Last year, I arrived at the Expo only to be turned away along with thousands of others due to the lack of foresight the planners had put into the event. In case you don't recall my post from last year, the highlight of the 2012 Calgary Expo was the full cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation being together at a convention for the first time in close to 20 years.
Fans were righteously upset and I was among them. I didn't brood about it but at the same time, I knew that if I wanted to make it next year I would have to be better prepared. I bought tickets a month ago for the weekend but there was going to be a slight problem in that I had to work a midnight shift that Friday night. I wasn't going to run home for a nap and risk missing anything important so instead I bought a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans and headed off as soon as I punched out.
When I arrived at the grounds, I had to go into one building to exchange my ticket for a pass and wristband, only to make my way to the opposite end and stand in a line so massive that I think a good twenty percent of it consisted of people hoping to get in back in 2012.
When you're in a massive line with an Android phone that can't pick up an Internet signal, the best thing you can do is browse through the free program which was made to look like a Marvel comic book with the Hulk on the cover. It was full of your usual information, maps, who was going to be appearing (This was made before the kid who played Draco in the Harry Potter movies announced he couldn't attend), where you could find them, thus and so. One thing you can also do is subtly check out hot chicks in revealing costumes.
Very subtly...
Eventually I was getting closer and closer and I remember whistling the theme to Schindler's List as I made my final corner and entered the BMO building. Yeah, I was humming music from a movie about the Holocaust whilst entering what I'd been looking forward to for over a year.
First thing I did once I was inside was scramble around the autograph area, trying to find Nathan Fillion's table. No, I'm not a Firefly fan nor have I ever seen an episode of Castle. Now it's time for a little back story. I'm not going to go over the history of Joss Whedon's cult hit Firefly but it's safe to say that my buddy Aaron is a fan. He's got the whole series on Blue-Ray, he's got the comic books and last year went as far as to tattoo the starship Serenity on his right bicep.
He would have gone only for Fillion and nothing else, would have looked around once but...that's about it. I suggested to him that if he did go, he should go as Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop. If he did that, I would buy the same clothes Spike wears does and go dressed as him.
Since he wasn't going to go but I was, Aaron
So after wandering around like an idiot instead of looking at the map in the previously mentioned program, I found the line for his autograph...only to find that it was blocked off. Yeah, there was an actual queue...to get into a line. Last year I and thousands of others accused the Expo of underestimating the popularity of getting the whole cast of TNG. This year, I and a few others agree about them underestimating the drawing power of Nathan Fillion.
The guy in charge of the queue didn't want people crowding and blocking other people trying to get by so I waited patiently off to the side. I'm not sure how much time passed but suddenly the guy called out, "Line's open" and I found myself bolting to get in and getting elbowed in side. Needless to say, I was in and I was going to stay in.
The Riker wannabe with glasses was in charge of letting people into Fillion's line. I do not envy his position
The line wasn't moving fast enough to my and others liking and at one point, a guy behind me was offering twenty dollars to anyone who would let him go in front of them so he could make his photo-op. I figured it was a good way to make some money but the man directly behind started to put up a real fuss and was making other people think that I was going to start letting dozens of people get front cuts. The guy was trying to sound tough but he had a voice like his nuts were firmly trapped in his wife's purse.
Not too far from Fillion was the lineup for Peter Dinklage, star of Game of Thrones was starting to grow. As I got closer and closer there was a sudden burst of applause as comic book legend Stan Lee walked by us, flanked by security to discourage anyone who wanted an impromptu autograph. There were also plenty of people on-hand to discourage people from taking photographs of celebrities while you're waiting to see them in line.
As I got closer, we were informed by one of Fillion's people that we were allowed to take photos only while he was signing the picture. If possible, you could also have a friend take a picture of you and Fillion-but only while he was signing. The woman in front of me asked if I would snap a photo of her and Nathan together and I agreed. She offered to do the same for me but I had to admit this was for a friend and I didn't care about Firefly. A quick lie about going to watch the entire series probably saved me from being lynched right then and there.
According to one worker, flash photography throws them off their game a bit and they want to get as many people through as possible. Just when it looked like nothing could stop me now, who should make her way to the stage but Carrie Fisher herself to make her way towards her own table.
