STF: Finding Serenity

It's often hard to cope when a life is cut tragically short. Of course, none of us want it to happen at any point, but after a long run, we can often nod once youth and beauty have faded, look at a frail shadow of what once was and say "its time". Not so when they are taken in their prime- we look at all the energy and potential and forever dream of what might have been.

I am, of course, talking about Firefly.

To say I miss Firefly is nothing special. I was one of the eight or so people who watched it while it was on TV (SciFi being one of the few things my dad and I agree on, so we watched anything SF we could together). They were amazing and special, even with Fox doing their best to ruin them.

Turns out the fans aren't the only ones who miss it. Finding Serenity is a collection of essays edited by the incomparable Jane Espenson (writer, Buffy, Once Upon a Time- she chimes in with fantastic insights and anecdotes about Firefly and Joss).

The essays cover a variety of topics, from the significance of facial hair in firefly (which will completely change the show for you) to existentialist, examining the meanings and concepts Joss explores in the show to the use of race in the Firefly universe.

Finding Serenity is a fantastic piece for this Stranger Than Fiction, because it encapsulates everything about Firefly- the cast, crew, production as well as the characters, concepts and meanings. It is fantastic in manifold ways, and is a must-read for Browncoats.

-DESR

The D is for Dean.
 He is also an aficionado of good drinks (extra dry martini; onions, not olives), good food and fine dress. When not holed up in his office tweeting obnoxiously writing, he can be found watching or playing sports, or in his natural habitat of a bookstore.

He also has an unhealthy obsession with old movies and goes through phases where he plays video games before kind of forgetting they exist.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest and likes the rain, thank you very much.
You can buy his debut release, 3024AD: Short Stories Series One here: Kobo | Nook | Amazon

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament - Results!

Ladies and gentlemen, here we are. You have voted by the thousands, and the results are in.

You have selected...bum-ba-ba-bum!...Firefly as the Greatest Sci-Fi TV Show of All Time!

I must confess, I'm confused. I really, really like Firefly. I may even love Firefly, and I will admit the Comic Con Firefly Reunion panel made me a little misty-eyed. but it ran for 14 frickin' episodes and a movie. I guess it really is how you use it...

So congratulations to Firefly and all you Browncoats out there who drummed up a tremendous response to every round of the voting (and managed to squeak Doctor Who). And let me say to Star Trek: The Next Generation that there's no shame in coming in second out of a strong 32-show field, especially when you totally flattened every other show you faced (including my pick, The Twilight Zone). So to you I will simply quote one of our site commenters, and say in closing "Shaka, when the walls fell."

TO VIEW THE PREVIOUS ROUNDS, CLICK HERE.

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament Bracket (Final Round)

Guys, I have to admit I'm a little stunned. I did not see Picard and Riker unseating Kirk and Spock in the Classic side of the bracket and heading into the Finals. Sure, The Next Generation ran for much longer than Star Trek The Original Series, and sure the third and final season of Star Trek is a hot mess, but I figured if this was a popularity contest, the "logical" choice would be...well, no matter. You've spoken with your votes, and if I'm being honest, you probably made the right call about the better show. For the record, The Next Generation went gangbusters out of the gate, but Star Trek made a valiant comeback toward the end and ultimately, only 18 votes out of hundreds cast separated the two shows.

Firefly didn't surprise me this week, but I sure didn't have it getting past Doctor Who last week. Do I prefer Firefly? I do. But I'm only one man. One man with whom, in this case, thousands of people happily agree.

So here we are. The Finals. Will the scion of a long-established dynasty walk away with the crown? Or will the 14-episodes-and-a-movie upstart put another feather in the cap of Mr. Neil Young's line that it's better to burn out than to fade away? We'll soon see. Off you go!

To see the results of previous rounds, please click here.

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament Bracket (Round of 4)

VOTING FOR THIS ROUND HAS CONCLUDED. TO VOTE IN THE FINALS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

The Round of 8 was, without a doubt, the round with the most gnashing of teeth, and probably even tears, of any so far. For this was the round where Doctor Who faced off against Firefly.

Thousands of votes were cast (thank you, everybody), and ultimately, by only a half a percentage point, it was decided that Serenity would keep flying. (Insert wild celebration/screams of rage as you will).

