Fall Roundup - SDCC and goodbye to Moni
I think it's time to catch up on SDCC and what happened this year. As with every other year I've attended, this one was just as crowded and filled to the brim with opportunities to explore. I pared myself down to a select handful of discussion panels I wanted to see (BBC's Sherlock, Agents of SHIELD, Once Upon a Time and True Blood). My traveling companion (Dad) wanted to see a few panels that happened right around the same time as these, so our plans coincided pretty well. There were a few we really wanted to see but couldn't because of timing, or because they were in other rooms we knew would be impossible to get into in a short span of time (never, ever try this with Hall H...I didn't). Grimm, Haven and the Marvel panels were a no go due to this mindset. But, you have to be happy with what you are able to do, and if you get some of your wants accomplished, well there you go. :)
I caught a few panels before Sherlock on Thursday and the attendees must've been comprised of many tumblr folk (I'm just taking a wild guess.) The Sherlock panel itself was good, headed up by the show's creators Gatiss and Moffat as well as Executive Producer Sue Vertue. I was a bit bummed that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman couldn't be there (had prior engagements), but clips were provided from them saying hello, they hoped we were enjoying ourselves and that we are really in for it with series 3 of Sherlock. The creators took some questions and we did see a clip from the new season (No, no spoilers for you.).
Thursday night we headed out after the Sherlock panel to grab dinner (shoutout to the Mariott next to the Convention center - the Marina restaurant is still awesome). Then we headed into the Gaslamp Quarter to find ourselves a Kaiju. Godzilla, to be specific. I'd managed to tap into a tumblr site for the Godzilla movie coming out in early 2014, and after unearthing a series of clues I secured two invitations to a secret location for a themed event. (They had them each day, so the odds that folks would be left out were pretty slim, unless they didn't know about it.) Anywho, the tumblr site also alluded to an app we needed to download in order to find this event venue. So there I was, thrilled to have had a smart phone for the 2nd year, but actually using it for one of these gatherings. I turned the app on, and it acted like a Geiger counter that utilized my GPS coordinates to bring me closer to the venue. When we got closer, the visual on the app went haywire and flashed red. It was a little noisy too, and managed to snag the attention of folks as we walked by. We finally got to the spot, and it turned out to be a building I'd seen a photo of on tumblr. Thanks for that spoiler, random poster. :-D
Friday was Agents of SHIELD day, and we woke up very, VERY early. I slipped into my Agent Peggy Carter uniform from Captain America (it's about as authentic looking as I'll ever get it), and we got over to the convention center between 6 and 6:30am. We'd figured out Thursday morning that the lines were as follows: Hall H line, and everything BUT Hall H line. So we aimed for the everything-but line which started on the side of the building (hilariously close to Hall H's line). It ended up wrapping around the back of the building and going into the marina. Actually I think both did, but we didn't pay much attention to that until we had made it past the calm (but extremely purposeful) dash to where we needed to be when they let us into the building around 8:30am. We made it up to the line for Ballroom 20, and I was thrilled to see how close we were in the line relative to the very front (when you are on the top level, or even the next one down and underneath the canopies, it's a guarantee you'll make it in to the first discussion panel). Well, we made it in, watched a few panels (a couple were what my Dad wanted to see, which was good), and then during Agents we were fortunate to see their first episode and then the cast for a very brief Q&A (including Joss Whedon, who showed up to give Clark Gregg aka Son of Coul a big Man Hug).
I nearly didn't recall what we did for Friday evening, but Aha! Friday night was for spending the night in line, and not just the semi-comfy (really hard as a rock grassy knoll) that is the Hall H line. Nosiree...we went for the everything but Hall H line. I recall heading back to Old Town, changing clothes, eating dinner and grabbing our gear for our campout. I forgot my iPhone (dumbass) but did bring my iPad, stuff to sleep on, and fixings for breakfast the next morning (my stainless steel thermos kept milk for our cereal ice cold through the night).
I don't know if I'll ever try that line again. Maybe if I'm seated in a chair up off of the ground so folks exiting the building don't trample me I'll give it a go, but it was touch and go for an hour or so after the convention drew to a close. It was an absolute MASS of people walking each way, trying to dodge our legs. My Dad and I were within the first 10 folks in line, right next to the building near a door and sort of behind a barricade. We stayed up for a few hours, talking with folks next to us. I was next to a Swan Queen** fan (that's a person who likes the idea of Regina Mills and Emma Swan of Once Upon a Time being a couple). That was interesting, since I'm a pretty sedate Captain Swan fan (Emma Swan and Captain Hook - I don't shout it from the rooftops...I just like the pairing and see promise in it). Anywho, I didn't get into any sort of lengthy debate or diatribe about who was right or wrong. She talked and I listened, and then we talked about things not relating to OUAT. Then we all tried turning in for the night. I felt bad for my neighbor...she didn't bring much to protect herself from the chilly night air. I on the other hand had my bivvy sack (a sleeping bag made from the same material as an emergency blanket). That, a yoga mat and a collapsible pillow kept me pretty cozy and warm, or as cozy and warm as one could be on concrete.
