My first assignment for Comic-Con 2010 was given to me via Twitter the night before I left. LucasArts would be giving away free Monkey Island Voodoo Dolls to those that asked for fine leather jackets. As soon as I had acquired my badge, I rushed over to the LucasArts booth, where I found Chris Cook holding a box full of the little guys. I gave him the secret password, and just like that, one of them made their way into my possession. It was just like magic... I mean, voodoo.
Signed Stuff #1: Monkey Island Voodoo Doll (By Dave Grossman)
My next stop would bring me to the Telltale Games booth. Once there, I learned that Graham Annable would be signing books from 11 AM to 12 PM. I had been told that he would be there, so I packed my copy of The Book of Grickle in advance. Graham was happy to sign it, and we even had a brief discussion about his gaming career. He worked on Sam & Max: Freelance Police before the time of its cancellation, and had an artistic hand in a few other LucasArts games, as well. Many fans may recall that he also worked at Telltale Games for awhile.
Graham Annable
Before I left the Telltale Games booth, I picked up a few knickknacks, including the Sam & Max Button Set, Sam & Max San Diego Comic-Con '92 T-Shirt, and Tales of Monkey Island Art Portfolio. I also had Dave Grossman sign my copy of Tales of Monkey Island and the aforementioned Monkey Island Voodoo Doll. Just about everyone at the Telltale Games booth was ecstatic to see me pull that out of my bag, and now that it has been signed by Dave Grossman, it is a true collector's item.
Signed Stuff #2: Tales of Monkey Island (By Dave Grossman)
Following that, I decided to circle the convention center in an effort to broaden my horizons a bit. In the process, I managed to purchase two plushies (Shadow and Yoshi), collect a boatload of free swag, acquire discounts to Knott's Scary Farm, and "win" a trip to Miami, Florida. I have my doubts about that last one. I almost purchased an (officially licensed) Indiana Jones Fedora Hat, but was shocked to find that it was 75 bucks. There is no way in hell that I would ever pay that much for a hat. Everything quickly became a blur, and before I knew it, it was nearing closing time.
Overall, this is how I feel about Comic-Con.
I returned to the Telltale Games booth one last time, so that I could ask them about a certain forthcoming playtest. Yes, I am referring to Back to the Future. They gave me the name of the person that is tasked with adding people to the list of playtesters. Then, I bid them farewell, and made my way out of the convention center. My trip back to the train station was slow moving, but I am glad that I walked. The trolley cars were super packed.
They're packed into that car like sardines! I'm glad that I walked back to the train station.
Part 4: Closing Comments
In the end, Comic-Con 2010 certainly had *some* good points. The massive crowds were definitely a nuisance, but it was great to once again be given the chance to mingle with the fine folks at LucasArts and Telltale Games, and the free swag was as cool as always. Still, as I described in Part 1, I have begun to tire of Comic-Con. The zombie-like crowds, the super strict security personnel, the (mostly) overpriced merchandise... It all just bugs the crap out of me, and now, it seems that it may have cost me a friend, as well.
So, it is not likely that I will be attending Comic-Con again next year. I would love to visit San Diego again, but not the convention center. I still thank Telltale Games for giving me the opportunity to attend my first convention back in October 2007, though. Attending these conventions has been a one of a kind experience for me. Sure, there were some bad experiences along the way, but that is all part of life, right?
More photos can be found on my Facebook page (I am officially out of free space on Flickr):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070935&id=1168190618
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