The New York Comic Con 2009, the Biggest Event in Entertainment Media to Hit New York every year, began with a late night car ride to the Bronx - woops we made a turn onto a bridge accidentally - and eventually at about 2 or 3 am to a friend's apartment in Astoria, Queens.  There various snoring, sleep shouting, gas, and phone calls would interrupt sleep for the four Rune Works enthusiasts preparing to head into Manhattan to the Jacob Javit's Center for the Professional Only Hours of Friday morning, Feb. 6 and then for Saturday. 

Once there, a long line awaited.  I was offered first $5, and then $10 from an okay looking girl my age (with a southern accent) to cut in line.  Fearing lest riots break out I kindly told her that I did not want her money.  Then she just wanted to "hang out" with me and asked if there was anything else she could do for me (I would not admit this w/out there being half a dozen witnesses present)  and my look of utter dumbfoundment caused her to kind of growl and storm off saying that she didn't "believe this" as she went to the back of the line (three miles away). 

Once inside a flood fun ensued.  It can only be described as feeling like you're a little kid that has just woken up on Christmas morning and it is very overwhelming!  The Video Game section was HUGE this year, as many great games promoted themselves.  The new Tenchu game for the Wii looks awesome, like MGS for the Ps2 only much better!  The biggest buzz was clearly at the Ghostbusters Game Section.  There I spoke with the Senior Environmental/Sparking-Fire Effects Artist Glen.  He talked of the delay in the game's release being a blessing, as the graphics and environments were then given time to really be polished.  Let me tell you after seeing this game I was amazed.  It looks like it could be the Bioshock of 2009 in which its great story, graphics, and game play seem to blow away everything that has come before it.  Glen talked of Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd personally writing the entire game's script and that it is full of funny scenes and lines from Bill Murray and nearly the entire cast from the two movies.

I was standing in the D.C. booth at one point and David Lloyd happened to be signing and drawing colored sketches of V from V For Vendetta.  The man had drawn and conspired the story with Alan Moore.  Wow!  Spying this, and no real line to speak of, my friends Dan (Penguin Publishing), Kurt (Penguin/Impossible Minds Entertainment), and myself (Rune Works) all went and in a timely fashion purchased the graphic novel (and kept a place in line) to have them signed and drawn in.  I spoke at length with Mr. Lloyd who is very much into political elements of our time and also the great crime movies of the mid 1900's.  He seemed genuinely interested in my book and gave me a few pointers as we talked of various film noir.  He told me of his newest crime/suspense book, Kickback, which I later bought to read. 

The Rune Works team did very well this year networking amongst many interested (and I'm sure some uninterested) parties across the show floors.  My friends and I had a blast cruising the same ground as many great artists, actors, writers, and fans.  [See the pictures for an idea of a fraction of it all.]  After my buddy Anthony had a picture autographed from the very Stormtrooper who said, "these aren't the droids we're looking for" he and my buddy Cole gave the man my card for future business ventures.  I can write for Stormtroopers if they need some more lines to say!  Dan and Kurt's friend in Penguin asked us to help promote the author of 101 Ways to Kill Your Boss, Graham Roumieu.  She was worried as her boss looked on and no one was visiting with the author at the time.  Cole then proceeded to tell the man that he was the greatest author on earth and boost the morale in the area.  I met Roumieu later and had a custom drawn "Boss killing" created in my book.
A great many adventures continued until that evening  when the premier of the new Futurama movie was showed as a prescreening to us, the lucky few there!  The girls were beautiful, the fans festive, and the toys, books, art, and movies were for one weekend united under one great glass prism of a roof! 

Grade:  A

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