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...

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!