Emerald City Comic Con 2015 Slideshow

Yesterday, I went to the Emerald City Comic con and decided to create a slideshow from the pictures I took.  Here is the video below:

This free slideshow design generated with Smilebox

I definitely had a blast yesterday at comic con.  I went with my brother Justin yesterday and got there about 10:30ish and was there all day, till about 10:30 pm.  This time around, I mainly sat in on the panels discussion, though I did wander around on several occasions as well.

This time around, I did some cosplaying myself and dressed up as Nick Fury from the Avengers.

Show highlights at the show includes:

1. Anthony Daniels panel discussion

Picture of Anthony Daniels (source: http://totalgame.es/star-wars-7-ya-tiene-titulo/).  I got a picture of him too, but I was in the back and it was hard to get a good picture of him.

Obviously, if you have seen any of the Star Wars Movies, you should be familiar with C3PO and Anthony Daniels is the actor who played the droid.  He has definitely had an interesting career playing C-3PO considering that he was not only in the original trilogy, but he also served in the Prequel trilogy and the upcoming sequel trilogy as well.  He even reprised his role in Clone Wars, Star Wars rebels and other Star Wars media featuring C3P0 (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000355/ for Anthony Daniels' information on IMDB).  His panel was just starting when I got there and sadly I got there late (got lost trying to find his panel as the comic con's convention center layout was changed since last year).  I did have at least one question for him, but I didn't really get a chance to ask it, but my question would have been: "which trilogy did you like working with and why".

Other notes about the comic con

- Star Trek Improv

This one was fun to watch.  Back in 2013 a similar "Star Trek Crew" did a similar improv where they do a lengthy play based on an episode of the show that the audience helps to create.  This year, the audience picked "Candy Land" the planet the crew landed on with the people made of chocolate (which made some of the crew members like Uhra hungry) and the crew was on a diplomatic mission to work with the people of candy land.  Pretty funny improv to watch.  Last time I saw the play, the crew went to a planet called the "Kardashians" (some of the audience were Kardashian fans) and the people of the planet were worshiping "apple pies" and was funny to watch too.

- Geek Career panel

This is an interesting panel to watch for people looking to get "nerdy type" careers (such as working for companies like Nintendo and microsoft.   Considering that I am looking for work myself (hey if this blog was generating alot more ad revenue than it, say at least $100 per day or more, then it is I wouldn't need to find a new job, but unless that happens, I will scouting for jobs), I decided to attend the panel and get some tips

- Marina Sirtis panel

This is what Marina Sirtis looked like in Star Trek Next generation (back in the 1990's)

Picture of Marina Sirtis.  She definitely looks older than she did in Star Trek Next Generation

This panel is definitely a must watch one for those who watched Star Trek Next generation.  By the way, John De Luce (aka Q) was at the comic con last year and I saw that panel too.  Interestingly, Patrick Stewart was there too last year, but I didn't see him (I think he did his panel on Sunday and I was only there on Saturday).  I remember my family usually watched TNG back when it was on during the 1990's and even saw the movies too when they came out (Generations, First Contact, and Nemesis) along with Star Trek Voyager, which became the official successor to Star Trek Next Generation. 

- Clark Gregg Panel

Picture of Clark Gregg of the Comic Con (image source seattlepi.com)

This was definitely a "must see" panel in my opinion.  In case if you do not know, Clark is best known for his role of Agent Coulson from Thor, Iron Man 2, Agengers, and now Agents of Shield (he was "killed off" on the Avengers by Loki, but was resurrected by Nick Fury in the Agents of Shield storyline).  I actually meant to get to this panel earlier and get a closer seat, but the time of the panel was changed and I was unaware of the change until my brother texted me about the changed time (it was originally going to be on at 6 pm, but it was changed to 5 pm, right after Marina Sirtis' panel).  Had I known better, I probably would have just stayed in the Main Hall (where the Marina's and Clark's panels were held) and gone to Clark's panel alot earlier than I did.  Sadly, I was late and and was forced to stand in the back of the room, so I didn't get a real good view or photo of him.

