Part Five: In which Timothy loses some artwork, tries to get a pony, and rides off.

Rare Joker Sighting Via Surveillance

Sunday at any convention is supposed to be the day of buzzing headaches and sluggishness. It's the day when vendors tend to show up a little later than normal, and crowds tend to be much thinner. Not in San Diego! Television's Ryan Callahan and I didn't get into the convention until about 11:00, so I don't know if vendors were a little late setting up, but I know it wasn't less crowded. If anything, the convention floor seemed to be busier than it had been since Wednesday night.

I attribute the mob scene to three things: (1) Today was "Kid's Day," and those little suckers add up when they invade the convention center en masse. (And what are they doing at a comic convention anyway? Don't they know that comics aren't for kids anymore?); (2) Sunday means discounts. Dealers don't want to cart all that stuff home with them, and they usually offer great deals, especially Sunday afternoon. We saw 60% hardcovers and trades and a lot of nice things selling for five bucks; (3) By day five, convention-goers clearly began looking for television's Ryan Callahan and I. We saw plenty of pointing and whispering as we strolled by, and not just because I look like a fat Grant Morrison and television's Ryan Callahan looks like a anxious Seth Rogen. Obviously, they came out to see us today, and follow us on our adventures.

Honestly, our fans had little to see today, since we spent half of our time in the Grant Morrison/Deepak Chopra panel (learning about who would win in a fight: Superman or Jesus?) and the other half moving swiftly through the booths on the convention floor. We were elusive. Like spider ninjas.

No Little Ponies for Me

We never did find Earl Somerlath, creator of "The Amazing and Verified Exploits of the Super-Mustachiod Man" and "The Ombudsman." We walked past his table in artist alley a few times, but he was never in attendance. Television's Ryan Callahan was hoping to get his first issue of "Factual Tales of Cowardice" signed -- or maybe even get a quick Kat Fancy sketch, but it was not to be.

Another person, if you could call him that, we failed to run into was Pikachu. He'd been avoiding us for days, ever since our awkward confrontation earlier in the convention, and there was no Pikachu punching to be had. It was probably for the best. I've seen my son play Pokemon, and I don't think Pikachu is known for fighting fair.

Speaking of my kids, Sunday was also the day where I finally found something to bring home to them. I'd wanted to get the con-exclusive My Little Pony for my daughter, but that process involved getting some kind of ticket upstairs and then waiting in line for the chance to buy it and I just kind of despise anything like that. So I guess she's going to have to live without the pink superhero pony. If she wanted it so bad, she could have bought her own plane ticket and funded her own trip by working her butt off for CBR too, right? Don't waste your sympathy on that lazy four-year-old.

Since the pony was not going to happen (and I later found that it was sold out anyway), I got her a Totoro plush. Can anyone see that character and not start singing the "My neighbor Totoro, ToTOro" song? I'm still singing it.

For my son, I picked up a Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle toy. Because Jaime Reyes is cool.

Timothy Texts Goodbye to San Diego

But when I bought that toy, I accidentally left my newly acquired art on the floor and walked away. I had bought a few more pages of Michael Bennett art -- I mentioned him on Day Four, but I went back for some more of his artwork today -- and when I set it down to pull out my wallet at the Khepri booth, I guess I forgot about it, because I walked away with a Blue Beetle figure but no art. And I didn't realize it for about 20 minutes. But then I turned to television's Ryan Callahan and said, "are you carrying my art?" Alas, he was not.

But when we backtracked we discovered my Bennett pages safe and sound behind the Khepri booth. They had rescued it for me and I was very grateful. Well done, Khepri. Thanks for saving me from my own foolishness.

With that, television's Ryan Callahan and I decided to declare the convention over. Canada's Stephanie Thorpe had already taken the train off into the metaphorical sunset, and it was time for us to do the same. In a car. Into a literal sunset.

But first, we have a few awards to give out:

  • Best Panel: (tie) "Stan Lee and Grant Morrison"; "Watching the Watchmen"
  • Best Costume: The kind, pleasant Punisher
  • Best Purchase: Print of Bear Firing Two Revolvers
  • Best Discovery: The art of Michael Bennett
  • Biggest Disappointment: No Earl Somerlath
  • Sweatiest Celebrity: (tie) Joss Whedon; Television's Ryan Callahan
  • Ninja Clam Memorial Award for Biggest Cowardly Pokemon Character: Pikachu
  • Biggest Unanswered Question: Since "The Watchmen" trade was the hottest-selling book at the convention, is there any talk of some sort of "Watchmen" movie?

Etrigan, Just Chillin'.

NEXT: The convention is over. Let it go.