T.J.'s Quick Tour of Comic Con

If you didn't know, I'm a dad with three kids. I have a child in gymnastics, another in soccer, and another that thinks it's her personal destiny to destroy everything she touches. Because of this, I have had to make sure that when I do things that take me away from home, I am wary of my time.


With that said, I got to go to Salt Lake Comic Con on Friday. And, like always, I intended to record an ongoing podcast that failed when my phone decided to shut down on me. And then there's the idea of taking as many pictures as possible...which I suck at doing. But I have some to share, just really not many at all. But I did get this pic with my coworker Paige who does things such as work the cosplay contest as well as interview celebrities at the VIP Bash. (Side note: I found out Paige is taller than Austin St. John, the original red Power Ranger. Well that just changed my perception of life.)

So let me tell you about my 1 day at Comic Con. First, I love going to SLCC because it gives me an excuse to take the Frontrunner (local train) to downtown Salt Lake City. Seriously, maybe I'm weird, but I honestly love being able to sit and ride the train. It reminds me of my mission. So after getting my badge from fellow Mormon Geek Joe, I took the Trax and then walked with a few hundred of my fellow nerds to the Salt Palace. Having the honor of having a press badge, let me go through a different entrance. I am very grateful for that.

The first thing I did was go to the Writers' Ink booth where I found Nichole Giles, Jaclyn Weist, Charlie Pulsipher, and Cindy Hogan among others. Yep, everything at Comic Con to see and I go find my friends who I love being able to chat with and say hi to. After that, I was able to walk around freely until I ran into author Jacob Gowans. He and I had some fun taking jabs at the convention in general while being impressed with certain other aspects.

And then I saw her. Jenna Coleman...the...uh....I can't say love of my life. Let's just say she's up there on celebrities I wanted to see in my lifetime. Her portrayal as Clara on Doctor Who has been my favorite companion. She's had some of my favorite scenes in the history of the show along with some of my favorite lines. Shortly after splitting off from Jacob, I was convinced by our guest blogger Spencer to go to Jenna's panel and by no means was I sorry I went. I was sorry I drag my feet and was late. Yep, she maintains her position in the top with the way she spoke and interacted with the crowd. (Not her best picture, but in general, loved this scene from The Magician's Apprentice.) Okay, better get away from this topic...



After that, I walked around a bit and found my way to the Artist's Alley. Wow, what a dangerous place that is. I spent nothing this year there, but I came close a couple times to buying something. Josh Lyman's art is by far my favorite still. I'm not a huge fan of the "playing card" stuff he's got going on, but he has an awesome Mega Man compilation along with many others that I still want to find a way to purchase and prep for when I finish my basement. Also, personality wise, Josh is really fun to talk to and has some great geek cred.

Later, in my vain attempt to find the Shadow Mountain booth to say hello Jacob Gowans during his signing, I heard a voice I recognized immediately. Now, I doubt many of you will think this is cool, and I don't care. I did. This is Ron Simmons. First, Ron played for the Cleveland Browns in the early eighties before going on to the National Wrestling Alliance, which later became World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Of course, WCW was purchased by WWE in 2001. Anyway, Ron Simmons is recognized as the first African American heavyweight champion in WWE/WCW history. Mr. Simmons has a well-known catch phrase, but has also portrayed various "characters" during his 15-year run with wrestling. Ron didn't have a big table, just a small booth among the "normal" people. And yes, I paid for my picture with him, the only time I've done so at a con. But honestly, that's what made this one special. Not everyone is appreciative of his appearance. But I was really happy to meet him. (Okay, you may all collectively roll your eyes and I'll still be happy about it.)

Well, instead of finding Jacob during his signing. I stopped and talked to J Scott Savage and his wife, Jennifer. I gotta say, as excited as I was to meet Ron Simmons and as on cloud 9 as I am from just seeing Jenna Coleman, my favorite part of the con (maybe 2nd, it is Jenna after all) was the conversation I had with Savage and Jennifer. They are just two of the coolest people I know. And seriously, I could sit and talk to the two of them the entire time at a conference and still feel like it was the best time. (They may not feel the same way, but that's okay.)

I got to head out with my fellow Mormon Geeks Joe and Adam for a little bit as we wandered aimlessly around the Artist's Alley. Also, I found the latest MTG Duel Decks to add to my complete collection. Yes, complete collection of the MTG Duel Decks. Currently, that's all 32.

Sadly, after more walking about, I had to take off. Got to ride the train home with one of my best
friends who works downtown, which was a nice treat as well. And then I had a date with my wife where I tried to not talk about Jenna Coleman.

Yep, it was a great day. Missing Comic Con on Saturday for my son's soccer game sucked. But I did finish this drawing I've been working on for the last week or so. I love the way Mr. Freeze turned out. I really like my Penguin and Joker. Ivy, Catwoman, and Harley turned out better than I expected, except Catwoman's face still bugs me. I'm pleased enough with my Two-Face and Riddler. So I may not have been conning with my fellow geeks, but I geeked out on this drawing while watching USC teach Arizona State a lesson in Football.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.