Ultimate Reviewer's Reading Challenge

I have decided to the Ultimate Reviewer's Reading Challenge this next month because I have a read, but not reviewed a lot of books this summer. The to review pile is getting very high and I still have more to do to prepare for September Zombies. Here are books I hope to review over the next month:

1) Pariah by Bob Fingerman
2) Blackout by Mira Grant
3) A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
4) Plague Town by Dana Fredsti
5) Dearly Beloved by Lia Habel
6) Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
7) Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

plus whatever I read during this next month. Wish me luck!

SDCC 2012: Panels Part 4: DC, Buffy, and more Buffy

I didn't have tickets to Saturday of Comic Con, so no panels that day. :( I came back on Sunday with a plan and a vengeance. The plan went to crap anyway, but I still managed to go to 2 panels and a screening.

1) DC Nation

I sat in on this panel primarily to make sure I got to see the next one, but it turned out to be really awesome. The panel consisted of animation producers: Glen Murakami, Mitch Watson, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath, and Jeff Prezenkowski, who were moderated by the always hilarious and foul mouthed Kevin Smith. He restrained himself and only cursed about 10 or 15 times. They revealed new DC cartoons that would air on TV and they sound fantastic!

Beware the Batman sounds like an awesome new show. Unlike previous animated Batman shows, this one is made completely with CGI. Just the processes to get the lighting were very complex and surprisingly realistic.  This new show offers a different Batman than in series past. He is 5 or 6 years into his career as Batman and in his early 30's. I liked that they talked about how his demeanor changes from Bruce Wayne to Batman. Batman has a clipped, efficient way of speaking while public Bruce Wayne doesn't. Private Bruce is very introspective, a little obsessive, and very particular about things. I was surprised to see a younger Alfred wielding guns beside Batman in this poster.

Alfred is never a major player in the action, but supports Bruce behind the scenes. It will be nice to see him in a different role than usual. His sidekick will not be Robin as usually, but instead Katana, who I had never even heard of before that day. It will be interesting to see how her role will differ from Robin's. The villains will be very different as well. Instead of recognizable villains like the Joker or the Penguin, they have chosen to go with more obscure villains that aren't well known, like Mr. Toad. I haven't watched a Batman show since Batman the Animated Series, but I would definitely watch this show.

The other show that looks crazy awesome is Teen Titans GO. It takes the Teen Titans characters and puts them in much more light hearted, cartoony situations. All of the original voice actors from Teen Titans will return to voice their respective characters. I only saw the original show here and there, but what I did see was impressive. I will definitely keep my eye out for this one.

2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20th Anniversary

When I heard about this panel, I wasn't very impressed because big names like Joss Whedon or Sarah Michelle Gellar weren't going to be there. I decided to go because I met Nicholas Brendon that day and I really wanted to see what he had to say about being on the show and seeing what he was doing currently. There were some surprises from the beginning. The panelists were listed to be Kirsty Swanson (Buffy from the film), Jane Espenson (writer), Scott Allie (Dark Horse editor), Clare Kramer (Glory on the TV show), Nicholas Brendon (Xander from the TV show), and Georges Jeanty (illustrator for the comic book). Kristy Swanson wasn't there, but Randall Batinkoff, who played Buffy's boyfriend in the movie and broke up with her answering machine, was there instead. Also surprise guest and fan favorite James Marsters was there was well.


Nicholas Brendon was hilarious throughout the panel and made everyone laugh. He almost didn't even get the role as Xander, but I am thankful he did. Even though his character never had special powers or abilities, he was a significant character in the Scooby gang. James Marsters didn't even want to do the show at first. He was desperate for work to support his new family, but he was reluctant to work on Buffy. He watched one episode and he was sold. He also talked about Spike's changing role on the show. He started as a villain who could have just left with one episode, but then returned as the Big Bad in the following season. Later, he became the annoying neighbor after he was chipped and stayed with Giles and Xander. He failed as a Cordelia replacement and thought he was going to be fired, but the writers always molded his character in an organic way to fit the show. Marsters was surprised that the character had such longevity and how he was constantly surprised and challenged as an actor on the show.

