Saturday, August 18, 2012
NEW!!! E.SPANTO action figures!!!!
TONIGHT!!!!!
youtubers can watch a preview of part 2 on BLOODSHOT THEATREs youtube channel! check it out!!!!
http://youtu.be/ajD-ilekcP4
THE GHUL GOES WEST!!!!(SDCC 2012 day 2, for me).
The night went quickly, but sleep seemed to last forever. and soon, it was morning here in mission valley(7am to be exact, 9am SA). So, i got up bright(almost bright, it was kinda cloudy that day)and early, felt well rested and ready to tackle the days events. since i had already been to preview night, i felt there was no need to leave immediately for opening day. i had my badge and everything else i needed so i was set(so i thought!). first things first, when i would get to down town san diego, go to the bank! retrieve my money i had deposited into my new bank account. buuuut first, i decided to hit up the hotels fitness room for a quick work out. after my walk away from the hotel yesterday afternoon, i saw there wasn't much pathway for a good run(unless, you had a bike in relation). the traffic underneath the overpass was heavy and death seemed almost instantaneous for a runner not familiar with the area(especially at this hour). anyway, i could tell the fitness room wouldn't have much to offer(as far as free weights)so i made the best of what was available. 50lb barbells,treadmill,stepper, and a bicycle machine(or whatever its called). the room itself was pretty small and at an angle(i would measure 10ftx10ft, less once you got to that angle). anyway, the room had one occupant(an older woman)who kinda gestured in a "why are you here" fashion, or maybe upset over the lack of space and privacy the room offered. so, i just smiled, said hello and went on with my work out. it wasn't long before she would leave, making the room all mine! now i could make all kinds of grunts,yells,etc.. lol! i made use of all that i could(the slant board was really handy)to work up a good sweat. after about 30 minutes or so, i returned to my room for another shower and to prepare for the day. ok, all dressed up now and with new shoes(in clark griswald style)i was ready to step out the door. well almost, i went through my checklist one more time again and again. it has to be here! i know i packed it! where is it??? ok, trace and pace your thoughts prior to leaving/packing from SA. Yeah, you idiot! you left it behind! dumb ass! hahaha!!!! what was it??? hell, iam too embarassed to mention it here(but it makes a story i guess). but, i forgot my battery charger.... to my camcorder!!!! hah! you call yourself a professional! i should take that badge and rip it up in your face and send you to the end of the line!!!!(somewhere that evil voice of dr. doom echoed in my mind). alright ok, no problem ive got all the time in the world! no sense of beating myself up over it i'll just hope to find an electronics store nearby. i set up my laptop frantically searching for a nearby radio shack or best buy! yep, you guessed it! all out of reach and none in the down town area! and since iam not from or ever have been to san diego well... it sucks to be me doesn't it? lol! i think my defunct rca vhs camcorder had something to do with this! haha! i weighed out my options on how i could possibily utilize the shuttle transportation to perhaps get me to my destination. and what i really needed to tape and what i didn't(i had one battery at full charge, the other ready to die). no,no,and no! to the hell with it! i will take the shuttle to down town and iam bound to find some electronics store, there just had to be! in good spirits i finally left my hotel room, passing up the hotels cafe and the thought of some of coffee. i wasn't gonna bother with breakfast knowing there wouldn't be much of a variety(for me). just your usual greasy, shaved pig bellies/ass,chopped and formed pig patties/links,slimey/fried chicken embryos, and doughy,gut busting buttermilk creations. sorry, not for me! black coffee woulda done well but i decided to wait until i got down town and hope to find a good coffee shop. so i passed up the hotel cafe and made my way to the line of attendees waiting for the next shuttle. pondering on how or where i could find/purchase a replacement battery charger. i began to strike up conversation with an attendee in costume as i waited. i don't know which character she was but her costume consisted of a yellow(electricians-like)body-hugging jumpsuit and white boots???(i wasn't really allowing myself a full picture as the charger was the only thing on my mind!). i had thought her to be april o'neil of TMNT fame, but that thought was quickly diminished. when i noticed she held (what at first glance thought to have been a microphone)a stuffed monkey or bear as part of her costume. whoa! now its hitting me was she dressed as the man(in this case, girl)with the big yellow hat from the curious george books? nah... anyway, she was also a past attendee and after discovering she was from LA, i decided to use her to my advantage! lol! she was happy to help me in finding a nearby best buy by flipping out her i-phone to locate one. turns out(as i would never know, i was just thinking convience and anywhere down town), there was a best buy about five miles down the street! awesome! i could walk it.... yeah right! i don't even think david banner would survive walking along that dangerous frontage road(unless, some reckless trucker made him angry...very angry!). anyway, i thanked her and went back to my room(i cannot recall for what just now),planning my next move. maybe i could ask the hotel shuttle? besides i made good friends with the driver the day before. it was worth a shot, so i set out to approach the reservation desk. whether or not i asked and what answer i got(iam sure it was no)from the desk clerk i don't remember(sheesh! my memory is it this bad? already??). anyhow, ive got a better photographic memory than anything else, so go the senses. i left the reservation desk to engage my next option and they saw me coming too! lol! and this was pretty stupid of me as well, but i was just up for any available option that could help me getting a charger. so, i walk out the reservation desk and from out of the air a male accented(arabic/latin?) voice "need a ride??"