August, 2008 | Dog Eaters

San Diego Comicon Day 4, Saturday

Posted on 08.18.08 under cosplay, San Diego Comicon 2008

July 26

The expectation for today was that there would be more costumed people, but I don’t think I saw as many as in previous years. This is my 3rd year to attend SDCC. The first year was 2002 when the ATTACK OF THE CLONES came out. The Star Wars people were out in Force — huge throngs of characters from the STAR WARS universe rampaging through the convention center like they owned it in groups and singles. The next time I came was last year. There seemed to be a lot of obscure anime themes and wacky, minor (non-Marvel and DC) stuff in general.

From the 2007 Comicon.

He posed on command…

This year, perhaps because of the incredible success of THE DARK KNIGHT, there seemed to be a lot of “easy” costumes of the Joker. We have one Joker in the Black Dog Clan (we could have had 20), but I chose him because I think this one was particularly inspired — taking special care in his posture and with his hair.

I feel that Hollywood is taking over more and more each year, which is both good and bad and definitely bigger, and that people come more to be entertained than to participate. I was expecting more people to come on Saturday, and maybe they did, but if so then they were upstairs for movie star autographs and panels, not downstairs with the comics, designer toys, independent press, and artists.

Anyway, my day:

Right in the foyer at “B,” there were some really good Predators. There was a roving herd of them and singles as well. Must have been looking for Alien. I didn’t see one Alien so maybe Predator did win that war after all.

You can see these troopers are holding a copy of DOG EATERS. My plan for photography was developed on this shot. First ask for a photo, then ask for a shot with them holding the DE preview issue. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, clan membership was awarded with a badge. Members were given the “manual,” the badge, and told that they must kill a roach. Physical proof of the kill was not required — the honor system would do fine. Squeamish members could even coerce another individual or hire a contractor to do the kill for them. But we ran out of badges, so members had to be satisfied with being photographed with the DE cover.

One of my assignments was to show Azusa and Miyuki at work. They were worried that their colleagues in New York and Tokyo thought they were just having fun and enjoying Comicon — much like going to Disneyland. So I shot some action photos of them as you see below.

Yep, they worked it!

Azusa and Miyuki had a very quick, efficient way of handing out the preview issues. “Free preview issue,” and the exchange was made and then they would be on to the next. They could go through a box of 250 copies very quickly. My approach was much more elaborate, but I had had the additional responsibility of recruiting new Black Dog Clan members. Tthe thrust of my approach was to make an impression. My spiel started with, “Absolutely free!” If their heads turned, interest piqued, I would add, “Mankind failed to transcend the Petroleum Age.” If that didn’t scare them off, I would continue in an evangelistic preacher’s voice: “175 years after the DIE OFF, 9 out of 10 humans are dead. Our hooved source of sustenance has gone the way of the Dodo bird — extinct. Bovine cerebral encephalitis. DOG EATERS!” I would say, pointing to the title on the comic. Then I would move my finger down the page to the cute little puppy, say in a low, intimate whisper, “Mr. Fluffy.” And pause. You would see their faces melt a bit. Some gave an, “Ahh.” Then I would say matter-of-factly, “Endangered species.” If they were still with me, I would continue, explaining, “The Black Dog Clan is making their last trade run between the city-casinos of the American Southwest on their way to the gulf where they will establish their permanent home. Beset on the outside by hostile forces, riven on the inside by domestic conflict.” Then I would ask if they would like to be a clan member. “What do I have to do?” they would ask. I would reply, “First, you must kill a roach. Then let me take a photo of you holding this comic. You will then access the www.dogeaters-manga.com website and find your photo amongst your fellow clansmen. You are spiritually and telepathically bonded to them. Be sure to be able to visually identify them, so you don’t kill them by accident.”

So you see my method takes some time if the process runs its full course. Each one of the clansmen you see on the Black Dog Clansmen page has heard my pitch. Occasionally, I am rebuffed. “You’re not concerned about transcending the Petroleum Age?” I shout at their receding backs. “Are you Republican?”

I don’t always hang out in or by the booth, I also do some roaming, looking for cos-players to recruit. Closer to the door, the street-side of the convention hall, in front of Titan Publishing, I saw Tank Girl.

I asked to take her photo. No problem. Then I dug into my bag and asked if she could hold Issue #0. She quickly declined. “I’m working for this publisher,” she snarled in character, and jerked her head at the Titan booth. OK, Tank Girl, no problem. I looked into the booth and saw that a friend, Roman Dirge (we hosted him and Nathan Cabrera at our place in Tokyo for a week), was signing in the Titan booth. Roman, of course, is the author/creator/artist of LENORE. I walked up and shifted my feet like a nerdy fan. His face lit up and I took his photo with the DOG EATERS comic. He endorsed DOG EATERS (Dabel Brothers Publishing) while sitting in a rival publisher’s booth and nobody complained. So there, Tank Girl!