We didn't have a single person from any of the shows, OUAT, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, True Blood, or anything in between show up to say "Hi". That was a bust, considering Hall H often sees celebrities ducking in around midnight for pictures and autographs. (Folks, I hope you read this and consider it next year - I even brought cookies!)
The panels for Saturday were good, and my goodness we were close! We could've gotten first row in Ballroom 20, but opted for 2nd row right in the center for a great view of each cast. Everyone looked gorgeous and/or handsome, and it was nice to see cast members banter and faux bicker back and forth from such a short distance away.
** The bummer moment was during OUAT. My Swan Queen line buddy asked a question regarding her pairing, and it was pretty much shot down (my assessment, though others may have a different take). In honesty, I don't see anything between the two characters that would suggest mutual romantic interest. But, each person watches a show, sees a movie or reads a book with their own views in mind, I guess. We are bound to color what we experience through fiction with our own wishes and needs and mindset.
Sunday...well shoot, I think Sunday was a day just for buying stuff. We had a few places we wanted to visit in the Exhibit Hall, and the last day is a good day for finding things (that aren't uber popular and sold out already) at a discount. I ended up with a few sketches and knick knacks here and there (Loki themed, I think), series 2 of BBC Sherlock, and I waited in line for a little bit at the Legendary booth for a Pacific Rim Cherno Alpha (that's the Russian Jeager) shirt.
I have something to say about the big booths by the way. Legendary did a fantastic job manning their booth, ensuring they had enough people to keep the piece, keep lines in-line when they were doing things (like an autograph or a line for the Godzilla event). Even when they were doing giveaways, they had people out and available to answer questions openly and honestly. If we had to wait a bit for something, we were told so and were not given the runaround. That is NOT how the Marvel booth was run. It's no wonder I avoided that booth in the past (it's a crowded nightmare) and will likely do so again in the future. We gave them one good try on Wednesday night for Previews (lots of special stuff on sale that sold out in the Hall within minutes, and an attempt at learning more about their special events - tickets were given out at times we couldn't be there for). We spent over two hours in line, thinking we were going to get a free poster or would see relatively inexpensive, fun swag to buy. Nope, no, sorry. If we were to buy this huge set of blurays in this SHIELD case, we could get a signed poster. I was so fed up once we got to the register that I didn't buy anything. My Dad, however, bought me an Agents of SHIELD shirt. Bless you Dad. (And I apologized to the couple behind me. First timers, and they too were duped into standing in line and having Marvel folks shrug at us when we asked what was going on.)
All in all, we learned more this year than we had in the past regarding lines, purchasing of items (especially limited edition stuff), and how the convention center handles this event as a whole. I think we are pretty well primed for next year. Unless rules are changed and lines are moved. Then we are newbies once more.
Next up: A little piece on a gem of a kitty. Moni, I miss you so much. (To be continued later this week, I hope.)
I caught a few panels before Sherlock on Thursday and the attendees must've been comprised of many tumblr folk (I'm just taking a wild guess.) The Sherlock panel itself was good, headed up by the show's creators Gatiss and Moffat as well as Executive Producer Sue Vertue. I was a bit bummed that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman couldn't be there (had prior engagements), but clips were provided from them saying hello, they hoped we were enjoying ourselves and that we are really in for it with series 3 of Sherlock. The creators took some questions and we did see a clip from the new season (No, no spoilers for you.).
Thursday night we headed out after the Sherlock panel to grab dinner (shoutout to the Mariott next to the Convention center - the Marina restaurant is still awesome). Then we headed into the Gaslamp Quarter to find ourselves a Kaiju. Godzilla, to be specific. I'd managed to tap into a tumblr site for the Godzilla movie coming out in early 2014, and after unearthing a series of clues I secured two invitations to a secret location for a themed event. (They had them each day, so the odds that folks would be left out were pretty slim, unless they didn't know about it.) Anywho, the tumblr site also alluded to an app we needed to download in order to find this event venue. So there I was, thrilled to have had a smart phone for the 2nd year, but actually using it for one of these gatherings. I turned the app on, and it acted like a Geiger counter that utilized my GPS coordinates to bring me closer to the venue. When we got closer, the visual on the app went haywire and flashed red. It was a little noisy too, and managed to snag the attention of folks as we walked by. We finally got to the spot, and it turned out to be a building I'd seen a photo of on tumblr. Thanks for that spoiler, random poster. :-D
Friday was Agents of SHIELD day, and we woke up very, VERY early. I slipped into my Agent Peggy Carter uniform from Captain America (it's about as authentic looking as I'll ever get it), and we got over to the convention center between 6 and 6:30am. We'd figured out Thursday morning that the lines were as follows: Hall H line, and everything BUT Hall H line. So we aimed for the everything-but line which started on the side of the building (hilariously close to Hall H's line). It ended up wrapping around the back of the building and going into the marina. Actually I think both did, but we didn't pay much attention to that until we had made it past the calm (but extremely purposeful) dash to where we needed to be when they let us into the building around 8:30am. We made it up to the line for Ballroom 20, and I was thrilled to see how close we were in the line relative to the very front (when you are on the top level, or even the next one down and underneath the canopies, it's a guarantee you'll make it in to the first discussion panel). Well, we made it in, watched a few panels (a couple were what my Dad wanted to see, which was good), and then during Agents we were fortunate to see their first episode and then the cast for a very brief Q&A (including Joss Whedon, who showed up to give Clark Gregg aka Son of Coul a big Man Hug).
