Oz Comic Con

July 5th and 6th was Oz Comic Con in Melbourne!

and I REALLY needed to go, Arthur Daville aka Rory Williams from Doctor Who, was going to be there, and I just had to get his autograph in my Encyclopedia.

Funds were short, I had been working since 16th June but they only paid out monthly and I wasn't set for a payment until the 17th July, BUMMER!

Melbourne's Oz Comic Con is always held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Fitzroy (or Carlton maybe) and it not too far from my place, so I figured I would volunteer.

My Bro was coming over for it and stayed in our living room, Freddy Krueger actor was coming as well as Alien actor Tom Skerritt as well as some Game of Thrones actors.

 (photo courtesy of another volunteer)

Day One

I didn't do Friday, because of working so my day one was Saturday.

Arrived pretty early, didn't know the volunteers were waiting around the side, I went straight in and waited by the door of the office for Jess to arrive.  I got my shirt, autograph token for Tom Skerritt and $10 lunch voucher all for volunteering and I had yet to do a single thing.

 My Oz Comic Con shirt pictured with the SupaNova shirt.

I was on Spareboard which meant I waited till someone had a volunteer gap that needed filling.

So throughout the day I was waiting around, and helping people with their questions, guarding stairs, guarding no access areas, playing with the Nintendo Wii and helping other volunteers with checking and unchecking their bags.

From the office there was a great view of a lot of cosplay, this was definitely one of my favourites

 Before we started we had stated what autographs and photos we wanted and got to select one panel we wanted to sit in at.

On one of my breaks I met these guys

 (Everything is Awesome!)

I didn't get any photos but I rang my bro who was carrying my book for me so I could get the autograph, and gave him my Tom Skerritt autograph (he had an alien DVD cover he wanted signed)

 Super happy to have gotten this one

Now I have Martha and Rory, and with so many Doctor Who characters coming I'm super excited I thought of this. (Wish I had thought of it when the 5th Doctor was here for the symphony).

I had limited funds so settled for the Dean O'Gorman panel instead of meeting him.

 Volunteers got guaranteed a place in the panel but had to keep to the back, so that if the panel filled you would end up standing room only. It didn't quite fill up so we got to sit down.

People were so funny about sitting next to each other that I got the other volunteer and myself further down the front then we would have got because there were so many empty chairs in between people.

There was seriously a whole row left untouched.

I got to leave around 6.30-7.00pm and headed straight to the Alchemist Bar to meet the girls from Bookclub for our meet up and book exchange.

(photo courtesy of Mel) 

Cocktails and books!

I was so exhausted after a long day, I settled for a beer and couldn't quite find my appetite so settled for some stuffed mushrooms, which were lovely!   

(photo courtesy of Mel) 

 We got our secret santa books (though I think everyone knew who their book came from)

and played some games. I stayed out way too late I guess for getting up at 5am the next day, and it rained when I walked home, but it was still a load of fun and I REGRET NOTHING!

These were the books I got.

 DAY TWO: Sunday

My feet were sore within an hour, and with a maximum of 4 hours sleep under my belt I was not the most enthusiastic, I spent most of my time in the volunteer office helping cloak and answering peoples questions. We did have a crazy 10 mins where everything kinda went to shit, first a lost child, then a medical issue, then to top it all off a missing mentally handicapped person all within the space of 5 mins. Crazy shit!

Everything got sorted because Con Mel (not to be mistaken with Book Club Mel) is bloody amazing!

Due to lack of appetite from last night, I actually had some funds that I didn't plan on, so in pure good fortune I was able to meet Dean O'Gorman. Now it hard to decided when one is talking about a teen crush (Young Hercules 1998-1999 played Iolaus ) if a signature or photo are a better use of your money, but since I had already gotten two autographs and was getting another free one today you could argue for a photo, and lets face it when it comes to crushes, you want that photo.

 Oh yes! You do.

Kind of unfortunate with the volunteer shirt, but whatever look at what he's wearing.

I was able to leave at a perfect time that there were no lines (McGiver and Freddy Krueger were hogging most people and had crazy lines all weekend) so I went straight in, met him had the photo and was done in no time at all.

Then straight to the line up for todays free autograph which was Yvette Nicole-Brown. Loads of volunteers were super excited about this one and she was super awesome to meet. She said my name was easy to spell (duh! see her name?) and was just a genuine treat to meet.

