E3 2013!

I got to go to E3!

E3 is a videogame trade show in Los Angeles.  It is (to quote Wikipedia) "an exclusive, industry-only event" that is not open to the public.  Attendance is 40,000+, so it's not Comic-Con sized, but it draws a large crowd nonetheless.

E3 has two major floors in the Los Angeles Convention Center - one that has game software developers, and the other one with hardware console companies.  In the middle are the smaller game designers in these glass offices.

 [Sidenote: Looking for a videogame convention that IS open to the public? Try PAX.  They have two conventions, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.]

As I am a fluffy pink bunny, I am not "industry" per se.  This meant I'd be going per peram (e.g. via handbag).  Also, in our family we are all pretty casual gamers, so if you're looking for hardcore in-depth news & scoops, you'd be better off with IGN or GameSpot.  Peter Paras did a good E3 preview for E! As such, our E3 interests were dictated by our regular interests: Disney, Fable(s), Telltale Games and, of course, anything rabbit related.

First off, we found an office with a rabbit.  This piqued our interest, as there aren't nearly enough rabbit-themed video games.  This one is by a company called Daedalic and is called Night of the Rabbit.

Hello fellow gaming rabbit

Then we headed to the Disney Interactive booth.  They were promoting Disney Infinity which comes out on August 18.

We were more interested in the Castle:

and the Motorcoach:

and their giveaway: custom screen-printed T-shirts, which, in our opinion was not nearly as cool as last year's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit ears.

The Oswald Ear Hat booth from E3 in 2012

Then we found Perry!

We wanted very much to visit the Telltale Games booth. Telltale Games is an outstanding game development company - their game for The Walking Dead was by all accounts one of the best games last year. We discovered that they didn't have a booth so much as a glass office, and you couldn't just walk up and chat with the employees so much as you needed an appointment.  That said, we spoke with the very friendly Laura, who gave us info on two titles we are super excited about:
The Walking Dead 400 Days, which is a new DLC for The Walking Dead that will take place in between season 1 of the game and the upcoming season 2, and
the Fables game from the comic book Fables, The Wolf Among Us, due out this summer.

Then we visited the Lionhead Studios guys at the Xbox booth to talk with them about the Fable Anniversary release coming up this year.  Fable is one of our most favorite video game franchises.

[Note: if you're a longtime follower of my blog you may be confused because Fables is is also our most favorite comic book that's being turned into a videogame (see above), so you should be fairly mixed up by now.
Just to clarify, the two are unrelated:
Fable (singular) is a videogame RPG Franchise by Lionhead Studios;
Fables (plural) is a comic book series by DC/Vertigo, written by Bill Willingham that will soon be a videogame by Telltale games.
...basically, if it's the word "Fable" we are a fan of it.]

Lionhead just announced that they were going to re-master the very first Fable game from 2004 in HD, to be called Fable Anniversary.  They claimed this was because fans had been clamoring desperately for such a thing, but just why people would be demanding a remake of a game nearly 10 years old instead of a new Fable game (Fable 4, presumably the next game in the series), is such a mystery that we think that story itself may be a fable. Either way, the development team at the Fable Anniversary section of Xbox were very patient and nice as they walked us through a demo of Fable Anniversary, which does look incredible from a graphic perspective.

That was our E3 trip - we were so lucky to go!

The Teddy Olympics! *Updated for 2015*

Every summer we look forward to the Teddy Olympics!!!

The Teddy Olympics are an online event in which stuffed animals and other pets compete by submitting photos in various categories like "Naps" "Treats" "Hugs" and others.

Basically, it's exactly like the regular Olympics, only all online.  And with animals and stuffed friends.

Here's the link to the official site: Teddy Olympics

My entry in the "Naps" category in 2013:

 CC The Sleepy Sheepy's entry in the 2012 "Woogling" category was a big hit:

We didn't have fox poo, so we used shampoo

The 2015 Teddy Olympics start on Saturday, June 27.  

This year's categories have already been announced.  

Athletes have two weeks until Saturday July 11 to submit their photos; then the Judging begins!  

Closing Ceremonies are Saturday, July 18.

If you have a stuffed animal or pet you'd like to enter, please do! It's open to all.  

Good luck to everyone in this year's Teddy Olympics!!

Comic-Con Prep: Countdown to #SDCC *Updated for 2016*

San Diego Comic-Con is so huge that tips aren't enough - you need to PREPARE. 
As of this writing it's 6 weeks to Comic-Con.  Here are some things to prep ahead of time:

You're Going To Need a Bigger Bag
SDCC Blog did a great roundup on fantastic backpacks for the more serious con-goers.  
The only thing I'd add is that Etsy isn't a bad place to check either. They probably won't be sturdy enough to carry all your Walking Dead comics, but if you're packing on the light side and looking for another way to express your fandom, you can find fantastic geeky bags, totes and backpacks that are handmade (Wonder Woman tote; Game of Thrones messenger bag, Sherlock backpack).  We got our denim backpack on Etsy from Poppy Patchwork, who does great work; we love it and use it for almost all our cons. 

