The YouTube Fan Lounge at San Diego Comic-Con

Each year, more than 130,000 avid fans attend Comic-Con International in San Diego to meet their favorite celebs and be the first to find out about what’s new in the world of comics and pop culture. For the first time, YouTube will be present, hosting a Fan Lounge in downtown San Diego to connect fans with some of the newest channels on YouTube, featuring many Comic-Con veterans.

On Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14 from 11am to 9pm, the YouTube Fan Lounge – located at 315 7th Avenue at K in downtown San Diego – will be open and free to the public, with live programming, exclusive premieres, celebrity Q&A’s and, of course, free schwag! Check out some of the channels and talent you’ll see:

  • Blackbox TV featuring Tony E. Valenzuela (creator of Blackbox TV), actor Brea Grant & Zane Grant, and more. 
  • Geek & Sundry featuring Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt
  • Nerdist featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Tournament of Nerds with Justin Donaldson and Hal Rudnick
  • Machinima Prime featuring Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia), Tom Green (Dance Academy), Daniel Cudmore (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Twilight Saga) and more. 
  • Stan Lee’s World of Heroes featuring Stan Lee himself, Jace Hall (The Jace Hall Show), Bonnie Burton (Author, Star Wars Craft Book), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model) and more. 
  • Warner Brothers debuts H+ The Digital Series – a riveting, futuristic series from producer Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects / X-Men: First Class) – followed by a Q&A with Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), David Clayton Rogers (Jane by Design), Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls), and more. 
  • Plus other exciting programming from Shut Up! Cartoons, Mondo, MyDamnChannel, and LOUD
If you’re planning on being in San Diego this week, check out our full schedule at www.youtube.com/YouTubeFanLounge. Be sure to share your experience on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook with the hashtag #YouTubeFanLounge – you may even see your comments get featured on our live conversation feed this Friday and Saturday. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the channels for real-time video updates, recaps, and even more great shows in the coming weeks. 


Minjae Ormes, Movies & TV Marketing Manager, recently watched "Comic-Con Now & Then - Cocktails with Stan."

Lightsabers Out: May the Force Be With Us!

Today we’d like to welcome Chris Hardwick, actor, comedian, writer, and general nerd enthusiast, to the YouTube Blog to announce a truly “out of this world” event. Keep an eye out for Chris on The Nerdist Channel coming to a YouTube near you!

Humans of the ‘Tube! I am BEYOND pleased to blab about something which has been brewing and bubbling at Nerdist Industries for the past few months that is finally ready to spill over into the public consciousness. And now, a leading question! Are you going to San Diego Comic-Con this year? If so, how are you getting there? Plane? Bus? Rickshaw? Pack mule? Some type of matter disassembler/reassembler? Whatever your answer, I’m sure that “on foot” was not on the list….UNTIL NOW!!!

Nerdist Industries—in an exclusive partnership with Lucasfilm and Machinima—is proud to announce COURSE OF THE FORCE, a five-day Olympic-torch-style lightsaber relay run that begins at Santa Monica pier on Saturday, July 7th and ends in San Diego on Wednesday, July 11th (just in time for preview night of SDCC ’12)!

Yes! You heard right (with your eyes)! We are going to run down the California coast—lightsaber ahoist (not a real word)—and pass it off, one nerd at a time. Segments are purchasable in quarter-mile increments and ALL proceeds from your segment monies will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. See? It’s not just a vanity exercise! It actually benefits a wonderful charity.



Here’s some backstory you didn’t ask for! In 2012, I will be attending my 9th San Diego Comic-Con. While I always look forward to that extended weekend of Nerdvana, I sometimes feel a bit like the commercial shininess of it slightly eclipses its intended spirit. To me, going to Cons as a kid was all about having a safe haven—a place where like-minded folks could come together to celebrate nerdly passions and accept each other for the oddball (by the larger and more boring sector of society’s standards) stuff we were all into. Ultimately, it should be the most fun thing of the year. For poop sake, most of you save up your whole year of cash and vacation time to go to SDCC so why not run at it screaming?? This is a rare opportunity to dress like a Sith (or ANYTHING of your choosing, Star Wars-y or not) and run down the beach while power chanting with a glowing sword made of light in your hand. On ANY OTHER DAY that would easily get you arrested or at the very least, detained. Don’t feel like running but want to support someone who is? FINE! Join us for parties, live music and comedy each night along the way.

Space is limited to about 500 running slots so snatch yours POST HASTE at courseoftheforce.com. In addition to a place on the Course, you’ll also get a limited edition lightsaber of your very own and a swag bag that would make a scavenging Jawa jealous. Great swag, general public silliness and a celebration of Nerd pride...all for an amazing cause. Please join us in taking the Con out of the hall and stretching it to a full week of activities as we storm the yellow brick road (sand) to Oz (SDCC)!

If you are geographically challenged and can’t make it out to Southern California in July, the entire relay will be livestreamed at YouTube.com/nerdist, aka, The Nerdist Channel. WHAT IS THAT??? Excellent query, Person! The Nerdist Channel on YouTube is a partnership between Nerdist Industries, The Jim Henson Company, and Broadway Video. We officially launch April 1 and will be bringing you nerd-centric programming with such folks as me, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Zombie, Awkward Family Videos, The Dudesons and The Kids in the Hall, just to name a few. Additionally, we’ll have programs that cover gaming, science, tech and cosplay. Shows with other people you may recognize as being relevant to your interests will be announced VERY soon so keep an eye glued to Nerdist.com for that business!

Also, if you’ve read this far, you are a nice person and I heartily thank you.

Guest YouTube blogger Chris Hardwick hosts The Nerdist Podcast, AMC’s Talking Dead, and recently watched “COURSE OF THE FORCE - An Epic Journey”. He also enjoys synth-driven rock music and Salt & Vinegar chips.