July 23, 2006

[drunks on a train] ^{3:31 PM}

This post is about Comicon. If you could care less about Comicon, but still want to laugh, then skim down to The Train Story.

So Friday, it was decided would be the day that we went to Comicon.

We also decided, very smartly, to take the train down. The math was simple: tank of gas, traffic, and new grey hairs, or sit for 3 hours in a reclining chair going down the coast for $34. A no-brainer, flawless if you ignore the fact that we got up at 4am, walked to the metro, took it to Union Station for the 6am Surfliner. Regardless, the train is the only way I'm going to San Diego from now on.

This was Boy's first Comicon, and the floor even overwhelmed me this year, so I can only imagine how dizzy he was. We swung by the giant Snakes on the Plane display, walked the floor, and saw many a wonderful thing.

At noon I had a luncheon put on by Gotham, Dark Horse and Variety. When a talent agency, a giant indie publisher, and frickin' Variety put on a gig, of course the +1's are put onto overflow. So I shmoozed while Boy went exploring. Basically, the luncheon was more of a boozeon, lubricating a joyful mingling of everybody from every network I've ever met with. Swiftly came to the conclusion that Comicon is the equivilent of Sundance: thank god we're out of LA, let's play and talk shop with vigor.

After a liquid lunch, we made our way to Ballroom 20 where "Superman Through the Ages" was finishing up and where "Battlestar Galactica" would soon be. Richard Donner appeared and showed two new scenes from the re-cut of Superman II featuring some wonderful restoration and new special effects ala Robert Wise's clean-up of Star Trek the Motion Picture.

The Battlestar panel this year was pretty lame, since the only cast members in attendance were Adama, Chief, Baltar, and Xena. Lucy Lawless was really funny, but not much "news" was actually spilled about the third season. Also, when they played the trailer the first time, the soundtrack from the Bones trailer played over it. I have to say I greatly prefer the BSG spot with Depeche Mode over Nickelback.

Only one shot of the Comicon trailer was different from the televised one, only because I can assume it was too graphic for general advertising purposes: A slow-mo shot of Six falling sideways in Colonial One with a giant bullet hole in her head.

The Train Story

Not knowing when we'd be ready to leave, we only purchased one-way tickets. At 7, we were exhausted and tried to make our way to the station for the 8:20 back to LA.

I causally inquired about the difference between coach and business class, and the teller informed me that business class was roomier, had free drinks, and was only $14 more. I was on the fence for about 2 seconds, when the teller also informed me that the train would also be picking up people from the Del Mar races on the way home, and it would probably be pretty crowded. $14 it was.

Business class paid for itself about 11 times over that night. First and foremost were the larger seats that super-reclined, followed by a steward who served drinks to us. Then we heard on the intercom that after only 2 stops, coach was standing room only.

The snack car opened, making careful to note that they served "hard" and "soft" drinks. Those Del Mar people? They do love them some hard drinks. So much so, that apparently when one man was declined service due to his current intoxication. This did not make drunk man happy, and he hopped the bar, grabbed the intercom, and requested the conductor come down.

You do not play with train operators, or their things.

At the next stop, the drunken man was taken off the train by the police, cited for drunken and disorderly conduct, and thanks to him the train was now alcohol free.

The train continues for a little bit and then it lurches forward. It stops. It smells of burning rubber. It seems that some of those fine Del Mar folks decided it would be fun to pull the emergency brake.

When the brake is pulled, the train officials have to get off and do an inspection and report it. It during this 45 minute period that Boy and I get to know our Business Classmates. The head of marketing for New Line, an Amp'd mobile rep who formerly worked at Fox, and two kids from Disney Feature animation.

Around 11, when we're supposed to be arriving in LA, the train begins to move ... backwards.

We arrive in the station we left our first drunk, and we're greeted by police cars and an ambulance. What we first thought was simply a drunken brake-pulling prank, actually turns out to be a Del Mar Drunk Melee.

It seems that two fine upstanding gentleman had gotten into a bit of a brawl and one of these fine fellows had pulled a knife. I think if you were in a standing room only train car and someone had pulled a knife, you would pull that brake, too.

Now, I'm pissed at these drunk people and the delay they've caused, but I'm also quite happy, because they've created one of the best networking experiences of my life. Trapped on a train with studio heads leaving the world's largest comic convention? C'mon now.

By the time we finally reach Los Angeles, hours have passed and the subway is closed. New Line is kind enough to have her driver give us a ride home, and in the wee early morning hours we finally lay our heads to rest.

So what did that $14 buy me?
- A quiet and spacious train car
- Free beverages and a snack
- Disney kids who wanted my opinion on things
- Drunken Del Mar people behind glass
- A clean restroom
- A knife free zone
- The chance to finish The Man Who Heard Voices. What a mess of a book.

God, I've run out of steam. I'm already two days out of comicon and still feel exhausted. I don't know how the hell I did three days last year...

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