Comic-Con 2011: The Blog

It has been precisely a week since we've returned from the insanity that is Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA.  This year's SDCC was the most memorable of our trips thus far and it's difficult to imagine how the experience could be any more awesome in future years. 

Here's how it went down.

Wednesday: Preview Night.

This is usually the night we pick up our badges, buy our passes for the following year and wander around the Exhibit Hall before the crowds are overwhelming.  Because SDCC has been selling out so quickly in the past few years, they implemented a new process and the tickets for the following year wouldn't be available until Thursday and only in limited quantities.  It was inconvenient for us, but ultimately I think it was probably the most fair way to handle the tickets for the following year.

If you didn't already know, I've been writing TV reviews for Daemon's TV since January of this year. After preview night I had the opportunity to meet some the people I had been writing for/with in person for the first time.  Everyone was really cool and it was awesome to attach real people to the internet personas I had become familiar with. 

Thursday: Day 1

I dress up at Comic-Con for one day out of the week.  I've found I like to do it on the first day because the excitement of being at Comic-Con is still fresh and enough to keep me moving.  This year, I recruited Rhonda into my costuming plans so I would have a buddy (last year she and my brother and Matt dressed up in a Dr. Horrible group.) 

Thank goodness she was down to dress up with me, because the reaction to our costumes was like nothing I could have ever anticipated.

My brother shot this photo of the crowd taking our photos as we stepped into the convention center.

It was so much fun and SO exhausting.  Normally I can wear my costume, walk the exhibit hall, look at artwork, buy stuff and check out the booths while occasionally being stopped for photos, but in these costumes it took us about an hour to get from the entrance of the exhibit hall to the back side in a straight line where we wanted to get nachos for lunch.  Security was constantly asking us to move and my brother and Mike eventually had to work crowd control just so we could get to a spot where we could sit down.  

Even as we ate, the photos did not stop and as I was shoveling lunch into my mouth people were taking pictures.  I had a renewed appreciation for my college years spent doing character work at Disneyland. I was having flashbacks of summer crowds and remembered that this was exactly the reason we needed hourly breaks, away from the crowds.  

http://johnal.smugmug.com/

At one point, a woman from Entertainment Weekly approached us and asked us if we would be in a EW photoshoot at the Hard Rock Hotel, shot by photographer Michael Muller.  

Um.  OK!

The photo shoot set up  http://johnal.smugmug.com/

So, we did that and ended up here:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20399642_20512572,00.html#20992382
(*UPDATE* Turns out we also made it into the August 5, 2011 print edition on the Table of Contents page!)

Rhonda was excited because Justin Timberlake had been on that same set just minutes before us.  I was excited because... free snacks!

So that was Thursday.  I tried to get into the Archer panel, but the line was longer than I had anticipated so we missed that.  I ended up with blisters on my feet from walking around all day in my "comfortable" shoes.  

It took me about a year to make my costume since I was learning how to sew, use tools and materials as I went along.  I will probably just be wearing it again next year to get full use out of it.  I don't have the energy to make another costume for a while.  I have some changes to make... like... way more comfortable shoes.  And, next year we're adding at least one more villain to our gang, so that will be even more fun.  

Friday: Day 2

I don't know how to best describe how awesome Friday was.  Best single day at Comic-Con (for me) ever.  The Venture Bros. Panel, Bob's Burgers Panel and Alphas Panel were all great, but more importantly... everything else.

You might remember my blog from last year, geeking out over Bob's Burgers before it had even aired and being all giddy because I got to take a photo with Loren Bouchard, right? It got better this year.

You guys.

Loren Bouchard recognized me! I'm not even joking! 

AND he told me that he has read everything that I've written!!!!***

***He said that, but let's be honest, he probably meant that he reads everything I write on Daemon's TV about Bob's Burgers... not everything I write... especially not my blog.  My mom doesn't even read my blog.

So I squealed like a raging fan girl and Mike snapped this picture after the panel.

Me & Loren Bouchard... AGAIN

That's my Bob's Burgers tee-shirt from last year's Comic-Con panel that I altered to fit a lady!  

