See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture
About this audiobook
A comprehensive chronicle of Comic-Con International and modern geekdom itself as told through countless intimate, hilarious, and often thought-provoking stories by nearly fifty of the most integral members of today’s convention and fandom community.
See You At San Diego is the comprehensive chronicle of Comic-Con International and modern geekdom itself as told through countless stories by nearly fifty of the most integral members of the Comic-Con and fandom scene. This full-fledged oral history—bursting with intimate reflections, hilarious observations, and at times, heartbreaking stories—is about how the geek at last inherited the earth and the story of the transformation of mainstream American pop culture into comic book culture over the past century.
Join some of the biggest names in fandom as they launch off at ludicrous speed into the spiraling galaxy of geek culture through the kaleidoscopic lens of the planet’s biggest pop culture gathering worldwide (clocked twice by Guinness!): the San Diego Comic-Con. With such special guests as: Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Bruce Campbell, Felicia Day, Scott Aukerman, Stan Sakai, Sergio Aragonés, Trina Robbins, the Russo Bros., Lloyd Kaufman, Tim Seeley, Kevin Eastman, and many others.
The audiobook also features forewords by Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) and Jeff Smith (Bone), plus an afterword by Wu-Tang Clan’s own uber-nerd mastermind RZA.
About the author
Mathew Klickstein's writing has appeared in such publications as Wired, New York Daily News, and Splitsider. He is the author of SLIMED! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age, the screenwriter of Sony Pictures' Against the Dark, and director/producer of the Marc Summers documentary, On Your Marc. He currently hosts the podcast NERTZ (based on his book Nerding Out), is developing a new television series, and -- with lifetime series writer Mike Reiss -- co-authored Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons. He aspires to get some sleep someday soon.
Stan Sakai is a Japanese-born American artist and comic book creator. He is a multiple Eisner Award–winning cartoonist and the recipient of numerous national awards including an American Library Association Award and a Cultural Ambassador Award from the Japanese American National Museum. In 2020, Sakai was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame. He lives in Pasadena, CA.
Simon Vance is a critically acclaimed narrator who has recorded over eight hundred audiobooks and has received over fifty Earphones Awards. A twelve-time Audie Award winner and frequent finalist, he has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice, an AudioFile Best Voice, and the first Booklist Voice of Choice. A former BBC Radio presenter and newsreader in London, he currently lives in California, where he also pursues stage and television acting.
Eunice Wong is an award-winning, Juilliard-trained actor who works in professional theatres across the United States and in New York City.
Curt Bonnem is an award-winning, professionally trained multi-media performer, traversing the globe between stage, screen, and booth for almost four decades. From Shakespeare to musical theater, comedy juggling and magic, fronting a rock band to narrating audiobooks, Curt's skills are wide-ranging. With an aptitude for character voices and accents, Curt's storytelling abilities transport the listener and transform text from imagination into reality. In 2019, Curt was selected as Mark Twain Narrator scholarship winner to the Hear Now Festival in Kansas City and mentored by the "Ginger Yoda" and prolific narrator, Sean Allen Pratt.
P. J. Ochlan, an Audie Award-nominated and multiple AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator, has recorded close to 200 audiobooks. His acting career spans more than thirty years and has included Broadway, the New York Shakespeare Festival (under Joseph Papp), critically acclaimed feature films, and regular roles in television series. Along the way, he's worked with countless icons, including Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, Al Pacino, and Garry Marshall.
RZA (aka Robert Fitzgerald Diggs) is one of the foremost bellwethers of modern hip-hop, having led and produced for the pioneering collective Wu-Tang Clan. The Grammy, BAFTA, and Emmy nominated artist has also composed soundtracks for such films as Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog. He is the writer/director of the 2012 film The Man with the Iron Fists, co-written by Eli Roth, and starring Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu.
Dion Graham is a multiple Audie award–winning narrator and a critically acclaimed actor who has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, internationally, in films, and in several hit television series, including HBO's The Wire. His performances have been praised as thoughtful, compelling, vivid, and full of life.
Liam DiCosimo is a professional audiobook narrator, voiceover artist, singer, and podcaster. A modern seanachaí, or Irish Folk storyteller, he relies on that long tradition, which uses a wide range of conventions, styles of speech, and gestures to help create renowned performances. For more information, visit LiamDiCosimo.com.