Scott Allie talked about the evolution of the comics over time. When the show was still running, the show and the comics didn't interact much until Fray, which Whedon wrote. It built a relationship between the two and made it possible to continue the show in comic book form for seaon 8 and 9. The actors were happy that the story continued in comics. James Marsters mentioned that his time with that character is over and it's great that Spike can live on in comics. The panel ended with a quiz with comics signed by the panel as prizes.  I consider myself a hard core Buffy fan, but I would never remember Buffy's home address or know how many total vampires she killed over 7 seasons (133).

This panel was wonderful and it's nice to see that the Buffy fandom is still alive and well. I hope more of the cast will come together at later Comic Cons like Firefly's cast did this year.

3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer screening: Once More with Feeling

After this panel was the singalong screening of the awesome Buffy musical episode, Once of More with Feeling. It was wonderful to see it on the big screen among other fans of the show. My boyfriend even agreed to watch at least the first 2 seasons of the show with me because of it. Yay! I hope to see this again next year.

SDCC 2012: Panels Part 3: Ponies and Magic

On to Friday! I really, really, really wanted to see the Firefly 10th Anniversary panel. However, people started lining up the night before and I just didn't want to sleep outside in line. It did seem like everything else was a little more empty because of the thousands of people lined up for that one event. So instead of saving a futile and very far away spot in line for Firefly, I waited in line for a much shorter amount of time for the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic panel. If you haven't seen it, it is much more awesome than the My Little Pony of my childhood. These characters are dynamic and interesting. Everyone can find aspects of themselves and their friends in these ponies because the writing and character development are exceptional. There are also really awesome references specifically for adult viewers to such things as Trainspotting, The Big Lebowski, Dr. Who, Star Trek, I Love Lucy, and Star Wars. If you are still incredulous, go watch the first few episodes on Netflix and judge for yourself.

* My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

This panel was packed! Lots of bronies and fillies and the odd child gathered to see what was in store for the next season and hear what the voice actors had to say. The panelists were Tara Strong (voice of Twilight Sparkle), Andrea Libman (voice of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie), Tabitha St. Germain (voice of Rarity, Luna, and Granny Smith), Cathy Weseluck (voice of Spike), and Megan McCarthy (writer who makes all the characters go insane). At the beginning, they played the extended version of the theme song, which was awesome.



After some questions like what's your favorite episode and how like your character are you, the fans got to ask some of their own questions. I'm glad someone asked about the future of Derpy Hooves. In case you don't know, she is a clumsy pony who has usually been in the background. It all started when they accidentally made her eyes all crazy or "derpy" looking. She was given a speaking role this last season and was deemed offensive largely by uppity parents because they felt she was making fun of people with disabilities even though removing a pony that they felt represents these people from the show seems even more offensive. I think she is merely a clumsy, sweet pony. She will remain a background pony for now, but may become more in the future. They were pretty close lipped about season 3 as a whole except when Tabitha St. Germain said that Fluttershy is turned into a dragon at some point and this clip (where Spike sings for the first time!).



There were a couple of pretty lame questions (like is Rainbow Dash a lesbian and a practically unintelligble question about Lauren Faust) but as a whole, the discussion let us know the actors and their inspirations better and see what direction the show will be going. I had no idea Cathy Weseluck was a classically trained musician or Tabitha St. Germain based Rarity's voice off of Audrey Hepburns. Hasbro is supportive of its adult fans and have shown that through the Comic Con exclusive doll, numerous references, and the names of many background ponies (Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Dr. Hooves, etc). I'm honestly glad that there are so many adult fans of this show because I think it's great. Adult males are a huge part of the demographic and I think people get mad when traditional gender roles are called into question, even if it is just with a bunch of guys liking an awesome children's show. The bronies and fillies are awesome and are the most creative and prolific fans, creating wonderful art, music, fanfictions, and generally enjoying a good show about the magic of friendship.

