I’m late with this update, but I just wanted to say that I had a great big hairy fun time at San Diego Comic Con again. Yes, there are a billion people there and no, it’s not just about comic books. This has become the studios’ Mecca for hyping their next big films, as well as a great place to see new underground artists. On the exhibit floor, you can see a booth for Hasbro or Disney, and then walk a few hundred yards to find some guy with his own self-published comic, all in the same room.

What’s happening to Comic Con is similar to what happended to Sundance. There was a time when it was nothing but grass roots marketing from small, niche artists and films. But those things started to make serious money, and genre films are bigger than ever and, well, now it’s like a giant MALL full of studio swag and super-exclusive trailers.

Not that I mind.

Here’s what I have learned from this year’s Comic Con:

1. Iron Man is going to dominate next year.
2. J.J. Abrahms could bring a slide show of his vacation and it would be awesome and mysterious.
3. Half of all comic book artwork is basically soft-core porn.
4. The Bionic Woman is cool again.
5. Girls treat the Indian guy from “Heroes” like he is Johnny Depp.
6. Judd Apatow is king of the universe. If you challenge me, I will fight you.
7. The staff needs to post signs in the convention center that read, “Don’t forget to bathe.”

And now for some random pictures with my smart ass comments…

Cute: this guy is carrying around his own action figure… Not so cute: it’s actually a voodoo doll of himself that he takes to therapy.

This guy came at me with his cyber frisbee. Then I pulled out my Golden Retriever and it was ON.

I love that Greedo went from drinking hard liquor to Starbucks! Just for old times’ sake, I shot him.

Look! It’s a Decepticardboardbox!

Hmmm… looks like someone gave in to the Pink Side of the Force.

Stormtrooper Elvis: The result of being a hardcore fan of too many things at once. I don’t know what’s more disturbing in this shot… Stormtrooper Elvis himself, or how turned on he seems to be by the baby Wookie humping this young girl.

That’s it for this year’s Nerdical Journey. They are a fascinating species. I’m Jacque Cousteau, goodnight.