A Convention

The end of May 2010 was going to be a busy time for me as Toy Story 2 was going to be released, and Matt and I were going to the comic con in Phoenix, Arizona. We were invited and had a packed schedule with a panel, a Q&A session, and media interviews. We were especially excited as Stan Lee was going to be there. Matt, in particular, was stressing over the chance to meet Stan Lee, someone he had admired.

Arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, we grabbed our carry-ons and made our way outside. It was then we spotted the driver holding a sign with our names.

"I told you he would be inside, not outside," I said, waving over to the man.

"Welcome to Phoenix, Mr. Adler, Mr. Gates," the driver greeted us with a smile. "I'm here to take you to your hotel and then to the convention center."

We followed the driver assigned to pick us up and were escorted to a sleek black SUV waiting outside. The driver helped us load our luggage into the back.

"Fuck, it's hot here," Matt said.

"Hotter than I expected," I muttered.

As the driver was putting our bags in the trunk, I saw Matt waving at someone. I followed his gaze to see some girls who were excitedly walking towards us.

"Do you know them?" I asked.

"No, but I think they know me," Matt said, a bit surprised. "Look, they're waving at me."

"Matt, they are waving at me. You're not that famous yet," I said confidently, taking out a marker I had, knowing they would want autographs. "Watch and learn, Matt. You'll be doing this a lot in a few years."

I waited for the girls to come over, but to my surprise, they walked right past me, causing Matt to burst out laughing.

"Wow, I learned so much," Matt said sarcastically.

"Hey girls, don't you wanna meet the famous Daniel Adler?" Matt called out.

"Shut up," I said, shaking off the embarrassment and getting inside the car.

As we settled into the car, Matt was still chuckling. "I think I saw more fans of yours over there."

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Let's just get to the hotel."

We were driven to a high-end hotel near the convention center. The driver drove up to the entrance, and the valets took our luggage.

"I'll be waiting here when you're ready to head to the convention center," he said.

"Thank you," I replied.

We checked in at the sleek, modern lobby. The staff was efficient, quickly getting us our room keys and assisting with our bags.

As we rode the elevator up to our rooms, Matt turned to me, his face tight with worry. "I'm really nervous, man."

"It's going to be fine, Matt," I said.

"We have a panel and a Q&A session…What if I make a fool of myself?"

"It will be fine," I assured him. "Just follow my lead and take your time answering the questions."

Matt grinned. "Follow your lead, like at the airport?"

"You're never going to let that one go, are you?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Yeah, no," he said, laughing. "I can't wait to tell the others."

Matt and I entered our separate rooms and, after freshening up, headed down to the lobby where we took the car to the convention center.

"Can you believe we might meet Stan Lee?" Matt said, his voice filled with anticipation.

"We are going to meet Stan Lee. There's a private gathering in the evening," I said.

"What?" Matt asked, surprised.

"I told you last week," I said.

"Okay, that might have increased the pressure on me," Matt said.

The convention center was a hive of activity. Cosplayers, fans, and industry professionals were everywhere. We approached the entrance, where a staff member checked our IDs and badges to verify our attendance.

"Welcome, Mr. Adler, Mr. Gates," the staff member said, handing us our event badges. She told us when the events were and where to meet by a specific time.

Meanwhile, Matt and I decided to check out the convention. The energy was palpable as we walked through the bustling halls, filled with cosplayers showcasing their impressive costumes.

I noticed a large crowd gathered around a screen where the trailer for the new Iron Man movie was playing. The buzz around the movie was electric, and I could hear excited conversations about how amazing it looked.

As we continued to explore, I overheard snippets of conversation about the recent merger between Nebula and Stardust. Most of what I heard was negative. Many felt that the merger should not have happened, worrying that the new management would change the comics in ways they didn't like.

One conversation stood out. "The new management is going to ruin everything," someone said.

Another person replied, "Yeah, but honestly, the comics have been dogshit for the past two years. Maybe a change is what we need."

It was clear that opinions were divided. Some were hopeful for improvement, while others feared the worst.

"Holy shit," Matt said. I turned to him and asked what was wrong.

"Look," he said, pointing to a man wearing an Omni-Man costume.

"We made it," Matt said, turning to me.

"Yeah, I think we did," I said, looking around to see if there were any others cosplaying as characters from Invincible.

As I was looking, we were approached by a staff member. "You can go to the lounge if you want to relax before the panel."

"Yeah, sure," I replied.

"Follow me, please," the staff member said.

