celebrity – Insider Irene

Seeing Celebrity Guest Sophie Turner and Getting the Latest Scoop from the Dark Phoenix Panel at Wondercon in Anaheim, CA

Published on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by Insider Irene1 Comment

It’s no secret that Wondercon is my FAVORITE geek convention. I get to party with the pros (Batman’s 80th Bday Post), hear about the latest comic news, and cosplay. One highlight from this year’s convention was attending the Dark Phoenix panel where I got a new poster (photo below) and an opportunity to hear the producer speak about the latest Xmen movie, Dark Phoenix. However, the cherry on top (at that point) was seeing a 10 minute clip from the beginning of the movie!

After the clip, the entire cast of the movie came out including: Sophie Turner (Dark Phoenix), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Evan Peters (Quicksilver), Alexandra Shipp (Storm) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler). The arena of guests were excited to see them and eager to hear about their experiences.

Afterwards the audience was teased with a SECOND 10 minute clip from the movie. This time an action sequence showcasing Dark Phoenix’s true power. It seems that many female heroines are showing a great presence in the spotlight. I’d love to see a live action movie about Psylocke in the future! I mean who wouldn’t want to see an asian ninja assassin kick butt?!

Which lady comic character would you want to see on the big screen?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Watching Shazam’s VIP Advanced Movie Screening with Full Cast at Orange, CA

Published on April 10, 2019April 9, 2019 by Insider Irene1 Comment

Say my name so my powers may flow through you. The DC Universe, Wondercon, and AMC 30 in Orange, CA partnered together to host a special advanced screening of Shazam! for subscription holders and convention attendees – if you stopped by the DC booth. (Btw, it’s an awesome movie, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should! Perfect balance of action and humor and for context: I’m an AMC Stub Hubs member and watch a LOT of movies. I still give this one two thumbs up!)

During that special screening I was among 600 or guests eager to catch a glimpse of the all-star cast. My friends and I waited about an hour and a half before we were given a wristband, which entitled us to a large drink, popcorn, and candy! Sweet! Much of the theater had been occupied by the time we were let in, so my friends and I did have to find single seats. Thankfully our spots still had a good view to enjoy the movie.

Left to Right: Asher Angel (Billy Batson), Jacky Dylan Grazer (Freddy), David Sandberg (Director), Zachary Levi (Shazam), and Mark Strong (Dr. Sivana)

Once my friends and I were settled with our snacks, Tiffany Smith from the DC Daily began the program and introduced Zachary Levi (Shazam), Mark Strong (Dr. Sivana), Asher Angel (Billy Batson) and Jacky Dylan Grazer (Freddy Freeman) along with the Director David Sandberg. It was so cool hear from the actors who played the characters and immediately watch them in action. And yes Zachary Levi is as charming in person as he is in the movie. *wink*

Which actor would you be most excited to see?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Celebrating Batman’s 80th Birthday with Celebrity Guests Kevin Conroy, Lee Meriwether, Jim Lee, and more at Wondercon in Anaheim, CA

Published on April 3, 2019April 2, 2019 by Insider Irene2 Comments

Over the weekend I attended one of my all time favorite conventions – Wondercon, the baby brother of the World Famous San Diego Comic Con. (2018 SDCC Cosplay Post, 2017 SDCC Cosplay Post) The three day geek convention has a vivid cosplay scene and with Batman celebrating an enormous milestone attendees were ready to party with the Dark Knight and crew! I attended the event as Nightwing and geeked out with 500+ attendees at the official DC Comics Birthday Bash.

The packed room featured an all-star panel included Kevin Conroy – the voice of Batman: The Animated Series, Jim Lee (DC Publisher CCO), David Mazouz (Young Bruce in Gotham), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman in 1960s Batman Movie), Diedrich Bader (Batman in Batman: Brave and the Bold), and Roger Craig Smith (Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins video game) as they reflected and shared memories. A gigantic cake was rolled out later in the program and all participants were given a Batman decorated cupcake and a mini Bat-signal flashlight as party favors.

The event concluded with a montage of celebrities wishing the Cape Crusader a Happy Birthday and all the Batman cosplayers had a chance to take a group photo with the panelists. Attending this event was definitely a highlight of the convention and I’m still star struck that I got to be in a photo with the voice of Batman Kevin Conroy (!!!) who will forever be my Batman as I use to watch him everyday afterschool when I was an elementary and middle school student.