She got a big round of applause but there were two things that surprised me as she made her way to hug Fillion: 1) She's shorter than I imagined and looked way older than I could imagine...and kinda bigger as well. 2) She brought her dog with her. However Fisher's dog wouldn't be the only animal I saw at the convention...
So finally it was my turn. I selected a photo that I knew was from Firefly, printed the name I wanted it signed to on a post-it and made my way to the biggest attraction of the Expo. Even though I didn't follow a lot of his work, I was still feeling a bit nervous.
Nathan looked at the post-it.
"Are you Aaron?" he asked.
"I'm not," I admitted. "Aaron is my friend who wanted to be here today but sadly couldn't. So, I volunteered to get him your autograph because it's something he really wanted."
"That's really nice of you," he said as he started to write his signature on the photo as well as a small message.
"Well, I try to be a good friend once in a while," I joked.
"God bless you," Nathan said as he shook my hand and handed me the autograph.
"You're pretty awesome, Schweitzer-Man. Your friend on the other hand..."
I called Aaron immediately afterwards to let him know how awful Carrie Fisher looks these days and that I was successful in getting his desired autograph. I also called him an 'Irish homo' but that may have been my insomnia talking. I was now free to wander aimlessly as I pleased and I think I earned it after two hours waiting in line.
I made my way out of the autograph area and towards the vendor areas. I'm always surprised that there's a tattoo area set up where people can just get some ink done while a bunch of people (Some who don't shower daily, mind you) wander around somewhat aimlessly doesn't seem like the best place to get something like that done.
"You think you know me?"
Looking through the program, I saw that comic book artist Neal Adams was in attendance and decided to check out his booth. I recently came to love his work after watching a documentary called Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked. Adams himself didn't appear but writer Denny O'Neil (Whom wrote the stories) gave an interesting quote from Adams: "If superheroes existed in real life, they would have to look the way I draw them."
In the late 60's the Batman comics were more or less a reflection of the popular TV show...or was it the other way around? Either way, in 1970 O'Neil and Adams helped the Caped Crusader return to his darker roots and once again became a creature of the night who struck fear into the hearts of criminals. Adams covers have been some of the most enduring images in comic book history. On top of that he was also instrumental in getting Superman creator Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster a lifetime pension and restored byline on Superman comics.
This cover alone could peak a potential reader's interest
Adams sat at a table with his son Josh at the other end, surrounded by hundreds of copies of his drawings while he sat sketching something-he was taking commissions for fifty dollars so it's possible it might have been that.
There was so much to choose from, each picture looked beautiful and something that you'd want to have hanging on your wall. Did I want one of Batman and Robin (Tim Drake), the picture above about the Joker being back in Gotham? There was one that had Batman leaping into action but the one I settled on was Batman standing and behind him was his shadow, twisted and demonic looking. To the viewer, we're seeing how the criminal views the Dark Knight; the shadow doesn't look human-almost like a separate entity, more dangerous than the man casting it.
For just twenty bucks, I got one of the most respected comic artists to sign this picture which I really didn't want to lose so I put it in my free bag and began to wander some more.
When I got to the table for Blind Ferret Entertainment, I was a bit conflicted. Part of me wanted to buy another volume of Least I Could Do but...something was stopping me. Was it the fact that Ryan Sohmer, the writer was absent as his pregnant wife was closer to delivery than expected? The fact that I could read the entire series online for free? I think it might have to do with the fact that while for the most part it's been funny, they also introduce some subplots that don't go anywhere or that they totally forgot about because Sohmer would rather focus on his avatar character the main character, Rayne.
Sorry but I want to know why John's possibly depressed; I want to know what's happening with Mick's engagement to his girlfriend which was almost two years ago. But instead it's just more stories about Rayne that make him quite the jackass but then insert a sudden shot of his young niece to get the 'Awww' factor for a few strips and repeat. I'm not saying I hate it or that it's a bad webcomic but it just has a lot of potential and I feel that it's being wasted. As an amateur writer, when there is obvious potential and it's not being used at all, it's tragic.
A page from the webcomic 'Gutters', also produced by Blind Ferret Entertainment
There was a webcomic writer/artist there I did want to meet however and gladly give money to: Tyson Hesse, (pronounced 'Hess'-the 'e' is silent) creator of 'Boxer Hockey'. Again, this is another strip that I can read from beginning to end online for free but I really wanted to support Hesse because I do enjoy 'Boxer Hockey' and I think he gets a bum rap for not always having an update each week.