Now in this Round of 4, you must face another impossible choice: Kirk & Spock vs. Picard & Riker. Is Star Trek: The Next Generation a better show than the one that begat all others, Star Trek? It's your call. But it is certain that an entry from the Star Trek franchise will face off against either Firefly or the Battlestar Galactica reboot in the Finals.

Some housekeeping: to see the results of previous rounds, click here. To review the utterly unscientific criteria used to delineate the Classic from Modern regions, check out the Round of 32 post. Many Reddit users pointed out that I had the order of the matches in the first round out-of-order, which I have consistently acknowledged, and apologize for once again. And for those of you who vitriolically demanded a larger image of the bracket, your wish has been granted.

Now, have fun, and on with the voting!

CLASSIC FINAL

MODERN FINAL

Check back next week for the Final Round!

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament Bracket (Round of 8)

VOTING FOR THE ROUND OF 8 HAS ENDED. CLICK HERE TO VOTE ON THE NEXT ROUND.

The basketball tournaments have finished (congratulations, Connecticut men, women), but things are just heating up for us sci-fi nerds. We've reached the Round of 8 in the fan-voted poll of the Greatest Sci-Fi TV Show of All-Time. (Previous rounds here)

There are some tough matchups in these four games.* Will the Whohards and Fireflickians battle to the death to see which show is better? Or just stuff the ballot box? Star Trek: The Next Generation continued its blistering run through its region and beat my pick, The Twilight Zone, handily. I was surprised how brutally The X-Files crushed Lost (by almost 60 percentage points), but can it steamroll fan-darling Battlestar Galactica? Our top vote-getter in this round was Star Trek, but can it be upset by Twin Peaks, the little-engine-that-could who people said didn't even belong in this bracket?

All of these questions and more (or actually, just these questions) will be answered in a few days. So get voting!

CLASSIC NORTH
CLASSIC SOUTH
MODERN NORTH
MODERN SOUTH


*Reddit users once again pointed out that I goofed the order of the initial round's games. I get it, I get it. But there's not "Ctrl-Z" in life, sadly.

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament Bracket (Round of 16)

VOTING HAS CLOSED FOR THIS ROUND. CHECK OUT THE ROUND OF 8 HERE.

The NCAA Tournament is about to resume for the Final Four games, and the results are in for Round 1 of the Nerds of a Feather Greatest Sci-Fi TV Show of All Time Bracketology Extravaganza™. If you missed the first post, the tl/dr version is I made a list of 32 contemporary and classic sci-fi shows, and completely unscientifically lumped them into regions and seedings. Then, a lot of votes came in!

There were not a lot of surprises in the Round of 32, which makes me feel like I got the initial seeds somewhat correct. As Reddit pointed out, however, I constructed the bracket wrong, and Number 1 and Number 2 seeds should not have met until the Round of 8. That's my fault. Nevertheless, I like the matchups in this round, and feel like we're going to wind up in the right place eventually, wherever that may be. Here's where we stand now:

Some cool things about the Round of 32:

• There were two upsets. Six-Seeded The Six Million Dollar Man reached out and bionically slapped The Prisoner, so it has to go back to the village, and The Fall Guy Lee Majors moves on. And Stargate SG-1, which maybe should've been seeded higher, took down Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• The top vote-getter of all entries was Star Trek: The Next Generation, followed by Firefly.
• Number Two seed Lost faced an unexpectedly tough challenge from Seven-Seeded Sliders, but most of the closest races were in the (4) vs (5) matchups.
• Every show, even the Eight-Seeds, got multiple votes

So what's going to happen in the Round of 16? Will Star Trek: The Next Generation continue steamrolling the competition, even when the competition is The Twilight Zone? Can the speculative fiction Twin Peaks make a deep run in this sci-fi bracket where some say it doesn't belong? Can a battered Lost rally and challenge The X-Files? I sure don't know, but it's up to you guys. Vote below!

CLASSIC NORTH
CLASSIC SOUTH
MODERN NORTH
MODERN SOUTH

Best Sci-Fi TV of All Time Tournament Bracket (Round of 32)

VOTING FOR THE ROUND OF 32 HAS ENDED. VOTE ON THE ROUND OF 16 HERE. 

