SDCC 2018: Freebie Haul

WARNING: This post is pic-heavy! You may have trouble viewing on mobile devices and devices not connected to wi-fi.

Okay, so my last post contained all the items I physically bought at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2018, minus the Toddland Kuchi Kopi. However, SDCC is known for all their freebies and it seemed this year like companies were giving out way more than they did before. Just tons of free stuff and if I hadn't had to get on a plane with a weight restriction for luggage, I would have grabbed a lot more. Books and posters start to add up in weight though.

[Official SDCC Krypton Bag]

Going into SDCC I knew that the free bags for attendees were from mainly from DC shows, movies, and comics, with a couple of sponsored shows thrown in there. As a fan of the DC shows from CW, I really wanted Bebo! I would have been happy with any of the bags from any of the shows though- Black Lightning, The Flash, Super Girl. I didn't get any! Instead, I literally received the worst possible bag choice there was: "Krypton". I was so disappointed.

[Official SDCC Aquaman Bag]

My con partner, Agent Afronaut, drew the Aquaman movie bag. Slightly better than mine, but still not the best. In the past we have gotten good bags, but I guess this just wasn't our year.

[Official SDCC Pins: Superman & Aquaman]

The bags came with free pins this year and did not necessarily coordinate with the bag you were handed. For example, just because I had gotten the Krypton bag, it didn't guarantee me to get a Superman pin. Although, as odds would have it, we ended up getting coordinating pins to our bags. Still not thrilled with them. I really wanted the classic Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, or the Flash. Again, I didn't get any of those!

[Art by Sergio Calvet]

These were free postcards from the Brotherson & Calvert table. They write and illustrate the Magic of Myths series. I purchased one of the books from them about fairies and I hope to be able to read it soon! They had a huge stack of these for people to take for free and encouraged people to take them! I wanted multiples, but also didn't want to be greedy, so I only have one of each. I still haven't decided if I'm going to gift these away or keep them.

[Official Dark Horse art poster designed and signed by Camilla D'errico]

I already talked about meeting Camilla D'errico and then getting to her booth late, so I couldn't get anything signed. However, I learned that she was at SDCC, because I passed the Dark Horse booth and they were having a free signing from her! Prior to going to the con, I didn't even know she was going to be there! While I am sad that I didn't get to talk to her more and get my purchases signed, I was happy I did get to meet her, talk to her, and get this free poster signed!

The following pictures are from the Marvel booth:

Marvel might not have had a lot of guests, panels, and previews this year, but they had a ton of freebies and they were just left on a table for people to grab at will. I snagged some posters and comic books that featured new and upcoming series, as well as snippets of comic book issues.

[Nickelodeon SDCC Giveaways]

Nickelodeon seems to get bigger and bigger every year at SDCC. This year they handed out a free pack of Mysticons trading cards from Topps and an issue of "Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" from IDW. To be honest I have not watched either of these series on Nick.

[Mysticons Trading Cards]

Here's a look at the cards I received from the pack I got. I honestly have no idea who these characters are though.

[SDCC Total Knock Out Towels]

While standing in line for the Laika Live Experience these ladies were going around handing out these free mini towels for the CBS show: "Total Knock Out".

[Reusable bags from California Coast Credit Union.]

While walking through the Gas Lamp, we came across the California Credit Union, who had a table where you could spin a wheel and get free products from them. We won free reusable bags and we always need these, because of the fee charged in the state of California for a store to give you bag with your purchase. - I don't know anything about the credit union itself though. They are only located in southern California and I live in the complete opposite part of the state.

[SDCC Exclusive Bob's Burgers fanny packs from FOX.]

It was just by a crazy chance that I got into the FOX freebie line and at that time they were handing out free Bob's Burgers fanny packs. They're super cute, but I don't use fanny packs, so they'll probably be given away.

[Laika Studio Masks]

I saved the best freebies for last! I know I already blogged about the amazing stuff at the Laika Live event and I reiterated that on the Afronauts' podcast, but they seriously were amazing and so kind to the fans! - To start, while we were in a long line, they handed out these cute character masks and we received an extra free one upon entering the exhibit. 

