Comic-Con 2007?

"I'd like to talk about my wife... but I'm not allowed to."
-Denis Leary

The more I reflect upon my foray to San Diego last week, the more I realize I have little to reveal to you guys than has already been by various bloggers and on various websites.

I assume you already know that Uncle Grant and JG Jones will be presenting DC's next big event, Final Crisis in the Spring. That smarmy and naive Hollywood types have taken over half the show. That Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi ( Detective covers, Shingn Knight) are the next creative team on Astonishing X-Men. That THB is going to finally be collected in book from. Et. Al.

Me? I can only offer the broadest of summations of my trip. Many things I've been privy to are very hush-hush, and, uncharacteristically so, will remain mum about. Mostly So, highlights (at least ones I can remember):

Thursday - awful plane trip, elation at the sight of palm trees, register at show & hotel, talked with Gene Ha (Top 10, Batman Fortunate Son) and held the original page of Authority #2 I was in, crowded out of the LOST event, Darwyn Cooke panel, Viz party, CBLDF party/fundraiser, bump into old friends.

Friday - walk the floor, business meetings, bought toys for the store, Paul Dini panel (terrific; creatively inspirational; go buy all seasons of Batman Animated Series and Animaniacs now. Also, his run on Detective Comics), 300 screening at Petco Park (!) which I didn't sit through because I'm not overly fond of the film and the screening was basically an advert for forthcoming WB shows and films, Eisner Awards and Neil Gaiman getting snogged by Jonathan Ross on stage, Eisners after-party where I met Ronald Moore (BSG writer/producer).

Saturday - Paul Pope presentation, Alex Toth documentary, JH Williams panel, more walking the floor, checking out new product (Picturebox and Buenaventura are doing amazing books right now), James Jean sketch (his new book Process Recess 2 debuted- it is utterly gorgeous and will be on our shelves soon), chat with grant Morrison about his Area 51 movie script and the art of the aforementioned Mr. Williams, finally met righteous dude Jeff Smith who did a terrific sketch for me in a preview copy of his upcoming Rasl, chill at the Marvel Booth where an Iron Man movie costume was prominently displayed, met Matt Fraction, Gabriel Ba, and Fabian Moon (Cassanova), called it an early night and got some much needed sleep.

Sunday - met writer/swell chap Warren Ellis, got Mike Mignola talking about his next book (Baltimore: or the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire) and Hellboy 2, more walking, more buying/placing orders, talk with former FP employee now DC sales associate Joe Hughes about our amazing experiences and how blessed we are to be so involved in comics as the Hernandez Bros. come up to us and say hi, end of day comes too soon and I have time to kill before my flight so I sit watching baseball in the hotel bar where suddenly I find myself having drinks with my favorite comic creator of all time and his lovely girlfriend, Red Eye home and I'm the only guy awake on the plane, get off and NYC humidity slaps you in the face. Get home and start writing, inspired.

And those are just the highlights I can recall. It all boils down to that conversation I had with Joe. I'm blessed to be doing this for a living, and know that yes, I had a terrific time, but it's in the service of Forbidden Planet and our customers that I go -- seeing new product, working on events, placing orders yadda, yadda. So that we can offer you guys the best store possible. And that being said I'm gonna get back to it...

Releasing 8/7/07

Dome - by Luis Royo. Mr. Royo was commissioned by Muscovite to paint the ceiling of his luxurious new castle, graciously allowing the results to be shown to the outside world in this attractive hardcover collection.

Spook Country - by Willam Gibson. I'm currently just wrapping this book up, so don't blow the neding. Having not quite finished it, I'll quote the glowing review Nathan Lee wrote for the Village Voice this past week as a means to entice you. "...it illuminates our techno-psychic landscape like nothing else in contemporary letters."

And that's all he wrote, folks. See the Simpsons movie asap. Have a good week and Rock and roll, baby!

JEFF