My 2014 Comic-Con TV Panels

In a week, it'll all be over. San Diego Comic-Con (known by many simply as "Comic-Con") begins on Wednesday night at 6pm and runs until Sunday at 5pm. Plans for the convention begin over a year in advance, and the dates for the subsequent event are generally known before the current one ends. Online pre-registration for badges takes hours. Determining your hotel order for the lottery is a lengthy process. But what really takes time and effort is planning how you'll make the most of those four days... from panels to see to booths to visit, from autograph possibilities to sorting through shopping exclusives, from to sifting through film schedules to discerning the best off-site activities, the work involved is great. [flashback to our previous SDCC schedules: 2011, 2012, 2013.] And that's considering you've been before and don't need to learn how to get around San Diego, where to eat, and how the logistics of attending work.

Because of the amount of work involved (note that I haven't even mentioned the hours spent in lines yet), outsiders don't think Comic-Con is worth the hassle and expense. It is a pricey event (for starters, the vast majority of hotel options come in over $180/night), but it's also one of a kind. Repeat attendees share a camaraderie like no other; once you've been initiated into SDCC, you understand. You share a kindred spirit with all who swarm upon the San Diego Convention Center, whether they be comic book collectors, zombie fanatics, wannabe filmmakers, creative cosplayers, or another variety of pop culture junkie. Folks at Comic-Con appreciate the passion everyone has for something, regardless of whether there's overlap in interest, and that's what makes the ambiance of the environment truly special.

All of that said, I've painstakingly narrowed down my selections and made my schedule for how I will spend Comic-Con this year. I still have twelve television panels on my list, but I'm not going to be camping out in Ballroom 20 or 6 BCF all day to maximize my TV program exposure. Why? Because I have other interests, too, and can't wait for my geek-out moments, which inevitably happen (like after the Disney Afternoon panel last year).

So, without further ado, here are the television panels I'm hoping to see, tweet, and report on this year:

Thursday, July 24th
10:30-11:30am: Legends of TV Land (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), featuring Betty White, among others, who will answer questions about making history on television. Plus, a look at the animated episode of Hot in Cleveland.

11:30am - 12:30pm: Dig: A USA Network Event Series (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), an inside look at this fast-paced international thriller, with actors participating via satellite from Israel.

8-9pm: Psychology of Cult TV Shows (Room 23ABC), will feature several scholars and scientists and examine the cult followings of shows like Doctor Who, Firefly, and Buffy. As someone who has studied Rocky Horror cult fanatics, I'm especially interested in the scholars.

Friday, July 25th
11:30am-12:30pm: iZombie Pilot Screening and Q&A (Room6BCF), for the new CW series that will premiere midseason.

1:30-2:30pm: The Chair: One Script, Two Visions, One Winner (Marriott Hall 2), for the new Starz series. Both directors and the creator will be there, and scenes from the movies and the series will be shown. I've already written a little about this show, and look forward to more.

4:30-5:30pm: Falling Skies: Season 4 Panel (Room 6BCF), for what may very well be the final panel for this post-apocalyptic television show. I've seen the three before this one (2011, 2012, 2013), and while they're not groundbreaking and tend to show you a clip from the very next episode, they're a goof time.

5:30-6:30pm: Roar Comics: Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, and More (Room 8), because I love that some of my favorite characters are in serialized narrative format. Some announcements are also promised, so perhaps more television shows are going that way?

7-8pm: The Unexplained Files (Room 7AB), from Science Channel, will be taking a deeper look at stuff you can't believe. It's as simple as that, but still truly fascinating, plus there will be scholars, eye witnesses, and prizes.

Saturday, July 26th:
10-11am: Why Not Serious? Comedy vs. Drama in Animation (Room 9), caught my eye because I hadn't thought about how little action and adventure is in cartoons. I grew up with Danger Mouse, and The Awesomes is around, but the big 80s/90s X-Men, Batman, and the like aren't really there anymore, so I am interested in the theories as to why not.

