Slowly, San Diego is emptying comics-associated people and props from its hotels and motels, and Storm Troopers, pirates, aliens, and Japanese schoolgirls have metamorphosed into IT staffers, college students, librarians, and shop owners.

Hot item at the show is the Harry Potter totebag given away at the Scholastic booth. One retailer told me he'd ended up with two and sold them the same day for $25 each. The Smallville bags are everywhere, in better supply than the Potter bags. Bud Plant is giving away Spider rings -- in connection with the pulp character. Anthony Tollin says it's the first true pulp premium (as opposed to media premium) in decades.

Sitting in the lobby, I'm waiting for Brent to help with the haul to the convention hall, seeing that I'm wrangling a suitcase there: to be shipped to Iola on the displays pallet, while I head up the coast with Mark Evanier and Carolyn Kelly.

I'm anoyed to find that my earliest forays into CBG blogging have devolved into the sort of con report I loathe: discussions of what I'm doing, rather than what news I've learned. Dang. Well, I did get an advance copy of Max Allan Collins' new Ms. Tree novel (text, not comics). And a fascinating preliminary view of a Jordanian comic book that's a first step to bringing comic books to that country.

Steve Saffel showed me pages of his upcoming Titan book on Spider-Man, to be released Oct. 16. Called Spider-Man: The Icon, it looks terrific! And it looks as if Joss Whedon's Ripper could be a BBC production.

So I'm sure you're wildly impressed by the detailed reports I've posted. In part the length has been affected by fatigue (4 hours sleep last night). And there's been two trips to Horton Plaza so far from my phone going dead. It's apparently my fault, but that doesn't make it any easier. My apologies; I know this is boring. Let's see if this posts well.

And I'm exhausted -- but a great day.

Comic-Con Thursday was staggeringly packed with crowds and events. The exhibit floor (all 12 acres of it) -- especially in the "media area" -- could hardly be moved through at times, and booths were busy.

Some of the news I picked up was not yet for public release; there's IDW news, for example, which is dear to my heart -- but it's embargoed for a bit. I did learn that the yet-to-air-in-the-U.S. Torchwood BBC series is shooting a second season. And I got a tremendous interview with participants in the Torchwood panel I'll be transcribing when I get back.

Speaking of IDW, it should be noted that what its purchase by the IDT Corp. Primarily means is that the company now has a huge infusion of cash. Which is something of a vote of confidence. Overheard in the conversation of a long-time con volunteer: "The job of Floor Manager is thankless. You walk the entire floor for 4 days telling exhibitors, 'You're breaking the rules.'"

"There's no need for public alarm, because there's no specific threat."

Swell.

As I prepare to leave for the airport to go to San Diego, here's news that alarming things have been going on with regard to weapons on planes, including something at the San Diego airport. "Specific threat"? I think this sort of thing found at an airport is a specific threat. Geez.

And I thought my primary problem today would be the number of Northwest flights that have been canceled recently.

This morning on the BBC World Service broadcasts (which I hear via the PRI distribution on NPR radio stations), there was an interview with Matt Groening, and the topic of bootlegging Groening's material came up. (I hope my con-preparations-blurred mind has the following correct; I think I'm reporting correctly, though.)

While it's true that Simpsons characters and footage are bootlegged all over our media, Groening said that the one that takes him the most aback is that his handwriting has become a bootlegged font. He cited the instance that there's a sign at liquor-store checkouts warning about being of age in order to buy liquor -- in his handwriting.

Up at 3 a.m. to continue packing. Which shoes will not kill me after a day on the exhibit floor? Should I take my newly purchased computer backpack, even though I hope to make my phone do the work of my computer, so I'll leave the computer at home? Is that a major mistake? What should I do about the silver sparkles my Eisner Awards outfit is leaving all over the house? (Oh, well, answer to that is simple: EAoutfit goes in its own plastic bag. If only all the other questions were as easily answered!)