SDCC Items: Deviled Haminal

I try to roam around the Small Press Table area of SDCC a couple of times or more. That area is on the other end of the Con, which can take 15 minutes or more to get there. It usually depends on the timing of the exclusives being released at the other booths though. In the past I found some nice looking prints and plush items being sold there. Even Kerry and Darth had a table promoting their Evil Ice Cream there once.

This year there were 2 items I really had to get from from there. One was from Crystal Chesney Thompson the other from Camilla d'Errico.

I think it was at SDCC 2007 that I bought the first Haminal from Crystal Chesney Thompson's booth. I remember seeing one of the plush Haminals at Dan's Mr. Toast booth. The pink Haminal plush came in a rectangular can (like Spam) with a styrofoam pineapple slice (which does not fit in the can). The can itself looked a bit hadmade and the lid did not stay closed. Have to use a rubberband to keep the lid on. I loved the way it looked and just had to have one of them. Another reason I needed to get it was that it reminds me of Spam and I grew up eating that stuff since it is a popular food staple in Hawaii (mom's side of the family is from there). I asked him where he got that from, he pointed me in the direction and I got it. When I heard that she was releasing a Deviled Haminal for SDCC 2009, I had to get that one too. These are limited to 500 pieces. Each plastic can is numbered on the bottom, which she also signed. I got number 30/500. The lid on these fit perfectly, but the pineapple slice still does not fit inside the can. I even picked up a mini plush Haminal. Crystal also has a book, shirts and a plush sushi Haminal plush too. Next time I am going to have to ask if she can do a sketch in my book.

Camilla d'Errico is an illustrator/artist with a manga influenced style. Her brightly colored paintings and prints are gorgeous. She has done some work in manga and even has her own series of books, Burn and Tanpopo. Some of her art style in the books reminds me of illustrations from Serial Experiments: LAIN. The item I had to get from her table was the plush Kuro from her Tanpopo series. He is limited to 1500 pieces. This one is in black. I did see a white one, which is not yet available, on her table and another at the DKE booth. The white one has an open mouth. Unfortunately when I went there to get it she was away at a panel, so I didn't get a chance to meet her. Maybe next year...

SDCC Items: Poketo

So when I went to SDCC this year, I picked up the many exclusives that I wanted to get from the different booths. Got stuff from Hasbro, Mattel and some from many other booths. But there were some that were unexpected pickups for me. First up are a couple of items I got from the Poketo booth. Saw these on Saturday and waited until Sunday to get them. Needed to see how much cash was left by the end of the Con.

A handmade, Limited Edition Poketo x Cupco plush ($40). They are called Gaza Kids and limited to only 9. Each one came individually bagged with a header card, 3 stickers, a removable scarf, Arabic writing printed on the back and a different image on the front shirt. Like all of the plush dolls that Cupco creates, these also have the removable and interchangeable heads (link here). Since these are much, much smaller than the regular Cupco plush dolls, you can only swap the heads between the 9. I have 2 of their regular-size handmades that I picked up from a gallery show years ago: a Green and a Teal Devil.

Then there is this mug ($10). After talking with Ted, one of the co-owners, for an exensive time I spotted the mugs. He showed me about 6 or 7 of them. There were about 3 that I wanted to get (Peskimo and Apak being the other 2), but I only chose this one. I don't know... something about the cute, playful images made me like it. Silvia Portella is the artist on this mug (link here). Hopefully they will be at Felt Club this year so I can get the Peskimo mug and matching shirt.

SDCC 2009 Sketches

Every year at SDCC I try to get some sketches in my sketch book from some of the many artists signing at the booths during the Con. I discovered Debbie Huey's Bumperboy character about 4 years ago while strolling through the Small Press Tables. Thought her characters were really cute on the books, buttons, stickers and shirts she had. Stories in the book are kinda aimed toward a younger audience, but I thought they were very cute and entertaining. She always has a new book or mini-book, buttons or item at every SDCC. I make sure to pick whatever it is up, plus a sketch of a different character. So far I have Bumperboy, Bumperpup, BAM! and now Hugga Hugga Bear.