5-6pm: The Digital Revolution: The Convergence of Television and the Internet (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), will hopefully offer more information than I've already been learning lately about how ratings are changing and people are "cord-cutting."

8-11pm: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: The Flash, Constantine, Arrow, and the World Premiere of Gotham (Hall H) may be too tough to get into, as the Gotham pilot is very highly anticipated, plus a full viewing of The Flash will also entice people, but I'm game to try.

Sunday, July 27th:
10:15-11:15am Sesame Street & Pop Culture: 45 Years of Spoofs on the 'Street' (Room 6A) is near and dear to by heart. Two new parodies (on Comic-Con and Star Wars, no less!), plus looking at how popular culture has influenced the iconic show, with muppeteers on the panel.

Yeah, you probably noticed that there are quite a few gaps in this schedule... so what else am I planning on seeing, panel-wise? Well, Thursday features a Hanna-Barbera offering I don't want to miss, plus a Goonies discussion, and a look at retro 90s stuff. Friday and Saturday I'll hit a little of the Film Festival for a little bit of old-time Disney magic, plus take in a few how-to sessions about writing television shows. And Sunday I'm back at my old scholarly ways with an anthropological study panel, plus the making of the LEGO movie. Keep checking back as we report on the many distinct facets that make up Comic-Con!

The Awesomes: Identity Crisis

by Christopher Scott

The Awesomes "No Mo' Sumo" (S01E04): Welcome back everybody! Yet another episode recap is on the way. Today’s recap is for episode 4, “No Mo’ Sumo.”

Picking up directly from where episode 3 left off, Tim’s parents are trying to take him away from the team. Apparently they are former mercenaries who’ve had their secret identities compromised, and therefore have put their son in danger. They want to take him away and start over once more to keep him safe. ….. wait ….. what?

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So Tim’s parents were mercenaries, can kick major butt, and aren’t native Japanese. They worked together as a team codenamed: Dine and Dash. (Cute team name) One of the villain teams they stole from, The IT Department, repeatedly tracks them down during the episode to exact their revenge. (Or fail repeatedly to do so.)

The Awesomes take it upon themselves to try and help Tim’s family to assume new lives. In order to do that they need to find U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A., a secret organization that specializes in changing identities, through a very elaborate series of fetch quests. It’s a typical cartoon plot that’s been done a thousand times. Sadly, there is nothing too fresh here to mention specifically as a stand out funny moment.

In the end, Tim proves himself as capable of handling threats because of his superpower. He fights in an arena for the Invisible Hand of the Floating Glove, against a Cyclops gorilla monster or something. This impresses his parents and sets off the chain of fetch quests culminating in reaching U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A. and Tim’s parents getting their new identities. Tim stays behind to continue with The Awesomes, which is good because I did NOT want them to start looking for another teammate again.

The final scene setting up episode 5 begins with the IT Department tracking down the team once again. Because of a crossing of the streams (Thanks, Ghostbusters) The Awesomes are transported to another dimension or timeline where there is a group of their doppelgangers floating overhead. They don’t really fill us in on any more than that.

Not a lot of “Awesomeness” in this one, guys. What few fights there were are short and uneventful. I am intrigued by the cliffhanger, though. What do you think? Are The Awesomes on another planet, or a different dimension, or an alternate timeline? And what about their alternate personas; heroes or villains? Leave your comments below and I’ll check back on you. Until next time, be awesome! 

Awesomes: This Episode Makes the Series Look “H.I.P.P.I.E.R.”

By Christopher Scott

The Awesomes “Baby Got Backstory” (S01E03): Welcome back faithful viewers! Are you ready for another great recap of an episode of The Awesomes? Well, will you settle for mediocre? Now we’re talking!

Episode three, titled “Baby Got Backstory,” begins with the team failing miserably at taking down a giant cockroach. Prock is trying to direct them as best he can, but no one cares what he has to say. Can’t blame them too much, he’s a bit whiny.

