In 2011, I attended my first ever San Diego Comic-Con. I was not the only newcomer that year, though. A few months prior to departing a friend of mine, an SDCC vet, mentioned that there would be a concurrent, almost ‘mini-con’ for creator-owned works dubbed “Tr!ckster”. I was excited about the prospect (to be frank I was excited about everything I heard surrounding my first ever trip to the Con to end all Cons)but  it quickly fell out of my mind. I was definitely more focused on the bigger, flashier aspects of SDCC: the announcements from the “big 2”, their panels, their writers, and their immense presence on the floor. It was the grand spectacle that I was venturing to San Diego for, not some intimate gathering.

When I finally arrived in San Diego, that view honestly didn’t change much. My friends and I hit up the place hosting Tr!ckster, conveniently located across the way from the convention center. We perused the art and the other offerings set up around the bar. Francesco Francavilla, Scott Morse, Mike Mignola, and Bernie Wrightson all had various things on display and for sale. I admit I was enticed and intrigued by everything I saw, still I (naively) saved my money for the superheroes that were waiting across the street.

In the months that followed the convention I found myself more and more disconnected from mainstream superhero stories. A number of factors led to this feeling of disenfranchisement but I won’t get into that here. I was still reading the hell out of my Batman, Swamp Thing, and Captain America comics but I found myself more drawn to the creator-owned side of things. At SDCC 2011, I had picked up a couple works by independent publisher Top Shelf. Most notable of these was Essex County by the wonderful Jeff Lemire. I was bowled over by how genuine and intimate the story was and read it over and over. Needless to say I was hooked and needed more. I found myself browsing the internet, combing through websites like Multiversity Comics and Comic Book Resources looking for more titles, creators, anything that was more along the lines of beautiful Essex County. I raided my local libraries, talked to my friends at my local comic shop  to see what was coming out and what they would recommend.

                By Spring 2012, I was all over new titles by Image, Vertigo, Dark Horse, Boom, and others. My creator-owned conversion was almost complete. Also by that time, San Diego Comic Con tickets had been purchased and plans of which artists and writers I was going to seek out were being formulated. I was ecstatic to hear that Tr!ckster would be returning  albeit in a different , less convenient location, still, my anticipation was hard to contain.

Finally, SDCC 2012 arrived and following a busy and productive Preview Night, my friends and I decided to seek out Tr!ckster’s new locale to rest our feet and sample the wares and down a few choice brews. While it did take us a minute to actually find the establishment hosting the mini-con, it was well worth the walk. The layout of the local bar that was hosting Tr!ckster, while smaller, offered a variety of spaces for us to relax in or explore. The venue had four rooms downstairs: a seating section with booths that was converted into the gallery/wares browsing quarter, the main serving bar and dining area, a wide open room that hosted modeling and classes, and an adjoining bar and dining area connected to the open room. Upstairs there lay an open patio area, complete with bar. After that night, it quickly became a spot I found myself wandering around and unwinding in regularly during the weekend.

                Aside from the casual atmosphere that offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of Comic-Con International, the removal of the wall between creator and fan is the crowning achievement of Tr!ckster. The first night there Scott Morse greeted us as we walked in. He was seated in one of the reserved booths working on some small watercolors he had for sale. He was very cordial and calm. Later that week, while taking a break from the convention floor I headed to Tr!ckster to rest and see who was there and/or what was going on.( I also had my mind on some pretty rad looking comics I had spotted earlier and wanted to snatch those up asap!) After grabbing my comics I wandered into the adjoin room to listen to Michael Golden give a talk on how to be a successful writer. I was maybe one of six people in the room and the experience was great. It is a rarity to find such a thing happening on the con floor.  What happened next was an even richer experience as Jill Thompson and Francesco Francavilla showed up to discuss and work on some art. I was sitting next to Jill Thompson and across from Francesco Francavilla as they both worked, jested, discussed, advised my fellow attendees on the ins and outs of technique, approaches, and the comic business itself. It was an irreplaceable and totally engrossing, unique experience.

                In 1970, the original SDCC, initially named the Golden State Comic Con, was held as a celebration of the sequential arts.  Suffice it to say, that has changed drastically in the past few years. Comic-Con International now plays host to a multitude of interests that span the whole of pop culture and nerd-dom. It’s easy for comics, their creators, and fans to get swept aside and over looked. Tr!ckster, however, maintains that founding focus and sees it through to its logical conclusion: to not only celebrate but to teach, fully explore, and then expand the scope of the art that is graphic story-telling. The genius of Tr!ckster rests in its simple, unassuming atmosphere and presentation. It allows the work to speak for itself. Its laid back environment, excellent beer/dining options, and focus on the creators and their craft are the perfect antidotes for the weary con wanderer who needs a break from the media blitz intensity of SDCC and all that it entails.

while perusing reddit found where some nice folks had posted some links for a couple of parties and events. 

http://www.facebook.com/sdzombiewalk

There is a link on this page to get a pass to the fearnet party that happens after this. 

and this site-

http://sdcomic-con.blogspot.com/p/san-diego-comic-con.html

has a great list of off site events and parties. 

we will be at a few of these. come find us and we will put booze into your body and make you party hard with us. 