(this wouldn't be the first or last time i heard this over the next few days! lol!) oh yeah, sure! i said. "if youre going to comic-con, i have a discount $15 flat rate fee!" said the driver of the black late model mercury(in mimic of the cabbies crown victorias sans company labels and taxi signs). all this i failed to notice, as i was blinded by desperation. no, i said. "maybe you can get me to the nearest best buy?" "absolutely!" the driver said, hop in i'll take you there! once inside the mercury(which appeared to be his own vehicle)he quoted me the price for a round trip(i had thought)to the nearest best buy. 8 bucks, not bad and he offered to wait outside as i took care of business. along the way i admired the mountains, i kept imagining seeing ponch or jon drive by or that homeless vet(from one CHiPs episode)fling a boulder at oncoming traffic. this i tried explaining to the driver, but the guy was either too young(although he did look a bit older than me) or not familiar with american tv shows, that he could not comprehend. but he did say that san diego has always been the target of many film producers and such. we arrived at the best buy a short time later, i walk in proudly displaying my comic-con badge seeking immediate assistance. i didn't want to keep the driver waiting too long, who knew what would happen next? i kinda feared being ditched or robbed lol! and when youre a stranger in unknown territory ya gotta consider these options. be alert and be PREPARED(ding!ding!)! but i kept my thoughts positive and made my way with finding a replacement charger for my camcorder. after provided assistance by two different employees, i found the charger i needed and proceeded to check out. i wasn't all that unprepared(financially),as i did have my credit cards(department stores)and best buy was one of them(and yes, it did have money in it lol!). so i used that without having to touch my comic-con cash "cash". i paid, walked out glanced at the parking lot quickly finding the driver waiting(thankfully!). we head back towards the hotel, things started to tense up when i noticed that he seemed to be driving in the opposite direction! oh fuck! iam dead or gonna wind up dead! false alarm! breathing back to normal, in order to get back to the hotel you had to make this loop. i had not realized this, again like before you never know. but back at the hotel things got a little fishy, indeed he did quote me 8 bucks for a round trip(so i thought!). in which he meant, 8 bucks to go and come so a total of 16 bucks! whoooops! i guess i mis-heard. anyhow, he was a nice guy just trying to make a living and compete with the other cabbies(this i observed, when he cut in front of other parked cabbies to get my business). so i tipped the driver(his name i will not reveal to protect the innocent by whatever disclaimer is given at the begining of a dragnet tv show), he was eager to get mines/every attendees service(24 hrs.)offering me his card and service anytime. which wouldn't be necessary as SDCC provided shuttle service to and from the con, all you had to do was find your "stop". anyway, i thanked him, bid my farewell and was relieved to have a charger! i rushed back to my room, tore open the package and put the charger to work. it would serve its purpose and when i get back to SA, i'll return it that simple. though i felt it could be handy, but no... ive already got two chargers(from both my cannons). anyhow, it was probably near lunchtime by the time i got out the door a third(or fourth)time and my next target was getting my cash back! finally, relaxed and at ease i was on a shuttle ride to comic-con day 2(for me). riding back to the con, this time in broad daylight i let my eyes drift into the hills and mountains along the highway(now there was a running trail!). the shuttle arrives down town, and stops at where i was picked up last night. i didn't feel the need to ask if whether the shuttle would pick up there tonight(as i felt assured it would, buuuut...). i began walking alongside petco park in search of my new bank(according to my cheap-o phone it was a few blocks away). i couldn't help but noticing people walking their dogs in stride throughout the down town area, it was adorable! lol! i wound up on 10th st. eventually, as my eyes targeted a SDCC famous monsters banner draped outside of a down town eatery(dragons den). yes! i had to eat here or be here later! according to the banner a famous monsters after party was to be held there. sushi! and monsters!!! yeah! wow! what more can i ask for??? well, i asked a woman who worked there(the owner or manager perhaps?)what time was the party gonna be held. but she hadn't a clue, although she pointed me to the right direction of my new bank. i kept dragons den in mind for later, maybe id rub elbows with a staff member from famous monsters. in which my case, i hadn't the slightest idea who to look for! i know forrest(uncle forry)passed away sometime ago and i don't know if warren is even alive. maybe if the opportunity presented itself id slip one of the staff members a flyer or get into some kinda conversation about monster movies. it would be neat! anyhow, i put my new tennis shoes to the test speed walking(almost)down to 1st st.. which arose to confusion, i just passed 2nd st. and then i wound up on some other street. this time i decided to ask someone, i sought out a pedicabber who had material-girl plastic like body language/image. i got nothing from her, then again i should have waited until she was off her cell(i hadn't noticed this until it was too late). i saw a security officer who acted as if he knew(or just wanted me outta his way)and just said its out back that-a- way. ok no problem, why did i bother with any of them? i will find that street myself! soon treading around a couple of sidewalks i stumble upon a coffee shop. i mean, i was near i had to be near! So, let me get that cup of coffee i so badly needed(or just any kinda caffeine fix)to clear my mind. i ordered up an iced coffee(since it wasn't so cool/cloudy outside anymore)black and strong. whatever the place was called it was on 1st st. adjacent to my(new)bank. i dumbfoundedly realized this when i asked the cashier, and looked over my shoulder BAM! there it was. with a small hunger looming in my stomach, i also ordered a multi-grain bagel to answer that call. all the cashiers/servers were clad in comic-book attire, cool! when the cashier/server in the pink superman(girl)t-shirt asked what kinda spread i wanted with my bagel, i was like just dry after noticing the immediate options(cream cheese,jams,jellies,etc..). "are you sure???" she asked in disbelief. yes, well unless ya got something other than cream cheese... i said. "how about some hummus?" she said. YEAH!