- Steampunk Murder mystery.  This was an interesting mystery where these actors were acting out a seance and one character seemed to have died during the event (probably a good reason not to dabble in the occult such as doing seances, ouija boards, considering that demons can and do come through and cause all kinds of trouble for people doing those practices, not that I have witnessed that first hand but I do hear stories like that when people do those things, though I am assuming that the characters were just acting it out).  Anyways, after a character is killed off, it is up to the audience to help solve the mystery.  By the way, there was a huge line for the Steampunk murder mystery and I barerly made it to the event since I was near the back of the line (which was pretty much the waiting list portion of the line should there be extra seating available or somone leaves early, which some people did by the way) and I am sure some people were turned away after me.  I meant to stay for the whole mystery, but it went till 9 and overlapped with the costume contest (which started at 8 and my brother was at it) and I wasn't sure how long the costume contest was supposed to go on, and so I had to choose between the 2, so I don't really know how the murder mystery ended of if they did any actual seances (will have to scour the web for how it ended).

- Costume contest
As if you don't get enough cosplayers to see and get photos of at the comic con, there is a costume contest towards the end where contestants can show off their costumes and compete for prizes (with the grand prize being a $1000 check, which is awarded to the grand prize winner) and is hosted by a guy who is dressed up as the Riddler from Batman and has a lady dressed up as Harley Quinn as his personal assistant in the contest.  In the end, a gargoyle character from World of War Craft won.  I kind of wanted to compete, but it was my first time cosplaying and plus there were several other people dressed up as Nick Fury as well at the comic con.

Me as "Nick Fury" watching the costume contest

Interestingly during the contest, people dressed up as the Penguin and Catwoman walked around looking for extra potiential candidates (even if they did not register for the contest) to call up and while I thought I could have been picked, I did not, so I just enjoyed the contest.
 

Other highlights of the show:
- Checked out the "Bridge" similator (where people can try their hand as "captains" of the Star Trek Enterprise in a simulated adventure)
- Visited the arcade
- Saw the Star Wars Exhibit
- Checked out the lego displays (some people definitely have talent with legos).
- An many others.

Well that is all for now.  If any of you have been to the comic con, feel free to share your experiences in the comments section.

Tentative Plans for next year's emerald city comic con (subject to change of course):

According to the Emerald City Comic Con publication, next year, the comic con is supposed to run from April 8-10.  Tentatively I am planning to go to that event too, unless if something comes up between now and then.  By the way, I do have a few ideas on what I can do next year.  I have 2 ideas in my head right now.  Considering that next year is when the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reboot is supposed to be aired (currently set for July 22, 2016, according to IMDB), i am thinking about doing something along those lines.

Scenario 1: Dress up as a Power Ranger.  I have to admit that I have been watching the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series on Netflix (currently on the 3rd season) and I could either go alone as a ranger or invite 5 or 6 people to dress up with me (including at least 2 girls) and go as power rangers.  Not sure which color I would be (probably either red or blue) but that would probably be cool.  I saw some people dressed up as rangers yesterday, but they left early, so I wasn't able to get any pictures of them (interestingly, the guys were unmasked most of the time too).  A few downsides to this option: it would be a very elaborate and probably costume to make (not sure where or how I would get the items needed, such as helmet, uniform, gloves, etc), it is a pretty cliche type of costume (considering there will probably be others dressed up as rangers) and finding 6 people go go with me (including 2 girls) could be easier said than done (though I do have some friends that have expressed interest in going to a comic con event possibly next year sometime).  Any volunteers by the way?

Random people dressed up as power rangers.  I could probably dress up as the Blue or Red Ranger (source https://www.flickr.com/photos/exia93/galleries/72157624818225575)

Scenario 2: you know what might be funner to do: teaming up with one other person, possibly my brother Justin (though somehow I don't quite seeing him fitting the role) and dressing up as Bulk and Skull.  I could probably dress up as Bulk considering that I am overweight as it is and then get someone to dress up as Skull

Random Picture of Bulk and Skull from MMPR (source: amy-amy.com), I would probably play as Bulk if I went as Bulk and Skull considering that I am overweight myself and kind of relate to Bulk in some ways.

This costume might be a little bit easier to put together and a bit more creative too.  I could put together a punk outfit and play Bulk.  Of course, I would have to find someone willing to play as Skull (any volunteers?  Preferably another guy to look more authentic).  Not sure if I would grow my hair out (considering that Bulk had a pony tail in some of the episodes) or get a buzz cut.  I could also get police officer clothing too (considering they were dressed up as police officers in both season 3 and power rangers zeo.  If I did go as a power rangers character, this option would be more likely.  Of course, I am sure I will get other ideas as next year's event gets closer, but those are the ideas I have so far.  Or I could go as Nick Fury again too, but most people don't wear the same costume year after year, so something different would be nice.  Other ideas includes: dressing up as a pirate, going as Batman (Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice is supposed to come out next year too), or even Count Dracula.

That is all for now.  Feel free to like and share this post.  Feel free to share your comments if you would like too.

Emerald City Comic-Con 2014

Here is a random youtube video of last year's comic con

Recap of Emerald City Comic Con 2014

Another Emerald City comic con is fast approaching (this weekend) and I thought that I would do a recap of last year's comic con.  Last year, I went with Justin, Kenyon, and his former girlfriend, Kara (they broke up later that year, long story short).  Anyways, here are all of the pics I took last year.

Picture of a Star Wars themed shirt and super man themed shirt.  Last year I decided to keep it simple and wear a superman shirt to the comic con.

Driving into Seattle after picking up Kenyon and Kara in Woodinville.  Yes, it was raining that year too.

Picture of the convention center.

Me dressed up as superman (minus the cape).

Picture of the first panel Me and Justin went to.  In this one some people were offering advice on cosplaying (like I will be doing this year, as Nick Fury).

The convention center was packed as it often is during the comic con event on Saturday.  Lots of people dressing up in costumes too.  Event staff were a bit more strict on photography and video taping last year, so I had to be selective on when and where to take pictures.

Random panel discussion I attended, forgot which one though.

Picture of the first celebrity panel I attended.  I can't quite remember her name, though I like to think it was 

Elizabeth Henstridge from Agents of Shield, but I am not positive.

Picture of the Star Wars display at the comic con.  The droids and r2d2 were pretty lively when I was there with someone controlling their moves with a remote control.

In this picture: someone dressed up as Princess Leia with Darth Vader in the background, 3 random droids (including R4?) and R2 D2.  You know, I would not be suprised if the Star Wars people do somethings special this year considering that Episode 7 (Force Awakens) is supposed to come out later this year (in December) and will mark the first new Star Wars film to be made since Revenge of the Sith (episode 3) was released in 2005.  Unlike the prequel trillogy, the new one is supposed to be set about 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi and will feature the return of some old favorites, including Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2 and C-3po, all played by the same actors from the original films (though obviously aged significantly over the years).  It will be interesting to see the storyline of the new trilogy, especially considering that much of the expanded universe storyline that would have bridged the 2 trilogies (i.e., Heir to the Empire, other novels, Dark Forces Jedi Knight series, etc) are no longer considered cannon in the Star Wars storyline, which means the new trilogy will definitely be in uncharted territory.    

Are there any lego fans here?  Check out these displays people have made.  I wish I had that kind of creativity and skills with legos.  

More lego displays

Here is a picture of a fully functional lego R2 (it too was lively like the other one I got a picture of earlier)

Who likes Minecraft?  Check out this picture of some kid with a "creeper' from the game.  I have the game for the Xbox One but I haven't tried it yet.  Will have to try it out sometime (been playing through GTA 5 and Lego Movie lately).