* Magic the Gathering

I've been playing Magic the Gathering for a long time and it's actually my boyfriend and I met. Ah nerd love. Anyway, I knew we HAD to see this panel even if we saw no others. The panelists were Mark Rosewater (head Magic designer), Aaron Forsythe (Magic R&D), Matt Cavotta (senior creative Magic art director), Mark Purvis (Magic senior band manager), and Scott Larabee (Magic organized play program manager). I was so excited to see what was coming up next for Magic and it was more than I was expecting. A few lands from the collection From the Vaults: Realms were revealed, including Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Glacial Chasm, Grove of the Burnwillows, Murmuring Bosk, Forbidden Orchard, and Dryad Arbor.

Then the next duel deck was revealed: Izzet vs. Golgari. The main 2 cards are Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and Jarad, Galgari Lich Lord. That will be out in September. In November, the Commander's Arsenal will come out for those people (like me!) that like to play the Commander (or EDH) format. October 5th is the release the next set, Return to Ravnica. Here are some of the awesome lands to come:

Like the last Ravnica block, this block will feature 10 guilds of allied and enemy colors.The guilds will work be presented differently: 5 guilds will be in Return to Ravnica, the other 5 guilds will be in Gatecrash (the next set), and all 10 guilds will be in the last as yet unnamed set. These guilds will have one particular creature as guild leader. I am most excited for the red/white Boros angel and the black/white ghost.

Unfortunately, none of the actual cards were revealed. The prerelease will be interested because each player will choose a guild and receive a guild sticker, a letter for their guild leader, a guild themed achievement card, a guild spin down life counter, 5 Return to Ravnica booster packs, 1 guild booster pack, and a guild prerelease card that can be used during the tournament. That is super amazing and a good change to prerelease play. The next few months are going to be fun!!

More panels tomorrow! Last one!

SDCC 2012: Panels Part 2: Geek Women and Masquerade

So I went to 3 panels after the American Mary panel on Thursday: The Most Dangerous Women at Comic-Con, Masquerade 101, and The History of the Modern Zombie (which I will be saving for September Zombies). Yay! Lots of panels!

* The Most Dangerous Women at Comic-Con

All the women on this panel are geeky about something and are doing big things in the nerd scene. Bonnie Burton moderates the panel, which includes Adrianne Curry, Katrina Hill, Leah Cevoli, Holly Conrad, Abbie Heppe, Clare Kramer, Kristen Nedopak, Milynn Sarley, Stephanie Thorpe, and Patricia Tallman. I honestly wasn't familiar with all of these women, but they are all incredibly awesome and contribute to the geek community. I was familiar with Adrianne Curry from her various reality TV shows, like America's Next Top Model, but didn't think too much about her. She earned some serious brownie points with me just for the Raptor Jesus costume. She is very opinionated and outspoken about everything. Her most memorable anecdote was at last year's Comic-Con when a bunch of cops freaked out about her skimpy (and very accurate) Aeon Flux cosplay and was told she bared an illegal amount of skin. Clare Kramer played Glory on season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I was very excited to see her. Holly Conrad was in Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope and makes monsters, aliens, and awesome, epic costumes. Her Fem Shepard is amazing. Leah Cevoli does voices on Robot Chicken. Katrina Hill is super passionate about action films and mourned missing The Expendables 2 panel for this one. Patricia Tallman was a surprise because she has been in a lot of classic science fiction and horror works, such as the remake of Night of the Living Dead, Army of Darkness, Babylon 5, and some of the Star Trek series (TNG, Voyager, DS9). Her perspective of coming to Comic Con primarily as part of a job was insightful and different from the others on the panel. All of the women on the panel were witty and hilarious. They discussed their own individual interests and then addressed why they would be considered dangerous. I personally think just being strong women is still dangerous to some people. Women are rapidly becoming a large demographic at conventions that were previously thought to be frequented mostly by men. This panel was awesome and I look forward to what these ladies will do in the future.

