San Diego Comic Con kicked off last Wednesday to a fabulous start!

After picking up my badge, I was able to snag a free slice of pizza and small drink at Ciros Pizzeria in the Gaslamp District thanks to Cartoon Network teaming up with the restaurant and a Twitter notification about flyers being handed out to obtain the free goods. I had a pepperoni and sausage slice along with root beer…and kept the Cartoon Network cup that was given out. At the pizza restaurant, 2 television screens ran on a loop, promoting the network’s new series and seasons of shows and the restaurant was decked out with Cartoon Network art. It felt like I walked into a Cartoon Network art gallery for a moment.

At night, a variety of events took place, including “Preview Night” in the exhibit hall. The CW’s upcoming new series, Nikita was screened early and was very well received. I absolutely loved watching the Pilot in early June and have been anticipating more positive feedback since. Needless to say, I was very thrilled to learn that others are just as excited as I am. Nikita premieres September 9, 2010 at 9/8c on The CW.

As for preview night…the exhibit hall gets more crowded each and every year. So a few years ago, I decided that I would not walk down every single aisle of the exhibit hall. Instead, I pick out the booths that I want to visit ahead of time and hit those spots. So, I visited about a dozen booths and one in particular really stood out. The film, Buried releases in select theaters September 24, 2010 and I was filmed buried alive. Check it out here. I even got a pin that reads, “I Got Buried at Comic-Con 2010.” Another fun area on the floor was an area for Gleeks to sing karaoke…I recorded myself but am embarrassed to post! Here are some photos that I took around the exhibit hall:

All throughout Comic Con, fans receive a number of flyers and swag. One of the flyers shared the great news that for a limited time, Comic Con fans get a 10% discount on the Stargate Universe 1.5 DVD or Blu-ray! I don’t have a place to keep magnets, but one that I was intrigued by was a magnet which promoted The Three Musketeers film, which releases in 3D in 2011. As for the swag…I scored a cool pair of sunglasses, which ties into the upcoming comedy, Paul. I received a pin promoting the film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World which was the movie of this year’s Comic Con. I received a DC Comics lanyard which I gave away to a woman who needed a lanyard. I received what you see Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) wearing around her neck in the picture below. Go TV Guide! Thanks Yvette for the picture, especially since it was around 2a.m.! I also received a MegaMind decorated watch and Sucker Punch asylum bracelet. Those are two movies I am looking forward to very much, especially Sucker Punch, so you will definitely see me wearing these two items. Of course I won’t wear the asylum bracelet until it gets closer to the release of the film…otherwise I’ll look odd. The best swag had to be the Harry Potter t-shirt and WB bag that was given out for those who were in Hall H on Saturday.

I camped out in line each night, which marks the first time I’ve camped out every single night at the con. I camped out for Twilight and New Moon in previous years but never for any other nights. This year, I figured it would be fun to camp out each night and it was quite an experience! Saturday night for Sunday’s events had to be the best night…as I made friendly with a bunch of Smallville fans and on our way to the bathroom and to find an outlet to charge our phones…we bumped into Cassidy Freeman (Smallville), Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory), and Joss Whedon (Dollhouse). As for the last photo…we were crossing the street going from the convention center to the Hilton Bayfront, and as I was about to snap the photo, a car started to come our way. Hence the reason I rushed to take the photo with my camera phone instead of my actual camera. Thanks Joss for stopping in the middle of the street for a photo! Thanks Simon for taking a photo even though you were incredibly tired, on your way to crash at your hotel! Thanks Cassidy for taking the photo and thanks friend of Cassidy’s for taking the photo without me even having to ask! That was very much appreciated!

That’s not all! Pauly Shore and Nathan Fillion crashed two panels separately, one in Hall H and the other in Ballroom 20. Jerry O’Connell sat down to watch the panel activity in Hall H on one of the days that I was in that hall as well. I sat in Hall H all day Thursday and Saturday and in Ballroom 20 all day Friday and Sunday. Aside from the panel crashers, there were a handful of surprise guests, some very entertaining footage was shown, and lots of news was announced about upcoming films and seasons of television shows. There’s so much to write, so you’ll have to stay tuned for my day by day coverage later today and tomorrow!