It’s 5:30 PM, wait, no it’s 2:30 PM on the West Coast. This morning I woke up at 4:30 to hop on a plane for a ride across the country to San Diego for my first Comic-Con International.

I’ve been in San Diego before and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the cool breezes, and the blue water, but until now I hadn’t been to Comic-Con. The convention hall is nicely situated amongst hotels, putting it within easy walking distance for the thousands of out of towners that come to the con.

Once inside it’s hard not to be awed by everything around you. From the bigwigs to the independents, comic book publishers abound. They have huge banners depicting their gallant heroes and nefarious villains in towering fashion. Some booths are complicated pieces of construction, turning their slice of the con floor into its own world. On Wednesday, row after row of vendors and exhibitors are putting the final touches on booths that will surely wow audiences.

The giant convention hall is already electric with energy and I can imagine how much stronger that buzz will be tomorrow morning.

-Amanda Sheriff