Did another selfie of myself

Attended the panel discussion for John De Lance.  In case if you do not know, he played as the infamous Q, who was one of the many villains that Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Picard) and his crew encountered throughout the series and played a huge role in the series finale.  He also did several other works too (such as some of the My Little Pony cartoons as well).

Picture of John talking to a random kid.  By the way, celebrity panels (like this one) are often packed and so sometimes it is easier to get views and pictures of celebrities on screen as opposed to in person (unless if you are lucky enough to get in the front row seats).

Here is another picture of the R2 and droid units in action at the Star Wars display.  At one point they were moving around together and playing tunes.

Random Jedi and Storm Trooper at the Star Wars display.  By the way, in the mainline series, the Jedi and Storm troopers were definitely not friends, especially after the infamous Order 66 was issued by Darth Sidious (aka Palpatine) which essentially caused the Clone Troopers and later Storm Troopers to turn on the jedi.

Attended the costume contest at the end of the show.  I actually did get more picturs from Justin's (my brother) camera, but he forgot to share them, so I had less pictures to share, but some of the costumes people wore were quite impressive.

Another selfie of me at the costume contest

That is all for now.  Will try to get pictures at tomorrow's event too.

Rayman Legends First Impressions

About 2 days ago, I downloaded Rayman Legends for the Xbox One.  They were offering a special in the Xbox Live store (at least gold members) where you could download Rayman and several other games for free (or at least reduced prices), so I decided to try out Rayman Legends.


Above is a video, posted by pivmaster2 showing off the first 10 minutes of the game (essentially the intro and the first level).  The game is divided up into several worlds (similar to how it is in games like Donkey Kong Country, New Super Mario Bros, and Sonic Boom) full of levels you can play through, as well as at least one major boss fight per world (with the first one being a giant dragon you fight).  You start off playing as Rayman, but you can play as other characters as well.  In addition, you can also unlock Rayman Orgins levels as well as do online challenges as well.

Things I like about the game so far:

- Humorous to play through.  Very comical too
- Fun and interesting platformer game
- I also like the side kick feature in the game where on certain levels, Rayman can have a side kick come along and do things for him (such as flipping switches, helping to defeat enemies, taking care of potiential traps, etc).
- Cool boss fights.  I fought the dragon this morning and it was quite fun and divided into several parts.
- Each level does have friends that Rayman has to rescue and levels are rather huge with many things to do, areas to explore, and secret areas to find.
- Interestingly, although you can play though each world in order, it is possible to unlock stages in other worlds (such as Toad Story) early on and play through more than one world at a time.  It is also possible to unlock latter stages and even boss fights early on too.

Negative aspects:
- Cheap deaths.  Expect to die alot in the game, especially if it is your first time through.  Usually Rayman can take 2 hits (assuming he has a heart icon over his head) and then he dies, though sometimes he can get killed in one hit too. Each level is filled with obstacles, enemies, pitfalls, and other death traps, all eager to send Rayman to an early retirement.
- The game can get addicting, so you may want to pace yourself while playing through the game.

That is all for now and I will post more about Rayman Legends as I play through the game.

Want to try Rayman Legends for the Xbox One?  You can download it from the Xbox Live Store on your Xbox One.

GTA 5: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor in the Flesh

Have you ever wondered what Michael, Trevor or Franklin looked like in real life?  Check out the voice actors below who played them



I find it interesting how the actor who plays Trevor looks almost exactly like him.

Elders React to Grand Theft Auto V (Geek Week)

Here is another interesting video I saw on Youtube yesterday.  Can't you imagine what it would like seeing parents and grandparents playing Grand Theft Auto 5, let alone watching a trailer for the game?  Check out these 2 videos below.  Warning: scenes from Grand Theft Auto 5 in the below videos may be offensive to some.

