Well, we are exhausted, comic-con...

but that is not why I am posting this. I read here a lot of complaints about the media and how the media (Major outlets that is) are not doing their job.

Folks, they have no intent to. GE owns NBC International for crying out loud.

So here is the deal, we worked on a labor related story...

Here

LABOR ASKS COMIC-CON ATTENDEES TO THANK WORKERS




By Nadin Abbott
Photos by Tom Abbott

July 13, 2012 (San Diego)-- Local labor leaders organized a thank a superhero worker event for Comic-Con International. Sandy Naranjo and Ben Cisneros of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council came to the front of the convention to ask attendees to celebrate labor, as well as pop culture.

Workers were excited to receive appreciation for their labors--and for people to be reminded that it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to make an event like Comic-Con International run smoothly.


These workers ranged from the janitorial staff at the convention to the waiters and waitresses at restaurants, as well as hotel workers. They included police officers that guard crossings, transit security that make sure things run smoothly, and train drivers. Also included were Pedi-cab drivers as well as taxi drivers, people you might not think about. It takes an army of workers to ensure that an army of attendees has fun.

http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/10414

We also gave some light to LOCAL artists, who otherwise would get the time of day from the news services.

PROMNENT LOCAL ARTISTS ATTEND COMIC-COM



By Nadin Abbott
Photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott

July 15, 2012 (San Diego) -- Comic book authors and artists from East County and across our region were among the throngs seeking to meet fans, sell their works, and attend the esteemed Iesner Awards. Billy Martinez is a local artist from La Mesa. Owner of Neko Press http://www.nekopresscomics.com/index.shtml , he also runs an art school, which started in 1993.

Martinez is both self taught and trained. He started drawing at six years old and has been in the field for twenty years. He has drawn for hot properties like "Hellboy," and "Family Guy."


What inspired him early on? He read Jack Kirby and enjoyed Marvel Comics a lot.

http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/10415

I still have two more stories to do. One literally fell on our lap and was not assigned. It was literally the... go to get food, and walk into it. You see, Comic-Con got ahem... proselytized, by Born Again. Now, I will tell you this, since we were doing the nooz story, we found out it was two different groups from Los Angeles, with two similar, yet different approaches to it, and some independent people.

We also found several different reasons local attendees counter protested them...

And the best part, I got in my backpack, looking for it mostly... the in the exhibit hall to try to get a reaction from them, christian comic... what do you think I am doing next? Yup, reading a graphic novel with a very religious bent to it.

You will NOT see that on major media, now will you?

And lastly, one that was in my assignment list, women in the comic industry. We interviewed a couple women involved in the industry. One is an author working on steampunk based books, that wing a little history on her readers, and the second is a political cartoonist that actually covered Occupy Oakland.

Really, if you want this to continue, I will say it again... support your local independent press.

And you may ask, where was CNN? Truly, outside the main hall twiddling thumbs. Local media did the usual... apart of the tragedy of a con attendee who did get killed last Sunday crossing the road, where were they? Outside... no serious. What do they care about? Just how much money was spent and the small army of oh 200,000 people who came to the city for this... how shall I call it? Mega event.


So stay tuned, one story is fairly good for GD, the other...popular culture.

And this was the fun, if exhausting, assignment... boy do my knees feel like jell-o.

You want a work out program... serious, start chasing news stories. This weekend we got the workout from hell...

On a fun one... we were taking photos of the Star Wars fans in full regalia... well hubby was doing unit photos I was pursuing funny photos, like the Imperial Officer with a Nikon (ok, evidence gathering device). A kid came over, and told me... "your costume is real good, you look like a reporter or something." He pointed at my for real, press pass from the city. Now that was funny.

Gad, I almost feel like NPR, since that is their line locally... in depth reporting nobody else does. (Problem is that NPR local station has not done any in depth reporting on things like this)

I will urge again, find YOUR LOCAL independent media, and kick a few bucks their way. This is NOT cheap.