(fuck yeah!)yes, please! i said. and in an instant i felt a sense of comfort and belonging in san diego. i fixed up my iced coffee and took my grub to go(again)then proceeded to the bank. i was very cautious about crossing the streets(after hearing about a hit and run incident a few days ago outside the con)and waited for the signal lights to give me the go ahead. if i were in SA, i don't think id be as cautious but since i was alien to these down town streets... look out! before i got up to the entrance of the bank, i just had to cram some of that bagel down my mouth. the hummus was kinda messy but good, and i had to at least keep clean if i was gonna do some business with the bank. so, i just took a few bites as a passing cyclist gave me an "eat up!" smile as i chomped away without a care in the world. alright, got a few extra bucks back for comic-con cash and i was set(payday was the next day, so all was good). it wasn't like i was gonna go out and buy that gi-mungous S.H.I.E.L.D heli-carrier anyway, right? no, all i wanted was that damned comic-con batman t-shirt! with the convention center in sight, all i had to do was walk on down the street. i had already zipped that large cup of iced coffee before i had even gotten inside the bank. it was time for a refill and had my doubts if they would offer one(without having to buy one again). to my surprise, the coffee shop offered refills for around 50 cents! how cool was that? service was great and hospitality even greater! zooming down the street on my second cup of iced coffee, i stopped to devour the rest of that bagel and admire the view. i had already spotted my opening shot for day 2 footage, and it was of one of the buildings that towered over the convention center. i finished up my bagel, sucked up whatever was left of the coffee, and took the shot i wanted once i got to the corner of the street. soon, i made my way back to the con and it kinda felt like royalty(to me, at least)just having to flash my (professional) badge at the entrance, not having to wait, and just hearing the staff say"professional, right this way!"lol! very cool, very cool. ok so back again at the exhibit, twice as crowded as preview night if not alot more! i whipped out my camcorder and just started taping wherever, whoever, and whatever. yeah, that comic-con t-shirt line should be no big deal. yeah, right! there goes trying to tackle that for the day. but thats ok, ive still got another two days! relax, have fun! and that's what i did, taping all in costume that i could and just all the madness around me. after being swallowed up in the mess of the exhibit, i decided it was time to take a trip upstairs. here, i continued taping as i walked through the hallways in search of a secluded restroom to complete the transformation to e.spanto. there were a few, but if they would be as calm the next day i would have to find out. there was some really good costumes just about everywhere! i managed to get a few on tape, the ones that really caught my eye were... drum roll please... (perhaps, the ONLY one)sharon carter(S.H.I.E.L.D agent, now if only SHE came with that heli-carrier!),ms. marvel(warbird),harley quinn(there were many, but the one i got on tape nailed it!),raven(teen titans),and all the batgirls!!!! all of this taping made me hungry, it was about that time anyway and awhile away until dawn of the con. after touring the second floor, i made my exit outta the con and towards that huge bridge outside the convention center. i had to cross this bridge, i just had to! once at the top, i took(taped) in a view of the fantastic scenery that one(me, for being here the first time)could be amazed by. Ok enough of this panoramic pleasure, it was time to get downstairs and find something to eat! i swept through the small extension of comic-con festivities below and scored me a free red bull zero(from the django booth). but then i had to be a sucker(holding off my appetite), for an h2o mobile-type bar that immediately caught my attention. i had never tried this and i might have been confused(with those once hip oxygen bars), so i thought id give it a try. besides for 5 bucks what did i have to lose but 5 bucks? i paid the fee, entered the mobile-shuttle type hippie van, selected my aromatic flavour, and began inhaling(huffing whatever). the guy in charge said he was gonna give me additional time for it being my first experience. cool, i tried my best to follow as he instructed but couldn't really feel anything. relax and imagine peaceful thoughts(or something of that matter)he said, but i just couldn't do it. and if it was supposed to do all that it said it didn't for me! what i really needed was some good food and thats what kept me anxious. anxious, to try the flavours of san diego and not sit in some oxygen mobile trying to imagine relaxation. my time was up, i hurried out the van 'cos i knew just where i wanted to stuff my face. yeah, that dragons den was just around the corner as i remembered and i was just in time for a sushi and drink special(well almost). the bartender a really cool guy,let me have the special even though i was a few minutes early. as far enforced a vegetarian that iam, i do include fish in my diet(occasionally)and that spicy tuna roll was calling out to me. it was very fresh and the veggie roll paired well with it. of course i had to wash it down with a tall glass of sapporo, and then another and another. feeling alright, and much more relaxed than coming outta that oxygen van. i took in some conversation with the bartender about food(in sandiego),beer,absente,and of course comic-con. he told me to keep an eye out for his room mate, whom he claimed to have a really neat halo(or some video game)costume with working lights. half way done with my third poisonious glass of stupor, i chugged away without any hesitation(knowing i didn't have to get behind the wheel). i had to maintain myself just a little bit, after all the rob zombie