How to Comic-Con: A Con-Prehensive Guide

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Comic Con is upon us. [00:00:03] Speaker B: Okay. Do you have a chance to look at the list I sent? [00:00:07] Speaker C: I did. I read through it. [00:00:08] Speaker B: Cool. Basically what we're doing kind of individually for, I guess, a con in general, but then also more specifically comic Con, because it's definitely different than any other con. Most other cons, I figure we'll start off general trip stuff, and then how you're going to get to the con from wherever you're at and then close. I put on their fucking deodorant because, you know, cons and people that go to cons. [00:00:31] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, this is sneakygeek. We can swear. [00:00:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:00:36] Speaker A: Our other podcast is. We're trying to be all ages, so. [00:00:38] Speaker B: Yeah, we try not to. Not fucking this one, though. [00:00:42] Speaker C: I was like, y'all are gonna end up doing a lot of fucking editing with me because I have no filter. [00:00:48] Speaker B: Cool. No, we're good. This will work. Yeah. What I put in my backpack on a general day and then down to, like, what I personally would bring. So that's why, like, two sets of shoes and swim trunks, flippy floppies, and then all my kinesiology knowledge stuff with foam rollers and boards and. Yeah. And then we kind of go into more, like, specific y stuff. So, like, what are you specifically at the con for? Like, I'm going to go more for comics and those kind of panels and then, like, networking, that kind of stuff. Because, you know, I've gotten a couple jobs out of cons, but then, like, Bryce is going to go over for something different. You're gonna go for something different. You're going for cosplaying as well, which I don't go for. Bryce does sometimes. So, like, we're all kind of coming at this at, like, a slightly different angle, which is cool. And then just other, you know, bullshit stuff after, like, party stuff and panel scheduling, and then, like. Like, our hotel that we had last year had, like, this dope pool and spa that we just chilled in most of the time. So, like, you know, we'll talk about that. So we'll just kind of, like, go from, like, a general perspective down to, like, a more specific. [00:01:53] Speaker A: I gotta reframe my brain real quick, because I did not realize how much of a how to con this was becoming. Yeah, but I'm here for it. [00:02:02] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause we always talk about that kind of thing, ever. Yeah. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Yeah, this is good. All right, well, something in there is probably good for a cold open, so play the damn theme. [00:02:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:02:32] Speaker A: Hi, everybody. My name is Bryce Rankins. This is my co host Brian Romero. [00:02:35] Speaker B: What up? [00:02:36] Speaker A: And this is sneaky geek, which is super exciting. [00:02:39] Speaker B: Very cool. [00:02:40] Speaker A: I'm very, very happy that we're, you know, doing this. Today. We're talking about how to Comic Con. [00:02:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Any con. [00:02:49] Speaker A: Any con. How to convention. [00:02:51] Speaker B: But we'll get more specific and SDCC status. [00:02:54] Speaker A: Given that SDCC is around the corner. It will be, like, a day away when this gets posted. [00:03:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:03:01] Speaker A: There's so many people I know who are going for the very first time. There's some of us that have been going for a very long time, and there's so many different ways to approach a convention that it can be a little overwhelming. Depends on what you're looking for, and I think we are pretty qualified to have that discussion and. Yeah. Voice our opinions. [00:03:23] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, we've been talking about doing this kind of episode for almost as long as we've been doing this podcast. [00:03:28] Speaker A: Which is eight years. [00:03:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:03:31] Speaker A: This next month. [00:03:32] Speaker B: Yeah. So that's our first episode with Comic Con. [00:03:35] Speaker A: Our first episode was Comic Con. Yeah. That was with Shannon. Yeah, it was a good time. But long ago, when we were first starting our podcast, we met Sarah of Mac attack cosplay. We were just creating our little fledgling baby podcast and interviewing people at Comic Con and walking around with our tiny microphones and. Did we have a tiny microphone? No. [00:03:56] Speaker B: We even have one. Yeah. [00:03:57] Speaker A: Yeah, Brick. [00:03:59] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:03:59] Speaker A: Long ago. Back in the before times. Anyway. [00:04:03] Speaker B: Hi, Sarah. [00:04:04] Speaker A: Hi, Sarah. [00:04:06] Speaker C: Hi, guys. Thanks for having me on. [00:04:09] Speaker A: Have we never interviewed you? [00:04:11] Speaker C: I don't. I don't think so. Think, like, we chatted about, like, maybe doing it, but then. [00:04:16] Speaker B: Yeah. And we always bring it up. [00:04:17] Speaker C: We never did. [00:04:18] Speaker B: Yeah. No, you know what I think last year, because we kept trying to meet up last year, but our schedules were all over the place. [00:04:23] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Well, and I think I did see you in, like, a distance, but it was, you know, comic con distance, so it's. We might as well not have, but, yeah. [00:04:31] Speaker C: Been in another world. [00:04:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:04:34] Speaker C: It's funny how that goes, right? [00:04:36] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. [00:04:37] Speaker C: You'll see, like, the same person that you have no fucking clue who they are. [00:04:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:41] Speaker C: All goddamn day. Like, no matter where you go, there they are. Like, you don't run into your friend all day. [00:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:49] Speaker A: It's weird, too, because, like, there's been cons where I've shown up a whole 2 hours after Brian, and, like, I'm walking around, and then we just bump into each other or vice versa. [00:05:01] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:05:02] Speaker A: Like, three times. Like. And, like, oh, cool, we're back together again. [00:05:06] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:05:07] Speaker A: Like, not even looking for each other. Yeah. Like, Brian will go to a panel, and then he'll just walk up. Hello. [00:05:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:12] Speaker C: How did you find it? [00:05:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:15] Speaker A: Did we meet you when we were just starting this podcast? [00:05:17] Speaker B: Yeah. Because we met at the marvel panel or at the Marvel giveaway with Nick. [00:05:22] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:05:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:05:24] Speaker C: Oh, my God. That was definitely the year I met y'all guys, which is, I think, was 16. [00:05:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:29] Speaker A: Okay, so that was the year we started the podcast. [00:05:31] Speaker C: Yeah, I didn't go. I. 2017 is the only year I didn't get tickets. [00:05:35] Speaker B: So that was 2016. [00:05:36] Speaker C: So either had to have been 16 or had to have been 18. [00:05:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it was 16, because the next year, 2017, I think that. [00:05:42] Speaker C: Was the year I worked, because 18. By 18, I was living here, so. Yeah, yeah, it was. And I think it was before I was living here. I think it was when I was still on tour. [00:05:54] Speaker B: Shit. Yeah. So it was 2016. [00:05:55] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:05:57] Speaker C: That's, like, almost ten years ago. [00:05:59] Speaker B: Right? The pandemic fucked everything up crazy. [00:06:04] Speaker A: Okay. [00:06:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:05] Speaker C: That is crazy as shit. [00:06:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:07] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. This is kind of short notice. [00:06:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Very last minute. [00:06:12] Speaker A: Yeah. Speaking of last minute, you are in the middle of crunch right now. Yes. [00:06:16] Speaker C: Yes. Con. Crunch is getting the best of me again. Like, it wouldn't be con without being down to the wire trying to get everything done literally to the last minute. Usually. I have actually had to change my flight before. Oh, no worries, because I wasn't packed. [00:06:34] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. I hope you're not in that situation right now that you're taking a break to talk to us. [00:06:41] Speaker C: Um, I might be. No, no. And I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna change my flight. Like, yeah, this is actually one of the first, like, preps that I'm just like, whatever. Yeah, I was planning on making a new cosplay. My busy season is the summer, and when I first planned to start a cosplay, I had some other stuff I had to get done, didn't get a chance to start. And then next thing you know, it was, like, April turning into May, and then my work season really picked up, so, of course, making something new kind of went off the table. So I was like, you know what? I'm just going to refresh my costume from last year and make it way better, because I wasn't. I was happy with it, and a lot of people liked it, but I wasn't thrilled with it. It was just not as good as I wanted it to be. [00:07:32] Speaker A: Was it because you ended up having to crunch it? Probably partly so now you're crunching it again, but this time, crunching it at level two. [00:07:40] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. So I was like, I'll just fucking modify this thing. It'll be fine. [00:07:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:46] Speaker C: And next thing you know, here we are. I have basically completely remade the whole costume. [00:07:52] Speaker B: Well, it's funny because, like, you hit me up, like, two months ago, and you're like, okay, I need a fresh set of eyes. What should I do to, like, redo up and just slightly modify from last year? And I'm like, oh, this is cool, but do this. You know, you can do this or this. And you're like, cool. And then we were talking yesterday, and you're like, so I basically just redid the whole damn thing. [00:08:12] Speaker C: Yeah, pretty much. And of course, like, some of the stuff that I was like, oh, well, I don't have to think about that. Like. Like my prop gun and everything. I forgot that it broke, like, the last day of con last year and then got more broke in the suitcase on the way home, of course. So now I'm like, I have to fix that before. That's difficult. So that's another thing on my list that I have to get done before tomorrow night, so. [00:08:43] Speaker B: Wow, you got this. Easy. [00:08:45] Speaker A: Yeah, got this. So are you working while we're also recording, or are you currently giving your hands and brain a slight break? [00:08:54] Speaker C: Giving myself a slight break. Good for you. [00:08:57] Speaker B: Oh, there you go. [00:08:59] Speaker C: A little caffeine jolt and just kind of re re. Because I was just kind of. I was getting really tired and just ready to kind of like. I was like, I cannot do. I cannot go to bed at, like, 09:00 this is ridiculous. Yeah, but, yeah, we're doing it. We're doing. We're doing a little break. I was. I was debating working on something while we were chitchatting, but I also didn't want to make a whole crap ton of background noise. I was trying to figure out something I could do quietly. [00:09:31] Speaker A: I'm sure our listeners appreciate that, but. [00:09:35] Speaker B: Also, I'm sure your brain appreciates the slight break. [00:09:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Your brain can continue working on the problem while we deal with how to do a con. [00:09:43] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. [00:09:45] Speaker A: Wonderful. And for those of you listening, Sarah's in Chicago, so she's several hours ahead. Right? It's Chicago. [00:09:53] Speaker C: I live basically in downtown Chicago, so. [00:09:56] Speaker B: Oh, right on. [00:09:56] Speaker C: Yeah. Not even like people to say they live in Chicago. They do now live in Chicago. [00:10:00] Speaker B: You're like, you're in Chicago. [00:10:02] Speaker C: I am in Chicago. [00:10:04] Speaker B: Gotcha. [00:10:04] Speaker A: Gotcha. She's like. She's actually got an apartment in the bean. Okay, so for those of you listening at home. Yes. It's so shiny. This. Is there a man who polishes the shine. [00:10:18] Speaker B: He shines it every morning at 06:00 a.m. and it's so damn loud. [00:10:21] Speaker C: God, the little spit shine. [00:10:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:26] Speaker C: That if Rooster's growing, it's a. [00:10:36] Speaker B: Ridiculous, fucking ridiculous. [00:10:38] Speaker A: So Sarah's in Chicago, so she's a ways ahead. And we're talking over discord. Join our discord. It's great. So today we're talking about how to do a con, and each of us has kind of our own con story. We tell it every year when we talk about how was Comic Con in our annual how did Comic Con go? Podcast. [00:10:59] Speaker B: Stay tuned for that. [00:11:00] Speaker A: Yes, that will be coming, but just to rehash for new listeners. Brian, how long have you been going to Comic Con? [00:11:08] Speaker B: Oh, my first com. My first SDCC was in 2003. [00:11:12] Speaker A: 2003, yeah. So you've been going to Comic cons off and on? Yeah, for two decades. [00:11:17] Speaker B: Yeah, basically that was my first one. I didn't go for probably two or three. Three years. And then I started going with Tate and his family, and almost consistently every year since then. [00:11:28] Speaker A: Okay, so you know your way around a cons. [00:11:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I've been around a little bit. And plus, you know, one are cons, and, you know, three celebrations. And. [00:11:35] Speaker A: And you've worked at cons, too? [00:11:36] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I worked D 23 last time, and then I worked a Star wars celebration in 2015 and the Marvel booth when I was there in 2017, so, yeah, the height of giveaway time. [00:11:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:49] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:11:51] Speaker A: That's a whole different. I have a minimum three inch stack of comics. [00:11:56] Speaker C: Y'all got any more than a shield? Yeah, those fucking shields. That was the year I met you guys. [00:12:07] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I thought, well, did we meet in the crowd, or was I working? I feel like I was in the crowd then. [00:12:14] Speaker A: We might have been. That might have been the year before. [00:12:18] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I think. Yeah, so I think we did meet, and that was. Yeah, we met in 2016, then. Yeah, we talked about before, but, yeah, so, yeah, so I worked 2017. Yeah, you said you weren't there that year. [00:12:28] Speaker C: Yeah, it's the only year I haven't been able to go since I started going. [00:12:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:32] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:12:33] Speaker B: But, yeah, so, yeah, I've been to a bunch of cons and worked. Yeah, worked, you know, behind the scenes. In front of the scenes, and also just as a con goer, so. [00:12:43] Speaker A: Very cool. [00:12:43] Speaker B: And Ronald Bryce has been to a whole bunch. [00:12:46] Speaker A: My first con had to have been 2003 as well. But it was anime expo, right? Which is pretty on brand for high school, Bryce. And I don't think I went to another convention. I think I went again in 2004. That was when it was in Anaheim. And then sometime in the middle of college, I did Wondercon when it was in San Francisco. I'm all about going to cons when they're in other places first. [00:13:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:13:14] Speaker A: Yeah. Now they've all moved. Apparently. That's my con story is like, oh, I went there. I was at winter Con when it was in San Francisco. Oh, I was at ax when it was at the Anaheim convention center. [00:13:23] Speaker B: Con hipster over here. [00:13:25] Speaker A: And my naive ass, like, stayed in Burbank to go to the Anime expo too, when it was in Anaheim. Like, I feel like such a. I mean, now if somebody were to tell me that, I'm like, you're wrong. [00:13:35] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:13:36] Speaker A: That's not how that's supposed to go. [00:13:37] Speaker B: So. [00:13:37] Speaker A: Yeah, then. Then I did Wondercon in San Francisco, and then I did comic Con with you and with the Reynolds. [00:13:46] Speaker B: Yeah. Year. Was that like 2009, 2008? No, was it after. [00:13:52] Speaker A: No, it was after college. [00:13:53] Speaker B: Oh, shoot. Yeah. [00:13:55] Speaker A: I want to say that was 20, maybe 2014. Yeah, no, I