I’m sort of still working things out with WordPress. With thumbnails, you should be able to choose which area of the image to show, but all I can seem to get is a section of the center of the image. Which is interesting because when you shoot a full-length shot, you get a crotch shot. Hmmm… Anyway, the girl on the right was signing a release form when I approached her. I photographer from Penthouse was shooting, “Hot girls at the Con.” See her in Penthouse! On new stands soon!

But what about these girls? Aren’t they just as hot?

The two on the right are roommates. Hmmmm… My imagination runs riot.

The girl on the right is from Osaki, Tokyo. She’s studying dance and hopes to be an instructor someday.

Not quite sure who she’s supposed to be, but the key to finding out might be in the cake she’s holding.

Or this character, either. Could be a Predator, but I don’t think so. Maybe a bad guy from Battlefield Earth. But no matter, his strong arm belongs to us, for he is also a Black Dog Clansmen.

What I noticed is that these cos-players were very happy to get a free copy of Issue #0 — much more appreciative than many of the “normal” con-goers. I think this is because they are giving a performance and the people taking photos are always, well, taking. They take photos, they take “swag,” they don’t give back. If the cos-players had a place to store things, they were genuinely happy to take the free comic.

The astronaut and his mother (I think), are both clansmen. Or I should say, clanspeople, for the PC among us. They both patiently listened to my pitch, but in complete silence. The astronaut flipped his visor up and down a couple of times, but other than that, no response. Maybe they didn’t speak English…

You know who this group is. And so does everyone else. These X-People were in high demand for photos all day long.

Chucky has often been said to be the perfect boyfriend for Blythe. I don’t quite see it.

Back at the booth, I saw that a few of the prodigals had returned as well. Ernst and Les had finally arrived in San Diego for the weekend. In the background, you can see Isaac sitting on the floor reading one of his purchases. I think he was reading the CLARENCE PRINCIPLE, by Shari Chankhamma, the Thai artist who inked and toned the b/w pages for DOG EATERS, the preview issue. Isaac said it was, “Pretty good.”
Suddenly, Azusa and Miyuki ran up to the booth. They know that you aren’t supposed to run in the convention center and they’re usually pretty good about following rules, so I knew something was up immediately. “Hurry, get your camera!” They shouted at me and then ran off. I followed them as they sprinted to SLG and Oni Press. “We have to get an autograph!” they shouted over their shoulders. From who? It was Matthew Fox. Jack on LOST. Oh, right. The girls were panting with excitement. In the short line, Azusa started applying more make-up. Apparently, SLG hadn’t announced that Matthew Fox would be signing for the graphic novel version of BILLY SMOKE, a movie he’s starring in, to be released in 2010. There was hardly anyone waiting. It was lonely there, SLG needed more bodies! Here we come! The writer, B.Clay Moore, noticing Azusa’s Exhibitor badge, asked her if she was working with the Dabel Brothers. Apparently Moore has been asked to adapt a story for the Dabel Brothers as well.

You can see by these photos that Azusa and Miyuki are absolutely thrilled. No matter what happens on Sunday, you know that this was the peak experience of their trip to San Diego this year. Maybe the peak experience of the year…

As for me…

You can see that I’m in the middle of a sentence. I’m giving Matthew the DOG EATERS pitch.

I gave Matthew a signed copy of DE and a badge, which I told him to wear it with pride. He looked me right in the eyes and said he would. His gaze was so direct and piercing, I could imagine the impression that he makes on the girls. As for me, I’m impervious to charm.

A couple more caped heroes.

It just occurred to me. With all these super heroes, why is bin Laden still on the loose?

Another spin to the toy area yielded this fighting hero. He moved too quickly to keep in focus…

A lovely Poison Ivy

Put a spell on me…
But I was able to break it and return to the booth, safely but without the willpower to stop from taking these girls’ photos on the way back. Only one is a clansman, er, clansgirl.

The other was working for a booth. Dang!

Back at the booth…

From left to right: Ernst Dabel, a great Brazillian illustrator from glasshousegraphics who’s name I forget, Dave Campiti, Les Dabel.

At the ToyQube booth, friends and artists: Tristan Eaton and Filth, from Thunderdog Studios. Tristan is the designer for the forever-popular Dunny.

A few more random images…

Predators frolicking in the lobby.

Macho elf.

