It was a Comic Expo, which is part of Comic Con but not Comic Con -- this was explained to Teresa and I by a woman in a Harlequin costume (updated version) and I think we lost nerd points for not knowing the difference.
We didn't stay very long (unfortunately this was not a high energy day for me), but had a really good time. And I certainly got plenty of exercise walking around a huge convention center filled with what appeared to be endless booths of comic books.
First thing we looked up my brother Steve's friends Dave and Mary. Steve and Dave started an underground comic some 30 years ago called Obscure that actually got them a fan letter from Robert Crumb (they still have it, in a lighted frame; I think they take turns hanging it up in their homes). I'm not sure if Steve's still involved that much in Obscure, but Dave's made a brand of it under which he publishes his own comics (Dangerworld, for anyone interested) and he's publishing Steve's art in 7 volumes called "The Nimrod Project". I now have volume 1, which Teresa, who's a big admirer of Steve's, assures me is brilliant. I don't know, a lot of Steve's stuff just looks like boobs and sperm to me but that probably says more about me than him. Anyway, he's my brother, so I love it.
Here's Dave and Mary at their booth (Steve's book in the far left corner). Haven't seen them for over 20 yrs, so there was a good time chatting. Never did ask Dave about the fez.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1541/25134862506_f6f082b2e5.jpg)
I took about half my pictures while sitting in front of the convention center, waiting for Teresa to park her car. Saw some interesting things:
Storm Trooper photo shoot
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1581/25042948382_28d7aa0ce1.jpg)
Mother and daughter dressed up as unicorns (I think)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1571/24865573220_f156d070bc.jpg)
Magneto and friends
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1493/24865571990_221f54798f.jpg)
Roman centurian (he had a photographer taking shots of him running back and forth, stabbing at things, but I couldn't get a decent shot of that)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1611/25161210295_a92ffbf4d2.jpg)
Old style Harlequin and Poison Ivy
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1612/24865568930_c4e5cdb6df.jpg)
Batman and that guy from Zoolander (if I'd just been a few seconds faster with the camera, I'd have a picture of them hugging)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/24534367073_9678299957.jpg)
And then Teresa rejoined me:
Teresa and that guy from Zoolander (I think this is her favorite pic)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1446/24534365723_96e8bdb74f.jpg)
Teresa and a Ghost-buster (he gave us his card, he does parties)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1696/25161207585_029ccd7f44.jpg)
After we got inside it was crazy. I didn't recognize what half the cosplayers were dressed as, and I'm not sure all the people I thought were in costume were actually wearing a costume. These guys for instance -- they turned out to be musicians so I think they may be just general goth/metal or whatever (so out of my wheelhouse here).
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1703/25134861236_9848ed2fa4.jpg)
Will say tho that this is my favorite picture.
Teresa assured me that this is a raven
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1536/25067946701_8150c8b476.jpg)
This was as close as I could get to Capt America.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1472/24534361103_2f2fe8a9e2.jpg)
We were hoping that he'd come by where we were for a picture, but then The Hawk and his girlfriend turned up and we lost track of Cap
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1637/25134857926_3edc7e47be.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1465/24793492609_e55a508a0e.jpg)
She was explaining that she's a new style Harlequin, which meant nothing to me. She's also the one who explained to us the difference between Comic Con and Comic Expo.
On our way out, we passed a lot cars on display. I only recognized the Jurassic jeeps (really wanted the stuffed dino)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1649/24530515844_4c2a5c3057.jpg)
And finally, a big photo shoot with some of the cosplayers, including our friend The Hawk.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1557/25161195095_1304f823be.jpg)
I'll upload Teresa's cell phone pictures as soon as she sends them to me. I don't remember what all they were, but there was a Wookie involved. We had to run him down (or Teresa did, I sat in my roller and kept an eye out for other photo ops).
Those are great pictures, BCE, thanks for sharing them. :)
My mom's been to DragonCon. She got a picture taken with Nathan Fillion. She went back the next day and he was walking by going somewhere, and he remembered her name. They chatted for 10 or so minutes according to her.
