Benson at Comic Con in San Diego

[NeverChosen]

For those that are interested. Comic Con International, San Diego has two panels that Amber is on (that I'm aware of). Both are Friday 7/19/13.

10am, room 4. This one is focused on a man who co-owns a bookstore in town called Mysterious Gallery (gratuitous plug- it's a great lil shop that's gotten business from myself and friends for a good 20 years now), but Amber is the moderator/interviewer. I think it's about the experience of being a bookseller at a comic convention for a lotta years.

2pm, Rm 25. This is about Fanfiction and the place it fills in the world. She's one of several on the panel.

Both of these are small capacity rooms (300-400, I think), but the 10am one is unlikely to fill. You probably won't need to line up since a lot of people will still be stuck trying to find parking and get their con badges. The 2pm is another story- I don't know that the con understands how many fanfic writers are likely to be there, but many new panels that don't involve the big studios are started in small rooms as a trial to see if they are popular enough to move up to larger ones. Unless there is something major going on in another room, I suspect this one will fill. Lining up early would be a good idea. Amber is being billed in relation to BtVS.

I'm not working in either of these rooms, so I won't be reporting back on anything that happens during her panels this year.

-Never

[Dana5140]

Jeff Marriotte co-owns Mysterious Galaxy, and is a well-known writer in his own right.

[drlloyd11]

Here is an article about her video diary from SDCC

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/comic-con/comic-con-2013-amber-bensons-san-diego-video-diary/

Want a window into my weird-o mind? Want Digital STD's? My LA Times Hero Complex San Diego Comic-Con Video Diary

[NeverChosen]

Re: commenting on the wrong role of Mr. Marriotte (proud new awardee of an inkpot)- The part about Mysterious Galaxy was the part of his bio that was also a part of my own history and so stood out to me... I had not intended to belittle his other work, which I am unfamiliar with.

In my defense, the description of the panel that I read made more mention of the years at the Con than anything else. I suspect that is part of the reason for there only being 20 people in the 280-ish capacity room (contrary to my own expectations, I got to stick my head in and make sure all was going smoothly). Of those, four were there to support the co-owner of their favorite bookstore- I know this because they are my friends of old and not much interested in his creative works. Without proper advertising, there is a limit to the number of people who will realize this is someone that they wish to hear from. I've advocated that they not use big rooms for inkpot panels (ie panels primarily being done so that the award may be given) because it is horribly discouraging to be a creator in a convention full of comic fans and look out on a gapingly empty room when you've been invited to speak. Using smaller rooms makes them look more occupied. This is not unique to Mr. Marriotte's panel, but to 2 other awardees I saw this year alone. I feel sympathy for them.

A note of CCI pride... I made some swaps and got off-duty time to sit in on the fanfic panel. Unfortunately the people in charge of the room didn't show up on time and there were 3 significant disasters to deal with. I threw on my staff shirt and got the whole thing resolved in about 20 min. The best part- the panelists arrived and never had to know there had been any problem. As predicted, the room was instantly full and I had to turn away some people due to room capacity.

So long as it is within my ability to make it happen, Amber's panels at the Con will continue to occur without hitch. It's my way of paying it forward from the people at this board who have given so much to me and never even knew they had.

-Never