I nearly didn't recall what we did for Friday evening, but Aha! Friday night was for spending the night in line, and not just the semi-comfy (really hard as a rock grassy knoll) that is the Hall H line. Nosiree...we went for the everything but Hall H line. I recall heading back to Old Town, changing clothes, eating dinner and grabbing our gear for our campout. I forgot my iPhone (dumbass) but did bring my iPad, stuff to sleep on, and fixings for breakfast the next morning (my stainless steel thermos kept milk for our cereal ice cold through the night).
I don't know if I'll ever try that line again. Maybe if I'm seated in a chair up off of the ground so folks exiting the building don't trample me I'll give it a go, but it was touch and go for an hour or so after the convention drew to a close. It was an absolute MASS of people walking each way, trying to dodge our legs. My Dad and I were within the first 10 folks in line, right next to the building near a door and sort of behind a barricade. We stayed up for a few hours, talking with folks next to us. I was next to a Swan Queen** fan (that's a person who likes the idea of Regina Mills and Emma Swan of Once Upon a Time being a couple). That was interesting, since I'm a pretty sedate Captain Swan fan (Emma Swan and Captain Hook - I don't shout it from the rooftops...I just like the pairing and see promise in it). Anywho, I didn't get into any sort of lengthy debate or diatribe about who was right or wrong. She talked and I listened, and then we talked about things not relating to OUAT. Then we all tried turning in for the night. I felt bad for my neighbor...she didn't bring much to protect herself from the chilly night air. I on the other hand had my bivvy sack (a sleeping bag made from the same material as an emergency blanket). That, a yoga mat and a collapsible pillow kept me pretty cozy and warm, or as cozy and warm as one could be on concrete.
We didn't have a single person from any of the shows, OUAT, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, True Blood, or anything in between show up to say "Hi". That was a bust, considering Hall H often sees celebrities ducking in around midnight for pictures and autographs. (Folks, I hope you read this and consider it next year - I even brought cookies!)
The panels for Saturday were good, and my goodness we were close! We could've gotten first row in Ballroom 20, but opted for 2nd row right in the center for a great view of each cast. Everyone looked gorgeous and/or handsome, and it was nice to see cast members banter and faux bicker back and forth from such a short distance away.
** The bummer moment was during OUAT. My Swan Queen line buddy asked a question regarding her pairing, and it was pretty much shot down (my assessment, though others may have a different take). In honesty, I don't see anything between the two characters that would suggest mutual romantic interest. But, each person watches a show, sees a movie or reads a book with their own views in mind, I guess. We are bound to color what we experience through fiction with our own wishes and needs and mindset.
Sunday...well shoot, I think Sunday was a day just for buying stuff. We had a few places we wanted to visit in the Exhibit Hall, and the last day is a good day for finding things (that aren't uber popular and sold out already) at a discount. I ended up with a few sketches and knick knacks here and there (Loki themed, I think), series 2 of BBC Sherlock, and I waited in line for a little bit at the Legendary booth for a Pacific Rim Cherno Alpha (that's the Russian Jeager) shirt.
I have something to say about the big booths by the way. Legendary did a fantastic job manning their booth, ensuring they had enough people to keep the piece, keep lines in-line when they were doing things (like an autograph or a line for the Godzilla event). Even when they were doing giveaways, they had people out and available to answer questions openly and honestly. If we had to wait a bit for something, we were told so and were not given the runaround. That is NOT how the Marvel booth was run. It's no wonder I avoided that booth in the past (it's a crowded nightmare) and will likely do so again in the future. We gave them one good try on Wednesday night for Previews (lots of special stuff on sale that sold out in the Hall within minutes, and an attempt at learning more about their special events - tickets were given out at times we couldn't be there for). We spent over two hours in line, thinking we were going to get a free poster or would see relatively inexpensive, fun swag to buy. Nope, no, sorry. If we were to buy this huge set of blurays in this SHIELD case, we could get a signed poster. I was so fed up once we got to the register that I didn't buy anything. My Dad, however, bought me an Agents of SHIELD shirt. Bless you Dad. (And I apologized to the couple behind me. First timers, and they too were duped into standing in line and having Marvel folks shrug at us when we asked what was going on.)
All in all, we learned more this year than we had in the past regarding lines, purchasing of items (especially limited edition stuff), and how the convention center handles this event as a whole. I think we are pretty well primed for next year. Unless rules are changed and lines are moved. Then we are newbies once more.
Next up: A little piece on a gem of a kitty. Moni, I miss you so much. (To be continued later this week, I hope.)
Labels: legendary, marvel, san diego comic con, SDCC, sdcc 2013
posted by Jennifer Lynn at Wednesday, October 16, 2013