wasn't in 2012. It had to have been like 2015. It was late. [00:14:03] Speaker B: Shit. [00:14:03] Speaker A: I'm very new to SDCC. Exactly. When my. I could look at the pile of badges. [00:14:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:09] Speaker A: Like, this is a podcast. And there I have a. Yeah. Every single con badge that I've ever had, including, like, a game conference in Hanford. [00:14:18] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:14:18] Speaker A: That was. [00:14:19] Speaker B: I need to get mine all there. I mean, I always thought about going on to, like, Etsy or Reddit and just see what people have done to, like, display theirs. But, like, I have so many con badges that, like, I don't know how I would possibly even display them. [00:14:36] Speaker A: Yeah, you'd have to get the marathon runner, like, shadow boxes where they have all of their medals. Yeah, but you just put. [00:14:43] Speaker B: Every year. Yeah, but, like, do a different one for every year because gone to so many. [00:14:48] Speaker A: And that's the thing, too, is do you want to display all I like. [00:14:51] Speaker B: And then there's next to my dirty shelves. [00:14:53] Speaker C: Are any of them, like, how many of them are worth displaying? [00:14:57] Speaker B: Yeah, but also, like, sometimes I just get three badges. Sometimes I get just one four day badge, you know, so. Yeah, yeah. [00:15:05] Speaker A: And if there's enamel pins or buttons, I make sure they're on that lanyard and then that goes up. So, like, I have a bunch of pins and stuff on there. This is a podcast. I'm gesturing. Just use your imagination. I don't know. Maybe we'll post a picture on Instagram. We do that sometimes. [00:15:18] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:15:19] Speaker A: Anyway, so, yeah, I've done that. I've worked a couple of conventions. I've done professional conventions as well as, you know, comic conventions and geek conventions, et cetera. [00:15:29] Speaker B: I worked on conferences. [00:15:33] Speaker A: Short for conferences and sometimes for conventions. So, yeah, anyway, large swaths of people getting together have done that whole thing. How about you? When was your first. Sarah, when was your first comic Con? [00:15:48] Speaker C: My first comic Con was 2011. I want to say it was the summer. Well, in the spring, I moved to LA. I used to work in Las Vegas for Cirque du Soleil. [00:16:03] Speaker A: Cool. [00:16:03] Speaker C: And after my. After my show closed, um, I moved out to LA to get into the film industry. And as we do, uh, so they used to do a resale of badges, right? Like, people, like, people would buy badges and then they'd be like, oh, I can't go. And then they would do it, like, yeah, a couple weeks before. They would be like, oh, by the way, like, hey, it's like June, we have some badges for these days available. And you used to be able to buy them then. [00:16:31] Speaker B: Yeah, that's how I got mine for a couple years. [00:16:33] Speaker C: So I had been wanting to go, but, you know, con was starting to get popular. [00:16:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:39] Speaker C: I mean, like, not to the level it is now, but, like, it was popular enough that it was selling. It was selling. [00:16:46] Speaker B: Yeah, that was the time that it really started becoming pop culture con, like, mainstream. [00:16:51] Speaker C: So I like, yeah, I couldn't. I could have never really go before. [00:16:55] Speaker A: Big Bang theory, big bang theory, Twilight. [00:16:58] Speaker B: And think, breaking bad around that time, which. I'm breaking Bad a little bit, but, like, yet. Well, okay, all those. [00:17:04] Speaker C: Yeah, like, didn't walking dead, like, start around? [00:17:07] Speaker B: Yeah, that was around then, too. [00:17:09] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And the marvel, the MCU was really kicked off because Avengers hadn't come out until, I think of it, in 2011. [00:17:18] Speaker B: Did 2012. [00:17:19] Speaker A: 2012. So Avengers was on its way leading. [00:17:22] Speaker C: Up to it and all of that. [00:17:23] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. [00:17:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:17:26] Speaker C: So I managed to score, like, a Sunday ticket. And like, that Sunday rolled around and I was like, fuck, I do not want to drive all the way to San Diego this morning. [00:17:39] Speaker B: Right. [00:17:39] Speaker C: Because, like, I just had the one day I was not going to spend the money I didn't have. I didn't have a job. I was freelancing in LA. And so I, like, money was so freaking tight. [00:17:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:51] Speaker C: So I was like, we're just going to drive down to San Diego Sunday morning, and I was like, ugh, I really don't want to do this. [00:17:57] Speaker B: Did you leave it, like, five in the morning kind of thing? [00:17:59] Speaker C: No, I didn't. I want to say I left at, like, nine. [00:18:03] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:18:04] Speaker C: Yeah. I was like, that'll get me there around ten. [00:18:08] Speaker A: Like, no, it won't. This is my Ron Howard. No, it wouldn't. [00:18:14] Speaker C: My brain does not. Did not do that math right quite well. Yes, it did not. I'll be there, like, 1011. I don't remember what time I got there. I got there maybe, like, early afternoon. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. [00:18:29] Speaker C: Noon, one, whatever. [00:18:30] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:18:31] Speaker C: I. Like, I could not get myself moving earlier, so it kind of was what it was. But I told myself, like, look, it's just one day. Like, that kind of blows. You've never been able to go, and if you go, your chances of being able to go next year drastically increased because I. Part of the resale. So I was like, all right. So I trekked down there, and I was so fucking glad I did. And it honestly opened the door for me to go. I think every year, the exception of 2017, I did not get tickets. And I was. Badges. I didn't get badges in 2017. It was. [00:19:13] Speaker B: How did that feel? [00:19:13] Speaker A: I was. [00:19:15] Speaker C: I was crushed. I was like, what? What do you mean? I. What do you mean? I don't have a. I don't have a ticket. Like, what the fuck? [00:19:22] Speaker B: That was me in 2018. [00:19:24] Speaker C: I just sat there and watched that fucking, like, you know, it was like that episode Big Bang Theory where they just sit there and go, fucking. Well, we're not going to con. It was like. It's. It's was so surreal. I was like, well, what am I supposed to do? I've been doing this now for. Yeah, years. This is what I do now. [00:19:45] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:19:46] Speaker C: Like, this is what I. This. So my birthday is also in the summer. It is actually fallen during a CCC before. [00:19:53] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:19:54] Speaker C: So, like, is my birthday treat to myself to go, hell, yeah. So, like, as what? So I got myself a puppy instead. [00:20:04] Speaker B: Oh, still worth it. [00:20:10] Speaker A: That's a fair trade. [00:20:11] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a good point. [00:20:12] Speaker A: That's, like, the only fair trade I could think of. Oh, you can't go to comic Con, but here's a puppy. [00:20:16] Speaker C: It pretty much was the only fair trade. [00:20:18] Speaker A: Like, yeah, and I love him. [00:20:20] Speaker C: I love him to death. Like, I can't believe he's seven years old already. [00:20:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:20:25] Speaker C: Like, so it. It was a fair trade, right? Like, I'm not mad. I'm not mad. [00:20:30] Speaker A: That I'm fomo. [00:20:34] Speaker C: Oh, God. It would have been perfect because he is a carbon copy of me and he has Fomo to the extreme. [00:20:41] Speaker B: Oh. [00:20:43] Speaker A: Learn from the best. [00:20:45] Speaker C: Yes. [00:20:46] Speaker B: So do you go to, like, c two e two and anything out your way? [00:20:50] Speaker C: I have been to c two e two a few times. I don't know if c two e two is hard for me to go to because unfortunately, I moved here. I moved to Chicago in 2018, so I went in to go in 2018. In 2019. I can't remember if I went in 18 or if I just went and 19. I feel like I went to it, like, more than that, but I can't remember. Yeah, but then the pandemic screwed it all up. [00:21:20] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:21:20] Speaker C: And it's just not at a consistent time where, like, Secc. You always. You know, it is. I mean, now it's pretty much always the third week of July. [00:21:30] Speaker B: Right. [00:21:31] Speaker C: It has been the second week of July, but basically middle of July. You know, it is the middle of July. Always been the middle of July, but c two e two has fallen all over the place. [00:21:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it definitely jumps around a bit similar to the La comic Con. [00:21:46] Speaker C: It makes it so difficult to plan. Plan ahead to know whether you actually will be available this year. I debated on going, and I was like, well, you know what? I'm gonna wait. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna buy tickets because you can buy tickets for c two e two, like, day off. [00:22:07] Speaker B: Oh, wow. [00:22:08] Speaker C: I was like, I'm just gonna wait. And if I'm not working, I'm just. Because I also live a mile from the convention center. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, that's nice. [00:22:16] Speaker C: Oh, I'll just fucking walk over there. It's. Yeah, like. But I ended up working. I also didn't know if I was going to be working at the convention. [00:22:24] Speaker B: Oh, wow. [00:22:25] Speaker C: I work at the convention center sometimes. So I was like, and we're gonna hold off and wait and see. So I've been to c two e two. I definitely feel like I've been more than once, but I can't remember the years and spacing of when it actually was. It's like, those are the only two. Oh, no. That is a lie. I've been to New York Comic con when I was in college, which was like, this would have been maybe in 2007 or eight. I can't remember the year specifically. So it was either 2007 or eight. [00:23:05] Speaker B: Oh, cool. That's one of the ones I really want to go to. [00:23:08] Speaker A: Doesn't hurt to ask from. That's it. [00:23:12] Speaker C: What I know of, like, of it now. I mean, this is a. It is night and day from when I went. So I have, like, I could not really even give you an idea because it was one of those things that I went to college down in Georgia. We went to New York City to pull costumes for a show. It was like this special trip that we did for school. We got done early enough on one of the days, and one of my friends who had already graduated was living in New York City, who I was staying with, and he was like, hey, I have an extra ticket to New York comic con if you want to meet me over there, if you finish. I was like, yeah, I'm done. I'll just take. I'll grab a taxi and meet you over there. And it was literally just, like, walk in and, like, no, like, issues. And, like, I, like, I feel like it was even, like, from that year to the first year of SDCC, like, it was a very different amount of people and experience. Thoroughly enjoyed myself. Yeah, but it just was not like that crazy mass of people. But now New York comic con sells out. Yeah, it's fairly quickly, like, think it might be nearly selling out as quickly as SDCC. [00:24:32] Speaker B: Yeah, it's kind of the east coast equivalent. [00:24:34] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:24:36] Speaker C: So it has grown a lot. [00:24:38] Speaker A: Nice. [00:24:39] Speaker B: So you've. You've been your fair share of cons then, too. [00:24:41] Speaker C: Yes. So, I mean, actual official, like, conventions. Like, that's it. But, you know, I've been to, like, midnight Harry Potter release parties in costume and all of that, too. So, like, well, like, those things weren't, I don't guess, technically, like, big ass conventions. Like, I feel like I've been doing group event type deals in this, like, somewhat realm. [00:25:05] Speaker A: I mean, shoot, we did that for the premiere of the acolyte. [00:25:08] Speaker B: Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you've been cosplaying that long then, right? [00:25:13] Speaker C: Officially cosplaying? Like, yeah, yes. I mean, I like, I like when I. I have literally never not just dressed. Like, if there's an event, I dress up right on. So I don't know that I officially, like, ever knew it was cosplay until I was. It was given a name and. Yeah, and somebody was like, I go to these anime conventions and, you know, I do cosplay. I was like, what is cosplay? She's like, well, I'm making my costume. I go in costume and I'm like, do you go in costume? And she's like, yes, but it's called cosplay. [00:25:45] Speaker B: I was like, you're like, oh, okay. [00:25:48] Speaker C: I didn't know it had a name. [00:25:50] Speaker B: Yeah, right on. That's cool. [00:25:53] Speaker C: So. Yes, but literally, yeah, I've always been the person. I mean, there's a picture of me as a Power Ranger from third grade, and technically it was my Halloween costume, but damn best believe that I thought I was the fucking yellow Ranger. [00:26:09] Speaker B: Hell yeah. Still counts. [00:26:11] Speaker C: My ass was going to be Trini no matter what. [00:26:14] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Classic. So we've all been to our fair share of con, so we, you know, we kind of know what to bring at this point and, like, what we kind of wittle down to be the essentials versus the maybe essentials versus the non essentials. So that's kind of where we're talking about this episode a bit. [00:26:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Since we've all done all that, like, I feel like before we even talk about logistics of navigating hotels, navigating the tram system, the bus system, the shuttle system, getting your badge, any of that stuff. [00:26:44] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:44] Speaker A: The first is, what are you bringing down there now? If you're cosplaying, there's probably some emergency items that you need to have as far as, like a sewing kit and things like that for quick, quick fixes. And of course at the con, there's like, cosplay repair booths and that one guy walking around with a giant flag above his head that says, like, we'll repair your costume. That kind of thing. But, uh, what are you bringing in your cosplay, like, emergency kit if for just in case something goes wrong, things that you need to make sure you. [00:27:14] Speaker C: Have that I actually take to the convention or that I take with me, just with me to San Diego? [00:27:21] Speaker B: Maybe a little bit of both. [00:27:23] Speaker C: Well, because I'm a major procrastinator, the ADHD gets better of me. [00:27:28] Speaker B: We know how that goes. [00:27:29] Speaker C: What, what we like. We're like, oh, a new episode of the next thing you know, I've binge watched an entire show and I'm like, oh, I was supposed to be building my costume. So since that always seems to get me, I always end up bringing a lot of stuff to work on in hotel rooms or wherever I'm staying. I have literally even. Well, I used to live in LA, so bringing a lot of stuff used to be easier. [00:27:55] Speaker B: Right? [00:27:55] Speaker C: I have brought sewing machine. I pretty much always bring sewing supplies, needles, thread, all of that glue. Glue can be hard now that I have to fly. Like e 6000. You're not allowed to fly with e 6000. I know people still do, but technically you're not supposed to. And let's see. Oh, I. One of the challenges I ran to one time here in Chicago, you can't buy spray paint here. So I went to go paint my prop. [00:28:24] Speaker B: Oh. [00:28:25] Speaker C: And went over to blick art, and I was like, dude, I need this spray paint. And he's like, we don't sell spray paint. I was like, what do you mean you don't sell spray paint? What kind of art store? Like, I have bought this paint at Blix before. Like, this is Chicago. I was like, and cannot buy his spray paint. [00:28:44] Speaker B: You must be new here. [00:28:45] Speaker A: Meanwhile, in California, they're like, here's your spray paint. Here's the different tips for your spray point paint. And, you know, here's a few locations you might want to go tag while you're at it. [00:28:53] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. So he's like, yeah, you can only. You have to go outside of city limits in order to buy it. I was like, well, that doesn't work because I don't have a car. Like, okay, great. So that time I flew in and then went to Home Depot and bought myself some spray paint because I didn't have time to go to a blick. [00:29:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:29:14] Speaker C: And that spray paint sucked. I was like, of course. Why? I wanted the spray paint. I knew, yeah, I've since bought an airbrush, and now I just would have airbrushed it, but back then, I didn't have one. So I have actually packed my airbrush, like, big. I don't have a small. [00:29:30] Speaker A: With the compressor and everything. [00:29:32] Speaker C: Big compressor, everything. Put