mindpollution.org

Strange times indeed here at Wizard’s biggest show of the convention season.

I can’t go 20 feet without bumping into a former co-worker, with many of them now operating out of the PR departments for various publishers. Apparently, I’m one of the only people to leave Wizard Entertainment (whether voluntarily or by the ol’ box and severance agreement) who continues working in journalism. I’m not sure what to read into that, but they all seem to be doing a bang-up job promoting their respective companies’ products. Notice to publishers: if you’re looking to beef up marketing for your merchandise, Wizard makes a great hiring pool. There are a few recent departures from Wizard HQ I can put you in contact with, too.

My interactions with former co-workers who are still with the company have also been a bit… weird. Most of the former Wizard crew I bump into have been genuinely friendly, but they keep glancing around to make sure no one sees them talking to me. It reminds me of a street-corner drug deal, complete with shifty eyes and nervous, sideways glances. According to a few current and former employees, simply being seen in conversation with me has earned at least two or three people reprimands from the higher-ups.

While it’s upsetting to think that simply saying “hello” to former co-workers could cost them their jobs, there’s a weird sense of pride at becoming “Public Enemy #1″ with such little effort on my part.

One of my favorite quotes from Hunter S. Thompson was something to the effect of, “You know you’re getting closer to the truth when no one will talk to you anymore.”

I’d like to think that’s true here, too.

To that end, I’ve posted a few reports from the show over on ComicMix, including my report from yesterday’s “Mondo Marvel” panel and my Wizard World Chicago 2008: Day One Report.

I also spoke with Warren Ellis yesterday about FreakAngels, his excellent webcomic that holds its own among the ‘Net’s best online comics. Expect to see the interview hit ComicMix around the mid-week mark. It was a fun interview — which is a complete 180-degree turn from my last interview with him. I spoke with him last year during san Diego Comic-Con International, and I’m not sure whether it was the oppressive heat, the fact that I was working for Wizard at the time or simply my line of questions that had him in a bad mood, but it was one of the more difficult interviews I’ve ever conducted. (And I’ve interviewed some tough subjects over the years.) This time around, Ellis was smiling, pleasant and really quite a fun interview. We talked about FreakAngels, online culture, our favorite webcomics and even a bit about Doctor Who. I’m looking forward to getting this one on the site.

Oh, and in other news, no one in Rosemont seems to believe I’m of legal drinking age. At every restaurant and bar I’ve patronized thus far in my trip here, the bartenders/waiters have spent an average of 4-6 minutes scrutinizing my ID each time I’ve ordered a drink. That makes me smile.