In his latest column over at ComicMix, Michael Davis says presidential hopeful Barack Obama may be in San Diego this summer for the con:
Before I give my endorsement (which will surely decide the nominee as I carry so much weight) let me share a bit about each candidate. There is a real chance that Barack Obama will come to Comic Con International this summer. His campaign contacted me last year about setting that up and it still may happen.
Why me? Let’s just say that’s how I roll.
I like Obama but did not know if I was ready to vote for him. I was very impressed that his campaign thinks that Comic Con is a smart place to reach young people. That move earned him serious points in my book.
San Diego’s got just about everything else already, so why not politics? Although you have to wonder what kind of nightmare it would be for the secret service, trying to protect him at a place with so many costumed folks walking around.
Update: SDCC tells the mothership they haven’t heard from Obama
February 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
If Obama was taking questions from the crowd at Comic-con, I wouldn’t go. The urge to be a smartass and ask, “Who’s stronger, Hulk or Thor?” would be to much to resist.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I know this will turn political, and likely real ugly, quickly… But I think that’s great. Who knows, maybe Obama’s a fan of comics, or sci-fi?
This wouldn’t change my mind on who I’m voting for (turns out, I’m an Obama supporter anyhow), but I think the idea of making a stop at a place like Comic Con is a great idea. It shows a candidate willing to reach out to (mostly) younger people at a time when politics seems to be (mostly) the domain of old men.
Nice to know someone’s looking to reach all segments of the population, including the “geek vote”!
It also gives Comic Con, and the whole comics/sci-fi genre a real boost! Perhaps the mainstream will take it more seriously if this happens.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Will he denounce Episodes I through III of Star Wars?
Will he reject them?
February 29th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
If he’s smart he’ll denounce AND reject them.
This would be such a cool move by Obama if it were to actually happen.
And cool photo of him in front of the Superman statue in Metropolis, IL.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Jeremiah Wright said that when Obama’s political opponents found out about the Metropolis visit, Obama’s Marvel support would dry up “faster than a snowball in Hell.”
February 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
The problem with this is that the Secret Service would be involved and security would be so tight that getting into the con would be ten times the nightmare it already is. Imagine if security to get into the con was like it is at airports. It wouldn’t work.
February 29th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Forget foreign policy or health care, how will comics fit into your administrations plans to foster world peace?
February 29th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Michael followed up in the comments section of his column (as he usually does) clarifying that Obama isn’t allowed to speechify, given SDCC’s non-profit status, but that tentative plans are for him to “walk the floor” with Davis and have an off-site reception. I’m excited enough about the possibility of meeting a Presidential candidate to actually consider attending SDCC now (and I’m like one degree removed from Obama, so that’s pretty cool too).
February 29th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
But won’t this distract from the real purpose of Comic-Con: the promotion of big-budget Hollywood pictures?
March 1st, 2008 at 2:57 am
Sounds like a good plot for a graphic novel.
March 1st, 2008 at 9:56 am
Imagining the likes of Justin Trudeau at one of the Toronto shows now…
March 4th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
If he doesn’t get the presidential nod, I could Obama as Green Lantern
He’s pretty fit for career politician. He’s uh, definitely no Teddy Kennedy.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I dont know how I feel about a politician being at Comic- Con but on a brighter side I did hear that Yoshitaka Amano is going to be there! That will be awesome- I wish I could go so he could sign my copy of his new graphic novel, Mateki The Magic Flute! His art work is out of this world.