War/Photography

Mid-March, The Annenberg Space for Photography opened their newest exhibit, entitled “War/Photography.” As the title suggests, the gallery focuses on images relating to war, be it the lead-up to conflict, the actual fighting, or the aftermath in its wake. While the main documentary and subsections focus primarily on six photographers, there are over 75 journalists represented in the gallery, including such legends as James Nachtway and Robert Capa.

In stark contrast to past showings, the current exhibit features primarily black and white photographs. Part of this is the implementation of photography as a medium to portray war is a relatively new field, color or digital even more so. Rather than dividing images based on the conflict in which they are taken, they are divided into “arcs of war,” or different stages in which a conflict passes through. As a result, the bright color photographs often stand highlighted amid several a sea of monotone. In a few cases this works well, such as Damon Winter’s “Flying Military Class” of a group of soldiers crammed into a military airliner or the several 9/11 shots scattered throughout.

While I did like that the curators decided to divide these photographs by something other than which war they were taken in, I did feel that the subsections were a little scattered or had no flow. Aftermath is right next to Recruitment, for example, and many of the major themes touched upon were not given large headers despite being outright mentioned on the opening wall of the exhibit.
I did enjoy many of the non-print related objects scattered throughout. They were usually photography themed but included copies of magazines of their era, a custom-made silver print book, personal journals, and so on. These added a nice touch to the displays while still remaining within the theme of photography overall.

The quality of the prints included were great as usual, with varying sizes and ages included. Even someone with very little understanding of either history or photography are likely to recognize a few of the major pieces included. Seeing prints of Malcolm Brown’s “Burning Monk,” the famous “Times Square Kiss” by Alfred Eisenstaedt, or Nick Ut’s Vietnamese child running down Highway 1 were fairly powerful in person. There seemed to be a greater level of appreciation and emotion when these photographs are seen outside of a textbook setting. A particularly powerful print is that of Joe Rosenthal’s iconic “Old Glory.” Supposedly, the print on display was the first one made from the original negative, making it an extremely important piece in the medium and our country’s history.

The documentary was well-done, and many of the photographs displayed before and after looked great on the high-def resolution screen. I particularly liked the portions with João Silva. A member of the “Bang Bang Club,” he made headlines a few years ago when he lost his legs due to a landmine while covering the current conflict in the Middle East. His story is one of the real, brutal nature of war but also of the tenacity and drive of these photographers to bring these images to the people back home. Apparently, he is still shooting topics of conflict around the world.

Overall the exhibit is a very good one, and arguably one of the more important ones the Space has had recently. It can be extremely graphic in times, and is not for the feint of heart. However, it is a very “real” display with images that are not supposed to be softened or censored. As Kenneth Jarecke explains on his image of an incinerate Iraqi, “If I don’t make pictures like this, people like my mother will think what they see in war is what they see in movies.”

The War exhibit will be open through June 2nd.

125 Years Later...

On a blistery Winter day in Washington DC, 33 men came together to talk about their passion for science, exploration, and the unknown. Some of these men were no strangers to innovation themselves, among them being Alexander Graham Bell. As the night concluded, the gentlemen had an agreement to create a society of their own in order to pass along knowledge to a wider audience of their peers. They may not have realized it at the time, but in creating the “National Geographic Society,” they had ultimately changed the landscape of how common people would be able to see the world. January 13th marks the 125th anniversary of that meeting. What started as a friendly think-tank has become one of the largest, beloved, and recognizable non-profit organizations in the world. Their yellow logo, first put in use in 1910, has become an internationally-known symbol as a gateway into the world.

Looking back at its formation, the path of the Society is a truly remarkable one. If a person picks up one of the earliest issues (now possible thanks to their wonderful Complete NatGeo Collection), they will find a dense, esoteric magazine that is only legible by those in the relevant scientific fields. Issues were not released on a set basis, and the general public was largely unaware of its existence. Still, it plugged on and among those scientific circles who understood what the articles were saying, it began to gain some notoriety.

