Cranial Gunk

Like talking to teenagers about sex, not enough conversation happens between elementary/middle school students and their adult counterparts (teachers and parents) about video games. If the questions are asked the responses are finite “Nos.” (I don’t think I need to tell you how well abstinence works as birth control.)

At my local library kids stand three or four deep, peering over shoulders. Their peers have reserved time on library computers to do exactly what they do on their DSs. Initially, I saw this as a problem because they weren’t using the library machines on the terms I understood: searching the web for links to information and informational sources, composing papers, building tables, etc.

It stopped being a problem when I realized, my terms were written on the limitations of the library computers of my generation: green, angular text on black screens, the groans, clicks, and whirs of the 20th Century progress.

This recent awakening made missing Thursday’s New York Comic Con (NYCC) panel on National Gaming Day particularly disappointing for me. I made the decision to stay in on the first day of NYCC 2011 to nurse a cold.

I did make it Friday, however, for a full day in the exhibit hall(s) – including a special side trip to the New York Anime Fest (NYAF) exhibit hall and stage.  I had completely missed the Anime Fest last year. Regrettably, I only fared a little better this year. The challenge for the NYAF is retaining its unique identity and audience in the shadow of the slightly older, much larger, and more pop culturally accessible NYCC (everyone knows the Avengers, not everyone knows Naruto).

This year Chevy and Animal Planet had booths at the NYCC. Next year, will JAL and Toho have booths at the NYAF?

The NYCC felt better organized and laid out this year. There were rumors that this one was even larger than the last one. I hadn’t realized just how large the Javits Center was until Sunday when my children and I spent a bulk of our day in the North Pavilion for Kids Day at the NYCC. 

The NYCC with the kids means shorter days for me and addressing more basic needs like packing a lunch, snacks, and water. My kids were with me all three “official” days of the NYCC. One day, I was unprepared and spent $3 on a limp tasteless hot dog from a cart outside the Javits Center.  I also had to make the decision to skip Saturday’s Avengers panel. It was an easy decision and my kids were eager to stay but I could tell by the droop in their lids that it would have been too much. Even if they would have stayed awake through the wait, I doubt they would’ve been able to sit still through the panel.

Last year, I definitely attended more panels and screenings (with and without my kids). Over a year since we cancelled our cable subscription, some of the panels like the Haven panel, while inspiring interest, didn’t have the same draw as meandering through the North Pavilion to see what was going in terms of Beyblades (my kids’ latest obsession) and Nerf shooters.

But it’s not just about the latest and greatest. This year’s NYCC was also a reunion of sorts. A chance to chat and catch up with the people at Amazing Society and Gazillion about Superhero Squad online (heroup.com). Last year, they showered my kids with gifts and special Superhero Squad playing cards to celebrate the launch their site, an online MMO directed at young audiences.

They were just as nice and generous this year. Heroup.com (online) and Little Big Planet (PS3) are the only two games where I let my children interact online with others. The former has become my children’s favorite game. Before the end of the year, we will commit and by subscriptions to the game.

Good friends tell each other the truth. They are honest with one another. But sometimes good friends allow each other to keep certain “rationalizations.” I tell my good friends I go to the annual New York Comic Con (NYCC) for the sake of my kids and to fulfill my professional obligations as an educator. My good friends being “good friends” overlook my true motives and allow me to maintain my “rationalizations.”

Truth is I go every year to join thousands of other fans to ooh and aah at the amazing and creative costumes, to listen to favorite shows and publishers talk about future ventures, to gawk at industry icons, and to watch the official premieres and screenings. This year despite underestimating the crowds, I managed to relish all of the above.

Prior to the start of the convention I read an article on Comic Book Resources where Lance Fensterman, Reed Pop’s VP of Books, Publishing and Pop Culture, spoke about the combining of the NYCC and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). He spoke about the challenging logistics of organizing the separate events and then those of organizing them into a single event. This year’s NYCC was the most crowded I’ve experienced so far.

That said, I believe Reed Pop successfully conquered the logistics involved. I was surprised by how easy it was to pass the time. It could have been my selection of panels or just my own keen super-heroic ability to kill time. My average wait time was 20 minutes. I timed it. I was all ready to be upset when I saw the lines but they moved pretty quickly. The only session I didn’t make was the one for Young Justice. The room was full 15 minutes prior to the start of the session.

My biggest complaint about the combination of both NYCC and NYAF events is because of the larger crowds resulting from the joining of the events there was very little opportunity to stop and talk – and more importantly – to take pictures without feeling self conscious about becoming a major log jam. I also didn’t budget my time well enough to wander into the Variant Stage area where the Anime related performances were. But this was minor in lieu of the panels and screenings I did attend.

Also unlike the previous years, I didn’t make it to the exhibit hall on the first day of the NYCC. I spent my day running from panel to panel, screening to screening. Not surprisingly the most surreal and entertaining panel was the Robot Chicken panel. Breaking from the usual moderated discussion, Seth Green immediately opened the panel up to fan questions which opened the discussion up to him and Macaulay Culkin (who was also on the panel) being asked if they wouldn’t mind giving DNA samples for “research purposes.”

DC’s First Look panel was probably the most energetic I attended. It orchestrated its All Star Superman tease really effectively – showing a healthy selection of lengthy clips from the upcoming movie. It also previewed scenes from a Shazam/Superman story in an upcoming collection of shorts. What really caught my attention was when two separate fans credited DC comics for helping them learn English. For me it was Marvel’s Spiderman. I  have fond memories wishing I was the boy from Queens who got bitten instead of Peter Parker.

Though not as informative as either panels, my favorite event Friday was the screening of Sherlock. Tired and a little overwhelmed from a packed agenda that first day, I chose it over the Venture Brothers panel. I am a huge Venture Brothers fan but Sherlock premiering officially in the US on PBS instead of cable or commercial TV earned it Brownie points. It officially premieres October 24 on PBS Masterpiece.

Written by Dr. Who writer, Steven Moffat, the new Sherlock has Who-like quirkiness and charisma. The humor is intelligent and subtle. For example, the condescending Holmes corrects an officer who has just called him a psychopath: “I am not a psychopath, I am a sociopath. There’s a difference. Look it up.” (or something to that effect. I can’t remember the exact line but it brought a rousing laugh from the audience.)

Sherlock was a nice end to a great first day of the NYCC for me. I certainly got my psyche’s worth of oohs and aahs for the day.