Comic-Con 2015 Day 4: Thrilling Adventures and Relative Relaxation

We got up at a reasonably civilized hour and packed up for the last day of con. First on the agenda was the Thrilling Adventure Hour over at Nerd HQ. I confess that the Thrilling Adventure Hour is one of those things I haven't found time to get into, even though it seems right up my alley. The panel was fun and laugh-filled, and Amy Acker is just as sweet and charming as she was in Angel and Much Ado About Nothing (seriously, she's like a flower).

After the panel it was time for one last round of shopping, and I also went back to Nerd HQ for a while to sip a cocktail and enjoy the relative peace and quiet. Then it was back to the convention center for the showing of the Buffy musical "Once More With Feeling." This had an added bonus of an appearance by Juliet Landau, talking about her forthcoming documentary on vampires in myth, legend and pop culture. Unfortunately, the showing of the musical itself was plagued by both technical issues and by audience members booing and yelling insults at Dawn's character. (I've encountered Dawn haters before but never this bad, and I just don't get it.)

I left a bit early to swing by the Ralph's and get some food to eat while I waited for the train home. I got to the train station early, as I only had a coach seat and I've seen how nuts it gets for the train leaving San Diego. I boarded the train without incident, and am not writing this blog entry. (Thanks, Amtrak wifi!)

Tomorrow this post will be updated with photos and some final thoughts on the con.

Comic-Con 2015 Day 3: No Hate for the Hateful Eight

I got up at a really unpleasant hour of the morning to get in line for Hall H and the panel for Quentin Tarantino's new film, The Hateful Eight. (I refuse to sleep out all night for any panel that doesn't involve a full-body massage administered by Bruce Campbell.) I followed the line past the tents, out past the marina, and onto an area nicknamed "the island" by Hall H line campers. Whilst waiting, I chatted with a nice guy named Henry, and eventually the line compressed as people got out of their sleeping bags. We ended up under the tents and figured that this meant we would get into the hall. Sure enough, we were ushered in with room to spare and settled down for the panels.

The view from the end of the Hall H line, about 6 a.m.

The first was the Warner Brothers panel, which featured previews of (and extremely brief panels for) The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Pan, Suicide Squad, and Batman vs. Superman. All of these movies certainly look well made, but nothing seemed particularly compelling about them. It was nice to see Hugh Jackman at the panel for Pan, though.

After that it was a combo panel for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and for Patient Zero. Of the two, the latter actually seems a bit more interesting primarily because of the cast (two Game of Thrones alumni, Matt Smith doing a credible American accent, and Stanley Tucci being a boss). But nothing that can't wait for Netflix.

Then we finally had what I had come here for: Tarantino introducing his new film, The Hateful Eight. Actually, first off was a filmed intro with Samuel L. Jackson explaining the the movie was filmed in 70mm Panavision and that a limited-engagement "roadshow" release was planned. (Consider my ticket bought.) Then Tarantino was there, being his usual hyper, verbose self; cast members Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern (among others) didn't get to talk much but all seemed very enthusiastic about the film. The capper to the panel was that we all got swag: a lobby-card-style poster for the film.

Kurt Russell at the Hateful Eight panel.

Quentin Tarantino at the Hateful Eight panel.

After the panel I met Scott for lunch (at The Field, a very good Irish pub), and then we did a bit more looking around at the vendor room before heading upstairs to a panel that showed a planned (but never published) 3-D EC comic, complete with a dramatic reading and 3-D glasses. Lots of fun. Dinner was at a mediocre and overpriced BBQ place.

And of course, it wouldn't be Comic-Con without some cosplayers and other oddities.

"Stay on target."

Cosplaying scooter riders.

Nux and Imperator Furiosa out for dinner. WITNESS ME!

Tomorrow: Thrilling Adventure Hour and one last round of shopping.

Comic-Con 2015 Day 2: Con Men and Deadites

Had a relatively restful morning, taking our time and getting to the Con before opening time. We loitered outside, waiting for the doors to open so we could hit the exhibitor floor. This wait was made annoying by various SDCC personnel who gave us much conflicting information about when the doors would open and which entrance we should use, but eventual it was all sorted out. The wait was also notable for that elusive phenomenon of spotting a celebrity in the wild (i.e., not as part of a panel or other scheduled appearance), when I saw Nathan Fillion walking outside the con, heading in the general direction of Hall H. This would not be my last encounter with Mr. Fillion this day.

