You may already be excited for this weekend’s Phoenix Comicon 2013, but perhaps these photos from last year will get you even more excited. Who knows?

I’m lucky enough to have the brilliant Stacey from Dream Photography Studios get some pretty amazing shots for Lightning Octopus every year. Keep an eye out for her again this year!

The post 19 of My Favorite Shots From Last Year’s Phoenix Comicon appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

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?

The post 4 Awesomely Nerdy Things To Do This Weekend In Phoenix [WE 05/19] appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

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 spice attendees 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!

Follow Lightning Octopus on Facebook and Twitter for further posts on maximizing your Phoenix Comicon 2013 Weekend.

The post How To Enjoy Phoenix Comicon 2013 Without Even Trying – Part 2: The Exhibitor Floor appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

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.

The post Electric CephaloPodcast #9 – The Maker Twins appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

The local (and epic) nerd revelry known as Phoenix Comicon arrives in less than two weeks!

Some people have been planning for months and months to prepare for this event, while others show up and “go where the con takes them.”

Either method will lead to much enjoyment - it’s hard not to have fun at these things, and I actually prefer a happy medium somewhere between the two – but either way, some basics can help enhance the experience for everyone.

Logistical

I highly recommend bringing a comfortable bag and making sure it has room for the treasures you’ll find, as well as filling it with a few necessities:

• Bring snacks. Food can get expensive in the convention center, and nearby downtown. It doesn’t hurt to have something at least somewhat healthy and satisfying in your bag.
• Bring water. I mostly say this for health and safety as there are water coolers all over the convention center, but please carry at least one water bottle with you. It can get hot & crowded sometimes.
• Bring Cash. Events are catching up with more mobile card technology, but cash is still king at vendor tables.

Also, chances are you’ll be on your feet much more than you’re used to for an entire weekend. Comfy shoes = good.

Social

Some unspoken rules about spending so much time around so many different geeks:

• Ask cosplayers for pictures. Most people in costume are happy to stop and pose with you. Just ask first, out of respect and courtesy. If you love their costume, let them know and tell them what you like about it.
• Be patient. When literally tens of thousands of fans with similar interests get together, statistically, they’re going to congregate around certain things. Like, big celebrity panels, signature events, etc. This can mean lines. Lines can mean waiting. Waiting needs patience. (I recommend using these moments to make friends.)
• Be respectful. Everyone there has chosen to be involved in Phoenix Comicon at different levels; selling stuff, geeking out, casually observing. Be okay with hardcore fans, and casual participants alike. (I also recommend taking 3 seconds to remind volunteers how awesome they are, every time you get a chance.)
• It doesn’t matter what people are wearing - there’s never an excuse to harass, cat-call, touch, leer at, or tease anyone. Please don’t be that person.

Philosophical

Quick perspectives on how to approach the comicon, and get the most out of it:

• Know the schedule, then explore. There are at least 7 bazillion things going on over the weekend, so make sure you’ve scheduled yourself to be at the events you don’t want to miss. The Phoenix Comicon has online scheduling tools, as well as phone apps (just learned they didn’t get them made this year) to help with this. But make sure to “float” at least a little. There are rare opportunities all over to find new stories, gain some inside jokes, and meet people you’d never meet in any other setting.
• Geek out. Seriously… Geek out. Love what you love.  Take pictures of everything that makes you smile. Spend way too long talking about your favorite comic books with a vendor. Let loose at The Geek Prom. Go to panels on things you’re curious about. High five the guy wearing the obscure reference t-shirt, and nod to each other knowingly.

Or, as one Lightning Octopus reader put it:

Let your inner geek out to play. Get in there and go large. Embrace the oddness, it’s why you’re going, right? Pull something out of the closet you would never wear in public … And finally, talk to people! I can’t stress this enough! Conventions exist so that people with similar interests can all be in the same place at the same time. Don’t stand back and look, be part of everything you see. These are your people!

Any basic advice of your own? Leave it in the comments!

Follow Lightning Octopus on Facebook and Twitter for further posts on maximizing your Phoenix Comicon 2013 Weekend.

The post How To Enjoy Phoenix Comicon 2013 Without Even Trying – Part 1: The Basics appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

This weekend, Phoenix has a SciFi Fantasy Convention, rocks out with astromen, fights alongside supermen, and celebrates the creativity of video games.

I’ll be out of town this weekend, so I need all of you to get out and make up for my absence.

Thursday, May 9th

LepreCon 39! [Mesa]

I love science fiction (a lot), and a decent amount of fantasy. But I’m definitely not the only sci-fi junkie around town. The folks behind LepreCon have been putting together a solid art-centric Sci-Fi & Fantasy convention for years now, and 2013 shall be no exception. The con goes all weekend and includes guests (including the ghost of Ray Bradbury, apparently), contests, panels, events, and even a film-festival / sci-fi mystery dinner theater.

Learn everything you need to fill your weekend with genre goodness over at LepreCon’s (very sparkly) site.

Man or Astro-Man?! [Phoenix]

I still remember seeing Man or Astro-Man? for the first time as a teenager. It’s hard to forget – they came out in NASA space suits, shred their axes for a while, then fired up a giant tesla coil and practically fried the place. Well, the insane space rockers are in town to once more grace us with their surf rock meets theramin meets outer-space music.

At the Crescent Ballroom (with Ra Ra Riot) with doors opening around 7pm.

