Dav Pilkey Book Signing: Revisiting My Childhood

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Hey again!

My friend and I were at Chapters one time, and we saw a poster that advertised a book signing. Dav Pilkey was coming to Metrotown for a book signing!

We both decided that we would have to go because Captain Underpants was such a big part of our childhood. I remember sitting at my friends house after school and all we would do is read all his Captain Underpants books. Back then, everything was so carefree and the world seemed so much easier. And the underwear wearing captain really was a hero to us. Plus, toilet and school humour was always well appreciated.

Anyone remember the Flip-o-Ramas!? Every book should have a Flip-o-Rama. Man, those things were like magic.

At Chapters, the line up was not too bad, but there was a decent line. The Chapters staff served us salted caramel and cookies, making the line up more fun!

Giant inflated Captain Underpants in the store

Giant inflated Captain Underpants in the store

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From left to right: Dav, my friend’s sister, my friend, and me

My friend and I were giggling so much before we went to the little platform thing because we were getting nervous. We thanked him profusely, and what was amazing about his signing was that he did not just sign his name– he also drew you a picture too. He drew Captain Underpants for my friend David’s book (he could not make it, so he told me to get him one), and for mine, I requested Super Diaper Baby for mine because he was so cute and I have always loved him!

Our signed books :)

Our signed books 🙂

So thanks again Dav for making our childhood what it was!

-Karen

“Iron Man 3”: A Movie Review

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My friend and I managed to get tickets to watch Iron Man 3 one day before it is supposed to come out, so here is my review (spoilers free of course).

The movie takes us back into Tony Stark’s past– back to 1999 to be exact. We once again see Tony in his partying days, where he basically pisses off everyone he meets by being an arrogant, stuck up billionaire. Here, we meet Aldrich Killian, who tries to get Stark’s attention as he has an idea he wants Stark to help fund. Of course, Stark brushes him off, and in anger, he decides to seek revenge, working with a mysterious character who calls himself The Mandarin. I must say, I love Pepper more than ever in this film.

That was an overly simplified version of the movie, but I will say that it was very funny. There were lots of laughs throughout the film and I enjoyed it. One thing I really liked was how they humanized Tony Stark. Sure, he is Iron Man, but following his encounters with aliens back in the Avengers, and the knowledge that there was so much more out there, we now see Tony getting panic attacks because of his experiences. Really, this is to be expected for anyone who has to go through such a stressful experience, but we usually forget that superheroes can be affected by stuff like this. It really helps us relate, even if just a little, to these big guys. So huge props to whoever made that part of the story.

I wonder what will happen with Robert Downey Jr’s contract, as it expires after this movie, but I am sure they will work something out with him for the Avengers 2. This movie also leaves a little to be questioned… and I will leave it at that since I do not want to spoil anything.

Iron Man 3 comes out tomorrow, and I would recommend seeing it for some light superhero action, coupled with some great laughs! Plus, Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are beautiful people. Stan Lee’s cameo was funny as well!

And yes, stay after the credits for a little Science Bros action (Tumblr reference, sorry!).

-Karen

Downtown Vancouver Chapters Board Games Night!

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Hey everyone!

So if you live in Vancouver, you may want to check this out! My friend and I stumbled onto this while we were walking around downtown waiting for our friend’s birthday party to begin.

Did you know that Chapters (the one near Howe street in downtown Vancouver) has board games night! It happens on the last Thursday of every month (according to the poster, up to July anyway), and it is free! They had two tables and board games scattered around for you to play with. What is even better? They serve popcorn and juice!

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Free refreshments? Yes please!

Free refreshments? Yes please!

It starts at 7PM, and our friend’s birthday party did not begin until 7:30, so we decided to sit down and join a game of Taboo! They also had Jenga, Apples to Apples, and the other table was playing some sort of complicated card game. We met a nice group of people, and our table eventually started to grow. The staff kept offering popcorn and drinks to everyone, and it was definitely fun! Shame we could not stay longer!

So if you are downtown on a Thursday night, and it happens to be the last one that month, you may want to drop by Chapters and play a game or two with strangers! It goes on from 7:00PM- closing (which is around 10PM I believe)!

Our Taboo table! :D

Our Taboo table! 😀

Hope you guys are enjoying the sun!

-Karen

Fan Expo Vancouver 2013

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This year, I decided to go to the Fan Expo in Vancouver. I am not sure if it was the wisest choice, as it was sandwiched between two final exams (I actually could not go on the first day because it was ON the day and time of one of my exams), but it was definitely fun and I am excited to see how the expo will grow in the future! Vancouver’s Fan Expo is quite new, and has a while to go before it can catch up with many of the other conventions out there, but it was very promising.

I cosplayed as Amelia Pond from Doctor Who, and my friend cosplayed as the 11th Doctor. At one point, we met several other Doctor Who cosplayers who told us that they were going to do a Doctor Who photoshoot at two o’clock, and invited us. The photos were fun, and around thirty of us showed up–all doing a bunch of silly poses.

The expo’s floor was not too big, taking up Halls B and C at the Vancouver Convention Center–if I am not mistaken, but it was packed with vendors and there was an artist alley. Celebrity guests included Stan Lee, Michael Rooker (from The Walking Dead”), Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), Sean Astin (from Lord of the Rings), and the whole cast of Continuum. 

I really like conventions because I love looking at cosplays. I admire how you can see how much effort people put into their costumes, and when they stay in character during the whole con, it makes things that much better. At the Fan Expo, I would say around 50% of the people there were in costumes? Not a bad turnout!

Here are some  random pictures from my adventures that day!

My friend and I who cosplayed characters from Doctor Who

My friend and I who cosplayed characters from Doctor Who

Sauron! Amazing costume!

Sauron! Amazing costume!

Pics from the Doctor Who photo shoot from my camera– which explains why no one’s looking at the camera.

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A picture of the companions

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Tardis!

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And of course, all the doctors!

A cosplayer cosplaying a nurse from Silent Hill. She limped around the whole con the whole day. Props to her for her dedication!!

A cosplayer cosplaying a nurse from Silent Hill. She limped around the whole con the whole day. Props to her for her dedication!!

If you live in Vancouver, keep an eye out for the Fan Expo next year! You may want to check this out!

– Karen

“42”: A Movie Review

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I just came back from watching 42 from the cinemas.

Honestly, when asked to choose a movie, I opted for this one because Harrison Ford was in it. I was not entirely sure what it was going to be about, but I ended up crying through the whole movie because it was very touching and motivating. The man next to me gave me a high-fived for weeping through the whole thing. Props to him for putting up with my sniffling.

“42” is a movie about Jackie Robinson and how he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers despite being black. The story in itself is inspiring, but seeing those around Jackie willing to find acceptance and change was the most amazing part of the film. The end credits also explain how different members of the team went on to achieve great things. They also explained that the number 42– Jackie’s jersey number– was retired by the major baseball leagues to honour him. Like my friend said, it was a bit cheesy at times, but overall, I would defintely recommend this. Especially if you liked movies such as The Help. It really shows how far we have come in society.

I do not want to spoil too much (though it may be a bit obvious how it will end), but I suggest that if you wanted something good to watch, especially at a time like this when the movies seem to be lacklustre (at least in my parts of town), go watch 42.

– Karen