AlmaCon: Epic-tastic

So, some time ago, I attended a local anime and gaming convention, AlmaCon. Granted, local in this case is a two hour drive, but it was well worth it. Only $5 to get in for the whole weekend, you can't beat that. The Motor City Comic Con charges about $25 PER DAY. And that's just to get in, not meet any special guests. I'm looking at YOU, Stan Lee.

So what was at AlmaCon? Well, the short list is:
Doug Walker, AKA The Nostalgia Critic
Chris Niosi, AKA Kirbopher.
Martin Billany, AKA LittleKuriboh
As well as several fine voice actors from things like DBZ, FMA, and other great artists.

I got to meet Doug first thing, with Bahamute. He complimented me on my home made Harley Quinn mallet. He congratulated Bahamute and I on our upcoming nuptials. "You (me) must be busy, and you (Bahamute) must be terrified." We got a pic, and scuttled off with a couple of signed DVDs. A great experience!

Next, there were a few fun panels. How to make a Manga Character (hilarious and informative), Kirbopher's Flashstravaganza, (lots of info about animating and how not to be in it for the wrong reasons), an acting workshop with the voice of Shou Tucker where Bahamute got to do a fun acting exercise. Lunch at the Braveheart Pub, and back to the Con for Doug's panel about movies that you love/hate and every disagrees with you on. Then, on to the FMA panel with Shou Tucker, Scar (Brotherhood) and Jean Havok. Those three are a FREAKING HOOT, and told a LOT of fun stories when they weren't tossing around water bottles.

Then back to the merch room to buy one more character coin from LittleKuriboh. He was nice enough to call Grizz as Seto Kaiba. I was crying, it was so funny. And LOOOONG. Like at least 5 minutes.

Then, I was a creep.

I overheard the volunteer mention that Doug and the other Talent were going to the Braveheart Pub for food and drinks. So, I muttered to Bahamute "Wanna go back to the to Braveheart?"

 "That's where they're all going, isn't it?" He knew.

"Yeeaah, but I'm not gonna ambush 'em or anything."

"...Sure. I could use a drink." He agreed. So, we were creepers together.

On the way, I confessed a small fantasy: That the bar would be nearly empty, and Doug would recognize us and call us over to sit with him and the others, to just talk and hang out. Stupid. It was a college town on a Saturday night. No way would the bar be empty. No way would they want to hang with some weird fans.

Well, when we parked and got out. I wasted a few minutes throwing on a shirt over my leather bodic (borrowed from my RenFest outfit). As I closed the door, Doug Walker walked past with a small group. Holy Crap! Was my fantasy about to come true???

I fell into step a few paces behind, and we all entered the pub. The very, very full pub. Doug and the others headed for the back. Bahamute and I grabbed a table a few seats away. My heart sunk. No fantasy becoming reality today. We ordered our drinks and got ready to head out. I went to the restroom, nearly slipping on the wooden floor behind Doug.

'Perfect. Fall and break your leg in front of The Nostalgia Critic and LittleKuriboh. That'd be a really shitty end to the day.' I made it to the bathroom, admittedly a little buzzed, and headed out a few minutes later. Passing back by Doug, my mind flashed to a scene in Hannibal where Lecter is on a Merry-Go-Round behind Starling. He reaches out and barely brushes her hair. She turns, but he's already gone, and she's not sure he was even there.

'You could do that.' A devilish little voice whispered as I saw Dough's thinning, short hair.

Then, the voice of reason perked up 'Okay, you just crossed the line from fan to stalker. TIME TO GO.'

And go I did, leaving Doug Walker unmolested, and not landing myself in jail. All in all, a good day.

Comic Con has got it going on.

I purchased two $27 ‘advance admission tickets’ for the 2013 Motor City Comic Convention. I was looking forward to seeing some stars, attending some panels, and overpaying for food.

I got in line with my fiancée (It was out 11 year anniversary date), and another friend at 9:30. The line stretched all the way around the Suburban Financial Showplace. There were literally hundreds of people, not counting the line for people who had paid extra to meet Stan Lee or the Boondock Saints. But it was sunny and we were in good spirits.

Then 10:00 came.

We were told that advance ticket holders would get in ½ an hour earlier than those poor suckers who bought tickets on site. Not only did the Suburban Financial Showplace merge both sets of holders into one line, that line didn’t even start moving until 11:00; half an hour AFTER the on-site ticket holders were supposed to be let in!

We later found out they’d run the Stan Lee and Boondock saints tickets though before starting our line. We got in at 11:45. Clearly, the Suburban Financial Showplace was NOT equipped to handle a convention of this size. We were just lucky it was warm and sunny. Had it been raining or snowing (Michigan!) we would have been SOL.

As always, Harley Quinns abounded.

Upon gaining entrance, and standing in line for some free swag (Star Trek hats! WOOT!) we wandered around, meeting artists and buying trinkets. At 12:50 I headed to the back, behind the media guests (such greats at Walter Keonig, Micky Dolenz, and Cary Elways) to speaker room 3 to a long anticipated panel on Comic Book Censorship from 1937 through 1960.

Room 1 was there. Room 2 was there. There was no room 3 to be seen.

I asked a security person where room 3 was and was told “There is no room 3.” I went to the front and was told it was outside our hall, closer to the other conventions consisting of sports autograph memorabilia and osteoporosis. While I was told this, a family with a 5 year old boy missing was told that security couldn’t ‘really do anything’ to help them find their missing son.

I walked past real Doctors in my Dr. Horrible outfit. I got some looks.

Yep, that's the one.

When I got to the small, air-conditioned, darkened room, it was a welcome relief. I took off my labcoat and chatted with the 20 or so attendees that were waiting.

And waiting.

After 15 minutes, some people left. I thought the speaker might be having difficulty finding the room, as I had. I stuck it out until 1:45, vainly hoping he’d show and I’d get my presentation.

The only person who came by was a busboy with a water bottle. When I asked the management what happened, he professed bafflement and apologized.

I trudged to Cary Elway’s panel, heart sunk. I’d paid for this? This messy, disappointing, frustrating walk through hell?

You tell 'em Westley!

Then Bahamute gave me my anniversary present: a hand-crafted purple duct tape wallet and some cards of my favorite characters.  Then Mr. Elways gave his panel. Then we met him, and he was really nice. So was Micky Dolenz.

The convention is a messy, ill managed, poorly supported, overpriced fiasco. But the people who attend are for the most part (Screw Adam West!) wonderful artist and fans that are all having a great time.

I’m not sure if I’ll go back to the convention. It’s been my anniversary date spot since my first anniversary 10 years ago. Every year it gets bigger, the guests get more fabulous, the tickets get more expensive, the lines get longer, and the management gets worse.

If I do go back, it’ll be on a Friday. It’ll be because there’s a guest I really want to meet. But it won’t be in high hopes. And it probably won’t be in costume (I was mistaken for Dr. Insano at one point. Score!).

No matter what, I have fond memories of the convention from years past. And I’ll keep them boarded and bagged with the best moments in my golden age. That’s a promise, True Believers.

Comic Con: Sex it up?

I'm going to The Motor City Comic Con in a few weeks, and I have a dilemma. I have a stock costume from last Halloween that I'm planning on wearing: A Female Dr. Horrible with her Horrible Gender Bender Ray (a re-purposed Zurg ray gun). I got a few compliments last year and people got the idea.

My problem is this: most of the time if women are dressed up at Comic Con, they are sexy. Low cut tops, high boots, fishnets, the whole McGilla. My costume is in NO WAY sexy. A lab coat (ok, a modded chef's coat), rubber rain boots, welders goggles, etc. In my brain, M to F Doc Horrible is VERY uncomfortable in her new body. See for yourself:

So, do I go to Con in-character, not sexy (or at least, not low-cut overtly sexy), or try to sex it up so I don't feel bad after seeing the zillion hot girl in a bad Harley Quinn costume?