that shit in my suitcase. [00:29:36] Speaker A: I bet that bumped you up to 50 pounds pretty quick. [00:29:38] Speaker C: Yeah, that definitely ate up some weight. On the upside, it was from my armor, and my armor was completely made out of foam. The bulk of the armor took up most of the suitcase. [00:29:49] Speaker B: Okay. [00:29:50] Speaker C: I just had to be really careful with how I packed it so that the weight of the air compressor in that suitcase with all my foam armor didn't destroy it. But, yeah, it worked out of. But, yeah. I usually always pack paint. Paintbrushes. I try to pack as little as possible, but it always ends up being more. They'll always be, like, spare fabric. And I have a mini dremel. Like, it's technically like the dremel pen. [00:30:20] Speaker A: Oh, cool. [00:30:21] Speaker C: Like, there. There's a dremel like attachment that's like a hose that gives you a pen attachment, but there's a newer dremel that is literally, like, the size of, like, a pen or, like, that's awesome. A soldering iron. It's about the size of. It's actually, right here, it's about the size of a soldering iron. [00:30:40] Speaker A: So this is podcast, and she's grabbing a pen. [00:30:41] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. I say, no, I forgot that. But so you guys know what the fuck I'm talking about. [00:30:46] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome. [00:30:47] Speaker C: It's fucking amazing. Yeah, it works really awesome. So I'm packing this. [00:30:53] Speaker A: Yeah, my dremel is definitely a little thicker than that. That's for sure. [00:30:56] Speaker C: Yeah, I still have my big dremel, but, like, that one is really great. And I actually find myself using that one so much more than my big dremel now. [00:31:05] Speaker B: Right on. If it works, it works. [00:31:07] Speaker C: Right? Um, let's see. What else do I usually pack? [00:31:11] Speaker A: So the sewing kit and the glue are, like, absolute must haves sewing kit. [00:31:15] Speaker C: And glue needles with thread, pinsd, safety pins. Glue. I usually will have super glue. I will have tacky glue. I'll even have, like, glue strips. They're kind of like double sided tape in a way, but it's glue. [00:31:31] Speaker B: Right on. [00:31:32] Speaker C: That actually works really pretty good for, like, emergency stuff. [00:31:36] Speaker A: Yeah. Adam savage, in his book every tool's a hammer, has a whole section on what glue is used for what job. And, like, I knew wood glue was wood glue, and I knew that gorilla glue was not necessarily, like, the best for everything. And that, like, superglue has its. You know, I knew that there were, like, reasons for it, but, like, knowing what glue is the best for your material is, like, such a game changer. It's such a. I mean, I can't say it's a game changer because I don't know. I've never done a lot of crafting since reading the book. But, like, it's just such a different mindset than I've ever had about having glue. Most of them are like, listen, you get your super glue, crazy glue, one of those, and, like, that'll get you out of whatever pinch you're in. But the level of detail of knowing which glue you need so that it actually adheres and actually sticks without damaging the material, etcetera, is. Is just such an interesting way to think about things. And I feel like, you know, like, just hearing you talk about these. These different glues, it's like, I know that you're like, I need this glue because this is what it. You know, because I'm doing this sort of thing, but I'm adhering fabric, so I don't necessarily want that because it does weird, squishy, wet looking things. [00:32:52] Speaker C: You know, this is gonna sound weird, but way back, I don't know, probably 2009, Billy Mays was tv pitching some freaking glue. I don't even remember what the heck this glue is called. And like, he glues like this freaking ripped up flag back together and then it's like in a hurricane. He's like, look, it's safe. And he like, glues the bottom of a freaking boat. I don't know. It is like the most absurd infomercial of shit that he. [00:33:22] Speaker A: All of the glue ones really are. [00:33:24] Speaker C: That shit was the best glue I have ever. [00:33:26] Speaker A: No shit. Of course. [00:33:30] Speaker C: And I don't know what it was. It was amazing. I was so sad when I ran out of that bottle of glue and you can't like, yeah, it's done. You can't buy it. I don't know what it was. It was some, like, random fucking tv. [00:33:43] Speaker A: Some predecessor to flex seal. [00:33:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:46] Speaker C: Like, yeah, I am like, I don't know what it was. It's in probably like, e 6000 is the closest I could probably describe it. [00:33:56] Speaker A: But if you're listening at home and you know where this glue is, get in the comments. [00:33:59] Speaker C: Yeah, seriously. But yeah, it was clear it didn't have fumes like e 6000, but it worked just as good as e 6000 and it worked on everything I ever threw at it. [00:34:11] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome. [00:34:12] Speaker C: It was literally the most amazing glue. And it's so stupid, but, like, I don't know what the heck this magical glue was disappeared. Even if just everybody knows what the hell infomercial I'm talking about just to. [00:34:26] Speaker A: Make sure this isn't some sort of glue. Fume fever dream. [00:34:29] Speaker C: Lucid fever dream. [00:34:30] Speaker B: Right there was this loop. [00:34:33] Speaker A: You don't understand. [00:34:38] Speaker C: I sound like a crazy person, but I swear it's like, no, this was the shit and scissors. [00:34:47] Speaker A: Oh, definitely. If you're a cosplay person, scissors. [00:34:51] Speaker C: Even if you're not a cosplayer, scissors. [00:34:53] Speaker A: So if you're not cosplaying and you need to bring things to a con, there are certain things that are essentials that you should definitely pack with you to at least get you to where you're staying. And there are definite things that you should absolutely bring into the con with you. [00:35:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:35:07] Speaker A: Brian, you had a list. Yeah, lay that list on me, buddy. Yeah. [00:35:11] Speaker B: So this podcast came in. We've been talking about doing this for years, but one of my friends, Shanika, was like, I'm going to my first con. It's D 23. What do I do about food? What do I do if I can't get the merch I want? What if I get too hungry, and I can't find food. I'm like, okay. So I kind of gave her a lowdown, but also, there's a few other people I've been talking to that, like, this is going to be their first con and a few other friends. In fact, Jim just text me ten minutes ago saying, hey, I'm talking to some friends. Like, I got into the doctor who panel. I'm like, oh, funny. We're doing a podcast literally right now about what to bring it on. Their first con or a con. He's like, I've been talking to so many people that this year will be their first San Diego comic Con. I'm like, perfect. But I always like to have my. It's like a medium sized backpack, but has, like, a lot of pockets and stuff. And I like to be organized. Granted, my ADHD will kick in half the time, and I'll just start throwing stuff in there mid con, but, you know, whatever I see with that later. [00:36:08] Speaker A: Regretted bringing a backpack into a convention. [00:36:11] Speaker B: Never. [00:36:11] Speaker A: Like, I have. Like, because then, otherwise, I'm carrying a comic. Like, every time I haven't, I've been like, well, now I've got to carry this around. [00:36:19] Speaker B: Yeah. And that happened. That happened to me last year. I went to the collector's con in Bakersfield. I took my nephew for his first con, so that was really cool. And of course, we found stuff, and I was just like, I'm at a con. I don't have my backpack. What the hell was I thinking? Like, my backpack was at my sister's place. [00:36:36] Speaker A: You're naked in certain places. [00:36:37] Speaker B: And I'm like, yeah. I'm like, don't look at. Well, you can look a little bit. It's fine, whatever. But, like, I don't know what to do with my hands because they're all full of stuff. [00:36:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:45] Speaker C: It's the hardest part, I think about cosplaying is. [00:36:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:51] Speaker C: You either have to calculate ahead of time where you're gonna put stuff, or you just have to accept the fact that you. You can't do anything. [00:37:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:02] Speaker A: And enter the costly boyfriend. [00:37:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:05] Speaker A: You follow me around, carry this backpack. Why do you always choose cosplays with cargo pants? [00:37:14] Speaker C: Oh, my God. [00:37:15] Speaker A: I only cosplay as nineties X Men so that I can have as many pouches as possible. [00:37:18] Speaker B: So many pouches. [00:37:20] Speaker C: Two years ago, I did kim possible, so I had cargo pants. I was like, why have I never done this before? This is amazing. [00:37:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:27] Speaker C: I was like, oh, look at me. I've got a place for my phone. I've got a place for stuff. Oh, this is amazing. [00:37:32] Speaker B: It works. [00:37:33] Speaker C: One of my first cosplays pockets, I think I was like, yeah, yeah. [00:37:37] Speaker B: Like, that's what I typically wear because I hate pants. But, like. Yeah. [00:37:42] Speaker A: Like, today on Bryant's war against pants. [00:37:44] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's so much room for activities in cargo pants. [00:37:48] Speaker A: Dave Ziegler has entered the chat. [00:37:51] Speaker B: Right. So, yeah. [00:37:53] Speaker A: Getting back to bring a backpack. [00:37:55] Speaker B: Yeah. Backpack. A decent size 100%. Make sure it's not too old and it doesn't rip or break. [00:38:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:01] Speaker B: Or has the potential. Yeah. So, typically, I'll have kind of the basics. I say basics, but I'll have, like, a water bottle to fill up mid con. Usually there's places that you can fill up. They have water refill stations. [00:38:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:14] Speaker B: A lot of. [00:38:15] Speaker A: Almost every place drinking fountain has a water refill station. [00:38:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:18] Speaker A: These days, anyway, so. [00:38:20] Speaker B: Yeah. So I'll have that. In the last couple years, I started bringing protein shakes because food is sometimes hard to get to or it's way too expensive. [00:38:29] Speaker A: Often overpriced at cons. Also, even if you have taco trucks out front, they will adjust their prices and jack them up $5 because they know you're not leaving the convention. [00:38:38] Speaker B: Yeah. So I'll typically bring a. I'll just go to a target or Costco and get a pack of protein shakes. And I'll bring one or two a day just in case. And same thing with Gatorade. [00:38:49] Speaker A: Electrolytes. [00:38:50] Speaker B: Electrolytes. [00:38:51] Speaker A: Stay hydrated. And while we're on the topic of things getting hot, me back on cosplays again? No. While we're on topic of people, of things getting hot and things getting sweaty. [00:39:03] Speaker B: Also me and people. Too many people. Too many people getting way too warm and way too smelly. Bring fucking deodorant. Holy crap. [00:39:15] Speaker C: People. [00:39:16] Speaker B: And use it. But you have to use it. Bring it. But also use it. [00:39:20] Speaker A: An actual deodorant. Don't be spraying axe. You're going to give everybody a headache. This is not a locker room. You are not twelve. Unless you're listening to this, and you're twelve, in which case, I'm going to give you some life advice right now. [00:39:29] Speaker B: Don't use axe. [00:39:29] Speaker A: Don't use axe. Don't use axe. No one likes it. No one likes it. [00:39:33] Speaker C: Take a shower and put deodorant on. [00:39:36] Speaker B: Mm hmm. [00:39:36] Speaker A: Please. [00:39:37] Speaker B: Yes, please. [00:39:38] Speaker A: And if you happen to be sweaty in other places, I. My personal addition to this would be some gold bond medicated foot powder. [00:39:45] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:39:45] Speaker A: It is excellent. For chafing, because what happens with chafing is basically the same thing that happens with, like, foot odor problems. So just, you know, a little in the area of your, of your choosing that you feel is getting a little chafee and you won't end up, as George RR Martin says, having inner thighs that have been rubbed and chafed to smooth and supple leather. I don't know why we needed to know that about Daenerys Targaryen, but we did. [00:40:14] Speaker B: Yeah. So anyway, descriptions in his books, a. [00:40:17] Speaker A: Little, a little gold bond medicated foot powder to deal with. That goes a long way. They also sell stick versions of it if you don't want to be, like, all the way up there. But I highly recommend if you are prone to chafing, to take that into consideration. [00:40:34] Speaker B: Yes. [00:40:35] Speaker A: Don't wear flip flops. [00:40:37] Speaker B: No. Oh, no, no. [00:40:39] Speaker C: Oh, my God. [00:40:41] Speaker A: Comfortable. [00:40:42] Speaker B: Comfortable. [00:40:43] Speaker A: If you're cosplaying, I'm sorry, you have to wear whatever shoe you feel is most appropriate for you. But if you plan on walking the floor, you're gonna be putting in 12,000 steps that day. [00:40:52] Speaker B: Oh, easy. And that's just on the floor. We get on regular. Over 20,000 steps. [00:40:58] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:40:59] Speaker C: I almost never have less than 20,000 steps. [00:41:02] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's walking to the con. That's walking out of the con down panel. Yeah. [00:41:10] Speaker A: Where I am sitting for more than half the day, I still wind up with over 10,000. [00:41:14] Speaker B: Oh, easy, easy. [00:41:15] Speaker A: Especially in places like downtown San Diego, if you're doing one of the big ones. [00:41:19] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:41:19] Speaker A: And you have to deal with shuttles and things like that. There's a lot of walking. So comfortable shoes, good arch support. Don't break in the shoes on that day. [00:41:28] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I just bought new shoes and I got one pair two days ago. They started breaking in, and another pair should be coming in Monday. So we'll see if those are broken in enough to bring them. [00:41:38] Speaker A: Don't be scared by this. Just wear comfortable shoes. [00:41:40] Speaker B: Yeah. And what I normally do is I actually bring two pairs of shoes because I will rotate every other day and switch. I'm kind of extra like that. [00:41:49] Speaker A: You also, you and I also both. [00:41:51] Speaker B: Have our own foot ankle issues anyways. Foot ankle issues. [00:41:54] Speaker A: But if you are wearing a shoe for an entire day, you're flattening that sole out all day. The next day, having a fresh pair of shoes that have properly sprung back to life. [00:42:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:04] Speaker A: Is huge. [00:42:05] Speaker B: Huge. [00:42:06] Speaker A: This advice also goes for Disneyland. [00:42:08] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah. [00:42:09] Speaker A: If you're going to a theme park, we highly recommend these things as well. [00:42:13] Speaker B: Right? Yeah. [00:42:14] Speaker C: Again, like, with San Diego, too, like, it's summer. It very oftentimes is hot and sweaty. [00:42:20] Speaker B: It was so hot last year. [00:42:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:22] Speaker C: You can end up with really sweaty feet. And if you're wearing the same pair all weekend long, they don't have time to dry air out properly. [00:42:32] Speaker B: Right. [00:42:32] Speaker C: So then you're, like, with. By getting them all super funky. Also, I don't know if you guys have ever done this. When you get a new pair of shoes, I highly recommend buying those shoe charcoal packs. And every time you take your shoes off, put the charcoal pack in. It prevents the shoes from getting stinky. I used to have really stinky sneakers until I started doing this and no longer have stinky sneakers. [00:43:02] Speaker B: Right on. [00:43:02] Speaker C: But it won't remove smell that's already gotten in the shoe. You have to do it. You have to start with a new shoe. And as long as you keep it up, you're good. [00:43:13] Speaker A: A little bit of baking soda can help clear that light funk, but there's some funk that is just too funked to get away with. Yeah. [00:43:21] Speaker B: And you can always get athletes foot spray, and that'll. That'll take care of that for you. Coming from an athlete. [00:43:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:28] Speaker A: Bowling alley. [00:43:28] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Mm hmm. [00:43:30] Speaker A: Don't. Don't go take one from the bowling alley. We are not legally giving that advice. [00:43:36] Speaker B: Target. It's fine. [00:43:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:37] Speaker B: So, yeah. Back