 At some point, via twitter, Yvette was also offering free hugs for TimTams, one of the other girls I was volunteering with sent her husband for TimTams and later that day got her hugs.

At the end of the day we were treated to what was left of the canteen, I grabbed some stuff at first but then put it back as I had to make dinner that night for 3 and had to go into the supermarket (later I found out that the boys would have been fine with pies, sandwiches and cakes)

We also gave out what was left of the snacks as other volunteers checked out and handed back their name badges. Everyone got to keep their shirts.

Then Colin Taber came around and gave us the rest of his books to give away as well, of course I grabbed a copy.

Then it was time to head home.

Exhausted but satisfied with the weekend, and a good night sleep before headed to work the next day

At some point I started loosing my voice on the Sunday but luckily I got it back by the morning and was able to continue with making calls at work.

I think I got more out of my Con experience having volunteered and will probably do it again next year, though I guess if I am working full time I would need to take a day off to rest up or only do one day volunteering.





Book Haul! July

Book Haul time!!!

Not a huge book haul this month and it would be even shorter except I got given some books :-) Super Exciting!

First my preorder, I have been waiting for this book with baited breathe and I think it may be the last in the series, so I'm currently reading it but trying to also take my time so it's not all over too soon.

The 4th in the White Trash Zombie series,

 How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back

and let me tell you, it's pretty exciting so far, everything went to shit pretty quick this time around

 

Now some books I got given.

This month we had our second annual meet up for our book club, the first time was in Brisbane to Meet Felicia Day at SupaNova, this year it coincided with Comic Con in Melbourne.

We had a lovely dinner at the Alchemist Bar in Fitzroy (near where I currently reside).

Part of the meet up with had Secret Santa, for Christmas in July (any excuse to give and receive books) and my secret santa got these gems;

 Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, which has been a fascinating read so far as I'm really interested in the properties of herbs.

As well as a gorgeous edition of Mary Poppins, can you believe I've never read Mary Poppins before? Watched the movie as a child nearly religiously but never got the book out.

 

The third book I got given I got given by the author at Oz Comic Con.

I volunteered my time at the weekend so I could afford to get some photo's and autographs (you know what, I just realised I haven't blogged any of this yet. Opps! I'll get right on that)

anyway, so on the last day the author came to the office I was volunteering and offered us the left over books, of course I grabbed one!

 It's an alternate history story about Vikings landing and claiming the US, The Landing, the United States of Yinland, and it's signed by the author.

 

I finally got a bit of work this month as well so I ordered a couple of books from the Book Depository;

 How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (YAY! Werewolves!)

 And Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, I didn't realise when I ordered Wyrd Sisters that it was the second in the Witches stories of the Discworld series, but when I did I thought I better get this one too. They are such beautiful covers.

 

Lastly, what haul would be complete without the op shop hauls;

My photo's got deleted so I just photographed them all together as I can't remember which came from what day.

Nightshifted is the first book in the series of which I have Moonshifted (the second book, and about werewolves) thought I should start at the start.

Cry To Heaven is one of the very few Anne Rice novels I don't have and haven't read and I found this beautiful hardcover in the smaller op shop.

Death's Daughter was a weird find, since it was this months alt pick for the VF bookclub, score!

Red Riding Hood, I had no idea this movie was a book, hopefully it will be good.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I've only read the first book so far, and loved it so I want to read the whole series, though there are two books in-between I thought I would grab this now anyway.

The Book Thief, I've heard this is really good, a bit slow but good and I'm hoping to read it at some point.

The Last Unicorn, another movie I LOVED as a child but never read the book. Such a beautiful edition too.

Right so that's this months book haul, I'll get to writing up Comic Con then



Kickstarter! Period Panties

 Though July was the estimated date for the arrival of several Kickstarters, I received only one so far, the others are running behind.

 

This kickstarter was for a ready established brand, who had previously released a few designs of their undies (or so I believe) and this kickstarter was insanely popular!

The $10,000 goal was trampled below the feel of nearly that many backers who wanted a pair of these undies and raised $404,763. WOW!

 

Period panties are just that, panties to wear when you have your period.

Though marketed as the extremely sexist signal to your partner that this week they aren't getting any they are still rather fun and the designs are bright and clever.

 

I chose :

Pledge $25 or more

2851 backers

2 pairs of Period Panties, and matching Cramp Stamps.

