San Diego Comic-Con: Things My Kids Can’t Wait to See

Friday was another day of fantastic costumes, stimulating panel discussions, and total sensory overload at San Diego Comic-Con.

Today I’m taking two of my kids in for the fun–it’ll be the first comics convention for my ten- and twelve-year-old daughters. They’re especially excited to meet author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier, whose wonderful middle-grade graphic novel, Smile, won the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens last night. Smile is the funny, touching, wryly honest story of Raina’s own orthodontic nightmare during her middle-school years. My girls have read the book at least a half-dozen times each, and they are beside themselves at the prospect of seeing Raina in person this afternoon.

We might have to stop by the Random House booth and enjoy an old-school game of Joust. My husband I and both had a giant squee moment when we saw this blast from the past yesterday. It’s a promotion for the book Ready Player One, which I am dying to read.

I’m guessing my kids’ll also enjoy the toy vendors. I fell in love with these little “Marshall” dolls yesterday at the Squibbles Ink & Rotofugi booth and couldn’t resist bringing a pink Marshall home to the gang. And his little dog, Gumdrop, too…

I’m betting my girls will flip over the Tintin and Bone displays.

But I suspect it’ll be the Uglydoll booth that breaks my checking account.

Of course the best parts of Comic-Con are the surprises. My girls are raring to go, so we’re heading downtown now to see what SDCC has in store for us today!