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Con Journal: California Dreamin'

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Con Journal: California Dreamin'

My first time at San Diego Comic-Con...but is it my last?

Adriano Ariganello

Jul 31, 2024

Transcript

Making the Pilgrimage

SDCC is a must-do for any comics fan - at least once. Even more so for a creator. It’s just where everyone is.

If you want to feel the pulse of comics, it’s in San Diego.

That said, do you need to go every year?

We'll get to the bottom of that question in this newsletter.

But first, let me share what I picked up…

The Haul

One of the biggest things San Diego is known for is the exclusives. It’s a hell of a marketing gimmick - and one I fell for repeatedly.

The foil-variant Absolute Batman ashcan was the only true “must-get” I had on my list this weekend.

I haven’t felt this much excitement for comics, or DC Comics, since the New 52. I know what I could have got for my New 52 Batman #1 if it didn’t get damaged in my uneven longbox, but that’s not why I picked it up initially.

Same goes for this Absolute Batman ashcan. I wanted a memento of the occasion that would be locked to a point in time. An ashcan for a comic that’s coming out months later accomplishes that.

I also picked up a few more exclusives from DC and IDW, but I didn’t go too out of control.

Panels, Panels, Panels

I wrote a Note about going to panels earlier last week. The reason for me to go to Cons, first as a fan and now as a creator, is to go to panels. These are the events that stick with me well beyond the weekend.

The floor is fun, but where you really learn about the industry is in these events. Here are the ones I went to with my two days at the con.

JULY 28 • THURSDAY

Exploring the Moon: the Artemis Generation
NASA made its successful return to the moon with its uncrewed Artemis I mission in lunar orbit and the first commercial lander delivery to the surface. Next year, Artemis II astronauts will fly around the moon and back to Earth. A. C. Charania (NASA chief technologist), Dionne Hernandez-Lugo (Gateway lunar space station), Jackelynne Silva-Martinez (Artemis mission integrator), and a NASA astronaut will discuss how the Artemis missions will explore more of the moon’s surface, test technologies to conduct science, and help humans live and work in deep space in preparation for crewed missions to Mars.

This was not a panel I planned to attend. It was not on my list.

I thought I was showing up for the Minor Threats panel. (It sure was packed like it would be.)

Then a picture of the moon went up - and people cheered. I didn’t get it. It honestly took me until folks wearing NASA gear coming out for me to realize the mistake I made.

A fortunate mistake. Not only did I learn quite a bit, which is always fun, but it helped me rework an idea for a series that I’ve been struggling with - and potentially spawned a new one.

It’s one of those lucky mistakes that might lead to something huge down the line.

Takeaway: We’ve been to the moon, yes, but not the cool (see: dangerous) parts.

Minor Threats: A Roundtable with Patton Oswalt and Friends
Come be a (bar)fly on the wall for a discussion with Minor Threats creators Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn, Kyle Starks, and Ryan Browne. They discuss the C-list villains and henchpeople that populate the world of Minor Threats, taking a trip to the Lower Lair in the newest series, Minor Threats: Barfly. Moderated by Ben Blacker (Hex Wives, Thrilling Adventure Hour).

The benefit of already sitting through the NASA panel is that most of those folks were only there to hear about Artemis and the moon. A ragtag group of C-list villains did not crossover - so I was able to get a better seat.

I used that to learn a lot about how the Minor Threats universe is expanding - and I got inspired by the whole premise.

The point Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt tried to get across was not to “save” anything. Write like this is the only book that’ll exist. Change things permanently.

That’s how I’ve been approaching the work with one-shots — and with how the next two series, From Parts Unknown and Naked Kaiju Woman, have been written.

It was a good reminder to always write that way.

Takeaway: Don’t plan for “what happens when”, just plan to do the best with what’s in front of you.

DC's Absolute Power Panel
Some of DC’s top storytellers dive deeper into DC Publishing’s 2024 blockbuster summer event.

For me, this was the main event. I got to move a few seats closer and was pretty much front and center for this panel. I mentioned earlier that I’m very excited by this new All-In initiative DC has going on - so being in SDCC for the kick-off is a dream come true.

The fact that they didn’t save this for Friday or Saturday, when I’d be on the outside looking in (like I was for…everything Marvel, Image, Mad Cave, etc.) was a blessing in itself.

The reveals were huge - like the launch of Justice League Unlimited or Absolute Flash. The energy in the room was palpable.
(I understand Bleeding Cool spoiled a lot of this, but I avoided some of it so there would be some surprises - and I clearly wasn’t alone.)

Everyone who left the room got their hands on an exclusive pin and an ashcan. This lived up to the hype for me.

Takeaway: Comics can be really exciting when they want to be.

Kickstarting Comics in 2024 and Beyond
In 2023 comics on Kickstarter grew creator revenue 31 percent over a year and maintained a 78 percent success rate. Kickstarter’s head of publishing Oriana Leckert, Rocketship Entertainment CEO & publisher Tom Akel, Bad Idea CEO Dinesh Shamdashani, Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz, comics writer and Kickstarter Advisory Board member Kat Calamia, and Mythworks co-founder Ray Chou discuss best practices, success, and failures, and what’s next for crowdfunded comics!