I've never been to a Comic or Sci-fi convention. Went to a Star Trek convention in the 80s but I was a kid and it didn't have a lasting impression.
-Nam
Excellent post Sandy. Sweetdeath will swoon!
I really want to go back to a big con again! 2014 seems so long ago.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 21, 2016, 05:04:43 AM
She was explaining that she's a new style Harlequin, which meant nothing to me. She's also the one who explained to us the difference between Comic Con and Comic Expo.
The "old style" Harley Quinn is the character from the old comic books and the Batman animated series.
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette1.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fbatman%2Fimages%2Fa%2Fa4%2FHarley-quinn-female-villians-2439836-259-337.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20110919144733&hash=669ae51e4f0bc583ced1723562b7c10100f16778)
She got an update for the Arkham series of video games.
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnerdist.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F03%2FHarley-Quinn-wide.jpg&hash=061f086a19a6166172a6318a808309f0750f13f7)
And again for the not-yet-released film "Suicide Squad".
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/70/62/81/706281f72bf79c2a5db66986f627a161.jpg)
Looks like you had a fun time... Great pics!
I used to go to cons a lot, but haven't been in a few years.
Maybe Comic-Con or Blizzcon this year.
I seriously thought that Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad was being played by Gillian Jacobs but it is Margot Robbie.
New Harley Quinn
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages-cdn.moviepilot.com%2Fimages%2Fc_fill%2Ch_774%2Cw_960%2Ft_mp_quality%2Fgv3ofdijkl43oit8wp1n%2Fbest-look-yet-at-harley-quinn-and-suicide-squad-roaming-the-set-in-costume-388907.jpg&hash=452a5dd4a6880f340a17c79d412a91669b7ac628)
Gillian Jacobs
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ew.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Ftout_image_612x380%2Fpublic%2Fi%2F2014%2F05%2F22%2FGillian-Jacobs_612x380_0.jpg%3Fitok%3DR7Uj-zGV&hash=1852002f2d4b65d19609eddc845dd0a43d9e1898)
Margot Robbie
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.images.express.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fdynamic%2F130%2F590x%2FFocus-actress-Margot-Robbie-nudity-Neighbours-Leonardo-DiCaprio-dating-Simon-Button-559392.jpg&hash=7f123711d6ab105d9734f230f9ddd91ccf307bb8)
Looks like a lot of fun :)
Looks like great fun whether it was a Comic Expo, which is part of Comic Con, or a Comic Con, BCE!
(I wouldn't know the difference either) :grin:
Quote from: Nam on February 21, 2016, 06:04:34 AM
My mom's been to DragonCon. She got a picture taken with Nathan Fillion. She went back the next day and he was walking by going somewhere, and he remembered her name. They chatted for 10 or so minutes according to her.
I've never been to a Comic or Sci-fi convention. Went to a Star Trek convention in the 80s but I was a kid and it didn't have a lasting impression.
-Nam
From what I've heard about Fillion, listening to other actors talk about him on commentaries, he's a huge people person so it's likely he did remember her and chat for awhile. He was probably rushed or he would have taken her out for coffee.
I've only been to one other convention -- a Star Trek convention when I was a teenager. Considering how long ago that was, it must have been one of the first conventions. Anyway, since I didn't have a car I convinced my Dad to take me and the poor man had to put up with about 4 hrs of non-stop geek talk from me. I wish I'd appreciated at the time his good-natured patience! Still, it wasn't all bad for him -- we both enjoyed listening to Harlan Ellison read his short story "Jeffty is Five", and then there was the costume contest where one woman came out in a long cloak, then threw it off to walk down the runway stark naked. Don't see that everyday.
Quote from: Tank on February 21, 2016, 06:46:09 AM
Excellent post Sandy. Sweetdeath will swoon!
Then my work here is done!
Quote from: Magdalena on February 21, 2016, 06:00:50 AM
Those are great pictures, BCE, thanks for sharing them. :)
Thank you, I really did have a great time and was only sorry I wasn't up to stay for some of the events and panels. Alan Tudyk and Lance Hendriksen (both of whom I love) were there, and I noticed that several panel discussions where about real world space exploration. I suppose "The Martian" is to thank for that.