to what I have in my backpack. In my specific backpack, I'll usually bring in some, like, ibuprofen, tylenol, what other meds I'll need for the day just to make sure I'm feeling all right. [00:43:49] Speaker A: Leave. If you're allergic to ibuprofen, like certain people in this place. [00:43:52] Speaker B: Yep. Yep. Also allergy meds. [00:43:54] Speaker A: Yes. [00:43:55] Speaker B: Because who knows? I got all sorts of allergy issues sometimes. And people will wear stuff or they'll smell like stuff or dust in the air. [00:44:04] Speaker A: Some guy's wearing axe, and you happen to have a problem with axe body spray, and it gives you headaches, that'll do it, too. [00:44:10] Speaker B: And in these days, say, post Covid days, but we're still in Covid, but also pre Covid days wearing masks. If you're prone to getting sick or if you might be sick and are still walking around there, you know, feel free to wear a mask. No one's going to judge. Everybody's all about it. A lot of people end up coming away with the con flu or the con crud or whatever you, you know, whatever you call it. But we're in a big spike of COVID right now. We're also seeing high spikes of the flu and the cold. And so there's a big group of people. The ventilation isn't great with that many people. It's going. You can feel the AC in there sometimes, but it's always going. But, like, there's just so many people in there. You might get sick, you might get a little something something. [00:44:56] Speaker A: A little emergency goes a long way. [00:44:57] Speaker B: Emergence. Yeah. So I was gonna say bring some emergency, bring some zycam, and that'll usually help kind of keep things away, hopefully. [00:45:06] Speaker A: What else you got in the backpack? [00:45:07] Speaker B: Floss. [00:45:08] Speaker A: Interesting. [00:45:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause you never know when you'll get shit in your teeth. And you're like, ah, I don't wanna, like, dig it out, but I can't dig it out. But, you know, just. [00:45:15] Speaker A: And you're stuck there for most of the day. It's not like you can go home. You know, you're there. So that's. [00:45:20] Speaker B: And it's small enough. It'll fit. I reached out to our good friends Reid and Brittany for just some extra ears and eyes on what they bring. And they were like, bring a phone charger. I'm like, oh, duh, of course. [00:45:32] Speaker A: You always do. [00:45:34] Speaker B: I do. [00:45:34] Speaker A: So old. It dies so quick. [00:45:36] Speaker B: Yeah. So I have, I have two of them. So I have one. It's a battery charging case, so usually bring that. And I'll have a nice little battery pack for. In case anybody else needs to use it or if I just need it as well. But also band aids, a tide pin. [00:45:52] Speaker A: A tide pin. Yeah, you're getting. [00:45:54] Speaker B: That's, that's Brittany right there. Shout out to Britney and an extra lanyard. [00:45:58] Speaker A: An extra lanyard. [00:46:00] Speaker B: And I've had one break on me, and I had an extra lanyard. I think for somebody else I was gonna use it or give it to. I don't know. I had an extra one and it came in clutch. [00:46:11] Speaker A: You can always go pick up another lanyard. [00:46:12] Speaker C: And there's like, you pack an extra lanyard. I feel like everybody gives out lanyards for free. I would not, personally, I would not bother. [00:46:19] Speaker B: I think I had one extra one. Yeah, I had an extra one, as I said, for somebody. But I think also I have a couple specific lanyards that I'm like, I like this lanyard. I want my Star Wars Lanyard. [00:46:30] Speaker A: That's fair. [00:46:31] Speaker B: You know? [00:46:31] Speaker A: That's fair. Yeah. If you have a, if you want your own lanyard, you can bring your own lanyard for sure. [00:46:35] Speaker C: I prefer the retractable lanyards. [00:46:37] Speaker B: Oh, those are so nice. [00:46:38] Speaker A: Those are real nice. [00:46:39] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Especially with San Diego comic con, because they scan the RFID in order to enter and exit. So it's much easier to, like, for it to be like, on my hip and. [00:46:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, especially. Yeah. Especially if you're cosplaying and, you know, you can only put the lanyard so many places. [00:46:56] Speaker C: Yep. So for me personally, I like, I like the retractable ones. [00:47:00] Speaker B: Yeah, totally. Reid had a very good point. And Bryce and I always skip out on it. Sharpies. [00:47:07] Speaker A: Sharpies. [00:47:08] Speaker B: Different colored sharpies. [00:47:09] Speaker A: Silver and black and then. And gold maybe too. [00:47:12] Speaker B: Yeah. But most importantly, try out those sharpies before you bring them. [00:47:16] Speaker A: Yes. [00:47:17] Speaker B: There's been so many times that Bryce and I will be walking around the floor and we'll run into whoever, or I'll just be at a. At a table, walking up. [00:47:24] Speaker A: Run ins will be Mark Thompson. I don't know why we always run into Mark Thompson so many times. [00:47:29] Speaker B: Yeah, but we don't have a sharpie with us and we're like, shit, where's our sharpie? Do you have a sharpie? I don't have a sharpie. Do you have a sharpie? [00:47:34] Speaker C: No. [00:47:34] Speaker B: Why do I have another sharpie? We. This happens every year. Like, what the hell? So, yeah, make sure you have a sharpie. A couple different colors. Test them out before you go. Gonna be huge. And then a poster tube. Yeah, because you never know. We're gonna get free posters. Or when you see a really cool poster, you just want to buy and take. [00:47:51] Speaker A: Sure one person in your party has. [00:47:52] Speaker B: A poster tube, but don't lose it. [00:47:54] Speaker A: Yeah, and don't lose it. Don't leave it in your hotel room. My. I mean, I I hate to admit this, but my poster tube I got out of the trash can because the trash can was overfilled at the end of con last year. [00:48:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:09] Speaker A: And sitting on top, not even in the can, just sitting on top was an empty poster tube from comic con. And I was like, is there something wrong with this? And I, you know, looked at it. [00:48:20] Speaker B: Yeah, Murphy told me about that. [00:48:21] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I'm taking this poster tube. [00:48:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:23] Speaker A: And so that's how I got my poster tube. But like, wow, that's. [00:48:27] Speaker C: That's awesome. Cuz I trekked all over that freaking con last year for a poster too, because I ended up with a. One of the snoopy limited edition prints. And. Yeah, they're like, we don't have anything to put these in. I was like, you have. You like, you're just gonna hand me this piece of fucking paper, basically. I was like, you don't even have a bag or something you're putting in, right? Like, no. I was like, okay, question, can I leave this here for a minute? I will go find something to put it in and I will come back. [00:49:01] Speaker B: And some booths do have poster tubes, but they go quick. [00:49:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:49:05] Speaker C: She's like, yes. I ended up stopping in, like, the heroes in villains booth because they were unpacking some boxes because nobody had a tube that I could get. [00:49:15] Speaker A: Nobody had like a commemorative one that had like a print on it. You're just like, I need a toilet paper roll. [00:49:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:20] Speaker C: Like, literally, I was like, I fucking don't care what it is, I just need something. I was like, um, you throwing that box away? They're like, yeah. I was like, can I have the box? So I put the print in the, in the flat box and taped the edges. [00:49:33] Speaker B: Oh, there you go. [00:49:34] Speaker C: I'd carry this fucking flat box around. [00:49:35] Speaker B: Yeah. At least my better than nothing print. [00:49:37] Speaker C: Wasn'T, was not destroyed. [00:49:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:40] Speaker C: Then I eventually managed to get a tube later on. [00:49:44] Speaker A: Nice. [00:49:45] Speaker B: So in related power charging news, once Reed told me that, like, oh, you know, bring the, you know, the charging stuff. I'm like, oh yeah, duh. I usually always bring a power strip with me just to plug in either at the hotel, but it's come in handy at cons every once in a while. [00:50:02] Speaker A: I was gonna say you need, not enough. Sorry to interrupt. You need something that you can plug the USB cord into a wall. You need that brick too. [00:50:12] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:50:12] Speaker A: Because if you're plugging, like, if you have your, your battery, that's great. But if the battery dies or something happens with that and you need to plug into a wall, there is no guarantee whatsoever that that USB is gonna go directly into the wall. [00:50:24] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, no problem. None at all. [00:50:25] Speaker A: So get the little converter that lets you actually plug it into a plug in outlet as well. But if you've got a power strip, like, that's all the better. And then you're the hero of the con. [00:50:35] Speaker B: Yeah. And so there's, there was one time I had it with me at a con, I'm like, hey, would it be possible for me to plug in my power strip and then you guys plug into that? And then there's, there's one person plugged in and it wouldn't like a group of two or three and they're like, oh my God, that helps so much because like, they need to charge and we're just taking turns, I'm like, yo, let's go. And. Yeah, yeah. [00:50:54] Speaker A: And then you make conference phone die at a con, especially when you're with it. Like the. So the con where I met you, Sarah. What? I went to a Steven universe event, like, down the street, because Estelle was performing, and it was awesome, but. And I have that shirt somewhere, and I have no idea where it is, but I was on my way back, and I realized on my way back to the convention, my phone was dead. That I grabbed Shannon's bag, and I had no way of contacting her. And this was Sunday. Con was closed. And I'm walking around looking for anyone who's got a brick that I could just charge up enough so that I can text her and say, meet me at, you know, hall a or whatever. So I finally. I walk up to one woman, and she's charging her phone. And I look at her, and I. And she's, like, looking at me like, who the hell is this guy? And I'm. I say, I'm really, really sorry. My friend grabbed my bag. I grabbed hers, and my phone is dead. Can I please charge my phone? And initially, I just said, hey, would it be a. Would it be okay if I plugged into your charger? And she was like, I'm using my charger. Like, get away from here. And I was like, okay, here's the situation. And I gave her the rundown of what happened with the bag, and she was like, oh, that really sucks. Okay, yeah, that's fine. So we plug in, and then we're sitting there, and she's like, if you're gonna sit here and charge your phone, then you have to watch my show. And I'm like, okay, what's your show? And she's like, I write all the localization for Sailor Moon Crystal. And I'm like, what the fuck? [00:52:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:52:31] Speaker A: Why are cons look so crazy? [00:52:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:52:33] Speaker A: So I'm like, that's. That's incredible. [00:52:35] Speaker B: Speaking of meeting con friends. [00:52:37] Speaker A: Yeah. As Reid puts it, you're in a building full of thousands of potential new best friends. [00:52:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:52:42] Speaker A: But, yeah. So I'm just sitting there, hanging out with one of the writers from Sailor Moon Crystal. Like, just charging my phone, wait for it to come back to life, and then eventually it does, and, you know, I text her or whatever, and then we wind up meeting up, and then I managed to get a text out to Brian and be like, this is where I'm at. I have to get my bag exchanged. I will see you afterwards. Because I think he was like, tate. [00:53:01] Speaker B: And I were walking around somewhere, you. [00:53:02] Speaker A: Were doing something else, and I was already on borrowed badge time, I think, that year. Yeah, I think I was Kim that day or something. I have since gone legit, don't worry. But, yeah, I would say absolutely. Some sort of thing to back up your battery. Some sort of way to make sure you have multiple ways to get that thing into a charging station of some sort. There's, like, tables that do the wireless charging. [00:53:26] Speaker B: They've gotten. [00:53:27] Speaker A: It's gotten. [00:53:28] Speaker B: It's got a little better. Yeah. [00:53:29] Speaker A: But, you know, those are only going to go so far and then anything like, regarding. [00:53:35] Speaker B: So that's just kind of general stuff that I bring and that Reed and Britt said. I don't know about you guys, if you have anything more extra, but kind of going to a con and each, each of us go for separate reasons. I like going to see some of the comic panels and some of the book panels. So sometimes I'll bring comics or books to have signed. I'm not usually one to pay for that kind of stuff. [00:53:57] Speaker A: I'm not. [00:53:57] Speaker B: But, like, a lot of times the artists, if they're just walking around the con and you find them, they're more than happy to just sign and just talk. Like I, above anything else, I just want to talk to them and like, hey, enjoyed your stuff. What else you working on? You know, do you want to come up? Yeah. I don't be a punisher, but it's also like, hey, do, would you, would you be cool if you sign this kind of thing? And they're normally really cool about it and they're more than happy, too, and so. [00:54:22] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:22] Speaker A: So sometimes don't scream their name out if you see them in public. [00:54:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:25] Speaker A: No, then you won't be the only person who's talking to them nice and casually. You gotta be sly. [00:54:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's Comic Con, so you really never know who you're just gonna walk into on the floor. [00:54:36] Speaker A: Yeah. And if you see Seth Green, don't try to approach him. He's got, like, twelve bodyguards, all twice your size. [00:54:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Can confirm, seen it. [00:54:45] Speaker A: I will say if you're bringing comics, something that I've done that I now bring every time is I've made a cardboard sleeve that fits. [00:54:55] Speaker B: You got really good about comics. [00:54:57] Speaker A: And I try to make it a little wider just in case I buy, like, an old magazine or an old format comic or, you know, something like that. But something that will keep it from bending and keep the corners protected is really nice. Most of the time, I like, my signatures to not have my name on them. I don't even intend on reselling them, but for me, I don't want it necessarily to be personalized. I just, I like that this piece of art is, you know, signed by the artist effectively, but I still, I want to protect my sleeve and my, my comic as much as possible. So I folded a piece of cardboard in half, and that is, you know, wider than the comics. And I made sure to, like, take gaff tape on either side of it, make sure there's no exposed adhesive so that it doesn't cause any issues. But having that in my backpack on top of having a backpack that has a padded sleeve. [00:55:46] Speaker B: Yes. For things that comes in clutch. Yep. [00:55:49] Speaker A: Has been kind of my go to system going forward, because if I bring comics to get signed, I, you know, I want to make sure they're protected. [00:55:57] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:55:58] Speaker A: That being said, before a convention, typically two weeks, three weeks out, artists and writers and things like that will start announcing, like, hey, I'm going to be there. So you might want to look at your collection of comics. If you collect comics and try to see, you know, are there any issues that I really, really liked or issues that are key issues or things like that that I would like to have signed? [00:56:17] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:56:18] Speaker A: So, you know, as well as your sharpie, because having a Sharpie for something, somebody to sign something doesn't mean squat if you've got nothing for them to sign. [00:56:25] Speaker B: Very true. [00:56:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:56:27] Speaker A: I like, if Tim's on is going to be at a con, I typically try to bring a copy of one of his books. I brought my copy of a new Dawn, John Jackson Miller, and even though it's the physical copy, I had Mark Thompson sign it because I was like, this is my first Star wars book as an adult, and it would be really cool if you could throw a signature in there. And so we talked for a little bit, but I also run into Mark Thompson so often that by that point, it was like, you should just go ask him now. You had, like, ten conversations with them. [00:56:57] Speaker B: What, I made you go back? Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and there have been a lot more Star wars book signings lately, and just the, the authors running around the floor. [00:57:05] Speaker A: So they have a whole panel, and. [00:57:07] Speaker B: They have a whole panel, and then they actually have. This year, they actually have a. Just a full on signing event going on. So probably bring a couple books for that or a couple of comics or a little bit of both. And, yeah, so there's that stuff, but also kind of leaning into the general con atmosphere. Basically, just checking on what kind of panels are going on and what do I want to go see. Are there any happening at the same time? Are there any happening, like, back to back to back? Kind of come up with a list of what you want to see, in what order of importance that you want. But also keep in mind that, you know, like, comic Con is massive. There's so many people there, and not all the rooms are the same size. So you may want to get there a lot of it early in order to get a good spot or at least a spot for the panel. [00:57:53] Speaker C: Definitely on that aspect. Like, think about where that panel is, especially if you have, like, panels that are backed back or just close in time to each other. Like, you don't want one panel to be at one end of the convention center, and the next panel is actually off site. [00:58:13] Speaker B: Off site at the hotel. Yeah, that happened to me before, and I didn't realize it, and I was. [00:58:17] Speaker A: So you can't watch one, like, world of color and fantasmic in the same evening. Like, you gotta pick one. [00:58:24] Speaker B: Disney lantern. [00:58:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:58:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:58:28] Speaker A: Going to Hall h. I hope that you are in line right now while we're recording this podcast, because that is an impossible line to get through. [00:58:35] Speaker B: Yeah. And Marvel's back this year, so I. [00:58:38] Speaker C: Have never understood why hall h is the system that it is. No, it would not be difficult to lottery system. If you want to be in Hall H on Friday, put yourself in for a lottery ticket. [00:58:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:58:53] Speaker C: And you get a wristband on Friday. Like, you show. You get your wristband and you go, like, that should happen. [00:59:01] Speaker B: Yeah. And empty out. Empty it out in between panels. [00:59:04] Speaker C: Empty it out in between panels. If there is a specific panel, you apply for that panel. And if you get it, you get it. And if you don't, you don't. But it's also ridiculous. [00:59:15] Speaker A: In extra room. [00:59:16] Speaker C: That is not the case. And I have not looked at the schedule for this year, but rumor is there is nothing in Hawley again this year. Oh, no, there's a bunch of stuff on Sunday. [00:59:27] Speaker B: Oh, Sunday, yeah. There's not a whole lot I can think of. And usually that was the doctor who day, but I think that's on Thursday or Friday now. [00:59:35] Speaker C: So if that's the case, then you could easily have space. Like, if, like, if there is. Some of their reasoning is like, oh, you can't empty it out in between. There's not enough time. Well, if you've got almost an entire day where there's not really much happening at hall h, then yeah, space them out. Yeah, space the panels out so that there is enough time to clear the hall out. Having people stuck literally camping out, starting on, like, Wednesday night for a panel that you want to see on Saturday and sleeping on the ground in the hot sun in San Diego, oh, it's gotta be brutal for four days is just ridiculous. [01:00:11] Speaker B: Yeah, well, that, and, like, you're paying so much money for the con and to be in San Diego, and you're missing everything like that. Yeah, like, I wouldn't do that because there's so many other things that you could be doing. [01:00:23] Speaker C: I mean, what, what did we. I've been going to the con now for. Since 2011. I said something like that. [01:00:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:00:30] Speaker C: I've never been to hall h. I have never seen something. [01:00:33] Speaker A: I've been in the indigo room. [01:00:35] Speaker C: I've never once felt like it was worth giving up an entire day of my. [01:00:39] Speaker B: Not at all. [01:00:40] Speaker C: And go see something that, yeah, it would be cool to have been there, but I'm also like, we're getting the. [01:00:47] Speaker B: Same info either way. [01:00:48] Speaker C: We're gonna get the info the next day or even a few hours later. [01:00:52] Speaker B: Yeah. And, yeah, there's sometimes exclusive trailers, and half the time it ends up online, you can find them, but, you know, you still end up seeing the movie in theory, you know, when it comes out and all the info and, yeah, so I've been in once midday because there wasn't a marvel, and there wasn't a whole lot going on. And normally, one of my favorite things at Comic Con is Kevin Smith's Saturday ending panel. He hasn't done it in a couple years, and he's back this year. But what they typically do is he goes on after the Marvel panel, and after Marvel empties outdoor, more than half the people leave, and then you can just stand in line probably about an hour beforehand, and you'll get an easy. So that's. That's what I plan to do this year. [01:01:32] Speaker A: Nice. An evening with Kevin Smith. [01:01:34] Speaker B: Yeah, basically. [01:01:35] Speaker A: Yeah. I also really like Jim Lee and friends. [01:01:37] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:01:38] Speaker A: That's a really, really fun panel. I went last year. A lot of weird stuff happened last year. Jim Lee and friends. Because a fire alarm went off. [01:01:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:01:46] Speaker A: But, like, Jim Lee and friends is another good panel. That's, like, nice, casual, not overly packed. At the end of the day, it's all DC comics, obviously, because that's where Jim Lee is. I also would recommend going in. I mean, it's. I don't love the system, but, like, if you've got a room that's less populated than Hall H. Go to the panel before your panel if you're that desperate to get in. [01:02:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:02:12] Speaker A: And see if you can get in to that prior panel and then just move up seats. As much as I. As much as I don't like that people do it when I've done it, I've also really enjoyed the surprise panels I've wound up being in. Like, I've. Royal crackers. The adult swim show is absolutely hilarious. [01:02:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:02:29] Speaker A: I only know about it because I wandered. [01:02:31] Speaker B: That's right. You were telling me about that on another panel. Yeah. [01:02:33] Speaker A: And it was like, oh, my God, this is so good. And Nicole and I both needed to be sitting down at that point in the day anyway. But another thing that, like, if you're. If you need a break, but you don't necessarily want to have to fight for panels, there are rooms showing tv and anime all day convention. That is my go to get the hell away from humans. Yeah. [01:02:53] Speaker B: And they're showing a lot of movies this year, too. They're showing the phantom menace. [01:02:57] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [01:02:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:02:59] Speaker A: Yeah. And that one's probably gonna be a little harder to get into. [01:03:01] Speaker B: Yeah, probably. [01:03:01] Speaker A: But, like, I can't tell you how many anime yeah. I've gone into that's become my. [01:03:05] Speaker B: And you've come back. You're like, I'm gonna go to the anime room. Cool. And you come back later. You're like, so watch this really weird as fuck anime, or just like, dude, I saw the coolest anime. [01:03:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Sometimes it's really weird. Sometimes it's really cool. [01:03:15] Speaker B: Sometimes it's both. [01:03:16] Speaker A: Sometimes it's both. I've met really cool people at them, at some of those rooms, but those are a really nice reprieve from when you're just like, my social battery is running way too low, and I just need to be somewhere quiet where everyone's in there for the same reason. And I can't tell you how many times I've walked into that room and it's been me and two people with a dvd player, like, and they pull out some pioneer dvd from 2000, you. [01:03:43] Speaker B: Know, that, like, ripped this shit in high school. Yeah. [01:03:46] Speaker A: Like, they've got a. They've got a sleeve of cds, you know, and they're like, yep, been rocking this since anime club 2004. [01:03:54] Speaker B: The cd right here. Limewire. [01:03:58] Speaker A: Yeah, we'll just watch, you know, one episode of the anime or whatever, and sometimes it's one that I'm like, oh, my God. This had a very short run on, like, g four tv or something. [01:04:06] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:04:07] Speaker A: And then sometimes it's something brand new, and there's so many of those rooms that, for me, is, like, as important to just my own mental health. [01:04:17] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Decompress. [01:04:18] Speaker A: And sometimes it's nice because you just go chill. [01:04:20] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:20] Speaker A: And the con ends. The floor is closed, but you don't still open shuttle. [01:04:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:25] Speaker A: And you can just go chill there. [01:04:27] Speaker B: Those are open so late. Yeah, yeah. [01:04:29] Speaker A: And then I'll leave out of there. And then the con, you know, the hallways are all closed or not closed, but quiet. And then there's, like, one random group of people that are, like, playing some board game you've never heard of before. [01:04:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:40] Speaker A: And now you're making friends with them, and then it turns out that they're the guy from Wondercon that sells the magic packs. And then suddenly you're friends with, like, a whole car dealer, and it's great. Yeah, we love the magic pack guy. [01:04:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:50] Speaker A: He's got a card shop in San Diego. And I will not tell you what it is because I forgot and I'm a bad customer. [01:04:58] Speaker B: But we're going back this year. [01:05:00] Speaker A: But, yeah, like, every year at Wondercon, we would go to the magic gathering, like mystery box, and you would go pull out a pack of, you know, a custom made pack of, you pay. [01:05:09] Speaker B: A dollar or $5, and you get, you know, five to ten for free or one. And it has a chance to get an extra. [01:05:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, their percentages of, like, the rare card versus the. The foil card or whatever is, like, usually a little higher. But, like, you're also gonna get some german card or something in there, too. [01:05:25] Speaker B: Yeah, some really cool stuff. [01:05:26] Speaker A: But that guy was running a board game right outside the anime room. And I walked out and I sat with him for a while while you guys were, I think, trying to get into some off site event. [01:05:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Or either that, or we were next door up at the bar on the 20th floor. [01:05:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh. Cause I wanted to go see another. The junji. [01:05:45] Speaker B: Yeah, that's where you were. [01:05:47] Speaker A: Exhibition. [01:05:47] Speaker B: Anyways, there's so many things to do in and around the con and outside of the con, and. [01:05:53] Speaker A: Can we talk about activations real quick? [01:05:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:05:55] Speaker A: So an activation, for those of you who don't know, is basically a promotional, interactive experience. And sometimes they're really cool, like, watching a mochi ceremony where they're, like, making the whole thing, like, the Shogun show. And sometimes they're okay, like, the Shogun stunt show. And then sometimes they're just a photo opportunity. And those are cool if you're into that. If you're really trying to push your gram. I get it. [01:06:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:19] Speaker A: But there's been mazes for peacemaker. [01:06:21] Speaker B: Mm hmm. [01:06:22] Speaker A: There was a whole obstacle course. [01:06:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:26] Speaker A: For the gifted. They had a bus that, like, if you scanned in and that the mutant x gene, they would put you on the bus and take you to the, like, mutant. [01:06:35] Speaker B: Another camp. Young. [01:06:36] Speaker A: I don't know, but, like, we didn't get picked. We didn't get picked. No. But there's, like, a bunch of those sorts of things outside. [01:06:41] Speaker B: I remember to do it early on. Maybe it's second or maybe it was the third or fourth season of Game of Thrones. They always had really cool activations, but they had, like, little tattoo boots. You can get a tattoo little tiny, like, one inch by one inch tops. But, like, you can go get a tattoo. [01:06:56] Speaker A: An actual tattoo. [01:06:57] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [01:06:59] Speaker A: Flash tattoos. [01:07:00] Speaker B: Yeah. So I don't think they've done that in years either. Any kind of activation. But, like, the Game of Thrones did that for, like, two years. [01:07:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:07:07] Speaker B: I'm wrong with other stuff in the activation. [01:07:09] Speaker A: If you plan on doing activations, especially at San Diego Comic Con, put sunscreen into that backpack. [01:07:15] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, definitely. [01:07:17] Speaker C: You should probably put sunscreen in the backpack anyways. Either way, you end up outside more than you think you're going to end up. [01:07:24] Speaker A: That's fair. Yeah. Especially if you get there just a little bit late and now you're stuck in the line to get in. [01:07:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:07:29] Speaker A: Like, you're gonna be burned before you get in. And you're gonna need those electrolytes from the game. Right. [01:07:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:07:34] Speaker C: Like, one year, for whatever reason they had, they had everybody waiting outside to do weapons check. [01:07:40] Speaker A: So, like, all the cosplayers I have. [01:07:42] Speaker C: To wait outside was stuck in this giant ass line. Hope you didn't wear fur for weapons check. [01:07:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:07:49] Speaker C: And I was like, what the hell? Like, and I was like, I don't understand why we're standing outside. Why can this line not be inside? Like, in this, like, section right here, like, even fucking up in the sales pavilion somewhere where we're not standing in the fucking sun. [01:08:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:08] Speaker C: Beating on us. [01:08:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:10] Speaker C: And, like. And, like, eventually, like, it was taking so long that one of, like, to be like, that person is like, oh, that was probably not the safest. But they. The one guy was just like, what do you have? You know? Like, I think it was a wiffle ball bat. Like, that year. They're like, that's what you have. I was like, yeah. They're like, oh, my God, just. And, like, the one guy in front of me, Washington. The. You probably saw him at some point. He was dressed as, like, the Ronald McDonald Thor. [01:08:39] Speaker B: That sounds familiar. Yeah. [01:08:40] Speaker C: His hammer was basically like, hamburger boxes. And the guy was like, why are you in line? [01:08:45] Speaker B: Oh, jeez. [01:08:45] Speaker C: He's like, I was told this had to be fucking tagged. And they're like, oh, my God. He tags it. He's like, fucking get out the goddamn line. This is ridiculous. It's like, thank you. [01:08:57] Speaker B: It's almost like you should have somebody walking outside the line. Just checking. [01:09:01] Speaker A: Yeah, walk the line and do the easy stuff. [01:09:03] Speaker C: This was a couple years ago, and, like, last year's weapons check, the best weapons check they. That I've ever experienced. They were so nice. It was quick. And last year we had prop guns in, like, you know, like, of all the things, like, I've taken as weapons before, like my battle axes, my bows, prop guns obviously are going to be the ones that you would think would have the strictest. This is going to be an intense inspection. And they like, it was quick. They knew that all of our things were fake instantly. They apparently were all a mix of, like, off duty officers or retired officers or retired military, etc. [01:09:44] Speaker A: That just like, they pick it up. They're like, this ain't a gun. [01:09:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:09:47] Speaker C: Be part of the con just to see all the things. But they were all older guys and they were really. [01:09:52] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome. Guys. [01:09:53] Speaker C: Like, oh, your costumes are great. [01:09:55] Speaker B: Oh, that's cool. [01:09:56] Speaker C: Yeah, really cute, actually. [01:09:58] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, you