Most of our Sunday at SDCC 2013 was spent in line for Hall H, the largest venue there. It seats over 6000 individuals and plays host to all of the most extreme SDCC including Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, and, this year, Community! If you want to get into any panel, you really have to be in line many hours before it begins. Being a Greendale Human Being through and through, I was not going to miss it, though I did cut it pretty close.
Sunday
We got in line around 8:30 am. The Community panel planned to start at 1:50. The Hall H scheduling that day included Supernatural, Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, and then Community (in that order). My plan was to get there 5 hours before Community, and hopefully get into Doctor Who as well. As time passed in line my hopes of getting into anything faded. The Hall H line has a way of doing that. Depressing spirit. Even my normal, joyful self was struggling to remain optimistic.
Normally I’m not a very talkative person at Comic-Con, meaning I don’t start conversations with non-famous strangers. Partially out of shyness, partially because I just want to stare at my iPhone. I should really change that policy, because when it comes to something like a never-ending line filled with people who love the things you do, talking can really make your day substantially brighter. I talked to a group of awesome geeks behind us in line, a couple of fellows dressed as the fifth and seventh Doctors in front of us, and a fellow Community fan. There was also this guy (see photo below), a ways ahead in line, who was just spectacular (he actually got a shout out during the panel).
The other bit of entertainment that was near the Hall H line was an awesome setup by Warner Bros. with the massive LEGO Bag End and LEGO models of Batman, Robin, and the Joker. Very fun indeed.
As we got closer to the front of the line, I saw plenty of people leave the line as they realized that they weren’t going to get into the panel they came to see. Very sad, but so goes Comic-Con. Eventually, the Doctor Who panel closed it’s doors, with me not inside. My concern built. Would I get into Community? Would I have made my family wait in this line for nothing?
Then the Doctor Who panel let out, and with it I’d say 80% of the fans inside. Oh happy day! For I knew then not to fear! Bubbly with excitement, me and the thousands of other Human Beings filed in. Ready for the show to begin! With such a mass exodus after Doctor Who I have to admit even I was a little skeptical that Community could fill Hall H. But fill it it did! And with Always Sunny in Philadelphia following, I wondered who was there to see Community and who was just seat warming. It completely solidified this show’s incredible fan base as it filled up for Community and emptied right after.
Instead of me telling you all about the panel, you can watch the whole thing yourself (minus some of the footage shown) below. I’m not ashamed to say my eyes shed some manly tears and I cheered so loudly I probably blew the guy next to me’s ears out.
There are plenty of highlights, and a personal highlight for me is my 3 second cameo in a group shot from the Sixseasonsandamovie Art Show. You can watch the whole clip below and my bit here (I’m left/middle/blue shirt/glasses at 2:07. See me?).
The panel didn’t have many announcements about season five, but Harmon did confirm that another animated episode and a DnD 2 episode are on the schedule. There is also this interview with Harmon that took place during Comic-Con, if you are itching for season five news.
By the way, these sweet cups were handed out during the panel! Totally worth the five hour wait alone 😉
This does lead me to question Comic-Con as a whole though. Do I need to be present for these panels when many become available online afterwards? Would my time be better spent on the show floor?
After the panel we had two hours before Comic-Con closed for the year, so we spent an hour on the show floor and another hour in the Nintendo Lounge.
On the show floor we ran into Sean Astin doing a signing. It is customary to purchase a photo and pay a fee for an autograph, but I really just wanted to say hi and shake his hand, which was just fine.
The Nintendo Lounge was just as nice as the previous time. My sister played Disney Infinity which looks decent enough to expect that plenty of parents will be doling out lots of cash for characters and power discs. Though I must complain about whoever set up the incredibly obnoxious corporate policy of powering down every machine at exactly 5:00 PM. 5:05 wouldn’t have killed anyone, those enormous 5pm bouncer dudes really are overkill.
Well, that’s pretty much the end of my Comic-Con 2013 adventure. I had an absolute blast and made memories that’ll last forever. And just think, I’ll be receiving an email to get my tickets for SDCC 2014 in just a few short weeks!
Cooper out! Peace!
Cooperdiem 