San Diego Bound...

By Tony Lee

So, if you read this on the day it goes up, every Monday at Comics Bulletin, you'll be reading this as I have one day left before I fly out to San Diego. That's less than T-Minus months, weeks or even days before I go, a matter of hours left—and I'll most likely be sitting in the corner of my room, weeping, twitching and flinching every time my email ‘dings'. However, I do hope that this year for a change I'm not doing that, but instead I'm in charge of my destiny, striding manfully around my room as I laugh at the stress that other creators have on such a day, my workload finished, my bags packed and my focus on the week ahead purely aimed.

Of course, I'll be doing neither. I'll be running around my local high street like a headless chicken and buying last minute things like shampoo, stationary and batteries. Such is the exciting world I live in.

This year' San Diego pre game for me hasn't been too bad, so far—It's Friday as I write this and I am very much aware that by the simple expression of this statement, I've effectively placed a cosmic ‘Kick Me' sign on my back. I've had the usual fun that goes with planning such an event, but not to the extent I have in past years—remember the fun I had when I realised my passport wasn't valid? Or when I realised at the last minute I could go, only to find myself going via India Airlines and then via a cancelled AA flight that left me in NYC overnight? How about the year where my printer died and all my work was printed by a friend and given to me to collate the night before I left? Ah, happy days.

Anyone who knows me knows that when it comes to packing, I am the worst kind of OCD packer. Previous years have found me, half out of the door to the airport, bag in hand, opening it up to go through every single item, just in case. Seriously. I'm hoping not to have to do that this year, as last year I started a new regime, one that worked well for both last year's San Diego and this year's New York Comic Con. I have an Excel Spreadsheet, you see.

Honestly. I have an Excel sheet that has three sections—carry on rucksack, suitcase and person. The first? Are the items I'll need on me at the airport—passport, US money, laptop, paperwork etc. This even includes medication by type (painkillers, anti acid, etc) and power adaptors.

The second section, well that's the suitcase. And that's the busy one. Because this is where I have the most nightmare time. You see, I can't just throw a few T-Shirts in a bag and go, because at a con, I have a look. I've always been of the mindset that because I work at home, I get to wear whatever the hell I want while I'm here. I'm currently in jeans and a shirt, but I've sat here in boxers and T-Shirt and hammered out some of my best stuff. And because of this, I always feel that when I'm in public, meeting fans, editors etc, I should at least make the effort. And so I wear jeans, shirt, waistcoat and often a tie. It's my ‘branding'. And of course it's a nightmare at a five day convention, as that's five shirt and waistcoat combos. And then we have the evenings. So in my suitcase? I have ten shirts, four ties and four waistcoats, because that's how screwed up I am.

Also in the suitcase is everything else I need, washkits, clothing etc.

And then I have the ‘person' section—which is an idiot's guide to make sure I have the right things on my person when I hit the airport. I don't want to go there with lots of metal in my pockets, for example.

Every item is written in black. If I need to buy it (ie batteries, hand fan, etc) it gets highlighted blue. When it's put into the case or bag? Its highlighted red. If it's removed? Back to black. This is mainly so that when I see it in red? I don't have to pull it out of the bloody bag again.

So, this year? I should be able to get up on Tuesday and be packed and ready to go. Which is good, as I have a stupidly long day ahead of me. See me whoop for joy. Yippee and all that.

My breakfast one morning at the 2005 SDCC. Seriously.

I leave London Heathrow at 11.30 a.m., which means I have to be there around 8-8.30 a.m. Which means that I have to get to my father's house before 8 a.m. (luckily he only lives about two miles from the airport) which means that I have to leave Birmingham at 6 a.m.. Which means I have to be waking up at 5.30 a.m.. Still with me? The flight to Los Angeles takes hours, but I land at 2.50 p.m. LA time—which of course is 10.50 p.m. GMT. I then wait until the 5 p.m. Eagle shuttle plane which gets me into San Diego at 6 p.m.. That's 2 a.m. GMT. I haven't even reached the hotel, and already I'm into a twenty hour day. And considering that to kill the jet lag I have to stay awake until midnight, that's 8 a.m. Wednesday GMT that I finally get to sleep. And then of course Wednesday? The convention starts in earnest.