Whats your favorite Batman memory?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Hero’s and Villains, Oh My! Attending the VIP My Hero Academia Voice Actor Panel and Autograph Signing at Anime Los Angeles in Ontario, CA

Published on January 30, 2019January 29, 2019 by Insider Irene1 Comment

One of my favorite things to do at conventions is attend panels especially voice actor ones as I love learning about the audition process, and inspiration for characters. While I had the opportunity to see both the creator, voice actor for Deku and All Might at SDCC in 2019 (Post Here), Anime Los Angeles brought the full star studded My Hero Academia cast (!!!) for the weekended and included an autograph session for all attendees. The weekend was far from short of My Hero Academia cosplays (post here) and the voice actors who brought their character’s voices to life including Justin Briner (Izuku Midoriya), Clifford Chapin (Katsuki Bakugo), David Matranga (Shoto Todoroki), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Momo Yaoyorozu) , Eric Vale (Tomura Shigaraki), Morgan Berry (Thirteen), and Christopher Wehkamp (Shota Aizawa) all participated in both individual and group panels. I was lucky to snag a front row seat in the group panel and got selfies with my two favorite voice actors Coleen Clinkenbeard (Momo) and David Matranga (Shot Todoroki)! I had a great time seeing these voice actors and loved that I got to converse with them in this more intimate convention. A few of the voice actors even complimented my spikes and were really impressed with my cosplay. I’m planning to continue working on it and who knows maybe at AX Momo will have even more refined details 🙂

Do you watch My Hero Academia? Who’s your favorite hero?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Ringing in the Holidays at Macy’s 71st Annual Great Tree Lighting Ceremony at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, GA

Published on December 12, 2018November 29, 2018 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches… There’s nothing more magical than the moment when you trim a tree then light it up, yet the Macy’s 71st Annual Great Tree Lighting Ceremony they did that and so much more.

The evening tree lighting extravaganza had a fun filled program complete with special performances and two stages in the Macy’s parking lot. The annual event was hosted by anchors Jovita Moore and Zach Klein of Channel 2 WSB-TV and filmed live to kick-off the holidays!

Francesca Battistelli, Adrienne Bailon Houghton & husband Israel Houghton, and Kyla Jade

There were many special performances from celebrity singers including Adrienne Bailon Houghton (previously Disney Cheetah Girl) and husband Israel Houghton, Francesca Battistelli (popular Christian singer), Russell Dickerson (handsome country superstar), and Kyla Jade (“The Voice” contestant on Team Blake). They sang holiday classics as well as music from their albums. Additionally the Macy’s All-Star Choir sang a few pieces and Santa also made a festive visit!

Once the stage performances commenced fireworks lit up the sky laying the perfect backdrop for the lighting of the Macy’s Christmas Tree. It was a magical evening and it really highlighted the joys of this wonderful season.

How do you kick off your winter festivities?

XOXO.

Rockstar

Chun Li kicks it at Los Angeles Comic Con (Day 1)

Published on October 31, 2018November 9, 2018 by Insider Irene3 Comments

Convention season has slowed down greatly; however, the Los Angeles Comic Con is one that I always look forward to in the Fall. Perhaps it’s in part because it’s so close to Halloween and the cosplay scene is always impressive (LACC 2017). I took the day off work on Friday to check-out the floor as Chun Li and I’m sure glad I did because there were so many vendors!

I rolled in around 3pm to pick up my weekend badge and was able to explore the floor in no time. Took me roughly 3 hours to see every aisle. There were prints from Artist’s Alley, stuffed animals from Bellzi, along with comics, toys, and other misc merchandise. There’s something for everyone although if you were interested in purchasing one of the LACC exclusive pops it looked like it was at least an hour wait or more to purchase. Yet, I was incredibly impressed with the cosplay scene and many guests had what I figured were pro level cosplays. I mean just look at the details!

Later in the evening Jack Black came on the Main Stage to do a Q/A about his career and projects. He took audience questions and the guests enjoyed a 15 minute inspiration video.

Will you be dressing up for Halloween? If yes, who will you be?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Hearing Music Icons Norah Jones and Eric Church at the annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA

Published on October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Last weekend I partnered with Kind Snacks to cover the Ohana Festival on Doheny State Beach. The three music festival is an annual event and had an incredible line-up! I was excited to hear Norah Jones … Don’t know why… Well, I hope you do as it was one of her most popular songs. 🙂

While my friends and I checked in around 6pm, the festival started around noon with many music lovers lounging around the lush lawn with their blankets and beach chairs. Food and beverages on the premise was for purchase and there were a couple of miscellaneous vendors including Philosophy and some non-profits.

Norah gave an amazing performance and her loungy style was perfect for a relaxing Friday night. Prior to coming to this festival I hadn’t heard of Eric Church, but after seeing many cowboy hats in the crowd I later found out that he’s a prominent country music artist. This handsome performer was very charming on stage and before I knew it I was singing the “drink in my hand” chorus along with hundreds of others. I can definitely say I’m a fan of Eric Church and hope that I’ll get to see him perform again.

Do you listen to country music?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Foodie fun at the Los Angeles Times – The Taste (Saturday)

Published on September 14, 2018September 13, 2018 by Insider Irene1 Comment

Los Angeles is well known for fantastic restaurants at various price-points and the LA Times did a great job to highlight some of the area’s best at their annual LA Times – The Taste event. I along with other foodie friends spend the Labor Day weekend trying different vendors (Friday‘s Post), and was especially excited since Saturday is known to be the day with the highest turnout and arguable the most variety of food.

