Bekah
For the first time for myself, Comic Con feels old hat to me. Is that a phrase? Is saying “old hat”, old hat?
Whatever. This is my 5th Comic Con and I finally feel like I have a system: Wake up. Go running. Find place with passable coffee. Consider downloading the Comic Con App. Don’t download it. Ask friends what they want to do. Follow said friends to a panel you don’t necessarily care about. Surprisingly enjoy panel. Enjoy leisurely lunch. With Booze. Walk around outside of Comic Con. Walk inside the Con. Consider nap. Come back to Apartment, crack open a Bud Light, Complain, Actually Enjoy Bud Light. Catch up with friends about the day. Forget to Nap. Scholastic Graphix Party to end the night.
This has basically been my Thursday at Comic Con every year. And it works! Comic Con used to start off with the Twilight panel– which meant sleeping out since Monday for a prime Hall H spot (this was before I started coming), but my experience has always been a slow build up to the rest of the week. And I’m glad- it works!
Okay, enough talking, let’s get to it.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
The first panel in Hall H for Comic Con 2017 was 20th Century Fox’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
This is what you missed:
Yes. That’s Colin Firth, the guy who plays the lead character (Taron Egerton), Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry and Pedro Pascal.
What you need to know:
The movie looks great! We saw the first 10 minutes and few other clips. Julianne Moore (not at the con) makes a KILLER villain. Let’s just say- when you get to the “Diner scene”…. well, I was gagging. You will too!
Halle Berry chugged a pint glass full of Whiskey. Some people think it was fake. I am not one of those people.
Colin Firth, our one true love, is older than I realized but still oh, so refined:
I actually forgot how good the first Kingman movie was, and the sequel looks pretty amazing, as well. And I’m not just saying that because we got to experience this moment at the end:
Embracing the Romantic
After the Kingman panel, we hightailed it over to catch the last half of the panel with some of our favorite authors: Christina Lauren, Stephanie Perkins, Rebecca Zanetti, Anna Todd and Jessica Cluess!
It was an awesome conversation about the romance, their favorite books, fangirling over each other’s work and just a reminder that our FAVORITE conversations at conventions are with authors!
Outside the Con
As we’ve mentioned in the past, you could busy yourself with stuff “Outside the Con” that you don’t even need a pass to get inside. In fact, shhh don’t tell, but I prefer it outside. Inside is too crowded. Not that the crowds aren’t also insane outside…..
Speaking of crowds, Beth and I went to the Netflix experience mostly to see the Stranger Things set up. They were also featuring The Defenders and the new Will Smith Show BRIGHT.
Bright looks to be a mash between American Gods, The Fever Series, and some Orc show. We can’t quite figure it out, but the sets we walked through were interesting enough.
Stranger Things was INCREDIBLE.
We saw a shrine to Barb:
We got to SIT on the bikes!
All the kid’s costumes were there, including the famed Eleven pink dress! And of course:
The couch:
And now a word from Katy
Teen Titans – Cartoon Network
Like most people, I usually can’t stand it when pop-culture moments – like “where’s the beef,” “don’t have a cow,” and “but her emails” – get done to death. I have one exception: Teen Titan’s ultra-80’s rock extravaganza “The Night Begins to Shine.” I will never tire of this epic work and its 40% Carl Burnett, 40% Franklin Enea, and its sweet, sweet 20% Willian J Reagan (BER). Have a listen:
Fortunately for me, I learned that Teen Titans returns on August 1st with a multi-episode arc that features TNBTS as a central plot point! We saw the first 3 episodes, in which a powerful dragon of the night world has had it with night being all shiny, and captures the Teen Titans in order to gain control of this magical song, and with it THE WORLD! The episodes feature random cameos by Ceelo and Fallout Boy, and the team sets out to track down the one and only BER!
I fell in love with the Teen Titan panel a few Comic Cons back, when I sat through it waiting for Vikings (they had me at Vikings cosplayers singing “Waffle Waffle Waffle”). They are always hilarious with the kids, and it does not get any cuter than little Raven cosplayers with their Beastboy dads! Awwwwwww! #familygoals
Stan Against Evil – IFC
Like Teen Titans, the Stan Against Evil panel was actually just a place to park my ass while waiting for another panel, but I loved it! Show creator Dana Gould describes his inspiration as “a horror movie, but starring my dad.” John C McGinley plays the titular Stan who is grieving the death of his wife by sitting in his favorite chair , drinking canned beer, and being mean to everybody. He is forced to team up with the new young sheriff (Janet Varney) to fight demons unleashed by the descendants of the 172 witches burned in town in the 17th century. Dana Gould is the veteran of shows like Parks and Rec and The Simpsons, and it shows. Presented clips were freaking hilarious, as was the panel dialogue.
Sample:
Audience member: In the show, it says that more witches were burned in this town than in Salem, but no witches were burned in America – they were hanged. Why did you make them be burned?
DG: Because I knew it would enrage someone.
Check and mate, audience nerd!
Stan Against Evil returns with season 2 on November 1 – check it out!
The night ended at our favorite Thursday night party for the Graphix imprint of Scholastic. We dined on a macaroni and cheese bar (really), lots of champagne and caught up with the team (minus Katy, who joined us later):
Plus we caught up with Greg Grunberg (Felicity, Alias) who writes the Dream Jumper series for Graphix!
Thursday Success at #SDCC2017!