* Masquerade 101

This panel was very small and focused on how to make the best costumes and the best presentation for the Masquerade. The panelists were Martin Jaquish the director of the Masquerade for the last 20 years, John Ruff Masquerade assistant, Allan Lavigne costumer, and Judy Grivich cosplayer. I wasn't actually super interested in this panel. It just happened to be in between 2 I was interested in, but I'm glad I saw it. They had wonderful advice for anyone making their own costumes or interested in presenting it in the famous Masquerade. I found the following tidbits very helpful: Money does not make good costumes. The internet is your friend and can help you find instructions for working with practically any material. Being comfortable in a costume is important, so spend some time in it before the Masquerade. Always bring makeup, needle and thread, duct tape, and any other repair or needed items with you. Accidents will happen. Follow the rules and keep in mind the dimensions of the stage. (There was a huge dragon someone made as a prop and they weren't able to move it into the Masquerade venue. :( It was so awesome.) Anyway, it gave me a lot to think about when I try to create my own costumes and perhaps enter the Masquerade myself.

Even more panels coming!

SDCC 2012: Panels Part 1: American Mary

I actually went to more than one panel this year! Amazing! The first panel I went to was for an indie horror film called American Mary by Jen and Sylvia Soska. The film is about a med school student (played by Katharine Isabelle) who drops out of school to perform illegal body modification procedures. I assume blood and gore ensues. Not only does the plot sound awesome and unlike anything I've ever seen before, but Katharine Isabelle is one of my all time favorite horror actresses because of her role as Ginger Fitzgerald in Ginger Snaps. Anyway, I was introduced to the Soska sisters and their last film, an homage to grindhouse films called Dead Hooker in a Trunk, from posts from Women in Horror Recognition Month this past February. I've been following their blog for some time, so I knew I had to go to this panel come hell or high water.


I arrived early and saw Jen and Sylvia chatting and taking pictures with people outside the ballroom. When I saw an opening, I went up to them and told them how excited I was for their new film and how much I enjoyed their blog. They both hugged me and were friendly and sweet. They seemed just excited to see me as I was to see them. The panel consisted of Jen and Sylvia Soska, FX master Todd Masters, actress Paula Linderberg, and Beth Accomando as the moderator. I loved hearing about how they got started in film and how their film school essentially failed them but didn't stop them from making a kickass, self funded, and offensive final project.

American Mary official trailer:



American Mary sounds like an amazing project. After finding out it was about underground body modification, I was concerned about how the people in that community would be portrayed since it is within a horror film. I was happy and impressed to learn that a lot of research and care went into that aspect of the film. The inspiration came from Sylvia searching weird things on the internet and finding this story about twin brothers who modified their bodies drastically. In the film, Mary finds the body modification seekers to be more normal and nice than the so called normal people in the legal medical field. The Soska sisters are using this as an allegory for their own experiences in the film industry. A lot of people from the body mod community are included in their film, which I think is a great way to get the support of the community they are portraying in their film and show it accurately. I had heard of body modification, but I had no idea it was illegal to perform. I personally think it's ridiculous since "normal" plastic surgery to look younger or conventionally prettier is fine in the view of society as a whole, but to get horns or attach your brother's arm to your chest isn't. Body mod enthusiasts are forced to pay medical students to perform these surgeries instead of actual medical professionals. I'm excited to see how these two different types of modification will be compared and treated within the film.