He posed for this picture twice, because he said he didn't want to pose the same way he did last year.... squeeeeee!

So anyway... as if I wasn't already seeming like a crazy fangirl by sitting in the front row of the Bob's Burgers panel, we ran into Bouchard again at night as we were walking to the Adult Swim party which we got passes to earlier in the day. He was nice enough to talk to us as we walked in the same direction.  I had a couple of glasses of Jameson before we walked over there, so I'm not 100% sure I was talking like a normal person... but whatever.  He was nice and didn't make me think that he thought I was crazy.  I wouldn't fault him if he did.

My dilemma now is... what do I do next year?  I mean, I've had photos with him two years in a row.  If there is a Bob's Burgers panel next year, I will... duh...be going and I will... duh...want to be in the front row... but am I allowed to take a photo like this ever again?  If he was someone who had no recollection of me, I'd be like "hi, I'm a fan... photo?" and wouldn't think twice... but now.... do I have to be cool? YOU GUYS.  I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE COOL!!! 

So, you have a year to tell me how to handle this.  How do I balance my obvious fandom with the fact that I don't want to be THAT FREAKY FAN? I've met lots of famous people - including the guy at the top of my "list," Mr. Johnny Depp himself, and I've never been struck with this panic. Johnny Depp and the others I've met would never remember me in a million years (plus actors don't intimidate me the way writers do.)  I'm a drop in the bucket.  I'm used to that. The fact that he remembered me is incredible and totally intimidating... but most of all it's proof that Loren Bouchard is a genuinely nice human being.  

Continuing with the awesome of Friday... this happened at the Adult Swim party:

 

Yup - Doc Hammer of Venture Bros. fame.

Can we discuss how cool Doc Hammer looks and HOW I COULD NOT BE ANY MORE DORKY IN THAT PICTURE?

And of course, Jackson Publick, also of Venture Bros. fame.

Let's discuss how much of an a-hole I was for noticing that Jackson was smoking when he had talked in the panel earlier about how he was quitting smoking.  Really?  REALLY ME?  "I'm a huge fan. I thought you were quitting?"  WHY WOULD I SAY THAT!?   He was so nice to me even if I was a total and complete arse.  So I fail forever.  That is exactly why people should not let me drink EVER.  Except for sometimes because I'm also awesome when I drink. 

Sometimes.  

So 50/50.

Michael Sinterniklaas & Me

Before the Adult Swim party we ran into Michael Sinterniklaas - also of Venture Bros. fame... but also even more so of his acclaimed work in dubbed anime... which I didn't know about until we talked that night.  

I was too shy to talk to anyone at the bar but when Mike spotted Michael, he desperately tried to convince me that I should go tell him I was a fan.   Since this was pre-whiskey, I could not be convinced so Mike went over talked to him for me. In a couple of minutes, they both came back to where I was sitting. 

Seriously, this guy was SO cool... he took pictures with my brother and my mom and everybody in our group.  He's currently working on a TNMT project and Gundam Unicorn and he does the voice for the English dub of the main character in Summer Wars (I actually have the DVD and have just never watched it in English. You can borrow it.  It's a really great anime movie.)  

Best moment with him was when he said "scissor me" meaning do the Venture Bros. pose above.  Instead I scissored his V hand gesture with my V hand gesture.  Yah.  I'm that a-hole.  People should  keep me away from other human beings.  He still talked to me after that, so he's obviously really nice. 

Also on Friday...Mike got his photo that he took with Kevin Smith last year signed by Kevin Smith.   Matt schmoozed with everyone from Torchwood at the bar, Rhonda got Steven Spielberg's autograph... on her phone... then she, along with my brother and my mom somehow talked their way into some exclusive party at the Hard Rock where they ate all sorts of food and drank all kinds of open bar booze. Then back at our hotel my mom took photos with David Arquette at the bar.

So all that happened.  In one day.  I expect a day like that will never happen again.

Saturday: Day 3

Can't remember.  Did I already tell you about Friday? 

