I didn’t have this website until this year (2017), but I wanted a place to collect my Comic-Con memories, something I could look back on and enjoy.
SDCC 2011 was my second Comic-Con, but my first time going alone. My friends Ces and Steve weren’t able to make it, and the person I was originally going with couldn’t go last minute, so I went solo. There was no way I was going to miss out on SDCC, especially with what I had to go through to get the tickets! It was a clusterf**k on trying to buy tickets online. Oh how I regretted not buying SDCC 2011 tickets onsite at SDCC 2010. I figured it would be easy from past experience, but EVERYONE wanted to attend 2011. The site kept crashing as I put the ticket in my cart. It was infuriating and heartbreaking, but FOUR hours later (if I’m remembering correctly, it was all so traumatizing) I finally got through and got my 4-day ticket.
I flew in on Wednesday, but did not have Preview Night, so I just kind of wandered around Downtown and met up with some friends of friends. Thursday morning, I got up early and stood in line for 2 hours to pick up my badge. It was such a waste of time, but the line was a mile long, and there was no other way to get my badge.
After picking up my badge, I immediately hopped into the Ballroom 20 line for Game of Thrones. It was their first year at SDCC, and the first season had just passed. I stood in line for 4 hours. I got in at the tail end of the Ringer panel (with Sarah Michelle Gellar). That panel gave out a realllllly cute little portable seat as swag (that I had to leave behind in the hotel because it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, and I was flying directly to Iceland. I still lament that loss). The Game of Thrones panel had author George R. R. Martin as the moderator. The ENTIRE cast was there. It was so awesome to see them all. Lena Headey wasn’t supposed to be there (?) because her name card was handwritten, but I’m glad she showed up. The panel was amazing, and the swag was great too (drawstring bag with book, mousepad, etc).
Walking the Con floor alone was a little lonely this year. Attending Comic-Con is much better with a friend, but I was able to meet up with acquaintances every now and then. Because I was alone, the security staff (who tell people to move along and not linger at the autograph booths) took pity on me, and they let me linger just a little longer to snap some nice closeups. I saw the cast of Wilfred (Elijah Wood, Jason Gann) signing autographs, Bob’s Burgers (Kristen Schaal– fan of hers since Flight of the Conchords, Eugene Mirman, H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, etc) cast signing posters, Griff the Invisible (Ryan Kwanten), the cast of Chuck, The Avengers (Clark Gregg), Person of Interest (Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson), The Finder (Geoff Stults, Michael Clarke Duncan), Terra Nova cast, Family Guy, you get the gist, there were a lot of celebs signing autographs!
The Conan Museum! Conan O’Brien had his own museum in the Gaslamp District, COCOMoCA, featuring The Flaming C fan art. Seeing all the fan art was very cool. They gave out swag (the oven mitt and cape, haha), and they even passed out hors d’oeuvres on opening night. Conan was at SDCC this year (he made an appearance at the Green Lantern panel) but I didn’t get to see him đŸ˜. Some quick backstory: I have been a fan of Conan O’Brien since his first show aired August 30, 1993. Being in Houston, when NBC moved his show to air after 1am, I would stay up and watch even on school nights. I absorbed everything Conan. My dog’s (RIP Oakie, 2015) middle name was Conan O’Brien. In Feb 2006 I sat at the same communal table with him and his family (with his wife, nanny, his son Beckett who was just a few months old, and his daughter Neve was only 2, and they were both the cutest), at Bouchon Bakery in New York at Columbus Circle, but I didn’t want to bother him with his family, especially since his kids were there. I regret not asking him for a photo after they finished lunch. Anyway…
Friday morning I got up ass early to buy SDCC 2012 tickets. There was no line to get 2011 tickets during SDCC 2010, but since this year’s ticket sales location was further out, I figured the line might be long so I got there extra early to be safe. I arrived to the ticket line at 6am, but that wasn’t early enough because the line already was out the building and wrapped around the marina. Panic mode set in. I didn’t know if I could get tickets for the next year. I made it inside the building at 7am, Preview Night sold out by then, but about an hour or two later I finally got my 4-day tickets. This was a complete waste of a morning. Writing this entry a few years later I’m glad they “fixed” the online ticketing issue (still not perfect, but way better than this).
The Walking Dead had another onsite activation on the Con floor, but since I was alone, I decided not to stand in line because I didn’t want to bother a stranger to take my photo. Kinda regret that. But I tell myself it wasn’t as good at last year’s to make myself feel better.
For Hall H, I made it into the Immortals panel, followed by the Knights of Badassdom panel, so I could see the Snow White and the Huntsman panel. I got a good seat, moving up closer after each panel ended to get a nice good look at Chris Hemsworth. I also attended a panel in one of the smaller rooms, Dinosaur Revolution, with Werner Herzog. It was such a treat to listen to him speak. Right after that was the Locke and Key pilot. I don’t think that show ever made it on air because the pilot was terrible.
Overall another fun Comic-Con. I left Saturday morning to catch my flight to Iceland. I was sad to miss out on the Saturday panels and all the amazing cosplay, but Iceland turned out to be a good choice. Until next time.
Ces
