Comic-Con 2012 Hall H madness

Stephanie at Comic-Con 2012 'Firefly' reunion panel

Stephanie at the Comic-Con 'Community' panel

Comic Con: The Adventures of a Gerard Way Fan

f you didn't know already, I'm a huge fan of the band My Chemical Romance. And when frontman Gerard Way broke into comics with The Umbrella Academy, I followed suit. Although he has always been just as of a nerd as the rest of us, now he had a legitimate reason to attend Comic Con every year. And ever since, I have been trying to win the raffle for his signing, and every year, I have lost. Until this year.

I spent the entire day in the Exhibit Hall massing as many raffle tickets as I could. This year, I wasn't going to accept defeat. Finally, I won. I lined up at 1pm at the Dark Horse booth for the signing, and once again, got to meet my hero. But instead of having him sign one of my issues of Umbrella Academy or a My Chemical Romance poster, I asked him to sign my arm so I could get it tattooed.

Being the awesome person that he is, Gerard proceeded to ask me where, how big, how exactly I wanted him to sign it. All that I asked was that he write "keep it ugly" then sign. Other than that, I wanted him to do his thing. He's the artist, not me. Once he was done, he sat back, critisizing his work. I knew by his face that he really wanted to erase it and start again. "You might want them to clean that up."

I looked at it and shook my head. "It's perfect. Thank you." I honestly don't remember what he or I said as I walked away. I was just ecstatic that I was finally going to get a tattoo that I have been wanting for a long time. But little did I know, once I turned the corner away from where Gerard was signing, would his little brother Mikey, be waiting for us. Although I had met Gerard before, this was the first time I got to meet his brother. I had him sign my arm right below where Gerard signed. Although it wasn't the plan, apparently it was my lucky day. One half of My Chemical Romance down, one half to go. And just behind Mikey, was yet another idol of mine, Lindsey Way. Artist and member of the rock band Mindless Self Indulgence. This was yet again, the first time I got to meet her.

All in all, it was a great day. I walked a few blocks into the Gaslamp and got both autographs tattooed at a parlor called Nothing Sacred. Here is how she looked the next morning:

However, the story does not end there. I'm not going to lie, I decided to walk the Exhibit Hall for a while on Saturday with a specific goal of maybe running into Gerard and Mikey again so I could show them my tattoo. But, I never did. I did however get calls and messages from numerous friends about the people that they randomly ran into. Misha Collins from Supernatural. Ray Toro, another member of My Chemical Romance. And yes, at dinner that night, I had to listen to the story of how someone ran into Gerard and Mikey in the Hall. So basically, I hated the world for a little while. Despite all the people that I have met, I have never ran into any of my heroes or idols randomly. That is, until 2:30 sunday morning.

Before deciding to try and get some sleep in line for Hall H, me and one of my new line buddies walked across the street to the Hilton to find a bathroom. In the lobby, I found a girl I had met and kept meeting in line throughout the weekend. We stopped to talk for a minute. The lobby was pretty empty, considering it was 2:30 in the morning. There was only one other group of people lounging on the couches on the other side of the room. After a few minutes, I glanced over to them. It took me a good ten seconds to react before I literally started freaking out.

Who was it sitting in one of those couches? None other than Gerard Way. Despite the fact that I was face to face with him a little over 24 hours before, it didn't matter. I flipped. Here it was, my chance to show off the lovely work on my arm, and I could barely move. It took someone pulling me over to the other side of the room for me to move. Before I knew it, I was once again standing in front of my hero in every way possible with an adorable bemused smile on his face. He knew I was having a hard time with this, and his smile wasn't making it any easier on me.

