“And I’d like the McRib available all year round but sometimes dreams don’t come true.” – Deadpool 2. I call San Diego Comic-Con a once in a lifetime event that happens annually. It has something new and for just about everyone year after year. Thursday was the first full day of the exhibit hall and it felt very crowded in spots upon opening but emptied out after 5:00 PM. Transformers One and Chris Hemsworth kicked things off in Hall H, the 6,500 person venue known for star sightings, surprises and previews. And ended with a screening of Deadpool & Wolverine with appearances from Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Kevin Feige and DP creator Rob Liefeld in the crowd signing those sexy Wolverine popcorn buckets for the fans. Afterwards, an awe-inspiring fireworks and drone show was the surprise post-post credits scene. This is the magic of SDCC that is not replicated anywhere else.
After walking the floor a bit, I Shellebrated the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th anniversary where co-creator Kevin Eastman took the audience down memory lane as a couple of kids in New Hampshire inspired by Jack Kirby and Daredevil comics made their own tale which turned into a hit series and multi-media empire. After that it was a rousing talk from Todd McFarlane about upcoming comic books in the Spawn Universe and an update on the long percolating feature film. Now titled King Spawn which has a first draft completed and will be drawing extra heat from R rated comic book flicks Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming Joker 2. McFarlane is one of the fantastic speakers of our day, always funny and insightful. He ended the panel sharing that he is the manifestation of Donkey from Shrek, who no one wanted to go on the adventure but the only one who volunteered. Leading into a life lesson about “why not me?” and volunteering first to get ahead, whether you’re the most talented artist or person out there or not, go for it.
Next it was Spotlight on Jim Lee of X-Men and Batman fame and my favorite comic book artist of all time. Lee spent the panel drawing the hands of Sasquatch from Alpha Flight, The Punisher, Wolverine, Grifter and Batman while talking about his career and evolution as an artist. He then filled in the head of each character and gave the sketches out to the audience based on what they had in their pockets or if it was a birthday. Back to the show floor I was on the hunt for various exclusives and picked up a Spawn print signed by McFarlane, Super7’s Conan the Barbarian action figure and a short stack of graphic novels.
Whether in life or on a crowded convention center floor, keep it moving!