Once we got in, Scott and I spent a good couple hours looking around. I got a Dalek t-shirt for Alex, and a Fantagraphics collection of George Evans's comics work for myself. Scott was given a free poster at Shout Factory for being a punk rock enthusiast. 

After lunch I headed over to Nerd HQ for the Con Man panel. While I was waiting I got myself a Nerd HQ messenger bag, which I like because it's pink (I can incorporate it into my "Let's take pink back from the princesses" campaign). Then it was on to the panel itself, which was lots of fun. The guests were: Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, P.J. Haarsma, Tricia Helfer, Alison Haislip, Michael Trucco, Nolan North, and Casper Van Dien. We got to see the trailer for Con Man and hear about the making of the web series, which looks like it's going to be a hilarious yet respectful look at the con life.

Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion at the Con Man Nerd HQ panel 

(my apologies for crappy photo quality)

I was prepared to immediately leave after the panel was over and hustle back to the convention center, as I wanted to be sure we got into the Ash vs. Evil Dead panel, but the Nerd HQ folks had a surprise for us. The Con Man panel were going to take pictures with all 200 panel attendees. Well, I could hardly pass that up, as you can see.

Nathan Fillion doesn't seem to like my hat very much.

After that bit of fun, I got back to the convention center. Scott and I ended up camping out in the Sense8 panel (which was just its creator talking, no other panelists) and then enjoying the Ash vs. Evil Dead panel. We got to see two versions of the trailer, and then hear from guests that included Sam Raimi, Lucy Lawless (it's very strange to hear her speak in her natural Kiwi accent), and the ever-awesome Bruce Campbell. Bruce was in fine form, being both funny and snarky, and even hosting an impromptu Ash cosplay contest (the winner was the girl whose costume had "groovy" on the butt).

Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi, Lucy Lawless, and Bruce Campbell whet our appetites for Ash vs. Evil Dead

After the panel, we went to Smash Burger for dinner (very tasty but at that point we were so hungry most anything would have tasted good) and then back to the hotel for a soak in the spa.

Tomorrow: Hoping to meet the Hateful Eight!

Comic-Con 2015 Day 1: A Little Business, A Little Pleasure

The best laid plans of mice and men, and all that. Due to extenuating circumstances, beyond an (unsuccessful) bid to get autograph tickets for Doctor Who, I didn't get to spend any time at the con until late afternoon. Once there, I headed for the exhibitor floor, where I bought some buttons for my fangirl jacket, and then a plush Serenity from the California Browncoats.

Then it was over to William Wu Books to pass the time and see if anyone had bought my book. When I arrived, no one had, but as I was chatting, someone bought the book and I signed it for him. Thank you, Jason, for buying A Nerd Girl's Guide to Cinema! I hope you enjoy it!

After that I met up with my husband, who had driven down to the con. We went out for some very good Mexican food at La Fiesta. The margaritas were good too, hence the brevity of this post. I need to get to bed now.

Tomorrow: The Con Man panel at Nerd HQ, and hoping to encounter Bruce Campbell and some Evil Dead!

Comic-Con 2015 Day 0: Up Against the Wall

The trip down to San Diego was pleasant and uneventful. I took the Gold Line down to Union Station, where I caught the Amtrak down to San Diego. We had lucked out in getting the Town and Country hotel, which is right on the trolley, thus saving us considerable time and money. Once at the hotel we got in the first of many lines - the one to check into our hotel.

When we checked in, the clerk said that our room did not have a view, and were we OK with that? We assured her we were, but we weren't quite prepared for what "no view" meant.

The view from our balcony

After Erik and I had a good laugh and sang a rousing chorus of "Is There Anybody Out There" from the Wall album, we caught the trolley back to the convention center to get checked in. Again, we waited in a line (quelle surprise) but emerged victorious with my first ever Comic-Con Creative Professional badge. Check it out.

My badge! 

Usually I have no interest in Preview Night, but we went in briefly so I could visit Booth 5627, William Wu Books, and see my book available for sale. And there it was!

Just $15! What a bargain!

By this time we were very hungry, so we left the center and went in search of food. The Old Spaghetti Factory had no wait (have never seen that before during con) so we took advantage of the situation and ate ourselves silly on pasta and garlic bread. Then we went to Ralph's to get snack supplies for the next few days, and retired to the hotel to jump in the pool for a bit.