The guy that pulled me over told him, "she has something to show you." And before Gerard could look at my face again, I pulled up my sleeve and revealed the tattoo that just started to scab over. I'm not sure if he didn't believe me the day before when I told him I was going to do it, or if it was all part of his genuine humility, but the surprise on his face was priceless. He leaned forward to examine it closer and made several comments on how great it looked and how much he loved that it still looked like the texture of a marker, and not a tattoo. He laughed at Mikey's scribble beneath his artsy, loopy handwriting, then proceeded to thank me over and over again. I shook my head and told him that it was all because of the band that I was okay to begin with. This was my thank you to them.

And before I could start tearing up over how grateful he looked that a fan would appreciate what they have done so much to get their autographs tattooed on her arm forever, one of my friends walked over and asked if Gerard could take a picture with me. He was more than willing. Yeah, so much for sleeping that night.

I would totally show you guys the picture, but I'm waiting for it to be emailed to me since it wasn't taken on my camera. I'm pretty sure I can die happily now.

Comic-Con: 'The Avengers' assembled

Something cool happened at Comic-Con.

Originally it was thought that we wouldn't see anything "Avengers" related at the show.

Then Marvel decided to release some kick-ass hand drawn movie posters.

While the Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow and Captain America ones are pretty nifty we've basically seen the characters already.

Oh, but Marvel had a few tricks up its sleeves.

Here is the first, full look at Hawkeye played by Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner:

We also got a first look at Agent Maria Hill played by "How I Met Your Mother" star Colby Smulders.

Looks absolutely perfect in my opinion. Nice casting there.

And finally, we've all seen what the Hulk has looked like in the previous films. I was hoping for something different and more in line with the comics.

Someone answered my prayers:

During and right after seeing "The Avengers" footage at the end of "Captain America" I was literally shaking. I was having a nerd-attack.

I cannot wait to see this movie.

This is a midnight screening for sure!

Comic-Con: 'Ghost Rider' panel

I didn't mind the first "Ghost Rider" film.

It was what it was: silly fun. Especially for a non-rated R film.

But, then I heard they're making a rated R sequel. With the directors of "Crank."

OK, that's got my attention.

Comic-Con: I may see 'Spider-Man' afterall

After seeing the trailer for "The Amazing Spider-Man" in front of "Captain America," by first reaction was "meh."

No offense to anyone, it just didn't do anything for me.

But, then I across this little gem.

And I think I might be there opening day now.



I think Andrew Garfield gets it. And the passion in his voice and the emotion on his face look real.

One of the best moments of Comic-Con this year for sure.

Day One of Comic Con from the Exhibit Hall floor

Of all the years that I have been going to Comic Con, I have never spent a whole day exploring the Exhibit Hall and it's million different booths. But, I guess there is a first for everything.

My original plan was to check on when they were handing out the tickets for Gerard Way's signing at the Dark Horse booth tomorrow, then get in line for Ballroom 20, because I was really looking forward to the Game of Thrones panel. However, with my long history of NEVER winning the Gerard Way raffle, I decided that I needed to spend the entire day gathering as many tickets as I could for him so I would absolutely be one of those 100 people. After losing for the last four years in a row, I'm going to take it if I lost again.

And so my adventurous circles around the Exhibit Hall began, as long as I passed by the Dark Horse booth every 30 minutes or so to see if I could get another raffle ticket... Along the way, I of course met some great people, saw a few celebrities and collected some free stuff.

As far as seeing celebrities goes, I did catch a glimpse of Chris Evans at the Marvel booth for a signing, but was nowhere near tall enough to get a picture. I also got to watch the Game of Thrones cast for a minute as they were doing their signing at the WB booth, but failed to get any good pictures of them... but that may be due to Kit Harrington being so damn distracting.

By the way, make sure you guys stayed tuned from my results of my interview with Jason Momoa tomorrow, who played Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones and is the star of the new Conan the Barbarian.

There are always a number of great costumes at Comic Con every year, and although saturday is the day nearly half of the crowd comes dressed, I did see a handful of very worthy ones today. My favorite is between the best John Crichton and the EPIC registration computer. I'll tell you, I was quite disappointed that one of the official convention shirts was not something with EPIC's logo on the front. But I did start laughing hysterically when I saw this girl appear out of the crowd...

