5 Things To Do Outside San Diego Comic Con To Experience San Diego

I LIVE for San Diego Comic Con!  BUT I also LOVE San Diego!  There are so many fun and relaxing things to do, in and around the Convention Center, here are a five of my top favorites!

Zombie SAK {Survival Assistance Kit} Review

With The Walking Dead returning tonight I thought I'd give you a little zombie fun! Check out...

Zombie Sak is a company that provides you with the survival materials needed to get you through any disaster situation.  So when they contacted me to review one of their bags, I jumped at the chance.  The Gamer Geek was ecstatic since he is a zombie lover in the first place.  We had a great time going through the bag and doing a mock photo shoot while I was out visiting him in Colorado this past week.

Inside the duffle:
*Tomahawk {this is VERY real and SHARP!}
*Collapsible Water Bottle
*Mask Pack
*Survival Sandwich
*Whole Wheat Bread Ration
*Lifeline Ultralight Survival Kit {includes:  Weatherproof case, Emergency Cord, Compass, Whistle, Safety pins, Duck Tape, Aluminum Foil, Snare Wire, Waterproof Matches, Fishing hooks and sinker weights, Fishing line, Surgical Blade, Ziplock Bag, Wound Closure Strips.}

This Zombie Survival Kit with Ax will run you $52.95.  The site has six kits to choose from running from $9.99 to $59.99.  If you rather only a few things, the site also sells individual knives, food, first aid kits and other survival tools.

This tomahawk alone makes this kit worth it's price.  It is super sharp and heavy.  I am personally going to keep this in my car, just in case of emergencies.  This kit comes complete with so many great things that you can use before or after the zombie apocalypse.  The Gamer Geek said that the food was less than desirable, but if you were in a life or death situation, he said he would be happy to eat them!

Are you ready for a survival situation, if it ever arose?  Let us know in the comments what you are doing to prepare for a disaster!

Geek Girls Gab with Jenn of Zombie Walk San Diego

The Nerdy Girlie:  What is your 1st nerd memory?

Jenn:  I think all my memories probably count as "nerd memories" but I distinctly remember taking computer classes in Pre-K and learning BASIC in kindergarten. By 4th grade, our class were using LegoLOGO to program our Lego cars to navigate ramps and other obstacles. This was in the mid to late 90s, so I suppose that's pretty nerdy for back then. You might also consider my nerding out about dinosaurs when I was two (and continuing to do so, thirty years later) one of my earliest nerd memory ;)

TNG:  How and why did you start blogging?

Jenn:  I've been keeping a log of my thoughts and interesting things I find around the web since the days of Geocities, back in the mid-90s, before "blogging" was really a thing. I'm sure if someone got really dedicated, they could find some really bad goth poetry from an angsty teenaged me, out there somewhere. 

The why is a little more complex. Not many people realize, despite my being fairly open about it, but I'm Autistic. I've always found using typing as an alternative communication method to be much more fulfilling than speaking. For lack of a better way to explain it, there's a disconnect in my brain which keeps me from being as eloquent (vocally) as I tend to be whilst typing. Because of this, I get anxious when required to have conversations in person or on the phone, and that tends to make me stutter or stumble on my words. Many people take for granted the ease of being able to literally speak their mind and not have to concentrate on the variety of vocal nuances. 

Being able to type what I'm thinking feels more natural than speaking. So the idea of being able to type out some of the chaos going on in my brain, to lighten the load, and actually say what I mean without worrying about intonation, inflection, or using the wrong words/phrasing... then have people read it and be able to respond, engaging in conversations without fear of mis-speaking? That's such a powerfully liberating concept. I can't even imagine how different my life would have turned out, had it not been for my first online journal entries, back in 1995. 

TNG:  YOUR favorite blog?

Jenn:  That's difficult. As a native Angeleno, I have a deep-seated appreciation for the history of my city and all the fun nooks & crannies it has to offer. I think my most-visited blogs are Vintage LA and Hidden LA - they have a regular site, too, but update more often on Facebook). Also, I'm a really big fan of I Fucking Love Science. I wish I'd thought of putting together something like that!

Me with Maria Menounos (I did her Halloween makeup last year... yay!) 

TNG:  What is your favorite thing/things to nerd out about?

Jenn:  Zombies are the easy answer, but in addition to the undead: all things science. My three favorite subjects are astronomy, geophysics, and dinosaurs. Seriously, I spend way too much time drooling beneath Endeavour at the California Science Center, marveling over the Tesla Coil and stargazing at the Griffith Observatory, and just having my mind completely blown at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. I could live in the LA County Natural History Museum for the rest of my life and be completely happy; their gem & mineral collection is insane. 

TNG:  Any tips for San Diego Comic Con?