Personally we prefer backpacks to purses, messenger bags or totes; it's easier to maneuver such large crowds with your hands free and the weight on your back rather than your side, but to each his own. Be mindful of personal space though; it's easy to smack someone with your large backpack when you turn around and don't allow room for your comic-stuffed pack. It's also generally considered good manners to apologize if you do swat someone right in the chest.


Best Prep You Can Do: Read and Watch  
READ: 
--Comics! Read my piece on comic book recommendations. 

--Pop culture news sites and magazines:

• Entertainment Weekly 
• Hero Complex
• Bleeding Cool
• Vulture
• The Mary Sue
• Geek Tyrant
• Flavorwire
• HeatVision

--Books: no one's saying that you need to have read the entire A Song Of Ice and Fire series (well, actually, speaking as a Game of Thrones fan, you totally should), but if you've got any nerdy books on the nightstand, it can't hurt to be updated (World War Z; Hunger Games; anything by Neil Gaiman).

--SDCC Blogs: 

• SDCC Blog 
• The Confluence Covers
• Nerdy Girlie
• ConShark

WATCH: 
--Any shows you're a fan of that are likely to be at  SDCC (we like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead), and catch up on older pop culture shows as well - many of them are streaming on Netflix.  It's never too late to become a fan, even of a series long cancelled.  You're bound to find others with the same obsessions at SDCC, and expanding your geek horizons is a great way to meet new people. 

Note: make sure you're caught up on any shows, books or comics that are ongoing.  You want to be as updated as possible, because nothing's worse than getting spoiled in a panel because you haven't finished the latest season of The Walking Dead before the con. Comic readers who prefer waiting for the trade paperback collection (that'd be us, BTW), you are forewarned. 

--Movies are also good to catch up on.  If you might go to Marvel panel, make sure you see the most recent movie on DVD/blu-ray/streaming/iTunes/Cable.

--Also, The Confluence's Convention Prep Videos


Follow the Pros 
The official schedule for Comic-Con won't be released until 2 weeks prior, but start following any comics professionals you are a fan of; they may be tweeting that they'll be there.  This is especially important if it's someone who lives far away, or doesn't do a lot of shows, and it's a real once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet them and get your books signed.  This lead time is great in case you need to stock up on a creator's work in advance.


Stuff You May Need to Buy

• Extra battery - a battery case, external/backup batteries or a mobile charger.  We use Mophie, but there are scores of others.
• Swell water bottle - because warm water grosses us out.  Swell is a water bottle that actually keeps water cold for 24 hours.  Don't fill it up completely with ice, thinking it will melt to cold water - you'll still have ice HOURS later. It's the greatest thing ever, basically.
• Shoes - you'll want them to be comfortable and closed-toed.  I know it's the height of pedicure season, but still - the crowds are too heavy for your toes to come out unharmed. We like Ecco, but there's no "right" answer for this one; find one that fits best for you.  We also just learned about steel-toed sneakers, which might be overkill, but we love the fact that they exist. 
• Thorlo Walking Socks - sounds silly, right? Try it.  You'll be a believer.
• Shoe Inserts or Insoles.  Both Superfeet and Dr Scholls make recommended types.
• Nerdy T-shirts: Day of the Shirt is a fantastic daily T-shirt aggregator, meaning it compiles the shirts from Tee Fury, Ript, Woot and many others (too many to list and it keeps growing), so you don't have to check more than 1 site for your geek tees every day.  RedBubble is also a fantastic, huge site with tons of nerdy designs and terrific mashups for T's, cell phone cases, etc.
• Etsy for all your handmade nerd gear - from steampunk earrings to Captain America hair bows to Bioshock Infinite necklaces, they've got your fandom covered.
• Telescoping Poster Tube - we don't own one, but they do seem cool, and they often come with a strap.
• Badge Holder - if you'd like something a little more substantial than the flimsy badge holder SDCC provides, these have a clear plastic front for your badge, and include a pouch for keeping other necessities.
• Reference Material - if you're into original art commissions, make sure you have reference material for the artist of what you'd like them to sketch.  A comic or drawing will do. 
• Clear plastic 11 x 17 sleeve/holder - protects any original art you may pick up.

Got all that? Great! I'll meet you back here in about a month for my Top Tips for Comic-Con 2016!