During this visit my friends and I made it our mission to try every booth at least once and while I loved visiting all the booths, my favorite item that night was the beef brisket that Chef Burt Bakman of Trudy’s Underground BBQ prepared during his Pop-up BBQ demonstration. The fried donut with ice cream from Eatly was my 2nd favorite thing there and hands down the best dessert option. I also had the opportunity to meet Jenn Harris, the new acting editor of the Los Angeles Times Food section and chatted with her on her vision for the year ahead.

More Photos from Saturday’s The Taste Event

LA Times Food Legend Jonathan Gold made an enormous impact on the food community, so it is without a doubt a huge loss for the Los Angeles community when he passed. Yet, his legacy still lives on and the LA Times honored his contribution at this year’s event with a mural and a huge displace of his 5 culinary commandments.

How would you want to be remembered?

XOXO,

Irene

Seeing Conan LIVE at Comic Con with Aquaman Cast!

Published on July 26, 2018July 25, 2018 by Insider Irene1 Comment

It’s surprising to people that this is only my second time attending San Diego Comic Con and while I had a blast last year (Click here to read) there were so many things that I missed out on! This year a group of my friends and I entered the Invincible Conan San Diego 2018 lottery for a chance to see Conan, some VIP guests, and get an exclusive Conan Funko Pop! No luck on my end, but one of my girlfriends was lucky enough to score tickets for herself and friends! Woohoo!

Conan Store and Ticket to the Saturday Show!

The taping wasn’t until the afternoon; however, we were instructed to line-up bright and early in the morning to secure our tickets. The tickets all had assigned seats, but rumor had it if you got there earlier you could get seats closer to the stage. My friends and I arrived at Spreckels Theater around 6:30 am for the 9:00 am ticket distribution, and found that a huge line already formed. There were some people there as early as 4:30 am!

Once 9:00 am hit we walked through their ticket booth decorated with all types of nerdy artwork, grabbed our tickets and went on our way. Just an FYI, tickets were somewhat random, as two guys in front of us were given Orchestra seats and we were given tickets Mezzanine. So, I really have no idea about seat selection. *shrugs*

We returned around 2:30 pm (doors closed at 3:30 pm), and enjoyed the band play before Conan arrived on stage. Conan told a few jokes and eventually introduced the cast for Aquaman including: Director James Wan, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Yahya abdul-mateen II and Dolph Lundgren. I think out of the interview Dolph Lundgren’s story about learning to swim for the role then finding out that he didn’t need to was the highlight of the interview. Though I think some would argue that the cast drink a can of Guinness was the best part of the show – to each his own!

After the show we were each handed a Conan HellBoy Funko Pop as a souvenir. I believe if you attended the showing on the other days you had to redeem their pop at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. I think as a Comic Con newbie attending a Conan show should be on everyone’s to-do list. I for one would love to attend again next year!

Who would you love to see as Conan’s guest?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Day 2 – Wonder Woman rallies the Justice League at LA Comic Con

Published on November 13, 2017November 12, 2017 by Insider Irene2 Comments

I can’t believe that the Justice League movie is coming out this week! (!!!!) I already reserved my movie tickets to watch it on Thursday night, but to celebrate I’m going to dedicate this week’s blog posts with all things Justice League – yay!!! So today’s post will be a throwback to when I cosplayed as Wonder Woman at LA Comic Con.

Saturday, October October 28th was epic on a number of fronts! It was the day when all San Diego Comic Con returning attendees entered the lottery to purchases badges (I’ll be returning! Yay!!) and the entertainment lineup at LA Comic Con was beyond amazing! My friends and I made sure to allocate enough time to get a wristband to watch a private Black Eyed Peas Concert and see Dwayne Johnson, more commonly known as The Rock! And of course we kept our eyes opened to recruit Justice League mini shoots! There were tons of guests dressed for Saturdays event and a designated DC meet-up outside the convention center. I got to hang-out with various members of the Justice League and strike some fierce poses with gang. Everyone was so nice and it’s great to see all the characters brought to life. I especially loved all the kids cosplays! The Batmans and Flashes were adorable!

Stan Lee & Black Eyed Peas; Dwayne Johnson; DC Photoshoot; Cosplay Contest

After the DC photoshoot my friends headed towards the main stage to catch a glimpse of the A-list celebrities. Stan Lee made an appearance when the entire Black Eyed Peas came up to talk about their new Alternate Reality Comic Book vision and “The Rock” one man act was a great closer for the evening. Afterwards my friends and I migrated to the Nova theater to see a front row seat at the Black Eyed Peas concert – but that’s story for another blog entry.

I think you all know who’s my favorite Justice League member, but who’s yours?

XOXO,

Rockstar