Comic Con 2010 -- Day 4

I didn't have anywhere to be or anyone to meet if I didn't feel like it so I took in a couple panels. I am endeavouring to be a voice-over actor as well as live action, so I went to 2 panels about voice-over. The first one was Cartoon Voices II with working actors in VO. Legends some of them. Like Janet Waldo (Judy Jetson), Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob Squarepants), and others. IMDb lists for these people are really astounding...

The panel was cool, and a bit daunting. These people are so good and so quick witted and funny it makes anyone out in the audience wanting to do it feel inferior. The moderator gave them a script for Cinderella to cold read. Cold reading is where you read a script without ever having seen it. You don't really get a chance to make any decisions, you just go with it. The actors were all given 3 parts to read. The narrator had to use a different voice each time he talked. It was interesting to see how they worked. They went off the script in several places and you could tell, but the ad libs were funny.

I thought about going to the GLEE panel. I know someone in the cast, but she wasn't at the con. I also didn't want to fight the crowd, and thirdly, it would interfere with seeing the other panel I wanted to see; The Business of Cartoon Voices. This is where some of the people from the previous panels gave advice to us about how to get into the VO world. I took notes and will see how I can impliment a plan...

After the panel I called up Zack. We would meet for dinner at a Mexican place in Old Town San Diego. I left the convention at 3 pm and went to pack. I walked the 6 + blocks to my car and was relieved to see it where I left it. I found some good parking on Thursday and hadn't been back to it since Friday morning. Zack called when they were out of the con and I drove my loaded car to Old Town. The food was really good. And those who know me know I'm just trying to feed the machine, but this food was good.

I left San Diego around 10 pm. I didn't want to go home. Life's been stressful and it was so nice to get out of LA and play a bit. It was also nice to be perceived as a professional actor. It's sometimes very ephmeral in LA.

Comic Con 2010 --- Day 3

This was the view from the stage we were on for the panel on acting I was a part of. There were 5 actors on the stage with me and at the next platform were 3 directors. The panel was moderated by Sean Rourke. Each year he does this he gets better at it and more sure about the information and how to say it concisely. As we sat up there we were cracking jokes and making comments to each other as we waited to throw in our 2 cents worth. It was a lot of fun and the actors each had a chance to share what it is we go thru as actors when working some low budget projects.

Now I get nervous talking in front of people. Well, nervous as me. I can be other characters and say memorized lines like they were the first time I'd ever said them, but me saying what I'm thinking as I'm thinking it? Fucking scary. I find I think too fast to get a coherent sentence out sometimes. I stumble over words or create whole new ones. Sigh.

As I was on the panel I kept getting called by a friend of mine, my old roommate Mark. I couldn't take the call. I'm on a panel, talking. So I let it go to voice mail. He texted. I replied and gave him a number for the person who might be able to get him in. My friend Zack who I have been hanging out with was in a meeting and had a pass for him. Mark was waiting in the hot sun for 30 minutes. Zack met up with him outside and was on the phone talking to his publisher. Mark turned white as a ghost, his lips were blue and he was sweating profusely. He said he felt dizzy, walked into the shade and collapsed against a wall!

Zack sent security to get medics. It turns out Mark had heat stroke, basically, but because of other things (liabilty of the convention and his health issues), he was sent to the hospital. 10 hours later he joined us for dinner. Not a good day for Mark, but I'm glad he's ok.

I spent Saturday walking around the halls after my panel dressed as Captain John Hart from a BBC series called Torchwood. My friend Bill was Captain Jack Harkness also from Torchwood. Since we both are good costumers and look like the actors in the show, we had our picture taken a lot. It was fun. As I was walking around in this costume I had a number of people pass me and tell me the actor who played the part, James Marsters, was signing at a booth "over there." So I found where he was signing and his manager noticed me and pointed me out. I walked over to him and we started chatting. He liked the costume and said he hadn't seen many people do it before. He also stood up and looked at the boots I was wearing. As he did I said, "the boots aren't right. They are almost impossible to get right." His manager asked if he could take my picture for James' Facebook page. I said yes. We chatted a bit. It was cool. I didn't get his autograph, or a photo at the professional photo booth. The cost was more than I could justify. He was nice. I did get my picture with him as I leaned over the table talking to him, someone took the photo.

Oddly again, I don't have a picture of me and Bill in these costumes. Again, no pockets...

Bill had to leave around 5 pm. He was done with the crowds and had a real life to return to. So I went to change into street clothes and catch up with Zack and Joanne. We had gotten tickets to Flynn's Arcade again this year. Disney set up and arcade and event to plug Tron Legacy. It was very cool to see how they changed and expanded it from last year. After Flynn's we went to find food. We walked by this Chinese place, Red Beach? But what drew Zack in was the chance to eat at a table in the kitchen. It was just going to be 3 of us but Zack's Army employer called and joined us. The food was really good and it was interesting to eat in the kitchen. Mark showed up around 10 pm after spending 10-11 hours at the hospital. He took a cab to get back to downtown. He was okay, found it embarassing to have such a thing happen. But he would come the next day to see the convention.

It was midnight and I went back to the hotel to crash...

Comic Con and the Religulous

The Westboro Baptist Church set out to save everyone at Comic-Con this year because they were worshipping Batman and Superman but not God. The thing they didn't count on was the ability of the crowd to very quickly and effectively come up with their own signs mocking them.

As I got to the convention center on Thursday I saw the 4 people from the Westboro Baptist Church on Harbor Blvd across from the convention. There was a dad with 4 signs. The son, 9 or 10 had one (He looked like he didn't want to be there. He would rather be at the beach or the zoo or the wild animal park.). The daughter, 12-14 with one sign (same mood as her brother.) And the mom with 2 or 3 signs. The typical God hates Fags, and Jesus saves, and others.

The crafty convention goers found cardboard and sharpies and made signs of their own. "Batman Saves." with a chapter and verse. "God Hates Kittens," "Kill All Humans," "All Glory to the Hypno-Toad," "God Hates Jedi," and the rather rough, "Fuck God!" The convention attendees crossed the street but were not able to get close to the religious protesters, the San Diego police department blocked the way. They were lucky. I'm sure they never encountered such smart, inventive, or mocking people. They may be used to angry pro-abortion people challenging them, but never would they dream what a well read, creative, nerd can come up with. I felt sorry for them. Well, just a little. I don't have much use for people trying to save me with their beliefs. I'm okay. Really. I figured out my own path thru the chaos. Everyone has to figure out their own way.

They seem to have given up sometime in the afternoon. And I never saw them again for the rest of the weekend. Maybe they went to the beach. I hope so. San Diego is a lovely place. Enjoy it. I wonder what happened when they got back to their church. Will they try again next year, but with more people, or have they been mocked into oblivion?

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/22/super-heroes-vs-the-westboro-baptist-church/

Comic Con pictures

Super fan of Incredible Hulk issue # 181. The introduction of Wolverine.

Supergirl promoting some movie...

The light cycle from Tron Legacy. Life Sized!

Lando Calrissian with a Colt 45 beer

This is a huge faux bronze statue of a comic character named Fathom.

I didn't take a huge amount of pictures. Some of the things I was wearing (costumes) did not have pockets. So I didn't shoot thousands of pictures. Also I only took pictures of things I found interesting. I'm a tough room after years of this show...

Comic Con 2010--Day 2

On Friday I wore a costume for 4 hours in the morning/afternoon. The character is called Carnage. He's from the Spider-man comic books. He's a mass murdering villan. Oddly this is the only picture I took of me, and it's only 1/2 of the costume. I didn't think of taking a picture once the whole thing was on. I wanted to get to the convention center. (yeah, I need to do some ab work) Though once I was at the convention center I had my picture taken several hundred times. And you know what? I really enjoyed it. ;)

What I find funny about the costume is that people have their children take pictures with me. I'm talking 7 and younger. I even had my picture taken with a 6 month old baby. He wasn't scared of me at all. He played with my mask as I held him. I suggested they use it for Christmas cards...

I walked around for 4 hours then when I couldn't take anymore of the mask, (the insides are rather Marquis De Sade like to make it so the teeth open when I open my mouth. It gives me headaches) I went to the hotel and changed into street clothes. I got to say that I find it a bit of a let down to go from everyone wanting my picture to no one wanting my picture...