For the second year, KPCC in Pasadena, California, has made a public radio bracket for NPR shows. Some of my favorite podcasts, like 99% Invisible and Radiolab are in it (and Radiolab might be cruising to victory), and that gave me an idea. What about a bracket for Sci-Fi TV Shows? When we put it to a vote, what would the fans decide is/was the greatest Sci-Fi TV Show of All Time?

What say we find out?

I've taken 32 shows, and grouped them into four regions, Classic North, Classic South, Modern North, and Modern South, with the four No. 1 seeds The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Dr. Who, and The X-Files, respectively. The "modern" line was drawn somewhere around 1995, encompassing the last 20 years. It's all entirely unscientific, but hopefully fun. Participate by voting in the polls below, and every few days we'll tally the votes and the winners will advance to the next round. There's also a printable bracket so you can play along at home. Vote as often as you'd like. Painting the show's colors on your body is optional.

Let's go!

CLASSIC NORTH


CLASSIC SOUTH


MODERN NORTH


MODERN SOUTH


Happy bracketing! And if you start any office pools or anything, let us know. We'd love to hear about it.

Posted by Vance K - Cult film aficionado, unapologetic lover of terrible movies, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Beer and Sci-Fi Pairings

A while back, we did a Grimdark/Black Metal Pairings post that was a lot of fun, so I figured I'd try my hand at something similar, but using my Netflix account and the empty bottles on my back porch waiting to go to recycling.

So with that, I give you the Nerds of a Feather Streaming Sci-Fi and (Mostly) Craft Beer Pairings!

1. The X-Files / Guinness Stout

For a lot of people of a certain age, The X-Files marked the beginning of their love affair with sci-fi. As a show on a major network that became extremely popular, it made the pop culture radar in a big way. Maybe not since Star Wars had a sci-fi property gone so mainstream. Suddenly it was cool to be into aliens, and conspiracies, and Luke Wilson fighting vampires and stuff. In the same way, if you're used to drinking fizzy yellow pee-water that giant megacorporations laughingly refer to as "beer," Guinness can act as your gateway into a wonderful world beyond. It's ubiquitous and easy to order instead of said pee-water, and can expand your palate, opening your eyes to all you've been missing.

2. Sherlock / Fuller's ESB

All thinking people can agree that this incarnation of the Arthur Conan Doyle detective and his physician assistant has gotten the Holmes/Watson dynamic right. This British export lives up to all the hype, and makes 100+ year-old stories feel fresh and original. Another British export, Fuller's claims to have invented the ESB, and that this is the original. But despite the name, Fuller's ESB (Extra Special Bitter) isn't really all that bitter...much like Sherlock himself, once you get past his off-putting demeanor.

3. Firefly / Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

Firefly, Joss Whedon's sci-fi Western, needed to be paired with another fine mash-up. Stone's Cali-Belgique IPA dresses up Stone's regular, super-hoppy IPA with some Belgian yeast for a blending of Old and New World flavors. I actually drank one of these while watching Firefly the other night, and I can tell you it really brings out the smoky flavors in the show.

4. Fringe / Unibroue La Fin du Monde Belgian Trippel

There are two ways to look at the end of the world. One is the sort of traditional armageddony view of the world temporally and/or spatially ceasing to exist. But the other is to consider the end, or barrier, of one world and where it abuts another. Fringe's focus on parallel dimensions and the unknown brought to mind the depiction of the "end" of the world on Unibroue's signature Belgian ale as the barrier between land and sea. This is a stunning beer, and at 9% ABV, it can be just as much of a head-trip as the show.

5. The Clone Wars / Firestone Walker Wookey Jack American Black Ale

Now it goes without saying that we only endorse adults of legal drinking age partaking in any of the brews mentioned here, and the inclusion of an animated show should in no way imply otherwise. But if you're an adult who is into The Clone Wars – and you should be, since it actually lived up to the promise of the epic-sounding Clone Wars mentioned in the original Star Wars trilogy and since it made Annakin Skywalker finally seem like something other than a semi-literate dope that Natalie Portman could never, never love – then a beer called "Wookey Jack" is a natural complement.

