Guest Report By Thom Fowler

I have been thinking for the past few days how nice it was of Kevin to host this event. And it was also a testament to the power of the internet to create community and enable communication that never existed before. "Build it and they will come."

I purchased Daredevil 3,4 and 5 and brought them back to Kevin to sign them. When he asked me who to sign them to, I couldn't think of anyone in particular but I didn't want "nobody" to sound like "just sign them and increase their resale value, already". So I asked him to sign them to my friend Sam, who thought it was cool to have a thus far complete signed run of the Kevin Smith daredevil series. During a lull in the video showing, I asked Jimmy and Joe to sign the same issues and they were happy to do it. In fact, they had their pens out, waiting, with that "oh, please, ask me to sign your comic, I've got nothing to do and this is this 3rd time I've seen this trailer" look on their face.

The food! Did I rave about the food! This was not an ice sculpture and pate de foie gras event, Thank (enter deity of choice here). Aaah. Cheese Pizza. The Great Equalizer. There was no possibility of offending anyone's taste with the common denominator of pizzas. Eventually Karin and I made it to the food table where I had a devil of a time trying to decide on a donut. I figured I'd be cheating myself if I didn't have a donut and a slice. I had to milk that thirty dollars for everything it was worth. After rifling through every box (the dunking sticks didn't seem to be a very popular choice judging by the completely packed full box of them) I decided on some coconut covered thing. I resisted the urge to drool and say "mmmm....donuts". But brother, lemme tell you, I thought it.

Speaking of pizza. While I was waiting in line to buy stuff I watched this guy come up to the stacks ... and stacks ... and stacks... of pizza boxes, lift the lid, notice it was empty and walk away. And I said to Karin, "he sure gave up easy". If he had dug two pizza box layers deeper he would have found more pizza than even Jay, who inhaled half a pizza in the 3 steps it took to walk through the front of the store. (Suck it up, homeboy.)

I must have said the giving up easy comment louder than I thought because he came right back and lifted up two boxes and lo and behold.. a ray of light burst forth from the pizza box into the darkness of his hunger and he was rewarded, nay, blessed, with a full, hot, dripping, cheese pizza that could have all ostensibly been his. I wanted to clap, or cheer, or at least pat him on the back and say, "there you go, Sparky!". But instead I just quietly smiled and watched him take his fill.

And then I had a juice box.

And I was glad the independant section had some decent titles and even some *really* independant APE (alternative press expo) quality stuff. Because I don't know shit about shit about comics but I like all that creative foment boiling through the underground. Its like the stinky cheese in a world of velveeta. It's hard to find, you have to have a taste for it, and everyone has a favorite. So I bought "everyone needs a salesmen". Which I liked. because every story goes nowhere and seems trite and inconsequential. Its like a representation of the angst and ennui or a certain group of disaffected people who nonetheless feel the need to express their disaffection in a meaningful and creative way. Thats right. Just turn it into "Art" and everything will be oh kay.

Oh and Jay took some time out of his busy autographing schedule to stand for a photograph with Karin and I. I leaned over and said to him "Its like you are a ride at Disneyland". To which he responded with a sly, or was that some other kind of fatigued, smile. I make no judgements. But Jay did seem a little tired. Speaking of Jay - I guess I had a lot say about him - I like the Gay and Silent Bob T-Shirts. And who was that friendly woman who was walking around the store wearing one?

I met a lot of nice people and put faces to names and settled a few scores (you know who you are, you bastards). I was hoping to say hello to Vincent and ask him how the work was coming, etc, since we had a few conversations and then he dissappeared. I suppose busy with other projects. But I was at dinner with Chopper3, Edie, Andy, Chris and his girlfriend when Vince stopped by the Marriot.

The Marriot was terribly accomodating about the madness that was the downstairs lounge for two nights. The hotel either had no other guests, or they were all staying away... far away. It was fun hanging out and drifting from conversation to conversation and drinking and relaxing and meeting people. Everyone was so open and friendly. All of the usual web-board stuff disappeared for 2 days while everyone got to know people on this side of the terminal. In general, people are very friendly and fun and not so nasty or caustic. But its the Internet. It's amazing how much more information you get about a person when you are with them, face to face, occupying the same space and time. No wonder its so easy to miscommunicate online. Speaking of Miss Communication, Edie was all over this event, God bless her soul. And I don't think anyone came or went without Paul greeting them or seeing them off. Must be that southern hospitality coming through.

All in all I had a good time and I think I might go to next event provided its not anytime in the next 6 months.

If anyone is coming to San Francisco anytime let me know what you might want to do (clubs, art/cultural events, sightseeing, hiking, restaurants, off the beaten path, etc) and I'll throw together a packet of info for you if you'd like.