Sam & Max, characters which debuted in a comic book, will star in their own animated series this fall on Fox. © Nelvana.

The Big Event
As in each of the previous nine years, the highlight of this year's Con was the presentation of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, comic books' version of the Oscars. Everyone is welcome at the Eisners, making it a rare chance to see the best talent the industry has to offer gathered in one room. The venerable comics pioneer, Will Eisner, was on hand to congratulate the winners, which included himself! He took home the award for Best Comics-Related Book for Graphic Storytelling. Comics superstar and five-time Eisner winner, Frank Miller delivered the keynote address. He encouraged everyone present to raise the quality of the entire industry, emulating the talents and abilities of Will Eisner himself, bringing it back to the heyday of his time.

Miller emphasized that Eisner was a fountain of comic book knowledge, an invaluable resource that should be tapped by everyone looking to make it in the industry. For his part, Eisner proved himself to be eminently approachable, always willing to take a look at someone's sketches to assess his or her talents. Everywhere you looked for the duration of the Con, there was Eisner, tucked away with a few fans, looking intently at their work, offering advice where appropriate.

It's this kind of personal attention from an industry legend that makes the San Diego Comic Con an exceedingly rare experience. What other industry offers this kind of interaction between legends, fans, and aspiring professionals? It's a phenomena virtually unheard of in the entertainment field. Yet it's commonplace at the Con and it's why so many thousands of people attend and why they continue to make the trek year after year.


Scott Brick is a frequent contributor to Wizard, Sci-Fi Invasion and InQuest magazines. When people ask him what he does, he opts not to say an actor/writer like everyone else in L.A., but will instead claim to be a Holistic Veterinarian. If he tells you this, don't believe him. He also tells people he's Head of Development for Pyrite Films, but that part is true.