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After a few minutes of utter failure we find out it was all just a simulation in a holographic room called the H.I.P.P.I.E.R. As Gadget Gal steps out to use the restroom, the real basis of this episode is formed. Shortly after she leaves, the HQ goes into lockdown (though I sorta wish it had been Rockdown like Impulse had suggested). Gadget Gal winds up stuck outside with her nemesis, Tomboy and The Bowling Team, leaving the rest of the team to tell their backstory as to how they gained their superpowers.

It really seems a little early to start telling origin stories to me. I mean, I hardly care about these characters this early in the series. If it had waited until halfway through the season, it might have held more weight and value. Instead it misses the impact it could have had and just becomes a filler. Oh well.

While Gadget Gal does a pretty good job keeping her enemies at bay, the first up to tell his story is Tim. A fairly short story, he was born with his sumo powers and when he’s angry he beats up people. Glad to have THAT out of the way. I was on pins and needles.

Concierge went up next. While at a beauty pageant she saw her calling by watching a news reporter lose her cool under the pressure. She stepped in and the rest was history.  I did like how they likened her organizational skills to reading the code from The Matrix. If nothing else, this episode made me watch that movie shortly afterwards. Classic.

Hotwire sorta followed up, buuut I’m not sure hers counts. There was no flashback or anything. Still seems to me like she is hiding something. Her parents had boring jobs, she got her powers when she was 16, and she thought it would be cool to be a super hero. Yup …. thought it would be cool … so she did it.  Also, I guess Muscleman caught her in a lie that her dad taught math versus teaching social studies, but it was so glazed over that I’m not sure if they meant that to matter.

Impressario was kinda nerdy, but his mom loved him. He found his stone that he uses for conjuring his imagination into real objects and then used it to gain confidence. Not much of a story, but it seems to be a trend. His story is cut short by his mom, who happens to have stumbled into the headquarters at this most inopportune time. She winds up being stuck in the middle of the epic battle being fought by Gadget Gal while Muscleman begins his origin tale.

Muscleman’s story is a double hitter for both himself and for Prock. They were the crime fighting duo, Brains and Brawn! I love their theme song. I’m gonna find that and use it for a ringtone. During their story the evil doer’s “Hat Trick” is robbing an armored car. “Looks like someone earned some time in the penalty box!” (It’s one liners like this that keep me coming back for more.) In the end they win, I guess. Prock winds up hospitalized, but he said they won, sooooo……

Anyway, Prock finally decides to take action and get the team out of their jam. Through another conversation with Impressario’s mom, he finds out that the gem that Impressorio uses for his conjuring doesn’t actually do anything. Impressario has powers, not the gem. And because the room only nullifies the gem, they can now escape and clear their base of bad guys. Although the bad guys seem to have made up with the good guys, so, whatever.

The episode ends with a tease of what’s to come. Next week, Tim’s parents come to return him home. That’s sure to go over well. Until then, let me know how I did with this recap. And, why do you think Tim’s parents suddenly want their son back? Leave your comments below and I’ll see you soon!

The Awesomes: Pilot, Part 2

by Christopher Scott

Hulu Original Series The Awesomes

The Awesomes "Pilot, Part 2" (S01E02): G’day mates! I’m back to review the second part of the pilot episode for The Awesomes. Here we go, try to keep up!

Picking up from where we left off, our newly formed team has run into their first villain, evil doer, trash monster. Compost is a sentient blob of garbage. How hard could this be? I seem to defeat garbage every Thursday by wheeling it out to the street from the garage.

In typical team-building fashion, every hero has his or her own way of getting things done. Prock needs to lead this team, but he is hesitant and green around the gills. After a few minutes of getting their butts whooped they finally come together and … are saved by Perfect Man! Hooray Perfect Man!!!

Even though Perfect Man steals their spotlight, the producer of Superhero Now invites the team to appear on his show to reintroduce The Awesomes to the world. After a few flashbacks to the glory days, the host begins to interview Prock on his leadership skills. Well …. more like he begins to chastise Prock for being an awful hero in front of his audience (which includes the Sasquatch from the animated Jacks Links Beef Jerks commercials that air during the show. Ha, nice).

The host then brings out his next guest, Dr. Malocchio, the “reformed” super villain. Question: If Dr. Malocchio can control people’s minds and we haven’t developed some sort of defense against it, why didn’t he just control the minds of his jury and not go to jail in the first place? Dr. Malocchio makes some good points during the interview as if he has the world’s best interests at heart by eliminating all super powered beings. Using some secret ray gun, he demonstrates it on a villain who interrupts the broadcast. It’s starting to remind me of the plot of X-Men 3 at this point. I didn’t like X-Men 3.

After the interview Prock find out he needs to add one more member to the team before he can qualify for government funding of The Awesomes. Holding a series of tryouts, the team adds Hotwire to the roster. Prock needed a love interest I guess, so … now he has one. She can control electricity somehow, but it’s not really clear how well she does it or how useful it can be. Also, she’s a new hero with no background, which has Concierge on her guard.

Just as the team is getting their drink on in celebration, they are attacked once more. This time The Animal Kingdom comes knocking! Like Care Bears, but strong and evil. A slick move by Prock and some more good old-fashioned teamwork, and that threat is eliminated. Nice job guys! Everything wraps up nicely, The Awesomes get their funding and ….. whoa, wait.

Hotwire is dating Perfect Man? Well that was unexpected. I figured she was gonna turn out to be Dr. Malocchio’s daughter. I guess she could be both. If she winds up being both, will that mean that every episode another bombshell will drop about her background? Ugh! I guess we will find out in the coming episodes. I hope you’re enjoying the show! Keep stopping by TheBTalkingBox for the latest episode recaps and comment below to let your voice be heard!

NEW SHOW: The Awesomes

by Christopher Scott

Hulu Original Series The Awesomes

The Awesomes "Pilot, Part 1" (S01E01): Hey guys and gals! It’s good to be back, bringing you up to date on the new animated series presented by Hulu, The Awesomes. Featuring the voice talent of Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, and many other sketch comics from both MAD TV and Saturday Night Live, The Awesomes is a comedy series following a team of heroes trying to keep the world safe from villainy. The only problem is, all of the good heroes have quit, so we’re left with the “B-Team.” I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Here in Episode One we are privy to how this new team of heroes comes to be. After a short flash forward, we are introduced to Mr. Awesome, the leader of the current super hero team “The Awesomes,” and Prock, his son who has only the power to stop time in order to monologue but has become both a professor and doctor in order to impress his father. (Heh, I see what you did there.)

Today, Mr. Awesome is retiring from his tights and wants to pass the torch to a new generation of hero. Obviously that means his first choice as a successor is …  Perfect Man! Duh! You weren’t thinking Prock, right? Come on! Prock is lame! But when Perfect Man shuts down the offer and no other hero wants to step up, including a press member who must have been on steroids, it leaves only Prock to don the title of leader. Which, in turn, causes every decent team member to quit posthaste.

From there Prock attempts to assemble a new team of worthy heroes to defend the world through teamwork. He has the choice to attain decent heroes with less impressive powers or to grab A+ power wielders with huge mental shortcomings. And because this is supposed to be a comedy, a ragtag team of crazies makes for better TV … er, internet TV.

This new team includes Muscleman, a strong guy with no intelligence. Frantic, a super speed runner with a serious need to succeed in life that causes him to be “bat guano crazy.” Gadget Gal, a senior citizen/former hero who happens to have a run in with an old nemesis during the episode that causes her to return to 25 years old or so. Impressario, a telepath with mommy issues. Tim, an 11-year-old boy who can Hulk-out to a giant Sumo Wrestler. Then there’s Concierge, who isn’t a hero per se. She’s more like a receptionist. She seems like she is a staple of the team though, so I’ll give her recognition here.

There is also a villain who makes a few appearances, Dr. Malocchio. He is evil, in jail, and can manipulate people’s minds. That’s all you really find out about him. He doesn’t even have any good one-liners.

That’s all for real substance in the first episode. There are jokes littered throughout the show, but it has a ways to go to meet up with the Family Guys and Futuramas of the world. It’s not bad, and it’s nice to have another comedy out there to enjoy. The slogan really says it all: “The Awesomes! Our bar is lower!” Stay tuned to TheTalkingBox for more episode recaps and comment below! How are you liking the show so far? And what would you like to hear more of? Don’t be a stranger!             

SDCC 2013: The Tweets

Here's a collection of our tweets (@TheTalkingBox) from Comic-Con 2013! Be aware they are in reverse-chronological order. And, as we pointed out a couple of times, several tweets got eaten by the internet while we were there, so there are, sadly, a few gaps beyond Wednesday, when I was just over-excited and not thinking about sharing the experiences.

Sunday, July 21:
On the ground. #SDCC seems so surreal... I was trading swag 4 hours ago but now I'm almost home. 6 or 7 hours of shows on DVR... what first?
20 minute flight delay. Comic-Con just doesn't want me to leave! #SDCC 

That's a wrap, folks. We're headed to pack up the last swag bits and shuttle to the airport! More pics to come later! #SDCC 

Got an autograph from Jymn Magon on my #ducktales DVD set and I'm fighting back tears I'm so excited! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Gadget was the only character that stayed from the initial Rescue Rangers pitch. #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

We just had another #ducktales sing a long. I had goosebumps. #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Someone in the room is dressed as a Beagle Boy! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Just saw the original pitch for Goof Troop! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC

#DisneyAfternoon starts off with panelists statements. Voices in action! #SDCC

If anyone is there, good luck! RT @thenerdmachine Lets give away 10 Intel Core i7 Extreme processors right now at #NerdHQ Thanks @IntelEdge

That said, now in the room where Disney Afternoon will have its panel in 25 min! What was your favorite DA show? #SDCC

It always feels like you were walking forever to get to another #SDCC event, so when you arrive it's shocking to see it's only been ten min.
Did an hour on the floor, had some lunch, now back to the floor. Next panel at 2. #SDCC
A LOT of #Ducktales original gameplay was required to make the treasure locations match in easy, medium, and hard. #SDCC 

The #Ducktales game is banking on parents purchasing, not kids, as they don't know the characters. #SDCC

#Ducktales panel now featuring piano music in a special arrangement than what the credits feature. It was incredible. check YouTube! #SDCC

Special guest in the #Ducktales panel: Eric Bauza, Gizmo Duck! #SDCC 

If you played #Ducktales, you remember the pogo stick! Here's the look of Scrooge! ow.ly/i/2Fosi #SDCC 

The whole room just stood and sang the #Ducktales theme song! Magic! #SDCC

Also, for those who didn't check out my schedule, I'm doing Disney panels all day! www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/07/my-20… #SDCC 

Saturday, July 20th:

The girl who plays Charlie has REALLY white teeth. #Revolution #SDCC #Revolutioncon #WBSDCC (ridiculous hashtags!)

Seems that #Revolution is trying too hard this #SDCC with more hash tags than necessary... #Revolutioncon #WBSDCC 

This means that we will have #Revolution up next, which loyal followers know we love to hate! #SDCC 

Wait time was two hours WITH an appointment, so left and just sat in #6bcf #SDCC 20 Jul

Time to donate blood. It's a #SDCC tradition!

I'm always surprised that people don't know that voice actors usually don't sit around and all tape together... #SDCC #TheAwesomes

We're talking about #AllThat in here! Kenan can't compare it to #SNL to #TheAwesomes, but loves his job. #SDCC
Making fun of Real World and Kevin Smith. Such a funny panel! #TheAwesomes #SDCC 

#TheAwesomes just made fun of #walkingdead fans who aren't caught up. Love it. #SDCC

I actually really liked #TheAwesomes. On to the panel part, with Seth Meyers and Kenan Thompson, among others. #SDCC

We spent some time on the floor, but now seeing The Awesomes. Pretty good so far... #SDCC

Awesome! thanks for announcing! RT @jbtec Hey @TheTalkingBox there's definitely a Simpsons Futurama crossover...