American Mary teaser trailer:



The other 2 things that I'm excited for in the film are Todd Masters effects and how their cinematic influences effect the look and feel of the film. Jen and Sylvia are all for practical and make-up effects over CGI. Ginger Snaps is a perfect example how a film can keep its longevity and look amazing with make-up effects. CGI would have severely dated the film and made it look horrible. Todd Masters is a great make-up and effects artists with projects such as True Blood, Slither, Fido, and Six Feet Under. I am so excited to see the effects in the film, especially the body for the over the top revenge scene they mentioned. The cinematic influences for American Mary are European and Asian horror films, which just delights me to no end. The look will be completely different from Dead Hooker in a Trunk. I LOVE European and Asian horror because they are allowed to go places and do things that American films can't because of our society or the MPAA or any number of reasons. Their cinematography is also very different. Even if the subject matter is gory or disgusting, the cinematography can be absolutely beautiful, like in Let the Right One In, I Saw the Devil, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (please go out and watch these films if you haven't). Horror doesn't have to look brutal and raw even if the images are.

I can gush about this panel all day, so I think I will stop myself. After the panel, I was first in line to see them at their booth and got an American Mary poster and a picture of Jen and Sylvia as the twins from the Shining signed. We nerded out about Asian and European horror longer then probably was polite to the people behind me. I cannot wait to see this film and I hope it runs in theaters in LA so I can actually watch on the big screen.

Here is the panel in its entirety, which is well worth an hour of your time.



More panels tomorrow!

SDCC 2012: More Awesome Encounters

In addition to a great many authors, I met  few other famous people as well:

1) Kirby Krackle

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of this nerd band from Seattle. They have songs about every nerd subject from video games to comic books to zombies and vampires. Their lyrics are so original and often give details about the subject of their songs without flat out saying "this is a song about Thor!" They have been going to Comic Con for 4 years, always with a new album (this year's is their live album) and I hope to see them at many many more. I got to talk to Kyle Stevens about his inspirations and if they will ever write a My Little Pony song. They are always happy to talk with fans and he even wrote out the chords for Another Castle on ukulele for me. I just wish they performed in California more often.

2) Rick Genest

Rick Genest is also known as Zombie Boy and famous for being in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video, modelling, and the tattoos he has over most of his body. I had no idea Tonner made a doll of him and he was signing pictures and t-shirts and stuff. He was very open about his tattoos and seems like a pretty cool guy.

3) Ve Neill and Glenn Hetrick

I immediately recognized them outside of the Defiance restaurant from the reality show Face Off. They are both formidable makeup artists and act as judges on the show. Ve worked on pretty much all of Time Burton's live action films and Glenn worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and The Hunger Games. They were busy, but took a quick picture with me and my boyfriend.

4) Tara Strong

Tara Strong does so much voice acting it is ridiculous. She was Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls, Timmy in The Fairly Oddparents, Truffles from Chowder, Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and the list goes on and on. She was in 2 different panels we went to, one for MLP and one for companions for the StarWars Knights of the Old Republic. Plus she was at a booth doing signings and we also ran into her on the exhibition floor in the last 5 minutes of the convention. She is always super sweet and frequently goes in and out of various character voices she has done over the years.

5) Nicholas Brendon

This is one of the few instances I couldn't reign in my fangirliness. I first started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I was 10 years old and it hugely effected my life. I gushed all over him about much Xander brought to the show and he gave me a hug. It was one of my favorite encounters of Comic Con.

Panels tomorrow!! And there is more than one this year!

SDCC 2012: Author Signings and Sightings Part 2

So many author encounters this year! Awesome!

1) Scott Sigler

I randomly saw him last year, so it was nice to see him on purpose this year. He was signing his new book, Nocturnal, which I bought. Since I missed a signing in LA about a month earlier, I was happy to make it up and get to talk to him a bit. He even remembered me and my boyfriend from the many times we've seen him over the years.

2) John Scalzi

I didn't get to go to John Scalzi's signing for Old Man's War, one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time, but I did see him in passing. There was a HUGE line for his signing, so I decided to try my luck at the one for Marie Lu. As we were about to leave, he announced a musical guest: Paul and Storm! They sang Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin), which was epic (even if they messed up the lyrics a bit)! I tried to record the song, but I'm not too familiar with those settings on my camera. Sadness! After their impromptu performance, I ran over to Marie Lu's signing.

