On 24 Jul 2010 21:07:23 -0700, Jan  wrote:

>Jon and I just got back from the con.  The Spotlight panel of JMS's was 
>*great*!  He arranged (through Pat Tallman's Talent To Go company, I believe) 
>for there to be a sagged reading of the upcoming Wonder Woman 601.  Four young 
>actors were onstage reading the parts and JMS read the descriptions for the 
>panels with no dialogue while each page showed up on the big screen.  I liked 
>it a lot!  We get the backstory on what happened to Paradise Island and to 
>Queen Hippolyta and more info on her opponents.
>
>JMS said that we'll find out more as we go along and that much of what 
>Diana/Wonder Woman will be facing is based on Greek mythology.
>
>I can't think of any real big news.  JMS mentioned names like Spielberg and 
>Cameron and others but they're all projects that he can't talk about.  I think 
>he may have thought there'd be some announcements by the time the con rolled 
>around.  He also mentioned that there's a TV project in the works but, again, 
>he can't discuss it.
>
>Oh, Cameron won't be directing Forbidden Planet because he's prepping for 
>Avatar 2 (I think it was). 
>
>It was a great panel and JMS ended it reminding people to Never Surrender 
>Dreams. 
>
>Jan

Jan,
I am glad that YOUR experience at SDCC was good.  Just got back, and
mine was a HUGE waste of time!  Started with just getting downtown.
The trolley must have not scheduled any of the special con trains
until after things started, so waited almost half an hour for what
were supposed to be every 15 minute trains, so by the time I got
checked in, had missed the first third of the Castle panel.  But, Pam
still enjoyed it.

Then, went down to the exhibit hall.  Such a zoo, and not in a good
way.  Could barely move, couldn't really see anything without getting
run over, and when we finally got the Peanut's booth, they were
practically sold out!

So, we went upstairs to get in line for the Glee panel.  They were
even holding the handicapped line till the panel before was out
(American Dad.)  That panel ran really, really late, to when the Glee
panel was supposed to start, and then NO ONE LEFT!  So, they had 50
people in the DS line (Disabled Services) and probably several hundred
in the regular line, and they let in like 10 people from the disabled
line.  After waiting in line for over an hour, we gave up, and just
went home.

I am now of the opinion that SDCC is just too big, too bloated, and
needs to massively reorganize in order to survive.  Whether they bread
off the movie and TV stuff, and create an LA con, or go to some sort
of reservation system for the panels, I don't know.  I do know that I
won't be going back.  Not after wasting $40 on the memberships, and
$300 in hotel and restaurant bills!

Even the blood drive was a disappointment.  The goodie bag that I got
only had a single True Blood tee shirt, and a couple of little things.
No action figures, no custom blood drive tee shirt, no free comics or
magazines, nothing of any value.  It seems that, dispite the sold out
con, they economized all over.  They even had their first physical
assault over a saved seat!

No more!

Charlie
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