extravaganza was just hours away. so, i tipped and bid my farewell to the bartender thanking him for the excellent service and food(as well as the bits of san diego info). feeling punch drunk but still sober(is it not how we all feel when we deny being drunk?lol!), i ultimately made way to my shuttle stop. whatever mischief presented itself along the way iam sure i welcomed it foolishily. anyhow, the ride back to the hotel was quick and before long i was back in my room. i needed to snap myself back in place just a bit and with that handy can of red bull zero, it was just the fix i needed. i took a stroll around the hotel complex in search of an ice machine and just to scope out the view. maybe id spot a really neat superheroine costume(or janet on her ten speed), or just some daft mishap i could get myself into. no such luck, so i carried on back to my room. i was kinda skeptical about consuming anything the hotel had to offer, as there were cancer warning signs placed about in every corner of the hotel complex. but i wasn't gonna let it spoil my fun(and i dont think it was intended to either)and poured that can of red bull zero into a glass of ice. the rob zombie extravaganza was rapidily approaching, i soaked up time by plugging in my laptop and playing classic metal tunes(black sabbath,metallica,W.A.S.P,anthrax, and anything else i could find on youtube)as loud as my laptop could get! soon it was time to head out so, i took to the rooms huge mirror and began flexing(shirtless! just kidding lol!). ok, so i wasn't flexing just doing my best travis bickle,geared up and was ready to go! both batteries were charged(and so was i)and everything was packed, hell is coming to frogtown! lol! or is it iam here to chew bubble gum and kick some ass... and iam all outta bubble gum! anyway, i went out the door for the night having to make a quick stop at the hotel bar(obviously). i ordered up the house hand crafted beer special or whatever and tried at best to swallow it down(it was pretty strong), but i did eventually. i was hoping the owner of this so-called historic bar would be present for nostalgic conversation(according to its history, the owner once knew or had appeared with jackie gleason on the honey mooners). but he wasn't, and if maybe he had just maybe the beer i had woulda been easier to tolerate. instead, i got the bars cocky bartendress whom i don't blame for the attitude(as iam sure the days ahead would be hectic for her)and putting up with drunk geeks(or just drunks in general) on a yearly/daily basis, would give you attitude as well. even so, i left a small tip and made my way outta the bar outside the hotel to the shuttle stop. again the ride was quick and this time the shuttle dropped us off in front of the convention center. ok, so now it seemed we(Red route riders) would be getting dropped off/picked up here from now on. alright, so back at the con(in front)costumes and people were abound. but my target was dawn of the con, and i moved with crowd towards that direction(gas lamp area). the noise level began to escalate once i neared the gates, fuck yeah! this is gonna be great!!!! once inside, the creepy stilt walkers were unavoidable,taunting and haunting guests as they entered. with my camera charged up and at my disposal, i began taping at once and quickly made my way to the front of the sound stage. i mean it was no big deal, it wasn't like it was jam packed and mosh-pits were forming outta control. the dj kinda resembled rob zombie a bit and from a distance i had thought it was. although, through out my short time at dawn of the con i never saw rob zombie once(even though the program book claimed he was hosting the whole shindig). anyway, the speakers began blasting out a classic pantera(from cowboys from hell, primal concrete sledge i recall) tune as i approached the munster coach(just one of the few attractions on display)used for the dragula video. i took a few shots of this creepy classic car and moved on about continuing my walk through. the music was getting good about this time, the dj just spun out motorhead's ace of spades and then a classic metallica song(from the kill'em all album, i believe it was jump in the fire?). i made my way to the back of the festival trying to figure out what the huge line(free shirt-pressing)was for and thought it was a rob zombie meet and greet(i wasn't gonna wait and see). i continued on around along the gate with metallica still playing loudly, i wound up back up front again. alright, so this was it? i waited expectantly for some classic monster movie(s) to be playing somewhere in this whole get-up(again, what i thought was according to the ad in the program book). i guess i'll swing back(another)beer and listen to the tunes as they just got better and better(the dj just started playing anthrax's iam the law). so that called for a... good lord!!!! 11 bucks for a 24 ouncer??? quickly, i realized why no one wasn't really getting loud and obnoxious. that price(to me)was insane! and the selection wasn't too great either(yes, iam a beer snob). i surely would think they would have dos equis(instead of corona)and michelob ultra(instead of buuuhhhd light!). if this had been the selection then just maybe.. just maybe, i woulda ditched out the 11 bucks and try to enjoy the show. "iam the law" continued playing so surely that meant for me to drown a beer(but the selection ewww..)