3) Marie Lu

I waiting in line for her for about an hour, which is impressive for the book lines. I was hoping to get both of her books, Legend and Prodigy, but the sequels were all gone by the time I got there. The Legend books given away were a special Comic Con edition that was pretty cool. Marie was all smiles and super nice. I can't wait to read her book. I have heard nothing but good things about her debut dystopian book.

4) Mark Z. Danielewski

I last saw Mark Z. Danielewski 6 years ago and it was the very first in a very long line of book signings I went to as an adult. His new book The Fifty Year Sword is coming out in October. It was released years ago in Europe and my sister bought if for me a couple years ago for an exorbitant amount. I'm glad it's finally coming out here. I asked him about why it took so long to be published here and he said the time was just right. He previously wanted it to be a graphic novel, but it never quite came together. He also has a new book planned after that called The Familiar. So excited! At the time, everyone was clamoring for his attention. He was at a booth signing Fifty Year Sword party hats and chatting with fans in between being interviewed by various people.

5) E. Van Lowe

Before Comic Con, E invited my boyfriend and I to a dinner on Thursday night. We said we would love to go, but he couldn't get us on the list. Then he asked if we would like to go to a VIP party on Friday night and we said YES! We got there a bit early, waiting in line, and saw a lot of people get turned away because they weren't invited. When we finally got inside, I met quite a few wonderful people and of course got to hang out with E. Van Lowe. His book series Boyfriend from Hell was optioned for a TV series! Plus he has 2 new books coming out: The Zombie Always Knocks Twice (the first of a new series called Hollyweird) and Heaven Sent (the last of the Boyfriend from Hell series). I am so happy for him. While he was mingling with the crowd, some of his friends came to talk to us, including Daanon DeCock, who runs writing conferences and workshops. Before we left for the night, E introduced us to Jamie Kennedy, which was awesome. We had a great time and I hope we get to see E again soon.

6) Daniel H. Wilson

I had no idea Daniel H. Wilson was going to be at Comic Con at all and it's a funny story how we met him. We didn't have tickets for Comic Con on Saturday, so we did off-site things like playing Magic at the Marriot (which we later found out we needed a badge for anyway) and meeting with Gail Carriger at the Hilton. On the way back to the trolley to go home, a guy stopped us to ask where we got the Magic the Gathering paper crowns (my boyfriend was wearing one). We told him where we got it, but it was late and the Con had already closed. I offered him an extra one we had, which he thanked us for and then walked away. A few minutes later, he came back, offered me a copy of his book as a thank you. Very awesome chance encounter.

More SDCC tomorrow!

SDCC 2012: Author Signings and Sightings Part 1

I saw sooooo many authors at Comic Con this year! I think it made up for not going to so many signings for most of this year to save money. Hear are the first half!

1) Gail Carriger

(Sorry about the picture. I had no idea the strap was in front of the lens. Silly me!) I saw her everywhere! Before the first panel I went to, she was talking to fans and I snuck in to say hi and snap a picture. Then I saw her at the Orbit booth later that day. Both times I saw her, I didn't have the book I brought for her to sign. I didn't see her at any more panels, but she had a Twitter meetup at the frozen yogurt place at the Hilton. Unfortunately, there are 2 Hilton hotels really close to the convention center. I arrived a half hour late, but me and about 5 other fans had a great conversation with her. Her Parasol Protectorate series was optioned for a UK TV show! For more details, visit her blog. She also told us of the great woman she named Alexia after, Arcangela Tarabotti, who protested against the Catholic Church's stance that women had no souls. She was forced to join a convent against her will and wrote Paternal Tyranny to protest the misogyny of the time and expose the injustices done to women, arguing that women and men are equal in the eyes of God. I find this endlessly interesting to say the least. She stayed for about an hour and answered all of our questions. She was simply delightful to talk to.

