Phoenix ComiCon '11

GWC Meetups and Events
#41

My Miskatonic University shirts arrived today (one Polo w/embossed logo and one T shirt), I can’t wait to wear them there. If you hear someone loudly cursing like Yosemite Sam it will probably be me trying to text, I am a texting virgin and really suck at it. It took me about an hour to figure out how and then attempt to add you people to my contacts, I sounded like an angry L4D Witch while doing it (I do not have a real keyboard, just a standard phone keyboard).

So if you text me and I do not respond for awhile it is not because I do not wish to, it is probably because it will take me at least 6 tries to do it without gross and unintelligible misspellings. It it gets too bad I may have to break down and simply call before I get an aneurysm. :smiley:

#42

I’m going to text you ridiculously complex questions to provoke ridiculously complex answers JUST to hear you swear like Yosemite Sam.

#43

I totally should have entered the PUGS last night, I could had a chance at a weird little trophy and a box of who-knows-what! Damn my lurking!

#44

Will you be joining the rest of us this evening for dinner?

#45

When and where did we decide on that?

#46

Hey guys it was great seeing all of you at the con. I hope there are a lot more meet ups in the future.

#47

Saturday was the OSSIM!

Sat in on panels with John Scalzi and Michael Stackpole, both were fun and informative, and the sessions were small, intimate and very relaxed. One of the things I really enjoy about the smaller conventions.

The Urban Fantasy Author panel was also quite enjoyable, the highlight for me was Cherie Priest. She is a pistol! Fiesty, witty and adorable… I think I may have a crush on her…:o

Lots of wonderful artwork and comics from local artists as well as jewelery and costume work. Even a few prop makers. Many local clubs were represented and plenty of goodies available, I know I got me some.

Got to meet DawnAZ, Baconface, Venona and Lady Venona. Even had dinner together and managed not to get thrown out, I look forward to future meetups.

It was so refreshing to see so many Geeks representing, and no fights or drunken shout matches. Just a whole lot of people enjoying who they are and admiring each others costumes and props. And chatting about what they love and collect. The most heartening of all though? Seeing entire famiilies dressing up and enjoying their geekiness, I have never seen so many children before. It is great to see Geek tradition being handed down generation to generation, it gives me hope for our future.

Another example of just how wholesome and good natured these people are is what happened tonight. I had left my keys and cell phone at a booth while making change, and did not realize what I had done until I got to the parking garage over an hour latter. I ran back but of course the exhibit hall had been closed and all of the dealers were leaving, my stuff was not at the lost and found so they had a volunteer escort me into the hall and to the booth, the dealers were already gone and my heart sank. On a hunch I lifted up the tarp covering the books on the table and to my delight and surprise my keys and cell phone were right there. I cannot imagine any other gathering where this kind of outcome may have happened, other than a perhaps a christian convention… but best not to go there.

I am at the hotel right now and am looking forward to tomorrow, more fun awaits. Goodnight all!

#48

The Phoenix Comicon has been so much fun this year, especially because of the great GWC folks in the area that I’ve had the privilege of hanging out with this weekend. Kag1, Venona, Lady Venona, Omra, and DawnAZ, you all are smart, amazing, wonderful creative, geeky people, and you have made this weekend a blast.

Today most of us hung out in room 120, the biggest ballroom, to see Leonard Nimoy. DawnAZ and I got there super early and got great seats in the second row right in front of the stage. We pretty much camped out in there all day.

First up was Bruce Boxleitner. He was very nice and had some cool info on the new Tron animated series that he is working on. He also spoke about B5, the original Tron, and the passing of his costar on B5, the late Jeff Conaway.

Then came Max Brooks, the author of World War Z. I think I may have been the only one in our group familiar with him before the panel but by the end he had won everyone over. He was hilarious.

Max Brooks talking to DawnAZ about the Zombie War.

After that came Leonard Nimoy. Leonard. Frakkin. Nimoy.
[IMG]http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff146/LadyPhoenicia/Phoenix%20Comicon%202011/2011-05-28133506_Phoenix_Arizona_US-1.jpg[/IMG]

Seriously, what can you say about Leonard Nimoy that hasn’t already been said? The man is a legend and a class act. It was the highlight of the day for me and an honor to see him and hear him speak about his life.

I also saw Stan Lee, who was a fantastic guest. I loved hearing his stories. He is so much fun. And finally Jamie Paglia and Wil Wheaton came out for te Eureka panel. They showed some clips from the new season, and it looks sweeet!

I would post more pictures, but photobucket is being difficult. I will upload the rest of them tomorrow to flickr and post a link.

Tomorrow is George Takei, and the Chuck panel with Adam Baldwin. I am so excited!

Thanks again to all the GWCers I’ve shared the Con experience with this year. AZ crew is the best!

P.S. - I have to leave this post with a pic of Paul McGillion, because he is hawt.

IBIMB

#49

The Lady Venona, LEONARD NIMOY, Venona.

#50

I hate you.

Oh…I mean…great pic. jealous

#51

Great pictures Baconface & Venona! Keep 'em coming!

#52

Correction: The author at the Themes in SciFi was not Stackpole but rather Robert Sawyer (creator of Flashforward) sorry, I got my authors crossed…:frowning:

The Stackpole writers workshop was well worth the money, I will no doubt attend one of his other classes here in town when I get a chance. The Advice for beginning writers panel was fun and informative and the Rules for writing Magic was just as funny and informative.

I bowed out of watching any anime, the rooms were too small and without enough seating and packed with smelly Otaku. It also made me feel self conscious about the fact that I probably smelled just as bad, let’s face it after walking for miles from room to room for 8 or more hours nobody smells too good.

Next year I will definitely pop for a better hotel room, as nice as it was furnished and even though it had free wireless internet which I really appreciated; it had an antique airconditioning unit. You know one of those 1960’s wall mounted ones, it took forever to finally dial in right, getting up over and over again to constantly adjust it. And then once I finally wasn’t freezing or sweating it rattled like a K Mart shopping cart all night.:rolleyes: I was far from refreshed the next day.

Over all?

Pros:

The staff were very nice and helpful. Numerous panels, film rooms, celebrities, authors and artists, and photo ops. All manner of Cosplay, spontaneous Filking and dancing, the opportunity to engage in geek dialog with complete strangers, the chance to meet GWCers IRL, and the opportunity to possibly create new friendships with those who share similar interests. The Con was small enough that you never felt intimidated or discouraged from attending anything you wanted to see, it all came down to time management… what was your greatest priority. Parking was close and convenient, heck the lady at the garage was even nice enough to give me a parking voucher for Sunday, squeee! :slight_smile:

Cons (pun intended):

A few overzealous convention staffers (not the volunteers they were awesome). The bottleneck at the exhibit hall, there is no excuse for that.

Overall it was a great weekend and I will be back the good lord willing…

#53

Uploaded my photos to Flickr here :smiley: