Comic-Con tuned in to TV
There were certainly some big movies being promoted at San Diego Comic-Con this year, but the glitz of the big screen seemed no match for the momentum of the small screen. Television has gained a huge foothold at the annual event.
‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Big Bang Theory’ panels got star treatment in the main presentation area, Hall H. "Fringe" and "Doctor Who" also held panels on the biggest stage at Comic-Con.
Two of the most eye-catching "wrapped" buildings near the convention center this year featured ads for "Revolution," NBC's much-hyped fall offering, and the upcoming Syfy TV series/video game "Defiance."
Sunday's final panel for "Fringe," which enters its last season on Fox in the fall, was a memorable event: Producers of the series put together a montage to thank fans for their efforts in keeping the show on the air.
Cast members Anna Torv, Jasika Nicole and Lance Reddick struggled not to tear up as they recalled their most memorable scenes.
"The thing that holds 'Fringe' together is the power of love," star John Noble summed up. FULL POST
A tale of two Comic-Cons
Editor's note: Aaron Sagers is a New York-based entertainment writer and nationally syndicated pop-culture columnist. He has specialty knowledge in "paranormal pop culture," has lectured at conventions nationwide on the topic and is a media pundit on supernatural entertainment. He covers pop culture daily at ParanormalPopCulture.com and can be found on Twitter @aaronsagers.
It was the best of cons, it was the worst of cons, it was the age of fan celebration, it was the age of crass commercialism, it was the epoch of true believers, it was the epoch of sell outs, it was the season of the nerd, it was the season of Hollywood.
Never before had I felt such a sense of belonging accompanied by one that I was out of place.
San Diego Comic-Con 2011: After a day of conducting press interviews and covering panels, I hit The Con floor to pick up some swag before booths closed. There were more than 130,000 attendees and I think I bumped into every single one of them. My eyes were in constant danger from too-close interactions with passing wings, lightsabers, claws and more than a few Dalek protrusions – and I had no Nick Fury patch to cover any resulting eye loss.
Despite the threat, and claustrophobia, I felt I was with my people.
With a newly acquired foam Sword of Omens from “ThunderCats” and an Oscorp Industries ID badge from Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” display, I headed to the Hard Rock Hotel across the street from the convention center in pursuit of a Her Universe “Sharktopus” tee from the Syfy shop.
People lined up outside a Hard Rock club, and my finely-tuned instinct to pursue free food and booze (when not pursuing swag) kicked in. An SUV limo pulled up, the very important posse of a very important person filed into the club, and the nerds outside were left with a snapshot of a celeb and an encounter with the superhero of the Con’s party circuit – the Velvet Rope Guardian.
The message is clear: This is not for you, you don't belong, return to the your area. FULL POST
So you want to go to Comic-Con 2013?
After hearing so much about San Diego Comic-Con, you may be considering attending next year. If so, here are a few helpful pointers:
Start planning early - like, now:
No trip to Comic-Con can be spur of the moment. Tickets go on sale months ahead of time–and usually sell out instantaneously. Once you have those tickets, you will want to lay out your plan of attack for the time you're there, not to mention figure out your accommodations, a separate battle.
Lines, lines, everywhere a line:
The lines at Comic-Con, especially for Hall H, make theme park lines seem like a breeze. This year, the line-to-line-up for Hall H serpentined past the convention center and around the back of the gigantic hotel next door - at 6 a.m. People sleep out there. Unless you have no interest in any major panels, you will wait in line seemingly endlessly. See this as a chance to get to know your fellow Con-goers.
Bring along a Con-veteran:
It can be a tremendous help if you have a friend with you who has been there and done that. It can get difficult flying blind. Especially with rumors of crowds pushing the 200,000 mark, if you don't know where you're going you may have no choice about where you end up.
Plan your day wisely:
"Never do anything before 11," said Geek and Sundry's Felicia Day. "And make sure you have dinner with the people you really want to catch up with. You can go from thing to thing and be so frenzied about it. Make your Con about things you really love, because there's so much to distract you."
Stake out specific panels:
The nichiest of niche panels exist at Comic-Con, such as the "Ball Jointed Doll Collectors Group" or "The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics 'Zombies' Panel." Look hard enough and you may find one for you, with a much shorter line to get in.
Prepare to geek out:
"You get to meet your heroes. It doesn't matter if you're here or if you're Peter Jackson," remarked "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith. "I bet Peter Jackson saw someone and said, 'Wow, you're here, too. Cool.' "
Whether it's going to a panel for something you like or finding a toy or comic book you've been looking for, prepare to squee.
See you at Comic-Con 2013!
@cnngeekout on Twitter
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