I returned from my trip out to San Diego for Comic-Con this morning at 4:00 am. It was a really nice break from work and a great getaway for my wife and I. We booked a hotel late so were 50 minutes away from the convention center and ended up just spending a few hours on Fri and Sat cruising around the booths and chatting with all the NGers at the NG booth. We also went out with a group of NGers Fri night.

I guess I'm a bit shy because I only chatted briefly with a few folks...every place we went had super loud music playing which also hampered the ability to converse.

Anyway, I ended up doing people watching a lot so I thought I'd give you my run-down on the personalities of all your favorite Newgrounders!

Tom Fulp:
The funniest thing about Tom is that he strikes poses. He'll just be standing there and then push his chest out awkwardly and stand on one leg, or fold his arms behind his back while spinning in circles. You have to see it to appreciate it. Overall I got the impression that he'd much rather be doing about a thousand other things than standing at the booth. To his merit though, he was very kind to everyone who mobbed him as a fan and treated them kindly and respectfully. I was a little awkward around him because of the "celebrity" status I've built up in my mind, but really he's just your average down-to-earth guy who obviously has a ton of talent and drive, but isn't cocky or conceited about it.

Stamper:
Stampers first words to me were "finally, someone who's not a total douche." He was chugging pepto bismol in the booth on Fri cuz apparently he was sick. He was real cool, and invited me to lunch which I had to turn down cuz my wife and I were headed out to the beach and had just eaten. I think he's lived a pretty tough life, and therefore has a really well-rounded outlook on life notwithstanding all his antics in the forums.

Mndchamber:
He was a bit of a surprise to me because I expected some hard-nosed street thug ex-gangster, but he was really kind and had a really innocent countenance that exuded kindness. He was very open and inviting and seemed grateful to be a part of all the fun that was the NG booth.

Dan Paladin:
He was a little ball of energy and probably the most "social" of the people I met. Very good at small talk and covering lulls in the conversation. He was very outgoing and really tried to make everyone feel welcome at the booth.

Super Flash Bros. Tom:
I love talking to people with british accents. He was very un-assuming and chatty, though very focused on promoting his own stuff. He had a nice quirky british sense of humor too.

Super Flash Bros. Dim:
Younger than Tom, and his "artsy" half. He seemed pretty innocent to the world and I sensed a small inkling of a temper lurking beneath the surface. But overall super congenial and quite funny.

Luis:
Luis was pretty much exactly how I'd imagined...probably because I've seen lots of tutorials, pictures, and such from him. Even though he says Tom is his father figure, I got a real parental vibe from him...he kind of sees things from a broad perspective and takes joy in the progress, influence, and success of NG and the NG members.

Jeff Bandelin (JohnnyUtah):
He seemed a bit uncomfortable being in such a public venue with so many people. In fact, he wouldn't even take a photo with me ("I think I'm gonna pass on this one"). He hid out behind the NG booth walls a lot too. But overall, despite all that I think he's a pretty good guy, just a bit of a rough exterior...I'd like to see him in an environment where he feels more comfortable.

Krinkels:
He looked exactly like I imagined he would look...kinda like the lead singer of Metallica when he's in a particularly angsty mood. Despite that, he showed lots of signs of having a real responsible and self-controlled side. I'd say he's like extreme right-wing...very big gun and knife fan, but pretty supportive of family values also...he's from Colorado so go figure.

Afro-Ninja:
He kind of hung out in the BG a lot. I got the impression that he's a lot like me, more of an observer than a "walk up and shake your hand with a big smile" kind of guy. Very ninja-like :P

FrostedMuffins:
Cool young kid who's humble and kind. I chatted with his dad quite a bit. What a cool dad to support his son's hobby so completely and to recognize the benefits that being a member of NG can have for his son's future.

Rog (Mockery):
I saved the best for last cuz I felt like Rog treated me the most like a friend. He was very kind and easy to talk to and went way out of his way to involve both me and my wife in whatever he was doing and to make us feel comfortable. I was really grateful to him because I felt like a bit of an outsider trying to break in on a clique. My wife came away liking him and his wife best too. He's just a really genuinely good person. I felt like he was as happy to see me as I was to see him.

Well, there you have it, my first impression collection...I'm sure I'm way off on a lot of these, but I thought I'd share anyway. I met lots of other NGers, but these were the ones that I had extended exposure to.