Since my return from Comic-Con I have had many folks asking me about those pesky Twilight fans and how horrible it must have been dealing with them. This is simply not true. I talked to quite a few of these young (and not so young) folks and I found them all rather pleasant. Yes, it was crowded. SDCC has been crowded to capacity even before Twilight came along. I guess angry con-goers are always looking for a scapegoat. First it was the Hollywood folks but now they've narrowed it down. As a new purveyor of webcomics, I cannot be happier with the increased attendance. I saw many young faces strolling through the webcomics and small press areas, taking time to look at the booths and BUYING things.

Many of my webcomics friends have said this was their most profitable convention yet. As Kevin Smith said, these young folks are the future of fandom and instead of trying to turn them away we should be welcoming them with open arms. In addition to the much needed injection of female fans into the mix, it also brings young consumers and in these somewhat difficult times, who are we to turn them down? It's not their fault the panel they wanted to see was scheduled at a time that would cause some folks to miss a panel they wanted to see. If it wasn't Twilight it would be something else and I guarantee you folks would be complaining about that. Folks are always going to complain for one reason or another. All I see is growth and growth is good.

I myself had a great Con. I came into it knowing I wasn't going to get to see everything I wanted to. It's simply impossible. Whether we like it or not, these people aren't going anywhere. Nor should they. Instead of thrusting angry signs in their faces telling them they are not wanted, we should be encouraging them to explore other areas of fandom, guiding them, and getting to know them. I would much rather be at a convention full of new and eager fans instead of crusty old curmudgeons who will complain no matter what, longing for the good old days, whatever that means. I don't really know where I was going with this, it was just something I wanted to get off my chest. If you are a Twilight fan and were accosted for it at Comic-Con, I apologize on behalf of my fellow geeks. Eventually they'll come around. At least I hope so.