Comic-Con '08: J.J. Likes His Nuts

Cashews bring people together. While typing up some notes on the second floor of Warner Bros.’ expansive booth smack in the middle of the Comic-Con convention floor, show creator and feature film director J.J. Abrams was walking by after finishing up a panel for his new Fox series “Fringe.” I asked him if he had a few minutes to chat, and he obliged. The fact that my table had a bowl of delicious cashews might have also been a draw, but I’d like to think it was me.

While other A-list Comic-Con attendees talk about long-term corporate goals for their global brands, Abrams admitted his reasons for coming are much more simple.

 “I wish I could say there was more of a strategy to it than it is, but for me honestly, it’s fun to come here,” he explained, noting he’s been “lucky to launch off with seems to connect with people here.”

“It really comes down to what I think is an obvious connection to audience and story telling,” Abrams said of his Comic-Con experience. “People here are incredibly nice. It’s not like people come up and say ‘I really was bored.’ Once in a while they do, and that’s cool too.”

The sensory overload of images and sounds is still overwhelming for even someone like Abrams.

“The whole time I’m here all I’m thinking about is my kids and how much fun they might have,” he said. “Their heads might explode.”