SDCC 2014 - Day One

Okay! So like I mentioned in yesterday's post, after the disappointing Preview Night, Thursday was much much better.

We decided to get to the convention centre a little bit early to try to get into the Funko booth again. We swung by once, saw it was the same ridiculousness as before, and decided to write off getting any exclusives. We DID still want to get some non-exclusive Funko Pop! figures, so we headed off to the various booths selling them.

And it was a good thing we did! A bunch of the other exhibitors had managed to obtain a bunch of the exclusives, so we decided to buy a few. The were marked up significantly above the Funko prices, but to not have to deal with that headache, we went for it. There was one booth that was selling them for ridiculous prices, between two others, Andrea and I managed to pick up some good ones. (I got Bloody Sharknado, Bruised Buffy, plus the Unmasked Desthstroke I got the day before.)

After our successful Exclusive-hunting, Andrea and I were both feeling way happier, and much more motivated to get our Comic-Con on. We did a little bit of exploring in the exhibition hall, saw the awesome Lego Groot and Rocket Raccoon statue, an amazing giant Smaug with sleepy eyes that open and close, plus Lola on display at the Marvel booth.

At this point, we switched our focus to panels! We had plans on getting into the Ballroom 20 line for a panel in the afternoon, but when we got there, we just... walked right in... Now, if you've never been to Comic-Con, you may not understand how crazy that statement is. We tried to get in two years ago, and the line was probably a mile long, at least. Just crazy.

So anyway, we walked right in to Ballroom 20 at the end of the 24 panel, so we got to see the handsome Kiefer Sutherland up on the stage. I didn't pay a lot of attention 'cause I don't watch the show. I do remember someone requesting a "dammit" in the audience questions portion. Next was Under the Dome, which I do still watch, but I can't figure out why. It's terrible. But we saw pretty well the whole cast up there. Mike Vogel was handsome as ever, and it's always cool to see Dean Norris (breaking Bad! Woo!). Of particular note was that Rachelle Lefevre dressed up as Starbuck from BSG, and Alexander Koch dressed up as Daryl from the Walking Dead. Otherwise I mostly laughed at the should-be-dramatic moments in the exclusive footage.

After that was Scorpion, which I had only heard a little bit about and had sort of written it off, but they showed the pilot episode, and it was actually really good. I am definitely adding it to my PVR in the fall. Next was Reign. And while I have absolutely no interest in the show, the panel and cast were very fun to watch. They were kind of crazy and really funny. Following that was the TV Guide tribute panel to Community, which was another great panel. Seven seasons and a broadway musical! It was great to see how happy Joel McHale was that it got picked up again, and Dan Harmon was reading the twitter feeds about the panel, as the panel was going. I've always loved this show, and I'm looking forward to what is coming with it.

Finally, the panel we really wanted to see, the cast, and showrunner, of Teen Wolf took the stage. This panel was... ridiculous. I loved it. Tyler Posey really doesn't seem to have any filter on what he says, and the guys all have a great time. Holland and Shelley were both adorable, and Jeff Davis has really nice arms. They also showed some exclusive footage for the rest of the current season, which makes me glad I have a buddy to watch it with, and they announced that they have been renewed for a fifth 20-episode season. This has been my favourite panel so far.

After that, we decided to try to get into the Marvel AXIS panel, but there was a crazy line, so luckily we had grabbed a pass to get back into Ballroom 20, and we caught the Hannibal panel. The footage they showed really made me question why the fans are SO EXCITED for this show. It looks so dark and terrifying... If Kim is reading this, I'll need to ask her why she loves it so much. We DID get a free supplementary soundtrack out of it, which is kind of cool. We also got a free bestiary for Teen Wolf in the previous panel, so that was really the start of our "free stuff" collecting this year. 

I really didn't actually pay much attention to the Hannibal panel, I was busy reading online about what was being discussed in the Marvel AXIS panel that we didn't get into. I will admit, I got a bit distracted by Raul Eaparza on the stage. He was pretty darn handsome. And I was paying attention when they announced they were doing a signing at the Funko booth, which is a terrible idea. That place is crowded and insane already.

