I was waiting in the lobby, ducking zombies, space-girls, manga characters and assorted superheroes (and villains), when I checked my e-mail on my phone and saw everybody and his duck congratulating me on the news that Harrison Ford has signed to play Wyatt Earp in a big-screen adaptation of my novel BLACK HATS (published under the Patrick Culhane penname that I have since abandoned). Anyway, if you read either the Hollywood Reporter story or the Variety story, you will know as much as I do right now.

I was only briefly at the con, but had the great fun of meeting both Sybil Danning and John Saxon at the Shout Factory Booth, where they were promoting the DVD/Blu-ray release of BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS. John Saxon, whose body of work is amazing, was a real gentleman, and Sybil Danning looks amazing, exactly as she did on the screen in the ’80s and ’90s (and is very, very nice as well). I would rather meet the great B movie stars, anytime, over the Hollywood big shots…with the exception of Harrison Ford, of course. And Tom Hanks.

Much of the day was a family one for us, eating at the Fish Market restaurant (Barb, Nate, Abby and me) on a deck I referred to as the Hitchcock Lounge, because of the friendly birds; shopping Seaport Village and the Gaslamp District; wolfing down sundaes at Ghirardelli’s; dining on great Mexican food at Casa Guadalajara in Old Town; and finally taking in an evening showing of HARRY POTTER (the 3-D conclusion), which I thought was a good film, if not as exciting as the cab ride home where Barb ordered the cabbie to slow down, and he asked, “Why?” What followed was not pretty….

M.A.C.

Tags: Black Hats, Comic-Con 2011, Cowboys and Aliens, Harrison Ford, Patrick Culhane, San Diego, Wyatt Earp