Saturday...Tr!ckster!  That was cool. We bought art.

Oh and Mythbusters. Neato!

And there's a small chance I'll show up on TV in a year asking either Jon Favreu or William Shatner questions for a Kevin Smith project that will make me seem like a total dufus.  Get excited about seeing me ask "Mr. Shatner, what's your favorite Star Trek episode?"  Trust me.  I was fed the questions.

Oh!  And we met up and grabbed drinks with friends.  I love friends! And cookies! Good times.

Sunday: Day 4

Doctor Who. 

Can't get enough of them... I want to go on a TARDIS ride. 

And then... exhibit hall...

That's my mom who originally photobombed me when I was trying to get a photo at the VIZ Media booth. This was her first year at SDCC, but she naturally knew how to work the exhibit hall.  In all my years I have never seen a person come back with so much swag... ever.  Totally impressive.

Followed by two and a half hours in traffic to get home. So tired.

Overall, awesome times.  Still recovering, but already looking forward to next year.  Woo!

 

Comic-Con 2010 - Thursday Part One

Well here we are – day one of Comic-Con International in San Diego.  We were here last night for the “Preview Night” and were able to pick up our badges and check out some of the stuff in the main exhibit hall before the official start to the week and visit some people we knew working the booths while it wasn’t too insane. We were also to preorder our passes for next year since this has become a pretty sure thing.

Right now, it’s about 8:50 AM and we’ve been in line for Hall H for about an hour and a half  and we’re about in the middle of the crowd.  Meaning, there have been hundreds of people waiting in line for significantly longer periods of time to get into Hall H before us.  The kicker is that nothing starts in Hall H until about 10 AM… so.  We’ve got a while to go. 

The big thing everyone in this line seems to be the most excited about is the TRON panel.  They’re looking to see the cast and the exclusive previews that they’ve brought along for the panel.  Last year they showed a tiny segment of some of the CGI scenes and some shots of the bike and people went bonkers.  So, this should be exciting.

I’m also in costume today. It was a last minute decision made over dinner tonight since I wasn’t really planning on dressing up this early in the week, but I wanted to be able to wander around and take pictures of my brother, Rhonda and Matt in their costumes (probably on Friday) so this was the day to do it.  I’m dressed as a character from Neon Genesis Evangelion – Misato Katsuragi. I’m wearing a purple wig.  I look kind of ridiculous, but it’s Comic-Con… you have to do it. I mean really. This costume is also not the most comfortable for waiting in line – it’s all pleather – so thank goodness it’s cold right now.

We stopped by to visit our old friend, Tommy,  ex-detective, retired police chief now big boss security guard who helped us tremendously last year when my phone was lost/stolen by a peon security guard.  He remembered us. He is awesome. 

So yes.  Comic-Con day one.. Exciting.  Also exciting? Staying at the Omni… right across from the Convention center and never having to deal with parking.  Brilliant.

My goal this year is to not lose my phone, so hopefully that should be something I’m able to stick to.  I’d also like to party all the time at night.  Also, I’d like to see all my fellow geek friends this time, since I won’t lose my phone.  Also, Venture Bros. Yay.

ComicCon International 2009 - Day 3 & 4 (The Saga of the Stealthy Cell Phone Security Stealer)

After my last blog we enjoyed the Battlestar Galactica panel in Ballroom 20 of the SDCC. As we were leaving the incoming crowd pushed forward as we battled them to get out of the room and onto our next event. I did a double check to make sure we weren't leaving anything behind and then wiggled out as people shoved their way in. Only about a half hour later did I realize that something had gone wrong and that my cell phone (including my adorable and much loved phone-bunny charm, Mr. Harry Juku) was missing.