know, speaking of outside and activations, there's also restaurants that do specific themes. [01:10:05] Speaker A: Oh, at Comic Con, specifically at San Diego Comic Con, like the whole gas lamp. Gas lamp. [01:10:12] Speaker C: The whole gas goes out is. [01:10:15] Speaker A: They know. They know who's there. [01:10:17] Speaker B: Yeah. And most of the time it's pretty good. Sometimes it's iffy and I. Not great, but I mean, I've gone. [01:10:21] Speaker A: To some, like, I went to a bar that was themed for. Oh, it didn't go anywhere. It's the Stephen King fantasy dark tower. [01:10:29] Speaker B: Oh, that was a long time bar. [01:10:31] Speaker A: I think that was the year you were a DJ Rufio set. [01:10:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:10:34] Speaker A: And I remember any amount of effort at that point was like, hell, yeah. I don't need. You're a restaurant. I don't need you to turn into a full maze. But, like, you're turning your whole tavern in, or, you know, and they treat it kind of like holidays. Like Valentine's Day where it's like, hey, we got to limit our menu or we're not gonna be able to survive this. [01:10:51] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:10:51] Speaker A: And so you'll get some limited menus, but there's also pop ups. [01:10:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:10:55] Speaker A: Like movies. [01:10:56] Speaker B: Movies. The sonic. Yeah, movies was great. [01:10:59] Speaker A: The movies one was like, no one had a bad thing to say about the movies. Pop up movies being the chain of restaurants from the Kevin Smith. [01:11:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:11:08] Speaker A: View is cuniverse, but that food and those drinks were so good. Oh, delicious. [01:11:15] Speaker B: Yeah. And everybody was really cool inside. And, yeah, we had a good channel. [01:11:19] Speaker A: It was very cool. And it's another one of those. I need to recharge my social battery. And sometimes just walking. I. I call it the con shuffle. Yeah, my hips get very angry if I have to take tiny steps. [01:11:34] Speaker B: And you got long legs, so it's worse legs. [01:11:36] Speaker A: This is a podcast, and there's some big, dangly, gangly boys. That sounds gross. Anyway, we're keeping that. [01:11:43] Speaker B: We're keeping that. [01:11:43] Speaker A: I wish we wouldn't, but I understand. So short steps, for me are painful. After hours on end, I need to be able to take full stride. And just being able to go outside. Like we talk about, you wind up outside more than you think you will. [01:11:56] Speaker B: You want to be outside after a while. [01:11:59] Speaker A: And as soon as that sun starts going down, it's on the edge of the ocean, guys. [01:12:02] Speaker B: Oh, it's beautiful. It's going to be gorgeous. [01:12:04] Speaker A: It's gonna feel good, but there's marine layers, so you're gonna get sweaty. And it's one of those things where it's like, if you aren't desperate to see the entire show floor and examine every single booth, which someone like me with massive Fomo is, has a hard time accepting that reality. [01:12:22] Speaker B: We like snaking. [01:12:24] Speaker A: I mean, I think I've come to terms with it because I've done it so many times and failed that I just have given up rather than like, yeah, I just have to accept that that's, you know, that I can't make it. I've tried. [01:12:35] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:12:35] Speaker A: Tried and failed so many times, it's like, okay, I sneak the entire floor. Oh, did you see this booth of blah, blah, blah? [01:12:42] Speaker B: No. Crap. No. [01:12:43] Speaker A: Because I had to snake the entire floor twice to make sure I was looking on both sides. And I'm absolutely an, ooh, piece of candy type of person. [01:12:51] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:12:52] Speaker A: As soon as a conversation starts with me in a booth person, he's like, we'll see you later. Because it would be. It would be cruel of me to expect otherwise. [01:13:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:03] Speaker A: So, you know, know thyself and also know your party. If you have somebody in your party who is, like, prone to conversations with strangers. I keep saying my social battery runs low. It's because I intentionally exhaust it. But if you know somebody who's going to do that, just have a meet up place and expect that you might want to leave the con at times. Yeah, you might. You know, if you're not intent on seeing the entire show floor every single day, you probably are going to want to build the off site stuff into your schedule just to get away from all those people. And on that note, you should probably have a map. [01:13:39] Speaker B: Yes. Maps are important. [01:13:41] Speaker A: A map of the show floor is in your program. [01:13:44] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:45] Speaker A: Programming as you get your bat. [01:13:47] Speaker B: And it's in the app as well, which has gotten ten times better than it has been. [01:13:50] Speaker A: Yeah, that app used to be, I was gonna say horrible. [01:13:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:53] Speaker C: I was gonna say, yeah, the SDCC app is so much better than it used to be. And having the map and being able to, like, search, I feel like last year was the first year that you could search for vendor. You could search by name. [01:14:08] Speaker A: Oh, I'm sure they thought you could search sooner. You could not. [01:14:12] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, no, last year. Yeah. [01:14:15] Speaker C: Does anyone find it weird though that like they literally make an entire new app every year instead of just, just. [01:14:22] Speaker B: Yeah, because it's not horrible. It just. Half time didn't work. Air crashed, but now it's, yeah, like. [01:14:28] Speaker C: They, like, they start from scratch every year. It's like, download our new app. [01:14:32] Speaker B: Like, I don't want to. Like, where's your older app? [01:14:34] Speaker C: Is that easier to do than. Yeah, I mean, granted, if you're anything like me, I delete it off my phone after and cons, so I wouldn't make a difference either way. But, like, it is strange to me, like, that, like, every year they're like, new app. I'm like, not like, download our app and update it if you have it or have our old app. But no, it's always just like, yeah. [01:14:58] Speaker B: And they use the same one for Wondercon as well. [01:15:00] Speaker C: Oh, do they know? [01:15:01] Speaker B: Because it's the same company. [01:15:02] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. [01:15:04] Speaker B: But, yeah. So, yeah. Know where you're going, know where things are, activations. [01:15:08] Speaker A: And I saw online something really, really cool. So I always have the, like, I must see this. [01:15:14] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:15:15] Speaker A: And then I'd like to see this. And it's really nice. The app allows you to have everyone kind of sharing their schedules. [01:15:20] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:21] Speaker A: So you can be like, hey, I'm interested in this. Like, I'm always interested in art panels. If there's some place where I can learn, I'm all for it. Which is why I spend so much time in artist alley, because I'm just picking the brains of people whose art I'm. [01:15:33] Speaker B: Where you make a bunch of friends. [01:15:34] Speaker A: And I wind up making a bunch of friends that way, which is really cool. But also, like, there's certain panels that I'm like, hey, if there's a world where I don't see this, I will die. But that doesn't happen every single time. But, like, brian, you always have Lucasfilm publishing, and you usually go to the X Men panel as well. The animated marvel panel has been higher up on that list before as well. [01:16:00] Speaker B: Yeah, and they used to do a little more wondercon, and that was always one of our go to there. [01:16:04] Speaker A: And the agents of S h I E l D panel when agents of sHIELD was still running mine. [01:16:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:16:08] Speaker A: And then there's other panels where it's like, I like this show. It'd be cool to see what they're doing. I'd like to be able to have early access to a trailer. [01:16:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:16:15] Speaker A: Or last year, we wound up at the critical role panel for Nicole, because Nicole loves critical role. [01:16:19] Speaker B: And it being really fun. [01:16:21] Speaker A: It was so fun. [01:16:22] Speaker B: It's not my. Didn't know anything about it. I knew basics. [01:16:26] Speaker A: Yeah, we knew basics, but, like, you know, because we have an entire five part episode about dungeons and dragons that we haven't released. Sorry, but the. [01:16:34] Speaker C: Did you guys go to that bar last year? I was so bummed. [01:16:37] Speaker A: We did not wind up at that bar last year. We didn't get the Sonic one either. And then we also, although I heard. [01:16:41] Speaker B: The Sonic was awful, it ended up. [01:16:44] Speaker A: Opening in Los Angeles, like, two months later. [01:16:46] Speaker B: Oh, that's right. [01:16:47] Speaker A: Like, there was so many other sonic. [01:16:48] Speaker B: Pop ups, and apparently it's coming back this year, and everybody's like, really? [01:16:52] Speaker A: But something else to keep in mind is if you have access to, like, a party or an off site gathering of some sort, it might not happen. [01:17:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:02] Speaker A: We had that last year where we thought for sure we were getting into something, and we probably could have if we'd stayed it out, but we all looked at each other and said, we've already lost an hour of con time. [01:17:11] Speaker B: That's right. [01:17:11] Speaker A: We still don't know if we're getting in. [01:17:13] Speaker B: We have an e lessen. We're getting food. Yeah. [01:17:16] Speaker A: And then we wound up going to the Barbie bar. Oh, my God. [01:17:18] Speaker B: It was amazing. [01:17:19] Speaker A: We all got heart glasses and pink drinks. Yeah, it was awesome. [01:17:23] Speaker B: It was so good. [01:17:24] Speaker A: And we like. And the people watching. At any convention, Brian and I stay up late enough, we get to watch the show. And the show is what happens when you take a bunch of nerds, a bunch of geeks, a bunch of virgins, and a bunch of cosplayers, and you throw the alcohol at all of them and wait till Bartley closed. And it's fascinating. Yeah, it is the most fascinating. [01:17:47] Speaker B: Granted, we're also pretty buzzed, if not more. At this point. [01:17:50] Speaker A: I, like, had nights sober watching the show, and I have nights. Have had nights participating in. [01:17:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:57] Speaker A: I have never participated in the show to the extent that I have seen. [01:18:01] Speaker B: No. And that's something that I'll bring up a little bit. [01:18:04] Speaker A: A hot mess. [01:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah. This is all about. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't get super swasti the first and second night. [01:18:11] Speaker A: Yeah. Otherwise you're gonna get conflu. But it's not actually gonna be conflu. It's gonna be. You're exhausted and drank too much. [01:18:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:18:17] Speaker A: That's called a hangover, sweetie. Bring electrolytes. [01:18:21] Speaker C: Liquid IV. Liquid IV is your friend. [01:18:24] Speaker B: Yes. [01:18:25] Speaker A: And the protein shake is the easy in. In my humble opinion, is the easiest way to stave off hunger and hanger. [01:18:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:18:34] Speaker A: If you don't think you're gonna get to food in an hour and you have some Owen or mini protein, muscle milk, powder core, whatever. We're not sponsored by any of those people. But if you've got a protein shake of some sort that you can just pound real quick. Also, do you drink coffee every day? Do you drink coffee every day? Every day of work. [01:18:53] Speaker B: It's also a lot. [01:18:53] Speaker A: You're going to get caffeine withdrawals. Bring a tiny coffee. [01:18:55] Speaker B: Yep. Yeah, I'll say bring. Bring just a little tiny can of coffee. Or I found some really good rice mochas. They're oat milk. [01:19:02] Speaker A: We are not sponsored by Ryze Mocha. [01:19:04] Speaker B: But if you want to. Yeah, no, I. I'm stocking up, and I love them. They're so good. [01:19:10] Speaker A: Yeah, no, they're quick. They're little oat milk ones. They're dairy free so that you're not gassing up the place. You know, if you do, if you are prone to gassing up the place, bring some lactase pills. [01:19:17] Speaker B: Yep. Also on my list. [01:19:18] Speaker A: Have options. [01:19:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:19:20] Speaker A: That allow you to avoid cheese. [01:19:21] Speaker B: Yeah. And milk things. [01:19:23] Speaker A: And milk things. Or you do have options, but you really want that quesadilla. Now you can save everyone your crop dust. [01:19:29] Speaker B: Mm hmm. [01:19:29] Speaker A: So things like that. [01:19:31] Speaker C: But you're sharing a hotel room. [01:19:34] Speaker A: You're also likely sharing a hotel room. [01:19:37] Speaker B: Think of everybody else. [01:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Think of the kids. Think of what's up. Please think of the children. But yeah, your activation might close down. You might not get to where you're going. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And you very much might not get everything but back on that thing that I saw, which was where we started. This whole thing of must haves won't, you know, might haves. I saw somebody write it down as these are my main quests and these are my side quests. [01:20:04] Speaker B: Oh, I love that. [01:20:05] Speaker A: And oh, I like, I mean, I'm, I'm here for gamifying anything. Thanks, add. [01:20:09] Speaker C: But you, we all in that boat? Do we all. [01:20:14] Speaker B: Oh yeah. [01:20:15] Speaker A: Oh yeah. [01:20:16] Speaker B: Yeah. So, you know, okay, I'll bring my ADHD meds because I need them. [01:20:20] Speaker A: Yeah, that is, yeah, everybody remind each. [01:20:23] Speaker C: Other because we're all gonna forget. [01:20:25] Speaker A: Because we'll all forget, Roy. [01:20:26] Speaker C: I'll forget. Did you take them? No. Oh shit. Thanks for reminding me. [01:20:30] Speaker A: I didn't want to take them. We were up at five in the morning. [01:20:32] Speaker C: Why am I feeling so fucking exhausted? And why can I not process anything? [01:20:36] Speaker A: Oh yeah, take your fucking burning through your, your executive function all day like a fire supernova. [01:20:43] Speaker B: Uh huh. [01:20:44] Speaker C: Yes. [01:20:44] Speaker A: Highly recommend our people invited. Yes, please remember your medications. If you have prescription medications, remember, yes. But if you are going to be worrying about main quests, side quests, that kind of thing, maybe write that down in that same list, like take your medication that day, you're going to need that sort of thing. But what is it you can't miss? What is it you would like not to miss? These are some things I'd like to go to this booth and knowing the map ahead of time is absolutely, absolutely clutch. Take a moment. Sit down, look at it. [01:21:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:21:21] Speaker C: Oh, we were talking at one point about mapping your, well, this kind of ties in mapping your day out and like figuring out what is a must have. Like if you are in cosplay, it will take you way longer to get. [01:21:36] Speaker A: To where you want because everyone's going to stop you to take a photo. [01:21:40] Speaker C: Yes. Like if we want to go to a panel or something, we have to typically calculate an hour to walk to where we want to be. [01:21:50] Speaker A: I asked on threads once and I'll pose the same question to you. On days that you have a lot of things that you're trying to accomplish, do you, if you know that those must haves are going to be a logistical problem, do you wear less recognizable cosplay on those days so that you are less likely to get stopped? They're like ah, there's a. Or highly recognizable. So you're like, oh, yeah, Ray, from. From, like, sequel trilogy. Easy. I'll just wear that. And I will be bothered half as much as, like, you know, something amazing that's, like, super incredible where you're, like, building in. I know that day I'm going to be stopped a lot because I worked my ass off. This is my. A cosplay. [01:22:34] Speaker C: Well, as a professional costumer, they're all a plus cosplays. I mean, I don't like doing shit half ass. Even though I procrastinate, like, I will pull all nighters. And that's why, like, while my costume was not bad last year, by any means, and I got stopped. 