[SDCC Laika Live EXCLUSIVE poster]

The first part of the Laika Live Experience was trivia, in which the group you were with all sat around and answered trivia questions about the movies they made. It was really fun and these 2 little girls totally whooped everyone in our group's butt! However, everyone was a winner no matter what! Everyone received these free posters that featured the art of their upcoming movie, "Missing Link". Several of us won beach balls that featured Coraline on it as well.

[Laika Studios Coraline Tee]

Agent Afronaut snagged this Coraline tee for me. It's like an XL, I think, but it's great for a lounge shirt! I honestly just wanted everything Coraline, lol. Or Kubo, but they didn't have any Kubo shirts there.

[Laika Studios Coraline Tee]

I personally won this tee! Another reason why the crew was great there: They went out of their way to make sure I could get a Coraline shirt in my size! I really wanted a shirt I could wear out and about and I'm so glad I have one now!

[Laika Sudios Coraline Hat]

We also scored this Coralina baseball cap, which is super cute and I actually do plan to wear it! I'm not a huge hat person, but they really help when you're having a bad hair day.

This concludes my coverage of SDCC 2018! I swear this is my last big post about it. Stay tuned for the Funko Pops! post as soon as I get my last remaining one and I'll be doing some detailed posts on my other blogs later. Thanks so much for reading this or any of my SDCC posts if you did! Tickets for 2019 for this year's badge holders should go on sale in October and I'll hopefully be able to snag some! I'll keep you updated and look forward to next year's SDCC!

SDCC 2018: Purchase Haul

WARNING: This post is pic-heavy! You may have trouble viewing on mobile devices and devices not connected to wi-fi.

You know I didn't go to San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and come back empty handed! To start, I will say that prior to going to SDCC this year, I was already not too thrilled with the exclusives list. Since I am an avid collector I scout out what vendors, companies, artists, and creators will have at the con before I go. Only makes sense, right? -I mean, the con gets bigger and more chaotic every year. (Read previous posts if you don't know what I'm talking about.) It's no longer a guarantee that you'll be able to get what you want, even if you have a Thursday pass. (Thursday use to be the day with the least amount of attendance.) It's hard to determine everything that will go fast too. Sometimes, you get lucky and what you wanted is not in such a high demand, and other times you think you're going to get something and it turns out you won't even get the chance to stand in line. - Going forward with that knowledge, I only focus on exclusives. Since I fly to and from San Diego, I am also limited to the amount of space I have to bring back merchandise. So, no need to for me to buy things I can order/purchase in the future.

So, my list was very small going to SDCC. I always leave room and possibilities for Small Press artists, Artist Alley tables, and just general indie sellers. The following pics are of my con haul, but it's the smallest haul ever considering the size of the con. These are only the items I actually purchased. I'll post the freebies separately.

[SDCC EXCLUSIVE Bob Ross pins from ToyNK by Pinicorn]

I'll kick things off with the very first purchase I made! (Again, refer to SDCC Post 1 for reference.) Personally, I really didn't want anything from ToyNK, but my bestie in New York wanted one of these for her brother and I picked one up for my artist Bob Ross-loving pen pal in Virginia. They're cute.

[WonderCon 2018 EXCLUSIVE Kuchi Kopi pins from Toddland]

If you read SDCC Blog Post 1 (yeah, you should probably just read it already!) then you know the stress and craziness that was Toddland this year, but my con partner was able to get to the booth before I was. I think he said he was the 5th person in line, so he was right at the booth before everyone else. He didn't get the exclusive Kuchi Kopi figure, but he picked up these 2 pins of Kuchi Kopi for me. The pins are actually from WonderCon this year, but Toddland does not sell leftover exclusives outside of cons, so if you want one then you better follow their con schedule!

[Hello Kitty Cafe Food Truck merchandise.]

These are not con exclusives, but they are exclusive to the Hello Kitty cafe! The last time I encountered this magical truck was also my first time at the Hello Kitty convention in Los Angeles back in 2014. Since then, I have been to other events where the truck was present, but never made it over to it. The one thing I really wanted to snag was the bow mug, but by the time I had gotten to the truck there was a "sold out" sign on it. My assumption is that the mug was actually sold out prior to SDCC, because the "sold out" sign looked like it was printed on there and not written or a sticker, but I could be wrong. I also did not see anyone else get the mug there, so I feel like it just wasn't an option. I did snag the original mug and plushie! They didn't have this adorable plushie when I was at the truck the first time! - My purchase came with a free reusable bag and 2 free pins. I will be posting up-close shots and information on my Hello Kitty blog later.

[Official Laika Studio postcards.]

Okay, I did buy a few things that weren't exclusives. After attending the Laika Live experience, I went through their pop-up shop. They didn't have exclusives, but I did pick up 2 of their official postcard books which feature artworks from their movies.

[Art postcard from the movie: Kubo And The 2 Strings]

[Art postcard from the movie: Coraline.]

[Art postcard from the movie: Missing Link.]

As you can see, the postcards are very artistic. They're not so much of the characters, but more of the actual scenery. They did include one special postcard in the book from their unreleased film: "Missing Link".

Tokidoki is a tradition for me at SDCC. I've bought something from them at every SDCC I've attended. This year, I was a little disappointed in their exclusives. They just weren't exciting and the majority of their merchandise was actually premiers and not exclusives. Like I said before, I don't bother much with merchandise I can get later on. I had hoped for an exclusive large statue like in previous years, but this year they only premiered a large Sakura and didn't have an exclusive. (I'm still waiting on the release of her.) I was excited to see their Overwatch and Marvel collabs released as well, but again, they were not exclusives and I'll pick them up later.

[SDCC EXCLUSIVE Sanrio x Tokidoki hoodie.]

One thing that I absolutely wanted was the exclusive hoodie with Sakura and Hello Kitty! I got the 2nd to last size small! Talk about relieved! They don't make size XS, so anything larger than Small and I'm swimming. -And this is what I mean by "no guarantees anymore"! I bought this on Thursday! Imagine if I had waited until Friday! I probably wouldn't have been able to get my size. - I'll be posting detail pics and information on my Hello Kitty blog later.

[SDCC EXCLUSIVE blind boxes and first premiere keychains.]

I also really wanted to make sure I got some of the exclusive Unicorno blind boxes! That's another tradition of mine at SDCC with Tokidoki. I also bought the keychain for my New York bestie, but I didn't know at the time they were not exclusives. Apparently, they will be released later for the general public. Oh, well.

[SDCC EXCLUSIVE metallic Unicornos Series 3: Scooter & Drago]

I only grabbed 2 blind boxes. I really only wanted 2: Cleo & Lolopessa. I got neither, lol. I did get a chase though, so I guess I can't complain. The red one is one 2 chases in the series.

The Kawaii Keychain, while not an exclusive, is super kawaii/cute! I always am impressed with the amount of detail Tokidoki puts into their products! Her mane is just amazing! I never planned on getting her, but once I saw it at the con I decided to grab one for myself and I'm so glad I did! She's way cuter in person!

[Tokidoki Sushi Unicorno pin.]

Okay, this is the last piece of merch I bought that wasn't an exclusive, but I also didn't realize it wasn't an exclusive. This was yet another premier and it's actually available now for purchase on their website. I think it's adorable though, so no regrets!

 [SDCC EXCLUSIVE light-up Kuchi Kopi by UCC Distributing]

So, when I had a hard time getting Kuchi Kopi at Toddland, Agent Afronaut was able to scoop me up an exclusive light-up Kuchi Kopi figure from UCC Distributing! And to think, I almost didn't get anything from them this year and that would have been the first year I skipped UCC. Agent Afronaut really saved the day in multiple ways!

Light-Up Kuchi Kopi is pretty bright all on his own! I have yet to actually install the batteries, but he looks cute just the way he is! He's very lightweight and stands up by himself.

One aspect that I really like about the light-up Kuchi Kopi, is that there is a way to change the batteries. The figure came with a set of batteries that you have to install, but when the originals die you can replace them. Something that really bothers me about most light-up toys and figures is that there is no way to replace the power source once it wears out, so I was really happy UCC gave us a way to keep enjoying our Kuchi Kopi for years to come!

[Art by Camilla D'errico]

If you read my previous post, then you know about my magical moment where I met Camilla D'errico! She personally invited me to her booth where she would be able to sign merchandise. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to her booth she was gone for the day, but I did buy the Sailor Moon Bee print I've been wanting from her since I saw it on her Instagram! I also picked up a couple of other prints for pen pals! She'll be at NYCC, so hopefully I can get her signature when I go there in October!

