Comic-Con Day 3: Master writers, tenth doctors, and overeager fans

Kicked off Day 3 with a spot o' looking around the dealer floor, the highlight of which was finding a booth that sold replicas of Captain Kirk's chair from the original Star Trek. So of course we all had to take turns sitting in said chair.

Then we finally made it over to the Gaslamp Quarter for lunch. Ate a fine meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory and then back to the Convention Center to get into the hall in time for Ray Bradbury. (Unfortunately this entailed having to sit through a Green Lantern panel that wasn't very interesting and I was pestered by an overenthusiastic fan who kept showing me the sketches he'd scored at the Con, which I think may be the geek equivalent of inviting someone upstairs to "show them your etchings".)

But none of that mattered once Ray Bradbury showed up. Ray is 89 but has never missed a Comic-Con, and it was a joy to see him. He also brought along footage of his commentary on the night of the moon landing (said footage doubly nostalgic because it featured the late Walter Cronkite). It was also a joy to see the fans that turned out for Ray - preteens to seniors, fans of all stripes - and to see Ray still with us and as always such a gentleman.

After Ray's panel we went back downstairs to see if we'd won the raffle for entry into the Joss Whedon signing (we didn't, and a debate about whose "loser cooties" caused this negative outcome ensued). 

Then it was back upstairs to catch the showing of episode five of Torchwood's "Children of Earth" mini-series, followed by the Dr. Who episode "Planet of the Dead". While in line we made friends with a fan named Sarah, who was endearing in her hyper enthusiasm for Torchwood/Dr. Who and nearly fainted when Tenth Doctor David Tennant was spotted walking by.  As for the shows, I hadn't seen the earlier installments of the Torchwood series before, but now I must see all of this mini-series - it's very good. The Dr. Who episode was, despite its title, a fairly lighthearted affair, and the whole evening was very enjoyable. Plus we got to see Tennant and Torchwood star John Barrowman kiss (they're both a treat to look at and it was rather hot to see).

Exited the screenings and realized that tomorrow would be our last day (waaah!) and that instead of lounging in the hot tub we ought to pack (WAAAAH!).

Edit to add:  Overheard gem from a young woman on a cell phone. "You want to know why I love Comic-Con? MARK HAMILL HUGGED ME! I will never wash my body again!"