San Diego ComicCon 2012 Convention Countdown on  Wednesday, 11 July 2012 at 18:00, CDT timezone (-0500 GMT)

Here is a reply to a post made on reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/comiccon/comments/okvuj/first_time_going_to_sdcc/) A kid was asking for advice for their first con. This is probably all said elswhere and there is other advice on that reddit page. But here are some additional ideas from us:

Comic-con can be overwhelming your first time in. Don’t let it get to you. If you get sensory overload, just go for a walk and come back. Or sit down for a minute. Just catch your breath.

If you dont get into a panel that you really want to see, try checking out one you wouldn’t normally consider. You might be surprised by what you learn. 

If you dont have a specific thing on your agenda and free time, just walk around. There are tons of things to see that you might miss. Especially in the indie area. Also, at some small press booths, big names will do signings for some of their lesser known books. Great way to get stuff signed or sketches. 

Def watch twitter and other sites like cinemamacula said. 

When in line for a long time, if the opportunity is there, get to know the people around you. It never hurts to make a new friend. 

Another good food spot to check is gaslamp pizza. A few blocks away, they always do a comic-con special where you get a huge slice of (really good) pizza and a soda for $6 or so. 

Your first time at comic-con is always awesome and a little disappointing because you cant do everything you want. But there will always be detailed reviews of everything. 

look for stuff on bleedingcool.com or wherethepartyat.co (which i have contributed to. not advertising, just saying we try to have fun and cover a lot)

Check the stuff around town. Some pushy jerk is at every corner handing out a flier for something. Some of it turns out to be cool. 

If you are flying in to the event, consider giving yourself time on your departing day to mail some stuff back to yourself. That way you arent adding a lot of weight to your luggage or paying for a second bag or whatever. 

Take some water but careful not to put it where it will get your stuff wet in a backpack or bag. i have had that problem. 

If you have the cash and really want an awesome sketch from someone consider buying a commission piece. You can usually do that a few weeks before the convention and then pick it up there. 

Some artists and writers charge for sketches or signings. DON’T get put off by this. This is how these people make a living. They usually have to pay their own insurance and the like. 

If you want an exclusive toy or something like that, check websites before the convention. Some places, like mattycollector.com, will presale and then you can pick up your item at the con. That way you aren’t in line for 2 hours for something that might sell out for the day. 

If you have a hole in a run of books that you want filled make a list. 

If what you want is too much, but the seller has multiples,and you aren’t afraid to miss out, wait till sunday to buy. A lot of people start marking things way down. 

lastly (for now) don’t forget why you are there. Some people think its ok to make fun of others while you are there. There are some goofy people and odd looking folks. But you are all there for the same reason. You are all there to have fun. This is a safe environment for fans of all sorts of things. Dont make fun of the trekkers, or furries, or gamers, or fat wolverines, or kids with the “free hugs” signs, or the half naked ladies that shouldnt be showing anything. They are all there having a good time and dont need to be laughed at. 

Here is a shot from the stands of a Gotham City Rogues football game. Being filmed for Dark Knight Rises right now.

More cosplay photos!!!!!

Cosplay photos from Comic-Con 2011. More to come soon.

Jeff Lemire is an award-winning Canadian cartoonist, and the author of the Essex County, Sweet Tooth and The Nobody. Lemire is known for his moody, humanistic stories and sketchy, cinematic, art style.

Briefs from the panel:

Lemire had a lonely childhood that allowed him lots of time to think, imagine and craft ideas out of the desolate landscape he was immersed in. The isolation Lemire experienced growing up came through strong in his debut comic book – Essex County (originally three volumes, now available as an omnibus). The geographical – and by correlation, emotional - solitude communicated in Essex County  was relevant enough to get it voted into the top five essential Canadian reads of the decade, only to be voted off in the final round due to the fact that it had pictures in it -watch the video here. John Dykstra is slated to make his directorial debut in adapting the comic for the big screen.

Lemire has been enjoying writing Sweet Tooth in part due to its apocalyptic setting. According to the author, end of the world scenarios bring out the core of the characters like no other stories do. Sweet Tooth in particular has been interesting due to the juxposition of its two main characters – Gus, a complete innocent and Jepperd, a ruined, scared drifter.Throughout the story Jepperd and Gus are slated to move in opposite directions emotionally, and eventually switch places mentally.

Due to the success of the series Jeff has been able to develop threads of the story he hadn’t planned on delving into initially – IE Project Ever Green, the plague’s ties to Inuit culture and various other super natural elements.

Too keep things fresh Lemire is going to bring on Rafael Albuquerque to handle the art for part of the series. Jeff has been surprised with the prosperity of Sweet Tooth; he only expected it to run nine issues. He said to expect a conclusion around issue fifty.

Jeff’s new Frankenstein series will place the monster at various spots in time, showing us how he adapts to various environments such as 1920’s America and the Vietnam War. Each piece of Frank’s body will possess a specific usable trait left over from its former owner.

Despite the dark subject matter in his work, Jeff insists that he’s had a good life – no trauma has contributed to his creative process.

Our fancy pants plaid shirt wearing (he has 72 of them!) pal, Ryan, took some awesome photos at SDCC ‘11 this year! Here’s a slideshow. Take a look.

Wrecked and still partying. What a champ.