Sunday, September 28, 2014

Mattel's Hot Wheels Display

I'd passed by the Mattel exhibit Wednesday morning and was curious about the empty orange display cradle - what would the "star" car be this year? 
 
Glad I stopped by before the doors opened at 6 p.m. for Preview Night; otherwise, I'd never gotten this close for a photo - Cool!
 


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

LEGO Exhibit: Ready for Preview Night

About an hour before the doors opened at 6 p.m. for Preview Night, I decided to check out the LEGO exhibit.  As in years past, the set up looked great!
 






(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

SDCC: Pre-Convention Exhibitor Set Up

It's hard to imagine that these exhibitor booths will be ready when the doors open Wednesday at 6 p.m. for Preview Night, but it happens!
 















(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Pre-Convention Tradition: Lunch with Terry and Robyn Moore

Lunch at the Omni Hotel restaurant with Terry and Robyn Moore before the start of SDCC is always a delightful, relaxing time to visit and catch up with the guys' projects and convention schedules.
 
Terry is the writer/artist of Rachel Rising, Echo and Strangers in Paradise
 

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Stopping by the Dark Horse Retail Booth Before Preview Night

I wanted to say "hello" to friends at the Dark Horse retail booth before SDCC opened to the public Wednesday, July 23rd at 6 p.m. for Preview Night; otherwise, walking from the Big Wow Art group, near Artist Alley, to Dark Horse, exhibiting close to the middle of the massive convention center, would be a slow-go.
 
Before leaving the convention center to meet Terry and Robyn Moore for lunch at the Omni, I stopped by the Dark Horse retail booth.  Set up was going well and Sarah Robertson (last photo of 7) was happy to show me the cover for The Sakai Project:  Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of Usagi Yojimbo, an oversized hardcover benefit book published by Dark Horse.  The 160-page book was being released at Preview Night, with Dark Horse donating all of the proceeds to Stan and Sharon to assist with Sharon's mounting medical bills.
 







(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

SDCC: Pre-Convention Exhibitor Set Up

Exhibitors at the 45th SDCC, July 24-27, faced a hectic Wednesday morning; the annual pop culture event featured over 600 hours of programming  and over 1,000 exhibitors on the convention floor, with a total of 615,700 square feet. 
 
I took these photos on our way to Steve Morger's Big Wow Art group, who Doug has exhibited with since 2007. 
 












More Wednesday morning, July 23rd exhibitor set up photos will be posted next week.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

SDCC: Quiet Wednesday Morning in San Diego

Doug and I typically fly into San Diego on Tuesday to avoid the frustration of a flight delay or "lost" luggage on Wednesday; by doing so, we don't have to set up at the last minute for Wednesday's 6-9 p.m. Preview Night.
 
We've stayed at the Hilton Gaslamp the past 4 years; it's across the street from the convention center, located in the Marina district of downtown San Diego, so we head over there mid-morning on Wednesday to pick up badges and drop off our banner at Big Wow Art, where Doug's exhibited since 2007.   
 
Although the San Diego Comic-Con International is the largest comics-cartoon convention in North America, it's surprising how empty the sidewalks and streets are only a few hours before it opens to the public for Preview Night. 
 
During SDCC, the sidewalk outside the Hilton Gaslamp is jammed with attendees trying to cross the street (on the right) to the convention center, walk down to the Omni Hotel (in the distance) or find a restaurant in the Gaslamp District (on the left).
 

During SDCC, it's hard to get a table at Lou and Mickey's, next door to the Hilton Gaslamp - not this early on Wednesday, though.


The sidewalk outside the Hilton Gaslamp and across the street from the convention center, with a capacity for 125,000, is deserted Wednesday morning.


During the convention, it's a LONG wait to exit the convention center, cross Harbor Drive and go to hotels and restaurants in the Gaslamp District.


No cars, trucks, or pedestrians outside of the convention center - hard to believe!!!


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Sunday, September 14, 2014

C2E2 Commissions

Wayne requested a harem commission in his sketchbook.


Unpublished Sneyd, now in a second printing, features Doug's 100 favorite gag rough "rejects" from the thousands he's submitted to Playboy the past 50 years.  He's happy to personalize each book with an original B&W profile bunny sketch.


Doug and I talk with artist Jeffrey Moy (from Madison, Wisconsin) at a number of comics-cartoon conventions during the year; he's a fan of Doug's detailed Playboy pencil prelims.  This is the final pencil rough for Doug's December 2000 Playboy cartoon.


C2E2 attendee is pleased with Doug's 10 x 14 pencil commission of Zatanna from the DC Comics Universe.  Her character first appeared in Hawkman #4 (October -November 1964).



Doug's classic profile bunny sketch on 10 x 14 Arches of France cold press watercolor paper is a popular convention souvenir.



C2E2 will return to McCormick Place April 24-26, 2015.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)