SDCC 2023

[wizardsrainbow]

On the SK panel again...flying Friday day/Sat night (redeye)...panel set for Saturday 3-4pm...Not to be taped as far as I know. Will let you know my thoughts afterward.

[webstar1000]

Good luck my man! I'll miss you this year!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Randall Flagg]

On the SK panel again...flying Friday day/Sat night (redeye)...panel set for Saturday 3-4pm...Not to be taped as far as I know. Will let you know my thoughts afterward.

The panel will be at the Marriott Hotel next door to the SDCC in ballrooms 9/10 (exact ballrooms are yet to be confirmed).



The Panel:


Richard Chizmar (co-author, Gwendy’s Button Box; owner, Cemetery Dance Publications), Jonathan Maberry (author, Joe Ledger Series), Robert Wiener (president, Donald M Grant Publisher), David Williamson (owner, Bett’s Books), Jerome Smith (owner TheDarkTower.org), and Jesse Lankford (fanboy/moderator) share their passions for collecting rare and limited-edition books by the world’s number-one selling horror author, Stephen King. They’ll also provide behind-the-scenes information about producing/selling collectible books.

[Randall Flagg]

I will be trying to post contemporaneous pictures.
The link for the pics is:


https://www.pcldltr.com/sdcc



Note, one must refresh the link to see the newest pics. As I post pics, I'll remind folks to update the link.

[mcbanick]

Cheers David and Jerome. Hope all goes well SD!

[Randall Flagg]

Click the link in post 4 for a couple of pics just taken.

[cit74]

Great pics - thanks for sharing

[Randall Flagg]

Took a picture with author Pierce Brown.

[Randall Flagg]

Enjoying a quick pint at Société brewing.
Hit the link up thread for new pics.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Nice pictures, I e-mailed you a couple hundred things I need you to pick up for me.


Haw-haw, just kidding, it's no more than fifty.

[swintek]

Looks fun! Great pics- keep 'em comin'. We'll have to experience the con vicariously through you.

[Randall Flagg]

Refresh link for more pics.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

You forgot the spoiler alert on JOHN WICK CHAPTER 5.

[amd013]

What is that last picture?!


Thanks for the pics.


How did it go in general? Hope someone asked Richard about his schedule for his King books (Flight or Fright, Stand, PS, Gwendy's final task, various anthologies).


How did the size of audience compare with last year? Hope this can be a yearly thing, maybe some year I will find the time to try to go to one.

[Randall Flagg]

The last pic was a group David and I ran across while headed to the poolside bar.
I think it was a John Wick reference.
There were thousands of people "in character" at the convention.
I'd say it was busy as last year. They draw over 125k people over the course of four days.

As for Richard Chizmar, he didn't end up making it there.
Thus there were no uncomfortable questions.


I'm at airport getting ready to go home.
Hopefully David will have time to chime in and provide his thoughts.

[amd013]

The last pic was a group David and I ran across while headed to the poolside bar.
I think it was a John Wick reference.
There were thousands of people "in character" at the convention.
I'd say it was busy as last year. They draw over 125k people over the course of four days.

As for Richard Chizmar, he didn't end up making it there.
Thus there were no uncomfortable questions.


I'm at airport getting ready to go home.
Hopefully David will have time to chime in and provide his thoughts.

Thanks for the answers. I was asking more specifically about the audience for the SK panel.

[HorrorfanTom]

I was able to again enjoy the panel at SDCC. This year went pretty smoothly. Robert brought some images on his laptop and shared with us on the huge monitor along with a cool recounting of a few DT. The room was bigger this year and accommodated the extra people who attended. Sound was better too.
A nice smooth flow and once again it seemed like it was over too quick. Looking forward to next year!