Quote from: Guardian85 on February 21, 2016, 02:41:27 PM
The "old style" Harley Quinn is the character from the old comic books and the Batman animated series.
She got an update for the Arkham series of video games.
Now that you mention it, the Harlequin I was talking to said something about Arkham, but that still meant nothing to me. I really wish Teresa's nephew Andrew had been able to join us -- he's very into all this and could have translated for me.
Quote from: joeactor on February 21, 2016, 03:41:53 PM
Looks like you had a fun time... Great pics!
I used to go to cons a lot, but haven't been in a few years.
Maybe Comic-Con or Blizzcon this year.
I had a blast. The Long Beach Comic Con (the real one) is Sep 16-17, and I hope to go. The Harlequin we talked to said it was much bigger than the expo, so I'm hoping it attracts those entertaining protesters that the San Diego Comic Con has.
What is Blizzcon -- does it take place somewhere cold?
Quote from: Claireliontamer on February 21, 2016, 05:28:56 PM
Looks like a lot of fun :)
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on February 21, 2016, 10:44:45 PM
Looks like great fun whether it was a Comic Expo, which is part of Comic Con, or a Comic Con, BCE!
(I wouldn't know the difference either) :grin:
It was great -- I forgot to mention it, but the guy (or whoever) in the raven costume did a little dance for us. And I completely forgot my camera has a video function.
I really wish I'd gotten around to some of the panels -- I noticed from the guidebook that Louis Friedman was leading one of the discussions on space exploration, and there were a number of Geekfest film festivals as well as something called "Cosplay makeup and bodypainting 101" which I would have loved to have just sat in on.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 21, 2016, 11:21:08 PM
Quote from: Nam on February 21, 2016, 06:04:34 AM
My mom's been to DragonCon. She got a picture taken with Nathan Fillion. She went back the next day and he was walking by going somewhere, and he remembered her name. They chatted for 10 or so minutes according to her.
I've never been to a Comic or Sci-fi convention. Went to a Star Trek convention in the 80s but I was a kid and it didn't have a lasting impression.
-Nam
From what I've heard about Fillion, listening to other actors talk about him on commentaries, he's a huge people person so it's likely he did remember her and chat for awhile. He was probably rushed or he would have taken her out for coffee.
I've only been to one other convention -- a Star Trek convention when I was a teenager. Considering how long ago that was, it must have been one of the first conventions. Anyway, since I didn't have a car I convinced my Dad to take me and the poor man had to put up with about 4 hrs of non-stop geek talk from me. I wish I'd appreciated at the time his good-natured patience! Still, it wasn't all bad for him -- we both enjoyed listening to Harlan Ellison read his short story "Jeffty is Five", and then there was the costume contest where one woman came out in a long cloak, then threw it off to walk down the runway stark naked. Don't see that everyday.
When I worked at Universal Studios Orlando in 1996, I ran into Gilbert Gottfried, and we spoke half an hour. I mean he was walking by, I said " Hey Iago" and he replied, "I hate crackers." and then we spoke in a longer conversation. Funnily enough, I ran into him later that day again and we came up to each other and said similarly, "You almost got me fired." People around us thought it was a skit, and clapped.
Oh...the good ol' days.
-Nam
As some of you might remember I went to the Mecca of Nerdery in 2014. Sadly I can't find the thread full of pictures from San Diego Comic Con. Probably lost in the great crash.
Met a lot of great people there...
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediafire.com%2Fconvkey%2Fab3d%2F9teakt6fh7ziabe4g.jpg&hash=75b34bc31088047c07094be687e7b19964e6edf7) (http://www.mediafire.com/view/9teakt6fh7ziabe/20140727_162615.jpg)
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediafire.com%2Fconvkey%2Fd7a7%2F464fbsc807iu95y4g.jpg&hash=d16aae68285fa7a43b335a39b389e0344c079f72) (http://www.mediafire.com/view/464fbsc807iu95y/20140726_180601.jpg)
One week later we went to Las Vegas right as the Star Trek convention was under way. Can't brag about meeting a lot of famous people, but I did meet Max Grodénchik and Aron Eisenberg from "Deep Space 9" and Natalia Nogulich who played Admiral Nechayev in "The Next Generation". Much nicer in person then on screen.
