I Can't Complain About Crowds at TLA Ever Again!

Some of you know that I went to Comic Con International in San Diego last month. For those of you who don't know, Comic Con is the largest pop culture convention in the country. It began as a celebration of all things comics but has turned into a celebration of comic books, television, movies, games and toys.

About 125,000 people attend the four-day conference. That works out to nearly 32,000 people every day. TLA Annual, the Texas Library Association's annual conference only hosts about 8,000 people. So ... nothing to compare really.

And, yes, people were dressed up. I saw lots of Obi-Wan Kenobis, Stormtroopers, Batmans and Jokers. Also some Watchmen characters (mainly Rorschach), Harleyquin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, some apes from Planet of the Apes, anime/manga characters, Snake Eyes, Sylar victims, etc.

Anyway, I paid for a four-day pass which included Preview Night - three hours on the Exhibit Floor the day before the official open. This was amazing! The visual stimulation was almost overpowering - everywhere you looked, there was something new to see. And there were, of course, people all over the place!




While the exhibits were something else, the main attractions for me were in Hall H on the full days of the convention. Hall H is where the major presentations are - movie studio panels and such. Hall H holds 6,500 people, so nearly everyone who attends TLA could fit in this one hall!

Those of you who know me, and know how celebrity-mad I am, know I was in heaven during these three days. And one of those days was my birthday! Just to give you an idea of some of the people I saw, a list of names.

Keanu Reeves & Jennifer Connelly (Oscar winner!)

Mila Kunis, Mark Wahlberg (Oscar nominee) & Chris "Ludacris" Bridges

Hugh Jackman (surprise attendee, he wasn't on the schedule)

Djimon Hounsou (Oscar nominee) & Dakota Fanning
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Stephenie Meyer, et al
And the 6,000 screaming teenage girls in the audience nearly popped my eardrums!

Gerard Butler
Guy Ritchie
Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley (Oscar nominee) & Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Benicio Del Toro (Oscar winner! another surprise, he wasn't on the schedule, either)
Samuel L. Jackson (Oscar nominee)
Seth Rogen
James Franco
Elizabeth Banks
Justin Long (the Mac guy)
the entire cast of Heroes
Matthew Fox & Team Darlton from Lost

Anton Yelchin
Joan Allen (Oscar nominee)
Bill Nighy

Brendan Fraser
Maria Bello
Michelle Yeoh
Jet Li
Neil Patrick Harris

How long did I wait in line? About four hours every day, but it was completely worth it. Seriously, I was in celebrity heaven. One of the best birthdays I've ever had! If you ever get the chance to go to Comic Con, I highly recommend it.

What upcoming movies did I learn about that I can't wait to see?

Watchmen - I love that book, and the movie looks fantastic!
The Wolf Man
Twilight
Terminator Salvation
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
The Day the Earth Stood Still
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Bolt
Up
Tron 2 (Disney showed some surprise footage)