Video 1 - Elders reacting to trailer for GTA 5



Video 2 - Elders Playing GTA 5


My Commentary about the videos:

First off: seeing the elderly playing Grand Theft Auto 5 is impressive, never thought I would see the day.  I seriously doubt that my parents (especially my mother) would play Grand Theft Auto 5 if it was offered to them (especially considering that my mother doesn't like those games to say the least). Anyways, these 2 videos were definitely inteesting to watch.  In the first video, it looks like a group of eldely were watching a trailer for the game and some random gameplay videos of the game too (seems like it was the Xbox 360 era GTA 5) and in the second video, they actually get to play the game.  Interestingly, some of the participants were actually more enthusiastic about the game than others.   One common question I heard was: what is the objective of GTA 5 and I think at least in the main story mode is to complete the storyline and side missions, which pretty much tell the story of the game.  Other than that the game is a pretty open world with lots of things players can do.

Other interesting tidbits about the videos:
- I like the manic laugh sound effect that appears sometime.
- Apparently one elderly was an ex cop and he definitely has an interesting point that there are no known successful or decent criminals like the protaganists in GTA 5.
- There does seem to be the notion that Grand Theft Auto 5 (and previous entries in the series for that matter) can teach some people bad ideas, and while I am sure there are people that ideas from the game, there are plenty of teachable moments in the game and people (especially kids) should be taught that everything they see is purely fiction and should never be tried in real life.
- I also like watching the participants playing in the game.
- Remember: for your own good, anything you see in Grand Auto 5 and similar games are purely fiction and should never be imitated in real life and doing so can lead to serious consequences, long prison sentences or even death.

Bonus Content: Elderly React to Call of Duty (this video was pretty amusing to watch and I do have to admit that I am still a noob at Call of Duty too).

Well, that is all for now.  What do you think of these videos.  By the way, are any of you elderly or in law enforcement?  What is your take on the series?

TEENS REACT TO NINTENDO (NES) Video and Commentary

You know, just watching this video below makes me feel a little old (considering I was a little kid back in the 1980s and did have an nes system back then too.).  In this video, long story short, teenagers get to play classic Super Mario Bros on the nes and share their reactions to it.  Interestingly, I am not sure if any of them have played NES before.  Check out the video below







Commentary:

Ah, being in my 30's, this video showing teens the classic NES definitely brings back memories.  In case if you do not recall, long before the current generation game systems (Xbox One, PS4, and WII U) back in the late 1980s and early 1990's (before the Sega Genesis and SNES) there was the classic NES (though obviously game systems have changed dramatically since the 80's, especially now with the PS4 and Xbox One being the latest generation of game consoles).  I definitely like the reaction of the teens when they try out the old game system and I do remember that the NES was definitely the style back in the 80's and early 90's.  I still do have some retro games myself, such as the Mega Man Anniversary collection for the Xbox (which features Mega Mans 1-8 along with Mega Man power fighters 1 and 2) as well as Mega Mans 9 and 10, which are 8 bit in that incarnation (despite being for the xbox 360).  Here is a list of games I had when I had (or played) the NES:

- Battletoads - argurably one of the best and yet hardest games of all time.  Boy if you though the Turbo Tunnel level was hard (level 3), that level was just the beginning as the game was 12 levels long, with each level getting progressively tougher than the last, especially from level 7 on.  Game Genie is almost a must have if you want to beat the entire game given the limited lives and continues.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
- Super Mario 1 and 3 (don't have 2)
- Rescue Rangers
- 1943
- Duck Tales
- Castlevania 2 Simons quest (though my favorite castlevanias are Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Dracula X, Symphony of the Night, and harmony of despair).
- Contra
- Mega Mans 1-6 (my favorites were probably Mega Man 3 and 4).
- and others

By the way, the above video is not the only video showing kids reacting to NES era stuff.  I will share other videos over time.  By the way, you know what I thought was funny about the above video: Mario dying in level 1 considering that level is just the beginning.  I think my favorite Mario games were Mario 3, Super Mario World, Mario 64 and New Super Mario Bros wii.

What did you think of the NES era?  Especially in the light of current gen game systems.

Bonus content: Teens Reacting to classic mega man: