How do I go on now?

Comic Con is all done, NOW WHAT?

I had such an amazing time at Comic Con that I am still living off my Nerd high. Sadly it is starting to wear off, but I have plenty of things to keep me busy until next year.

Did you hear that? NEXT YEAR. I have been invited back to help work at Artists Alley!!!! I am beyond excited that I have the opportunity to not only go to Comic Con again, but the chance to work with such amazing people! I am looking forward to learning from my experience and making next year even better. 

Things I loved about SDCC

Here is what I absolutely loved the most about Comic Con. I loved loved loved the feeling of community that you get the instant you set foot into the Gas Lamp district. You are surrounded by things you love and people who love them as much (or more) as you do. My favorite moment from the whole trip was waiting for the Doctor Who panel in hall H. The sea of Sonic Screwdrivers lighting up that huge hall was electric and overwhelming for me to see just how many people were fans of the show. That was a moment for me because I really only know a handful of people who watch the show ( even though I have been TRYING to get everyone I know to watch Doctor Who). To be in a room with so many people who loved it, was just SPECIAL. 

Hall H full of love for Doctor Who

I also LOVED the opportunity to see soooooo many geeky things all under one roof. While I enjoyed the panels, I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit hall. After 5 days of walking that floor, I never did see all the exhibits. Some of the booths were so crowded that I had to just keep going, but I DID get to see so many amazing things. From toys, to comics, video games, to art work; there is something for everyone on the floor. Next year I would like to devote more time enjoying this and less time in line for the panels.

The exhibit hall stretched on forever

Things I liked at SDCC

I liked how many off site events there were in San Diego. It was absolutely overwhelming to take in all sights and sounds INSIDE the convention, then you've got a plethora of exciting things outside the convention that just makes your mind spin. I didn't get to participate in many of the outside events, but the ones I did get to take part in were so much fun. The Walking Dead Experience was worth every penny and left me with some great memories. 

I WISH I would have made it to the Godzilla Experience ( I actually did have tickets, but didn't get there in time) and I am kicking myself for not making it over to Nerd HQ. We did attempt to get to Nerd HQ on Thursday night but the line to get into the "Party in the Park" was extremely long so we passed. There was a big Geek and Sundry thing going on at one of the restaurants that I missed, there was a Dracula thing set up across from the convention, and a Bates Motel thing too, the Disney Infinity store, the Game of Thrones promotions as well as countless parties that I missed out on. 

I don't regret missing out on things though. It seems like whatever you commit to doing, you will have to miss something else that is going on at the same time. You must choose wisely. I'm happy with the choices I made and I think that I actually got to see and do a whole lot more than most first timers would have. 

Things I didn't really like about Comic Con

While it was pretty neat to see so many people dressed up in Cosplay, I was overwhelmed by the crowd most of the time. I KNEW it was going to be crazy busy and to just expect to wait in lines for EVERYTHING and I had a good attitude about it, BUT I really didn't like being pushed, prodded and slammed into by everyone every single time I went anywhere. One of the most scary moments for me was when I got shoved into the crowed as they were handing out freebies at the Marvel booth. Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time. 
The crowds at the booths were also scary during signing events. It could be easily avoided by paying better attention to your surroundings and just steering clear of that area during a signing. I really didn't like how the security people were shouting, and pushing the crowds though. I understand that they needed to get people to move along and not clog up the isles, but screaming at me to do it just isn't a good way. 
I wish there was a better way to be able to see the panels without having to camp on the sidewalk. While I DID have a good time with the camp out, it left me completely exhausted and it made Sunday much harder to for me. I am thinking I might try to gt tickets for the Nerd HQ panels instead of having to wear myself out on waiting in line. 

No big deal, just camping here for a few days to see my favorite panel

And the last gripe I have was the religious zealots who were picketing the Con. This just really made me sad/angry every time I saw these KIDS out on the sidewalk condemning others for liking Superman. They would stand on the sidewalk with their picket signs and mindlessly drone scripture to people who were waiting in line to get into the hall or trying to cross the street.  It's not only a ludicrous thing to do,  but it also makes me sad for the little kids who were there, excited to see their favorite superhero,  being sent the message that it was bad. One of the BEST things about Comic Con is that people who are made fun of for their Nerdy ways back at home, can feel like they belong. They can meet others who enjoy something as much as they do. They can talk to each other with amazing detail about the plot of their favorite Sci-Fi show or movie.

Why those people felt that something that special needed to be protested is just beyond me. I'm pretty sure that Jesus loves Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, so I don't know who they got the memo from that it was bad. 

So those are my overall thoughts from my trip

I am so glad I got to go and CAN'T WAIT to go back and do it again! 

Next up all about GISHWES the scavenger hunt that changed the world...

The Doctor is in!

Sunday started out with me waiting in a seriously respectable line. I was told that those crazy Whovians starting lining up for the Sunday shows at 1:30pm the day before. Now I'm all for being an enthusiastic fan, but when people start lining up before the current days programs are even over, I call shenanigans on that. I didn't want to give up my Saturday to wait in line ( did you read how awesome my Saturday was? Who would want to miss that! ) and when people start lining up that early it sort of forces everyone else to line up earlier too. I had hoped to get in the notorious Hall H line by midnight, but I started to worry that that would be to late. I had to take a power nap and then run over to the line Saturday night. 

I managed to get in line by 9:30 and was probably about 2 to 3 thousandth in line. There is a huge area covered by tents that holds a large amount of people,then the line stretched across the street, behind the convention center, through the pier, around the island and back again. This line means business folks! http://youtu.be/rrRtUj0-2EU here is a link to a video that someone took while he walked the entire Hall H line on Friday. My spot was at the 1:45 min mark.

 I brought a few blankets and a pillow, some snacks and of course my phone to entertain me while I made myself at home for a night of camping in line.  I wasn't very excited about the idea of sleeping on the street, but it was actually pretty fun. The air was filled with excitement, there were people playing card games, people dancing on the sidewalk, lots of laughing and a feeling of comradery that just makes me smile.  I got to know my neighbors in line. On one side was a couple who lived in the area and were camping out to hold the spot for their friend who couldn't be there. On the other side was a Father and son who came all the way from New York. The son was 10 years old and so adorable dressed up as the 11th doctor.  I had a very lengthy discussion about the various doctors and our favorite episodes with this kid.  Where else can you do this? 

Andrew joined me around 11:30pm and we settled in for the night. -note to self even though the weather is nice, bring a sweatshirt next time I sleep outside- during the night  probably around the 3am zone, the line was visited by some people we all knew...like this guy:

 

Mark Gratiss is a writer for the show and also a writer/actor for Sherlock. 

And the killer of all characters we love, Moffat himself. 

I didn't get a chance to see them but the crowd was wild cheering and screaming for them. I love how they came to show respect to the people so dedicated to the show. In the morning, Mr. Misha Collins came running by on his morning jog, he was a good sport with the fans too. 

The security people woke everyone up at 4:30am and told us to pack up our gear and get ready to move. I guess they had to condense the line to make more room. That was a bummer because I felt like I had just really fallen asleep. After a stop and go session of moving the line, we ended up in the third row of tents on the lawn. This was good news because I knew we were guaranteed to get into the hall in this spot and I was happy about that. 

In the line with Andrew almost time to go inside! 

We finally made it into the hall and got our seats for the day around 9:00. We were in the middle of the hall and had decent seats. The first panel up was Supernatural. I was SO excited to see this. I'm a fan of the show and have been consuming the episodes like they were made of cake. I couldn't wait to see these guys live.

Even though they had a boring moderator, this panel delivered. The cast and crew were funny, and engaging. They had interesting things to talk about. We got to watch a clip from next seasons show and we were able to see the gag reel that will be on the season 8 DVD set. 

Up next was the Breaking Bad panel. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I haven't really watched this show, so I wasn't completely enthralled with the panel. Thanks to my favorite moderator, Chris Hardwick, it was a lot of fun! 

 

We got to see a preview of the first few min of the next seasons opener. Sadly it was lost on me, but it seemed cool. There was a moment when Brian Cranston came on stage wearing a very realistic Walter mask. Evidently he was dressed up as the character he plays and then went walking around the convention floor. I guess people were talking to him and getting pictures with him without even knowing who he was!

 

He had the mask sitting on the table in front of him and it looked like a severed head just sitting there. Then he put the mask over the microphone and started talking into it, it was hilarious. He kept it on the mic for about half the time.

Then the moment we had slept on the sidewalk for....the DOCTOR WHO PANEL. The crowd was so energized in the moments right before it started. People were signing the theme song (more like humming it, but you get the idea). Then the lights went down and we were surrounded by a sea of sonic screw drivers. It was so cool that here I was sitting in a room with almost 7,000 people who all loved this show. This was especially meaningful to me considering most of the people I know don't even know about the show let alone love it like I do. While we were waiting for the panel to start, they had a Doctor Who DJ playing music to go along with scenes from the show. 

