Last year we had the pleasure of attending Nerd HQ during Comic Con 2011 and had a total blast. If you’ve never heard of Nerd HQ, or perhaps wanted to see the panels for yourself… well now you can! The fine folks at Nerd Machine have posted all of their panels on YouTube for nerds everywhere to enjoy. Linked below is a write up from this summer’s Friends of the Nerdolution panel and an embed of the panel video itself. I MAY be the dork that asks the first question… okay I am.
If you’ve never been to Comic-Con, you really have no clue how hectic it can really be. Getting close to your favorite actors and entertainers is next to impossible. Soon after they finish their panels they’re whisked away to some top-secret green room with waiting reporters, never to be seen by your naked eyes again. You may get a chance to shout something or wave at them as they walk by, but that’s it. When I heard that Chuck’s Zachary Levi was putting on some of his own panels for charity off site, NERD-HQ, I jumped at the chance to check them out. What I discovered was something new and genius in “con technology”. Below: Danny Pudi (Community), Allesandra Torresani (Caprica), Alison Haislip (The Voice), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Olivia Munn (ex-AOTS), Jorge Garcia (LOST), Joshua Gomez (Chuck)..
How it Worked: All panel proceeds went to charity (operation smile), and all the panelists appeared out of the kindness of their own hearts. Honestly guys, they weren’t there to plug a new project or anything of that nature, they were pretty much just there to hang out. The event cost $20.00 (or the price of 2 SDCC Mrs.Fields cookies and 2 Cokes), and the panel was incredibly small with only about 150 people in the room. Each seat was ticketed and numbered, and there literally was not a single bad seat in the house. For once going to a panel was a stress-free experience, no waiting in line, no bossy security, and no jerks to be seen.
The Experience: I wish I could write a bit more about the panel itself, but I’m running low on time (have to get back to the con!). The Friends of the Nerdolution Panel was one of the best convention-experiences I’ve ever had and I’m still sort of in awe that it occurred at all. You know when you have a really awesome dream and wake up the next morning thinking that it may have been a little bit real? That’s sort of how I feel this morning. The panel was an hour+ of hanging out with some of my favorite entertainers on the planet in a small room no bigger than a 7-11. The panelists were all incredibly relaxed and were having a great time telling stories.
The Signing: Following the panel everyone gathered for a quick sighing. I got to say hi to Alison Haislip who was cool enough to do an interview with us earlier this year. Olivia Munn also remembered the near-death experience that was “The Running of the Munns” back in 2009. Finally I got a chance to talk to Zachary Levi for a minute and thanked him for an incredible convention memory. I also urged him to expand NERD-HQ and make it into the next PAX, because like E3, Comic-Con needs a smaller more intimate “little brother”
My love of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is not a well guarded secret. As a series, the Clone Wars continues to get better and better with each passing season and magically manages to deliver the same action and storytelling nuance that made the Star Wars of old the legend that it is today. I was lucky enough to attend the Clone Wars season five premiere and subsequent press conference at Star Wars Celebration VI, and even got a few bags of force infused popcorn to munch on while we watched! It really did taste better than regular popcorn.
The third season of Game of Thrones premieres on tonight, and the excitement is rising! The trailers tease another season of fighting, scheming, as well as other vices, against a backdrop of war and politics. There are no real heroes and even the villains can have a sympathetic presentation at times. I recently watched season two and I’m currently re-watching season one which raises the question: who am I looking forward, or not looking forward, to seeing again in the coming days? Warning: spoilers for season one and two ahead.
So there you have it! After a ton of amusing videos and some great guerrilla campaigning our buddy Brea Grant’s upcoming feature film Best Friends Forever met its 75,000.00 kickstarter goal! As we promised on Twitter, if you happened to donate some of your hard earned shillings to the Best Friends Forever’s kickstarter campaign AND happen to be in San Diego this for Comic Con International, then we owe you some pizza pie!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Cohen
Cool panel. It’s just about that time of year I wish I sold all my belongings to make it comic-con. I’m really going to try and go next year…it’s stuff like this that really makes me wish I was there. (Ash appearance at 10:20)
Ash
Thanks for checking out the video Mike! Hopefully you guys come out in 2013. There is also the housing/ ticket package still coming up in the near future.
Cool panel. It’s just about that time of year I wish I sold all my belongings to make it comic-con. I’m really going to try and go next year…it’s stuff like this that really makes me wish I was there. (Ash appearance at 10:20)
Thanks for checking out the video Mike! Hopefully you guys come out in 2013. There is also the housing/ ticket package still coming up in the near future.