Jenn:  I think there are so many great blogs out there which cover tips so much better than I could, since I have a different con experience than many people do, but my top five tips to have a great Comic-Con:

* Hygiene - Not only does it keep you feeling good for the week, it keeps others around you happy. The better the impression you make, the more likely you are to have more personal interaction with people you find interesting. Not to mention, a hot bath feels so freakin' good at the end of a long day. And bring a change of socks with you, during the day! You never know when you'll want to double-up due to impending blisters or when you may sweat through one pair and need the second. There's a lot of standing around and walking, so it's good to keep your feet happy. 

* Plan Your Day Before You Get There, But Leave Some Wiggle Room - Make sure you know what's going on and when. Have a backup plan, in case you don't get into the panel/autograph session you want. Wear a watch and keep an eye on it. Also remember, sometimes a panel may seem like it'd be awesome to attend, but also consider how much you'll be missing out in those several hours spent in line. Comic-Con is so much more than just panels. 

Out of my top ten SDCC memories, only one involves a panel: our first year of zombiewalk, Max Brooks was moderating a panel featuring George Romero. During Q&A, someone I didn't even know stood up and asked if either was attending the zombiewalk. It floored me to not only hear a stranger promoting the event, but starting a conversation - with two of the biggest names in the undead nerd universe - about the event. They both said they wouldn't be able to make it, but it led to Max Brooks having to explain what a zombiewalk is to George Romero, and opened the door for me to be able to introduce myself to both of them following the panel and having great conversations with both... one of the few times I've ever fangirled! 

Which leads me to the most important part: if you spend all your times in panels, you won't be walking the floor. I've had encounters with more celebrities, artists, and authors on the floor than anywhere else. And it's always a far more authentic encounter than the ten seconds you get during an autograph session or being seated in a crowded room for an hour, watching them talk on stage. The intimate nature of the one-on-one conversations you can have will give you such an awesome experience to walk away with.

A picture from the set of a Rat City Riot music video

Another thing to keep in mind: offsite events. THERE ARE TONS (including Zombie Walk)! Don't feel like you need to stay cooped up in the Convention Center all day. Go get some fresh air and walk around the Gaslamp Quarter. You never know who or what you'll run into on the street or while exploring great offerings from NerdHQ, Geek & Sundry, Gam3rcon, Tr!ckster, Machinima, or many others entities!

*Lines - Know where they start, where they end, what they're for, and never underestimate the length of time you'll be spending in one. Practice good line etiquette; don't hold spots for more than 1-2 people, let people around you know that you're saving a spot and how many people you're expecting, bring enough snacks to share with those around you, etc. And don't forget to smile! You're there to have a good time and so is everyone else. Making new friends is one of the coolest things about SDCC and lines seem to be THE place to do that. 

*Budget, Budget, Budget - Seriously, make one and stick to it. Always allow a buffer, but forget you have it. Daily budgeting works for me. I plan out what I want to spend on exclusives and commissions, then make a per diem for food, followed by a "whatever fund", then the just-in-case buffer. Look at your budget as what you can spend, not what you should spend. If you don't max out the budget every day, you'll have extra left over to either take advantage of the fantastic dealer sales on Sunday or to put toward your passes for next year, during pre-registration later this summer!

*HAVE FUN! - Don't stress out about missing a panel, an autograph session, a swag giveaway, a party, or an event. There are so many things going on next week that there will be other opportunities for you to enjoy yourself. If you miss out on the fandom party you've been looking forward to all year, I promise there will be other meetups and parties that will be just as awesome (if not more so).  If you don't get that must-have exclusive, look at it as money saved to be able to do/purchase something else - especially an awesome commissioned piece in Artist's Alley. If you don't get into a panel you wanted to see, check out some smaller ones and maybe find a new comic/show/movie to get into. I use SDCC as a way to discover new things, in addition to celebrating that which I already love.

TNG:  Girlie things you love?

Jenn:  It's hard to get girlie when you're covered in fake blood and dirt all the time, but I have my moments. I love a good corset, collect knee socks, and go through hair colors more frequently than anyone probably should. Oh! Lush products! I'm such a serious Lushie...there's just something seriously and decadently girlie about a wonderful bubble bath. And bubble baths are a great way to ditch all the zombie grime ;)

BIG Thank you Jenn for taking time out of her CRAZY BUSY SD Zombie Walk planning to answer our questions.  Find her at Comic Con next week and at her Zombie Walk!  The Zombie Walk is July 20th at 6:30pm and is FREE for everyone!  See more info on their website: Zombie Walk San Diego and Follow them on Twitter: @sdzombiewalk and Jenn's personal Twitter at: @readysteadystop.

San Diego Comic Con 2011: Day 3

Good family picture....

Tired family picture...3rd day waking up at 6am.

