Top 5 SDCC Moments of 2011

Special thanks to Artimus Naugin (aka: @TheArtimus) for his top five moments from Comic Con. Thanks Aritmus for sharing!

5. Cyanide and Happiness Booth
The wonderful thing about Comic Con is no matter what you’re a fan of, you can find it there. I’ve been reading the C&H webcomic for years, so getting to meet the guys behind it was amazing. However, I can’t really recommend their site for anyone. They have a no-holds-barred approach to humor and no topic is off limits. It is very offensive, but that’s right up my alley. I purchased a custom sketch from them and asked that they make it as terrible as possible. I won’t go into details about it, but it was exactly what I wanted. Nowhere other than SDCC can a magic moment like that happen. And while this post is about my top moments, there were countless artists doing the same thing. You could have found that one artist you love and had a similar experience.

4. IDW Announces Star Trek and Legion of Superheroes Crossover Event with DC
IDW is still one of the new guys on the block, only being formed in 1999, but in those 12 years, they’ve exceeded any and all expectations. Huge original titles (30 Days of Night and Karney) and even bigger licensed titles (Silent Hill and Doctor Who) have put them right up there with the big dogs. DC is a powerhouse and have created some of the most iconic characters in comic history. IDW and DC teaming up on any project would be massive news, but this isn’t just any crossover event. This is Star Trek and the Legion of Superheroes. Both franchises have such rich stories and characters to pull from. And while DC owned the Star Trek license in the late 80s and early 90s, this will mark the first time the characters will crossover into the DC Universe. Chris Roberson, IDW writer in charge of the project, was on the panel, and his words spoke volumes about how amazing this event will be. To paraphrase: When I was first approached about writing a Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes crossover, I laughed it off. I thought they were trying to pull a fast one on me. There’s no way I would be given a chance to write something of this magnitude. But I played it cool, just in case. And here we are. Yes, Chris, here we are, with potentially one of the greatest comic book crossovers ever.

3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Behind the Scenes Footage
I’ll be the first to admit, I wasn’t a fan of the first Ghost Rider film. Heck, even on this panel, Nicholas Cage hinted at how disappointing it was by saying that the first was more family friendly, whereas this is a darker, more true to the comic version of Ghost Rider. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the directors of the film, quickly showed they were out to prove a point. In addition to showing off a trailer that was much better than expected, they treated the Hall H crowd to behind the scenes video. Here, we see that instead of a director telling a camera man where to point the camera, they chose to operate the cameras themselves. Not only that, but they wanted to make sure every shot captured the action. In one stunt, a stuntman attached to a wire went flying off of a ledge. The director, holding the 90 pound 3D camera, flew off the ledge as well. In another scene, the director was wearing roller-blades and holding onto the back of a motorcycle while filming. These in-your-face shots were clearly the difference in the amazing trailer. Apparently, Neveldine and Taylor truly meant it when they stated they would not have the actors or stuntmen do anything that they were not willing to do.

2. The Amazing Spider-Man Panel
The panel as a whole was loaded with awesome bits. From the start, moderator Ralph Garman fielded a question from the Q&A line. There was a person in a very poorly made Spider-Man costume. He pulls off the mask, and it’s Spidey himself, Andrew Garfield. He reads a heartfelt speech about what Spider-Man meant to him growing up and what an honor it was to get to play the part. I believe he even had to wipe a tear away by the end. After being shown the 3D teaser trailer, Garman asked director Marc Webb about a villain in the film. Webb stated there would be no villain, which angered the crowd. However, he was obviously joking and then officially announced it was The Lizard. We were then treated to video of Dr. Curt Connors and his transformation into The Lizard. The digital animators did a phenomenal job on him. Actor Rhys Ifans then arrived on stage to a round of applause. A third piece of footage was also shown. I don’t think anyone could have asked for more from this panel.

1. Steven Spielberg’s First Comic Con Appearance
Hall H opened on Friday with a panel for The Adventures of Tin Tin. While there was no official announcement, Steven Spielberg’s appearance may have been the worst kept secret in Comic Con history. Before hitting the stage, the crowd was shown a montage of his career. From ET to Jurassic Park to Band of Brothers, Spielberg has had a hand in on some of the biggest movies in history. He truly is a living legend. After the montage, he came out to thunderous applause and accepted his Inkpot Award for lifetime achievement. After showing some “test footage” from the movie, Spielberg surprised us all as he brought out Peter Jackson. Two of the biggest names in Hollywood sharing a stage, does it get any better? Well, for one fan it did. There was a man in the Q&A line. He was last to ask a question. I don’t remember what he asked, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t either. He was wearing a shirt that said “If possible, I would love to meet Steven Spielberg just to shake his hand and say thank you very much.” Spielberg and Jackson invited him up to the stage to do just that. They both pulled out their personal cameras and took pictures with the fan.