DAY ONE PHOTO FUN!
Thanks to GPF cartoonist Jeff Darlington and wife Keri Darlington for the photos! For Jeff's own continuing Comic-Con reports, click here!

THE KEENSPOT BOOTH
Booth #3702 is a very Keen Spot, indeed!

Here's the 8-foot wide backdrop display created for Keenspot's Comic-Con booth. Name every character on it and win a prize!

GPF's Jeff Darlington (right) and SCHLOCK MERCENARY's Howard Tayler bring a smile to the face of a happy fan as they're both overtaken by SKETCH MADNESS!

Keenspacers gather around the booth, making us look far more popular than we really are. Thanks, guys!

THE KEENSPOT PANEL
Comic-Con's Room 4 got KEENIFIED on Thursday for 90 minutes (4-5:30pm)!

From left: Darren Bleuel (cartoonist of NUKEES and co-creator/co-CEO of Keenspot), Howard Tayler (cartoonist of SCHLOCK MERCENARY, filling in for Keenspot co-creator/co-CEO and SUPEROSITY cartoonist Chris Crosby, who seriously injured his back on Wednesday morning and was unable to attend), Paul Southworth (cartoonist of Keenspot webcomic KRAZY LARRY and Keenspot print comic book BLACK PLAGUE, which debuted at the Con on Wednesday night), and Greg Dean (REAL LIFE).

From left: Aric McKeown (cartoonist of ? and co-creator/writer/animator/voice artist of Keentoons.com's upcoming BABY IN A TIRE animated series) keeps things hopping as moderator, GPF's Jeff Darlington tries to explode an audience member's head with his powerful, powerful mind.

Steve Troop (right) announces he's developing a MELONPOOL puppet movie and whips out his Mayberry puppet to the delight of the audience. Fellow panelists Southwouth and Dean look on in awe.

Yes, Virginia, there is an audience! According to WHEN I GROW UP cartoonist Jeff Rowland, who peeked into the rooms of competing panels in our timeslot (including Stan Lee's first-ever DC Comics panel, Elvira's new movie premiere, a comics writing panel featuring STAR TREK's Brent "Data" Spiner, Shop Talk with comics legend Will Eisner, a surprise birthday party for artist Gene Colan, an Image Comics panel, and a spotlight on Stephen King book cover and horror artist Bernie Wrightson), the Keenspot panel had the biggest audience, amazingly enough. Keenspot was alloted 90 minutes time but went slightly over that (to the displeasure of the group scheduled to be in the room after us). We could've used an extra 30-60 minutes. Maybe in 2002!

Look for a full transcript of the panel and possibly even video within the next week or two.

ONWARD TO DAY 2 AND 3!