Then they brought out the cast and crew ( I was a little disappointed the rumors of Tennant showing up didn't happen). The panel was moderated by Craig Ferguson and it was nice to have someone moderating who was a big fan of the show and knew what he was talking about. 

They showed us a trailer for the 50th anniversary special and it made me want to watch the show RIGHT NOW! Before showing the clip, Moffat told the audience that he would not bring any exclusive showings to Comic Con if they ended up online afterwards. There are a lot of people upset that he hasn't released this footage for the public and some who are mad he showed it to an American audience before showing it to the British fans first. All I have to say about that, is that I'm thrilled I got to see it and consider myself lucky to have the chance to see it surrounded by true fans of the show.

I wish I could have stayed in longer to watch the Community panel, but I had to get back to the main hall and work. I had one heck of a time getting through the crowd and back to Artisits Alley but I learned getting pissy about crowds is just a waste of energy. I checked in to the Artists Alley and had a nice time chatting with the others who worked there. I went and said some goodbyes to a few of the Artist friends I made. Did I tell you that one of the artists gave me a book that he had illustrated and signed it with a sketch of one of the main characters from the book? He also agreed to Skype with my class this year and help teach an art lesson to go along with the book! So cool. I have so much respect for the Artisits here. Many of them spent countless hours making pictures for people on the spot. I don't know how their hands didn't cramp up and wither off with all that work. I feel so darn lucky to have been a small part of that. 

Here is a shot of some of the artists at work. 

I decided to take a break and go get one or two last things before it was over. On my way I went to a booth to snap a picture for Andrew then was headed back to the Alley when I was walking past the Marvel booth. There was a crowd gathering and I was curious about what was going on (you never know what's going to happen at Comic Con, the last time I saw a crowd at that booth Joss Wheaton was there) so I thought I stop and see what the excitement was about. BIG MISTAKE holy mother of holy they said the word FREE and people just went ape shit. I instantly got shoved into this crowd and literally couldn't take a step in any direction. The Marvel people were actually giving away a ton of cool stuff, but there was no way I was going to get any of it because I was surrounded by some very enthusiastic tall guys who made it impossible for me to do anything. That was the only moment I thought I might freak out over the crowd and it was almost scary. Just total chaos; poorly run by the Marvel people. Some people had small kids stuck in that crowd and I'm amazed someone didn't get hurt in that mess. I managed to elbow my way out after about 20 min. Then I high tailed it out of there. Not long after, they made the announcement that the show was officially over. Such a sad thing. 

I got to stay and help take down the booths, helped an artist haul his things out to the cab line and cleaned up what I could. I said my good byes and we went back to Andrews house. Man what a day. I was exhausted mentally and physically in every way. 

I packed up my bags and had to be up at 4:30am the next morning in order to catch my flight. I'll post more on my over all thoughts and feelings from this whole experience next time. 

Saturday in San Diego

So this happened...

Just when I am thinking that my life couldn't get any better  I had to go and have one of the most incredible days ever.

The one really crappy part of this day was that I had to get up around 4 am to get ready and out the door before 5. We really wanted to get into the How I Met Your Mother ( HIMYM) panel and it was being held in one of the smaller rooms holding about 2,000 people. I was hoping that the Hunger Games Panel would draw a lot of people away from this one, but didn't want to risk getting there too late. So we arrived in line around dawn and here is what it looked like:

This line also had a short section that wrapped around the corner.

Not too bad. I sent Andrew to go wait in line for some Starbucks ( prob a half hour wait) and made myself at home. I made friends with the people sitting next to me and they gave me an idea to run over and try to snag some autograph signings being held later in the day. GREAT IDEA! So while my new friends held our spots in line, I grabbed Andrew and headed over to the convention center to....wait in another line! We got a little lost, so we were not right at the front of the line like we had hoped, but we managed to grab the LAST TWO tickets ( bracelets) to the TRUE BLOOD signing later that day! SCORE!!! it was so lucky because you had to pull a ticket out of a bowl to see if you won or not. 

We got back to the HIMYM line with plenty of time to spare. That line had grown considerably and I was glad we got there so early. We managed to get some pretty good seats when they let us in, so it was totally worth waiting for.  While waiting for the HIMYM panel, I got to see the Geek and Sundry panel. I just love Felicia Day and find her so entertaining. Wil Wheaton can be a little arrogant, but still entertaining to watch. 

