Every week from now until San Diego Comic-Con, we’re celebrating you: our readers! So let’s meet this week’s Attendee of the Week:
Tim Ludy
Where are you traveling from for San Diego Comic-Con?
Tewksbury, MA
How many years have you been attending?
This is my third year!
What was your favorite panel and why?
That’s a tough toss-up because I love the huge panels that meet my high expectations but I also love being surprised by an amazing panel I just wandered into. At my first con in 2015, Fox blew everyone away with the very first Deadpool trailer. That was really special because no one had seen anything yet so when the entire hall erupted at once with amazement and demanded an encore, you could see Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller get up and hug each other. It’s great to see how much the Comic-Con crowd’s opinion means and how we were able to validate all their hard work. Then last year I was on my way back from another panel and saw there was no line and no wait for Preacher’s panel. I had never seen the show but liked the people on the panel so checked it out. It was a hilarious and really special episode reading and Q&A that completely took me by surprise and got me into the show.
What is your favorite exhibitor or artist booth and why?
DC always brings a lot of cool stuff that I love seeing. The suits for Justice League and the Arrowverse were all on display which look just as good up close as they do on film. Also last year they brought Batman: Arkham VR to demo which was a great experience.
What was you favorite autographs session and why?
I have never been part of an autograph session but I’ve decided this is the year I’ll finally get Stan Lee’s autograph!
What is your favorite con snack?
Last year they had chili nachos, but all I really wanted was a good cup of chili. After a couple confusing conversations on Thursday they were willing to sell me up a coffee cup worth. I ended up going back for one every day and by Sunday a cup of chili had made its way onto the menu!
Tell us about your most memorable celebrity encounter at the convention?
Walking through the exhibit hall floor in a Deathstroke costume that only had one tiny eye hole meant I bumped into a lot of people. None was more memorable than Elijah Wood. He was being led to a signing and I collided with him head-on. Hopefully he heard my muffled apology through the mask as I quickly stepped aside.
What is (or was) your favorite offsite and why?
In 2015, I had a great time running the Assassin’s Creed Obstacle Course. As a big fan of Assassin’s Creed and shows like American Ninja Warrior this was a fun way to try my hand at assassin/ninja-ing and I didn’t let myself down.
What is your favorite restaurant in downtown San Diego?
The Deck is a fun barbecue spot that has an open ceiling and lots of yard games for an outdoor feeling right in the Gaslamp. The food is great and it has a pretty good crowd playing cornhole, ping pong and a few other games.
What is your favorite Comic-Con memory/moment?
For some reason, both of my past years at Comic-Con have included playing charades with total strangers in the middle of the night. That’s Comic-Con! Whether they were line friends, someone I sat next to in Hall H, or people I geeked out with at a bar about Game of Thrones for an hour, it’s always been super easy to meet new people at San Diego Comic-Con. My favorite memories are making instant friends with someone because we like all the same things. It happens once in a blue moon in the real world and every 5 minutes at Comic-Con.
Do you have any advice for a first time attendee?
I think everyone has said to plan ahead exactly what you want to do because it is so important. To add to that – don’t expect to be able to do everything you want to and be open to random opportunities. Follow @SD_Comic_Con ahead of time to get your initial plan but then make sure to follow them and others during the con to hear about randomly announced signings or panels that have a short line. Have fun and see you there!
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