I truly believe that you can always learn something new by hearing the same information told to you in a different way. This was the Kickstarting Comics panel for me. There was nothing revelatory.

It was all more or less what I expected. I asked a question half-knowing what the answer would be (regarding getting followers on Kickstarter: do it), but it’s always good to hear things again to get them ingrained.

Takeaway: You can always learn more from relearning what you think you know.

Creating Comics: Ask the Pros AMA
Zen (Artist Elite letterer/editor, Pink Power), Pat Shand (Zenescope/Black Mast writer, Destiny NY, Cheeky), Jeromy DeChant (Modern Fantastic senior director of communications and strategy), Rachel Pinales (writer/editor), Brock Smith (ZRock Comics owner; senior writer, The Ferryman), and Matias Timarchi (director, Alien Books) host an Ask Me Anything Q&A, moderated by Christian Pedersen (ZRock Comics editor/chief of publication).

Not dissimilar from the previous panel, a lot of what was discussed here wasn’t terribly new. The panelists were diverse enough in their experiences and roles that the answers were always varied and interesting.

Any opportunity I can take to learn from

Pat Shand

, I’m more than happy to take.

Takeaway: There’s no one path. Everyone has their own ‘breaking in’ story.

JULY 28 • SUNDAY

What Are Comic Book Editors Looking For?
David Avallone (Image's Drawing Blood) and Rylend Grant (The Jump)—co-hosts of the award-winning Writers Block podcast—present an all-star panel of editors who will discuss the current state of the comic book union and answer the question once and for all, "What are editors at the biggest/baddest publishers looking for?" Featuring Chris Ryall (EIC of the Image imprint Syzygy), Barbra Dillon (EIC of Fanbase Press), and Joseph Rybandt (editorial director at Dynamite Entertainment).

This was a panel of hard truths.

That sounds like a negative, but it’s not.

I’ve heard a lot of what was said here from other editors before (and felt it in putting together Big Smoke Pulp). Hearing them again from a whole new set of editors just reminded me that I’m on the right path.

Takeaway: Have something to show people. Schmoozing is over-rated.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: From the First Issue to The Last Ronin
Cowabunga! The first Teenage Mutant Turtles comic book was published by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984, and now, 40 years later, the Turtles are more popular than ever, starring on television, in movies, and in toy stores worldwide! Join TMNT: The Ultimate Visual History author Andrew Farago for a Turtles Shell-a-bration with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and his TMNT: The Last Ronin collaborators Tom Waltz and Ben Bishop, TMNT 2 star Ernie Reyes Jr., and TMNT storyboard artist and animation director Larry Houston (X-Men '97) as they discuss the Turtles' past, present, and future.

Unlike most of the other panels I had gone to, this one wasn’t about craft or selling future products. This panel was pure celebration. The ovation when Kevin Eastman walked in or when Ernie Reyes Jr. said his upcoming projects were just “being happy and healthy” were highpoints. I’ve been a Turtles fan since before I could remember, so getting to reminisce with some of the people who created those memories was something special.

Takeaway: The Turtles kick multi-generational ass.

The Writers Block: Career Paths in Comics
You want to make comics . . . but how does that work, exactly? How do you find work, and get projects off the ground, and once you've started, how do you keep going? David Avallone (Elvira, Drawing Blood) and Rylend Grant (Banjax, Fa Sheng Origins), hosts of the award-winning Writers Block podcast bring together a panel of talented veterans who have taken wildly diverse paths to get their ideas on the page. Trevor Fernandes-Lenkiewicz (Rise) and Amanda Deibert-Staggs (Darkwing Duck) will tell you their stories and speak honestly about the ins and outs, the highs and lows, of a life spent making comic books.

This was almost a repeat of the panel at the beginning of the day - with David Avallone and Rylend Grant repeating a lot of the anecdotes they had from the previous panel. Still, it’s always good to hear from folks just one or two steps ahead of you like

Trevor Fernandes-Lenkiewicz

to see the path.

Takeaway: What defines creators as “pro” has changed for the better.

Tagging Along with Cool Folks

It wasn’t just panels or things at the event itself. Here’s some trouble I got into outside of the con.

GlobalComix Mixer

Depending on who you talk to in my life, you’ll get a different picture of me. Some think I’m a wallflower. Others think I can talk to anyone. It really depends on the situation.

This one was a weird one. I was ready to talk to anyone - but that wasn’t reciprocated. For a mixer, most folks stuck to themselves…at least until Mick Beyers took a seat at the table I was at.

We didn’t exchange names for a good 45 minutes - instead realizing that we did some cross-promotion on each other’s Kickstarter campaigns. We hit it off talking 90s Superman Triangle comics and how we don’t entirely understand vertical scroll the same way the “kids” do.

