Arts & Entertainment

Comic Confidential: Cinema Siren's Comic-Con 2013 Survival Guide

VIDEO: Heading to San Diego or just curious how Comic-Con works? Watch Northern Virginia's Cinema Siren to find out your best plan of attack.

By Leslie Combemale, aka Cinema Siren

SAN DIEGO — This weekend, instead of reviewing any new movies, San Diego Comic-Con calls…Cinema Siren took on the enviable task of showing you what all the fuss is about, at the biggest pop culture convention imaginable.  

You know when CNN is posting what they consider to be big news on their Web site and it's the top 10 panels to attend here at SDCC, we must be in the thick of things!

You may wonder after seeing all the coverage, what is Comic-Con really like?  Leslie Combemale, Cinema Siren (that's me), is on the scene to give you the real skinny, from an insider's point of view. Exhibitor, panelist, panel attendee, member of the press….I've done or am doing it all.  

So….what are the can't-be-missed events and collectibles, and how hard are they to get to or obtain? 

Click here for our video of two local girls, one an old hand, the other a fresh-faced newbie, braving the cosplayers, the lines, the show-floor crowds, and the panels, all on two hours of sleep a night….

What we've done so far includes: 

  • Hosting some great gentlemen of import to the history of cartoons and conducted a panel, "Legendary Artists of Classic '60s Cartoons"
  • Spent the wee hours of the morning in line for "Ballroom 20" to see the panel for the 20th Anniversary of the X-Files, winding up three rows from the stage 
  • Wined and dined with clients, where trusty intern Christine (dubbed "Geek Princess") experienced what she calls "the best meal of my life"
  • Celebrated the greatness of higher-ups of SDCC management (who have shown great respect for our elderly yet historically important panelists)
  • Bought a limited edition guitar to be signed by Todd McFarlane and Stan Lee
  • Chatted and schmoozed with various important comic/film bigwigs who shall remain nameless
  • Attempted purchase of various items, and subsequently boycotted various big toy companies
Watch to see our take on it…we'll be talking more about cosplaying (folks in costumes from clearly and tragically homegrown to spectacular and elaborate) which is most in evidence on Saturday and Sunday, as well as our second panel and overnight experience to see the best panels…Will we get in? Will it be worth it??

The life of a Cinema Siren.  We sleep outside to see Hugh Jackman, so you don't have to...


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