Showrunners need clear visions. For #ER, it was "doctors are heroes." #SDCC 

Nice comparison of a showrunner to a start-up CEO. #SDCC 

Inside the room for Inside the Writer's Room. #SDCC

Now in line for the television writers' panel at 1130. Not as short as I was hoping... #SDCC

It's always interesting when more questions are for the producers than the actors. #BatesMotel #SDCC 

#Lost fans in the house! #BatesMotel #SDCC 

The most difficult scene for Vera to do in the first season was the admission of incest. #BatesMotel #SDCC

Norma's brother might show up in season two of #BatesMotel. #SDCC

Shelby dying was the original end of the first season of #BatesMotel. Then, network ordered four more episodes. #SDCC
Freddie has arrived. He speaks Arabic and Spanish, and spent the hiatus translating legal documents. #BatesMotel #SDCC

Friday recap for #SDCC: ow.ly/n9l9q #FallingSkies #RogerRabbit #Catan #AssassinsCreed #Marvel

#BatesMotel fans very excited for next season. Too bad Freddie Highmore isn't here. #SDCC 

Game on! #BatesMotel #SDCC

It appears everyone in line got into #6a so if you wanna come see #BatesMotel, you can probably get in. #SDCC 

I'm always amused by people who wait until the morning of each day to plan their panels... #SDCC #n00bs

I suspect we're having tweets lost in the internets again this morning... #SDCC

Autograph raffle ticket line today is enormous. Allegedly it has been cut off already. blame he who kills off all his characters... #SDCC

Have joined the line for Bates Motel in eighty minutes. should get in but it's growing quickly! #6a #SDCC

Later start than planned this morning, but starting in #6a so hopefully line doesn't suck yet. on shuttle back to #SDCC!

ANOTHER giveaway is up! This time, enter to win a #FallingSkies item! ow.ly/n3wja

there's a lot of posts going out with #SDCC going on, but be sure to check out out #GameofThrones giveaway! www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/07/givea…

Friday, July 19th:
So this party is just a club, essentially. sponsored by Magic:The Gathering. Taking a shuttle to the hotel. #SDCC
The DJ is playing "Let's go to the Mall." Seriously. #SDCC

Just noticed that quite a few updates never posted, especially during #fallingskies panel...

Hitting up to hospitality suite, because that's something at #SDCC I've never done before. Don't care about chips, dip, salsa, and M&Ms, tho

Can't stay for the entire thing, but in the first part of a panel on body image and women's issues in entertainment. #SDCC

Charles Fleischer (voice of Roger Rabbit) is really funny, guys. #RogerRabbit #SDCC

Noah Wyle made an #ER joke and the audience clapped. Five seconds later, Wheaton got it. #FallingSkies #SDCC

Wheaton's questions will focus on the theme of family. #FallingSkies #SDCC

Looks like I'll get to head to the fulfillment room after all. Let's hear it for #FallingSkies ! #SDCC

#FallingSkies panel will be starting late, apparently... #SDCC

Any predictions for the #FallingSkies panel? I hope for great swag! panel prizes have been weak this year... #SDCC

Next up is the #FallingSkies panel. Hoping for better than last year! Also, I hear there is now a line for #6bcf. #SDCC

Big minority superhero movie in the pipeline. #SDCC #MarvelSDCC any predictions?