Then the moment we've been waiting for! The HIMYM panel was great! the stars came out and were so much fun.

 Jason Segel was giving the person doing the signing such a hard time. He said something like projectile vomit, then laughed and wanted to see what that looked like. After that he started rambling off all sorts of things for her to sign and it was pretty darn funny. they showed some clips, answered some questions and were very appreciative of the fans. Someone got Cobie to sing "Let's go to the mall" and we all sang along. 

Then the best moment of the panel happened. During the Q&A a kid started talking about the Neil Patrick Harris Playbook. He had on several layers of costumes for many of his characters. He talked about each character and shed a costume for them then at the end he requested " the highest of fives" and by God he got it! NPH ran down the isle ( right by me in fact) and gave that kid a well deserved high five. It was pretty cool!

                                   

You can't see the kid talking in the video, but the reactions on the panel are priceless!

We were living on a high after that panel and talked about it all through lunch. We headed back to the exhibit hall to work, then it was time for the True Blood signing! 

I almost missed it because the crowd was so packed and I couldn't get through. The crowds were intense and security was so high strung trying to manage it. The security guard actually told me to leave and that I missed my chance. I was so disappointed and I think maybe he felt bad about yelling at me to leave after that. He changed his tune and said he would let us in. Phew, crisis averted. Andrew and I were the last two through the line. When you go to the booth for a signing it was all very assembly line, with the actors sitting in a row just signing and the fans walking by picking up the poster at the end. The WB wouldn't allow any photos AT ALL and checked my camera to make sure the cover was on and the power was off. So that sort of sucked. I would have loved to have a photo of such a cool thing, but I didn't have a say in the matter. I did manage to get a picture of Anna Paquin before I got out there though.

When going through the line the actors were everything from indifferent, to excited about the fans. Anna smiled at me and said hi, I complemented her on her dress ( it was really cool) and then she stared talking to Sam Trammell about how she wasn't going to the party that night because she wanted to get home to her babies. 

Prrrrr even sexier in real life ladies

Joe Manganiello was really nice ( at easy on the eyes) he chatted with us about his upcoming move and gave us a few stickers to give to our friends. Most of the other actors said hi asked how we were doing, that sort of thing. Then I got to Anna Camp and she started laughing at me! She said " Well aren't you excited" and I think my reply was something like "Heck yes, I am. This is so incredible. I can't even absorb it" ( all in one breath) then she said that it showed and laughed some more. She asked how Comic Con was going for me and if I was having a good time. I told her about it being my first time here and how overwhelming it was. We talked about the crowd and waiting in line. -She was awesome and I think I love her. 

Anna Camp and I are new BFF's

I am still in shock over that moment and it was so amazing that I got to experience it! I mean where else on earth are you going to get the chance to meet and talk to celebrities like this? Just a plain ordinary teacher from Oregon chatting it up with the cast of True Blood...amazing. I gave the signed poster to a person working with me that had really wanted to go to the panel, but couldn't go. I sort of wish I had kept it, but I was being nice that day. 

I also had tickets for a signing from the cast of Orphan Black that afternoon. I got in line around 3:45 ( the signing was from 4:30 to 5:30) and there was already about a hundred people in front of me. I had an extra ticket for this, so tweeted that I would give it away to the first person to find me. I had a taker within a min. We waited in line for a very long time. I met some new friends and the time went by much easier. - I absolutely LOVE the people at Comic Con. It is so cool to just be standing in line and be able to chat with a total stranger about something you BOTH love. I'm usually alone with my love for Sci-Fi shows and it is so nice to be able to talk about them with people who not only know what I'm talking about, but LIKE them too! 

Our time in line was a bust though, we got right up to the booth and were prob three or four people away from our turn; then they had to leave. I was bummed. So close, yet so far away. I don't consider it a loss at all. I DID make some new friends AND I met Mr. Tony  ( Crazy 4 Comic Con ) Kim. His blog has been so helpful to me and so many others! Glad I met you Tony! 

Me and Tony! 

After all that I was just about ready to drop dead tired. I had only a few hours of sleep the night before and I was crashing fast by this point. I bailed on Andrew and went back to take a nap. I had to recharge my batteries before going back that night to wait for the Doctor Who panel the next day...that's right folks I had to camp out that night.

More on that next time...

 

SDCC Friday

And it just keeps getting better!

Friday was the most laid back day of the convention for us. We didn't have anything that we HAD to do that day and took our time getting up. I wanted to try and snag an opportunity to go to the Game of Thrones autograph session because I had to work during the panel, but they were all gone before I even woke up. In hindsight, I'm glad I got to sleep past 6 am at least one day during this week!

We spent the morning checking out the exhibit hall and collecting more swag. We still didn't get to see everything that there was to see, but we sure tried. Man we ended up with SO MUCH stuff by the end of the day, it was hard to carry! 

All the swag that we collected!

We went out side the convention center for lunch and the streets were so jam packed it took FOREVER to get around. 

 This is just a picture of the crowded sidewalk, but you get the idea.

We headed back after a short rest and hit the exhibit hall again. I managed to get to the WB booth during the time that the Game of Thrones was doing the autograph session. The crowd was intense and it was really hard to snag a picture of any of the stars, but I did manage to sneak a few...

John Bradley who plays Sam and Michelle Fairley who plays Catelyn Stark ( maybe she's wearing that collar to hide her freshly slit throat) 

Rose Leslie who plays Ygritte and if I was a little taller and more limber I could have gotten Richard Madden ( Rob Stark) who was sitting next to her

I actually love this picture because I got it through a sea of people and here is Kit Harrington ( John Snow) smack in the middle.

I mean really look at all the people fighting to get a picture. Security was going to have a stroke over it.

And of course Peter Dinkladge, but this is actually a picture of the screen above him -couldn't get him any other way.

So that sort of made my day, but also made me a little sad I missed the panel and the chance for the signing. That seems to be the nature of Comic Con though, there is always something awesome going on and you can't be there for all of it. You must choose wisely. 

The rest of the evening was spent working at Artists Alley, then we had tickets for THE WALKING DEAD ESCAPE! Oh man I was on pins and needles about that. Just looking at the website gave me anxiety!  Here is a video someone took with their GoPro during a different time:

 Keep in mind that we went through this when it was twilight dark out side so it was even creepier. We were registered for the 9:00 wave, but we got there a little early and were able to go with the 8:40 wave. My stomach was full of butterflies while we waited at the gate for it to start. We were right up front and I was so nervous to be one of the first people to go through.   They let us into the arena and I purposefully let a few people in front of me because, you know, I didn't want to get attacked by zombies fresh out of the gate. Then when the whole thing started, they pulled a fast one on us and we all had to turn around and run the opposite direction. Talk about adrenaline rush! We ran up flights of stairs being chased by zombies, over huge obstacles, over and under road blocks fences and other stuff. I even barrel rolled over a car to escape one. It was an intense work out. I was seriously in no shape for that crap, yet I still kept going. *disclaimer* My brother may have had to save me a few times by distracting a zombie or two and helping me down in a few places. Thank God he didn't leave me to the zombies. I'm proud to say, I MADE IT OUT ALIVE. 

One of the obstacles We had to go over with zombies waiting for us

The last stop was quarantine where they would scan you with a black light to see if you had been "infected" by a zombie or not. Andrew and I were both clear and free to go. Afterwards we had some pictures taken and tried to stop sweating. ( Oh man I was literally dripping with sweat by the end of it)

They did take pictures during the event, but I guess we don't get to see them till next week. 

So that was my Friday. By the end of the day I was EXHAUSTED but full of adrenaline. Not a good combo, considering I was planning on getting up at 4:30 am the next day! 

Day two of Comic Con Recap

As I camp out on the sidewalk to see the Supernatural and Doctor Who panels tomorrow, I have finally found some time to update my adventures!

Thursday was SO much fun! Our day started out working at Artists Alley. It was pretty cool to be able to just walk right past the line and get into the exhibit hall before the doors opened. After getting checked in and ready I got to see the crowd enter the hall. First I heard a cheer over the crowd when they announced it was opening, then I got to watch a massive flood of people enter in. The stream of people didn't let up for at least 30 mins. My job was to try and get people not to trample each other ( I was successful ). 

After my duties were over Andrew and I decided to go look around and grab some lunch. Just people watching was amazing. Here is my favorite costume of the day! He called himself "Chef Vader" and I just love what he had on the menu! 

Worked out nicely with my Darth Vader polka dot skirt and the "whose your daddy" Darth Vader t-shirt (thanks again Mom for sewing me up my skirts).

After collecting some free swag and playing around at the exhibits, we decided to go watch our first panel. We went to see Divergent/ Enders game from Summit. 

