Comikaze Con - Day 1

Got up early today around 7:30, was staying at my buddy Will's place because I needed help with my Hobbit ears. I got up, showered and got dressed then had to wake up Will to help apply my ears. A hour and a half later we were done. I expected it to take about a half hour but it was a bit more difficult and time consuming then I thought. I was hoping to be out the door by 9am and get to con around 10am.. but instead I got out around 9:30am and to the con around 10:30. The drive over from North Hollywood to Los Angeles wasn't that bad. I kept forgetting that I was wearing my Hobbit ears and getting strange looks from other drivers.

As I mentioned I got to the con around 10:30 and drove around the area a few times before finding the correct parking lot. Paid my $15 dollars and parked in the south parking structure of the Los Angeles Convention Center. I got out and went over to my passenger side where I began to put on the finishing touches of my Hobbit cosplay. At Will's place I had put on my pants, suspenders, undershirt, top shirt and socks. So I finished by slipping into my Hobbit feet, which use to take me 30 minutes each but now that they are so worn in it took less then a few minutes for each. I put on my wig and adjusted the curls. And then the final touch was my wool cloak. It was 100 plus degrees outside but it's an important an part of my over all costume.

Once done I headed to the elevator and out of the parking structure. I noticed that there weren't many cosplayers around so I was drawing some attention. I walked about halfway to the entrance when a guy passing in the opposite direction yelled out to the group of us that they are being directed to line up in the back of the convention center. So the majority of us turned around and headed with the group. I started to chat with a few folks as they were admiring my Hobbit feet. Got to the end of the line and waited. For the next hour and a half I waited in the hot sun, I moved maybe 40 feet during that time. I was hot, sweaty and thirsty but I was not leaving this line. In the time I was there it grew and started to double back on itself. During this time it was very frustrating as I wasn't really sure if I was in the right line. I had pre-purchased my ticket online and had the piece a paper but I didn't know if the line I was standing in was for pre-purchase or to purchase tickets. There wasn't a single employee of the con directing people or there to answer questions. So I stood and waited with hundreds of others.

During this long wait I was texting and tweeting with others and finally around 12:30pm I got a text from my friend Anne informing me that they had an extra wristband and that I should come to the front, at the same time my buddy Dallas came walking up looking for me.  I immediately exited the line and headed to the front. OMG we walked and walked and walked pass the line as it zig zagged everywhere. There were hundreds and hundreds of people waiting to get in. We finally made it to the entrance where we met up with Anne and she gave me a wrist band. It was Nicki's wristband but she had gotten an exhibitors badge since she was helping Team Unicorn. It was so nice to get out of the 100 degree weather and into the nice air conditioned convention center.

Soon as I got in I went over to the Team Unicorn booth and said hi to some friends before standing in line for another 45 minutes to get something to eat and drink. Around 2:30 I was finally ready to enjoy the con. I meet up with my buddy Troy who walked around with me on the show room floor. I'd stop here and there to take pictures. After Troy left I walked around with my buddies Dallas, Aaron, Luis and Rupert. One of the highlights for me was when I was at the Team Unicorn booth and Wall-E came rolling up. Yeah it was an actual working Wall-E robot. He was fully mechanical and so AWESOME. Michele Boyd (one of the Unicorns) had a conversation with him. It as so much fun.

While walking around the floor I would run into folks like Kim, Kevin and Doug. Got to see Teal and her husband Ali. Ran into some online friends like Tabs. Was at the con until around 6:30pm. Then headed out with Luis and Dallas. We were meeting up with others for dinner. On our way to the restaurant we picked up Anthony.

For dinner there was Kim, Anne, Nicki, Jen, Rupert, Dallas, Anthony, Luis and of course me. We went to Urbano Pizza Bar and hung out for a few hours. Once that was over we parted ways. Luis drove me back to my car and I headed home. Got home around 11:30pm, wrapped my head with an ace bandage hoping my ears would survive the night.

Though the day started off fun with Will and I attempting to put on my ears, then turned into a hot nightmare as I fought off heat stroke and dehydration it ended on a high note. Had a great time walking around taking pictures and having pictures taken of me. Got to see alot of my friends and ended the night was a fun dinner.  Gotta get up early again tomorrow and do this all over again.. woo hoo.

You can see more pictures from my Comikaze Con weekend HERE