800, it was still full ass to me. It's still like, like, it's like, there was just. It could have been a lot better. And, you know, so I don't. I don't really usually do things half ass. I did, but last year, because this cosplay that I'm redoing for this year involves me painting myself blue. I did make my second cosplay for the. For the convention. I try to do a different one each day, but that's a lot. It's turned into kind of doing two cosplays, especially with flying, it just, you kind of got a limit and decide what you're going to pack and everything. So I'll rotate. I'll do, like, Thursday, Saturday as. Or, like, last year, Friday. Saturday was my big costume. Those are the bigger con days. And I knew Thursday was just gonna be a, like, Thursday was like, eh. Because I knew I was gonna do the bigger costume on those two days. So Thursday and Sunday were the same simple costume. [01:23:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:23:55] Speaker C: And then Friday, Saturday was the bigger costume, but I'll try to rotate it, like, every other day. But again, this year, I will probably do. I might do the same one Friday Saturday, and then the same one Thursday Sunday. [01:24:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:24:11] Speaker C: I haven't fully decided. [01:24:13] Speaker B: We'll figure it out the day before. It's fine. [01:24:15] Speaker C: To a degree, I think about that, but it's less about what's happening on the day because the schedule doesn't come out until long after I've already been working on my cosplay. Like, you know, the schedule came out this last week, right? So, I mean, I, like, there's no way that I could solely base my costumes based on what I knew I was going to want to see that day, but my cosplays and what I plan to wear just kind of tend to be on which of my costumes I think is the coolest, and I try to wear my coolest costume on the bigger condes. [01:24:54] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It makes sense. [01:24:55] Speaker A: That's when you get the most exposure, and that's also. [01:24:57] Speaker C: I get the most exposure. Yeah, exactly. And since part of my intention on going to cons is networking, etcetera, I want my work to speak for itself. [01:25:08] Speaker B: Hell, yeah. [01:25:08] Speaker C: By grabbing attention. [01:25:09] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:25:10] Speaker C: So I will wear the bigger costumes, the ones that are more labor intensive or whatever do you want to call it on the bigger con days? But those also tend to be the better panel days, too. Like, there's. [01:25:23] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [01:25:24] Speaker C: I mean, like, there's a reason that Saturday I just sell out first. [01:25:28] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:25:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:25:29] Speaker C: So, like, so they. They know that. Yeah. So, you know, you just kind of have to, like, go in knowing that if you are wearing better costume on the bigger Conde, you are going to get stuff. [01:25:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:25:43] Speaker C: And you are going to have a harder time getting to the panels that you might want to see and maybe. [01:25:48] Speaker A: A harder time getting to the con, too. Like, you've still got to get that thing onto any shuttle that you're taking. And now, obviously, it's different for something like Wondercon or Anime Expo, where hotel lodging is a little easier to get. But comic Con, you very well might be at a hotel or an Airbnb or something that requires you to take the train in to even get to the convention center. Brian and I many times have done Comic Con where we have to leave damn near an hour earlier just to get into there. And that's without cosplay. That's us. That's just rolling in a back chair, you know, in a backpack. [01:26:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:26:24] Speaker A: You know, that's already such a slog. And you're not the only person coming in from that far. [01:26:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:26:30] Speaker A: And then, of course, if you're driving to San Diego, Comic Con, specifically, leave 2 hours earlier than you thought you did or the day before. Last year, Ryan and I did Comic con the best way you could possibly do. [01:26:41] Speaker B: Yeah. And I was gonna get into that, but, yeah, let's. Yeah. [01:26:43] Speaker A: Last year, Brian scored room in the lottery to a place called Humphrey's half moon Bay. [01:26:51] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:26:51] Speaker A: And there was a Tori Amos concert while we were there. Everybody loves Tori Amos. I know. You're all big. Tori Amos stands. Cornflake girl, for sure. But the place was a venue. It had jacuzzis, all that. But we went Tuesday to Tuesday. [01:27:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:27:05] Speaker A: Which meant we were driving down before the main traffic on Wednesday, and we were driving out after the main traffic on Monday. [01:27:12] Speaker B: Amazing. [01:27:12] Speaker A: And end of day, we went to the jacuzzi. Midday. We went to the jacuzzi. [01:27:18] Speaker B: Yeah, we did that once. Yeah. [01:27:18] Speaker A: We swam in the pool and hung out all day on Monday while we compressed before we drove. [01:27:22] Speaker B: And there were so many people there from the con. Cause it's part of the Con hotel lottery. We met so many cool people there. [01:27:28] Speaker A: And, I mean, we were so privileged to be able to make that happen. [01:27:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:27:33] Speaker A: And I know that that's not something that everyone can do. I mean, I've literally seen families camping in tents, and it's a little about. [01:27:43] Speaker B: Doing something like that. [01:27:44] Speaker A: I mean, my first trip to Chicago to go to Lollapalooza, I literally slept in a tent on a rooftop. [01:27:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:27:48] Speaker A: Like, about 4 miles away from Wrigleyville. [01:27:51] Speaker C: Jesus, that's really far away. [01:27:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:27:55] Speaker C: So, well, next. Next time you go to Lala, I live. [01:27:59] Speaker A: Like, I know. Because you're sleeping inside the bean. That's a joke that references something that was probably not saved in this recording. Anyway, the process of getting to the. To your con from anywhere is. Requires some logistical planning. [01:28:19] Speaker B: Also has maps. [01:28:20] Speaker A: And has maps. And the Humphreys shuttle system was really, really nice, but we were a ways away from the con. [01:28:27] Speaker B: You're about 6 miles away. [01:28:28] Speaker A: You know, and that's. We've done way worse. We've done way worse. [01:28:31] Speaker B: We absolutely have. [01:28:32] Speaker A: And I've. I've walked the majority of there, and if you get out. If you get out late and you're not using a shuttle system that's running 24 hours, you might have to deal with a train system that you now have to worry about. When does that shut down or. [01:28:43] Speaker B: Very expensive Uber. [01:28:44] Speaker A: Very expensive Ubers. The. The uber pricing in that area is jack natural. So, you know, you've got to think about that sort of thing. And on the subject of money, if you already have the hotel thing locked in. Awesome. The food everywhere is expensive. I spent the price of my badge on food and drink last year. [01:29:05] Speaker B: Oh, easy. [01:29:05] Speaker A: Granted, we were there an extra three days. [01:29:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:29:07] Speaker A: But I spent the price of my badge on food and drink last year. And we did not go out to breakfast at all. No. [01:29:15] Speaker B: In fact, I had, I think, protein shakes. [01:29:17] Speaker A: We ate in the morning. We had brought our own stuff for the hotel. [01:29:20] Speaker B: I think we even did a Costco. [01:29:21] Speaker A: Run, too, two or three times. [01:29:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:29:24] Speaker A: Majority of our eating was dinners, but that all had to be accounted for. [01:29:29] Speaker B: And alcohol. And alcohol costs, which we also brought into. So, you know, keep that in mind if that's your thing. [01:29:34] Speaker A: We did have that at the hotel Costco run beforehand, but the Costco room beforehand. And I can't stress enough that you need to kind of realize these things. Now, granted, there was one year Brian and I were both so poor that the majority of our meals were eaten at one of the. Like, it was at the. The wired lounge. [01:29:52] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Yeah. That's where you find out your gin man. [01:29:55] Speaker A: That's where I found out I'm a gin man. Shout out to Tom, the bartender, who taught me that I'm a gin man, because apparently their. Well, vodka was garbage, and their Tom Collins was, in fact, better with gin. And that's when I was like, oh, actually, this drink is delightful. That same party was around the corner from the hotel pool, which we snuck into. [01:30:17] Speaker B: Definitely snuck into. And which is why, if we ever look for a spot down there, we always get somewhere with a pool. [01:30:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:30:24] Speaker B: And. Or Jacuzzi, which we'd use so much last year. [01:30:27] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. It's just such. It's such a nice way to end your day. I mean, like, one time, Brian, Nicole, and I did Disneyland, and through a series of circumstances, we were only able to. [01:30:37] Speaker B: We had Friday and Sunday. [01:30:38] Speaker A: We wound up with a hotel that we normally wouldn't have. And so we only did Friday and. [01:30:43] Speaker B: Sunday in the park. [01:30:44] Speaker A: In the park. And Saturday, we decompressed in the pool. And I gotta say, like, I don't recommend doing that for a con, skipping a day. But if you could only get single day badges, you might as well. Taking that day off is okay. You know, it's a bummer that you're missing. You have to stay on your phone all day looking for all the trailers that are dropping and everything. And also, so many of these panels. If you aren't able to go to Comic Con, so much of this is going online. [01:31:09] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:31:10] Speaker A: There's so many live streams. [01:31:12] Speaker B: Live streams. Live tweets. [01:31:14] Speaker A: Live tweets. [01:31:14] Speaker B: I'm sure live threads this year. [01:31:16] Speaker A: Yeah, live threads. There's trailers dropping left and right. It's. You can still very much take part in that from there, and you don't have to spend nearly as much money on food. [01:31:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:31:26] Speaker A: I cannot recommend enough following along at home if you are. It sucks if you've got. You know, if it's gonna make you feel bad because you missed it on account of FOMO's real silliness. Fomo's real. The blue screen of death is upon all of the airlines, and who knows how many of you guys are going to be able to get there on time if they don't start fixing that. But also get to your flight early because who knows how long it's going to take. And before every plane is not filled with carryovers from other. [01:31:53] Speaker B: Yeah, I think things are fixed now. [01:31:55] Speaker A: Yeah, but the watching from home and if you're so tired and you're miserable at the con, go back to the hotel room or go to the anime room and just check your phone from there. Like, there's not great cell service inside the convention because everyone's on their phone. Yeah, but it's doable. It's doable. You know, there's nothing wrong with, like, taking a break. [01:32:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:32:18] Speaker A: Relaxing and taking care of you so that you're not shuffling super short right in front of me with bringing it all back. [01:32:28] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:32:30] Speaker A: Take some time. Get some longer steps in for your. For your legs stretch, get some food. Get a foam roller. [01:32:37] Speaker B: Yeah. So that's lacrosse ball. Something else that I usually bring. [01:32:41] Speaker A: Medical advice, but, Brian, what do you do to help your tired, sore muscles? [01:32:44] Speaker B: Ibuprofen. Leave if you're me, decent amount of protein. But also, I always bring my foam roller pretty much everywhere I go. I have a really cool calf stretching board. It just kind of like, you can adjust the angle and just step on it and stretch your calves. And it oh, so nice. [01:32:59] Speaker A: If you don't have a calf stretching board, throw your toe up on a. On a curb and. [01:33:03] Speaker B: Yeah, that works. But also either tennis ball or a lacrosse ball for the hard to reach places. Very nice. Just little massage going and just kind of relax your muscles. [01:33:14] Speaker A: And I have what I call the backpack, and it is a tens unit and a massage gun and some salon paws. [01:33:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:33:22] Speaker A: And the tens unit is my bread and butter. That will calm down any tension I've got in my shoulders. You know, I don't. I rarely ever use it on my legs. The legs I can still roll out fairly easily. But if you're prone to tension headaches and things like that, and you have things that you do at home to take care of those things, bring them, because this is a marathon, not a sprint, but also it's kind of a marathon. [01:33:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Right. [01:33:49] Speaker C: I was literally, like, using my therapy and earlier, and I was like, man, I'd really like to bring this to the congeste. The damn thing weighs so much. I'm. [01:33:57] Speaker A: It weighs. [01:33:58] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's it. Yeah. Especially for flying in. It's. Yeah, yeah. [01:34:01] Speaker A: If you're driving, not right there again. If you're flying, don't do that. [01:34:03] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm like. I'm like, God damn it. Like, that takes. Would I take half my suitcases? [01:34:09] Speaker A: But a little bit of icy out goes a long way, too. [01:34:11] Speaker C: Probably not gonna happen. [01:34:12] Speaker A: Some of that roll. [01:34:13] Speaker B: Mmm. [01:34:14] Speaker A: Got some of that tiger bomb. Maybe don't use the tiger bomb in the con. You know, this is the same smelly affront that everybody has to deal with. [01:34:22] Speaker B: Right. Yeah. But I think that kind of wraps things up from. From a general congoing standpoint, from a general San Diego comic con going. Standpoint, from cosplaying, we kind of covered a lot because there's. There can be a lot, but also, you know, do what you need to do. This is, again, this is very specific for us, but also a lot of good general information for everybody else. And before we go. Yeah. [01:34:46] Speaker A: Give me a tldrhic on what you think. Like, your most important comic con advice is, especially for a large convention. Yeah, let's. Let's focus on large conventions. Large conventions around the corner. [01:34:59] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:34:59] Speaker A: But, like, large convention, lots of people, full year, no strike, everything's back to normal. Hooray. [01:35:06] Speaker B: Yep. [01:35:07] Speaker A: What are you it like if you were to just be like, all right. You will be on a limited amount of time. Here's the advice. [01:35:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:35:14] Speaker A: What do you got? [01:35:15] Speaker B: Comfy shoes, a backpack for things. Water bottle. Come in with a mentality that you're not going to be able to see everything, and that's okay. And come in with a list of things you really do want to see and do, and then everything else kind of works itself out. Definitely bring in a couple snacks. [01:35:35] Speaker A: Bring in snacks. [01:35:36] Speaker B: Yeah, snacks, water, comfy shoes, backpack, and a list of things you want to do. But also look ahead at the maps and figure out where everything is. [01:35:47] Speaker A: Make a plan. [01:35:47] Speaker B: Make a plan. Yep. [01:35:49] Speaker A: Sarah, how about you? [01:35:50] Speaker C: I was gonna say, if that's all solid, I would think. I would add I. Until I met. The year I met you guys and all of that. I went to the con alone. [01:36:01] Speaker B: Right on. [01:36:02] Speaker C: I did not go with people. I was a solo Connor. And you can make friends. You end up making friends. And now the people I room with, like, we've been going now together since 2019, and we share hotel room and all of that now. So, like. And I didn't even know who they were. I met one of them by going, oh, my God, I fucking love your cosplay. And she's like, I love your cosplay. And next thing you know, like, and. [01:36:32] Speaker B: Your BFF's, here we are. [01:36:33] Speaker C: We're friends. And then she introduced me to one of her friends. And now here we are conning together every year. But that's. You can find friends. Do not be afraid to talk to people. [01:36:44] Speaker A: They all like the same thing you do. [01:36:46] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. You guys are all here to geek out over the same stuff. So you're. You already have that. You, like. People are so willing to talk to each other. [01:36:56] Speaker A: I sat next to Shannon in a Steven universe panel. [01:36:59] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:37:00] Speaker A: We wound up spending the whole day together, and she's been on our podcast twice. She was on our 