I'm lucky and unlucky this year hotel wise, unlucky in the fact that I'm in the Marriott Coronado, which is across the bay from the convention centre and Gaslamp District, a water taxi or 15 buck road taxi from the Hyatt, but I'm lucky in that it's a great place to stay, the rooms are beautiful and I'm sharing with three of my top comic buddies - Sean Dulaney and Bart Thompson (who I shared with at New York) and also Chris ‘Lost Squad' Kirby, who I only ever really see once a year, around July. So it should be a blast.

What are my plans this year? Actually, to take it easy. Work wise, I don't have to kill myself for new paid gigs for a while, 2000 A.D., IDW, The DFC and Walker Books are paying my salary nicely, thank you. That said, I still want to get more gigs lined up with American publishers—but I'm not going to be begging. Unlike previous years.

I'm taking a couple of meetings, doing a couple of interviews, I don't think I'm doing any signings but these always change as the days go on, I'll be writing a lot, catching a couple of panels and in general chilling out. I also intend (as ever) to do a daily blog at my LiveJournal site and this year I might even manage it—usually the wifi is a nightmare and I end up, hungover and at Horton Plaza, leeching their wifi as I try to focus words. But this year I have my laptop, HTC and the convention centre has free sponsored wifi, so I should be able to keep a daily grind going. So remember to keep an eye on it. That and Twitter, that is. I'm mrtonylee on that.

What else will I be doing? Well, I intend to go to see The Dark Knight the moment I land, I have a couple of San Diego afterparties to attend, but I need more. If you're doing something at San Diego, let me know!

I'll also be pitching a couple of books, including Conversations with My Mother, yet to be announced and Journal, the latter with Bevis Musson on art duties, making the most amazing jobs of my hackneyed script. Also, I intend to make a few publishers remember the excitement they had about Shotgun Samurai, as we have newly coloured pages by colour whiz par excellence Kelli Gilbert.

Added to that I'll be drinking in a variety of bars with a variety of people and buying things that I really don't need. Last year I bought two wicker cowboy hats. No, I don't know why either. Still, it should be a blast.

If I just survive the next couple of days...

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On the subject of The Dark Knight, I had an email from one of my multitude of fans a couple of weeks back, but I've delayed printing it until closer to the movie...
Hi Tony,

I am writing to introduce our group.

Ray Wall Band is the originating pioneer of "Comic Book Rock". We write grown-up rock music about super-heroes, their powers, arch enemies, etc. that we hope to see someday included in the soundtracks of major comic book movies. This music is becoming known, due to our efforts, in the comic book world and related communities.

This summer we intend to release a single on iTunes related to the July 18th Dark Knight movie called "The Joker." I wrote it back in March after seeing The Dark Knight trailers with Heath Ledger. I was inspired by his dark vision and it is reflected in the tune. The song is dedicated to his performance in the movie. It will be a well produced hard rock tune describing everything about the new darker characterization of the icon villain.

We are now in the final stages of finishing the track. Although we have created rock music for super-heroes in the past like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, this is our first song about an iconic super-villain. We are excited also that it is our first DC Comics song!

I am writing thinking your readership at Comics Bulletin would be interested in our project, band, and mission to bring this new genre of rock music to the public.

Please contact me for details. Thank you for the opportunity of presenting our media and introducing the band.

Ray."

If you're interested in finding out more about the Ray Wall Band, pop along to their MySpace page and have a listen.

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And that's it for this week. Next week will still be on time even though I'll be at the convention, and don't forget to check onto my livejournal on a daily basis to see what comes up.

See you in seven.

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Discuss this column at the Only A Forum forum.
© 2008, Tony Lee

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