Stephanie and I also got the chance to see an early screening of Captain America, which is out tomorrow... well, today. Chris Evans is a fantastic Captain and Tommy Lee Jones stole every single shot he was in. But the real excitement came after the credits with the first REAL Avengers teaser. I won't spoil you on any details, because that trailer has definitely been worth the wait.

Now, I would take about the ridiculous quest that we found ourselves on at midnight tonight trying to get back to our hotel in Mission Valley, but I think the shuttle service deserves its own story this year.

It was a great first day to every nerd's favorite week of the year, and I'm just sitting in my bed hoping and praying that I get into the Gerard Way signing tomorrow, which would make missing the Game of Thrones panel today worth it in the end.

Dark Horse announces three new projects!

The Dark Horse booth was packed tonight as Stephanie and I waited for this big announcement that they have been teasing us about for the last month.

The first of three new projects they announced was supposed to include a surprise appearance by legendary director Guillermo Del Toro. However, he was injured during filming and couldn't appear tonight... but he should be at the panel tomorrow. He will be writing "The Strain". A comic of REAL "scary vampires", said Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson. This of course, got a rather large career from the gathered crowd.

The second new series will be based on the popular young adult series, Dark Horse will be releasing the "House of Night" graphic novel starting this fall, written by P.C. Cast, the mother of the writing duo. During his introduction of Cast, Richardson mentioned that they wanted to reach out to the people that generally wouldn't read comics, and the number of fans of this vampire series is immense. I think they definitely picked the right young adult series to welcome into the Dark Horse family.

The third and final announcement I hoped has something to do with Gerard Way, frontman of the rock band My Chemical Romance and writer of the popular Dark Horse series "The Umbrella Academy" I was hoping they would either finally announce the movie, or the new "True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys" comics. Although it still had something to do with a rockstar, I was thinking of the wrong one. Tom Morello, member of rock band Rage Against the Machine, has joined the Dark Horse list of employees and will be writing "Orchid", the story of a 16 year old prostitute in a near future where the oceans have risen to a dangerous level and not all is what it seems.

Personally, although this was not exactly what I expected to hear tonight, I am very excited for all three of these projects. All horror fans should be. There will be a panel tomorrow at noon which will feature all three special guests and I'm assuming, sneak peeks at the stories and artwork from all three of these new projects.

Dark Horse continues to prove why it remains to be the publisher of all my favorite comic books.

Comic-Con: Most popular panels so far

One cool feature on the Comic-Con website is the ability to create your own interactive, online schedule.

It really comes in handy in planning and organization.

An awesome side effect of this tool is that allows Comic-Con to put a value to the most popular panels.

Granted, this is just a small percentage of those attending, but it still gives a glimpse into what could be the most talked about panels of the week.

Here are the top 10 panels according to the tool (as of Tuesday evening):

1. "The Walking Dead."
2. "The Big Bang Theory"
3. "Game of Thrones"
4. Sony Pictures presentation ("The Amazing Spider-Man")
5. "True Blood"
6. 20th Century Fox panel (What is being shown is a secret)
7. "Mythbusters"
8. "Community"
9. World premiere of "Batman: Year One"
10. "Futurama"

And just for clarity sake, "Twilight" is No. 43.

Comic-Con: My ONE convention prediction

Stephanie and I have talked about this on the show already, but I wanted to have this written down.

I am going out on a lim to say that at the "Psych" panel they are going to announce that this next season will be the show's last.

From talking to the cast two years ago and sitting through the "Psych" panel last year, I think it's almost common knowlegde that the cast even says the show can't go on forever. Dule Hill even said last year that he couldn't see the show going much longer.

It also doesn't help that the USA Network pushed back the season of the show until the fall.

Now, let me say this: I love "Psych." It's one of my favorite shows. I don't want it to end. I would love, love to be wrong on this.