6. Twin Peaks / New Belgium 1554 Black Lager

My first inclination was to try to find something really weird and left-of-center to pair with such a unique and wonderful show. Or maybe something brewed in the Pacific Northwest, where poor Laura Palmer met her fate. But I quickly came to my senses and realized that any beer pairing must pay tribute to The Black Lodge. Hence, New Belgium's 1554 Black Lager. This beer is derived from a recipe found in a monk's notebook dated 1554, hence the name, and it is probably my favorite brew from an across-the-board solid brewery.

Bonus: Twilight Zone / Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue Label)

Simply, the best for the best. Maybe you've got the luck or money or phone savvy or Belgian friends you need to get your hands on some Westvleteren, but that's not me. So for my money those who say Chimay Grande Reserve is the best beer on the planet will not get an argument from me. In the same way, I can make the case that The Twilight Zone is not only the best show on this list, but the best show of all time. What else could keep it company, but a peer?

Posted by Vance K – Cult film aficionado, unapologetic lover of terrible movies and good beer, either consecutively or concurrently, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

What a week of nerd rage. The good folks at SDCC announced that the badge system was going to be essentially a lottery and Gen Con had some hotel booking issues that left people high and dry. If you followed the action on social media it seemed like the world was ending and that blood will be shed in some hallowed halls. Once the dust settles I think we will all be fine and fortunately there are some great comics this week to distract us from the drama. On to the books!

Pick of the Week:
Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1 - I am going to preface this by declaring I am not a huge Firefly fan (waits for the nerd rage to commence).  I did enjoy the TV series and the movie, but still remained surprised the level of fandom that exists for this complex world that Master Whedon has created.  I do revisit the series from time to time and am a fan and think its great, but not to the extent of most con goers (my brother included).  When I heard that Dark Horse was publishing a new Firefly comic I hoped that they would be as good as the new Star Wars comics and am pleased to report it is.  Now Joss is a pretty busy guy so who better to entrust such a beloved title to than your little brother who has worked on other Whedon properties in the past.  So what are we left with here.  The action picks up after the conclusion of the movie (sorry Wash fans) and both sides are actively seeking out Mal and his crew. The Alliance seeks to silence them and stop them at all costs, while the rebellion seeks to use the momentum of Serenity's last broadcast as a catalyst for change.  Zach does a great job maintaining the feel for the original series and the artwork will put you back on your couch circa 2002 watching Fox (I mean this in a good way).  This title feels very true to the original and like a natural continuation of a series that ended before it should have.  I hope Whedon and Dark Horse can maintain this trajectory. 

The Rest:
Saga #19 - Saga continues to impress me with each and every astounding issue.  The thought that Brain K. Vaughan put into each character is simply amazing.  One of the things I love about this book is, despite the fact that it is narrated by Hazel, I find myself worried that something is going to happen to her.  In addition to that, Vaughan makes me care for characters that on the surface seem one dimensional, but as the story develops end up being very complex beings.  I am still very worried about Marko and Alana, but I am happy to report that a malfunctioning Prince Robot IV is quite entertaining and who knew how amazing Izabel would turn out to be!  I have a feeling there is way more to her then we are getting right now.  If you aren't reading Saga then I feel sad for you and you should stop reading this and pick it up.  It doesn't get much better than this.



City: The Mind in the Machine #1 - In the not so distant future San Francisco has been outfitted with thousands of cameras in an attempt to thwart terrorism activity.  The issue lies in how to monitor so much activity. The answer, Golden Shield. The Golden Shield is an artificial intelligence that monitors all of the cameras and has the ability to manipulate traffic lights and take control of police cars to get where they're needed.  What can go wrong?  Quite a bit and we are left with a story of an ambitious programmer who desperately needs Golden Shield to be successful.  I don't want to spoil how things turn out in issue one, but an opening that left a lot to be desired delivered a setup that was quite satisfying.  Fischer, the man behind Golden Shield, undergoes quite the impressive transformation in this issue and finds himself even deeper in his code then he ever imagined. I need to keep my eye on this one.

