m. tomorrow!" We go
back to the hotel and eat.
Day 1
Up before 8. Heat water for instant coffee. Breakfast on coffee and hotel room snacks.
Go downstairs and cash some travelers checks. Go back upstairs, where everyone bums money off
Dad. After a brief staff meeting, we head for the Convention Center.
At 9 a.m. I am second in line. 9 a.m. comes and goes. Staff finally arrives. "Oh, you have
to wait 'til 9:30 before we can give you your badge!" At 9:30, staff handles some big wig
ahead of everyone else in line. Finally, they start to take care of business, and we get
to the badges. They have badges for all the writers, but none for madame Editor - and none for
the Special Ed kid. They type one up for our Editor, but Elaine will be required to stand
in line for a few more hours to get a badge. Head back to the hotel to wait for the General
Admission line to shorten.
After lunch, Elaine and I head out to see if we can get a badge for her, too. After
standing in line again for an hour to get the badge, I almost miss the Marvel 2000 panel
I'm supposed to report on. After the panel, we go outside where I can smoke a cigarette.
California has this wierd law where you can't smoke inside any public building - even bars
and restaurants. In a California bar, you can get completely blasted - then go out and
run over six people in your car - but you can't smoke inside because someone might get
hurt!
After our little break, we finally get a look at the Exhibit Hall. I take some pictures
of some of the booths. Hunt for celebrities to photograph. Most of the ones who have already
arrived are in other panels right now. I spot only three booths that are selling "real books"
this year. I buy six. When I cruise past the Del Rey booth, I am introduced to several
authors being promo'd at the Con. Some of the names sound familiar. They gratefully press
free books into my hands. Ah, the joys of being part of the fifth estate! Elaine complains that
her feet hurt. Because she was so good sitting through the panel, we head back to the hotel
to wait for the other CT staff to arrive.
Day 2
Up before 8. Heat water for instant coffee. Breakfast on coffee and hotel room snacks.
Go downstairs and cash some travelers checks. Go back upstairs, where everyone bums money off
Dad. After a brief staff meeting, we head for the Convention Center. At least we don't have
to wait in line today!
The hunt for celebs, and for "real books," continues in the "Exhibition Hall". Since there
aren't any celebrities out this early, I take pictures of just about anyone in costume. Lots
of exhibitionists today. Find another booth which sells "real books," but don't buy any. This
guy thinks very highly of his merchandise. I see a signed ACE Double containing not one, but
two Harlan Ellison first editions, all for $40. Strangely enough, I'm reminded of Ron Goulart.
Del Rey has apparently pierced my disguise and discovered that I'm only a columnist
for a web site. The books are a lot less plentiful. Apparently, they don't understand that
I review "real books" here.
Later, Next Planet Over stages a "photo op" featuring Forrest J. Ackerman and Vampirella,
but Security will hardly let anyone take a picture. Wonder who the "photo op" was supposed
to be for? I finally get a good picture by standing outside the booth and shooting
into it from the side.
After lunch, more panels, then back to the hotel. Now, my feet hurt!
Day 3
Up before 8. Heat water for instant coffee. Breakfast on coffee and hotel room snacks.
Go downstairs and cash some travelers checks. Go back upstairs where everyone bums money off
Dad. After a brief staff meeting, we head for the Convention Center. At least we don't have
to wait in line today!
The Marvel booth is especially loud today, booming out over the surrounding territory.
Somehow, I thought they had noise abatement laws in California. They seem to have laws against
almost everything else.
Del Rey loves me again! They introduced me to James Clemens and gave me one of his books
which he signed and thumb-printed. Later, when I start to read it in the hotel, its actually
good - really good! I think I've made a find!
Elaine gets her picture taken with someone in a Bart Simpson costume who is working one
of the booths. Later she poses with something called a Digimon. Then Digimon and some
Imperial Stormtroopers mix it up. Sidra shows up, and I take a picture of her with Brian
Talbot. By now, its almost lunch time, so I take Elaine back upstairs to get expensive pizza
at the lunch counter.
After lunch, I smoke a cigarette. Then we attend a panel. Afterwards, trap one of the
participants into granting an interview. Said interview will probably be published in September
or October. Since I bribed Elaine by buying her a Simpsons keychain earlier, she's as good
as gold!
Then its back to the hotel, because everyone's feet hurt!
Day 4
Up before 8. Heat water for instant coffee. Breakfast on coffee and hotel room snacks.
Go downstairs and cash some travelers checks. Go back upstairs where everyone bums money off
Dad. After a brief staff meeting, we head for the Convention Center.
For some bizarre reason, we have to wait in line today! Whassup? After I begin to take
pictures of Security barring the way to the Exhibit Hall while other people stroll around
inside, they decide its alright to let us go in, too. By now, its a half hour past time for
the Con to open. If I ever thought Security was just having a bad day the previous three days,
all my illusions are dispelled.
I spot Lou Farigno at one of the booths and ask to take his picture. Folks at the Del Rey
booth say I should come back at 1:30 to meet another of their authors. I explain that by 1:30,
we'll be on our way back to Texas. More crazy running around looking for things to photograph.
Last-minute meetings and purchases are concluded.
Back to the hotel, where we hurredly pack and check out - then downstairs to the car. I tip
the bellman too much because we now have a lot of extra baggage. He even helps us pack the car,
so maybe its not too large a tip after all. In three days time, we'll be back in Texas!
Later that day when we cross the California border, I want to get out and kiss the ground.
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