Stephanie has been put on Geek Defcon level four and will call me if this news is made correct.

I just really hope it isn't, but I have a feeling it might.

Comic-Con: How one might survive NOT going

Alas, it was not meant to be this year.

I will not be attending the San Diego Comic-Con this year. But, keep checking back as Candace and Stephanie will be covering the show for Inscaped. And I'll hold the fort down and do some grunt work for them from home base.

Missing the show is going to free up a lot of time this week for me. Whatever shall a nerd do without an in-person Comic-Con fix?

Funny you should ask.

Here are my plans on dealing with staying in Riverside this week and maybe, just maybe give me the feeling of being in San Diego:

1. I'll rent "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights." Then I'll realize it stars Nathan Fillion and remember I'll be missing the "Castle" panel and cry myself to sleep.

2. Band together with a lost group of non-going Comic-Con survivors. I'll promptly tell them "If we can't live together, we'll die alone."

3. Wear extremely nerdy T-shirts under my work clothes.

4. Start planning my Tim-Con 2012. It will be a lot like Pacey-Con, but 78 percent less meta.

5. Find another lonely geek to see "Captain America" with. I just don't want to be alone...

6. Get to work five hours early and sit outside bored out of my mind.

7. Wear a costume to the "Captain America" screening, but totally forget to put on deodorant.

8. Walk around with my Warner Bros. bag from last year. When people ask me where I got it from I'll just say "This? They gave one to everyone!"

9. Go to a restaurant across the street and ask them to charge me double.

10. First thing tomorrow, check the Graphitti Designs website, but say it's way too busy and I'll come back later. Then keep checking back throughout the week. Finally Sunday, I'll buy a "Green Lantern" shirt.

Advice for first time Comic Con attendees!

Still in the middle of packing for Comic Con 2011, I realized how much of a packing advantage I have being a veteran attendee of one of the world's biggest nerd gatherings. So, I thought I would take a little time out of shuffling through my collection of geeky t-shirts and issues of The Umbrella Academy to give to give all first timer's a little last minute advice.

1. Prepare to stand in line.

This is probably the best advice I could ever give you. There is an inside joke among those of us that have spent endless hours of our lives waiting in line: You don't go to Comic Con to meet or see your idols... you go to stand in line. I can't stress this enough. When you are organizing your schedule, give yourself plenty of time between panels, because you are not the only person that wants to be in the room when Dark Horse announces new projects, or when they preview footage from the new season of Fringe. Get there EARLY. At least 2 panels before, just in case, because they do not empty out the rooms after every panel. Over the years I have learned that there are just some panels that won't be popular and I don't have to worry about not getting in. However, if you are planning to see the panels for True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Kevin Smith, Breaking Dawn, or anything else in Hall H or Ballroom 20, you better prepare for spending most of the day in those rooms. Two years ago, I camped out in Hall H for 6 hours to see the Avatar panel. Five hours to see Joss Whedon in Ballroom 20. PLAN AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY.

2. Plan, plan, plan your schedule.

STUDY THE %&!@ OUT OF THE SCHEDULE. Figure out before hand what panels you want to make. Then... cut them in half. The sad but realistic truth about this event is that you will NEVER get to see everything you want to. Trust me guys. It's just not possible. Pick one panel a day that you refuse to miss and schedule everything else around that. You have to accept the fact that you will miss something, but thanks to YouTube and hand held cameras, it's likely going to be on YouTube in the matter of hours anyway. However, always remember that anything can happen. You never know what surprises are in store for the panels that you do attend. Think of this... a few years ago, Hugh Jackman made an appearance in Hall H out of nowhere right before the Twilight panel to reveal the first trailer of Wolverine. And last year, Johnny Depp arrived at the very end of the very first Tim Burton panel just to say hello...

