UPDATE: 07.26.09 (scroll down for more…)
I am officially Conned out! Comic-Con 2009 is now done and I’m making my way back to L.A. (traffic!!!).  After 4 days either behind a table for hours or navigating overcrowded aisles, I am ready to return to the relative peace, quiet and solitude of Los Angeles.

Overall it was a great trip – lots of OJ swag is now out there in the world. The best part was meeting all the cool folks who stopped by the table and gave props to the series (or took a chance on something new and bought a DVD).

And big up to the Comic-Con staff who made sure the whole show ran smooth, even for us shady Artists Alley types. The only glitches I was involved in the whole 4 1/2 days was when I tried handing out postcard to peeps waiting in line for the Black Panel (a big enough violation that three security dudes rushed me!), and when my chair was stolen (I’m thinking some crazy groupie rushed off with it). Oh, and when I wandered too close to District 9:

UPDATE: 07.24.09
Okay, even though the OJ table is in a far corner of the convention hall, I am now grateful to not be stuck in the middle of the masses. The crowds here are overwhelming (and it’s not even Saturday yet). And while most peeps are crushing each other to grab the latest ‘exclusive’ collectible whatever, it’s good to talk up the show to the folks that are actually looking around for something that isn’t being marketed by a major studio or publisher.

I’ve been entering anyone who buys a trading card into a contest (drawings at 1 & 4 pm), and whoever has the card that I draw wins a DVD… folks love the giveaways. The rest of the time I’m dealing with surly socially-challenged teens who try to nab buttons for free without asking. Also met the funny dudes behind the web series Safety Geeks: SVI yesterday, very cool folks. More updates on the way…

Getting interviewed for bavfx. Photo credit Andy Carreon.

No Sleep Till Comic-Con
Starting tomorrow, I’ll be making the trek into the heart of geekdom to set up an Orlando’s Joint table at the San Diego Comic-Con. Being a low-level comic geek, I’ve gone to the event a number of times over the years, but this is the first time I’ve nabbed a table in Artists Alley. While I’m skeptical about how busy I’ll be (I figure most of the folks trolling the Alley are gonna be looking for pencillers to draw them a Wolverine or Darth Maul sketch for ten bucks), I’m happy to not be wandering among the ever-increasing crowds.

I plan to post updates and pics here as the Con progresses, so keep checking back. And if you’re lucky enough to have tix to this sold-out event, come by table JJ-3 and say hey! Till I update, check out some of the OJ trading cards I’ll be hawking (along with DVDs, t-shirts, etc):