Important to note is that in these days before film and television, world explorers were the rock stars of their days. Men like Robert E. Peary, Ernest Shackleton, and Matthew Henson were comparable in their time in much the same way we know of Tom Cruise or Paul McCartney. Their journeys to reach the poles, scale the Himalayas, or tread through sub-Saharan Africa were dreams come reality with untold findings and mysteries returning with them. As these explorers had their expeditions written out by the Society, many of them even began to contribute, and the writing became much easier to understand for the common reader without sacrificing its scientific integrity. Through this one magazine, people throughout the country were able to see far-off lands that were – and still are – exotic. We traveled underneath the sea with Jacques Cousteau and learned the truths about chimpanzees with Jane Goodall all within their pages.

Perhaps the greatest contribution to the magazine came in 1890, when readers opened up to find an eerie black-and-white photograph of Herald Island, Alaska. The picture is nearly indecipherable by today’s standards, but as the first photograph published by the magazine, it set off a firestorm in the scientific community. Worried that their research journal would become watered down by the publication of photographs, they clamored for Alexander Graham-Bell not to use the medium. However, he was a great fan of the medium and famously insisted on “pictures, and plenty of them.” His guidance, along with long-time editor Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, has made National Geographic the golden standard in the photographic world. You would be hard-pressed to find a budding amateur nowadays who does not want to “shoot for NatGeo” as a career goal. Now, we not only read about ancient or current cultures and landscapes, we can also see the world around us with stunning detail. Whether it’s an Afghan refugee with stunning emerald eyes or the stereotypical “lion downs a gazelle” shot, their images impact us often at an emotional level we may not even be able to explain.

On a personal level, their magazine has reignited a love for learning and knowledge that had previously burned out. They inspire creation, exploration, and the imagination just as well as any film could with the benefit that they are finding out about a world that actually does exist. In a time when it seems humans have covered every possible area there is to see, National Geographic continues to unmask the hidden places of our knowledge. There could be no organization more deserving of their success. So Happy 125th Anniversary to the National Geographic Society, and may they continue to “inspire people to care about our planet.”

no strangers

"no strangers: ancient wisdom in a modern world" is the newest exhibit to grace the halls of the Annenberg Space for Photography. Returning to its ties with National Geographic and scientific photojournalism, this new exhibit is guest curated by the astounding Wade Davis. The goal, according to the customary booklet handed out upon first entering the gallery, is to show the plight of indigenous cultures around the world, and how they express a shared humanity with all of us. Throughout the hall, there are several categories and sections, from language to rituals, that highlight this theme amazingly well.

My first thoughts, after seeing so many exhibits at the gallery, is that the prints themselves have set a new standard. Quite simply, many of these photographs look absolutely gorgeous in digital pigment print. The color and clarity on the majority of the displays easily outshines many of the Annenberg's past endeavors. Whether looking at the smiling faces of Wodaabe men, grinning widely as they attempt to woo a bride with dance, or Steve McCurry's always-impressive shots of Bhuddist monks wall-running, the gallery has made no effort to shy away from gigantic prints, allowing the viewer to take in every inch of the canvas. With the amount of color shown in this exhibit, the choice was a great one, and I hope to see more like it in the future.

The next obvious part of the display is the sheer amount of sections explored, which was a bit of a mixed bag for me. According to my notes, I counted no less than 10 different areas the photographs were placed in, with themes such as "Circle of Life" highlighting family values, or "Sacred Geography" discussing the ways cultures revere the environment they live in. I did feel that some of these categories, based on the actual photos themselves rather than any attached meaning, could have been combined easily. I did find the "Shared Origins" section interesting, as it highlights the San Bushmen tribe, supposedly one of the few peoples able to trace back to the very origins of humanity.