Fables #137 - Winter, one of Bigby and Snow's cubs, learns that being the wind of the north is as much of a curse as it is a blessing.  While it is amazing to be everywhere at once, you are constantly breaking the rules and are privy to that which you should not see.  We get a new perspective on Rose and her roundtable and the magic that is gathering around her.  While from Rose's viewpoint it is good and powerful, but Winter notes that it may be beyond her ability to control it.  Winter decides to amass an army of those powerful beings she now controls (Santa!) in preparation of a war between her mom and her aunt.  Add in some intrigue about what has truly happened to Bigby and Fables continues to please.  






POSTED BY: Mike N.-- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Comic Con from Afar -- Second Annual Lamentation

I'll spare you the boo-hooing. If you're trolling the various #sdcc tags on Tumblr like me, you've had it up to here with the drama of a million geek girls virtually howling to a geek moon. SDCC 2013 is so packed with hot dudes in nerdy shows and geeky reboos, the fanfiction practically writes itself. I will try to contain myself.

Sure, it'd have been totally awesome to have run into a scrawny dude in a Bart Simpson mask only to later realize I missed my chance at running away with The Doctor (or at least copping a feel), but I think I'm having more fun experiencing the San Diego Comic Con from the comfort of my own iPhone. There are no lines, the photos make it look like everyone is dressed up instead of just the hardcore geeks, and I get the pleasure of immediate gif-gratification for every priceless moment.

Without further ado, here goes my yearly SQUEE over AWESOME THINGS AT COMIC CON.


FIREFLY ONLINE
No, I will not let go of Firefly; you can pry this orange hat out of my cold, dead hands... after I relapse into a MMORPG coma when Firefly Online is released next summer. It's not much of a trailer, but it still gets my blood pumping.


KORRA: BOOK TWO
If you haven't watched The Legend of Korra yet, you're seriously missing out. Not all of the episodes are available on nick.com, so do yourself the favor of torrenting Book One (the first season). Check out how sweet Book Two looks! I can hardly wait until September.

(Remember that time I went to the Mall of America to ride the Avatar rollercoaster?!)

ALL THE PANELS
Holy cow, and big ones too. Simpsons 25th Anniversary, X-Files 20th Anniversary, BSG 35th Anniversary... So much nerdery. Here's a good collection to get you started.


MARVEL v. DC MOVIES

... Ready.... Fight!

I think I'm obligated to state that it's been confirmed that Batman will appear in the Man of Steel sequel, and that seems pretty cool, I guess. But the announcement that The Avengers sequel will be subtitled Age of Ultron and that Karen Gillam (Amy Pond on Doctor Who) shaved her freaking head for a role as a bad guy in Guardians of the Galaxy is even cooler. 

HOW SHERLOCK SURVIVED

Here's Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock) and newly crowned King of the Geeks, Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Sherlock), doing funny things and melting hearts:

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee. That's all I can muster. Sorry.

VIKINGS

I'm not even sure if they did anything but show up to SDCC, but this dude (Travis Fimmel) and this chick (Katheryn Winnick) are two of the hottest people on TV and I was happy to see them.

OTHER NOTABLE CELEB SPOTTINGS

John Barrowman (Good ol' Captain Jack from Doctor Who, Torchwood) & Misha Collins (Supernatural)

Stephen FREAKING Hawking introducing the Big Bang Theory panel

Katee Sackhoff (BSG), being B.A. like usual 

Weinery Prince of Nerds Wil Wheaton (TNG) & Zachary Levi (uhhh, Chuck?)

And while we're on Next Gen, here's another fangirl aneurysm/the sandwich I want in on: James McEvoy & Patrick Stewart

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovnyyyyyyy 

And, bestill my heart, Nathan Fillion and Matt Smith, together at last




And finally this: Evan Peters (that kid from American Horror Story), Nicholas Hoult (that kid from Warm Bodies, Jack the Giant Slayer, About a Boy), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender (Prometheus)

THE BEST COSPLAY EVER

No, really, EVARRRRRR

There were a lot of great costumes! Here are some of my favorites: Link, Poison Ivy & Two Face, Classic Transformers, hot-ass Lady Loki, hot-ass Lady Loki 2, Deadpool, Mrs. Captain America and Business Clone Trooper, Gandalf, Darth Maul, hot-ass Lady Cap, OMG T'challa the Black Panther, Space Balls, Galactus, Predator, Hit Girl, TARDIS, Tenth Doctor and Captain Jack doppelgangers, etc, etc

But nobody ain't got nothing on the best cosplay ever, Tom Hiddleston as Loki IRL--

  The day Tumblr broke.