Tomorrow: The quest for Hall H and  panels for Doctor Who and Con Man!

Off to San Diego for Comic-Con!

This time tomorrow I should be arriving in San Diego for Comic-Con, where I'll be joining more than 100,000 of my nerdy brethren for four days of geeking out, attending panels, and standing in lines.

I'm particularly excited because my book A Nerd Girl's Guide To Cinema will be on sale at exhibitor booth 5627 (William Wu Books). Stop by, take a look at the book, pick up some free postcards and bookmarks, and who knows, you may see me there too.

I'll also be trying for the Doctor Who, Con Man, Hateful Eight, and Ash vs. Evil Dead panels, and doing my usual shopping.

Look for updates each evening! And lots of this:

Today's mood

Calling all fans of musty old paperbacks...

Do you like vintage paperbacks? I know I do, and that's why on Sunday, March 22 I'll be at the Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Collectors Show.

I somehow did not know about this event until about a month ago. Now I can't wait for it. In addition to vendors of vintage paperbacks, there will be a number of authors and illustrators signing their works (including Joe R. Lansdale and John Skipp). All this, and the cost is only $5 to get in (with free parking).

I will be there with bells on!

Today's mood

Author Panel: The Joys and Trials of Self-Publishing

Save the date: Saturday, December 13 at 3 p.m., I'll be on the panel of The Joys and Trials of Self-Publishing (along with fellow authors Sam Culotta and Bradley Kim). We'll be talking about the importance of self-promotion, our writing processes, the role of ebooks, and much more.

Join us at the Charter Oak Library in Covina, CA (20540 "K" Arrow Highway). Hope to see you there!

Today in Nerditry: 40th Anniversary showing of Phantom of the Paradise

Last night at the Cinerama Dome was a 40th-Anniversary showing of Phantom of the Paradise, and yours truly was there. In addition to seeing the movie with a full house of enthusiasts and even a few cosplayers, I got a nice limited-edition lithograph and a t-shirt. After the movie was a Q&A hosted by Edgar Wright, with Paul Williams, Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham, two members of the "Juicy Fruits" band, and the movie's editor. And to top it all off, at the end I managed to get my issue of Cinefantastique that has Phantom on the cover signed by Paul Williams. This evening has special resonance for me, as Phantom was one of the key films that warped my psyche at a young age and made me into the nerd I am today. It's significant that Phantom was the first film I reviewed for Horrorview, and that review will be included in my upcoming A Nerd Girl's Guide to Cinema.

Comic-Con 2014 report: Making the most of one day

This year I had actually planned to give the con a miss, as I wanted to save the money for various reasons. 

But fortune favors the nerdy, and I managed to luck into a badge for Sunday. Granted, it was one  day only, but a day of Comic-Con is better than no Comic-Con at all.

The only downside was having to get up at zero-dark-thirty on Sunday morning to catch the Gold Line Metrolink from Pasadena down to Union Station, and from there catch the 6:15 Amtrak to San Diego, and from there take the trolley to the Convention Center. (I know this sounds complicated, but I'll take this over trying to find a parking spot by Comic-Con any day.) Upon arriving at the Convention Center with all its banners and signs for various nerd shows and movies, and seeing the crowds of nerds, I felt that peculiar sense of homecoming that I get at the Con. I'm where I belong. I'm with my people. Here, I don't have to explain myself. Everyone gets it.

I acquired my pass and made a beeline for room 29A. The best part of this impromptu trip was that I would get to attend "The Cross-Generational Appeal of Doctor Who" - I'm not that into Doctor Who myself (mostly I just can't spare the time to get hooked on the show) but one of my best friends, E. Gerry Hoard, was on the panel (basically to prove that Doctor Who isn't just for the Tumblr crowd).

I wanted to get a good seat, so I camped out in the panel that had the room before the Doctor Who one. Sitting through panels that you're not that interested in is inevitable at the con, and not always a bad thing. Sometimes you learn about something new and interesting; on the other hand, over the years I've sat through the Bones panel about three times and still have no desire to watch the show. This panel, something about Nintendo, was very boring, but I'm glad I camped out as the line for the Doctor Who one was huge (the show had no official panel this year and the Whovians were starved for anything Who related). The panel my friend was on made the time well worth it. It was great to see the enthusiasm for the show span such a large age range (the youngest panelist was 11, my friend is in his early 70s). Gerry was thrilled; he's been going to the Con for a long while and this was his first time on a panel.