Special Forces. The Army is now recruiting civilians to join the U.S. Special Forces. This is a unique opportunity to join up, receive exceptional training and find strength you never knew you had. Be all that you can be!

Jiyu Ranger is all of that — and more!

Or you can go the way of these Evil Cheerleaders…

On our way to dinner at the Gaslamp district, we spotted these stuffed creatures in stores.

This one reminds me of the ventriloquist across the street.

Yikes. But at least she provides a service for the money she gets.

Bags made from little puppies. Mr. Fluffy’s worst nightmare…

San Diego Comicon Day 3, Friday

Posted on 08.18.08 under cosplay, San Diego Comicon 2008, San Diego Comicon 2009, San Diego Comicon 2010

July 25

Every day gets more intense. More people. More people in costumes…

More random cos-players…

Storm Trooper Elvis makes his annual appearance.

Princess Leia adjusts her shoe in an unguarded moment…

A couple of obscure characters…

My Little Pony, customized:

This one was electroplated.

Lou Ferrigno still has what it takes to get $20 – $35 for an autographed photo.

Flanking Wolverine…

People are still wondering what it is about the Lolita complex…

10:00 AM. Ran into Kim Wong of Three-Zero, based in Hong Kong. Kim manufactured the CWC Tokyo toy, Kumanogollo by Chino. He is here with the Ashley Wood Bertie toy series which he also manufactured. They are big! And run from $350. And they were sold out. They look like rusting metal, but are injection-mold plastic.
Kim sets up a Bertie for my viewing pleasure.

This is the one that was sold out. It’s set up on a steel post for stable display.

Here’s the big Bertie set up outside IDW.

RANDOM IMAGES:

Just what I saw as I made my way through the day.
The sights on my way to lunch with Dey Martin, my old roommate from Manoa when I was going to the University of Hawaii. I hadn’t seen him since 1981! He’s the CEO of mTracks and Naked Jain Records. Great to see an old buddy doing well! He came with a friend who’s playing in a band with one of the ex-members of the Queens of the Stone Age.

This old lady parked in her wheelchair near the Hard Rock Hotel charged me a dollar to take her picture. Kind of creepy looking, but I appreciate that she offers a service for her panhandling, not just a bum holding a sign that says: “I bet you a dollar you read this sign.”

Dwayne Johnson was in a motorcade of SUVs in front. The parking attendant, feeling special by being in the Rock’s service, suddenly jumped out into the street and tried to stop us from crossing in an arbitrary, doesn-make-any-sense kind of way. Celebrity has a weird, soul sucking aura. Tons of Hollywood people are here. Paris Hilton is also here in some unknown capacity. She was seen leaving a screening of a movie, surrounded by bodyguards by Gabriel Sauro, Quebecor, who is the printer for DOG EATERS.

At the Dabel booth, an aspiring artist was making the rounds with a documentary cameraman in tow. I gave the artist the DOG EATERS pitch: “Mankind failed to transcend the Petrolem Age. 175 years after the DIE OFF. Mad Cow Disease has decimated the hooved animal population. DOG EATERS!” (I point to Mr. Fluffy on the cover)
mr1
“Mr. Fluffy? Endangered species!”
The artist nodded, hearing but not listening, understanding nothing… Then eagerly showed Derek Ruiz his portfolio.

Inside the booth, Neil Schwarz models a Dog Eaters t-shirt.

Michael Lent, writer/producer, models the other print design of the Dog Eaters t-shirt.

I bought 3 pieces of original comic art today. Just wanted them. One a romance piece by Ric Estrada.

This is a great detail from unknown romance comic.
I don’t know the artist or comic for this one, but it’s heart-wrenching.

The last piece from Chris Batista. Chris is very generous with his time, energy, and art. While I was visiting at his booth, a high school teacher asked him to participate in a charity auction for cystic fibrosis. Chris whipped out a piece right there and then. When I offered Chris a free copy of DOG EATERS, he knocked off $25 off the piece I bought. Incredible. This is a detail of the Aquaman vs. Catwoman piece that I bought.
Catwoman fights Aquaman

As we walk to the Marriot to meet for dinner, a skywriter reminds us of one of the most important things in life we must continue to do:

We ate dinner at the Chianti Restaurant, 644 5th Ave for the 2nd night in a row. Excellent Italian food! The first night, Michael Provost from Hasbro treated us. The 2nd, Gabriel Sauro from Quebecor. We liked the food so much, I made the head waiter and and the chef Black Dog Clan members. One of the diners said: “Dog eaters?” I replied, “Well, this is a restaurant, isn’t it?”

