Mea culpa

Thursday, July 31

Sharon:

I got a great (and somewhat embarrassing) question in an e-mail from Rob Ullman of Richmond, Va., who wrote:

"Enjoyed the Comic-Con blog, but as an illustrator and cartoonist, couldn't help but wish you'd found time to talk a little more about, y'know, COMICS. Still, it was fun to read, and I hope you manage to do it again next year!"

Rob's so right about me. I go because Hollywood's there, and for moments like Hugh Jackman showing up with exclusive content on "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which won't be in theaters until May 2009, or for being among the first few thousand fans to see the season-opening episode of "Heroes."

I tend to read comic-book story arcs after they're bound as books, like the Marvel "Civil War" series and Brian K. Vaughn's "Y: The Last Man," which real fans like PG columnist Tony Norman would probably call cheating.

What I didn't write about was visiting Artist's Alley at Comic-Con, where some of the most talented artists you'll find anywhere show their varied work. When I was studying art in high school and struggling with human perspective, a smart teacher advised, "Get some comic books." With just a few strokes of the pen, he said, these artists can convey anything: a hand or fist seemingly thrust out of a panel; feet jumping out at the reader, soles first; human flight ...

Take a look at early frames from your favorite superhero comic and you'll see what I mean. Amazing.

Some of the stylists are so sophisticated in their realism - Alex Ross, for example - that it's a shame that they're only appreciated by comic-book enthusiasts. And storytellers like Vaughn combine modern-culture sensibilities with near-cinematic work (Pia Guerra draws "Y") that not only appeals to real fans, but lends itself to fly-by-night fans like me.

All of this is to say, yeah, I don't have a lot to say about the comic-book side of Comic-Con. Sorry. The truth is, I was spending all of my time in line to see movie and TV panels while the masterminds who give those guys their material were meeting the public.