Friday, May 10th

Three Fantastic Supermen! [Phoenix]

Superman is great and all, but what if we had three supermen? And what if those three supermen were fantastic?? I have no idea, but you can find out during what may or may not be the greatest superhero film of all time. Surround yourself with other crazy obscure film fans and enjoy the crap out of this one.

Show is at 10pm at The Film Bar.

Saturday, May 11th

Controllers & Canvas 2.0 [Mesa]

I really enjoyed last year’s Controllers & Canvas event. It’s all about the creativity behind video games – the art, music, storytelling, etc. This year they’ll still have costumers, artists, filmmakers, and even be giving away prizes like Phoenix Comicon passes. Plus, they’ll be doing a video game version of Beat The Geek.

At Bookman’s Mesa from 3pm to 7pm.

Have fun, cepholobots. No matter what you do this weekend, be excellent to each other.

The post 4 Perfectly Nerdy Things To Do This Weekend In Phoenix [WE 05/12] appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

One of my favorite events at Phoenix Comicon is the very first one I ever went to – PUGS.

Accordingly, the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown has a special place in my dark nerdy heart, especially since I started getting involved with it. Now, Jeff Moriarty, the Midnite Movie Mamacita, and I get together every-so-often and come up with crazy “vs” scenarios for people to debate on stage for our entertainment.

Last year we watched participants argue whether Luke Skywalker or Bruce Wayne had bigger daddy issues, if Chewy or Spock was a better sidekick, and who would die first in a horror film – the bimbo or the jock. The results were  hilarious and amazing, and a few years later it is still my favorite event at Phoenix Comicon.

(The event itself basically looks something like this.)

The epic war of words will happen in room #121 on Thursday Night (May 23rd) at 8pm and Friday Night (May 24th) at 7:30pm.

I like to pitch this event as easily the best way to start the con on Thursday night. It’s lighthearted, all in good fun, filled with energy, and memorable.

Ultimately, there can be only one champion, and that champion will get one wonderful abomination of a trophy.

The post The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown 2013 appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

This weekend, Phoenix gives away free comic books and uses the force – all in the same day.

And don’t worry if you forget that this Saturday is Star Wars Day, your social media feeds will be filled with people reminding you.

Thursday, May 2nd

Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! Live

This one’s for you NPR junkies. Of course, if you listen to the station at all you probably already know about this event. The often hilarious and always witty quiz show is broadcasting live to theaters. Special guest: Steve Martin!

Honestly? I’d probably go just for Mo Rocca because I like saying his name. Go ahead… say it… Mo Rocca.

Broadcasting to theaters at 7pm. Get details.

Saturday, May (The) 4th

Free Comic Book Day!

It’s the perfect day to explore the world of comics – especially if you’re a new-comer.

Almost every event will be loaded with comic book fans, artists, and writers:

• Drawn to Comics
• Heroes Comics
• Dr Fantasy Comics
• Arizona Mini Comic Expo! at Samurai Comics Mesa
• Pop Culture Paradise is going with a Dr Who theme for the day.
• Ash Ave Comics is raffling off tickets to see Neil Gaiman this June.
• Jesse James is going two full days! (Note: I don’t think Jesse James sleeps. Like, ever. May not be human.)

Plus all of the other comic shops around town will be up to something, I’m sure.

Star Wars Day!

Do you love Star Wars and terrible puns? Me too! Let’s celebrate May The Fourth together!

• Bookmans Phoenix is getting into the Star Wars spirit at 6pm.
• But I’ve got to hand it to Bookmans in Tucson for going all out, including a Freaking Twelve Foot Death Star Pinata!!! (I better get pics), a Star Wars version of Beat The Geek (I am providing some of the trivia) and even 21+ activities after 8pm. At the Hotel Congress in Tucson.
• Last, but not least, I‘ll be at The Torch Theatre in Phoenix, talking about Star Wars and letting improv actors do the rest.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Let me know if I missed anything awesome. Be excellent to each other.

The rest of this post is brought to you by my 17 month old daughter who really wanted to contribute:

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The post At Least 11 Awesomely Nerdy Things To Do This Weekend In Phoenix [WE 05/05] appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

For this episode, we tricked a hilarious local musician named Krys VanSlyke into joining us and nerding out.

We talk about Krys’ amazing VoiceMuze project, retro-gaming, Zapcon, the greatest Star Trek cliffhanger of all time, and all sorts of other stuff.

Behold!

Show Podcast Notes, Links, Etc.

The post Electric CephaloPodcast #8 – Krys VanSlyke appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.

I couldn’t make it to Ignite 14 last Friday, but thankfully the event is pretty big into sharing.

Not only do they stream it live online, but volunteers work to edit and get videos up as soon as possible.

If you’re not familiar with Ignite, they let 18 regular people get up on stage and give them 5 minutes to share what they’re passionate about.

Check out some of my favorite 5 minute presentations:

Citizen Science Arizona:

Bustin’ Makes Me (And You) Feel Good:

Why I Believe In Aliens:

I’ve presented at Ignite before, and I know the nerves that go into walking out there and bearing your soul – so an extra congrats to everyone that got up and presented.

If you feel like putting yourself out there, the next Ignite is in October. Here’s where you submit your presentation ideas.

The post 3 Favorite Nerdy Presentations From Ignite #14 appeared first on Lightning Octopus - Arizona Geek Events, Geek Culture, & Phoenix's Nerd Community.