My friend Gerry at the Doctor Who fan panel.

After the panel I zipped down to the exhibitor floor for some shopping. My first stop was William Wu Books, which specializes in pulp sci-fi/fantasy/horror books, movie-related books, and signed works by authors like Bradbury, Ellison, etc.. I was inordinately thrilled that Bill recognized and remembered me from  my previous visits. We had a nice chat and I ended up getting Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone: 13 New Stories From the Supernatural Especially Written for Young People and The Stunt Man by Paul Brodeur, source material for the Richard Rush film.  I then headed over to the Fantagraphics booth, where I picked up one of their EC artists books, Judgment Day and Other Stories by Joe Orlando. 

After those two stops I prowled the floor, fighting my way through the crowds (Sunday is traditionally the most crowded day on the exhibitor floor as there are fewer panels to attend and the vendors often have good deals to reduce their inventory). I got a couple things for my son but other than that didn't do much more shopping, as I wanted to stay on a budget. 

Action figure army

The Great Gonzo

At 3 p.m. I popped upstairs again, this time to attend the Browncoats Meet-Up, a gathering of Firefly/Serenity fans. Unfortunately there were no surprise celebrity guests (there have been in the past, so hope springs eternal) but the panel was still enjoyable, with interesting news about the upcoming Firefly online game. After that it was one last trip to the floor, and then I said goodbye to the Con until next year, and headed for the train station so I could make sure I got a spot on the 6:45 (the line for the train back home is always terrible). The one downside of this trip was that I didn't get a chance for a nice dinner in San Diego - I ended up grabbing a bento box at the Ralph's market and eating that in line for the train. And the cherry on the sundae of the day was on the train ride home. I struck up conversation with my seat mate, mentioned that I was a writer, and he went ahead and right then and there, bought one of my books on his smartphone.  

It was a long day, but worth it. I credit my first attendance at Comic-Con in 2008 with a change in how I feel about the things I enjoy. Up until then, I spent most of my life apologizing for my tastes in books, movies, music, and TV. But after that first visit and the feeling of welcome I felt there, I've stopped apologizing. That alone makes it worth the long trip, the crowds, and so on. Fortune willing, I'll be back next year.

Today's mood - UPDATED WITH 100% MORE AWESOME

Never give up, never surrender! I will be going to Comic-Con this year, albeit for one day only (Sunday).

Am very excited because one of my best friends, E. Gerry Hoard, will be on the panel "The Cross-Generational Appeal of Doctor Who" at 11 a.m. in room 29A. Won't you join us?

Thoughts on NaNoWriMo and Thanksgiving

It's November, which means it's time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Which also means it's time for me to feel vaguely guilty for not participating in NaNoWriMo.

Because I think NaNoWriMo is a great idea. I'm all for giving writers the incentive to push hard and fast and finish a story, whether that story's been stuck at chapter four, or at the outline stage, or is still just floating around in the writer's head. I've been there: I spent years working on a very early (and very terrible) version of my debut novel - and for much of that time I just tinkered with the same dozen-or-so scenes, over and over again. At some point - shortly before a milestone birthday, I won't say which one - I realized this was never going to get the book actually written and completed.

That's where the beauty of NaNoWriMo lies - it provides that motivation to get out of bad writing habits and eliminate distractions so that you get the bulk of a first draft down. Notice I didn't say that you finish your novel. NaNoWriMo just gets you through the first draft (and if you're writing a long novel, you may have more to write. You still need to stash the book in a drawer for a while, read it through with fresh eyes, edit, edit some more, edit yet again, give it to beta readers, gather their feedback, implement their feedback, edit again, and give it to someone to copyedit and proofread. Maybe we can make January the National Novel Editing Month?

I'll be honest, though, the main reason I don't participate in NaNoWriMo is because of the "No" part. November's a busy month for me because of Thanksgiving. I particularly look forward to Thanksgiving because I enjoy the cooler weather and the opportunity to cook for a lot of people. I've had some people think I'm nuts because I like to prepare the entire feast, but to me it's comforting.

