Of course, if you want to be picky about it, it was our second trip to Fan Expo, but it was the first time we actually got in. wink
Anyways, it was something else I'll tell you!
The last Con we attended was probably well over 20 years ago, (yes, we're
that
old! eek ) back in the day when I was still an avid Comic collector, and boy have these things changed!Back in the day, it was strictly Comics from wall to wall, with nothing but long-boxes and Comic Geeks as far as the eye could see.
*Author's Note....the term "Comic Geek" is used here as a term of endearment. I mean, I *am* one after all! wink
Sure there were T-shirts with comic characters on them, and yeah, there were always guests ( I met George Perez at one of these! smile ), but comparing the Cons of my youth to Fan Expo like is like comparing a roller skates to a Harley.
Needless to say, the crowds were a little daunting, and it wasn't always easy to work your way around, but even if you weren't moving, there was always something to see while you waited for a gap in the throng.
Some of the Cosplayers were simply unbelievable!
I can't believe the level of skill and dedication that went into many of the costumes and even the less intricate were still a joy to behold, as much for the people and the sheer fun they seemed to be having, as the costumes themselves.
I have to admit to a certain jealousy and admiration for anybody who can abandon their inhibitions and dive completely into having fun.
It must be wonderful!
There was merchandise and exhibits from five different genres...Comics, Anime, Horror, Sci-fi and Gaming.
In other words, something to warm and excite the heart of pretty much any genre and sub genre of Geekdom. smile
We saw Lolitas, Steam Punks and Larpers, as well as representatives from every facet of the fantasy fiction community imaginable.
And we saw Shatner. (quivers slightly at the memory... wink )
Now to you younger folks, Shatner might be little more than a parody of himself now....a pudgey old guy who makes chessy Price Line.com commercials.
But to those of us who were there when he was first sitting at the helm of the Starship Enterprise, he will always be James Tiberius Kirk; first, finest and fightingest of all the Starfleet Captains.
I'm a tiny bit embarrassed to say that I payed $80 for an autograph, and another $80 for a photo with the Captain, and I'm a tiny bit more embarrassed to say that it was worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! rofl
And in case you're thinking to yourself, "Hey WideEyed....What about Gaia?", don't worry.
Making the Gaia Panels was our first goal in attending Fan Expo.
I was actually beginning to panic a bit when I saw how long the line to get in was, even for those of us who had purchased our tickets ahead of time, and was working my way up to a pretty profound hissy fit, but it turned out that we got in with about 5 minutes to spare. sweatdrop
While slightly disappointed that the panel consisted of only DJ Helsing, (I was hoping to meet a couple of the Devs and maybe even Pan himself!), it was still a blast to actually sit in the room with all the other Gaians and listen to his presentation.
Sure I knew most of it beforehand, but it was still a hoot just to be there.
And yes, it was a trifle odd being in a room filled with people who could quite easily be my kids (if I had kids wink ), and laughing and clapping along with them like a kid myself, but hey...one of the things that becomes increasingly clear as you age, is that life is finite, and that there's not always going to be the opportunity to simply let loose and enjoy the time you have.
I've only recently become an adherent to the philosophy that it's better to regret the things you've done, than the things you haven't done.
It may be too late to build a Sabimaru of my own and Cosplay Renji at a Con (the girl at Fan Expo was simply mind boggling!), but it's never too late to have some simple and harmless fun.
To heck with the inhibitions and repression, and to heck with the derisive chuckles of my peers....
When my picture with Shatner arrives in the mail, I'm scanning it and posting it to my web page at work!!
Vini Vidi Geeki!!!! rofl