! i didn't have to contemplate any longer 'cos all of a sudden the music stopped! right in the middle of iam the law!!! what gives!!?! this is comic-con! surely, they would have some respect for the badge(of dredd)and honour the comic book geeks in attendance!!! so the guy(whoever he was)makes his announcement about the festivals attractions and such(where the hell was rob???), then the dj spins a motley crue tune(live wire)abruptly cutting off iam the law. although, live wire is one of my favourite crue songs i was still upset over the anthrax cut off! i took in(taped)whatever else i could, before drawing the line as a ridiculous mallcore tune(by what band i dont even know or if i did probably never heard of) began to vex through the speakers. that did it! ok, maybe this particular tune is considered metal,hard rock or whatever to some. but for me, when it comes to metal its gotta be metal! and this wasn't it! not what the ad said too! lol! and yes, i do like almost all types of music but this was just crap! and if vh1 classics was sponsoring this(on behalf of rob zombie or vice versa)shame on them! anyway, i soon found myself approaching the exit just like a handful of others. i treaded on down the street in search of all the comic-con after party action and whatever else that was comic-con in down town san diego. i taped along the way, and once the crowd got scarce i opted to put my camera away. i was getting hungry and my buzz was just about getting ready to wear off, so i had to find eat(gooood) and drink(gooood)asap! i crossed more than a few streets with no destination in mind, when i stumbled upon a smoking-hot pedicabber. unlike, the other cyclist from earlier this one actually sought out my attention."need a ride???" she said. and yeah ,it was at the tip of my tongue to say what i wanted to say, but i just smiled and said it anyway(fuck it! this was comic-con!!!). she seemed a bit puzzled and gave me a waggish smile, looking over to her co-worker(another female pedicab bicyclist, who was almost as equally hot)in astonishment. anyway i continued on down the street(walking, laughing about what i had just said) and around a corner, finally finding a place that would suit me. zanzibars was a cozy little place, and they reeled me upon browsing their menu. i just had to try their falafel burger(this was completely alien to me and something i would probably never see in SA)! I felt maybe just a bit outta place with the yuppie-like crowd, but the staff was very welcoming and offered me a table right away(near a guy who kinda resembled j'onn j'onz the martian manhuter). i couldn't hardly wait for the falafel burger to be served up, so i had to see what they had on tap. i chose the racer 5, another hand-crafted beer and like it it too was a challenge trying gulp down. as a matter of fact they tasted kinda the same! at long last, my falafel burger was served up and every bite was just as i expected... delicious!!! not too crispy, but moist and chewy just perfect. though, it didn't go too well with my drink the included string fries made it a bit more tolerable. in no rush, i savored every bite! while updating(status) responding to(and viewing) tweets from dread central and anthony bourdain. i wasn't sure where i was headed after finishing up my dinner, but i knew i had to get there(somewhere, anywhere!). i paid my check,proceeding to leave when i noticed the bakery(boy, did i have a sweet tooth!). so, i took along a couple of snack treats(home made coconut macaroons)from the restaurants bakery, paid for them with a couple of my dollar coins and off i went. it was already nighttime by the time i had left, signs and street lights lit up the down town streets. do i go left or do i go right?(do i take the blue pill or the red pill? haha!), i went left(the left-hand path? yikes!)and continued left and left again. all the while, taping in whatever/whoever got in my way(it didn't matter, i had two fully charged batteries and a charger back at the room)so what the hell? i was loaded, somewhere in these down town streets there just had to be a rock bar! something, somewhere that would make me forget going to dawn of the con, so i walked on down further to see what i could find. i could smell indian food in the air somewhere(though,i had just ate)and followed the scent to a place(on 4th street?)that i kept in mind for the next night(but it made me hungry!). aside from the delicious aromas of food coming from every other corner, i couldn't help but perceiving the scent of marijuana(from a few places outta nowhere). i don't know, maybe it was just me? isn't it legal in california? anyway, iam not about to do research just now and i'll get back to the story. strolling on down the streets(which began to fill with more traffic and people), i come across a panhandler whom i offered what i could in exchange for the location of a good rock/metal bar. he referred me to dawn of the con(hah!)and said there really wasn't much that type of a bar in the vicinity. well then, i knew what i could probably expect if i wanted loud rock bar music. i sought out henessy's which was probably just around the corner(but i wouldn't know)after knowing that he-man.org was having their SDCC after party there the next night(it was to include 80s rock cover band past action heroes). somehow, i wound up in front of a mall(by balboa theater) where a saxophonist was playing(flawlessly) "sailing" by(SA's haha!) christopher cross. whatever this mall was called(i'll dub the "united artists" mall, 'cos thats what the sign said up above), i went up the escalator after briefly listening to the sax-man play his heart out. it was funny too, as for some reason had this song in my mind a short-time ago. anyway, up the escalator i went in search of united artists(the production company)scanning every bit i could with my camcorder doing its job. Forward and upward, i treaded along inside the mall(which was quite nice and i usually don't like malls all that much)as stores were begining to close up for the night. i dove into a store(that sold motorcycle balaclava's)just as it was about to close, their selection of skull-printed balaclava's caught my attention. but they didn't have a fully faced "skullmask" balaclava that i could wear around SDCC(or for the moment! lol!)for just for just. anyhow, they were nice enough to let me browse around briefly as i was determined to united artists! the mall(to me) was very reminiscent of early 80's movies(the boys next door and fast times at ridgemont high quickly came to mind), i was certain somewhere around the corner a pat benatar wannabe would be standing by an arcade. maybe i could grab a slice of pizza, play a game of galaga and defeat the bishop of battle! ok, but first lets find united artists so that we could maybe have them distribute the e.spanto live action series(hahaha!). annnnnd to my dismay, united artists was nothing more than a movie theater! boo! hiss! what a rip-off! alright, well it was a fun walk and woulda been neat if it actually were united artists. i continue taping and begin segments with a spanish-speaking voice pretending to be(and sound like) a newscaster from primer impacto. i head on back down the escalator, taking a right down the