3. Bags and backpacks

Whatever kind of bag you prefer to carry, make sure it is something comfortable and that you can wear it on your shoulders all day, because most likely, that's exactly what you will be doing. And one of the most popular giveaways at Comic Con every year are the swag bags. If you don't carry one in, you are bound to carry one out. Or two. Or three. Don't shy away from taking every free bag that is thrown at you. Although you may not end up using them all, I have found plenty of uses for my Comic Con bags over the years. And not only that, they are all limited editions. The only people that receive them are the people at Comic Con... unless of course you buy them on ebay afterwards...

Just consider yourselves lucky that now EVERYONE gets a WB bag. I still remember the days when you had to fight over them during Preview Night.

4. Be Flexible

One of my favorite things about Comic Con is that you never know what's going to happen or who you are going to run into. Sometimes literally. I have not only nearly ran into Zachary Quinto between panels, but I have also met Adam West, Peter Beagle, Sean Patrick Flanery, and a number of other unexpectedly. Don't be too dead set on your schedule that you can't allow for last minute changes. There are always a number of events and secret parties that never appear on any schedule. Like the Tron party 2 years ago that guests got to see the first glimpse of the new lightcycle.

5. Take food and drinks with you.

I am famous for not eating much during a convention weekend. My mind is too busy with other things to worry about eating. However, that doesn't stop me from always taking in both a bottle of caffeine and a bottle of water. Sometimes snacks, it just depends on the day. Although the Gaslamp is full of plenty of fast food places, the lines can be ridiculous. And I would never resort to buying food inside the convention center unless at last resort. Not only are there long lines, but the prices are insane.

6. Don't forget about the Exhibit Hall

If you are like me, the most important thing to you are the panels. I'm a tv series and movie fanatic. I want to be among the first people to see the trailers and special footage, which gives me little time to explore the Exhibit Hall. Don't forget to spend some time wondering the booths. Once again, you never know who you will run into or what you will find. Not to mention all the free giveaways. I usually come back each year with a week's worth of shirts to add to my closet. Think of the Exhibit Hall as the treasure chest of geeky fandom. And in most cases, this is the place to find those rare collectibles and comic books at the best prices. And trust me, do some shopping on Sunday, when everyone is begging you to buy something. A couple years ago, I bought at least $50 worth of comic books, a t-shirt, buttons, and stickers at the Dark Horse booth for only $20.

7. Walk if you can

Since they now require previously purchased parking passes, it makes this advice pretty obvious. You don't want to drive to the convention center if you don't have to. Walk if at all possible, especially if you are within a mile of the convention center. Trolleys can break down. Traffic jams ensue. And trains can be late. Always give yourself extra time to get there, especially if you need to be there by a certain time.

8. Plan for different kinds of weather

I have been to a very hot and sunny, and a very cold and dreary Comic Con. Bring summer clothes. It can get hot in San Diego at the end of July. But prepare for rain, because you might need an umbrella waiting in line for Hall H. But ALWAYS pack some kind of light jacket to take with you inside. Some of those panel rooms can be FREEZING, especially if you are sitting through more than one panel.

9. LOOK AROUND YOU

Comic Con is the most interesting "people watching" event in the world. People travel from all over the world to attend. Don't forget to turn around in line and chat to the people around you. Make new friends. Trust me when I say that this is the only place you will ever go that people can have conversations by using only famous lines of dialogue. Open your mouth and meet the people around you. It's the only place where fans, writers, artists, actors, directors and everyone else are all on the same level. For most of us, this is more than just a convention, it's a family reunion. So come and party with us.

10. A convention folder and poster roll.

Having been a convention goer for many years now, I learned after my first con that you need a safe and easy way for carrying your signed items. Bring some kind of binder or folder that will leave pictures and other items dry and straight, packed with extra clear covers and slips. I will say it again, you never quite know who you will run into on the convention floor, or who you may have the opportunity to take a picture with.

Here is a picture of my folder... organized by tv show.