Microreview [film]: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

The Meat

Let's be honest, even the best horror movie is only millimeters away from being a comedy. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, after a lunatic murders all of her friends, the lone, teenaged survivor is made to, you know, sit down to dinner with the killer's family. In Rosemary's Baby, a New York social climber sublets his wife's uterus to Satan. Suspiria is about a coven of witches that run a dance academy, for Pete's sake. So I like it when filmmakers are able to smartly foreground the humor -- gallows humor, to be sure, but humor -- inherent in the horror genre. That's a big, dumb, pretentious way of saying I like me a good horror-comedy.

But good ones are hard to find. I made one, which was far more comedy than horror, so I know how hard it is to strike the right balance. But Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is just such a rare bird. In it, a group of rich kids head out to the woods for a fun party weekend, and encounter two "scary-looking" blue-collar guys at a gas station on the edge of town. These two are Tucker and Dale, who are themselves heading out to the woods to start renovations on the vacation home Tucker just bought. In their rush to cast Tucker and Dale as the murderous hillbillies of so many horror movies, the kids misinterpret the situation when Tucker and Dale rescue one of the friends from drowning. They quickly decide that the hillbillies must have kidnapped, killed, and likely eaten their friend. Hilarity ensues. Bloody, bloody hilarity.

Seemingly every horror movie with a teenager in it involves a series of increasingly poor decisions that result in increasingly violent deaths at the hands of whatever evil entity is on hand -- serial killer, resurrected hockey player, etc. But in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil the only evil entities on hand are stupidity and unfair stereotyping. Part of the fun, then, is watching how the kids' increasingly poor decisions result in their increasingly violent deaths at their own hands. As these kids start dropping all around them, Tucker and Dale believe they've stumbled upon some type of college suicide cult, and that the kids are also trying to kill their own friend Allison, the girl Tucker and Dale saved from drowning and who is mostly unconscious inside the vacation home.

The leads are uniformly great. Tucker is the awesome-in-everything Alan Tudyk (of Firefly fame), Dale is played by Tyler Labine (from the under-appreciated and short-lived Reaper), and Allison is Katrina Bowden (the hyper-vacant Cerie from 30 Rock). The three of them bring a surprising amount of credibility to the actual emotional storyline.

The Math

Objective Quality: 7/10

Bonuses: +1 for actually having an emotional storyline; +1 for the cast; +1 for the line "I should've known if a guy like me tried to talk to a girl like you somebody would wind up dead."

Penalties: -1 for a third act that goes a little too over the top; -1 for an odd pre-credits sequence that confuses me.

Cult Film Coefficient: 8/10. "Well worth your time and attention."

[For an explanation of our scoring system, head on over here.]

Guest Post: The Con Away from the Con

Dr. Michael Newhouse-Bailey brings Nerds of a Feather our first actual boots-on-the-ground reportage in this wrap-up of Comic Con 2012. The good doctor's nerd specialties are comics, anime, and the Simpsons. Also, even though he's a little out-of-practice, he can still embarrass you on the tennis court. Take my word for it. - Ed.

It is the time of year where I weed through a giant bag of stuff to sort out what I want to keep, what my family gets and what I mail out to my friends. I am talking of course about San Diego Comic Con.

The author, with sad Yo Gabbite.

My favorite thing about Comic Con is that everyone attends for different reasons. While this year marks the final installment of the Twilight films, the SDCC had the Twi-hards, the fanboys, the fangirls, the comic collectors, the toy collectors, the autograph seekers and more. If you are passionate about anything, you will fit in and can have a great time among the 140,000 plus people. I attended for the fourth consecutive year and had another great time with my brother and my friends.

