200 Words with Paul Dini #20 – Comic Con Corroboree, Part One

(No, I’m not breaking my own rule and going over my 200 word per article limit, this is a special announcement about the next month of columns. It’s a month to San Diego Comic-Con International, so starting today and for the next three Thursdays, the subject will be Comic-Con, the wonder, the horror, the memories, the madness. Then on Thursday, July 24th, join me as I write that week’s 200 Words directly from the site, the time and place TBD. Check back every week here at iFanboy.com for 200 Words Comic Con Corroboree.)

MY BREAKFAST WITH BUGS, SORTA

Chuck Jones was a no-show. I had traveled alone from Orinda to the San Diego Comic Con to meet the greatest animation director of all time and all that greeted my young eyes was an empty table.

Way back at the dawn of time, around 1975, Comic Con was a much more intimate affair than the massive media tradeshow it has become. Back then you could even buy a special admission package that would allow you to have Sunday brunch with the pro of your choice. Jones was the cartoonist celeb I had chosen and I had looked forward to hearing tales of his glory days at Warner Bros. Animation. But the creator of the Roadrunner had apparently pulled a “beep-beep” of his own and split early.

“Hey,” A smiling gent called from a neighboring table. “I think there’s room here if you want to squeeze in.” Grateful at the prospect of not having to eat alone, I gathered my things and wedged myself in among the other ten or so fans. I wound up having a great time and it turned out my genial host did have some small connection to classic cartoons. His name was Bob Clampett.

Paul Dini is the Emmy and Eisner Award winning writer of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics, Countdown among many, many other things. You can find him online at either kingofbreakfast.livejournal.com or http://www.jinglebelle.com/.