Finally, a list of recommended items in your backpack:

• Extra camera batteries and memory cards. (especially if you are like me and take over 100 pictures at every panel.)
• Bottle of water
• Bottle of some type of caffeine (every coffee and soda addicted attendee will need sustenance)
• sunscreen
• sunglasses or a hat
• cash
• NEVER FORGET YOUR SCHEDULE
• Phone #'s of everyone in your group. You will get separated.
• snacks
• iPod or something else to entertain you while you are in line.
• convention folder
• cameras (I carry four cameras each year. All perfect depending on the situation)

I hope this helps some of you along. If not, well then, you will learn. Just like me. I attended my very first Comic Con by myself, not knowing of anyone else that was going, and I survived. So will you. It's not as scary as it seems... most of the time.

Comic-Con: An experience fit for a coffee table

The best kind of purchase is the one where you have no idea the item exists.

That is what happened to me last week at Borders. I had a 40 percent off coupon and $5 in Borders Bucks burning a whole in my pocket. After spending a good 20 minutes looking for something to buy, I settled on the trade paperback for "Flash: Rebirth."

As I turned to head to the register something caught my eye. The words "Comic-Con" in bright yellow type.

Like a moth to the flame I went straight for it.

That's when I realized this was no ordinary Comic-Con book. It was a book about Morgan Spurlock and Joss Whedon's Comic-Con film.

I dropped that "Flash" book faster... well, really fast.

Originally priced at $24.99, with the coupon and Borders Bucks I walked out of there with it for only $9.69.

And you wonder why this is happening.

OK, first off with this book: Much like with Comic-Con itself, this book is not for the normal everyday person. Filled with photos of people dressed up like their favorite characters and stories about favorite Comic-Con moments, this book is directed at a single audience. People that love Comic-Con.

But, it's not cheaply done. Spurlock, known for making "Super Size Me," goes after quotes from industry heavyweights like Grant Morrison, Nathan Fillion, Stan Lee and Guillermo Del Toro.

And that is only naming a few. There are a ton of recognizable faces in here.

That is also true of some of the cosplayers. Many people I saw walking around the show floor last year made it into the book including Christopher Schauman and his awesome "Saw" related costume and Jeffrey C. Roberts and his creepy Darkseid outfit.

Seeing the awesome photography of the costumes is great, but the stories are what drive this book.

For the introduction of the Day One chapter, Spurlock writes: "The first day of Comic-Con is the closest thing to Christmas morning that you'll ever experience as an adult. The excitement, the wonder, the anticipation... you have no idea what's inside, but you can't wait to rip it open to find out."

Some of the stories are hilarious, like this gem from G4 host Morgan Webb: "The craziest things you see here are women dressed up in very strange and revealing outfits. And you know it's from a comic book or an anime or a video game, but you can't quite place it, and all you know is that girl forgot her pants."

Obviously this book is just a warmup to the documentary, which at this second does not have a release date.

So, maybe releasing the book so close to Comic-Con wasn't the best idea. I would have split the book's release and the film's release so that they don't overlap Comic-Con. Many people attending this year might not drop the money, because they are about to see the real thing and need to save the money to buy a "Green Lantern" shirt or meet John Barrowman.

Not that Stephanie and I try to do those things every year...

Dark Horse at Comic Con 2011 Teasers: Cast

So, the masses of Comic Con emails begin as the final countdown to one of the biggest conventions in the world winds down.

The email that has everyone puzzled at the moment is this one that I and hundreds of other got from Dark Horse this afternoon. And all that was in the message, was this picture.

I have no idea what it is, and it seems no one else does either. But they have my interested peaked high enough to definitely check out their booth on preview night at 7:30 pm.

Sad Comic-Con news

It's being reported... well, everywhere that Marvel Studios will NOT be making a presentation at Comic-Con this year.
Very sad news considering they had the best moment of last year.

Seriously I got chills seeing that in person and still get them watching it every time.

But, Comic-Con's loss could be Disney's gain.

