Free Comic Book Day Recap

Yeah, I know Free Comic Book Day was last week. I've been busy, okay?

I landed in LA and picked up my rental dar. I was clever enough to borrow my brother's TomTom GPS unit and sweet mother of God how did I not have one of these before? Despite the manufacturer's insistence in spelling Tom without the proper "h", this thing was great. I've never gotten round California so well or so easily.

I navigated to Burbank to meet up with my friend and host for the trip, Amy Wolfram. Have you read her Teen Titans: Year One? Or watched Teen Titans or Legion of Super-Heroes? If not, go rectify that immediately! She got me in to Cartoon Network to sit in on a couple of screenings for Cartoons I Can't Mention, including one that will be on At Some Indeterminate Point in the Future.

Also, there was chocolate cake! Yeah, it may not seem that important to you, but I hadn't eaten since North Carolina, so it was great for me.

Saturday was FCBD, and the TomTom navigated me perfectly to Rancho Cucamonga, a name I can now type without spellchecking it, and Chris Brady's Four Color Fantasies store. They even had a parking space for me. Man, I could get used to being treated this way.

Chris's FCBD event was great. It had a mix of street fair and party. There was a huge crazy line of people, which is always good to see. There was indeed a bouncy house, but I wasn't able to get in it. I spent the day meeting fans and comic readers, doing a couple of sketches, signing a ton of books, and talking with a bunch of friends, new and old. I sat between Mark Waid and Adam Beechen, and had a great time talking to both of them. Also there was the aformentioned Amy Wolfram, Dwayne McDuffie, Charlotte Fullerton, Eugene Son, and more that I'm missing.

His videographer was even wearing a Love and Capes t-shirt. I think that was just awesome!

I'm just disappointed I didn't get a chance to talk to Whilce Portacio. I've been a fan of his work for a while, and it would have been nice to say "howdy."

Chris has a great store, too. It's bright, airy and colorful, and doesn't have that poster-covered way-too-busy look that some shops have. It's the kind of place that regulars can feel welcome at, and newbies and those not in the hobby but shopping for someone who is would feel comfortable at. His staff seems top-notch, too.

Then I went out to dinner with Dwayne, Charlotte and Eugene. We went to the nearby IHOP, which was delightfully unbusy, allowing us to have a very leisurely dinner and talk and talk. I know all three of them fairly well, and see them at Comic-Con and the ritual post-con LA trip. But, things are always so busy at the show, and then the week after can get busy after being "off" for a week, so having such a relaxed evening was really special.

Sunday, I got to have lunch with Chris Bailey and his family. Chris is the animation director on the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, as well as having worked on Kim Possible and X-Men 2. That awesome Nightcrawler scene? Thank him.

Chris has a beautiful house and great kids. Also, he mixes a wonderful Mai-Tai. Much like dinner the night before, it was nice to get to just sit and hang and talk away from the hustle and bustle of a show. Also, Trader Joe's Pineapple Salsa, how did I not know about that?

From there, it was a last dinner with Amy and a trip to Pinkberry, which I have to say was pretty awesome. I had the chocolate frozen yogurt with strawberries in case you were wondering. And then it another morning getting up at stupid o'clock to catch a flight home. I was glad that I left myself an hour-and-a-half to try to make it through security, because the line was out the concourse and down the sidewalk. It was so long, I thought they were giving away comic books.

It was a great trip. Maybe one of the best times I've had out in LA. Hope you all had a great Free Comic Book Day!

How Eugene Son Ruined the Iron Man Movie For Me

Eugene Son is a friend of mine. He's kindly put me up in his house when I had some meetings with some Hollywood-types. He's a talented writer. And yet, he ruined Iron Man for me.

It's really ironic, too, since he's actually written the Iron Man, cartoon.

First, let's cover the important stuff. I'm out here in Dallas, as opposed to with the Usual Suspects in Ohio, and I saw Iron Man with Christine and Jesse. The movie's great, really. Performances are superb (it's nice to see adults playing the characters), effects are great, and it's another one of those "wow, the movie's really good when they actually follow the original story" movies. So go see it, after you pick up your free copy of Love and Capes #7.

And things really are bigger here in Texas. Here are three shots of my Stilt-Man like legs from while I was sitting in my seat at the theatre. Taken way before the movie, don't worry. You know what that is? It's called leg room: something I'll apparently have to pay extra for on airlines and can't buy at Playhouse Square. It's a joy to not sit for two hours with my knees pressed against the seat in front of me.

But back to Iron Man. And, here's something rare, it's a non-spoiler alert. You know how picky I am about spoilers, and I'm pretty sure I can reveal this one part of a scene and not ruin the movie. But, if you're still paranoid, I understand. Bookmark me and check this when you've seen it.

So here's the thing: Tony Stark, who in this movie lives in LA, which works really well, really wants a cheeseburger. I understand this desire. I, too, have really wanted a cheeseburger. So, a scene laer, we see him with a sack from, wait for it, Burger King.

Okay, I'm not going to bash the King's product, as I've been known to enjoy it from time to time. It's a fine fast food burger. But, if you're a Los Angeleno, or even an occasional one like me, there's only one place to go: In and Out Burger. Why do I know this? Because Eugene Son took me there for my first taste of the fast food burgery and fry perfection that is In and Out burger.

No way in the 'verse that he goes to BK. Ain't happenin'. And that's how Eugene ruined Iron Man.

That said, see it, it's great. It's the first comic book movie that I've seen where I really wouldn't change a thing. And the writer side of me always wants to tweak things. So check it out. And, like everyone else has said: stay through the credits, True Believer!