This will be the first annular eclipse over the United States in nearly 18 years, with its path going over Medford (Oregon), Chico (California), Reno (Nevada), Albuquerque (New Mexico) and Lubbock (Texas).

It’s HIGHLY recommended that you not look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection (shade #14 welding goggles or eclipse glasses that may be purchased specifically for staring at the sun).

If you do not have such eyewear, there’s also looking at the shadows the eclipse creates on the ground between your criss-crossed fingers or below a leafy tree.

The funniest of which was when I went to visit my friend Katie up in Palo Alto and she greeted me with, “Did you know you’re in a few episodes of The Guild?!” Frankly, I’m amazed anyone noticed since I’m in only seen for but a second here or there.

Last year, Felicia Day and company took over Comic Expo, a one-day version of Long Beach Comic Con, and invited fans to become extras if they pre-registered for the convention using a special promo code. When Felicia says jump, I don’t even wait to hear her specify the height. Yep, I’m a tool, and I would have probably done anything for a chance to be a cog in her warmachine.

At the convention, we were greeted by producer Kim Evey (of the Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show), wrist-banded, given breakfast burritos, and directed to hang around the Long Beach Convention Center lobby.

Director Sean Becker had us corralled and explained how we were doing background for each scene, explaining that he’ll have to cut if he notices any of us getting starstruck staring at Felicia. Fair enough.

The first scene we all did involved Felicia walking through the lobby, trying to get around the fictitious Megagame-o-ramacon. Becker said anyone born in January and February (just as a way of getting people) should stand still, pretend to be talking in small groups, while everyone else walked back and forth in front of the doors.

It was everyone’s job to act like Felicia (playing Codex/Cyd) was just any other person in your way at a convention. Bumping her unapologetically was a plus.

Being January babies, the boyfriend and I hung around in the middle, fake-chatting it up.  I would be the large chick with the maroon vest, black shirt and top hat. Whenever Becker yelled cut, Felicia would turn to us and smile and jokingly ask if we were bored yet. In the episode in which this scene appears, she’s asking someone where a particular room or booth is. She’s talking to me. I’m off-screen, giving an “I don’t know what you’re talking about” face.

During a break from shooting, we walked around Comic Expo’s exhibit hall, a small ballroom at the south end of the convention center, in which The Guild also had a strong presence. There was a caution-tapped-off aisle filled with dummy booths (steampunk, Golden Apple, etc) for shoots in the dealer room. We kind of chuckled when we saw banners over a booth for “The Game.” In the show, the Knights of Good play an MMORPG, which most people just assumed was world of Warcraft. Now it’s been confirmed the yet unnamed game is called just that – The Game – simultaneously trolling all of the people who speculated it was any particular MMO along with those people who call up their friends in the middle of the night just to go, “I just lost the…” Another “booth” was loaded with props from Legend of Neil, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

In another scene we were filling the audience of a panel room while Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh) and a couple guys, outfitted in Halo armor, walked up the aisle and had an argument over some seats in the front.  Since people occasionally flubbed lines, the scene would start over again. As background we pretty much just had to pretend we were reading, have pantomimed conversations, look at our phones and – as Becker put it – if you “like lasagna” (much like if you were born in January, etc) you notice what action is going on in the shot. March babies got to stand up and yank on their ears when they heard the line, “Boss, don’t let them break the Seat Savers.”

Overall it was a fun experience, and rather surreal getting to interact with people you’re so used to seeing only through a computer monitor. Yeah, that didn’t sound creepy at all. But you get what I mean. It was even more of an out-of-body experience seeing my name in the credits a few times. I felt proud to get to be a part of something I loved, and I can’t thank The Guild enough for the opportunity.

Thanks also to the Guild of Extras for pointing out this Behind the Scenes featurette that was recently posted:

No, these women are a rare breed of geek, forsaking the white gown, walking down the aisle to “The Imperial March” to be married by Darth Vader and taking their first steps as man and wife to the end credits of A New Hope (which Cracked.com compares to a Nazi propaganda film).

Meet Apryl and Shawn, who are about to celebrate their second anniversary, following an imperial ceremony in Vegas.

Here’s Consetta (aka bounty hunter BH-5405) and 501st member Garet (TK-450). A transcript of their ceremony can be found on Freaks & Geeks Wedding & Commitment Ceremonies’ website.

Lastly here’s a couple whose first dance became a lightsaber battle. It’s cool, slow-dancing to Etta James’ “At Last” is incredibly over done anyway:

Other sites put up the covers for Nite Owl #2, Ozymandias #2, Minutemen #3.

The comics, which will be out in June featuring stories for Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre (I assume II), The Comedian, Ozymandias, The Minutemen and a one-shot for the epilogue has a pretty impressive line-up of writers and artists including Brian Azzarello, J. Michael Straczynski, Len Wein, Adam Hughes and Darwyn Cook.

Nonetheless Before Watchmen has been a series of comics fans and creators have taken a stand against with Chris Roberson losing his job at DC when he spoke out against their treatment of comic creators like Moore and retailers vowing to not sell it.

I mean, look at it! It’s got Wheaton on the cover, donning a familiar clown sweater atop a flying, uni-horned kitty while brandishing a spear. It almost beats out the romance novel cover-ish shirtless – yet kilted – Wheaton with the crazy-serrated fantasy sword, clutching a buxom Felicia Day from season 4 of The Guild.

But running down the path of romance novels, not to mention further proof that anyone can be self-published, Amazon.com had a fan fiction piece for the Kindle under the title, Wesley Crusher: Teenage F*ck Machine. Wheaton figuratively teams up with cats again as his TNG character and anthropomorphized “Meow Solo” ravish ladies and defy Picard.

The story has since been pulled from the site, but a sample chapter can be read on Regretsy (WARNING: thoroughly UNSAFE for work/children/parents), along with Wheaton’s reaction.