Comic-Con 2010 Rundown - WEDNESDAY: anticipation and the long shot

After Rebecca and I arrived on Tuesday we had our usual nice ramp up to the oncoming fan blitz. Picking up Bill from the airport after his delayed flight situation, we decided it was a bit late to have dinner. So we waited until early evening Wednesday to dine at Lou & Mickey's in the Gas Lamp District right across the street from the convention center. This has become a staple of our first night in town where everything is allowed to just sink in over a yummy meal.

Unfortunately, I was the only one to have a 4-day membership badge that included Preview Night on Wednesday. Rebecca and Bill did not make it in time to purchase theirs before they sold out online. After 6pm, when the doors opened for the three-hour pre-event run, we continued to try and figure out ways for all three of us to get in. A few ideas were bounced around until we finally decided to just try and walk in, thinking that maybe a little later in the evening they just might be bit lax in checking badges. Turned out we were right, as the three of us began walking towards a security person checking badges. Rebecca and I entered first with no problem and Bill, bringing up the rear, was approved for entry as well. We were SO IN!!!

With only an hour left, we quickly dashed to a few choice booths and areas on the Exhibit Hall floor. I really wanted to see the "Tron Legacy" booth first, which was Rebecca and my first stop. A giant Recognizer framed the location with many toys and action figures from the forthcoming movie on display. In the middle were two monitors where people were trying out the "Tron Legacy" Playstation 3 game that would be coming out later in the year. I wanted to try it out but of course there was quite a crowd. My chance would come later though.

At one end of the booth was a counter where they were selling what was my 'must have' limited edition items of the event; the "Tron" vintage figure inside a box fashioned like the original arcade game, as well as the limited edition Light Cycle from the new movie. Being that the vintage figure had an exclusive Comic-Con release of just 1,500 pieces (?!), I figured it could quite possibly be almost impossible to snag one. The good news was that they were selling them at a little over 300 a day, which made my and everyone else's chances of owning this one-of-a-kind figure a lot better. I'd definitely be back!

As 9pm struck and the Hall began to close, we smiled broadly at our fortune of being able to get in and get a brief glimpse at what was to come.