10 Tips for a 24-Hour Disney Day! *Updated for 2015*

Looks like the Disney Parks 24-hour day is becoming an annual event! We shan't be going - we already spent the night in Disneyland in style, but these 24-hour events are similar to comic conventions and we thought we might be able to offer some advice.  

First, the Official FYI from Disney Parks - information on queue times, parking lot hours, entertainment, Downtown Disney and more: 
Merchandise
Food
Lines
Entertainment

----------------------------------

Here's our Top Ten Tips for a 24-Hour Day at Disneyland:

1. Pack Light
The Main Street Lockers are an option, but those will probably be snapped up quickly, so if you brought it, plan on carrying it for at least 24 hours. It might even be a good idea to downsize your wallet - cash/credit cards, driver's license and your AP/ticket.  Every little bit helps.

We would also advise using a backpack - years of convention-going have taught us that it's easier to keep your hands free and maneuver crowds with a backpack rather than a purse or a messenger bag (even more so when it's not full of comic books).

You'll probably need:

• A light jacket/sweater (unless you're one of those tough-it-out weather types). The low for Friday overnight in Anaheim is 56F. 
• A water bottle; you can refill it.
• Extraordinarily comfortable clothes and shoes that you don't mind spending 24+ hours in.
• Some Excedrin to help with the coffee problem - more on that below.
• Some light snacks so you don't have to just eat the Disneyland food - the nice thing about carrying snacks is that you consume them, so they don't weigh you down the whole time. Eating frequent little meals is probably the best way to go the distance for the 24-hour event.

2. Get There Early and Be Prepared to Wait...But What Else Are You Gonna Do?
Parking will be a nightmare; the crowds will be massive; the theme parks could possibly hit capacity.  Lines for rides, shows and food won't be much shorter.  If you have San Diego Comic-Con Training, that would come in handy.

Also, your concept of time management should change from how you normally prioritize and tour the parks.  On another day we wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for any ride, period. Being Annual Passholders, we can always come back when the line is shorter.  But don't be put off by a long line during the 24 hour day - you're likely to spend a good deal of your time in line anyway, so don't let a 90 minute wait for Space Mountain deter you if you're dying to ride it.  You'd just be waiting in two 45--minute lines elsewhere, and you've got to fill that 24 hours somehow.

3. Don't Switch Parks
It's possible that if you leave Disneyland, you might get shut out and not be able to get back in.  It's also likely that this won't occur, so make sure to check park status on social media, because...

4. Social Media is Your Friend 
Keep your tech charged because you're going to want to both follow and post to the #Disney24  or #Disneyland60 hashtag. Photograph yourself every hour, tweet your observations, keep an eye out for any news regarding special shows and foods, monitor crowd levels, etc - that's why you're there, right?. Document and share, If for no other reason than to a) kill time, and b) let everyone who decided not to go live vicariously through you. 

5. Coffee/Liquor?!?!

• Coffee: Sadly there are no more free coffee refills since the Market House closed.  Hence the Exedrin - it includes the same amount of caffeine as in a cup of coffee.  And you probably will have a headache at some point.
• Liquor: DCA is the only park that (officially) serves alcohol, and local liquor laws do require establishments to stop serving at 2AM, so we figure that's the cutoff time for alcohol sales there .

6. Recharge
Bring a recharging device for your phone like a Mophie or invest in a recharging case.  If not, here's where some of the plugs and outlets are:

• Most every bathroom has them, of course. 
• Inside buildings like Innoventions, Main Street Opera House and Animation Academy.
• Frequently in or near planters and bushes outside.
• Golden Horseshoe has a plug in the seating area right off the stage.  Thanks @timwguy!
• Here is a long list of outlets - it's from 2009, but how often do they change the electrical outlets at Disneyland?

7. Rest
Main Street Cinema is one of the more obvious places (as is Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln).  Innoventions will also be popular in a way that's not typical. Here are some other options (Some of these may be subject to closures during the 24 hours):

• The House in Big Thunder Ranch
• The Hungry Bear
• Fowler's Harbor
• Aladdin's Oasis
• Disneyland Railroad 
• Captain EO (any shows with seats, really)
• Frozen/The Muppet 4D Theater in DCA
• The Golden Horseshoe

8. Water Refills
Of course you can fill your water bottle in any water fountain, but Disneyland does have larger water taps where it's much easier to refill those bottles. Confirmed places to fill water bottles in DL from our friend Miss Tonya:

• Tomorrowland: Tomorrowland Terrace - When facing the order/pick up windows on the left near the ramp down to the Little Green Men Store Command.
• Frontierland:  Rancho Del Zocalo - In the seating area when exiting from the registers on the left behind the utensil cart.
• New Orleans Square: Café Orleans - When exiting the registers on the right when entering the seating area.

