4 Awesomely Nerdy Things To Do This Weekend In Phoenix [WE 05/19]
This weekend, Phoenix follows the yellow brick road, dives into conspiracy, dines & draws, and never says “die.”
If you’re not too busy getting ready for Phoenix Comicon, here are a few reasons to get out and geek out:
Friday, May 17th
Room 237 [Phoenix]
I love a good conspiracy theory, who doesn’t?! But conspiracy mixed with Stanley Kubrick’s bizarre masterpiece The Shining? Like, woah man. Sign me up. Enjoy this documentary about theorist’s connections between the film and the ‘faking’ of the moon landing (and other historical events). At the Film Bar at 10pm, but screenings are all weekend.
Saturday, May 18th
Wizard of Oz Costume Party [Phoenix]
When I was little I read all of the Oz books. Now that I’m a dad, I can’t wait to read them all to my kids. They’re really good. If you feel the same way, you may want to join other fans at Bookmans in Phoenix for a costume party. From 12pm to 2pm.
Cult Classics: Goonies! [Tempe]
Hopefully Corey Feldman won’t make you perform the Truffle Shuffle to get in to see the Goonies with other fans. Cult Classics makes some pretty fun events out of watching great movies, so expect a little more than just a screening. Starts around 9:30pm at Tempe’s Pollak Cinemas. (Whew, I made it without using “Heeey yoou guuuuys!”)
Sunday, May 19th
Pre-Phoenix Comicon Dine & Draw [Phoenix]
Jesse James is filling up The Tilted Kilt downtown with comic artists, fans, cosplayers, media, and more. Celebrate the imminent comicon by drawing and talking comics with others. Starts around 6pm and goes all night.
Bam! See you guys next weekend?
How To Enjoy Phoenix Comicon 2013 Without Even Trying – Part 2: The Exhibitor Floor
With the basics under your belt, it’s time to level up and advance in your quest for the best Phoenix Comicon you can have.
Without question, one of the biggest parts of attending Phoenix Comicon is browsing the Exhibitor Floor. Wandering around and checking out costumes, vendors, and random acts of nerdery is a core part of the whole experience.
Logistical
Remember that comfortable bag I suggest you bring with you? This is where you’ll really need it:
- Be ready for freebies. Many vendors give away promotional materials, some of which you may like and want to keep. They can fill up a bag fast (or cover a bag fast if you’re big into buttons), so make sure you always have room for anything you might fall in love with.
- Put your money in your front pocket. Not to get all paranoid on you, but there will be a lot of strangers carrying cash wandering around bumping into each other. Best keep your dead presidents somewhere a little more in your line of sight.
- Bring a little bit of hand sanitizer. When you’re done browsing, let that sweet anti-bacterial goodness wash away any ickiness. Keep it in a ziplock bag so it doesn’t leak on your loot.
- Keep your phone charged and ready. Photos aren’t just for posing with cosplayers – you never know what might happen or what you might find that you want to remember later. (Bonus: Bring a power strip to share an outlet and be everyone’s hero.)
And yes, I’ve already said it once, but I’ll say it again: Comfy shoes good.
Social
Thousands of geeks wandering around a giant room with each other?! Let’s play nice:
- Don’t be shy! Okay, you can be shy if you want, but seriously, if there is one place one time a year that you don’t need to be shy, the exhibitor floor is it. Compliment people on their costumes, obscure reference t-shirts, what they’re selling, anything you like. Make someone’s day. (Bonus: if you see a tall skinny dude with glasses, give him a high five!)
- Vendors are people. Some may be bigger name professionals but most are folks who’ve invested in a booth, put themselves out there, and are trying and get the word out on what they’re doing. Listen to their stories, learn about their creations, support them if you like what you see.
- Step aside if you need to stop. The
spiceattendees must flow. Everyone needs to stop now and then (hey, that hilarious tweet isn’t going to post itself), just shuffle to the side when you do. Easy. - Respect the guests. They do most of their signing on one side of the Exhibitor Floor. Just like anyone else, ask before taking pictures. If you’re feeling sick, don’t shake their hands. Lines for photos can get long – get in, get your photo, exchange pleasantries, then let the next person in line get their shot.
When in doubt, just remember: Be excellent to each other.
Crazy Things You Can Do
The Exhibitor Hall isn’t just for epic people-watching and buying stuff. Here are some random things you can do:
- Put a bounty on your friend & let the Mandalorian Mercs put them in jail. Nothing says you care like sending bounty hunters after that special someone. Your friend will have to “break out” of jail, and I believe all bounties end up going to charity.
- Shoot-A-Trooper. Think you can take down one of the empires best and whitest? Fire away. Find the 501st and go nuts. Also for charity.
- The Travel Channel will be on the floor filming on Thursday. Check them out and be awkward on TV!
What else is happening on the Exhibitor Floor? Drop your sweet knowledge in the comments!
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Electric CephaloPodcast #9 – The Maker Twins
With this episode, we give you The Maker Twins – two brothers who spent their childhoods tearing things apart and now build the crazy things for a living.
Pat & Mike Murray get to live their dream of building elaborate machines, interactive displays, floating signs, truck mounted semi-automatic t-shirt launchers, and anything else people want. Their stories and creations are pretty captivating and we could have kept talking all night.
Behold!
Show Podcast Notes, Links, Etc.