More female team comics coming! #MarvelSDCC #SDCC

Don't forget about our photo stream! as current as WiFi allows! thetalkingbox.smugmug.com/Events/Co… #SDCC
It's gonna be a good year to be a Nick Fury fan. or a bad one, depending on your perspective! #MarvelSDCC #SDCC

Marvel panel heckles fan wearing Batman shirt. #SDCC #MarvelSDCC

There are technical difficulties, guys. sorry for the lack of tweets. #6bcf didn't let me access 4g. Better now and ready! #SDCC

Looked for line for #FallingSkies at 430 but walked right into #6bcf. Just saw a lengthy and phenomenal preview of Assassin's Creed IV #SDCC

This means I'll also see a Marvel panel! That's always a #win! #SDCC 

Well, I didn't make the finals but it was a good time. I like that adaptation, actually. Will be back later for party. #SDCC

I start in the Star Trek Catan tournament in ten minutes! #SDCC

we've got a #GameofThrones #GoT giveaway going on, so head on over and check it out! ow.ly/n3ulW 

Friday morning #SDCC update: yes, the #HallH line is as bad as you're reading. I have strong thoughts, will save for later. giveaway soon! 

Thursday, July 18th: 

change of plans. because line for #HallH is already 600 people deep, going to bed to distract husband less, who gets up soon to join! #SDCC 

stood in a line for a long time to attempt seeing #BlackSails. didn't work out. very draining. some write-up coming. #SDCC 

Learning why lightsabers wouldn't work is sad. #SDCC

Was never a #Eureka fan, but the writing process was fascinating! #SDCC

Now time for the Science Of Science Fiction! #SDCC also, just popped in fourth battery...

Spent some time in exhibit hall and now in a panel for anime. Broad interests for the win. #SDCC
in a session examining how to use comics to teach a freshman-level English course. while I love this stuff, only like 60 people here. #SDCC
Now catching the second half of the panel on how superheroes empower us and heal us. #SDCC 

Surprise! Special #Reign preview! #SDCC #b20 

Aimee Teegarden was drawn to the scifi aspect of #starcrossed. #SDCC 

Flashbacks in #starcrossed will show why the Atrians are on Earth. #SDCC 

No prize tickets given for either #Intelligence or #starcrossed in #b20. #SDCC 
#starcrossed pilot very teen. Expected that, but still. Three actors and a bunch of producers on panel. #SDCC 

Next panel will be on the CW's midseason drama #starcrossed. Early thoughts: www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/05/looki…

#Lost joke! #SDCC #Intelligence 

Both Meghan Ory and Mary Helgenberger would Gabriel's power to be smart. #Intelligence #SDCC 

#Intelligence star Josh Holloway a technophobe. #SDCC 

Just saw #Intelligence pilot. new CBS drama where a guy has a computer chip in his head. Previous thoughts: www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/05/looki… #SDCC 

#b20 first panel starting very late due to line still coming in. #SDCC 

First poster! Double-sided #reign #batb ow.ly/i/2E0K2 ow.ly/i/2E0N2 also, made it into #b20. #SDCC

#b20 folks around me getting antsy about not getting in by 10, but we started under the tents so I think it's just moving slowly... #SDCC 

Just popped in my second phone battery. Good thing I have four this #SDCC!
Also, we will try to keep our photo stream current as much as WiFi allows! thetalkingbox.smugmug.com/Events/Co… #SDCC 

Sitting next to a lifer in line for #b20. She's been going every year since childhood, thanks to an uncle. sweet! #SDCC 

#SDCC costume highlights so far this morning include Alvin, of The Chipmunks, Louise from Bob's Burgers, a Sailor Scout, Mario and Luigi. 

Up first, starting at 10 AM, will be the new CBS drama, #intelligence, followed by the CW's #starcrossed
Got in line for ballroom 20 about fifteen minutes ago and have a great position! #SDCC #b20
 

Wednesday, July 17th: 

such a busy day that I forgot to tweet very often! Don't worry, will do better tomorrow! #SDCC 

Badge lines at T & C still inside. Room about half-full right now and people pouring in! #SDCC

Comic-Con 2013: Saturday Wrap-Up

As always happens at Comic-Con, I was more tired this morning than I have been the past couple of days. So, when you add in the fact that the Hall H line was full by 6:30am, there was no rush to get down to the Convention Center. I wound up getting in line for the 10am Bates Motel panel around 8:15. That turned out to be fine, and I was pleasantly surprised to be sitting down a little after 9:30 pretty near the front of the room. Every person received a keychain "motel key" when entering, and a few were numbered to give attendees a chance to attend a party. The big gimmick of the panel, however, was that Freddie Highmore (Norman) arrived late. In fact, they had him "absent" under secret conditions, but then a video was shown to reveal that he had gotten angry and killed someone, like Norman would, so he was detained by the authorities. It was predictable but cute. The rest of the panel was a little humdrum, maybe because there was no season 2 footage to share and little plot to tease. The fans asked some good questions, though, so that was nice.

