I managed to avoid the main hall for most of yesterday…my reward for doing all those panels upstairs. But reports of people jammed together like (make up your own analogy) were common. Reportedly, the convention closed off registration at 1:00 PM and radio stations began telling folks not to bother showing up if they didn't have advance registration.
Apart from the crush, everyone seems to be having a very good time. The only unpleasantness I've witnessed in 3+ days here stems from people who are hired to direct traffic (foot traffic within the convention center, the automotive kind outside) and somehow turn into screaming, power-mad maniacs. You could almost forgive them if they actually seemed competent at controlling that traffic but the ones who yell the loudest are the ones who are making the problem worse, not better, especially at the intersections outside the con. Something about donning an orange vest seems to drain civility and I.Q. points from a man's mind.
I was very happy with my panels yesterday even though the most memorable part of the Golden/Silver Age gathering was probably Irwin Hasen, the artist responsible for Wildcat and Dondi, telling of how a gangster once got him a prostitute. Talk about your Secrets Behind the Comics.
Got a business-type meeting at ten so this will have to do for now. Stay cool, everyone.