Random Comics News Story Round-Up

* IDW has hired a new in-house marketing director, AnnaMaria White.

* the writer and editor Jason Green corrects me by noting that Marvel's new Spider-Girl effort isn't going digital-only. Those comics are just appearing via Marvel's digital efforts on-line initially before see light as part of a print comic. I apologize for the error.

* save the DFC!

* apparently I am quoted in this magazine's profile of Stan Lee, which renders me unable to read it without the risk of passing out. I hope it's good.

* so yesterday was the day that hotel rooms at San Diego's Comic-Con International became available through the convention itself. This is nearly always an interesting day because of the ill will it engenders in longtime con-goers that remember being able to reserve rooms in June for a July show. Having secured a room through alternate means I didn't think I'd be participating in what one reporter referred to as "Hotel Day" and had mostly forgotten about it. Then I was drafted to make rezzos for a friend that couldn't take the time to wait on hold or for a page to load on-line, and... hoo boy. I have to admit, while I know businesses can't fundamentally change their staffing and computer systems just to make sure a bunch of comics fans have a more productive and satisfying half-morning once a year, that was a discouraging experience. I failed to get the room asked of me. And, as my brother woke up, jumped on-line, had his page load and got a room for his friend all during the time I was sitting on a queue page that should have had me taken care of long before he was, I know that there were arbitrary aspects to that experience.

* it may or may not be worth noting that instead of the con leaving up the original hotel rooms and having them listed as unavailable, the way they used to, the core downtown hotels are not even listed on the site after yesterday's scramble. This might be discouraging for people wanting those specific hotels to release a few more rooms. I can't tell.

* so what now? If you still don't have a room for CCI, won't have a car and need to be within walking distance of the convention center, you should immediately e-mail everyone you know that might be going to the con to see if they have a line on a room, such as, for example, a reservation they're dropping at the Westgate in favor of one at the Hyatt. Informal networking may be the only way to secure a room where the more people you know is an advantage. You should then bookmark the convention hotel reservations page and check it frequently to see if any hotel rooms will eventually become freed up. Beyond that, wow. You might check Google to see if there's still a bed and breakfast in Little Italy and if they have anything. Little Italy used to feel like a long way away, but it's close enough for a long walk or a short cab ride or a stroll to another hotel's shuttle stop. Other things to do: bookmark San Diego Craigslist for condo rentals. Google "vacation rentals" and follow those links. Pray.

* if you still don't have a room for CCI, have a car and don't mind commuting, I always liked this one of the Hotel Circle hotels. Seriously, though, maybe don't try to do the show without a car if you're staying more than 10 blocks away. If you have a car, staying far away is fine, but if you don't, it's tough. Even reasonable car commuting has an unnecessarily bad reputation at CCI, for a lot of reasons. It's partly because it's a pain and added cost to park, partly because a number of people just want to bounce between the three or four key places in a half-mile radius where all of their friends are waiting to tell them they're awesome and therefore they don't really value the less comics-immersive experience of being able to run out to (for example) Kono's Cafe, partly because proximity via hotel is a status symbol in and of itself, partly because having the option of running back to your room can indeed be awesome and partly because for years unless you waited the week before the show to decide you'd like to show up you never had to stay so far away you needed a vehicle. I used to be that week-before-the-show guy, so I've stayed as far away as 40 minutes from San Diego proper. Let me assure you: if you're heartbroken by having a hard time finding something downtown, my years sleeping well outside of SD proper were just as fun as the years I've spent right up on the convention center at the Hilton or Marriott.

* finally, John Freeman has launched a blog devoted to mobile and similarly digital comics.
 
posted 7:30 am PST | Permalink
 

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