The Week That Was 4

All this week I'll be re-running my chronicle of what I got up to recently, which was over on the Powells blog last week in case any of you guys missed it, I was diligently blogging about my escapades for a week and a bit over there. ( which is pretty amazing sometimes considering the state I was in. )

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San Diego Ho, the birthplace of 30 Days of Night.

So, the premiere is done, meeting up again with all the actors and creatives I'd met while I'd visited the set is done…sort of feel nostalgic about that now. Was an awesome night. What's more, it was the first time I saw the movie, in full, complete. And it was amazing. Honestly, you can say David Slade took the book, stated extremely faithful, and did nothing but improve upon it and flesh it out. Of course a movie is 90 minutes and the book is a much shorter read.

Now I'm down in San Diego. Took the train, which is the only way to go if you're a visitor to the States and have to get from LA. Always good to avoid the incompetence and crap storm that is US domestic air travel. The train takes just as long, much more leisurly and is cheaper too. Dropping us right downtown. Which is good, since that's where a special San Diego IDW Publishing screening of the movie is being held.

This'll be a special occasion, where the company that chose to take a risk and publish an unknown horror comic 5 years ago gets to see it's work on the big screen and invite friends, family and co-workers. Since the IDW guys are sort of like family to me in many ways ( my wife actually used to work for them and I met her through them ) it's something I wouldn't miss for the world.

For the first time in my life, a hotel upgrades me to a King suite…an awesome large room for my San Diego stay. Still, it's nothing compared to where Josh Hartnett was staying. Man, you know it's a good room when it comes with a piano.



After freshening up ( been spending the last week on an airbed at the Directors house, as he was kind enough to put us up! ) but there was 8 people sharing the one bathroom. Fun times…but it was cool because they were all great people and somehow it worked.

IDW had booked out the Pacific Gaslamp theatre downtown, so it's just a walk for us to get there.



Before the movie begins, Ted Adams, original president and founding member ( and I think producer on the film ) gets all of us that have contributed to 30 Days to stand up and gives a quick speech. I hadn't realized, but everyone had had their phones taken off them for the screening, as is the custom here ( but not in Australia as we get films up to a year after they've come out in the US ) with piracy and everything…but they never took mine…or my camera…so I take a picture inside and get away with it. Seems this whole trip I about me breaking the law and being crafty. First I'm creatively vandalizing movie posters now I'm trying to get thrown out of a cinema for looking like I'm trying to steal my own movie! ( which of course would be a strange thing to do for me. )



The screening goes great, and I notice so many nice little things about the film the second time. I also see it properly for the first time. A large fat bald man had been directly in my way at the premiere, so I couldn't read some of the subtitles…which sort of sucked. But them's the breaks.

IDW also have an after party organized, so off we go to a nice mellow time.



On the ay out of the theatre to the party, I bump into one of the local retailers, Robert Scott, who was invited, as Comickaze champions good comics and did so with 30 days. Apparently he escaped hospital to make it to the film. He wasn't kidding and showed me where he pulled the drip out!



The party itself is a nice mellow affair, and it's good to catch up with all my San Diego friends ( I used to live here ) and have a good chat to Jim Lee among others, who said he really digged the film, especially how it riffs off the art I'd done.

And then, since I've been running on about 3 hours sleep a day the last while, it's a good time to crash.



Craziness still lies ahead though for me. While here I'll be chatting to a few people about moving back t the US for awhile, heading back up to LA with my editor for the Scream Awards which, if all goes well we'll pick up an award for something! I'm nominated for my artwork in my book "Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse" and the book version of '30 Days of Night" is also up for an award. Slightly weird since it came out 5 years ago but what the hey!

Until then…sleep is goooood.