A smile will not leave my face for weeks, and I've already been recognized from my work on Astronomy.com! // all photos by Michael E. Bakich
I arrived in San Diego at 11:30 a.m., a bit ahead of schedule because the last of my flights was shorter than advertised. A quick taxi ride got me to the hotel, the Marriott Marquis and Marina, which adjoins the convention center where Comic-Con is happening. I mean right next door — a two-minute stroll.
My instructions said I couldn’t pick up my press badge until 3 p.m., so off to lunch I went. The route to "restaurant row" took me past the convention center, which was abuzz with activity. A lady noticed me staring and asked, "Are you a vendor?"
"No, ma'am," I said, "Press."
"Door D. Here, follow me."
Three minutes later, and two and a half hours early, I had my press kit. As I put on the badge, a huge smile crossed my face. It may not disappear for weeks.
The exhibit hall (a nexus that friends have called the "wonder of wonders") opened at 6 p.m. for us early birds. I thought I'd see if any authors or screenwriters are around who want to chat about astronomy.
As I was walking past the hall, I heard someone say, "Hello, Mr. Bakich." As I turned to the crowd of several thousand, I saw nobody I knew. But one person drew closer and introduced himself as a fan of Astronomy magazine.
"You have awesome vision," I said, assuming that he'd read my badge.
"No, I recognized you from your blogs on Astronomy.com. I love your website." That made me feel great.
And then it was 6 p.m. As the doors to the exhibit hall swung wide, I was carried inside by the momentum of the crowd of cheering, chanting souls. Oh, my!
You know, I don't impress easily. No astronomer does. But the scale and brilliance of the displays honestly stunned me. So, instead of moving down the rows in an organized way, for the next three hours I pinballed from one dazzling exhibit to the next: Marvel; DC; Warner Brothers; LEGO; Capcom; AMC; and untold hundreds of smaller vendors.
I saw lots of projects and stuff related to astronomy, but this was not a place to interact with fellow humans. Well, not without a credit card in hand. Hopefully, the smaller panels and interview rooms will be more conducive to chatting.
More as it happens.
Related blogs:
Comic-Con 2012: What would you ask a legend?
A Midwest astronomer in Comic-Con's court
The Walking Dead had a significant presence at Comic-Con.
Marvel Comics always maintains a huge presence at Comic-Con.
The Mad magazine display area contained an art show featuring the publication's signature character, Alfred E. Newman.