I remember that, didn't you meet some forum members as well along the way? And who is the girl in the black supposed to be again?
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 22, 2016, 04:15:26 AM
I remember that, didn't you meet some forum members as well along the way? And who is the girl in the black supposed to be again?
We did swing by Denver to drink Ali under the table. ;D
And I can't remember who the girl in black was supposed to be.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 21, 2016, 11:35:35 PM
What is Blizzcon -- does it take place somewhere cold?
Ha! You'd think so, right?
It's Blizzard's convention (yes, they have their own), and it sells out really fast. Usually held in Anaheim, CA.
Here's more info:
http://us.battle.net/blizzcon/en/ (http://us.battle.net/blizzcon/en/)
The new suicide squad harley quinn is absolute trash, so don't worry about even knowing her. They rebooted the character and made her into a complete slut and it's awful. I mean, that outfit screams "I'm in a porn." And a lot of comic book nerds now love to glorify the abusive relationship between her and the Joker like it's cute or something.
I enjoyed the photos and glad you had fun! The Zoolander cosplayer was my favorite. I will always love HQ from Batman: The Animated series the most. <3 I hope one day to visit you and attend one of these cons.
Quote from: Guardian85 on February 22, 2016, 01:43:57 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 22, 2016, 04:15:26 AM
I remember that, didn't you meet some forum members as well along the way? And who is the girl in the black supposed to be again?
We did swing by Denver to drink Ali under the table. ;D
And I can't remember who the girl in black was supposed to be.
See, she'd be one of the people at a con I couldn't tell was cosplaying or not -- that might well be the way she dresses everyday. The girl dressed in leaves it's a pretty good bet she's playing a role.
Quote from: joeactor on February 22, 2016, 02:47:15 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 21, 2016, 11:35:35 PM
What is Blizzcon -- does it take place somewhere cold?
Ha! You'd think so, right?
It's Blizzard's convention (yes, they have their own), and it sells out really fast. Usually held in Anaheim, CA.
Here's more info:
http://us.battle.net/blizzcon/en/ (http://us.battle.net/blizzcon/en/)
I'll have to ask some friends about that one -- he's into World of Warcraft, and she's into dragons. I'll bet they've gone to one or two.
Quote from: Sweetdeath on February 22, 2016, 03:03:24 PM
The new suicide squad harley quinn is absolute trash, so don't worry about even knowing her. They rebooted the character and made her into a complete slut and it's awful. I mean, that outfit screams "I'm in a porn." And a lot of comic book nerds now love to glorify the abusive relationship between her and the Joker like it's cute or something.
I enjoyed the photos and glad you had fun! The Zoolander cosplayer was my favorite. I will always love HQ from Batman: The Animated series the most. <3 I hope one day to visit you and attend one of these cons.
Yeah, he was Teresa's favorite too, and the only character I saw from that movie. Lots of Deadpool there (including one wearing only the mask, a shower cap and towel), whom I initially mistook for Spiderman tho I did wonder why they were wearing swords.
Quote from: Guardian85 on February 22, 2016, 01:43:57 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 22, 2016, 04:15:26 AM
I remember that, didn't you meet some forum members as well along the way? And who is the girl in the black supposed to be again?
We did swing by Denver to drink Ali under the table. ;D
And I can't remember who the girl in black was supposed to be.
Might be wrong, but maybe Death from Sandman?
Quote from: Firebird on February 23, 2016, 01:59:46 AM
Quote from: Guardian85 on February 22, 2016, 01:43:57 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 22, 2016, 04:15:26 AM
I remember that, didn't you meet some forum members as well along the way? And who is the girl in the black supposed to be again?
We did swing by Denver to drink Ali under the table. ;D
And I can't remember who the girl in black was supposed to be.
Might be wrong, but maybe Death from Sandman?
Might be on to something here.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on February 22, 2016, 11:33:25 PM
The girl dressed in leaves it's a pretty good bet she's playing a role.
Poison Ivy. A famous Batman villain.