street and coincidentally discovering hennesy's. alright! maybe now i could hear some loud heavy music and enjoy a reasonably priced beer(the racer 5 was almost half the price of what was offered at dawn of the con, and it got me a good buzz too!). the beer was priced about the same as zanzibars and had a draft selection i was a bit more familiar with. the music however(a cover band), played some late 90s-early millenium kinda hard rock(bleh!). the bar was happening as i was only able to find a seat(at the bar)waaay at the end near the waitresses' drink pick up/refill station. i waited quite a bit to finally get noticed and to be offered service from the bartendress(who wasn't very busy) behind the counter. i had a dos equis(because iam the most interesting ghoul in the... yeah yeah yeah..), relaxed and took in the view for the time i was there. the waitresses' kept it interesting, clad in superheroine costumes in honour of comic-con and looking as cute as they wanted to. a waitress with seemingly no comic-related type costume but just a cat-mask and sexy outfit(no, she wasn't trying to be catwoman)that consisted of a blue sport top and black tights was very busy as i could tell. i knew this because, i kept bumping elbows with her as she raced back and forth to the pick-up station. maybe i was in her way? but then i caught her looking(at me), so i raised my glass(in approval) towards her and downed my beer. "nice mask", i told her and then i decided to blow the joint! upset with the service(although, ms. cat-mask made it worthwhile!)and music, i left leaving a tip and wondering why would he-man.org even have their party here??? i take a right around the street at the corner of bar(it wasn't well lit), and find a homeless woman with her dog. so, i made an attempt to pet her dog and it flashed its fangs at me! but the woman instructed her dog to be nice and so it did,"please make sure the dog eats", i told her. then, i gave her whatever change i had left in my pockets. i cannot even begin to express my feelings here for(especially, homeless and diseased)pets. anyhow, i made my way back to the front of the convention center a short time later. attendees still clad in costume, camping out for friday(the 13th),and just tons of(comic-book) people still out and about(i loved it!). i get to my shuttle stop to see no one is waiting(i had known this already, about precise shuttle pick-up), but i decided to cross over the ("that") bridge anyway. still quite a bit buzzed over the two drinks i just had, i whip out my camera for fun and to tape some of the sdcc action along the way. i ramble on pretending to be that newscaster(with bad spanish and maliciones)from primer impacto once again, complete with mischievious zoom-ins and drunken(really?)camera work. i make it over the bridge to find that there is long line waiting(for the red route), but as stated before i had already known this(just wanted a good walk and assurance). it indeed was a nice walk and worth it(burned off my buzz), so what now? i do it again!!! back i go over the bridge to get in front of the convention center once again. i find my shuttle stop and this time there is a line, it sucked to be the others over the bridge(but eventually the shuttle did make its stop over the bridge). the ride back to the hotel was long(due to a busload of attendees, no shit!), but gazing out to the city lights and stars in the sky made me forget it was(and almost my stop again!). i was starving by the time i got to my room(all i could think of was the enticing aromas of indian food from earlier in the evening)and i decided to give the pizza delivery a try. besides their flyers were placed all over the hotel rooms, so they gotta be good! right? i ordered a mushroom pizza with fresh garlic and delivery was almost fast(i guess thats because i wasn't doing anything to occupy my time, no i wasn't flexing in the mirror again lol!). i paid the delivery man and gave him a tip but apparently it wasn't enough. so, i gave him the rest of the dollar coins i had in the room(in addition to the tip i had already given him). it still didn't seem like enough he went on about how he raced to get here(in the rain, though it wasn't raining all that bad just misting)and he deserved a bigger tip. darn, he must have mistaken the dollar coins for quarters. i had to(literally) shut the door in his face so he could leave. i gave myself a few minutes then checked through the peep hole to see if he was still around. weird, fucking weeeiiirrrrd!!!! anyway, the pizza wasn't worth all that trouble. the sauce seemed like a cross between chef boyardee and oregano laden budget brand pizza sauce, the mushrooms were good and so was the dough. but the sauce just killed it! i maybe took 3 bites or less, it was that unbearable(no kidding!). with that putting a cap on the night, i decided to do the same and rest up for the day ahead. good night!
ok, lessons learned this day:
1. ALWAYS pack your battery charger for any electronic device that you plan to be mobile with! and a checklist won't hurt either before planning your trip. or you can learn the hard way.... like me!
2. NEVER get into cars with strangers! duh! in this case, those without proper credentials or illegitimate/bogus service.
3. NEVER try to pet stray dogs! unless their owner(if present)says it's ok.
4. ALWAYS tip your pizza-man! especially if it's raining!!!
more later... anyhowwl, check out some of day 2 footage here:
http://youtu.be/vTJMPjJDehQ
http://youtu.be/2yZN_TUF1IE
http://youtu.be/Q0CE2PMjf_0
http://youtu.be/lXWdkLQ8Org
ok, lessons learned this day:
1. ALWAYS pack your battery charger for any electronic device that you plan to be mobile with! and a checklist won't hurt either before planning your trip. or you can learn the hard way.... like me!
2. NEVER get into cars with strangers! duh! in this case, those without proper credentials or illegitimate/bogus service.
3. NEVER try to pet stray dogs! unless their owner(if present)says it's ok.
4. ALWAYS tip your pizza-man! especially if it's raining!!!
more later... anyhowwl, check out some of day 2 footage here:
http://youtu.be/vTJMPjJDehQ
http://youtu.be/2yZN_TUF1IE
http://youtu.be/Q0CE2PMjf_0
http://youtu.be/lXWdkLQ8Org
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
you bastard!!!! YOU went to comic-con??!!??