I had gone into a comic book panel on my own and was going to text Mike an update when I realized that my phone was nowhere to be found - I dumped out my purse... nothing. I ran back to the panel in Ballroom 20, couldn't get in and the lady was mean to me. I started crying. I ran down to lost and found, nothing. I started crying. I asked all the staff and security guards I could find if they knew where a payphone was... none of them knew. I finally found someone at information who asked someone else, who asked someone else and thought they knew that a payphone was around the corner. I ran down there, put in my $1 of quarters and called "Long Distance" to Mike's cell phone hoping that he would pick up a call from a strange San Diego area phone number. I started crying. He finally picked up and in a panicked sob I mumbled about what had happened and asked him to get out of his line to help me find my phone. He did, because he's awesome.

Without my cell phone, it was harder to set up a meeting place and meet up with him. There was some confusion but after chasing him a bit in the distance (and crying) we found one another. He walked back with me over all my steps and talked us back into Ballroom 20 (while I cried) and we checked under the seats but couldn't find anything. He walked me back to the lost and found and better explained what happened to the person at the counter (while I cried) and then calmed me down enough to get to a place where I was only depressed, not crying.

We hopped back in line where Brian L was waiting for us and got into a neat panel for District 9 (looked awesome) and then we took off again on the hunt for Mr. Harry Juku and my phone.

We run back to lost and found, hoping for an update and get in right before they close. No phone.

We went back to Ballroom 20 since I remembered that the people right next to us in the 2nd row were planning on staying in there for all the panels that day. Sure enough when we got in there, those people were still there (although they had managed to move closer to the center of the room and they remembered me & they had informataion about my phone!

Someone had found my phone! And even better, they turned it into the security guard at the front of the room! Another group also confirmed this and later a man approached me telling me he had seen them give the security guard the phone and he was going to put it on a "table."

"Joy!" I thought. It's in the hand of a professional! At least it's in good hands! Mike asked the security lead that evening and he suggested we go to the security headquarters to see if it had been turned in there. We do that (filled with hope, joy and happiness) and find... nothing.

No phone. Nothing turned in. Nada.

Luckily we managed to talk to one of the head honchos, who after telling him the whole story, took a very personal interest in finding out what happened and why one of his security guards ha d not turned in the phone. He told us to come back in the morning and see if something would come up as the night shift ended.

At dinner, my brother called my phone on a whim and it picked up! Apparently it was still in this guy's pocket and my phone (which was on silent - no vibrate or anything) answered this call and we could hear his voice and other people's voices. This prompted Mike to call AT&T where a super helpful person did everything she could to figure out how we could get our phone back. Since we're on a family plan she was able to set us up with a tracking program so we could triangulate the location of my phone within 1 mile (or less.)

Once we set that up we were able to find that my phone was still at the convention center. JOY!!! We relaxed for a bit... up until about 11pm... when the phone started moving. .. from the convention center, to the Hilton Hotel... and then to National City.

We came back in the morning to the security booth and let them know we were able to track our phone and that it was moving... and that it hadn't returned to the convention center. We were pleased to discover that all these head honchos in the security staff were retired SDPD who had worked in homicide investigations, sex crimes and a former captain of the SDPD... they knew the cops and they knew what they were doing... AND they were so excited to have an investigation that didn't involve fraudulent comic-con badges. They were interrogating staff, and had called the SDPD down to take a police report from us (we had to leave the Lost panel right before it started... but it was just something we had to do.) These security dudes were kick-ass and I felt so much better about this shitteous situation .

Saturday comes to an end and there is still no phone and it hasn't returned from National City... but the investigators were able to narrow it down to 3 possible perps and today they found the guy who was given the phone who said he turned it into his supervisor. SO. NOW. We're sitting at Comic-Con not really wanting to do anything but wait for my phone to be found and returned unharmed. The battery died (or the phone was turned off) so we can't track it anymore, but I still have high hopes.

In more ComicCon style news though, I wore my costume yesterday - Dr. Mrs. The Monarch from the Venture Bros. It was a trip. I was intereviewed by a couple websites (Mike got dragged into them too hahah) and it was like I was working at Disneyland again. We could hardly walk 3 feet without being stopped for a picture. Insane.

