Almost outta here

 Sunday, July 27

Sharon:

Time to go, even though Comic-Con winds down today. I got an e-mail from Mark Tierno while I was out yesterday that Pittsburgh filmmaker Chris Preksta
would be showing his short film "The Mercury Men" at just about the time I will be boarding the plane for home.  "Chris will be in attendance along with co-star Curt Wootton. The film stars Curt
and myself," Mark wrote.

Like everything else in these frantic days, there's always a timing conflict. But it reminds me that this is also a place where the artists, writers and filmmakers of today, tomorrow and yesteryear mingle and network and new projects may be born. Aspiring comic book artists bring their portfolios to be accessed by professionals and meet the best in the business. So while the masquerading folks in costumes -- like the family of five (mom, dad and three elementary school and younger kids) -- walk by in head-to-toe spandex or the scantily clad women in Elvira-style costumes strut their stuff all day long at the con, there's some serious business going on as well.

For us, there was very little serious business other than getting in line in time to see what we most wanted to see. So we weren't there when Kevin Smith said he would oversee a three-issue "Dark Knight" storyline, titled "Batman: Cacophony," with illustrator Walt Flanigan. But we were there for Hugh Jackman's surprise appearance and the exclusive clips from "Heroes" and "Caprica" and "Chuck," and the demos on the Exhibit Hall floor and the chat with Samuel L. Jackson about "Afro Samurai" and his many, many other projects (more on that soon). I'll keep this going for a while with a little bit of the fun and fallout from this adventure. Meanwhile, it's time to fly.