Comic-Con is a massive event held in San Diego every year. It's an adventure unlike any convention that I know of, and is a major happening in the media. Nevertheless, even with over 125,000 people attending every year, it's easy to find yourself alone.

Usually, I like to make arrangements to go by myself because I am a lone wolf-type of guy, but I had a friend ask before last year's convention if I would be interested in sharing a room with him a couple of his friends from out of state. For whatever reason, I said yes.

For me, last year's Comic-Con was one big bro-fest. There was drinking, pretty girls, kick-ass food and more drinking. Justin, Derek and Alan are some of the best friends that I have.

Alan Truong also happens to make a webcomic, and he and I spent many hours, not just at the convention, but afterwards ever since, talking and scheming on how we will take over the world with our webcomics. However, it was at Comic-Con, nearly nine months ago, that Alan had this idea of doing a webcomic's version of The Great Comics Switcheroonie.

In 1997, several comic strip creators swapped strips, without the foreknowledge of their editors, for the day of April 1st. Jim Davis did Blondie, Young & Drake did Garfield; Dilbert was done by Bil Keane, and Family Circus was drawn by Scott Adams. Shoot... even Charles Schultz (Peanuts) and Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) were going to trade, but one of them chickened out at the last minute. This affair has been referred to, by people who like to name things, as The Great Comics Switcheroonie.

Anyway, Alan and I both had fun and we've talked briefly about doing this again next year. I encourage others to participate... to make this an annual tradition. Imagine the mass confusion; people expecting Penny Arcade, and getting Sheldon; expecting Pictures of You, and getting Cyanide & Happiness.

Let chaos reign!

JR

I have had a storage unit for more than a few years. I originally got it because of a situation where I wasn't quite sure where I was going to be living, and the prospect of losing all my stuff looked dire. Since then, I have had to maintain the storage because I haven't had room for my old possessions.

Recently, I have been wondering if I could do away with some of these items, find space in my apartment and do away with the unit. The damn thing is costing me over $100 a month. Basically, all I have in it are a bunch of old comics (I believe 13 boxes worth), magazines, books, cds and some old sketch books.

Last night I was in the vicinity of my storage unit, located in North Hollywood, bordering on the seedier part of town, so I thought I would drop by and rummage around. It was around 8 o'clock at night when I drove my car into the lot.

Storage warehouses, to me, are creepy places. They reek of damaged dreams and regrets of yesterday. They are dark and damp places even if they are well lit and dry. I have always imagined storage sites like mine as places where serial killers keep their trophies.

My unit was located on the 4th floor near the elevator, so I don't have to walk around the place too much. Often I wonder if I am the only person on the floor or in the building even. It's hard to tell.

This night I was sorting through some of my stuff, selecting a few items that I could return back to my home. I heard the elevator bringing someone up, but paid it no mind. When the elevator doors opened, out walked a plain ordinary person. I wouldn't even be able to describe him now if asked to do so. This guy walked down a hallway that was opposite of where I was stationed, so I never got a good look at him.

I continued digging through my storage unit for another five minutes or so. Suddenly, the lights went out. The warehouse is not supposed to close down for another hour more, so I was a little confused. I looked around for a switch, but didn't find one. Thank goodness for a flashlight app on my iPhone.

Then I started thinking about that guy that I didn't get a good look at. He looked like a normal joe, somebody you wouldn't look at more than once. But then, I thought how psychopaths blend in the crowd with everyone else so I hurriedly threw my stuff back into my storage unit.

As I was riding the elevator down, I thought that maybe I over-reacted. Maybe I was mistaken about when the lights shut off at the warehouse. However, as I got into the parking lot and looked back at the building, I could see through the windows of each floor that the lights were still on except for the level where I just came from.

Again, maybe I'm just a chicken-shit but storage units are creepy places.

JR

So for a New Year's Resolution, I thought I would get more exercise. I am by no means overweight, but a lady-friend of mine does like to remind me of my love handles (of course, she is so thin that I sometimes mistake her for one of my pencils). In any event, I decided that I should partake of this thing called exercise.