I've been reading horror stories about how hard it is to get into the big hall (Hall H) and I was a little worried we might not make it in to the show. Lucky for us there was a bigger draw for people to go to the 20th reunion of the X files -something I wanted to do, but knew we didn't have a chance to get in- and the line for Hall H was much shorter because of it. 

The panel was moderated by Chris Hardwick ( he hosts the Nerdist, one of my favorite pod casts). It was fun and super entertaining. They had Veronica Roth, who wrote Divergent, on the panel along with the cast. 

Veronica Roth talking about the books.

The actors from the movie.

Next up was Enders Game. I really loved the story and was excited about this panel. Guess who came out to thunderous applause? None other than Indiana Jones himself! 

It was so cool to be in the same room as Harrison Ford! The only thing that made everyone groan was when a fan asked him "If Indiana Jones and Han Solo met each other, what do you think they would say?" His response was...uuuuh Hello?  

We stayed in the hall for the next few panels and were able to snake our way up to a closer seat. Then the big deal was up next...DEXTER! It was going to be the last time for them at Comic Con and the cast had just wrapped shooting the show a few  days ago. 

They did not disappoint! They brought out all the actors from past episodes, including the ones who had died ~ hello Rita and detective Doakes~ the only one missing was John Lithgow who made a short video to share with us. 

There were a lot of thank you's to the fans and some teary goodbyes.

When it was done we got to head over to the fulfillment room and get a little freebie. 

By the time we collected our stuff, we were both pretty beat. So back to the house to recharge! 

Stay tuned for more...

And here I am!

I've made it to geek mecca!

Hello San Diego!!!!

I landed here bright and early on Wednesday. I got onto the plane fully expecting every person there to be clothed in geek ware and was sadly disappointed to see only a few t-shirts.  I DID, however, get a lot of compliments on my super awesome Sherlock t-shirt and felt a little better. I mean, why else would anyone be flying to San Diego during Comic Con!

First thing I did after hugging my brother was head straight to the convention center to claim my badge. YOU GUYS - I GOT THE BEST DEAL EVER WITH THIS BADGE!!! Since I am volunteering, I have a pass for the full 4 days, plus the preview night. What I didn't realize was that, I was not a regular volunteer, but considered a STAFF MEMBER. This means that I get to go into the convention center BEFORE the general public. I also do not have to wait in the regular lines for most things and can go into a few of the restricted areas as well.  This little fact has completely spoiled me already. I feel like a celebrity when I get to just walk right by the lines that are stretching around the block.

So Andrew and I went straight inside and checked out the convention floor before it opened. We got to see them setting up and getting ready.  Very cool stuff.

A before the show look at this motorcycle riding outfit.

Stormtrooper goofing around before the show. -notice there are not a million people all over the isle! 

Had to check out the Lego booth! 

Lego Superman! 

After lunch at the Hard Rock Hotel and a nice little nap, it was time to meet my volunteer team and get to work. Andrew and I got there before opening and wandered around trying to figure out where to go ( let's just say that the convention center staff isn't very organized). We are helping out in Artists Alley.  We checked in and got our instructions only to find out that they had too many people there and not enough for us to do. So we got to go play instead.

Let the madness begin! HOLY CROWD CONTROL BATMAN! Once those doors opened, people were running like their pants are on fire to the different booths. The toy companies were a hot ticket, with the Hasbro line wrapping around the floor within seconds. We couldn't buy anything from them with because we have a staff badge, so we missed out on any exclusive toys ( and I'm fine with that because I'd rather not be in that line). I headed over to the BBC America booth and picked up my Doctor Who T-shirt. I scored some tickets to come back for an autograph session with the cast of the show Orphan Black. Then we walked around and tried to look at the different booths.

BBC America booth with Doctor Who wardrobe from the show. 

The crowd was so congested and busy that we just got bumped and shuffled around with the crowd. It was still pretty neat to just walk around and soak it all in.

Here are a few of my  pictures off my phone. I'll load more when I can get the rest off my camera. 

T-Rex could'nt give me a hug with his tiny arms. 

Biggest Batman toy I've ever seen at the FunCo Toy booth. 

I guess people got to go through this complete with Zombies and such. 

Smeagel was there too! 

I don't even know what this is! 

And to finish the night off, I met Ashley Eckstein who is on Star Wars the clone wars and created the Her Universe clothing line. She was soooo nice! 

Well that just covers the preview night, but I'm way too tired to cover today, so  I will catch up soon and tell ya all about it!