[Peanuts SDCC EXCLUSIVES]

The Peanuts booth was one that I did not expect to be so hectic and so hard to get in line for, but it was! I personally only wanted the mini prints and those sold out instantly! Actually, anything that was printed on paper at that booth sold out quickly! I was able to get the 2 pins my bestie wanted and I got the cutest gift bag with the purchase! It looks like Charlie Brown's signature shirt! They also gave us free buttons!

[SDCC EXCLUSIVE pin from Ash Evans.]

One of the best aspects about cons is that it allows you to discover new artists and creators! While on my search for exclusives this year, prior to attending SDCC, I discovered that an artist named, Ash Evans, would be having an exclusive Sea Bunny pin and I knew I had to have it! - I was so caught up in trying to get Kuchi Kopi though that I almost forgot about it! I just happened to pass the table when I got lost in the exhibit hall, lol! It was really great to actually meet the artist too. She was super nice and I snagged one of the last 7 pins she had! She told me that she was notified really late about being accepted for a table and that they didn't have a lot of time to get something made, but I absolutely love what she did have!

["Magic of Myths Faerie" by Brotherson & Calvet]

Okay, so this technically isn't an exclusive. But, as I mentioned earlier, I always look forward to seeing what I can discover in Small Press and because it's not always easy to come into contact with these indie creators, they do tend to feel exclusive. This is a graphic novel by Brotherson & Calvet. 2 guys that have been interviewed before on Afronauts Radio and come from Europe! I saw this book on their table and got it! I'm huge into fairies! So, I'm very interested in reading this book!

That concludes my SDCC 2018 haul! I will be posting my freebies in another post! I also will post my Funko exclusives in a separate post, since I acquired them outside of SDCC and I'm actually still waiting on 1 of them to arrive. Oh, and that Toddland Kuchi Kopi? -Yeah, I got it. I just didn't have time to take pictures of it yet, but I will soon! This post has enough pictures as it is though!

Fanime Haul 2017

[Fanime 2017 Haul]

I told you my FanimeCon Haul was coming! And here it is! I'll go through details and highlights in this post of everything I bought! If applicable and available, links to the shops and/or artists will be clickable through their names or their shop names if you'd like to purchase anything you see for yourself.

[Eeveelution print by Peppertea]

I bought very few things the first day. I started this new method for shopping at cons this year. I like to try to see everything on the first day and just take note of what I want. The second day, after I've had a chance to sleep on it, I go back and actually make the purchases. This helps with impulse buying, which is not always a bad thing, but can also drain your finances quick! It also helps me prioritize what I really want and after it's all said and done I end up with more meaningful items, and my collections look a lot more complete! However, I passed by Peppertea's booth on the first day and HAD TO HAVE this Eevee print! It is the best Eeveelution print I have ever found!

FanimeCon 2017 - Part 2

Before I continue with Part 2 of my Fanime 2017 experience, I'd like to share what I did before the con on Day 3- Our AirBnB was literally right next to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum! We could literally see it from the driveway behind the house. National Geographic filmed an x-ray of a mummy here. If you're in the area, I highly suggest checking out this place! It's very interesting!

So, now, on with the con! I split up my entries, since all my blog posts tend to be pic-heavy! This way the entries are shorter and quicker to load!

[the San Jose Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum]

[at FanimeCon 2017]

Day 3, May-28, Sunday, was my Miku cosplay day! I love being Miku! I always feel cute and like a star! She's so cute to embody!

[one of the main artist of the con: Finni Chang]

Day 2 was *Purchase Day* for me! I did the bulk of my buying that day and most of it was in Artist Alley, as usual. I basically scouted out the con for what I wanted on Day 1 and then made the actual purchases on Day 2. Above you can see myself with artist, Finni Chang, who did a lot of the artwork for the con! I bought her prints that she made just for the con! She was very humble!

*I'll be posting my Fanime haul in a separate post very soon! Stay tuned! It is of course pic-heavy, so I want to keep it separate!

[with the Super Cue mascot]

I took a picture with the Super Cue guy in the Dealer's Hall, where all the food was. No, I didn't eat anything from there! I just thought it would be cute to take a picture with him.