The only obstacle to my exercising was a lack of time. When I am not working on this comic or at my abysmal job or spending time with the aforementioned girlfriend who's fault this exercise thing is, I'm eating or sleeping.

Finally, I found a YouTube video of an exercise routine that only takes a few minutes a day to do. The type of exercise was yoga which I always thought was for monks from Tibet or bored housewives from Beverly Hills. However, since it was only going to take around three minutes a day, I gave it a good ol' fashion college try...

My body aches. If I had known what kind of insidious pain I was about to inflict upon myself, I would have saved myself the effort and watch the Los Angeles Lakers try to play defense.

Yoga sucks.

JR

This came from a friend of mine...

"We know we're how you get the kids out of their mother's hair for a couple of hours. We know we're how you can spend a few hours with your family without having to engage in conversation. We know you come to us because you couldn't give a toss about the NBA and there is NOTHING ELSE TO DO. We know "It's a family tradition!" We know that the holidays STRESS YOU OUT and you just need to escape.

We know why you're here.

It's why so freaking many other people are here.
So, this Tuesday, when you go to the movies, be nice to our staff. They're working on Christmas Day, and you're not."

If I do venture out to the theatres on Christmas morning, I will try to be nice... even though the part of me that hates movie theatre managers wants to make their lives miserable.

Peace on Earth and good will toward men and all that jazz.

JR

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world." - Mr. Rogers



JR

Okay, I will condensing days three and four into a single update because time was a little short. So here we go...



This is the legendary Hall H where all the cool upcoming Hollywood projects are previewed. I heard that the new Guillermo del Toro and Iron Man movies had snippets shown, and that Robert Downey Jr. was pimping an Iron Man glove. I was told all this, but I don't actually know because I couldn't get in. Oh, well...



I didn't have any troubles getting to Artists' Alley, and I was told by my promoter that I should get my act together so he can get in there. This was only my nineteenth Comic-Con; time to get a move on. Oh, well...





Inside the convention, there was a lot to see and a lot to get...



There were also panel discussions to attend... except sometimes it was hard to get into to them because of long lines...





These pics were showing only an average size line. There were people waiting to get into Hall H (a room that can hold over 10,000 people) that lined up at 5AM. Oh, well...

The crowds were also prevalent in the nearby Gaslamp District.






There was lots to see and lots to eat and drink in the Gaslamp District.



There have been rumors for years of Comic-Con moving from San Diego to a different venue (like Los Angeles). That would be a shame if it were to happen because San Diego is so beautiful, and has so much to offer.

All good things must come to an end. Everybody was pretty tired by Sunday...



And everybody tried to get a last photo of something strange and memorable...

But it was still time to pack your luggage and leave... until next year.

JR

Wow, it's already day two of the convention. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was sweating behind a desk instead of sweating behind a horde of smelly cosplayers.


Evidently, somebody had a little too much fun the night before. Eyewitnesses say the suspect was kinda green.


I'm never drinking beer again.





And I'm never drinking coffee again. Seriously, this was the worse crap that I ever drank. I wouldn't pour this stuff down my drain.


There was a lot of cross dressing going on at the convention this year.

It's so nice to see a young couple in love.

Somebody call the ASCAP or Humane Society.



JR

I'm back... in San Diego, at least. Your intrepid reporter is here in beautiful, sunny Southern California to bring you all the madness that is Comic-Con 2012. Come back everyday as I bring you all the happenings from the Con (except for Preview night... I forgot my camera).



Everybody came for the first day... including the media. In fact, there seemed more of them this years than in years' past.






There was lots to see, of course.



This year I was so proud of my friend, Dana, because she got her comic, The Adventures of a Comic Con Girl, published.



Unfortunately, Dana roped me into working at her table...



But then, she sent over one of her friends to give me a back rub.







There were lots of people dressed up... including this girl made up as Death. At least, I am hoping she wasn't the real Death coming to look for me. She was cute, though.



However, this was the best costume of the day. I wonder how they made it.

JR