Finally, we watched the Penny Dreadful panel, which was pretty interesting. I've never seen the show, but now I'm pretty intrigued by it. It looks like something of enjoy. But about 20 minutes in I was starting to get really sore sitting in those chairs so long, and I was starving, so I was really happy when it came to an end and we got out of there. We headed to the Rockin' Baja Lobster Coastal Cantina to grab some food and a drink, and then made our way back to the hotel.

It was an awesome day! So many great panels, some great collectables, and a lot of laughs. It really felt like Comic-Con again, and I really remembered why it is I love coming to this convention every year. And it's continued to be pretty awesome, so stay tuned! And follow our Twitter, @sigmaflight for more updates!

I Love Long Weekends

Last I blogged, I mentioned that I'd have another post coming within about a week. At the time, I must have had something in mind... But I forgot what it was and haven't had anything interesting to talk about. Until now! It was Family Day here in BC, and that meant a long weekend, and an extra day of fun.

Friday night, as is often the case, meant a trip to one of my favourite places in Vancouver, La Fontana Caffe, for Nerd HQ! Hanging with Andrea and the nerds is always a good time, and this weekend was a particularly calm version of the usual happenings. BUT! I was playing Pokémon Y, and I finally managed to complete the National Pokédex! I haven't finished the Pokédex since Pokémon Diamond, so it was quite the feat. 718 pokémon to collect and train is not an easy thing to do.

Now, the biggest highlight of the weekend was Saturday morning. For months, Andrea and I have been watching our emails, twitter feeds, and checking in on the Comic-Con website waiting for news of SDCC 2014 preregistration. And finally, last week, the announcement was made! So Saturday morning, Andrea and I got on our computers, signed into the new and improved EPIC waiting room, and waited for 9am to roll around.

In previous years, the race to get badges was all about hitting the button at the exact right time and hoping you make it into the virtual line. This year, they came up with the idea that you sign into a virtual waiting room anytime up to two hours before sales begin, and when the time comes, everyone in the waiting room gets randomly sorted into line to get their badges. It was interesting watchingb the little yellow info bar updating with news and tips. "It is VERY important that you do not refresh your browser when sorting has begun." But when sorting did happen and they began letting people in, I realized that they didn't tell you where in line you were. In previous years you would see what number in line you were, and it would update every two minutes to let you know how much closer to the front of the line you were. But this year they left it a complete mystery. I was just starting to worry that I'd be sitting there all morning just wondering, but then...

I GOT IN! At first I was confused. I thought I was just moved to the actual waiting room instead of the sorting room. But it said to put in my member ID and last name. So I excitedly texted Andrea to tell her, "I GOT IN!!!!" and went to work frantically putting in our info. Somehow I lucked out and got in SO FAST so I was able to secure both Andrea and I our four day plus preview night badges once again! We're set for our fourth round at San Diego Comic-Con and we couldn't be happier!

So that excitement has been carrying through this whole weekend, so the many times she and I have talked and/or seen eac other has erupted into excitement yet again. We also had brunch with our friends Anne and Peter, which was a pretty great time. And we were planning on seeing The Lego Movie today, but then the realization that today is Family Day meant that that idea should have been planned a little further ahead: tickets were sold out.

But we did get to hang out and watch Teen Wolf tonight! I gotta say, Teen Wolf is one of my new favourite shows. I started watching it a few weeks ago and have been hooked ever since. It's got all kinda of awesome going for it. Supernatural monsters and meyhem. Comedy, teen drama, action. And lots of very attractive guys who have a problem with keeping their shirts on. What's not to love? And the show just keeps getting more and more intense! Andrea and I were hanging out on her couch drinking tea and freaking out over everything that's going on. I can't even.

Plus! I finally finished reading The House of Hades yesterday! I started that book in October. Ridiculous. But this weekend I finally picked it up and read the second half in two days. I seriously don't know why it took so long. It was a fantastic book, and I really enjoyed it. I guess I just haven't felt much like reading for a while. I hope that's fixed now.

Anyway, those were some of the highlights of the weekend. Comic-Con. Pokémon. Teen Wolf. Heroes of Olympus. Friends. Nerds. Plus all the regular life stuff in between. Now back to the real world tomorrow.