This is my second year to go to the San Diego Comic Con. It is pure heaven for me, both as a fan and as someone in the industry. This crowd is MY crowd; the people I want to entertain with my movies. So as a filmmaker, it is inspiring, motivating, and a good place to take the pulse of the culture. As a pure fan, let’s just say I walked the exhibit floor until they closed it on Sunday.

Highlights for me were meeting Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack), Lisa Henson (Jim Henson Company), and Brian Froud (designer for The Dark Crystal). Did I mention they are making a Dark Crystal sequel? And that Genndy is directiing? DUDE.

The panel speakers I enjoyed the most were Jon Favreau (Iron Man and being just plain “money”), Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Neil Gaiman, Zack Snyder (300), Edgar Wright (Shawn Of The Dead), and comedy screenwriting machines Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (Reno: 911, The State). Three days is never enough for me.

I also get a kick out of the imaginitive costumes walking around. Below are some of my favorites.

This guy is “more than meets the eye.” Seriously, he’s on parole.

These guys just showed up, blew away all the leaves out front, and left.

Don’t laugh. This guy lost his eye in Viet Nam, and he’s pretty bitter about it.

I thought these kids were cute until the left one tasered me.

Any other day, in any other building, this guy would be escorted away quietly.