Through both on- and off-site events I was able to gain insight into some true creative geniuses. Whether it was the King of the Con, Joss Whedon, at the Nerd HQ (a little about that later) or Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez discussing their comic Locke and Key, this type of access usually isn’t granted for a fan. I learned how Joss builds human connections between the viewer and the character and that Joe enjoys seeing his characters have flaws and make mistakes. 

Observe: a Fringe hat.
See what I did there?

I was fortunate enough to witness the Community panel, the Firefly 10th anniversary panel (which we linked to here - Ed.), and the Fringe panel. Two of the three previously mentioned panels included tears and all felt like a huge thank you to the fans from our favorite shows. The sheer emotion that is felt on stage by the actors, the swag and the exclusive clips (at least until later that night) led to a great time. My favorite item of swag had to be the Fringe hat that had all of Hall H ready to “observe” the final season.

Enough about my personal experience, what about SDCC as a whole? This year there was even a greater trend to move the fans away from the Convention Center. Highlighted by Zachary Levi’s Nerd HQ, you couldn’t walk around the Gaslamp without bumping into something Comic Con related.

I hope Yvette Strahovski's
inside.

The Nerd HQ is the brainchild of Zachary Levi of Chuck fame, and brings some of the biggest names from the Con into an intimate setting and a no holds barred Q & A. In addition, there were game demos, raffles, merch, a photo booth and just all around good times. Through photo ops, donations and the conversations, the Nerd HQ raised $140,000 to Operation Smile. Conversations included Twilight, Dr. Who, Joss Whedon, and Nathan Fillion to name a few. In only its second year, this has become one of my favorite things about attending SDCC.

What surprised me the most was The Walking Dead Escape, an obstacle course through PetCo Park infested with zombies. Four of our group braved the wandering herd and climbed, ducked, crawled and jumped over obstacles as we tried to make it through without getting infected. It was a little pricey, but in hindsight, is one of my top moments of the Con this year.

Twitter proved valuable once again. We were able to locate some Django outlaws and get our merch tokens, compete in a bat signal search to win an advanced screening of The Dark Knight Rises (I won a limited edition Mondo poster in the contest!) and be entertained through the nerd panic that fellow con-goers feel as they wait in a line they are sure will never end, wonder about what exclusives are left, or brag about a celebrity encounter.

As I look back on another successful year I can’t help but feel tired. My kids think it was worth it because I returned with prizes, but I think it was worth it as it is the opportunity to spend time with my friends in mobs of sweaty people. Pre-sale for next year, only open to 2012 attendees, begins next month so if the internet gods are kind, I will be attending for a fifth time in 2013.

Time for the coveted announcement of the first annual Newhouse awards!

Best Panel
Firefly 10th Anniversary – even though I am not a huge Firefly fan (I know I shouldn’t admit this, I like the show, I just don’t think it’s the greatest thing ever), the panel was really heartfelt. The look on the faces of the actors when they saw the 4,000 plus giving them a standing ovation was worth it alone.
Runner-up
Fringe/Locke and Key – Fringe was also really heart felt and full of humor. Joshua Jackson yelled thank you at the end and the cast took a bow as they prepare to wrap up the series.
Locke and Key may be the best book published right now. Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are hitting on all cylinders as this book prepares for the final chapter.

Mondo Dark Knight trilogy poster.

Best Swag
Fringe Hat – The theme of the panel and the upcoming season are they are coming. They referring to the observers. If you attended in Hall H then you got your very own observer hat.
Runner-up
Mondo Dark Knight Poster – If you have ever tried to purchase a Mondo poster online you know they sell out in no time at all. I was extremely lucky to win this poster and can’t wait to put it on my wall.

Best Fan Access
Nerd HQ – Zachary Levi has done it again. Seats to conversations are limited to around 240 and fans can ask whatever their heart desires. Add in random celebrity sightings at the HQ (I saw Larry King!) and you have an amazing off-site experience

Best Off-Site

Zombies: Big baseball fans.
Who knew?

Tie: The Walking Dead Escape and Nerd HQ – I already have mentioned the Nerd HQ a lot (I really like it and they raised $140,000 for Operation Smile, so sue me!), but the Walking Dead Escape was great. They used the makeup team from the show to ensure the zombies looked great and the course was a mix of fear, humor and was a good challenge to complete. If you were infected you could choose to be “shot” and left with a bullet hole tattoo on your forehead. You were really immersed from start to finish.