Comic Con 2010- Day One

If you have never been to Comic Con it's a little difficult to describe the chaos and energy of the place. The attendance is anywhere from 125,000 to 180,000 over the course of the weekend. The picture above doesn't really tell you how crowded it can get or just how big the dealers hall is. The dealers room is probably 4 footbal fields long, 1200 feet, and one football field wide, 300 feet. And in that space it's not just comics -- it is now media and television and video games. It's staggering just how much content is trying to get your attention. It's like a bunch of colorful 3 year olds. But more than a bunch, say 300,000 3 year olds. I think I took this picture on Saturday afternoon when there was a very popular panel upstairs. That clears out the hall sometimes...

As you walk thru the crowd, which is sometimes a very slow proposition, you see a cross section of humanity. From the Uber-geek of any type of media, comic, anime, movie fanatic who is obsessed with a thing (movie, comic, tv show) to the casual day visitor. Or the parents who bring the kids who are obsessed with whatever. There are people in costumes. Some I easily recognize, others I have no idea what the fuck they are. There are hot girls in small superhero, anime, movie costumes. There are heavy girls who shouldn't be wearing spandex (it's a privilege not a right). It reminds me a bit of Halloween. It's a chance for women to dress in skimpy clothes and not be judged. They can be leered at and safe at the same time. Name a movie, video game, television show, cartoon, anime, and someone was probably in a costume from that property. When I do costumes, I do recreations of comicbook characters: Spiderman, Carnage, Sabretooth. Though, I just wore a new one from Torchwood, a BBC series, on Saturday.

There is a preview night Wednesday. It's for the 4 day badge holders to run in and get exclusive toys and whatnot from the dealers. Things that are sold at Comic-Con can sometimes be found on Ebay that very day for much more than it was intially purchased for. I've never gone to the preview night. It has become so popular that 3 hour period is almost as busy as the next day will be.

Yeah, I know, I'm not giving you anything specific about day one. I didn't go to any panels for movies or television shows while I was at the con. I'm not willing to spend 2-3 hours in line to maybe get into a ballroom to see the cast of Glee, or Thor, or the Expendibles. I don't really go to be a fan. If there is a movie coming out in the next year that might have something to do with a fan of this type, it will be at Comic Con. And Glee ended up there, I suspect, because the kids who are in the Glee club would attend Comic Con. So they are making a show about the people who attend the convention. They see themselves as geeks, or rather Gleeks.

How To Survive A

NINJA ATTACK:

When the ninjas enter try to do a ninja trick: Disguise! If possible disguise yourself as an unexpected piece of furniture. Don't hide in a closet or a Hope chest. (No hope there.) If there is something normal to hide in that will be the first place they look. If you disguise yourself as a Chez Lounge, or a Lazy Boy recliner, they won't look for you to be inside one of those. When they get tired of looking for you a weary ninja might sit on you, but don't make any noise. When they are gone, come out of hiding.

TIGER ATTACK:

Firstly, don't be in India. Or at the Zoo. This may seem a simple solution, but by not being where tigers are your chances of suviving a tiger attack improve drastically. If you do encounter a tiger somewhere be sure you don't have any bacon in your pockets or raw meat on your person. Tiger's have a really great sense of smell, and bacon is yummy. Try to confuse the tiger by picking up a stick and saying, "Come on, boy, get the stick! Get the stick!" Throw the stick as far as you can. This may confuse the tiger to go after the stick like a dog. (Who doesn't like a nice game of fetch?) If it does fool the tiger, RUN the direction opposite the stick and tiger.

PLANE CRASHING:

Well, the really easy answer is "don't fly." But that doesn't get you to Europe and Europe certainly isn't coming here anytime soon. If the plane you are on is crashing, fuck getting into crash positions with your head tucked between your legs. You are still in and attached to an aluminum death tube. Stand in the center aisle, ignore the squawking flight attendants telling you to sit down over the PA system. Look out the window. It's going to be tough to judge while descending at hundreds of miles an hour, but when it seems like you are going to impact the ground, JUMP!
The plane will be a fireball of destruction around you while you are suspended in the air for the moment the plane is striking the ground. When you land on your feet, exit thru one of the massive holes torn in the fuselage.


Legal disclaimer:Come on. Do you really think any of these ideas are going to keep you alive? Geez...