We left the hotel at 6:40 am, pure madness.
At the convention center we found huge masses of people and monster lines. The heaviest line was for the exhibit hall. It wrapped around the building. amazingly, we found that the exhibit halls did not open till 9:30 and here were all these crazy people in line.
We decided to get in line for our own first panel which was at 10:30!!!! We sat watching costumed people float by till the time of the panel. Bizzarely, all of the people in line ahead of us (about 7 people and who knows how many behind us) were not wanting to see the books into films panel at all, but they were queueing for this room so they could stay in the room after our panel and be well situated for the WWE panel at 11:30.
So our panel had a room potentially full of wrestling fans. The guy behind us explained you have to just get into your room as soon as you can and plant yourself for the panel you really want.
I was already tortured that so many things I wanted to see were at the same time, and to pick between them. It is so much worse to know you can really only see things that are a good two hours apart to give you time to wait in line for your potential event.
If you want something in Hall H, the 6500 capacity room, you need to be at the con at who knows what time and just stay in there till your event.
A bit maddening. that said, the panel on books into film (proper title later) was the best of the day. We had seats right up front. I was just a few feet away from Tony DiTerlizzi's spot and was too excited. Then he shows up talking to some people a few feet away. Mr. DOA says go talk to him and I say nooo I'm too shy. So he bustles on over and says something to Tony and next thing you know I'm posing for a picture with him and chatting about the con.
He is just the nicest guy. I love his Wondla books and was able to tell him so in person :) He had this story of Ray Bradbury rolling through the convention and talking with people and the way he said "he was right there, just talking to everyone" such wonderful fannish adoration of one of my own heroes....Tony DiTerlizzi is now high on my own author idols list.
We also saw (while waiting for the Bradbury panel) a panel on DC collectibles. Great to hear the audience ooh and ahh over upcoming DC character models.
The Bradbury panel had Margaret Atwood (thunderous applause for her), Joe Hill, Sam Weller and another guy, sorry will fill in details later from my notes). I thought from the description they would actually talk about Bradbury's influence on film and culture but they really spoke about what Bradbury meant to each of them.
There was a librarian who stood up and who said he had helped save her library and that he had appeared there for programs dozens of times. I wa soo jealous. I am incredibly lucky to schedule local authors at our library to give readers a chance to meet the people who write the fantastic stories we all love. To be able to have my favorite author of all time, ha! unimaginable.
We spent a couple of hours in the exhibit hall and I think we covered hardly anything. Have to squeeze more time in tomorrow.
Saw the Beauty and the Beast pilot episode (part of it because of the line) . Saw the luminous Kristin Kreuk via projection screen on the panel. I'l be watching the show. They have changed the mythology/back story a bit.
Pictures and details to be added later!
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