In August, Disney will put on it's D23 convention. And since Disney will be doing "The Avengers" there is a very, very strong chance we'll see something there.

And Stephanie and I will be there to see it all. Really, it would take Thor himself to stop us.

Early comic-con details released

In a month, the entire pop culture world will descend on San Diego for comic-con. Though the full schedule won't be out for a while, a few studios have begun to release details about what they're bringing to the con.

Warner Bros. Television

"Supernatural" will be in Hall H on Sunday July 24 11:15 a.m. to 12: 15 p.m. This is really big news, since in the past the hall has sat empty on Sunday. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are scheduled with other cast and producers to be announced.

"The Big Bang Theory" is on Friday July 22 12:30-1:30 p.m. The entire cast is scheduled to be on hand with producer Chuck Lorre. He may have some interesting things to say.

"Chuck," "Fringe," "Alcatraz" and "The Vampire Diaries" are all on Saturday July 23 in Ballroom 20.

"The Secret Circle," "Alcatraz," "Person of Interest" and "Supernatural: The Anime Series" are the Preview Night sneak peek pilot screenings.

Along with several other shows Warner Bros. Animation will present "Green Lantern: The Animated Series" and "Young Justice."

Starz

"Torchwood: Miracle Day" stars John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Lauren Ambrose, Bill Pullman and producer Jane Espenson will discuss the new season Friday July 22 at 10 a.m. in Ballroom 20.

The "Spartacus: Vengeance" panel, in 6BCF on Friday July 22 at 5:45 p.m., will introduce fans to new star Liam McIntyre and also feature Lucy Lawless, Dustin Clare, Manu Bennett and producer Steven S. DeKnight.

HBO

"Game of Thrones will make its comic-con debut on Thursday July 21 in Ballroom 20 with Peter Dinklage, Jason Momoa, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke and the show's producers. Moderating the panel will be special guest George R.R. Martin.

The entire "True Blood" cast (minus Alexander Skarsgaard) will be in attendance on Friday July 22 with producer Alan Ball.

Other Highlights

"Castle" is scheduled for Sunday July 24 at 11:45 a.m.

"Bones" will present Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz and "The Finder" cast members with show producers on Friday July 22.

Shows attending without confirmed dates

"Community"
"Eureka"
"Warehouse 13"
"Sanctuary"
"Sons of Anarchy"
"Being Human U.S."

This list doesn't reflect all the confirmed shows, just the ones we're excited about. For a more comprehensive list check here.

Best moment(s) of 2010

We're gearing up toward our big Best Movies of 2010 show, but I wanted to talk about the best 24 hour period I had in entertainment this last year.

Saturday evening, July 24 at Comic-Con.

Hall H to be exact. Hard to remember the specific time thanks to Stabby McStab Stab.

Stephanie and I were at opposite ends of the room and I was sitting next to this very nice couple. The two of them had no clue what was about to happen and that made it even better.

We had heard rumors of Daniel Craig or Harrison Ford showing up for the "Cowboys and Aliens" panel.

We got both.

Craig came out first and got a good reaction.

Ford came out and the roof blew off Hall H. I can't even really put into words how amazing the reaction was. In some ways there was so much noise though screaming, clapping etc. that it created this strange buzzing noise that seemed to block out everything.

I still remember the look on the man sitting next to me. His mouth was wide open in shock and it was almost pure amazement joy.

Less than an hour later, it got even better with the big "Avengers" announcement. Even though Stephanie and I both knew it was coming, it was beyond everything we could have expected. (I still get goosebumps watching that video.)

In some ways it was almost too good to be true. I've mentioned this on the show before, but all our life nerds dreamed of this day. We just always thought it would never happen.

It's probably extremely dorky to say, but I was sitting there thinking "I'm watching history."

Then of course then next morning, I got to do this:

BEST... DAY... EVER!

100k+ nerds cause an overload on the Comic Con registration site!

Honestly, I know this is a huge hassle, and the registration website should have prepared for this...but I can't help but feel a little proud.

