I've been going to Comic-Con for almost 30 years now, god help me. Sometimes I think I know downtown San Diego better than any town I've actually lived in. These are some of the things I think of when I think about Comic-Con:
• The Picadilly
• HateBall Tour 1993
• Scary bail bondsmen offices
• When you could easily park in the convention garage
• When Hall H was just a grassy knoll where you could hang out before the con opened
• When I cared about the Marvel and DC booths
• When I first met Gary Groth and he had a pony tail
• When I first met Dan Clowes and he charged me $10 for a sketch but not the cute girl in front of me
• When I showed Dick Giordano my portfolio as a teenager and he was incredibly encouraging
• Drunk late-night walks with Jaime back to the hotel
• Eisner Retailer Judging with Sergio Aragonés, who brought his guitar to kill time
• Sin Alley Cats, The Ol' Prospectors, and Action Suits with Rube Reuben at that Fanta golf course party
• Danzig's stripper room
• Riding elevators with Lou Ferrigno, the guy who played Chewbacca, and Stan Lee
• Being told on at least three separate occasions over three separate years "NO PHOTOS!" by an off-the-clock Lou Ferrigno (including in the elevator)
• Selling comics to Leonardo DiCaprio, who had just flown in via helicopter with Gaston from Meltdown
• Eisner tears
• Jack Kamen's kiss
• When I realized that the Playboy back issue dealers didn't check ID
• Me, Jane Wiedlin, The Eisners