CBLDF SDCC Welcome Party

This wasn’t on my agenda, but Mick was kind enough to drag me along with him and the rest of the White Ash crew. There were a lot more recognizable faces here - though I didn’t know any directly myself - and some really cool items to bid on in the silent auction.

I put my name down for a couple of CGC books, but never got the call. Too rich for my blood, but for a good cause so congrats to whomever took home those books.

Black Jackett Club Founder's Breakfast

This event was one that convinced me to finally check out SDCC for myself. It was a brief breakfast. Still, we got to spend some time with other motivated creators, along with the Absolute Batman duo Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta.

I also got to meet

Oscar Osorio

in the flesh after following his career path online. He's got the same energy in person as he does in his socials.

On The Floor

SDCC is weird in how they spread all the indie creators out. Artist alley, small press and the “IP pavilion” are all on opposite ends of the floor.

I made a point to visit

Jim Zub

after missing out at Fan Expo last year. I had read most of what he had on offer, so I grabbed a sweet signed copy of Conan.

His website was pivotal in getting me started and I recommend you read every entry. So much good content.

Off-Site and Non-Comic Activity

I only had badge for Thursday and Sunday, so I found some other things to do with my time on Friday and Saturday. Including returning to LA.

Golden Apple Comics

This was a shop I've always heard about, so it was a must do. It didn't disappoint. Lots of great bundle deals plus a Mark Waid signed (albeit smudged) copy of Absolute Power #1.

LAFC

There was also some non-comic activity in my agenda. It was frankly a good break from it all.

BMO Stadium was amazing. The building, the tailgating and the atmosphere. It made me see the gap that BMO Field in Toronto now has to bridge - though it does have LA beat on beer prices. My goodness is California expensive.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Back in San Diego, the free time allowed me to catch Deadpool & Wolverine before it could get spoiled walking the floors of SDCC and overhearing the conversations. (Which, it definitely would have.)

This movie is pure fan service - which is fine because it was never a secret. You do not start your MCU journey here. If you do, you won't find too much in it for you.

As someone who can find Deadpool annoying, even knowing that it’s his schtick to be so, I really enjoyed this one. Hugh Jackman is as good as ever as Wolverine - and this is easily the most comics accurate version. I’m very glad we got to see that with him.

Avoid spoilers if you can. The cameos and surprises are most of the fun.

The Book Stores of San Diego

In Toronto, we have a bookstore called BMV. It's one of my favourite places.

I was on the hunt for a similar place in San Diego. Was I successful? Kind of.

Aside from the cool indie bookshops (like Verbatim Books, pictured), I found a place called Bookoff and picked up way too many books. I enjoyed it so much, I hit up another one on my way back to LA to fly home.

Well…Are You Going Back to SDCC?

In short: no, at least not right away.

As much as I enjoyed it, I don’t think I’ll go back just as a fan. I love going to panels and getting to meet folks, but this event gave me a weird feeling. I was on the outside looking in - even as I met a few folks who backed campaigns or subscribed to this newsletter.

The event itself felt eerily similar to Fan Expo Canada. It’s not unlike when I’m abroad and find a restaurant that folks are raving about, just to discover that we have something similar (or better) at home. I don’t need to pay the exorbitant hotel fees or sit on a 5-hour flight when a 14-minute train ride will provide the same experience.

If there’s business to tend to - a weekend in San Diego wouldn’t be out of the question. It’s clear that SDCC is the centre of the comics world and I wouldn’t swear it off. I just don’t think I need to return as a fan. Not unless I have a reason beyond “checking it out”.

Next year, I’ll likely shoot for New York Comic Con instead. I can drive there from Toronto (or take a very cheap flight) and I know NYC well enough not to get hosed on hotels, food or events.

Between now and then though, there’s a few events north of the border I’ll be attending or tabling at.

Plus, I’ve got one more trip into unknown territory this year: Thought Bubble. I’m actually exhibiting there - handing out freebies and driving people to the various Pesto Comics projects that’ll be available online.

I hope to see you there - or at any of the other shows I’ll be at!

Have you ever been to SDCC? Do you want to go?
What’s your favourite con to go to?

Quick Updates from Pesto Comics

Crazy Latte Thing Called Love

Surveys have been sent! We’re at 75% complete and I’ll start locking orders very soon. When that happens, backers will get access to download digital copies.

Print pages are due to hit my door this Friday! I’ll be packing through the weekend to get these out to backers asap.

From Parts Unknown

With Crazy Latte Thing Called Love nearly ready for fulfillment, the project page for the next Kickstarter From Parts Unknown: Issue 1 will be submitted for approval. Once that happens, I’ll start sharing out the prelaunch page to make sure we launch big!

Big Smoke Pulp

With SDCC done and dusted, I have time to get back to formatting this book. I’ll be sending contracts out to the contributing authors soon along with their stories formatted for the book.

This project will launch after From Parts Unknown, so expect to hear more about this one in the Fall.

Vaughan Con

On August 10, you can find me tabling at Vaughan Con. It’s a very low cost of entry ($5 CAD), so if you’re in the area - stop by and grab some of the latest from Pesto Comics. Or just say hi!