However the program didn't list him and I searched through that thing twice looking for his name or the name of his comics. Nothing was showing up. I decided to check his Twitter account but sadly there was no free Wi-Fi at the Expo. I'd have to find Tyson Hesse tomorrow if that was possible.
I spent the rest of the convention wandering, buying some art and picking up tons of business cards. I found that more people appreciate it if you stop by, look at some of their stuff and pick up a business card than just look and move on.
Part of me was hoping to get the autograph of Calgary's greatest wrestler, Bret 'Hitman' Hart. This was the first convention he had appeared at in Calgary however I saw that the line for his line was longer than most of the others. I don't remember watching too much of him when I was younger but at the same time, my I remember my Dad always reminding me that he was from Calgary.
"4 out of 10."
In fact, my Dad probably remembers watching Bret's earlier work in Stampede Wrestling. By the time I got back to watching wrestling in the late 90s, Bret's talents were being wasted in WCW and shortly after that came his unfortunate retirement. However I've caught some of his old matches on YouTube and really enjoy them.
With a little more than an hour before the convention ended, I went back to the autograph hall and saw that the lines were much smaller and decided to see if there was anyone I recognized and get their John Hancock. People must have thought I was The Flash when I saw that the line for Phil LaMarr was still open.
If you don't know who Phil LaMarr is, let me give you some info: He was one of the original cast members on Mad TV and I grew up watching him making me laugh for years. Aries Spears did a good impression of Michael Jackson in the later years of Mad TV, but in my opinion, LaMarr had Jackson nailed down perfectly to the point where you weren't sure you were watching an impressionist.
He also portrayed Prince, Bill Maher, and perhaps his most famous character, Jack the UBS Guy, who Mad TV's website described as someone who "makes Viagra look like Valium." That and he's done lots of voice-acting since 2000 so I decided to get his autograph.
One of the autograph pictures available which highlights just a fraction of the characters he's voiced
"How much is it for an autograph?" I asked the volunteer at the table.
"Well, it's free if you bring your own item for him to autograph but if it's one of the pictures here, it's twenty dollars."I don't normally carry photos of Phil LaMarr around so I handed over my money and was faced with another selection of photos. One would have expected me to go with the Mad TV photo but instead, I decided to go with a photo of the animated character John Stewart.
That's NOT who I was talking about...
No, John Stewart is the secret identity of the Green Lantern from Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited. But I'll let you read my conversation with Mr. LaMarr to know what I'm talking about.
"I gotta say, I've been a big fan of yours since I was twelve years old," I started out with probably the biggest, dumbest fanboy smile you can imagine.
"Really?" Phil smiled.
"Yeah, I would watch Mad TV on Saturday nights and my parents would be telling me not to laugh so hard 'cause they'd be worried I'd stop breathing or something."
"That's awesome," he laughed.
"Oh?" he asked with an inquisitive face. "You've never watched it? Not even Unlimited?"
"Afraid not," I admitted. "I didn't have cable or satellite but I'm making up for lost time."
"Thank you," he smiled as he signed my picture. "Andrew, it was a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," I said, shaking his hand with the same fanboy smile I started the conversation with.
Phil LaMarr's autograph to me
That's what I love about talking to voice-actors; you can hold short conversations with them. With Fillion I felt like I was rushed and that I was just another face to him but chatting with Phil LaMarr was really awesome. One thing I regretted was forgetting to mention how awesome he was in Young Justice, but I'll talk about that show another time.
I left shortly after, my bag full, stomach nearly empty only to find that the trains going my way were packed with sardines. So, as someone who had been working at a job since the previous night where I was on my feet, walking around for over ten hours and then spent an equal amount waiting in lines and walking through a convention hall, I did the only logical thing: Walked from the station to the mall down town where I could catch my bus.
Not much I can add to this
So I arrived home, tired, aching as hell, more awake then when I left since someone decided they would try to run a stop sign while I was crossing the street which caused me to break out what little sign language I know and very hungry, I went through my purchases and by nine-thirty was already asleep, my dreams planning the next day's events.
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