There are lots of people in these photographs, too, which may seem an odd complaint. However, I feel culture is a term that encompasses much more than portrait shots of rituals and families. It involves art, architecture, music, and so much more that I feel were lacking a bit of a presence. Many of the photographs began to feel very similar after exploring for some time, and I had much more enjoyment of the photographs of the ancient library in Timbuktu than of the countless still shots of faces.

That's not too say that all the people shots were similar, of course. In fact, the shots capturing action and life were extremely fun to look at. Perhaps some of my favorites were the photographs of Hamid Sardar-Afkhi, who seems to specialize in the nomads in Mongolia. I had, sadly, never heard of this gentleman before, but his shots of eagle trainers and fur-clad people playing in the Mongolian snow were beautiful. Maybe it's because I am already interested in their culture and landscape, but these photographs will long stay with me. I also enjoyed the shots from A Yin, a photographer who made comparison shots of Chinese families in their traditional garb several years ago, then in their current, modernized clothes today. Of all of the shots in the gallery, these drove home the theme of the gallery more than any other.

The new video for the gallery was also quite interesting and filled with photographers who are legends in their own right. Wade Davis and Lynn Johnson shared their experiences in the field, and I particularly loved Randy Olsen's comparisons between Portland and his work with the bush tribes of the Amazon. Several hit the note that we really aren't all that different from many of these tribes or people, with many of the same basic needs, principles, and understanding of our environments.

Overall, I did quite enjoy "no strangers," despite the emphasis on portraits and subcategories. Wade Davis did a great job exploring he common themes of so many different cultures. It would have been easy to simply talk about Africa or the Amazon, but here we see Chinese, Mongolian, Hawai'ian, Indian, Native American and many other cultures. And, as I mentioned, the prints are stunning in person and really need to be seen up-close to be enjoyed.

The exhibit just opened recently and will run through February 24th. As always, please support this free gallery and keep photography alive and well!

Endeavour: Mission 26

In 1990, Space Shuttle Discovery would launch with a mission that would eventually ingrain itself into the minds of billions of onlookers across the planet, though they may not have known it at the time. STS-31, the mission designation, was to launch a telescope unlike any other that had ever gazed upon the stars. Its name was “Hubble,” and the images it was supposed to convey were going to be revolutionary in the public’s perception of the out limits of the known universe. However, all was not well, and the first images sent to NASA were blurry, even indecipherable, and not at all what was expected out of the project. Careful examination of the materials used for the telescope revealed that one of the mirrors had been ground incorrectly and was off by an almost imperceptible amount. “Imperceptible” was more than enough in the world of science and technology, though, and the damage had been done to a NASA program that was already under a great deal of scrutiny.

This scrutiny would be the origin of a tale that would run parallel to the Hubble errors for several years. In 1986, a disaster replayed across millions of television screens around the country. 73 seconds into liftoff for STS-51-L, Space Shuttle Challenger would disintegrate, killing all 7 crew members aboard. The tragedy was the first public image of human loss in the space program since the earliest Apollo missions, and NASA was dealt a monumental blow in the process. After visiting the moon, many saw the space shuttle program as a step backward in our journey to the stars, and the Challenger disaster cemented questions regarding the necessity of NASA into the general populace. Research was halted for nearly 3 years.

As NASA was grounded and began researching the cause for the disaster, a replacement for the Challenger was commissioned and began construction in the surrounding areas of Los Angeles. Comprised of a ceramic “blanket” and thousands of unique heat-shield tiles (no two are the same on the bottom of a shuttle), NASA insisted on building a new shuttle from spare parts rather than retrofitting the test shuttle Enterprise. The newest, and last, shuttle was completed and rolled out by Rockwell International in early 1991. The official designation for the spaceship was OV-105, but it was also given another title named after the ship of famed British explorer James Cook: Endeavour.

The baby of the space fleet would go through four launches before being given what was undoubtedly its most important, high-profile mission: to correct the broken mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope. In December 1993, Endeavour launched STS-61. In battling through the Hubble errors and the Challenger disaster, NASA’s replacement shuttle almost immediately began repairing not just telescopes, but also the public image of the program. The mission was deemed a success, and Hubble would go on to show us the reaches of space with a clarity and detail beyond our wildest dreams. Suddenly, nebulae and untold galaxies seemed to be right in our our backyard, with recognizable names and memorable images that would go into countless textbooks and posters. Two wrongs had made a right, and the intertwining journeys of the Hubble and Endeavour was the first of many steps towards rebuilding the country’s passion for spaceflight.

Galaxy photo before and after the Hubble repair

Over its 30-year history, the space shuttle program and NASA would go on to shoot towards new ground in orbital flight. Endeavour would fly on many high profile missions and represent the peak in human engineering. Rovers would be sent to Mars, and the international community would succeed in building a cooperative space station in orbit. While various incidents would happen back on Earth, NASA would continue to quietly break new ground in space with a fraction of the budget of other US programs.

After another disaster with the shuttle Columbia in 2003, public scrutiny towards NASA had returned. In response to put NASA back in a positive light, President George W. Bush announced his Vision For Space Exploration in 2004, leading to a retirement of the shuttles in order to focus once again on deep-space flight and a return to the Moon and even Mars. The shuttles, having lasted 15 years past their original program expectancy, would fly their last missions in 2011 and return to Earth for good in new respective homes across the country. New York, Washington DC, and Cape Canaveral, FL, would each receive one of the retired orbiters for their museums. Endeavour, the baby of the fleet, would be the last orbiter to be sent out, returning to its birthplace of Los Angeles, California.

Just as it had renewed interest in space with its Hubble mission, Endeavour would once again become a point of pride among the country. Planning for the move to its new home at the California Science Center (CSC) would take many months. NASA and the CSC would not only have to plan a flyover of the city, but it would be the only shuttle that would have to navigate residential streets in one of the largest cities in the world to make its way to the final resting area. The final cost would amount to close to $200M, paid for entirely by the CSC using funds and donations. Much like the shuttle program’s lifespan, the move would be criticized due to the dismantling of street lights, trees, and signs along the planned route.

The shuttle arrived in Los Angeles on September 21st, 2012. The number of residents who turned out to see the shuttle flyby would be untold, possibly into the millions, as nearly every roof in the city would have someone perched on top. As the last of the orbiters to be retired, the air was nothing short of ecstatic as a modified 747 carried the spacecraft past several California landmarks, including the Golden Gate bridge, Hollywood sign, and Disneyland. The arrival was not unlike the arrival of the President of the United States as the air was cleared for miles around the shuttle, allowing it to drift quietly as the lone sight among the stars.

Endeavour flying over Griffith Observatory

 Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its final flight over Los Angeles on a modified 747

The tricky part, however, would be the 12 mile trek through southern LA streets. The course would be the first, last, and only time a shuttle would make its way through such a densely populated urban area. The course would involve not only residential areas, but parks, coliseums, and even the crossing of the 405 freeway, one of the busiest in the country. The task would involve using a transporter moving at 2 miles-an-hour or less, and portions of the street would have only inches of clearance on either end. The Endeavour would be the single largest object ever passing through LA, beating a considerably popular rock that had made its way to LACMA several months earlier for an art exhibit.

The move began in the earliest hours of October 12, and would take roughly 2 days before ending at the CSC late on the 13th. Any perceived negative reaction to the move was not apparent as it arrived in the Westchester neighborhood round 2AM. While sidewalks and streets were closed due to safety and logistical concerns, residents still turned up in droves for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see “MIssion 26: The Big Endeavour,” the final mission of the craft. Onlookers would gaze in awe as the ship was parallel parked in a lot along Sepulveda Blvd, and cheers erupted as the transporter engine was turned off to signify the first major stop along the route to allow clearance of the roads ahead.

The next hours would bring their own parade of people and landmarks. Along with the Curiosity rover and Space X’s own successful launches as a private company, the Endeavour craft seemed to inspire generations of people both old and new. As the shuttle was returning home, several tales could be heard about parents or grandparents who had helped build the craft. Current employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave details on the specifics of the shuttle to curious parade goers. Even the LAPD escorting the craft seemed excited, often stopping for pictures of their own with the shuttle in the background. Perhaps one of the most popular photo opportunities was in the parking lot of the famous Randy’s Donuts, with its giant spherical wonder no stranger to tourists itself. Even Toyota would get in on the parade, towing the large spacecraft with a Tundra pickup truck over the Manchester bridge of the 405 as the main transporter was not approved due to the weight concerns.

When the shuttle goes on permanent display October 30th, it will stand as a reminder of human ingenuity and perseverance. While there will always be controversy regarding the overall program, Endeavour has worked to inspire countless people into looking towards the skies again. Its retirement has brought pride back in full force as the US looks towards the future of space exploration. Whether in building the space station or allowing Hubble to bring us instantly recognizable photographs, the shuttles have been a success in one thing: reminding us that despite how small we are in regards to the universe, that we can still make our way into the outer reaches. That this is just the beginning.

Endeavour crawls towards an overnight parking area during its parade through LA city streets

 Closeup of Endeavour's nose as it makes its way to the California Science Center

Comic Con 2012: Cosplay

For hundreds of nerds every year, Comic Con is more than just a convention where they can hear about the newest entertainment tidbits or collect exclusive toys. Instead, the trip is more of a pilgrimage, a chance to blend in with 140,000 like-minded people in a world where some may find difficulty expressing themselves in everyday society. At SDCC, social norms are relaxed, and fans will often find extremely unique and creative ways to show their passion for these arts (within the admittedly fuzzy realm of good taste, of course).

Perhaps the most popular form of expressing their creative side is known as Cosplay. Short for "costume play," the best way to describe the art is that it is Halloween with specific characters in mind. Rather than dressing up as a generic ghost or pirate, cosplay draws on the idea of living life as a character from a movie, game, or any other type of popular or geek medium. For the poorer or less-enthused, this can simply be throwing on a shirt with Superman's logo on it and finding a cheap red cape to tie around their neck. For the professional cosplayers - and, yes, there can very much be a business behind the phenomenon - costumes can cost upwards of thousands of dollars and take months of construction to make sure every minute detail is accurate to the source character.

As Comic Con has grown over the years, so has the many cultures and traditions around it. Cosplay is without a doubt one of the most popular traditions of the event. Even roaming outside the convention center, a visitor is bound to see a few Disney princesses, Mario and Luigis, Stormtroopers, and any number of anime or video game characters. Some are instantly recognizable whereas others choose to costume themselves in obscure characters as kind of in-joke known only to those who have seen the source before.

Sometimes, the hobby does take off in a grand scale. Many people who don such costumes are the designers as well. Holly Conrad was one such designer who enjoyed cosplaying before her Mass Effect costumes caught the eyes of Bioware, the game developer whose game she based her costumes on. After being featured in the yearly Masquarade event, where SDCC attendees get to see the biggest and best costumes of the year in a stage show, Bioware hired Holly to make official costumes for company events and supervise the upcoming feature film. Some girls even use cosplay to launch or sustain modeling careers, as is the case with well-known cosplayer Jessica Nigri.

For me, I do like to cosplay when I have time, but I unfortunately cannot afford any amazing costumes or props quite yet. Last year, I donned my best suit and brought along a replica top to go as Cobb from Inception. I can also be found wearing a Nerd Herd outfit most years in honor of the show Chuck. Mostly, though, I enjoy the photography aspect of it and enjoy seeing the amount of work and love that go into the various costumes I capture on screen every year. When I can do more than just take a quick snapshot, I like working with the models to take more professional shots, as recreating scenes or just generally having fun with the costumes is a great way to get creative and unique shots that normal portraits don't always offer. So, to wrap up my Comic Con blogs for this year, here are some of my favorite shots from 2012:
 

Comic Con 2012: Fri-Sun

The later half of Comic Con was honestly a bit of a blur. In between the lack of sleep and the massive waiting in lines, the days could easily be condensed into one blog post. Friday and Saturday tend to be the busiest days of the convention, with massive panels in the ballrooms, tons of great costumes, and general shenanigans throughout the entire day. This is starkly contrasted with Sunday, which is extremely laid back and consists mostly of people doing last minute shopping or niche panels to close out the weekend.

Friday was a day mostly spent walking around and getting great pictures of the cosplay (which will be a blog of its own in the near future). I find it important to take a day and not have any plans. Wandering around the convention floor, letting things happen as they do, can lead to some really interesting moments. For this particular year, it was the day I randomly saw the cast of Community getting interviewed on top of the G4 booth, getting Tracy Hickman and Ken Higgens autographs from the DC booth, and landing a few great pieces of swag to take back to my coworkers. The magic of SDCC works in mysterious ways, and it did not disappoint this year.

Saturday, on the other hand, was the major day of planning, as I would wake up at 4:30AM to line up at the line for Hall H. This was my first time entering the room, and I unfortunately did not land the best seat due to misunderstanding the signs regarding certain reserved sections. Still, I was able to see the main screen, and after hours of waiting in line, got to spend most of the day there. The first panel was Django Unchained, which was interesting. I was not particularly interested in the film until Tarantino revealed an 8 minute sizzle reel, which impressed. Following quickly was the panels for End of Watch and the new Silent Hill film. I felt bad for these panels, as they were clearly filler panels (the majority of Hall H was there for what came next. Details in a second), but they did what they could do what was essentially a captive audience. I was actually really intrigued by End of Watch, and genuinely want to see it after previously knowing nothing about this low-budget cop drama.

The main panel for me came next: the 2.5 hour WB/Legendary Pictures panel. The energy before the show was ecstatic, and the room nearly brought the roof down when the curtains next to the main screen started to pull back to reveal a Cinarama experience. Chris Hardwick came out as moderator, and the entire show felt more akin to a rock concert than a convention panel. It was clear from the get-go that WB was going to go all out with this, and one-after-the-other, film teasers and footage was released. The show started off with Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro's giant robots vs. giant monsters film. We saw the first ever trailer for the film before the production goes into media blackout mode until Christmas. It was... intense, to say the least. After months fo buzz, it was great to see what the film was all about, and it looks like it will be great fun.

One of the big two I was looking forward to came next. Working at the studio, I knew we would be revealing it, but no one else in the Hall seemed aware. The screen went black, and the crowd was treated to various scenes of a destroyed city while a narrator recited Oppenheimer's famous speech stating "I am become death, destroyer of worlds." Then, we heard a very famous roar made by a very famous lizard that breathes lasers. The crowd went nuts as we saw the famous lightening-absorbing fins and the title card "GODZILLA" flashed on screen. It was everything I hoped for, especially considering the movie is not even officially in principal photography yet, as far as I'm aware. It was good enough we saw it twice.

The WB portion of the panel was a ton of fun, as well. They wasted no time in bringing out surprise guests WIll Farrel and Zach Galifianakis to promote The Campaign. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard at something live before. The panel barely even mentioned the film and consisted mostly of the two comedians (three if you count Hardwick, who was holding his own quite well) riffing each other or the fans.

Then came the highlight for me: Man of Steel. It was a simple panel, with only Zach Snyder and Henry Cavill there to promote the movie. It was the main film most of us were there to see (that or Iron Man 3 later on). Zach did not waste any time in showing off the first, SDCC-exclusive trailer for the film. It was fantastic in every regard, and very different from what I expected from a Zach Snyder movie. Just the teaser alone was heartfelt, and emphasized Clark Kent's desire to know more about his past, as well as decide what he must do. It was clear from the first images that this was not going to be a movie that was entirely visual flair with no story behind it, which is a criticism many have of Snyder. It was everything I wanted a Superman movie to look and feel like. When the Q&A started, one man was moved to tears to the point he could barely ask his question, so Zach answered by rolling the trailer a second time to give us more time to take in everything. For all the simplicity of having only two men there to talk about a tentpole film, the movie landed in a very, very big way.

Not long after Man of Steel ended, the lights went dark and we began to hear deep voices humming a song over the loudspeaker. Cheers erupted, and we were treated to beautiful artwork from The Hobbit coming into focus on the side screens. We were treated to a very long clip from the production diary before Peter Jackson came out with a few of the cast members, including Sir Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood. I have never seen such respect given to a cast before, but Hall H made it clear that there have been few movies to garner there attention as much as this. We watched a 12-minute excerpt from the two films, and the film looks absolutely gorgeous. Almost similar to a moving painting. I could not help but get a little misty-eyed upon seeing such beloved characters back on the screen. I left soon afterwards, greatly happy to have experienced a pnael I am sure to remember for many years to come.

Sunday came and went quickly with one last loop around the convention hall, purchasing a couple of prints to take home with me. The con seemed to have gone quickly this year, though it seemed as though 2011's was only last week. I was extremely happy with everything this year (aside from getting sick after pulling too many early mornings). While I still hope San Diego quickly goes to work on expanding the convention center to fit everyone, I want to continue this every year from here on out. There is no place like Comic Con if you're in love with entertainment arts.

Comic Con 2012: Thursday

Today was the official start of Comic Con and its main events. While Preview Night kicks things off with shopping and small events, many of the main parties and panels do not begin in full force until Day 1. With the influx of main-day tickets, the lines go up exponentially compared to Preview Night.

So, upon waking up at 4:30am, I should not have been surprised at the line outside the convention center by the time I actually arrived an hour and a half later. For a brief moment I panicked, but apparently the first line of the day has not been split into its different branches for exclusives tickets, some signings, the main exhibit floor, etc. When we were actually let in, the line spread in several different directions, and I thought I was comfortably near the front of the exhibit hall crowd.

Unfortunately, SDCC can be tricky, and with exclusives becoming bigger and bigger, lines eventually become hazy. Many retailers will buy exclusives to mark up and resale later on. They also have the advantage of being already on the floor when sales begin. By the time I reached the Mattel line, it was already out of its queue and split to the convention center walls. Thankfully, the exclusives I was purchasing for myself or others (Batman, Sandman's Death, Dana on Zuul's altar) had either larger limits or simply were not as popular. I managed to snag the three I wanted, but several others in line with me were not so lucky as items sold out as we moved through.

Beyond that, the day became much easier. With the shopping done, I was able to utilize the bag check (an absolute godsend) and roam the halls getting photos, looking at cheaper items or artwork to use the rest of my spending on, or hang out at the Batmobiles in between interviews on stage. Comic Con magic reared its head again, and I managed to see Ellen Page getting interviewed and get a couple close shots of Stephen Amell (CW's Arrow which I am HIGHLY looking forward to), neither of whom I expected to see.

Best of all were the evening panels I attended. Being so close to the cars everyday, I have fallen in love with the Batmobiles and wanted to attend the panel about them in the evenings. I arrived early and got to sit through the Vertigo Comics panel, where Neil Gaiman spoke via video that he was making a new Sandman prequel with JH Williams III as the artist. What was essentially a panel I was squatting through became a huge announcement, and I am already anticipating next year. Plus, the Batmobile panel was extremely enjoyable, and I was happy to see it was a packed house for the documentary viewing.

Overall, I am still not happy with some of the policies of SDCC in regards to crowd control, but it turned out to be a lively day, and I intend to keep at it by going back downtown for some food. Hopefully tomorrow will be much more laid back with a heavy focus on cosplay pictures.