TR!CKSTER, the Other Comic Convention in San Diego This Week
Love comics and missing the old days when SDCC was about sequential art and not a pop culture fest making love to Hollywood? This year Comic-Con is making some progress getting back to basics, but for those who that isn’t good enough for – or who just aren’t making it to this year’s Con – there is an alternative in town the same week.
TR!CKSTER is a new symposium on comics and animation presented by a brains trust hailing from the East, West and Central United States; all of whom are involved in everything from comics to toys as designers, artists, writers, self-publishers, and performers.
TR!CKSTER joins Gam3rCon on the short list of new fan conventions now running in San Diego the same week as Comic-Con. But while GamerCon’s goal is to support SDCC by bringing out the best of gaming in San Diego, TR!CKSTER’s goal is simply “…looking for the best way to showcase, promote, and share talent and ideas in the fields of comics, graphic arts and beyond.”
TR!CKSTER is also free, except for the ticketed panels/symposiums. The open-to-the-public portion of the comics event is a retail area specializing in creator-owned work and a gallery, a fair-trade coffee station, animation, a full bar, live-action short film screenings, gallery receptions, artist signings, drawing events, DJs, and live music.
I have the sneaky feeling that TR!CKSTER is more hipster than superhero-lover focused. It is, afterall, held at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center.
In addition to the paid symposia being held July 19 to 24 of 2011, TR!CKSTER also has a handful of free events; Coffee Service, Pen ‘N Drink, Cartoon Brew’s Festival of Student Animation, Printing Your Book, and more.
There are also autograph sessions scheduled featuring a select group of indie, self published, and small press pros.
It’s not all indie names at the panels, though. For instance, Mike Mignola (Hellboy) is on Symposium 2 on Thursday, July 21.
TR!CKSTER will be held this July 19-24, 2011. Hours vary according to day (Tuesday is 5:00pm to midnight while Sunday is 9:30am to 5:00pm). The venue is the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center on Harbor Drive. Tickets are free but the symposia, which run twice a day, are ticketed; tickets are $35 each or $350 for all-access.