[drinks at the Marriott connected to the San Jose Convention Center]

I did have a few drinks before heading back into the Artist Alley though. This is also at the Marriott in the San Jose Convention Center.

[cosplayer as Lieutenant Uhura]

This lovely woman stopped me in Artist Alley for my picture! Of course, I had to get one of her! She was an amazing tribute to Lieutenant Uhura and I think Nichelle Nichols would be proud!

This guy also stopped me for my photo and I couldn't resist! I think when there are 2 kawaii people together then you have to take a pic!

[in front of Alagaesha Art's booth]

At this point, my friend, Heather, was pretty sick, but she was such a trooper! She hung in there and she sold that art and all those pins! I was so proud of her! (The guy in the back is her friend, Mike.)

On my way out of the con, this little girl stopped me for a pic! I actually had quite a few children stop me for pics throughout the day. It was an amazing feeling to know they felt like I represented Hatsune Miku so well!

[cosplayer as Jedi Princess Tiana]

As I was walking down the street, I saw this beautiful lady as Princess Tiana in Jedi form! Absolutely brilliant! She and her whole group were really nice!

Well, that sums up my Fanime 2017 con! I was only at the convention for maybe an hour or so on the final day, Monday, and I did not cosplay or have any pictures. I just made some final purchases, said "goodbye" to Heather, and left. Feel free to check out my instagram @thebunnie where I have more pictures from the con posted!

SacAnime 2017

Well, like the last couple of years, SacAnime Winter kicked off my "con" season! As always, it was held in Sacramento, California at the Sacramento Convention Center.

[Day 2 - Hatsune Miku Cosplay]

Day 1 was quite simple for me. I arrived in the afternoon with my partner, aka Agent Afronaut! We just took in the convention. We walked around, we visited some friends, and saw the overview of the whole layout and con.

Day 2 was the day I cosplayed! I took a shot at being Hatsune Miku of Vocaloid again! Since I had only cosplayed her once (last year at Fanime 2016) and it was for a very short-while, I thought I should cosplay her for a full day! 

Ugh!

I had major wig problems that morning! We all know that long synthetic wigs tangle easily, but I had mine well secured during travel. Or so I thought. It was nothing but a mess! I didn't want to waste all morning trying to fix it and what I was doing wasn't really helping. So, I just cut it. #ShortHairDontCare! It is what it is! The show had to go on! So, as you can see in the picture above, I had short hair and just worked it like it was!

[with a Totoro cosplayer]

I met a lot of really great people while at SacAnime! The friendly environment is my favorite aspect of SacAnime. It's honestly what keeps me coming back! Everyone from the staff, to the vendors and artists, as well as the attendees are just so nice! SacAnime really does create a safe, friendly, and positive environment for fans and nerds!

[myself with a young Miku]

I was stopped by this adorable girl who was also cosplaying Miku! Of course I had to take a picture with her! How sweet! And she had her wig game straight! LoL!

[with Agent Afronaut on the Day 3]

Day 3 - I didn't cosplay, because I had planned to leave the con a little early to get home before the evening. Well, I'm super glad I didn't! It was a very windy and very rainy day! I'm sure just about anything I would have worn would have been wet and possibly ruined!

We arrived early that day, before the doors of the showroom opened and before any events started! I can't remember the last time we were early for a convention! 

Actually......now that I think about it, we were early on the last day of SDCC 2017. Before that though, I can't remember another time!

[Melody Wang of Morigalaxy]

As always, my artist-friend, Melody Wang, was in attendance with her new line of merchandise under her new brand name: Morigalaxy! I picked up charms and prints! (I plan to do a SacAnime haul post soon!)

[with a mermaid from Sacramento Mermaids]

I don't know how I didn't see this booth the first 2 days, but I passed it before I left the third day and was able to take a photo with a MERMAID! It was a sponsor for the Sacramento Mermaids company, but I've never had my picture taken with a mermaid at any event before! It was a cool experience and she was super nice!

[with a Hatsune Miku cosplayer]

Well, I took some pictures with cosplayers before heading out. Like I said before, it was a great con! I'm not sure if I'll be back for SacAnime summer, but I'm definitely going to try! If I do go, I hopefully will be cosplaying!

Like I said in my previous post- up next for me is WonderCon in April! I'll see you in Anaheim, California!