Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
SDCC 2017 ended over a week ago and even though it's year 23 in a row for GR and the feeling of the routine doesn't quite wash away. Great moments begin to slowly disappear from our memories. Cosplayers still come...
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San Diego Comic Con 2016 came and went and it was nearly a blur. After packing up for a week and then handling a table for a week, a bit of exhaustion happened, but we're now back in full power. If...
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Giant Robot is still at Booth 1729 and the days are already flying by. The toughest part is the set up and Preview Night. The simple booth is actually quite engineered. The poles which hold up the signs is a...
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It’s a week since Comic Con ended and for GR’s 20th year there, it was another success. I’m not sure how to measure that word these days, but while we struggle to make sense of “trends” especially in the micro economics of the world around GR, which means toys, figures, art, t-shirts and other coveted objects, we still manage to have a decent time. It’s like a camping trip where you’re together with others, each pulling and pushing in their own ways. It’ll never be perfect, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Yet, I know it’s fun when the 6 days we’re away flies by as fast as any week I’ve lived through. Comic Con for me isn’t about panel discussions, stars from the Game of Thrones, LEGO, Mattel or Hasbro. It’s also not the many smaller booths. Comic Con is what you make of it. For each person walking in the doors, it’s sort of DIY. You might miss out on the most coveted panel, but there’s so much else to do that it’s best to move on. The place is huge, the services are vast. There’s not much to complain about. We’ll be back in 2015 and we’ll refine ourselves a little bit more. Some highlights and some lows 1) This year, Linkin Park played for free out Petco Park. Their “five song” set turned into something like 9 songs. Great job Mr Hahn for the show and his now sold movie. The Mall. 2) Friends and artists came through the booth. I didn’t have to leave. 3) Downtown is too crowded, so leaving the area is a pleasant thing to do. 4) Cosplay gets better and better. Cosplay is also at times, quite bad. Both are highlights. 5) LEGO won’t sell to anyone with a vendor badge. We are people too. 6) Freeman Company’s service is great, thanks to whatever deal they have with Comic Con. 7) I made a podcast appearance for KPBS. Guest Host Amy Nicholson (of LA Weekly) interviews KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando and Giant Robot’s Eric Nakamura. Here’s the link. 8) The designer toy section changed a lot, many vendors weren’t there, and that left a gap that might not ever be filled again. 9) Luke Chueh Head Space prints kicked ass. 10) The many SDCC exclusives at our booth. For some reason, it’s fulfilling to have a bunch of special items. 11) Yokohama Yakitori Koubou, the best meal of the weekend. It puts a smile on everyone’s face.
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