We walked down to the Adult Swim booth and took pictures and ran into other folks dressed up from the Venture Bros (there was a Venture Bros. panel that day) and took a number of group pictures. The producer of the Venture Bros. happened to be in the area and took my picture and later explained who she was and asked if she could get my permission to post the picture on the Venture Bros. facebook page. SURE! A moment later, a woman from Adult Swim asked us to all sign releases to have our pictures used for their bumps... so that was neat.

The Venture Bros panel was actually probably my favorite thing we did. Doc Hammer was hilarious and hearing all the other guys with their normal voices having moments of Dean, Dr. Venture, etc. coming out in normal conversation was great. Actually they were all hilarious. I'd wait 3 hours to see them all again any time.

The sad news was that when Mike asked an exec @ Adult swim about Lucy The Daughter of the Devil and the possibility of Loren Bouchard's half hour spec being picked up, we got a definite "no." On top of that, Adult Swim has a buttload of really shitty looking shows coming up. So, it's good to know AS is going down the toilet. Fantastic.

Anyhoo... this is too much of a long blog. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for my phone, kay?

Other notes:

-Anime kids are annoying and smell bad.

-The 14 year olds camping out for Twilight are gross and left the most disgusting dirty mess after they left.

- I think I hate teenagers.

ComicCon International 2009 - Day 1 & 2

Right at this moment Mike and I are sitting in an outdoor winding line for a Battlestar Galactica panel with the cast and crew of BSG at the San Diego Convention Center. Thanks to Google, we've got free wi-fi here at Comic-Con, so I finally have a moment to blog.

We arrived on Wednesday for the preview night where, as 4 day registrants, we could get our access badges and take a peek at the insane exhibit hall a day before the single day registrants could come in and pick up some neato freebies.

Thursday, we arrived at the convention center about 4 hours before any panels started and got in line out on the lawn behind thousands of insane Twilight fans who had camped out from the night before (hahah Marci). I really wanted to see Tim Burton's panel on his film Alice in Wonderland which luckily was the first panel up. It was totally worth it. The stuff in hall H was all in 3D HD which was amazing looking... and Alice looked FANTASTIC (along with Christmas Carol w/Jim Carrey, and TRON Legacy which looked great) and I almost peed my pants when Tim Burton brought Johnny Depp out on stage. GIRLBONER.

Sat through a bunch of other panels for movies I wasn't too interested in, sat through the Twilight which I'm pretty sure is porno for 13 year old girls and finally got to the James Cameron panel where we watched about 25 minutes of his movie Avatar in 3D which was AMAZING. Then a panel with Terry Gilliam showing clips of his film The Imaginarium of Dr. Pernasius. Terry Gilliam was rad and the movie looks super cool... so I'm set to watch movies for the next year.

The downside of these panels is that the attendees can ask questions on the mic - which in theory doesn't sound like a bad idea - except (warning, explicit lyrics ahead) for the two effing tards who got in line for EVERY EFFING PANEL and asked the most stupid dumb piece of shit questions my asshole could have thought up just so they could get their stupid ass ugly faces on the screen. Obviously I wanted to punch them. They suck. And if I run into them later at the convention, I might have to tell them how much they suck. No, don't effing cry when you ask Terry Gilliam what it was like to work with Heath Ledger you dumbass "actor studying @ San Diego State" no one wants to cast you and Tim Burton doesn't give a shit that you're an actor and you're his acting inspiration - your stupid question should not have been about what it was like to direct Johnny Depp. I want Helena Bonham Carter to crap on your face and Vern Troyer to kick you in the head. Anyway.

We finally got out of the convention center in the evening and ate at the restaurant at the base of the Hard Rock, which the SyFy channel bought for the weekend and converted into the SyFy cafe with SyFy show themed menu items. Good times.

There were not as many costumes on Thursday as when we were here last year. Today (Friday) there are a few more costumes since it's "Star Wars" day and there are storm troopers and other Star Wars themed costumes all over the place. I've been taking pictures with my fancy camera so I'll be sure to upload them soon. Mike and the other guys have seen a bunch of celebrities wandering around, but I never recognize any of them anyway. Must be a boy thing.

I'm exhausted, but having a great time and happy to not be in the office.