Best Exclusive Footage
Community – they showed a fan made clip that showed how much the cast of Community is appreciative of their fans and the bond that the two share. It was great feeling like a part of their family.
Runner-up
Wreck-it Ralph – They showed around 9 minutes of the movie and I couldn’t be more excited. I feel this movie was made for me and my son.

Comic Con from afar

It's that time of year when I can hardly keep up with my Reader feed because it's filled with awesome announcements on all things nerdy -- must be ComiCon! There is a LOT to report, but here are a few things I'm freakin' out about: 

AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA, the sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, was renewed for a second season, which means there are 40 more episodes to look forward to!! Tor has some great ideas about what it'd be fun to see in the future, but the really good stuff are these sneaky pixx from the Korra panel at ComiCon, showing new outfits, new characters, new locations, and new creatures. 

Now I love love Korra just the way she is, and I know she's a different Avatar in a different time in a different show, but I'm really looking forward to more flashbacks of Aang, Sokka, Katara and Toph, mostly because I didn't really think they got the characters right when we so briefly saw them. Sure, they've grown up, but why was Aang so serious, even if he is the Avatar? Same for Sokka! "Goofball" is, like, the first thing you'd say to describe them, and stripping the humor from those two characters was pretty much the worst thing about the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. (Maybe I'll just see if there are any grown-up fanfic-- oh, yeah, of course, here it is. And for good measure, here's the grown-up grown-up stuff.)

(FYI, if you're into Katara/Aang as your OTP, it's called KATAANG -- which I discovered by googling "ktang," one of the sounds that Rick Jones's wristbands make when struck together to call Captain Marvel from the Negative Zone. I was looking for a graphic for this post about comics and language, but instead found a bunch of incredible KatAang fanart, like THIS. You're welcome.)

(Also -- I just learned this a couple of days ago and it blew my mind -- Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender is voiced by Mae Whitman, the chick that played Ann on Arrested Development (and Roxy in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Her? Really?!)

I'm also definitely hoping for more past-life Avatar awesomeness. So far, we've really know the stories of Korra, Aang, Kyoshi, and Roku. 

But the ten-year FIREFLY REUNION is all we really care about, right? So grab your Jayne hat, your tiny plastic dinosaurs and box of tissues, because here it is in all its glory:

Jose Molina, Tim Minear, Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Adam Baldwin and god himself, Joss Whedon all ended crying. My boyfriend Nathan Fillion summed it all up rather well: 

“When Firefly died, I thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen. What I realize now, looking over this room, is that the worst thing that could have happened is if it had stayed dead.”

Robert Downey Jr with Iron Men!

But what I love most about Comic Con is -- well, first maybe I should tell you I'm kind of a dork. My favorite thing about Comic Con is, of course, the COSPLAY. (#nerdalert I've done a little myself... see Billy & Phoebe. They're from books you've probably never heard of. #latfh But you should!) My favorites are exclaimed!

• Here you'll find GENDERSWAPPED Geordie, Indie, Avengers, Han & Leia, Rocketeer, Tin Tin, and a really really ridiculously good-looking lady Wolvie (!).
• Here you'll find KIDS as Amidala, Hawkye, Flash, Dalek (!), Finn & Jake (!), Edward Scissorhands, and Sakura & Chung Li (!).
• Here you'll find the Engineer from Prometheus (!), Henry Jones, LSP, Carmen Sandiego, FemShep (Mass Effect).
• Here you'll find Nausicaa (!), Princess Mononoke, Ghostbusters, Batman & Bane, Scott Pilgrim & Ramona Flowers, Rorschach, Mary Poppins, Duffman, Bilbo Baggins, Disney princesses, Xena, Spy vs. Spy, Earthworm Jim, Sailor Moon, Silver Surfer (!), Arthur & the Tick, and Darth Vader grilling up Jar-Jar Binks' head.
• Here you'll find Galactus (!), hipster!princesses, regular princesses, hipster!Zelda characters, Futurama, Jem (!), MegaMan, April O'Neil and one of the TMNT, an Oompa Loompa, and zombies zombies zombies.