• I usually have the feast on the day after Thanksgiving. My guests are all friends, as my family is too far away, and this gives them the chance to spend the day itself with their own families, and then come over to my house for Thanksgiving 2: Turkey Boogaloo.
• Having the feast on Friday also gives me an extra day to prep. I can spend Thanksgiving day itself making pie and cornbread and other make-aheads at my leisure. 
• While I do prepare the whole meal, I don't make everything from scratch. I get frozen pie crust for my pumpkin pies; I order an apple pie for my blaspheming friends who do not like pumpkin pie; I buy bread rolls at the store; I use Williams-Sonoma turkey gravy base for the gravy. 
• Similarly, I use the cranberry sauce out of the can. I am not a huge fan of cranberry sauce, so I asked the friends who do like it whether I should track down a fun recipe for it. To a man they all said the stuff from the can was fine with them. I extricate it from the can so that it's in the perfect shape of the can, and then put it in my fanciest crystal dish - it sits there on the table looking ridiculous and amusing the guests until dinner time.
• My turkey is simple but delicious. I just rub it with a thyme-and-rosemary butter rub and chuck some herbs and onion into the bottom of the pan. I've tried brining and some other fancy tricks, but the herb butter rub gets me the best results.
• Now that I've made a number of Thanksgiving feasts, they're not that daunting. There are two main challenges that always exist. 
• Getting all the side dishes ready and turkey carved at the same time. Thanksgiving is a flurry of prep at the beginning and a whirlwind of prep at the end. In between those prep times is a long period of loitering in the kitchen, nibbling on things, and having some wine. 
• Which leads us to challenge 2 - having just enough wine to make the loitering and basting enjoyable (not to mention taking one's mind off one's aching feet) but not enough so that you forget a side dish or two (a scenario that's happened to at least one person I know). It helps with the second challenge to pace yourself with a good wine that you'll feel guilty about gulping, and save the silly sweet stuff you got at off an end cap at the Trader Joe's for after dinner, when even the teetotalers are drunk on food anyway and no one will notice that you are pixillated.
• There is always room for pie. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Feel free to leave me a comment about how you like to spend your Thanksgiving!

Today's mood

This isn't related to my writing. It's because I just realized I'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd of 16 people, possibly a few more.

Slightly belated report from Stan Lee's Comikaze 2013

This past Saturday I went to Stan Lee's Comikaze 2013, a newcomer to the con scene (this is only its third year).

Going to this con was something of an impulse decision, as I didn't know what it would be like. But frankly, it was going to be such a long time til 2014 San Diego Comic-Con (and who knows if I'll even be able to get passes this year) I figured I had nothing to lose. I'm happy I did, because I had quite an enjoyable time.

Got to the L.A. Convention Center an hour before opening, expecting lines and a mass of humanity. It was so empty that I got parking on the first floor of the structure and waltzed right up to registration with no line. Quite a difference from SDCC! I loitered in line until 9, and then they let us out onto the vendor floor. There was a good array of vendors, including quite a few Steampunk vendors. I ended up buying the novel Queen Mab by Kate Danley (who is a lovely person and signed it for me). I also bought some goodies for my boys, who couldn't make it that day, and some more buttons for my fangirl jacket.

Probably the highlight of the day was the cosplayers. Lots of them, and because Comikaze is so new, the floor wasn't crammed with people the way it is at SDCC so there was room for the cosplayers to strut their stuff and be photographed.

Here are some of my favorite cosplayers from the day:

A Gizmonic Institute employee with Tom Servo 

Black Swan ballerina 

The Toxic Avenger! 

Daenerys Targaryen with one of her dragons 

Captain Hammer's here, hair blowing in the breeze! 

A stormtrooper looking for some droids

Of course, it wouldn't be a con without some signings, and the one I had my eye on was the ever-awesome Bruce Campbell. The line for Bruce's signing was huge, but I got in it early (I was smart and brought lunch with me into line) and I was able to get my copy of If Chins Could Kill signed. And he called me "darlin'." I'm a very happy fangirl.

Bruce Campbell, being groovy 

There were panels as well. Unfortunately I missed a few I would have liked because of being in line for Bruce, but I did manage to catch the Troma panel, which was enjoyable even though I think their movies are more fun to hear about than actually watch. I also caught the Thrilling Adventure Hour panel, which was amusing and made me want to seek out some podcasts and get to know more about this show.