9. Pace Yourself
It sounds obvious, but this is the quintessential marathon, not a sprint.  If you're going for the full 24-hours, or even just as long as you can hold out, you need to conserve as much of your energy as you can.  The parks will probably be too busy to do anything quickly, which may be just as well, because you have a lot of time to kill.

10. Be Happy at the Happiest Place on Earth!
Doing anything for 24 hours is a slog.  Doing it in a place with probably upwards of 100,000 people, with limited resources, an epidemic of sleep deprivation and long lines is especially tough.  Our best advice?  

• Be kind to yourself.  
• Be kind to your travel companions.  
• Be kind to total strangers in the park, people you've never met and are not likely to see again, but with whom you are also sharing this journey.  
• Especially be kind to the Disney Parks Cast Members.   

Tempers can flare, (we know this personally from our Disney Coast to Coast adventure) but try to remember that you're all there to have a fun and unique experience.  

Got any tips to add or advice to share? Go ahead and leave it in the comments! And tweet me if you're going! Let's hear your stories!

A Disney Rabbit Round-Up! (aka Easter 2013)

Disney recently had a piece on their blog on the Disney Rabbits.  I'm glad to say I've now met them all!

We went to Disneyland on Easter, and we got to see the Dapper Dans and the Disney Rabbits and do the Bunny Hop!

The Dapper Dans

The Easter Bunny himself!

Here's me with all the Disney Rabbits:

Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh

The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

Brer Rabbit

Roger Rabbit

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "Where's Thumper?" Well, I guess Disney doesn't have a Thumper costume, which is odd.  There's also no Oswald the Lucky Rabbit running around the parks either.  But I'm very excited to have met them all! My friend Jeff (@Disney366 on Twitter) helped.

We closed out the day by visiting the new Fantasy Faire:

It was a wonderful Disneyland Easter!

FablesCon

We went to Minnesota for a very special comic convention!

Fables, which is written by Bill Willingham and drawn by Mark Buckingham, is our most very favorite comic book.  So when it was announced last summer that it was getting its very own convention, we knew we would go.

The first thing you need to know is that Minnesota is very cold.

I'm a snow bunny!

This convention was not like other conventions we have attended.  It was very small with a lot of interaction with various comic writers and artists.

Opening Ceremonies

FablesCon badge

We even had our very own Elizabethan themed bar, which was just the ginchiest.  It was only open to those of us attending the convention and it was a great place to get a drink with the comics professionals, or new friends we made.

The bar was actually named after this man, who was executed for treason in 1601, so it was re-themed for the comic Kill Shakespeare during the convention.

We also named a drink on the Official Convention Cocktail Menu: the Grimmlet!

 

Me with the Grimmlet.

We went to lots of panels and got sketches from several artists, and after a while, I thought I might try my hand at interviewing.  So I found myself a microphone and a panel room and waited for a poor, unsuspecting comic writer to show up for my queries.  

Fortunately, one did.

Hello, Mr. Roberson

I interviewed Mr. Chris Roberson, a favorite comic writer of ours.  He wrote two Fables spin-offs featuring Cinderella.  That's me, grilling him about why there aren't more rabbits in his books.

Then Mr. Matt Sturges wanted to interview me about Donnie Darko and my position on rabbit slippers and we even spoke a little French.

But of course, one of the best parts of the convention was that our friends, the Koosas and Puppy Graham were there!

We even had drinks in the FablesCon bar:

The convention provided us with snacks at the bar, and it was great to have small panels that we could easily get into without waiting in crazy long lines or having to plan our panels hours in advance. It felt much more like a community, and we met the nicest people.  We all were afforded a level of interaction with the comics pros that is unprecedented at most conventions and we feel really fortunate to have had this experience.

FablesCon, we heart you!

Disneyland with Mocha and George!

We went to Disneyland with our friends @TravelingMocha and @SkepticalGeorge!

How do we spin this thing?

We had a wonderful VIP Tour Guide, Nataly!

We rode the Lilly Belle!

Having a quiet moment in the Court des Anges, New Orleans Square

That's French for "Court of Angels"

Then we had front row VIP seats for the Mickey's Soundsational Parade!

Mickey and Minnie

Ariel and the Matterhorn

Snow White and Sleeping Beauty

Cinderella and Belle

Tiana

Louis!

Mary Poppins on those cool carousel horse bikes!

Then we capped the day off at the exclusive 1901 Lounge:

That's our own Hidden Mickey on the right!

We had a wonderful day with some great friends! Wish we could take all our friends to Disneyland!