There are a dozen different websites you can go to for much better SDCC coverage than I can offer, what with my not actually being there and all–and even websites you can go for better SDCC news roundups. So rather than bother with any of that, I’ve decided to just post a list of random thoughts and observations on SDCC so far.

(I will have my own roundup of news from the Mattel panels later today, though.)

• From the reports of my inside man, Rustin Parr, it sounds like the ‘con is an absolute zoo this year, no matter whether you’re buying exclusives or trying to go to panels. “The worst ever,” he called it, which is saying something. And yet I wonder: what can the Comic-Con admins do? Cap attendance at a lower number–and therefore make less profit? Yeah, that’ll happen. I suppose the inevitable result will be that other cons, like NYCC, will become more important for stuff like, y’know, comics–and maybe toys, too–while SDCC becomes a movie-and-TV-only show.
• It occurred to me that the only people who have a shot at getting in to most of the panels they’d want to is the press (and often not even them), which begs the question: is the SDCC still a convention for fans, or is it basically a trade show for the geek-based entertainment industry?
• Michael Crawford has some great photos of MOTUC and Ghostbusters. 12″ Ray Stanz looks exactly like Pat Sajak, but even the 6″ one is off, which surprised me–not sure whether it’s the Horsemen’s sculpt or the production process, since this appears to be a prod sample.
• What the hell is the deal with the 12″ General Zod? I guess we’ll find out today.
• Lion-O statue=awesome. Want toys, though.
• The packaging for the 3 ¾” Hellboy Golden Army Soldier looks cool. That’s how you do a nice, unique-looking package without breaking the bank.
• As crazy as the fury around the Mattel booth has been (and I read a rumor even the con security guards were complaining about it), Rustin informs me that the DCD Hal Jordans are the most sought-after items.
• There are already petitions on He-man.org to change Battle Cat’s paws and give future female figures rounder cheeks. I guess it was effective in fixing Teela’s booty, but yeesh…do we really want fandom micromanaging the Four Horsemen? Though I suppose they brought it on themselves with Fantastic Exclusive…
• So does it make me an old, out-of-touch fogey that I’d never even heard the term “augmented reality” (well, outside of certain, ahem, circles) before reading about it in relation to Mattel’s upcoming Avatar toys, based on the John James Cameron film? Seems pretty neat, though I dread the idea of my future child wearing special glasses and getting a constant stream of HUD information superimposed over life. “What a gorgeous sunset!” “Sure, whatever, dad…hey, did you know this sunset is 20% less vibrant than it was when you were my age due to atmospheric pollution?”
• If my contact at SDCC isn’t able to get me the MOTU art book, I’m definitely not going after it on eBay. Without having seen it, I’m not sure it’s worth even the $50 price, and I’m sure as hell not enriching Scalpor or one of his brethren for it.
• I’m thinking the Mattel panels are going to be…interesting today. If TPTB don’t get at least a partial ration of scheisse for how the exclusives have been handled, it’ll be yet another sad example of fanboy recividism.