50th episode. [01:37:06] Speaker C: Yeah, that's awesome. And then feel free to take photos of stuff. But if you're going to take a photo of somebody, ask them. [01:37:14] Speaker B: Yes. [01:37:15] Speaker C: Do not take a photo of cosplayers without asking them. It's one of our pet peeves. Do not ask them to take a photo if they're sitting there eating. [01:37:25] Speaker B: Yeah. If they're still human beings. [01:37:28] Speaker C: If we are very obviously taking a break, please don't ask us to get up from our seated position so that you can get a cool posed photo. Like, if I agree to a photo while I'm sitting, I'm probably gonna say, you can take it, but I'm not standing up, because if I'm sitting at that point, there's a reason I'm sitting. [01:37:48] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:37:48] Speaker C: I try to stand for as much of the day as possible, but I do also get an ADA sticker. Right at the beginning of the con at San Diego, you get a little sticker put on your badge. I have hip problems, so it's one of those things. It's like, it's nice to know that, like, I have a place to sit, and I'm not going to get issues if I am sitting. And most people are super respectful, but you do occasionally get the person that, like, tries to sneak a photo or just. It's like, a creepy way they're trying to do a photo. Like, so, like, be respectful. That's one of the big things. Don't touch. [01:38:29] Speaker A: Don't touch cosplayers. Like, cosplay is not consent. [01:38:34] Speaker B: Yep. [01:38:35] Speaker C: Like, don't. Don't touch the cosplayer. Don't touch the costume. Don't ask to hold their weapon and swinging it around. Because I've also. I've had all of these things happen, and, like, I am more easygoing than some people, but at the same time, like, I also don't necessarily want to have a hundred people touching me throughout the day. [01:38:59] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. No way. [01:39:00] Speaker C: Like, I know that putting your, like, arms around people, like, used to kind of be more normal than it is now. And more people are willing to just kind of stand there, like, with their hands in front of them or just kind of, like, do the faux arm around. They aren't grabbing you one of my cosplays. It wasn't until a guy put his arm around my waist that then he was like, oh, my God, you're a girl. And I was like, I didn't think that. You didn't know that. [01:39:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:39:29] Speaker C: He's like, I am so sorry to me to touch you. He's like, I. Your costume was so fucking cool. I just. The armor and I didn't realize you were a girl. I was like, it's cool, dude. [01:39:39] Speaker A: But, like, yeah, but now he's gonna go wash his hands. Cuz girls are Odie, right? [01:39:44] Speaker C: But again, like, had you not be. [01:39:45] Speaker A: Circle, circle, dot, dot. If he didn't, he is screwed. [01:39:48] Speaker C: He is screwed. [01:39:49] Speaker A: He's. [01:39:50] Speaker C: I definitely gave him cooties. [01:39:54] Speaker A: Take that. [01:39:56] Speaker C: But, yeah, just, yeah, make sure that you have fun. Like, yeah, coming. [01:40:02] Speaker B: What you're there for. [01:40:02] Speaker C: Back to that whole. That's what you're there for. You would, I think, have to go out of your way to have a bad time. [01:40:09] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [01:40:11] Speaker C: Be open to new experiences. [01:40:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, definitely. And it's always a new experience every time you go. [01:40:17] Speaker A: Absolutely, yeah. [01:40:20] Speaker B: Bryce, what about you? [01:40:21] Speaker A: In the Pacific Crest trail hiking community, they have a phrase, hike. You hike your own hike. [01:40:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:40:27] Speaker A: I feel like that 100% applies to the con. [01:40:31] Speaker B: Hell, yeah. [01:40:32] Speaker A: Your experience at Comic Con is going to be different than your friends experience. I don't care if you're both there together and see every single panel together, you will have diverging experiences, and it's gonna be different every single time. Curbing your expectations to understand that you cannot see everything is so important. [01:40:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:40:50] Speaker A: Because you just can't. It's the entirety of pop culture shoved into a very large, but still not large enough convention center. And I think when you go into the con, the most important thing for that is you are there for a good time, and you need to make sure that you're there in a way that allows everyone else to be also having a good time. [01:41:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:41:17] Speaker A: That doesn't mean you have to be counting down to every single one of their, you know, everybody else's wants and wishes, you know, take care of you. But that does mean that you should be considerate of other people. [01:41:27] Speaker B: Be respectful. [01:41:27] Speaker A: You should be respectful of, you know, cosplayers, etcetera. But also be respectful of other people's olfactory senses. So wear your damn deodorant. You know, you are going to be walking for a while. So the comfortable shoes and for me, a little bit of that chafing powder. [01:41:41] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:41:42] Speaker A: If you are expecting to get every single thing, you're going to have a bad time. If you try to get every single thing, depending on how you do it, you might actually have a really good time. I mean, the year I wanted, I wanted to meet Rebecca Sugar so damn bad. And I went in, got there early. It was a lottery system. I was literally like, the second person in line didn't get it. And I was sitting there in the line moping around, being like, I didn't get to meet that whole cast. I was like, hardcore Steven Universe Stan that year. Anyway. And as I'm sitting there, I look over and at an absolutely unattended booth is sitting Steve Frickin Bloom. [01:42:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:42:27] Speaker A: And I went and I talked to Spike Spiegel himself about voice acting, about his career. I gushed for probably about 30 seconds to just be like, you don't understand. Like, cowboy Bebop was like, who I was as a creative person in high school. And. And then I was like, now that that's out of the way, like, I'd love to just talk shop. And we talked about all sorts of things that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been open to just go do something else. [01:42:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:42:52] Speaker A: Once I didn't get what I wanted to get, I didn't get into the Steven universe, you know, meet and greet, whatever. And then the next day, I wound up at the Steven Universe art and origins panel. I met Shannon. I adore Shannon. Shout out to Shannon. I got to run into Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones. Cordy in the walkway the next, like, later that same day. [01:43:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:43:15] Speaker A: Like, comic Con is magical. If you are open and just looking. [01:43:21] Speaker B: Up and just go with the flow. [01:43:22] Speaker A: Go with the flow. Look up from your phone. If you're walking on the floor, look up from your phone. Otherwise you're contributing to the damn shuffle. And I hate it. My hips will thank you. And they don't lie. But yeah, be opened. Just, that's my, that's, I think my most important thing, like, carry the things that are going to get you through that day. That means painkillers, that means comfy shoes, that means gatorades, etcetera. Be open to experiences that are going to, that are just available everywhere. Much like Sarah said, you can make friends anywhere. If you're going solo, know that it's your own con. So if your friend doesn't want to go to the same panel as you do. That is fine. [01:44:02] Speaker B: Cool. [01:44:03] Speaker A: Go hang out by yourself. You're going to be sick of them anyway by the end of it. I have plenty of people who I see at conventions, and by the last day, I'm like, I want nothing to do with you. And then, like, two days later, I'm like, I miss that guy. Yeah, but, like, it happens. It happens. Brian always likens comic Con to Vegas. [01:44:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:44:21] Speaker A: By the time you leave Vegas, you're frickin sick of it. [01:44:23] Speaker B: You're like, ah, I'm good for a long time. And then months later, you're like, you know, I kind of miss it. [01:44:27] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember last year, like, it was a little shorter last year because con was so magical. But I remember, like, in November, I finally was like, yeah, I think I want to go back. Yeah, I was starting to get excited again, which is nice, because that's when badges were going on sale. [01:44:41] Speaker B: Right. [01:44:42] Speaker C: That's funny. Last year, my friend was like, we were at the beach, and he's like, I'm like, you know, we've done this one, and I kind of want to, you know, do some others. And so I think this would probably be my last San Diego one. I was like, oh, I don't want. [01:44:56] Speaker A: To swear a ton, but. Bullshit. [01:44:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:45:00] Speaker C: I've really been enjoying, like, doing content with you. Like, that's sad. I think we were like, day two into the con, and he's like, I don't know what I was thinking. [01:45:09] Speaker A: We're. [01:45:10] Speaker C: We're. Then we are coming every year. [01:45:13] Speaker B: This. [01:45:13] Speaker C: This is the. This is such a fucking great con. [01:45:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:45:16] Speaker A: And that's such a good shit. [01:45:17] Speaker B: That's the thing with San Diego Comic Con. It's such a huge experience all around. [01:45:21] Speaker C: It really is so, like. [01:45:22] Speaker B: Yeah, you may not. There's some days, like, it's happened before. We haven't been able to get a badge for one or two days of the. But there's still plenty to do. [01:45:30] Speaker A: Downtown Mardi Gras. [01:45:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:45:32] Speaker A: Like, complete with the drunk people. [01:45:34] Speaker C: The fact that the entire, like, gaslamp downtown district there shuts down, basically. It is. It is. There's so many forms to walking streets only that. And there are pop ups set up that you don't even need a badge for. Like, people who live in San Diego come down just for all the fun, cool, free shit. [01:45:58] Speaker B: Yeah, it's good stuff. Yeah. And even for any other con, too. Like, even for, you know, D 23 or Wondercon, you know, similar kind of stuff. It's not. Obviously, it's not gonna be as big, but there's still stuff to do kind of around the area. [01:46:12] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Anytime there's a convention nearby, I mean, it's. As much as the shows annoys me in many, many ways. There's an episode of Big Bang Theory where they're on their way to Bakersfield Comic Con. [01:46:23] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:46:24] Speaker A: And they're like, why are you going to Bakersfield Comic Con? And they're like, because it's a con. [01:46:28] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [01:46:31] Speaker A: You just. I remember I was talking on the phone to somebody and, oh, it was my cousin. My cousin was like, would you be interested in coming to, what is it, Rose City Comic Con? Or something like that? [01:46:40] Speaker B: Okay. [01:46:40] Speaker A: And I'm like, it's a con. I'll go to any con. If you're. If you're willing to put me up, I'll go. And he was like, even Bakersfield Comic Con? I'm like, buddy, I've been to Bakersfield Comic Con more. [01:46:50] Speaker C: The. [01:46:51] Speaker B: Yeah. And the collectors con last year was great. Yeah, they had a great time. [01:46:54] Speaker A: And I think conventions are growing a lot. At least around California, we're seeing a lot of these smaller conventions are starting to draw a little bit more people, and they're starting to bring in a little bit better, you know, bigger guests and bigger names. But, yeah, wrapping this whole thing up, comic Con is freaking magical. And I know we have thrown a million things your way as far as things to prepare for. I guarantee you we didn't touch half of what we should have, and I guarantee you're gonna retain half of what we said. So. So don't. Don't stress. Just go in, have a good time. Have a good time. Wear your deodorant. If you take anything from this episode at all, just make sure you wear deodorant. [01:47:36] Speaker B: Deodorant. Comfy shoes. [01:47:38] Speaker A: You know, we joke about this like this is a problem throughout the convention. It's not. [01:47:42] Speaker B: It really is. [01:47:43] Speaker A: It's just that one guy and one person. [01:47:46] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:47:46] Speaker A: That you walk by and you're like, oh, okay, I gotta get out of this. [01:47:52] Speaker C: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Throwing out one last tiny little thing. [01:47:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:47:55] Speaker C: If you decide that you are a guy and you're gonna wear a superhero suit like Spider man, there is something you need to get. It's called a dance belt. You need to put a dance belt on. Nobody wants to see your stuff. Sorry. Throwing it out there, it will hold you in. [01:48:15] Speaker A: No dance belt will hide whether or not you are circumcised. [01:48:18] Speaker C: We don't need to know if you're lefty or righty, if you're circumcised or not. It will hide your goods and make everybody more comfortable, and it will trap your farts. They're very tight. [01:48:31] Speaker A: There's a great photo of me running down the street in nothing but a dance belt and shoes. At the mexican border, no less. [01:48:38] Speaker C: Oh, my God. [01:48:40] Speaker B: Cause where else would you wear it? [01:48:42] Speaker A: Well, yeah. I mean, yeah. That same day, I got covered in liquid latex and then crawled through the sand, so. [01:48:47] Speaker B: Well, that's you. Yeah. [01:48:48] Speaker A: My twenties was wild. [01:48:50] Speaker C: That sounds painful to remove. [01:48:52] Speaker A: Oh, it was hot. And I don't mean sexy. It was scalding. I burned my hands and my knees anyway. Yeah, wear a dance belt, folks. I think that covers it. I feel like we've given you so much. Listen to this twice. If you've got other tips and pieces of advice, I highly recommend you reach out to us on threads or join our discord or shoot us a message on Instagram. Or coming soon to many areas of the United States, you can leave a comment on Spotify. Oh, yeah, there's comments. [01:49:22] Speaker B: Now that's new. [01:49:23] Speaker A: It's a very new and exciting thing. It's not available where we are right now, but it's available in some places in the United States. So that's exciting. Weird, but okay, I'm a little scared, I'll be honest. But yeah, leave us a comment, reach out, shoot us a message. We are very active on threadsneakygeekpodcast. We're very active on Instagram. Geek podcast. If you want a daily dose of reshared memes, that's definitely the place. [01:49:44] Speaker B: That's what we specialize in. But if you see us at Comic Con, come say hi. [01:49:49] Speaker A: If you see us at Comic Con and you know who we are, please come say hi. If you see Mac attack at Comic Con, do not speak to her. No, I'm just kidding. Say hi. Ask for a picture first. Don't touch her. Cosplay. [01:50:05] Speaker B: All right. [01:50:06] Speaker A: Mac attack. Where can they find you? On the Internet. [01:50:08] Speaker C: I am Mac attack. Cosplay. On Instagram, it's Mac. A T T a C K. Cosplay. [01:50:13] Speaker A: Cosplay. No dots, no spaces. [01:50:15] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm sorry. There's underscores underneath. Macd. Underscore attack. Underscore cosplay. [01:50:22] Speaker B: Got it. [01:50:22] Speaker C: Because I made it before. I knew that you shouldn't have. Underscores. [01:50:25] Speaker B: Well, there's a time when underscores were a thing for some reason, but, you. [01:50:29] Speaker A: Know, it's vintage Instagram. That's what that is. [01:50:32] Speaker C: I'm not the best at keeping my social media updated, I am not gonna lie. But usually there's at least one or two photos of what I am currently wearing that weekend at the con. You can usually find out when we pick me out of the crowd eventually. [01:50:49] Speaker A: Hell yeah. [01:50:50] Speaker C: I'm just not great. Always about sharing progress photos. [01:50:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [01:50:54] Speaker A: All right, well, be sure to find us on the Internet. Follow us on the Internet. Follow? Like, subscribe. We will see you at San Diego Comic Con. [01:51:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:51:03] Speaker A: 2024. [01:51:05] Speaker C: Bye. [01:51:25] Speaker A: Sneakygeek is hosted by Bryce Rankins and Brian Romero. This episode was edited by Bryce Rankins. Our logo and website were designed by Ally Nimmons. Our theme song was written and produced by Skyler Johnson. Copyright 2024 sneakygeekeek media. All rights reserved.