New Orleans, LA, February 7-9
There are very few things in this world that I enjoy more than going to comic and science fiction conventions. These conventions are the only places (outside of fan group meetings and get togethers) that I can truly nerd out and have no need to worry about backlash or scrutiny. People at comic and science fiction conventions get me and share many of the same interests that I do. We are all lovers of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Batman, The Avengers, Hellboy, Firefly, and just about any other thing that bleeds pop culture. Granted some of us love some things more than others and a few even hate certain fandoms, but we ultimately share a passion for whatever might be our favorite thing and THAT is what really brings us together.
Few places can draw that passion out of a nerd and geek like a Wizard World event. Yes, these types of events are primarily cash grabs for Wizard World, but they are often the only chance many of us will ever get to meet the likes of Stan Lee, Norman Reedus, Matt Smith, and other celebrities who just aren’t affordable enough for smaller fan-run conventions to get their hands on. On top of the celebs, there are also tons of artists (both regionally and worldwide) that attend these conventions and let us partake in their brilliant work. I’ve met a number of artists over the years at events like this and have handpicked a few that I plan to blog individually about.
After meeting all of the celebs and artists, conventions of this scale also offer the chance to meet fan groups and smaller fan-run conventions. From Browncoats to Whovians, every fandom seems to be represented. Then you have vendors selling their wares, from collectibiles to original works, and those wonderful off-premises events such as room parties, club parties, and, in the case of New Orleans, Bourbon Street.
Now, getting down to business here. I was lucky enough to hitch a ride to Wizard World NOLA with the crew of the U.S.S. Lafitte and CyPhaCon, one of those aforementioned smaller conventions. They let me come with them in exchange for holding down the fort at their fan tables. We arrived on Friday and set up both tables rather quickly. Once the doors opened for the VIPs and then the general admissions gang, the convention center became very, very busy. Friday was light, but not nearly as light as I expected it to be. I saw plenty of wonderful costumes ranging from Harley Quinn to Amy Pond and Spider-man to that guy from Assassin’s Creed. I didn’t leave the table very much that evening, but I got to meet some really great people and hang out with some wonderful friends.
When the doors closed on the convention for the evening, myself and a friend dressed as Batman headed over to the Howlin’ Wolf for a Friday night full of nerd bands and the wonderful ladies of Orion’s Envy. The first band of the evening was Space Metal, who served up some excellent sci-fi tunes for those of us who listen to music on the heavier end of the scale. After them, the Orion’s Envy took the stage to perform a couple of dances for the audience. Thank the gods that they performed Moves Like Shatner, as that happens to be my favorite. Once the lovely ladies exited the stage, Sci-fried took control of the masses and played a great mix of metal, hard rock, and even a bit of rap. They topped off their set with their version of Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla. The Consortium of Genius capped off the evening for us with another brilliant set. If you’ve never bowed to the C.O.G. before, you need to check them out!
Myself and my friend exited a bit before the end of C.O.G.’s set and decided to head on down to Bourbon Street. Along the way we were invited to a bar mitzvah. It was the first time that either of us had ever been to such an event. It was amazing! People were laughing, dancing on tables, and having a generally good time.
After a few minutes, we headed out to Bourbon Street to partake in the drunken idiocy that occurs there. Countless people took photos with my friend in his suit. He even got tipped a couple of times! Soon enough we reached a part of Bourbon that had crowds that were just a little too thick and a little too inebriated for our tastes (and our safety) so we headed back to the hotel.
Saturday found us extremely tired, but still excited from the night before. Once again the floodgates were opened and a massive crowd strolled through the convention hall. It was on this day that I met Zach Galligan (Billy from Gremlins). He was extremely nice. I received an autograph and a photo with him and headed to Sara Jean Underwood’s table next. Sara Jean is a rather famous model, but I know her best from her time on G4’s Attack of the Show were she gave updates and performed in a skit as the superheroine, Bustice. She was very nice. I snagged an autograph from her.
I also took a little time to visit with some of the cosplayers that were at the convention. My favorites were the lovely Ivy Doomkitty and Ryan Frye, who is almost the spitting image of Chris Hemsworth.
I met more wonderful people and made plenty of new friends on this day. I also checked out the vendor area, but left empty-handed. There were plenty of things that I wanted to buy, but that amazing thing called money has done an excellent job of avoiding me as of late, so my budgetary skills held me in check.
Sunday was almost as packed as Saturday, which is quite a shocker. I managed to meet Steven Yeun (Glen from The Walking Dead). He was exceptionally kind and even took a selfie of us for my Facebook page. He looked extremely tired from signing autographs, taking photos, and shaking hand after hand after hand for the last couple of days. Still, he was a pro and made sure everyone left with a smile. I took a little time to visit my good friends in Orion’s Envy once again. Instead of their usual green greatness, they channeled She-Ra for the day.
As the convention drew to a close, I was really sad to see it all end. This was definitely the best Wizard event that I have ever attended. Crowd control was excellent, no one got too rowdy, and the celebs and artists were all extremely nice. I can’t wait till next year. Overall, it was a fun and wild weekend.
In my next post, I plan on highlighting a couple of upcoming conventions in the Louisiana/Mississippi area. Thanks for reading!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 