Our early rising was for the Being Human panel at the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.  When we arrived to the line at 7:30am there were already over 200 people in line.  And after our arrival the line BLEW UP!  We were let in around 9:30am for The Attack of the Show panel.  @The_Gamer_Geek was super excited about this one, he LOVES this show and was able to meet the hosts the day before, also very happy about that:)  For that panel we ended up being about 14 rows back.  After that the family left and the hunny got us up a few more rows for the Sanctuary panel.  This was break time for us, as the Being Human panel wasn't until afterwards.  

FINALLY the time was upon us...we moved up a couple more rows and they showed a lil preview of next season (which they had only been filming for a week) and it was exciting!  The three main actors Sam Witwer (my favorite), Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington (the hunny's fav) were AWESOME.  They were super talkative, personable, friendly and very FUNNY!  This was deffinalty one of the highlights of my con.  

We left directly after that and walked around the floor a bit.  Phineas and Ferb were having a signing.

And I decied to finally venture into the Perry mobile and guess who was standing right next to me Mr. Perry himself Dee Bradley Baker!  

Someone in line was nice enough to snap a picture of me with him.  

After reuniting with the family downtown to get our FREE Cowboys and Aliens Ts, I saw a tweet from The Nerd Machine that there were 40 tickets available for the Nathan Fillion panel at their Nerd HQ, and we were RIGHT by it, so The Music Maven and I ran over there and were able to get in, right as Zachary Levi was beginning the panel!  

We even had Chuck actors Joshua Gomez (Morgan Grimes) and Ryan McPartlin (Capt. Awesome) sitting directly behind us!!  

Zach introduced Nathan and gave him the sweetest hug...awwwww!!

Nathan began with wishing and wishing and wishing how much his co-star Jewel Staite could be there and we were all like....????? and then.....

She walks out! :)  Nathan then said he would so much rather Jewel be there than Adam Baldwin! and then......

ADAM came out!!!  This was such a great panel.  They talked about nothing in particular but it was super funny and at sometimes sweet and of course always charming!  

Then the end they posed for the 200 attends.  It was a awesome and intimate setting...so thankful for Twitter!  

After the panel we headed downstairs to check out NERDHQ.  I LOVED the Lego Nerd Machine and The Music Maven bought me my NERD HQ Hat...which the Hunny ended up stealing from me!

By this time we were exhausted from 4 days of SDCC and early call times!  We walked through the Hard Rock Hotel, where I had to stop for a picture with my FAV magazine, then just hung out on a bench in front of the hotel to take a load off!  Shortly after sitting down we saw Nathan Fillion walk out "in disguise" he was wearing exactly what he was wearing to the NERD HQ panel but with his "disguise."  Will post a picture of it in tomorrow's blog post, since he might want to walk around the con with it tomorrow too:) THAT WAS FUN!

AND GUESS WHO DECIDES TO WALK BY!?  THE CAST OF BEING HUMAN!!  It happened so fast that I didn't grab them for a picture, but got a nice one of my Sam.  We also ended up seeing Nick Swardson from Grandmas Boy, a G4 personality and The Punisher, Thomas Jane.  

We ended up resting there for 2 hours, by that time the Being Human cast came back around and just hung out right in front of us.  I walked over and said hi to Meaghan Wrath and she was pleasantly surprised to find out my name was Megan too, and I got a picture with her.  The other seamed busy and were all talking with Thomas Jane, so I didn't want to butt in...but someone else decided to, sooooooo.....

I was able to get a picture with all three of them and Sam Witwer had his arm around me nice and snug :)  I was so excited afterwards that I didn't see if the Hunny wanted a shot with his Sam the werewolf...soooooo  

We grabbed him and the Huny was super happy to get a shot with his man crush:)  This MADE both of our SDCC!!!

After this the zombie walk was coming to an end where we were standing, so @The_Gamer_Geek was happy to be able to catch the tail end of it.

This was hands down, THE best SDCC day I have had in the 3 years we have been going!  Next year I'm just going to camp out in front of the Hard Rock Hotel!  One more day to go!!!

NERD Ts by Graphic Lab Tees

I usually order all my NERD Ts from Teefury.  They {in my opinion} have the best quality Ts and the best fitting Ts for girls and guys.  I like how they are longer and thinner, not short and boxy.  I have ordered from Qwertee and Shirt.Whoot and have not had the best results.  But today I just found this new site, Graphic Lab Design.  I had never seen it before {the hunny usually goes on Tee Magnet every night) and there are so many Ts that I would have LOVED to buy!  Its a bummer that they only have them for such a short time because I need to start planning out my San Diego Comic Con 2013 wardrobe!!

futurama

The Hunger Games

more Futurama

LOVE the art on this BSG T

I have been DYING for a Community T

I use to LOVE Wendy's in my college days & love zombies now :)

Dalek R2D2 perfection!