Friday, April 8th, 2005
- The day started off to a jolt, mainly because I was still trying my best to finish up material to take to the convention with me. On top of that, I had just found out not 24 hours before this, that I was going on this trip alone. My friend Kevin got detained from helping me work the con. So, at 10am, I awoke and began what I thought was going to be a few hours of work, printing out, and then I get to leave. After all problems had been solved and I began driving, I think it was a little after 7pm. So, I began this pain-in-the-ass drive to San Francisco.
- For the first several hours of the trip before LA, I did not seem to have much trouble staying alive and focused with the journey... of course life can be boring when you sit for so long in my compact car. Surprisingly, Los Angeles was pretty dead as I drove through the Pasadena area at 1am on a Friday night. However, sleep actually hit me just about two hours away from my destination. Eventhough I did my best to keep alive, including playing WarioWare Touched! on an overpass, I found myself pulling over to retire for an unknown time, next to an old abandoned cop car at a Shell in the middle of nowhere at 5am.
Saturday, April 9th, 2005
- I woke at 7am, a mere two hours later, to find no real sun, but a slightly bright overcast. I stumbled out of my car, got my bearings and some gas, and continued forth to make it to the con on time. While driving the last bit during the day, I finally began to see Northern California in its glory... the east side looking very much like California in it cheese and wine glory, while the west looked more like the Netherlands. Of course I got to see the miles of wind propellers standing tall on every hill leading into the San Fran area. With no real troubles, I manage to take each road I needed and ventured into the downtown area of San Francisco to track my hotel and the Concourse.
- After receiving my upgrade from Best Western, and dumped myself into my room, collated and stapled my comic "TAG", showered and left again to make it to the exhibit hall before noon. Luckily, I managed in with little pain and/or suffering, located myself, and began setting up. Of course, Jamie Dee Galey had left his calling card before I arrived, on my table, apparently making rounds all over the con. Before I officially began my booth, I made sure to stop by FLIGHT's table, just in case they went through their stock of Flight 2... wanted to converse, yet no one really seemed too be in a chatty mood at that point. Plus, I am not one to just begin cold conversations... so back to my table. I began to get more comfortable by just looking around and noticing the atmosphere... which was to say, a little intimidating. I had a whole table to myself, yet it seemed so bare... In ways, I felt pitiful, but then I grew into determination of making more material, whatever that would be. I am a person of different venues when it comes to creation, so who knows?!?
- Soon after opening, Jamie beelined back over my table, intro-ed himself, and we chit-chatted back and forth throughout the day. Gratefully, he helped me out from time to time, with breaking away from the table for a moment or two, as well as trying to kick me into conversations with the passersby. I got to sell a few shirts here and there, as well as the two minis I made for the con. Of course, I had no idea that Mr. Jhonen Vasquez would happen to wander across my table and actually pick up a copy of "TAG". Eventhough I had not even broke out a camera, that definitely was the highlight of the day's events.
- After the first con day was over, Jamie and I headed out onto the town, in search of something to do. We did our best to find this alternative comic shop, and after two hours of piss poor directions from Yahoo!, we managed to get to it, and find food. The environment wasn't bad, but we vacated the area because the shop was gettin' a little stuffed from the crowds climbing in for the free bar. After that, it had been about 15 hours since I slept, so I offered my extra bed to Jamie and we both died for the night.
Sunday, April10th, 2005
- Sunday, for me, was a little bit more laid back when it came to the convention. Before I left the hotel, I manage to ask for an extra day, possibly to enjoy somethings I hadn't got to since I arrived. At the Concourse, I offered a bit of table space to Jamie, where he began to rake in any and everyone that walked by. I admire that ability... I know I have it, but this was my first con exhibit... and I was still a little shy on these procedures. Since Jamie was at my table, I took the opportunity to walk around here and there.... purchasing and getting signatures from FLIGHT, trying to hunt down Derek Kirk Kim, talked to my old professor James Sturm, got some tips from Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher creators, and chatted a moment with Striptease's Chris Daily. Pretty much after that, the con, as it seem,s was over, but the day was not through. Jamie's ride was taking off right after they finished packing, but he offered me a place to crash in LA, to help in getting back to Phoenix. We parted ways, and I quickly packed up, so I could take a chance to track down cool stuff.
- I managed to find
Monday, April 11th, 2005
- I woke a little than expected, packed up and dropped back into my car. Unfortunately, I received a rather hefty bill for the hotel, and in hopes of scraping up something worth having here, I managed back over to Kid Robot... while not noticing Buena Vista Park in the drive. Got some sweet vinyl, went out and snapped some shots of the Golden Gate... Gratefully, I managed to find a way to check it out while getting lost with Jamie on Saturday.
There this interest tunneling along the pathways on the bay... I only snapped a couple... mainly because I needed to leave so I could get to LA before it got too late. I tried to leave San Fran, it somehow took two hours to finally get on the right interstate!! I managed to hit Hollywood, CA right around 10:30pm, got in and hung out with Jamie his gal Katie for a little while, posted my daily comic, drank a little, before we all passed out for more sleep. So far, I had not gotten drunk... what a disgrace!!
Tuesday, April 12th, 2005
- I awoke to the smell of eggs lofting in the air. Jamie was cooking away, as Katie prepared to head off to night classes. I posted Tuesday's comic, and then Jamie and I went out to look around. I hadn't been in the LA area in over ten years, so I wanted to see those random places I never saw... unfortunately, time was still limited for me.
- First, we headed out to Giant Robot... well my money was not safe in my pocket... I managed to grab the kinds of books I have been meaning to read.. and now was my chance... We crossed the street to look at the GR2 gallery, only to run into the guy who was sitting next to me at APE!! I grabbed a sweet looking sticker (above), before we continued on to Meltdown on Sunset Blvd. This place was just as amazing. I set myself up with every Clerks Inaction Figure (Strike Back Series) I had my eyeball on. On top of that, I managed to see off eighteen copies total of my minis there... Meltdown is my new favorite place!!
- After all that, we got back to Jamie's, where I packed up and prepared to finally head home. Before I did, I made sure to take along a travel companion to keep me company. Sure the last leg of the trip home felt just as long, but at least I had some stories file away in my adventures of life, and someone riding shotgun...
THE END.