Grover Gardner has recorded more than 650 audiobooks since beginning his career in 1981. He's been named one of the "Best Voices of the Century" as well as a "Golden Voice" by AudioFile magazine. Gardner has garnered over 20 AudioFile Earphones Awards and is the recipient of an Audio Publishers Association Audie Award, as well as a three-time finalist. In 2005, Publishers Weekly deemed him "Audiobook Narrator of the Year." Gardner has also narrated hundreds of audiobooks under the names Tom Parker and Alexander Adams. Among his many titles are Marcus Sakey's At the City's Edge, as well as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and John Irving's The Cider House Rules. Gardner studied Theater and Art History at Rollins College and received a Master's degree in Acting from George Washington University. He lives in Oregon with his significant other and daughter.
James Anderson Foster is an audiobook narrator who has been nominated for three Voice Arts Awards for best audiobook narration in the categories of science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery. He has been praised for his conversational delivery and ability to sound exactly like the voice you were imagining in your head. Born and raised on the west coast, he has lived in the Midwest for over a decade but still considers Oregon home.
Feodor Chin, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor classically trained at the American Conservatory Theater and UCLA. His acting career includes numerous credits in film, television, theater, and voice-over.
Lisa Flanagan is a classically trained soprano, comedian, voice-over artist, and Earphones Award–winning narrator.
Jeff Smith is an American artist and the award-winning creator of the bestselling comic books Bone and RASL. Smith has received numerous awards, among them ten Eisner Awards and eleven Harvey Awards. In 1995 and 1996, he won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Comic Books. Smith helped found the annual Cartoon Crossroads Columbus festival, which debuted in 2015, and he serves as its artistic director. He lives in Columbus, OH.
Hillary Huber is a multiple Audie Award finalist, an Earphones Award winner, and an AudioFile Best Voice. She has recorded over six hundred titles spanning many genres and holds a bachelor's degree in English literature. A voracious reader and listener, she was raised in Connecticut and Hawaii but now splits her time between California and New York.
Tim Paige is an audiobook narrator and voice actor who has worked on numerous projects ranging from bestselling books to video games and documentaries. Passionate about bringing stories to life, he believes that they're an opportunity to escape from reality (or to find a new lens with which to view it). Formerly a touring musician, he has played on some of the biggest stages in the world, including MTV's TRL. A husband and father, he is a bit obsessed with all things Disney and Marvel.
Eric Jason Martin is a producer, director, and voice performer based in Los Angeles. He is the AudioFile Earphones and Audie Award-winning narrator of over 200 audiobooks, including works by Kurt Vonnegut, David Foster Wallace, Karin Slaughter, and Lee Child. Eric's recent productions include the Audible Original Stinker Lets Loose!, a New York Times Monthly Bestseller also starring Jon Hamm and Rhea Seehorn, and he is the director of Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne's musical comedy series Heads Will Roll for Broadway Video and Audible.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Joe Hempel, a total eighties' kid, had a fascination with an eclectic array of shows that would later shape his performances in the audiobook world-shows like Alf, Night Court, Tales from the Crypt, and WWF Superstars. For over a decade Joe honed his acting skills as a referee in professional wrestling and inspired people as a NASM certified personal trainer and endurance coach. Combined with his animated personality and a love for reading, becoming an audiobook narrator was a natural step. Best known for his captivating, rich narrations and uncanny ability for pulling listeners into an immersive experience, Joe has entertained listeners with over 100 audiobooks ranging from horror and mystery to science fiction, romance, and personal development. Joe still lives in Cincinnati with his son Zach, and enjoys running marathons and bringing words on a page to life. Joe is also the winner of the 2018 ABR Listeners Choice Award for Horror.
Jim Meskimen is a stage, film, and television actor who has appeared in many well-known movies and television shows. He acted in Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon for director Ron Howard, both of which were nominated for Best Picture Oscars. His television appearances include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Friends, Lie to Me, Criminal Minds, and Parks and Recreation. He is also a painter, award-winning audiobook narrator, and audiobook director for Galaxy Audio.
