Day 2
by Joel Champagne
As the doors to comic-con opened for the second day, I found myself in the middle of a gigantic line to get inside. Once in, I and several thousand others quickly rushed to our destinations. Today, our plan was simple, divide, conquer, then stay there continuing with the conquering. James took the Hall of H, while Ballroom 20 was all mine. Ballroom 20 contained a panoply of geek wonder. Beginning with “Futurama,” it proceeded through “The Simpsons,” Joss Whedon’s new “Dollhouse,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Chuck“, and J.J. Abram’s “Fringe.”
As I formed up in line, I realized 2 things very quickly. I had about 3 hours until the first panel, and second, I had brought nothing whatsoever to do. Then, before I could consider solutions to this problem, a third dilemma hit. In preparation for the massive influx of heat-producing people, the Convention Center AC was on full blast. It was 7 o’ clock in the morning, and in response to the previous day’s heat, I had worn shorts and a thin T-shirt. I proceeded to pass the time by shaking uncontrollably, and attempting to slip into a coma. However, as a friendly security guard (who must have thought I was hard of hearing, as he seemed to only talk at the top of his lungs) informed me, lying down was strictly forbidden. Standing in place, and sitting on the ground were okay, but just in case the line started moving 3 hours early, lying down is a hazard to myself and all those around me.
Once I got into the Ballroom and to a strategically placed seat, (i.e middle row, right by the front), I realized yet another problem. The average Comic-Con goer, when confronted by a room with limited seating, is the equivalent of a pack of starving wolves. Any sign of weakness, and the pack will destroy you to get one precious seat closer. I was all alone, chained to the very seat I had strove to attain. Luckily, there was a friendly girl named Julie sitting next to me, and I didn’t smell TOO bad yet, despite spending the night in James’ car. She agreed to guard my seat and I, hers.
12 hours later, I staggered out of that Ballroom, my butt numb, and all of my Nerd circuits fried. I had seen and heard from some of the greatest minds in the entertainment industry. It was an almost non-stop flurry of information, and with my laptop battery dead, my camera battery dead, my hand cramping from my desperate attempt to take notes, my stomach empty, and my bladder full, I staggered off to find James. On my face, my smile could be seen for miles around. It was the best day ever.