[wizardsrainbow]

My quick take (at other job).....few more people than last year at the panel....went well I thought.....a REAL honor to represent King collecting.....one of many hightlights was having dinner and beers with Jerome, having time with Tom too!!! I thought the Con was a little more crowded this year. Saw Jae Lee again.....great questions from audience but I thought time went too quickly....I know I could have talked for HOURS on this subject....I know I told Jerome one thing but I will likely be back in 2024!

[Rahfa]

What were some questions being asked? What did Robert have to say about the design process that was maybe a surprise? Where was the audience's primary interest as far as collecting - what did they seem to care about? What was the range of topics or how did it focus on any specific area? Any specific collectible seem more popular? What did anybody ask that struck as an oddball question or how were they fairly standard? An hour does go very quick!

[webstar1000]

My quick take (at other job).....few more people than last year at the panel....went well I thought.....a REAL honor to represent King collecting.....one of many hightlights was having dinner and beers with Jerome, having time with Tom too!!! I thought the Con was a little more crowded this year. Saw Jae Lee again.....great questions from audience but I thought time went too quickly....I know I could have talked for HOURS on this subject....I know I told Jerome one thing but I will likely be back in 2024!

I have also signed back on for next year. I just could not do it again this year cost wise being so far away but its such a good time being there with like minded people and I do expect it to grow year after year as it seems to be doing. Looking forward to 2024 buddy!

[HorrorfanTom]

What were some questions being asked? What did Robert have to say about the design process that was maybe a surprise? Where was the audience's primary interest as far as collecting - what did they seem to care about? What was the range of topics or how did it focus on any specific area? Any specific collectible seem more popular? What did anybody ask that struck as an oddball question or how were they fairly standard? An hour does go very quick!

.ost of the audience questions had to do with value/scarcity of items they owned. One gentleman had a flier created by a well known lunatic who stalked poor Stephen. While that may be I treating to somebody, really not collectable. People who asked questions were gifted a limited Fairy Tale pin from last year.

[Randall Flagg]

I'm not home to use my laptop, but I do have a few more things to add, but too much to finger type on my phone.

One thing for sure; if invited next year I will be going.
Probably not for 3 nights like the past two years.
More likely just 2 nights.

[NeedfulKings]

Click the link in post 4 for a couple of pics just taken.

Awesome!!! Congrats!

[Randall Flagg]

One woman asked about the value of a Stand Uncut Trade edition with a signed King bookplate. She didn't know if the book itself was a 1st edition. We told her without pics or seeing the book, it would be difficult to price. After the panel was over she showed me a pictire of the bookplate, and it was authentic and had a gorgeous King signature circa the late 1980's. I told her I'd buy the bookplate alone for $200+.


Robert Weiner mentioned that The Gunslinger was the first King Signed limited. I politely informed him that Firestarter and Danse Macabre preceded The Gunslinger.


As mentioned earlier, the one strange question had to do with the rarity and thus value of a flyer produced by Steven Lightfoot back in the late 1980's. The flyer provided "proof" that Stephen King killed John Lennon.


A little background on my experience with Steven Lightfoot:


In the late 1980's I used to frequent a nice restaurant that was located at the Berkley California Marina. There was this man who lived out of an old blue panel van that was festooned with pictures and accusations that King had killed Lennon. Being a King fan, I approached the man and asked him why he had such a crazy accusation/theory. He tried to sell me ($1) a two or three page flyer he had printed detailing the "proof" that King not only Killed Lennon, but that Richard Nixon and others were involved in crazy conspiracies. I literally told the guy I though he was insane.

In ~1992 Lightfoot showed up in Bangor Maine with his newer van that was covered in his theories. Stephen King obtained a restraining order against him coming near King or his residence.


One of Lighfoot's vans:








Back to the panel-


I politely told the audience member that the flyer he had contained the ravings of a lunatic who should be ignored. I felt that although "rare", the flyer had no real value and that if I owned it, I would shred it. He obviously disagreed with my valuation, and sort of harrumphed that he felt it was valuable.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

That's all news to me, I never heard that story before!