I left 6A after the one panel and moved on to "Inside the Writer's Room," which is an annual-type panel that I have attended in the past. It was the description that drew me in, so when the topics mentioned there weren't discussed, I was rather disappointed. I moved on to Exhibit Hall, where I spent a little over an hour hunting down some of the booths that I had marked in the guide. I didn't have time to locate all of them, but only one really gave me the slip. I still haven't bought anything, but I know one stop I'll definitely be making tomorrow, so there's still a chance. Coincidentally, I also have not seen any Wreck-It Ralph artwork!

I headed over to the Indigo Ballroom in the Hilton for the premiere of the Hulu original animated series, The Awesomes, which I actually really enjoyed. I totally plan on checking out more episodes when they air, which is odd because I don't really watch many cartoons. To help facilitate people tuning in, each attendee received a voucher for a free month of XBox Live, though I often question who doesn't already have that service!

Afterwards, Jonathan and I had appointments to donate blood, which tends to net you a lot of great swag. Well, the appointment times meant next-to-nothing, as after we had filled out the paperwork, the line to get your blood pressure checked was almost two hours long. When you add in the time it takes to actually donate, we decided to leave after waiting about 20 minutes. It was a little sad, but we weren't the only ones doing so, and I have no guilt about it; don't take four appointments every five minutes AND allow for walk-ins if that's not the capacity that the center can handle. We split up for a while after that, but eventually reunited during the Revolution panel. I had sat in on part of the Person of Interest panel before that, but didn't really find it very entertaining. I wasn't expecting much out of Revolution, and I'm glad, as there weren't really any great highlights. The questions were mostly generic, though. NBC did opt to spend a few minutes at the end of the panel showing a preview of the midseason replacement Believe and have the two stars and the director talk about the new drama. Johnny Sequoyah was darling, but otherwise I wasn't impressed.

We had initially planned on going to get in line for Kevin Smith's panel after that, but at the last minute decided to stay for the screening of the CW's Tomorrow People, as we learned that the line for Kevin Smith wasn't too bad. I wasn't really looking forward to this series, and I think I found it about as absurd as I had anticipated, if not more. In fact, I called it "horrific" as we left to join the Hall H line. The queue itself wasn't bad, but apparently the previous panel (Marvel) ran quite a bit over, and many people cleared out, so it took a long time to get in the room... the panel was supposed to start at 7:15 but was pushed to about 7:40, and it was about 7:50 before we made it into the room. Because of the late start, I'm not sure if Silent Bob would wind up going over by half an hour or not, but we left about ten minutes after 9pm because we were hungry and tired. And cold, for that matter... the air conditioning was really blasting with a thousands fewer people! Still, it was a pretty funny time, though I was a little disturbed by how much some people seem to worship Kevin Smith! He was thanked many times over for speeches he has given in the past, and one guy even got him to agree to officiate his marriage, after he proposed on the spot!

I can't believe how quickly this Comic-Con has gone by... I know there is one more day left, and although we cannot stay until the very end (6:30pm flight), we will make the most of the day, and I have some exciting things on my docket... after all, Sunday was the first one I planned for myself! Plus, I really want to get some new art to add to our household. We picked up two small pieces last year, and, because we have some bare walls in our house, we agreed not to be stringent with our spending... if a painting calls to us, buy it! Still, nothing has screamed out to me yet, but hopefully something will!

And, once again, I will provide additional details, quotes, and recaps later, but hang on to this nibble for now! And, be sure to check out the two giveaways we have going on right now!