Estimated delivery: Apr 2014

Add $15 USD to ship outside the US

 

What are cramp stamps you ask? Basically they are just temporary tattoo's in the matching design to the undies,

 

 After the campaign was over the sheer amount of product ordered cause a few delays but once it was all up and running we were directed to the checkout where we could select the size and design on the panties wanted.

Though there were many cute designs to choose from (see above Cramp Stamp pic for an idea) and I really would have loved to get just about all of them I eventually chose these two:

Then once they had organised the shipping of (I can't even imagine how many 9,550 people ordered) all the panties they arrived in the post a few weeks later (overseas postage).

The colours are bright and brilliant and the designs are gorgeous!

They fit perfect so the size chart on the projects page was brilliant and I still want more of them.

 

Period Panties Kickstarter

Batman Day!! 26th July

Saturday was Batman Day!

Where we celebrated 75 years of the caped crusader.

Was this Batman's actual 75th birthday, very unlikely, but it did coincide with SDCC so a huge day was expected. Now being on the other side of the earth I was not able to attend SDCC, however my local comic store, All Star Comics put on a bit of a celebration so as not to miss out on all the fun.

There were Bat cookies and Batmobile races and of course presents!

Batman himself could want for nothing so it was the patrons that got something to take home.

DC released a special Batman comic for the day as well as some special Batman masks for the day from throughout his career. The guys themselves went all out, dressed up and even got local artist Trev Wood in to do some sketches for everyone.

What a Bat-astic day! 

Batman Detective Comics 27- Batman Day by Bob Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cool collection of 3 short Batman stories all with completely different art.
The first one with it's retro art is a retelling of the very first Batman (or Bat-Man)Story, The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (written by Brad Meltzer) and alone makes this a great collectable edition.
The story is then retold with modern art and dialogue.
The short story Twenty-Seven written by Scott Snyder then pulls us into the far future.
Batman has a huge legacy over the past 75 years and it was great to see so many people interested and celebrating Batman Day today.

 

 Batgirl is ready to head out for a day of BATMAN!

 Batman Day haul, comic, business card and because I sent in an entry for the Batman Birthday Card I received all 4 Batman Masks

 Delicious Bat cookie

 Now I am BATMAN!

 

As well as Batman day I picked up my pull list for the weekend.

Catwoman #33

Trees #3

Storm #1



Book Haul: June!!

So much for this month being a quiet book buying month.

While I am still looking for work, apparently I can always find money to buy books.

Here we go, June haul!

 

First from the Book Depository I ordered two hard cover books, one a leather bound.

I've wanted Wyrd Sisters ever since I watched the cartoon as a kid and found these gorgeous covers in Dymocks but just couldn't justify the $30 price tag for one book. Then towards the beginning of the month I found this beautiful version in the Book Depository at half the price.

 You can't see it but it has beautiful purple inside covers which just adds to the overall gorgeousness of the book.

I read Frankenstein last month, I had the penguin classic orange version, and I LOVED IT!

The leather version is around $40 in the stores but again the Book Depository had it for half price and I loved this classic so much I thought this would make an excellent addition to my book collection.

 One of my bookclub book picks for this month, I picked up this one second hand on eBay for under $7. It's a pretty worn copy and it was only the alt pick for the month but totally worth a read.  

 Mouse Guard Fall 1152 is a future book pick for a different bookclub and I already have the Winter 1152 one and just adore this graphic novel. Picked this up on eBay for a steal.

 From my local comic book store All Star Comics I picked up Afterlife with Archie paperback trade.

Archie and the gang come face to face with the zombie apocalypse.

 While at All Star Comics I also picked up the trade version of Coraline from Neil Gaiman for $15.

 From the op shop at the beginning of the month I picked up the third book in the Infernal Devices series and a cute copy of George Orwells Animal Farm, which I haven't read since school.

 At the second op shop I picked up even more books, I got mostly harmless from Douglas Adams #5, just missing the forth one now. Moonshifted which is a second book in a series but the one that has the werewolf. I also picked up Changeless which I have read but only had the last 3 physical books in this series so now I just need the first one. Steal Across the Sky I don't really know much about but I needed a 4th to get the great price.

 Mid month I picked up the second book in the Apparatus Infernum series (I got the first book in a bookclub book exchange)

 and the last week of the month I picked up the Clockwork prince which was the only book left that I needed in this series, so now I can read this series. I also picked up Wolfsangel which combines werewolves and Vikings and has been on my wish list for a little while.

So many books!

Next month will be another book exchange and my pre-order of the 4th White Trash Zombie book should arrive.