 We headed out from our L.A. office at 6 a.m. Two cars, six people,
200 miles. Once we arrived, we set about assembling our
twice-the-size-of-last-year’s booth (#5463 for those keeping track). Around us,
the hubbub resounded. There were snakes on planes, Transformers, puppet Angels,
Lego Batman, Lego Spongebob and more. Finally, our plasma TV monitor arrived to
complete the booth and we were ready.
At 5:30 the first night, the doors opened for the media and
4-day pass holders (they offer an extra perk for the hardcore who buy passes
for the duration of the con). And, thus, as the kids say, it was on.
Costumes abound at Comic-Con and this year was no exception.
We saw everyone from the Super Friends (as a single, crime-fighting unit) to a
pack of fairies (5 girls in bikinis and wings) to a battalion of Storm
Troopers. From a 5-year-old Superman on up, every age, gender and ethnicity was
represented.
 Visitors to the Shout! booth were invited to spin the Free
Swag Prize Wheel, with the promise that
“every spin is a win!” Plus, everyone who spun the wheel got to enter to win
our booty, which was a treasure chest filled with Shout! CDs and DVDs. Congratulations
to Chris Vernon for winning the goods.
We all loved the Snakes On A Plane “booth.” It was actually a huge, open-jawed snake
with smoky nostrils. Flight attendants greeted us at the entrance and exit, at
which point we received our wings (rubber pins with the film’s logo). Score!
 Accepted, the new
college comedy, made a HUGE splash this past weekend. Guys in wiener costumes
threw t-shirts off balconies while street teams handed out bottle openers and
passes to their screenings. Coincidentally, at least one S!F employee was hit
with a flying t-shirt, which is perfect as we’re releasing the film’s soundtrack
(it rocks!) on August 8. Universal’s kegger party on the grounds of the Hilton
Gaslamp was the event of the week, with a skate ramp set up, live music and
burgers and dogs for all.
On Saturday, the creators and talent behind Greg The
Bunny led a panel, immediately followed by
a signing in our booth. Fans lined up for autographs and photos with Greg and
Warren.
 As they were finishing up, the lovely Elvira made an
unannounced appearance, causing flash bulbs to blind all within the booth. The
Mistress of the Dark posed for a few pics and then graciously signed posters
for Shout!
Our last day in SD was Sunday. The morning kicked off with a
signing at the Tower booth with Rob Corddry (The Daily Show) promoting his just-released DVD, Blackballed:
The Bobby Dukes Story. As he finished up,
the creators and talent behind  Home Movies, a.k.a. Loren Bouchard and Brendon Small, entered Booth #5463 and began
what turned into a full 2-hour signing. We took down the prize wheel during
their visit to make some room, which bummed out a few Comic-Coneers who wanted
to spin the wheel and win big.
 The day wound down at 5 p.m., as many people left the
convention center grasping Shout! posters and Frisbees. As the temperature
dropped within the hall, we broke down our booth and sadly hit the road. Ah,
Comic-Con, how we miss thee. Until next year, that is!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. You helped make
this another stellar year for Shout! |