just "some" video footage of SDCC 2012 preview night. I was running on 30 minutes of sleep,waited in line for preview night(about 3 hours??? or more lol!but it was worth it!),and i couldn't check into my hotel until i had a security deposit! luckily, the hotel was able to hold my luggage until it was check in time and I was able to get the security deposit. so, there wasn't a bank(that i bank with) nearby so that i could deposit cash into my card as a deposit. thus, my journey to comic-con began! like david banner, i slung a simple bag(my laptop bag)over my shoulder with immediate necessities(camera,cash,phone,etc..)and trodded down the road. all the neighbouring mountains and hills really made it feel as though i were in an episode of the incredible hulk or CHiPs lol! and there was a bank(but not my bank)nearby so i eventually had to wire money to my bank account and so on. it was my only chance, the closest bank(my bank)was near tijuana! there was no hesitation to make the venture out there, but time was of importance. which is why i planned an early flight to prepare for the unexpected and in this case. in order to wire money to my current bank account, i had to set up an account with this bank. it was noon by the time i had got done with all the banking business and registration/badge pick up was in about 3 hours. plenty of time to find my way to the convention and lounge around the fashion valley mall a bit for a bite to eat. i got something quick and fast from a bagel shop/french cafe i cannot recall the name just now. but it was near the parking lot and trolley station(my destination). i took my lunch to go and inhaled it through the parking lot proceeding to the trolley pay station. with my hands full of oil from the bag of chips and avocado from the veggie sandwich i inserted ten dollars into the pay station for a day pass trolley ticket(and a day of fun!). i got back five golden coins(dollar coins)! wow! it seemed like i just paid charon a toll for a ferry ride! turned out i didnt even need to purchase a day pass whatsoever as i wasn't even checked for my ticket upon boarding. screw it, the ride was fun and worth it. it seemed everyone in the trolley was a comic-con attendee, people from europe,mexico,japan it was amazing! i stumbled upon a group of comic-con volunteers who were already seasoned veterans of the con. after a few exchange of words about star trek and current tv shows bazinga,big bang theory,smallville whatever(which i have no interest of). i quickly became part of their group and joined them on their way to comic-con without having to take another trolley. the convention was near and since they knew their way around after the second trolley(i took) we walked it. their names i cannot remember but they were all volunteers and within the masses upon masses of bodies at comic-con i would never see them again after we split up. finally, at comic-con(san diego convention center)and badge pick up/registration was alot quicker and hassle free than i thought. except, for the mess that my badge was mistakenly already claimed. after proof of id and troubleshooting assistance i received my badge! YES! and a professional badge too! lol! it also garnished me rights for all the comic-con goodies (souvenir book,program book, and an official comic-con cman of steel carry bag blah!). now, where to go next??? i just followed everyone else and flashed my(professional)badge to gain clearance of the second floor. i just moved with the crowd and hit a roadblock of people once i got around the second floor. what was this line for? yeah, preview night! ok, so iam already here and hotel check in time was a few hours away. was it gonna be worth it to go alllll the way back to the hotel??? NO, this was comic-con!!!! So, i waited,waited,waited, and waited. With my cell set to die in mere moments, i could only observe everyone else beat time with their ipads,iphones,ipods and i somethings. Of course, i had the souvenir and program books to flip through. but after an hour or so, i thought to have gathered enough information as i could. after all i was here most importantly to promote bloodshot theatre as best i could(panels,q&a's,celebrity meet and greets were out the door). the comic-con carry bag trade offs were fun to witness and at best killed time. i held onto my man of steel bag after seeing there was quite a demand for it. the attendees in front of me slowly started to fold and conceal theirs once people began scouting/trading for them. since it was superman(blah!)i was kinda willing to trade but for a good one! and thats about the time people started toting around a dark knight rises bag. i made no attempt to offer for a trade as i doubted anyone would be willing to trade for my man of steel bag, sigh! so, i wound up with my crummy man of steel bag. sit,stand,sit,stand hour after hour.... trying to fight sleep! whoa! just then a few sexy female cosplayers began parading the halls! a really cool x-23(hartsoe's razor anyone? please!??) and a few other anime characters(that i do not know)began to show up. whoever they were they got me up and awake so i kept my eyes peeled for more! the line began to move and stopped around the corner where i could get a nice view of petco park. it was then that i sought out a perfect taping location. with that thought held, i anticipated the appearance of e.spanto on friday the 13th. all of a sudden cheers and applause began to echo through hallway. could this mean??? no, still another 30 minutes or so from what i could tell until preview night. with the little sleep i got, those thirty minutes seemed like an eternity! and soon the crowd began to move and make "the" move for preview night. hurray!!! down the escalator i went with the crowd, almost there! like opening a christmas or birthday present i was finally at the entrance. WOW! this is it! i made it! iam here at last! iam at san diego comic-con!!!! attendees dispersed everywhere like hungry wolves knowing where/what/who to prey upon. i just kinda stood there gazing for a moment(half asleep), in awe and unsure what to think,where to go,what to do etc... this was preview night i had the opportunity to look,grab,buy whatever and anything before anyone else! i wasn't in kansas anymore(errr.. texas comic con or eckmans). alright, so i decided to tape first and marvel at the gigantic displays and such. i wasn't planning on buying much anyhow, as stated before just here for promotion. there were a few items i had in mind for purchase most importantly the comic-con batman t- shirt! ahhh.. i'll get to it later! bad idea. i took a quick walk around, circling the outer side of the exhibit. now, it was time to actually go in to the aisles upon aisles of vendors and exhibitors. i quickly picked up a creature from the black lagoon t- shirt and later a dr. phibes t-shirt. i browsed the endless selection of action figures everywhere! (i was in search of a dc universe classics wave 1 orion). i found only one vendor to have one and at the price of 40 u.s. dollars, so i decided to hold on it. the price was about right as ive seen an orion go up to about 80 bucks online. i had to get my back issue fix and stumbled upon a bargain bin of comics(4x$10). a good selection too as i was after bronze age comics