The Troma films panel, including an actor from The Toxic Avenger. The guy with the mustache fourth from the left is Ron Jeremy.

The Thrilling Adventure Hour panel guests. Yes, Castle fans, that's Molly Quinn over on the left.

All in all, a very enjoyable day. The con still has a few details to iron out. More maps and directions for the panels would be good, as there was some confusion about where the panels were. The food and beverage stands seemed pretty overtaxed (the Starbucks ran out of milk!). And there needs to be more seating (no way my husband could have handled the entire day, so it's just as well he couldn't make it). But I think it's a great con so far and provided they keep their attendance capped and don't stuff the venue over capacity (I'm looking at you, SDCC) I see no reason I won't keep coming to the con in years to come. 

How it went: Ashes book signing at Vroman's Bookstore (with photos!)

Today was my first-ever book signing event! I joined two other local authors at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA to read from and answer questions about my novel Ashes, with a signing to follow.

It was a thrill to see a full house in attendance (among them friends, some of whom were around and providing encouragement when I was first writing the book). I read a passage from the first chapter, answered some (very good) questions, and then signed some copies. I was able to say thank you to longtime fans, and possibly gain some new fans.

It was a tremendously rewarding experience, and I was not nearly as nervous as I would have thought I would be. My thanks go out to everyone who attended.

The upcoming events list at Vroman's. I'm left column, second from the top. 

The audience for the 8/25/13 Local Author event at Vroman's. 

Me talking about the book. Judging by my hand gestures, 

I think I'm talking about character and story arc. 

Me at the podium. I think I'm being asked a question at this point. 

Signing copies. Very odd to be on this side of the signing process. 

With the other local authors. 

Talking with a fan at the signing table.

Ashes signing at Vroman's Bookstore, August 25

Join me and other local authors for a signing at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA. It's this Sunday, August 25, at 4 p.m. I'll read from and answer questions about Ashes, and a signing will follow.

Hope to see you there!

Last Comic-Con post, I mean it

I've been a bit waylaid by the infamous "Con Crud" - a sore throat and vague sinus troubles that are the inevitable result of cramming 100,000 people in a relatively small area and recirculating the air endlessly. But here are my thoughts, favorite things, and a few last pictures from this year's Con.

• Lots of good cosplayers this year. There seems to be much more variety in the costumes and that's a good thing. The point of this event should be to geek out about the things that are dear to you, not to dress up like something just because every other nerd will be doing it.
• Lines are never fun but at least in the lines I was in, people took things in stride, were cheerful and friendly. Karen and I had a nice chitchat with Deadpool Waldo (see my entry from a few days ago), talking about movies and TV, and introducing him to the Castle tie-in books. 
• Con is way too crowded. Seriously. There should be no reason for people to camp out all night to get into Hall H. I'd heard that unless you were there at 3 in the morning, there was no way to get into the hall, and that is just ridiculous. Unfortunately, I don't see SDCC cutting back on the crowds, because if you build it, they will come, and that means more profit.
• The upside of this is that maybe more people will check out smaller panels. Aside from our day of Ballroom 20 and Agents of SHIELD, we tended to stick with the medium-to-small events and had a great time. The Roger Rabbit anniversary panel gave good insight into the making of the movie and what an amazing technical achievement it was, and the Spike and Mike animation show was very entertaining. 
• Props once again go to Zachary Levi's Nerd HQ. This time the HQ took over a portion of Petco Park and I think it should stay there. Panels were held in a small, intimate location (only 250 seats) and rest of HQ was a pleasant getaway with comfy couches and video games aplenty. Best of all was the night-time showing of Serenity, out on the grass of Petco Park - just fans with their blankets out on the grass. Only way we could top that is to make it a pajama party. 

And now here are a last round of photos. Enjoy!

A prop from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea 

The gun used in publicity shots by Sean Connery as James Bond 

Nerd HQ in Petco Park gets ready for the evening showing of Serenity 

One of the best cosplays - Big Tall Headless Dude 

Inside Nerd HQ - a great place to relax for a while 

At Nerd HQ, lots of video games - you could choose from the latest ones or old school arcade games like Centipede and Galaga 

Alan Tudyk introduces Nathan Fillion's Nerd HQ panel. 

Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion at Nerd HQ (same for all the rest below)

 

Might get a few more pictures in from friends, but you can probably tell that it was a pretty good time!