San Diego Comic-Con 2018 has come and gone, like a peyote-fueled fever dream, leaving in its wake tens of thousands of sweat-covered popular arts fans/aficionados who either spent a lot of money or made a lot of money. Individual results may vary, but it was a fine year for Cool Jerk. Fine, I tell you. I had a secret product: the three-volume collection of my long-rumored “Like, For Shore!” college strips. These were limited to 75 editions and I literally had them under wraps and off the table because they were made especially for Cool Jerk patrons who have all the books. So a bunch of you SDCC attendees had first crack at these college strips that begat Cool Jerk, and now I’m happy to announce they’re available for the general public via my Cool Jerk store, here!
It was terrific to see so many of you, year after year. Some I’ve known for decades, some in just the last year or two. And I met a fair chunk of new readers who I’m sure to see in the years ahead. Thank you so much for coming by my little island in the middle of the convention center. Now, it’s time for the photo recap!
Let’s start with Kolchak the night stalker. Obscure if you’re younger than 60, a mandatory Google search if you’re younger than 45.
Another obscure cosplay, Artemus Gordon and James West, from Salma Hayek’s best movie.
Here’s Matt and Jess, from their Netflix shows.
Also courtesy Netflix, here’s Luke Cage.
Delightful StormPixxieCosplay (her Instagram handle) cosplaying Teen Titan Raven.
Just not a comic convention without a slave Leia, but hey! Props to the mail-order inflatable Jabba costume!
And if you’re going to cosplay Storm of the X-Men, you’ve just gotta use white contact lenses. Just gotta.
Speaking of Storm, there’s another one in the background there, behind the Grandmaster and Topaz (both as seen in “Thor: Ragnarok”).
Here I am with fellow Reno alum Mary Crawley, who remembers my comics from the days of UNR Sagebrush and the Reno Gazette-Journal. We discovered that we had a mutual friend in Bob Adams, and sadly I had to tell her of Bob’s suicide in 2013.
Here’s my new buddy @KariLikeSafari wearing a t-shirt that says “Impeach Trump”… in Gallifreyan.
Victorian sexy time with Mina Murray and Vlad Dracula.
Catwoman and Zatanna picked up a couple Cool Jerk books, and the next thing I knew they were casing a dude’s hand-made jewelry and artworks two tables down.
Mrs. Waterford read one of my Cool Jerk collections last night. Oops. #spoilers
Damn. Here’s “Sherman” Tank (his name, really) as John Coffey from “The Green Mile.” Complete with mouse.
Not certain what their official cosplay names are, but that’s a Wasp/Jolibee mashup with Grimace/Thanos. With the Infinity Oven Mitt. Of course.
While Darlene was wandering around the floor, she spotted the Mystery Science Theater 3000 family…
…a Dora Milaje (“Black Panther”) and Michonne (“The Walking Dead”)…
…Erik Killmonger and Shuri (both from “Black Panther”)…
…and a female Magneto, plus Mystique in mid-morph.
From Hulu’s original series “GLOW,” here’s Zoya the Destroya!
If not the first Snake Plissken I’ve seen… certainly the best Snake Plissken I’ve seen.
In the parking garage, X-Men Psylocke and Colossus (apparently his nickname even out of costume, if you catch what I’m sayin’).
One of the best costumes of the show. Bravo to you, King of the Pink Panther tribe.
Here’s Gambit and Phoenix, the latter possessed by symbiote Venom. I wish the photo would do her justice, but VenomPhoenix had super-sharp shark teeth.
Long-time pal, journalistic colleague and breakfast buddy Lisa O’Malley somehow got past security to visit. CALL SECURITY!
Think I’ll wrap this up with a couple adorbz cosplayers. The first is She-Hulk, with what her mom says is “her favorite fighting pose”…
…and lil’ clown Pennywise (I’ll remind you of last year’s Georgie Denbrough). Horror clearly has no age limit.