We followed the staff member through the convention center, passing by booths and vendor stalls. We were led to a private area where other guests and creators were mingling.

As we sat in the lounge, Matt couldn't help but keep glancing around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Stan Lee.

"Stay focused, Matt," I teased. "We have a panel to do first."

"I know, I know," Matt replied.

The panel was about to begin, and we were taken to the room where we were introduced and took our seats on the stage.

"That's a lot of people," Matt said, panicking a bit.

"You'll do fine," I said, calming him down.

The moderator, a well-known comic book journalist, smiled warmly at us.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Invincible panel."

"Daniel, Matt, great to have you here. Let's dive right in." he said.

I looked at the audience and saw many cosplaying as different characters from the comic. It looked like we had the makings of a solid fanbase.

"Daniel, can you tell us about the creation of Invincible? How did this project come to be?"

I leaned forward. "Invincible started as a passion project. I always wanted to create a superhero comic..."

I explained how I got the idea for the comics and how I wanted to create my own heroes like Superman or Captain America with my own twists. After answering, the moderator turned to Matt.

"And Matt, what about you? How did you contribute to bringing Invincible to life?"

Matt took a deep breath, visibly pushing past his nerves. "Well, Daniel approached me with the idea. Daniel knew I am an artist, and we shared a love of comics. He did the storytelling, and I brought it to life, you could say."

"What are the main themes in Invincible that you wanted to explore?" the moderator asked.

I answered first. "One of the core themes is the struggle between personal responsibility and immense power. We wanted to show how difficult it can be to balance being a superhero with having a personal life. There's also the idea of legacy and what it means to carry on a family tradition."

Matt jumped in, his confidence growing. "We also wanted to tackle themes of identity and belonging. Our protagonist struggles with his place in the world, both as a superhero and as a person. It's about finding your own path even when the expectations are sky-high."

The panel continued with Matt and me answering questions. I was glad Matt shook off the initial nerves and got comfortable being on the stage. The panel was coming to an end, and the moderator asked a final question.

"So, what can fans expect in the future? Any spoilers you can share?"

I chuckled. "Well, I'm not going to give much away, but expect the same quality of writing and art going forward. There are going to be some major twists in the next issue. I think everyone will like it."

The panel ended with applause, and we moved on to the Q&A session, which took a while.

One of the questions was not related to Invincible but about the merger between Stardust and Nebula. Though it was unrelated, I answered it anyway.

"This question isn't directly related to Invincible but can you tell us anything about the merger between Stardust and Nebula? Specifically, will Stardust be making movies like Iron Man, which is coming out soon?"

"Great question. While the merger between Stardust and Nebula isn't finalized yet, I can say that Stardust is very interested in making movies based on DC characters. We see a lot of potential in bringing those iconic heroes and their stories to the big screen in a fresh, exciting way. So, while I can't give any specifics just yet, it's definitely something we're looking into."

The room buzzed with excitement at the prospect. Chris had told me to drop some hints about the future movies we were planning to make to gauge people's reactions.

The rest of the panel continued with more questions about Invincible, and we answered the best we could. By the time we exited the hall, we were exhausted.

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With the panel and Q&A session over, we went to a private gathering. The room was filled with notable figures from the comic book and entertainment industries, mingling and networking. After some time, I lost track of Matt as he eagerly searched for Stan Lee.

I spent some time talking with various people in the industry, which would be useful when DCU begins production. After a while, I found Matt, who looked ecstatic.

"I talked to Felicia Day," he said, excitement evident in his voice.

"Really? Where?" I asked, genuinely curious.

As Matt was about to point out where she was, his eyes widened. "There he is! Come on, Danny, let's go meet him," Matt said, practically dragging me.

I looked over to where he was taking me and was surprised to see Stan Lee standing alone by a table.

We walked over and introduced ourselves to Stan Lee.

"Oh, hello," he said, looking at us. Then he had a look of recognition on his face.

"Oh, I know you. I saw your comic today. Congratulations, boys," Stan said warmly. "We need more young men like you in the industry."

Matt was beaming. "Thank you, Mr. Lee. It means a lot coming from you."

Stan continued, "More creators like you are needed to bring this industry out of its slump. Keep up the good work."

We talked for a while longer, discussing the industry, our inspirations, and the future of comics. Before leaving, Stan gave us some parting advice. "Make sure you watch the new Iron Man movie. It's very good."

We left the convention as very happy men, with me more confident about doubling down on creating the DCU.