I got 3 sketches from David Horvath, co-creator of Uglydolls, this year. Would have had a fourth, but I got 2 sketches on postcards for some fellow boardies on the Uglydoll site. Think me and Justin went to almost every one of his signings. He did one of Super Sentai Babo, one of Kaiju Target and one of Bossy Bear and Turtle (could not believe that I did not have a Bossy Bear sketch in my book yet). Didn't get a sketch from Sun-Min, but I heard she was around the Con with Mina and David's sister, Kerry. I did see David's brother-in-law, Darth, but he was working and I didn't want to interrupt him for a sketch at the booth he was at.

Was even lucky enough to get a sketch from Kozik of a Monger Booger surfing and a bear from Luke Cheuh. These two are a first for my sketchbook, so I'm happy about that. Should have gotten on from Crystal Chesney Thompson (creator of the Haminal) and another from Dan Goodsell (Mr. Toast). I can get a sketch from Dan another day, since I see him at other conventions all the time.

This year was a little crazy as mentioned in a previous post, so I wasn't able to get sketches from other artists that I wanted. I can't wait to get more next year though. Hope it's not as crazy...

SDCC 2009

SDCC 2009 was a few weeks ago and I know I am late with this, but the most unexpected thing came up the Sunday I came back from the Con. I got sick with the flu. This thing laid me up in bed for almost 3 days and I still have a slight cough lingering. It didn't help my body to recover when I have a publishing deadline while sick either.

But anywhoo... this has been, by far, one of my worst SDCC experiences. This year I could not go to Preview Night, since I had a deadline to finish that afternoon. Plus I had to buy individual days since 4-day passes had sold out the day I was going to buy them in April. Driving down to SD that night was pretty bad. Had I known that they were doing construction on the 5 that night and reduced the freeway lanes to one, I would have taken the long way around. I got to my hotel at midnight, starving and ready to get some sleep.

So first day line to pick up the badge was unbelieveable. Think I got there a little after 7:30am. I have never seen the line get that crazy. I mean it went out behind the SDCC building, through a parking lot and right to the edge of the docks. It took me almost 2 hours just to get my badge. Which by that time I missed the first exclusive I wanted to get... the SJ Dunnys. Heard that release had all kinds of problems too. Then I heard that some of the other exclusives had sold out on Preview Night... which sucked. Hasbro and Mattel had given out all the tix for their booth. Mattel's were gone until Saturday. Crowds were insane in some areas of the building. Wasn't even able to get the Wonder Twins w/Gleek and He-Ro figures since they sold out Friday.

Eventhough the first day went a little crazy, the rest of the days were much better to get my passes. In fact I was able to get my Hasbro tix right after I got my pass since they were in the same area. The line to get in from upstairs in the Sails Pavillion was really short and went in a few minutes early. Which really helped.

Now the entire experience wasn't all bad. I got to meet and hang with a lot of boardies from KR and Uglydoll. Met SuperBen and his friend Danny; hung out with Just1nj; saw Noella, Ray and Elora; Jmonsuko gave me a tix for a cool Human Target shirt; saw hch05 (didn't get a chance to meet though); saw Josh and always visited Dan's Mr. Toast booth. I think I got a sketch from David everyday of the Con at almost every one of his signings. I picked up everything I need to for the people I muled for. Think I got almost all the items I wanted, even some I just unexpectedly bought, like at the DKE sample sale I got a Green Guni-Guni, 2 Doolie Boxes, 2 plush Tarts and Mothman/Flatwoods Supermarket figures. Then there was the LE Mini Cupco plush and mug from Poketo, Bossy Bear Mimobot from Mimoco and Big Monger Booger from Kozik. Then there were a few action figures that I could not pass up at 3 for $10. Really wanted to get an Uglydoll jacket, but the price was a little too much for my budget.

I'm hoping next year it is not as crazy, but I already know that it will be. I know that the prices for passes will be higher. The advance ticket price for SDCC 2010 was $100 with and without Preview Night. So it's going to be a little more than that next year. Parking was at $20 in areas, hopefully that doesn't go up too much. No matter what, I'm going to go next year... even try to make it to Preview Night I hope.