For the first time ever, fans have caused a major overload on the website, and registration has officially been canceled until a later date. On the Comic Con website there is a new message: "Please check back on the 8th of November for information on the new registration date."

And minutes after that, the home page was updated with this following message:


As a long time Comic Con veteran, I have seen plenty of crazy things when it comes to registration and hotel bookings. But I have never witnessed this before.

As for us Comic Con nerds on Twitter, while we were waiting for that dreadful message, we somehow found a way to not only entertain ourselves, but gave the world a new reason to call us nerds...and that's with hilarious tweets:

@Crazy4Comic Con: Buying Comic Con tickets today: "It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced..." #SDCC

@SuperMomRobyn: If I can get up at 4am to get in line at Hall H, I can't wait a few hours for tickets to #SDCC

@jpooch21: I just keep telling myself that waiting for #sdcc ticket website to load is preparing me 8.5 months early for the horror that is Hall H line

@ana_br: Frustration is an understatment! RT @kirstiemdon: Seriously, I could've found Narnia by now. #SDCC

@TVWithoutPity: Leave it to #SDCC to hire the only nerds who aren't tech-savvy. RT @colliderfrosty: whoever does tech for Comic-Con needs to get fired.

@Crazy4ComicCon: Hour 1 of waiting in line ends. Hour 2 begins.Anyone have any food or water (maybe a sleeping bag)? Good luck all! #SDCC

@Crazy4ComicCon: At this rate, we will be getting tickets hopefully by Christmas time- well it will be a perfect X-mas gift :) #SDCC

@redsonja1313: I am an angry mob of one armed with a pen ready to storm hall H #SDCC

@Silentbeeker: Perhaps this is all some twisted experiment to see how much comic-con fans will take before snapping? #Theticketsarealie #SDCC

@Locdonan: #SDCC Knock Knock...Who's There?/// Comic Con.... Comic Con Who?.......Hello?...Hello!?... Service Unavailable....

@tehAlz: The Matrix has us. There is no step 2... #SDCC

@saintocamus: otakus, nerds, geeks, trekies, ewoks, freakies, steam punks, ghostbuster, zombies.....This is WAR I want my tickets!!! @#SDCC

@candacetwilson: greatest costume at #sdcc 2011??? A service unavailable screen...except he got mobbed right inside the door....

@RandomPenguin: @DamonLindelof I feel like getting tix to #SDCC is like the people on Lost getting off the island: most of us will die before that happens

@Jeska_Day: Maybe if A-M agreed to press reload only on even minutes, and N-Z on odd, we'd all get our tickets for ComicCon #sdcc

@Crazy4ComicCon: #SDCC fans, we did it!!! We broke Comic Con! I know this is sad but it's pretty impressive at the same time. (check back Nov 8th)

@plannedaccident: LOOKS LIKE EPIC HAS A CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE YA'LL +1(704)943-1003. HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE 100,000 NERDS SCORNED #SDCC

...nothing like an epic and hilarious #SDCC Twitter spam to go down with the worst day in Nerd History. But hey, that's what we're here for.

Comic-Con: The decision

After months (maybe even years) of fanboy speculation and rumors out of control, the decision as to where Comic-Con would end up after 2012 has finally be answered.

And you hear that noise?

A few die-hard geeks died a little inside.

According to a just released press release from the Comic-Con organizers, the annual pop culture convention is staying in San Diego "for the foreseeable future."

"We are grateful for the tireless efforts all three cities put into to their proposals," said David Glanzer, Comic-Con's director of marketing and public relations, in the press release. "In the end, we feel this decision is the best for all those who attend Comic-Con and for the organization itself. We are happy that the community has worked with us to ensure that we remain here."

That means unbearable crowds for the "forseeable future" until San Diego finishes it's multi-million dollar upgrade to the convention center and surrounding area.

Now that is over, can we put 100 percent focus into fixing the horrific hotel situation?