2) Scott Westerfeld

I was so excited that Scott Westerfeld was going to be there. I hadn't seen him since his signing a couple years ago with Sarah Rees Brennan. I decided to bring my copy of Evolution's Darling, one of my favorite science fiction novels about artificial intelligence, for him to sign. He seemed amused I had it and gladly signed it with this inscription (lol):

3) Gennifer Albin

Gennifer was signing and giving away ARC copies of her book, Crewel. I am so excited to read her book, mostly because of Misty's glowing Waiting on Wednesday post. It's an exciting dystopia that sounds unlike anything I've ever read.  Not only did she wear a stunning outfit, but she was super nice and I hope to see her on her book tour after I've read her book.

4) Chase Novak

Chase Novak is the author of Breed, a science fiction book that explores how far some people will go in order to have children. The booth was giving away ARCs of his book and he signed them. The premise of his book sounds awesome and a kind of Rosemary's Baby meets Splice mashup or something like that. I wished I could have talked to him more, the line was massive and I didn't want to hold it up.

5) Michael Grant

I totally blanked on getting a picture after I tried to be so good about it, but alas. He had a dry sort of humor and made everyone laugh. He was signing copies of Eve and Adam, an interesting science fiction novel where Eve is supposed to build Adam. He wrote it with Katherine Applegate, who wrote the Animorphs series I was OBSESSED with as a kid, so I am excited about this book.

More author signings and sightings tomorrow!!

My Mailbox: Comic-Con Edition

I got lots of stuff this year at Comic Con and I want to share it with you (in both a figurative and literal sense, but you guys will have to wait until next week for that).

Things I bought:

* Batman Skelanimal
* HPV Giant Microbe
* Absolute Death book by Neil Gaiman
* plushie Companion Cube
* Fray graphic novel by Joss Whedon
* The Last Dragon graphic novel by Rebecca Guay and Jane Yolen
* Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland
* Nocturnal by Scott Sigler
* Live in Seattle CD by Kirby Krackle
* Gloom card game
* Entreat the Angels print by Todd Lockwood from Magic the Gathering

* Batman tee
* awesome Firefly tee by Jason Palmer (his art is amazing!)
* Kirby Krackle tee with splatter heart on the side

* Hasbro's exclusive My Little Pony, also known as Derpy

Freebies:

* Casket of Souls by Lynn Flewelling
* Acacia by David Anthony Durham
* Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
* Eve and Adam ARC by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
* Legend special SDCC edition by Marie Lu
* Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
* Crewel ARC be Gennifer Albin
* Origin ARC by Jessica Khoury
* Etiquette and Espionage ARC by Gail Carriger
* Falling Kingdoms ARC by Morgan Rhodes
* Breed ARC by Chase Novak
* Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
* Hereville: How Merka Met a Meteorite ARC by Barry Deutsch

* various bookish and movie swag: pins, postcards, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.

Giveaway coming at the end of next week for some of the books above!!

SDCC 2012: Awesome Costume Sightings Part 2

More costumes sighted in San Diego!!

Superhero Disney Princesses - I would say this is the greatest ensemble cosplay I saw. Each costume was so inventive and fun. My favorite is Belle's book hammer. So awesome! (This photo was from their Facebook. I was standing way to the left side and my pictures were all unprepared and lame.)

Predator that killed the Avengers - This is a unique, detailed costume with Iron Man and War Machine heads strapped to his waist and Captain America's shield strapped to his back as trophies of his kills.

Zombie Activist - There were a lot of zombies due to the zombie walk and just the fact that zombies are awesome, but this was the best one I saw.

My Little Pony ensemble - There were a lot of MLP cosplayers and this was the only group with a cohesive style and a Celestia!

Carmen Sandiego!!

Russell from Up

Nyan Cat - I saw this adorable kid all over SDCC. Kudos to her mom who held her rainbow all over the place and probably made the costume.

Tony Stark from Iron Man and the Avengers

Did you see any awesome costumes? What are your favorite cosplays?