of mr. miracle and new gods. so i picked up a couple of each and got away with an early copy of mr. miracle(issue 18, by king kirby!). the vendor had not realized it wasn't marked at the special price! but was nice enough to let me have it at that price. cool! now all i need is just the pricey issues 1-17!!! aisle through aisle i went, alotta neat stuff that i didn't have to have. the big toy companies(hasbro and mattel)had lots of new items to display, but not for sale i had assumed. i couldn't help noticing quite a few attendees toting around hasbros S.H.I.E.L.D heli-carrier! wow! i had the opportunity for matty collectors con-exclusives(dark knight rises batman)weeks prior(from the site) to the show. but i decided to pass, and kinda wished i didn't 'cos it came with a really neat matty collector tote bag! aside from the t-shirt, i was kinda interested in finding a one-of-a kind comic-con exclusive. there were a few and i eyed the batman(batbear???)keychain with the super-powers style packaging(i think last year they offered a green lantern bear, yes?). and a great mazinga styled batman robot(the colours differed from what i had seen online)like the shogun warriors. pretty cool, but when you start making superheroes into bears and robots my interest is lost. shopping around, going through the aisles, i didn't have my camera out and missed a shot at marina sirtis(deanna troi of STNG). damn. what i could tell she had her own booth set-up for signing? anyhow, she was just as sexy as i remembered her all those late saturday nights of watching STNG! it was a thrill to see her in person! she seemed occupied at the moment so i just glanced, smiled and continued. i didn't want to seem like some deranged trekkie waiting for the right moment to strike! lol! i continued down aisles again and again i found something of interest(well for me)a big barda(with helmet) dc universe classics figure for 8 bucks. i'll take it! since i already have the variant, just something to add to my new gods collection. so, having got my fouth world fullfillment i decided to leave the exhibit and find my way back to the hotel.but not before making another attempt at grabbing a comic-con batman t-shirt! no luck, lines were already closed for the evening. bummer. anyhow, sundown was rapidily approaching as i exited the convention, i looked for my shuttle stop. found it! but for some reason the stop was re-located behind petco park. no problem, i didn't mind taking a stroll through a bit of down town san diego. i crossed the tracks, followed the crowd, browsed the nearby eateries(for future reference)and eventually came across the gaslamp area. there were officers directing traffic and it was at the tip of my tongue to ask for info finding my shuttle stop. but i just kept moving not caring if i got lost. i was tired, but down for an adventure! i overheard voices and footsteps behind me as i turned around the corner of a street by petco park. was i being followed??? lol! no, it turned out to be a couple of con-attendees just as lost as i was! so we joined forces to find our shuttle stop(which was just around the corner). finally, boarded the shuttle as the driver informed us that the shuttle would again pick up here the next day. on the way back i was too tired to strike up conversation with my newfound friends. even so, to see what bags they had to offer up a trade for my man of steel bag! the shuttle neared the hotel i was to stay at but passed it up! oh no! no reason to panic i thought it was certain to loop back again. hell, ive waited this long and been waiting all day another half hour isn't gonna kill me. i bid my friends farewell as their stop was the next(highly doubting id see them again just like everyone else). the loop around seemed quick as more tired attendees boarded the shuttle the second time around. at last, i was at the hotel but not before i stopped in a nearby diner. it was a burger-type eatery that was connected to one of the neighbouring hotels(bunz burgers). i ordered up a veggie burger to satisfy my late night hunger midnight snack. service was great and i didn't have to wait too long(then again, did it matter at this point?). okay, check-in time now everything went well. i was given back the rest of my luggage and made my way to my room. i was amazed at how i managed to still stand! lol! the hotels structure kinda reminded me of threes company with all the palm trees around haha! i was hoping to see janet(joyce de witt)ride along somewhere on her ten speed! anyway, the door to my room looked as though it had been pried open before(there was a huge indenture along the doors right border). hmmm? what happened here before? suicide? murder? drug bust? kidnapping? who cares! it was time to eat and hit the sack! the room was simple and had a huge mirror! i finished up my meal, unpacked, and gathered my thoughts for a moment then hit the sack like a ton of bricks! and that was day 1(preview night)for me, i will be blogging days 2-4 later for now check out some of the footage here:
http://youtu.be/Enr7Sma9YsQ
oh yes, although iam no travel planner but heres a few lessons i learned that day....
1. aside from having cash "cash" at your disposal. ALWAYS, have a back up major credit or debit card(with cash in them, duh!)!!!! Then again, i blame this on the hotel for not stating this(security deposit) anywhere prior to booking. unless it was(in that small tiny fine print you don't realize when you have just signed your life away!)and i overlooked it.
2. always carry your phone charger(or an extra battery if ya got one)! you just might find an available eletrical outlet to charge it up again. i had observed this and security/staff didn't seem to mind as attendees charged their i-devices and phones. this is a given, but if you know youre gonna leave your room for long periods of time(at a convention particularily)take it with you!
3. finally, get some sleep!!!! a good amount of rest will always keep refreshed and energized for the next day! well sometimes. until then pleasant screams!!!!
http://youtu.be/Enr7Sma9YsQ
oh yes, although iam no travel planner but heres a few lessons i learned that day....
1. aside from having cash "cash" at your disposal. ALWAYS, have a back up major credit or debit card(with cash in them, duh!)!!!! Then again, i blame this on the hotel for not stating this(security deposit) anywhere prior to booking. unless it was(in that small tiny fine print you don't realize when you have just signed your life away!)and i overlooked it.
2. always carry your phone charger(or an extra battery if ya got one)! you just might find an available eletrical outlet to charge it up again. i had observed this and security/staff didn't seem to mind as attendees charged their i-devices and phones. this is a given, but if you know youre gonna leave your room for long periods of time(at a convention particularily)take it with you!
3. finally, get some sleep!!!! a good amount of rest will always keep refreshed and energized for the next day! well sometimes. until then pleasant screams!!!!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
BLOODSHOT THEATRE SDCC 2012 SUPER-SPECIAL PT.1 and 2
check out the preview here:
http://youtu.be/NcgRsr0N2A0
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