Wizard World L.A. 2007 Photo Blog

This past weekend, my friend Paul and I checked out the Wizard World convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It was smaller and more personal than the San Diego Comic-Con. And unlike the Comic-Con, Wizard World was actually centered around comic books.

Wow, look at all the people waiting in line for Wizard World? No, wait -- those people are in line for "American Inventor," hoping to get on TV and let Simon Cowell mock their idea for a cat hair remover or a one-legged lawn chair. How rare to see a group of people that comic book geeks can look at and say, "Wow, what a bunch of losers."

"Excuse me, have you seen the line for Wizard World? Hello?"

"Welcome to Wizard World. Please walk right on in. Ignore the spinning blades and the carcass trough."

"Oh my god, lady, look out behind you! It's H.R. Giger not getting any royalties!"

Ah, booth babes. Beautiful, beautiful booth babes.

The Xenomorph is wearing sneakers.

The Marvel Booth. Was there even a DC booth? I don't remember it. Does DC even still make comics? Does Matter-Eater Lad have his own title?

"Hey, anybody seen Optimus Prime? Ni**a owes me fifty bucks!"

The HeroClix figure for Fin Fang Foom, He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun. That's the Thor figure facing off against him.

More HeroClix action.

Pirates of the Spanish Main collectible card game, where you assemble your own little pirate ships.

The HorrorClix Alien vs. Predator game. The Alien Queen detaches from her egg sac to devour her enemies.

Paul Ang checks out the new HeroClix figures.

Paul's Storm, Psylocke and Marrina gang up on my Hulk. Cowards! Hulk smash!

PLAYSTATION 3 on display.

The Atomic Comics van. Sweeeeet.

The Galactus Kubrick. He will eat your planet, if it is small and square.

"Battlestar Galactica" MimiMates. Front row, from left: Starbuck(?), Admiral Cain, Admiral Adama, Colonel Tigh, Lt. Dualla, Starbuck, Apollo. Back row: a bunch of Cylon Centurions, with Number 6 in the middle.

Evolution's recently-released "MotorStorm."

Karaoke! Good thing there were some teenage girls around, who might be interested in that sort of thing.

The tabletop gaming area. Very popular.

Wanna buy some DreamBlade figures? $18 each? (DreamBlade is a great game, though.)

How did I live a full and complete life, before I could hang pastel drawings of the stars of "Heroes" on my wall?

Comic books and action figures. What else do you need?

Girls.

"Hulk not like statue of Hulk. Hulk not like magic purple pants."

I totally fell in love with this Fujiko Mine pachinko machine. I offered the guy $200 for it, but he wouldn't go lower than $280. I should have paid it.

So the HeroClix people had a raffle, for the chance to buy a Fin Fang Foom figure for $90. Paul and I both entered, and we both won. So Paul was able to buy two figures, each of which came these other fabulous free prizes.

Here's Fin Fang Foom in his box.

Fin Fang Foom fully assembled.

Did Marvel's writers really think that "Fin Fang Foom" was a realistic Chinese name?