Comic-Con 2010

Interviews and Articles from Comic-Con:

– Interview with Brent Weeks
– Stargate: Universe star Robert Carlyle discusses Season 2 of SGU and how he began his acting career. Also, Ming-Na, David Blue, and Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper join Carlyle in this awesome podcast.
– Interviews with Brandon Sanderson and Paul Cornell
– Interview with Diana Rowland
– Interview with Matthew Sturges
– Interview with Ann Vandermeer
– Interview with John Picacio
– Interview with Lou Anders

And now, a Comic-Con experience, by Shaun Farrell:

I began my 2010 Comic-Con journey by leaving the house at 5:00 am Wednesday morning and starting the 500 mile trek to San Diego. But before I leave, I must prepare for battle. Spartans, tonight we dine in hell!

Stopping in Anaheim for a leisurely lunch with friend and filmmaker Jonathan Schiefer, writer and director of HUNGER, I survived Southern California traffic and arrived outside of Old Town San Diego around 3:30. A trolley ride downtown and I found myself among thousands of professionals and media members checking in. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe these trolley signs are written in Klingon. I bet there were a few hundred people there who could translate them, too!

Once I was official, I entered the showroom floor and was quickly swallowed by thousands of rabid fans. In just minutes I found Keith R.A. DeCandido, who was nominated this year for the Scribe Award for Best Original Novel for his novel STAR TREK: A SINGULAR DESTINY.

Then I found old friends from Mysterious Galaxy, and my partner in podcasting crime, Samazon herself!

Saturday started strong with a great interview with Diana Rowland, author of MARK OF THE DEMON and BLOOD OF THE DEMON. It was a lot of fun interviewing Diana, talking about how ridiculous CSI is and what her work as a morgue assistant was like. We talked about her upcoming 6 books, how she broke into print, and much more.

Just minutes after Diana and I parted ways, I met with Matt Sturges, author of MIDWINTER and THE OFFICE OF SHADOW, not to mention numerous comics. We talked about genre-blending, writing comics, and some future projects. Another great interview not to be missed.

The rest of the day was spent seeing old friends, talking about books and unexpectedly running into famous people, including Tim Russ of Star Trek: Voyager.

Friday was a bit busier and started with a bang as I interviewed Hugo-nominated artist John Picacio. John was wonderful, and I’m a huge fan of his work. We talked about his career, how he blends traditional and digital mediums, his favorite authors, and much, much more. John shared a booth with David Seeley, of whom I am also a fan. And as I John and I chatted before the interview, China Mieville dropped by to say hello and get John’s autograph.

After lunch I was very pleased to meet with Ann Vandermeer of Weird Tales Magazine. Jeff Vandermeer was scheduled to join us, but his flight was delayed, so Ann and I soldiered on alone. She was wonderful and full of great insight into short fiction and what goes into creating a healthy magazine. What a blast to chat with her about anthologies, stories, and Predators!

After meeting with Ann, I grabbed a beer with buddy Greg Van Eekhout, author of NORSE CODE. I was ready for some Comic-Con Recovery by then, and catching up with Greg was a welcome respite from the crowds!

My work for the day was not through as I met that evening with Superman and Dr. Who writer Paul Cornell. It was great to catch Paul while he was in the states. After all, I don’t plan on visiting Britain anytime soon, so this was a rare treat for me. We talked Dr. Who, writing for television versus writing prose, and his Hugo nomination.

Friday night was a late night as I shared fish and chips with Lou Anders of Pyr books and Crazy Mary creator Mike Colbert. Lou and I spent a lot of time convincing Mike he had to watch Stargate: Universe, and Mike and Lou spent a lot of time convincing me to watch Dr. Who, and Mike and I tried to convince Lou to buy us Star Trek toys, but he wouldn’t. I left the guys around midnight and they were still geeking out strong, but I had to walk thirty minutes back to my car and then drive to my Uncle’s house. Oh, to have a hotel room!

This might be a good place to discuss how I survive walking several miles a day with 25 pounds of recording equipment on my back. I present my Comic-Con survival guide:

Saturday started early with my official Lou Anders interview. We discussed anthologies, the health and future of science conventions, upcoming Pyr titles, and much more.

After helping Lou look for a toy for his son, I headed over to Hotel Solamar, where I had interviews scheduled with the cast of Stargate: Universe. I met with Ming Na, Robert Carlyle, David Blue, and co-creator and executive producer Robert C. Cooper. The interviews were a blast, and everyone was exceptionally kind. Hanging out in the hallway, I also spied James Callis (Baltar on BSG), Sanctuary’s Amanda Tapping, and Eureka’s Colin Ferguson. It was a fun 90 minutes, and I hope to have similar opportunities again next year should I attend the convention.

You would think my Comic-Con had just received its highlights between hanging out Lou and meeting the cast of my favorite show, but there are always surprises lurking at Comic-Con. This year’s surprise was an impromptu interview with Fantasy author Brent Weeks and his wife Kristi. They were both wonderful, and while I have Brent’s books on my bookshelf, I have not read them yet. That is about to change! We had a great interview, and the continued the party at the Yard House to discuss writing, The A-Team, and to gawk at Reed Diamond, who co-starred in the should-have-never-been-cancelled sensational time-travel drama, Journeyman. Ok, Brent and Kristi didn’t gawk, but I might have a little.

And that was pretty much it. I took Sunday off to spend with family and friends, and now I leave you with more pictures from Comic-Con.