SDCCl Day 2, Thursday, after the Dabel Brothers panel

Posted on 08.18.08 under San Diego Comicon 2008

July 24, Wed. 5 – 7 PM

Coasting through the rest of Day 2, some random images…

Discussing the fate of the world with Azusa and Isaac.

She’s got a whip, she’s got a whip!

I carefully anoint this new member by pinning the BDC badge to his lanyard.

These two guys are said to look alike. Hmmm.

Atmospheric DC characters.

This couple didn’t need that much convincing to become Black Dog Clansmen. I hope that her bookshop in Santa Barbara will pick DE up.

Getting towards the end of the day…

Day 2, Thursday, Dabel Brothers panel in Room 7AB

Posted on 08.18.08 under cosplay, San Diego Comicon 2008, San Diego Comicon 2009, San Diego Comicon 2010

July 24, Wed. 4 PM

I was on the Dabel Brothers panel with authors Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter), and DB members Derek Ruiz and Neil Schwartz. We gave the premises of the projects we are working on with Dabel Brothers and then there was a Q and A after.

The Dresden Files is about a detective with magical powers. It was a TV show on the Sci-Fi Channel as well.

Dark Hunter is about a vampire who fights against evil.

Dog Eaters is… Well… “Mankind failed to transcend the Petroleum Age. 175 years after the DIE OFF, civilization is starting to coalesce around the casino-cities of the US Southwest. The Black Dog Clan is making it’s last trade to the Gulf where it will establish its own casino-city.

I discuss the nutritional merits of eating canines versus the sucking of human blood from the neck with Sherrilyn. I think we both decided that with either protein source, supplementing was a good idea, and that every meal should include fiber, especially raw vegetables.

Derek runs the show.

Jim talks about the upcoming Dresden chapter, Storm Front.

Sherrilyn talks about how doing comics is a dream come true.

I explained the premise of Dog Eaters and how this came to be a Dabel Brothers project.

Azusa was spellbound by my oratory! Notice the leg? Whose is that?

Lining up for autographs.

Not only does Stephanie hang in the Dabel booth, but she studies glassblowing with Rick Mills at the University of Hawaii! Rick and I were contemporaries at the glass lab at U.H. in the late 70s and we’re both still blowing. Here’s a few of my recent wine glasses.

Notice my signing process using the the double chop and gold Sharpie technique.

They’re still lining up…

Connor’s questions were so “on the money,” that Azusa and Miyuki thought that he was a “sakura.”

I give my attention to a very interesting theory…

But this is what I really meant by that dream sequence.

San Diego Comicon Day 2, Thursday @ SDCC

Posted on 08.18.08 under cosplay, San Diego Comicon 2008, San Diego Comicon 2009, San Diego Comicon 2010

July 24, Wed.

What a day! Not only was the sky cloudless and blue (the only day like this, San Diego has been having uncharacteristically bad summer weather), but you feel the energy level rising — the Star War cos-players are coming out!
First up was a Wookie giving an interview in the low-pitched roar of the Wookie language. This wasn’t surprising, after all, it was a Wookie. The weird thing was when one of the people walking by (in ordinary garb) and also added a few words of Wookie! This is a language you can learn at Berlitz?

Inside, in front of the Dabel booth, Miyuki ran into an Oyako (parent and child) pair of cos-playing Storm Troopers.

Then on my way back from visiting Dov Kelemer and Mary Jo Marks at the DKE booth (they wholesale figures and dealt both plush runts and Kumanogollo),

I was attacked by Storm Troopers.

And in the booth itself, I downloaded a couple of the color images Neil planned to use in the Powerpoint presentation for the panel meeting we were going to have a few hours earlier.

I was told by the Design Team at CWC that they wanted to Transformers goods, so I went to the Hasbro booth.

But I couldn’t get near it, there was a triple-thick line of people wrapped around it!

Toy prototypes at the Super7 booth. Super7 hosted one of the “Behind Blythe” exhibitions we had in North America a couple of years back. Micro-manufacturing done with love.

Klim and Brian.

Authors and Black Dog Clan members, Anne Elizabeth and Jim Butcher.

Super Girl and Wonder Woman are not to be trifled with!

Harry Dresden, the wizard detective. He loved the Preview Issue if you must know…

Azusa and Miyuki really did come to Comicon to work! Here they are enlisting a Clan member.

I’m signing using the double chop (inkan or hanko) and the gold Sharpie. Looks pretty cool…

Recruiting members one at a time. Hopefully, they’re members for life.

Michael Provost, a vice-president at Hasbro, one of our colleagues with Blythe, shows me a photo of Ugly Betty holding a Blythe bag.