Steve Bell's 2008 Democratic convention sketchbook: Day one

This sketchblog is unique in at least two ways. Unlike a normal blog, it does not occur in real time and it contains drawings. This could be a fatal weakness, especially since the author is suffering from jetlag and blue madness invoked by excessive razzmatazz, yet he will persist. Denver seems flat, with some enormous mountains, the Rockies, looming through the haze in the distance. The mornings are sparkling and clear but, as the day wears, on it gets muggy. Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

The sketchblog also contains photographs, since crowd scenes always take too long to draw. Coming into the convention hall, one is overwhelmed by blueness and stars and stripes. It's very like being digested by a giant blue whale. Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

It resembles a British party conference only in so far as there is an endless supply of politically motivated speakers from the floor who try and make the most of their few minutes in the limelight. Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Whereas in Britain speakers are listened to in respectful hush by very thin crowds, here the crowds are very substantial for most of the time (though they do build up in the evening) and are constantly milling around making a great deal of noise, phoning, texting, howling and occasionally whooping. There is also a really good live funk band to punctuate and enhance the proceedings. Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

I have a purple pass that says Camera Platform - but I have no idea where it is and the Pepsi Center is vast. I end up in the "nosebleed zone", hundreds of feet up in the air, gazing down on Barack Obama’s sister through a long lens Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

I eventually discover that the Camera Platform is right up behind the stage on a kind of balcony underneath the huge screens where the speakers’ faces are projected. This is brilliant, as you can get very close to their backs but can’t hear anything. Fortunately, there is a huge teleprompt on the opposite wall, so you can read what the speakers are saying. There is also a wonderfully distorted close up view of the huge screens. Teddy Kennedy’s chin is magnified alarmingly Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008/Guardian

The climax to the evening is Michelle Obama’s speech. I have a marvellous view of her behind. As soon as she gets on stage, hundreds of blue placards saying MICHELLE suddenly appear, just in case she’s forgotten who she is. Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008