Comic-Con
2011:
From Dusk 'Til Con Preview - Get the Poynt!
 By day, it's a gathering of all kinds of people, hoping to get the cool swag, see some spectacle, and catch a glimpse of a favorite celebrity. And yes, comics writers and artists count as celebrities. It's Comic-Con!
By night, of course, it's a party.
Once the sun goes down, the social options also multiply,
and not just because of the great restaurants and clubs
in the Gaslamp District. This year there are concerts, a Cirque du Soleil performance and parties every night and, for a few blocks at least, on every corner.
To find those corners, you might want to use Poynt, the free app that helpfully finds restaurants, bars, and the like and even makes reservations to make your night out work.
I mention this for two reasons: it really does seem like a cool app (available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Phone 7, Nokia and probably alien navigation systems) and because for the second year in a row, Poynt will be sponsoring one of those very same cool parties that make Comic-Con such a happening place at night.
 Yes, "From Dusk 'Til Con" returns, with Poynt working alongside one of the businesses their app serves, AMC Theaters. So if you're not into the parties, you could use Poynt to find where the AMC is in San Diego showing Captain America: The First Avenger.
AMC will be awarding its annual Film Fanatics trophy, given to creators who best sum up the spirit of Comic-Con. Last year's winners were writer/director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Hot Fuzz and producer of the upcoming Attack the Block) and the near-mythological Stan Lee.
They've also added the AMC Stubs Blogger of the Year Award. We're not sure how you qualify for it, but we'll probably be gunning for the award in 2012.
Returning to provide musical accompaniment, web radio service Slacker.com also throws its sponsorship behind this party. Thanks to their presence last year, I have often used their site in the past twelve months, with special thanks to them for their Christmas stations.
 Last year, several celebrities joined the party, paying homage to Edgar and Stan, no doubt. That included a surprise appearance from Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion, escorting one of the Queens of the Con, Felicia Day.
But despite being a party full of multi-media figures, it's still about comics, and "From Dusk 'Til Con 2011" will promote IDW's graphic novel Death Valley, written by Keith Champagne and illustrated by Shawn Moss. The book comes out next Wednesday, and hopefully we'll have a conversation with Keith on Fanboy Planet before the party.
From 12 Gauge Comics, there's also R.P.M., an action-packed title co-written by WWE superstar Mick Foley and producer Shane Riches.
And that's just what we know about so far. Surprises have been promised, so for this and other events happening at Comic-Con, check back with Fanboy Planet.
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