Random Observations from the Wizard World convention
We decided at the last minute to attend the Wizard World con yesterday. We had a great time, sweated our asses off and survived the most inconvenient parking garage known to mankind. It was my first comic con although I have been to sci-fi conventions so I had an idea of what sort of feast for the senses I was in for!
The portal: http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/inkyprintz/zz516.jpg
*The first observation occurred while still in the car, waiting to pull into the parking garage. Streams of convention goers were making their way down the street and it was pretty obvious who was attending Wizard World and who was attending the knitting convention. (Sorry D.D.) A tip for any men planning to attend - cargo shorts are apparently the unofficial uniform. I know a lot of men like the comfort and convenience of the multi-pocketed garment. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with them. I've just never seen so many of them in one place before. At least 85% of the boys and men were wearing them. (Another 10 percent were wearing spandex but that's another observation.) I half expected to walk into the expo center and see signs pointing one way for Wizard World and another way for "Cargo Con - A celebration of Pockets".
*So you've got your cargo shorts on. Bonus points to you if you have any or all of the following:
-A well-worn baseball cap, perfectly molded to your dome, which is either shaved bald or very closely cropped.
-A canvas man-bag slung across your chest, in case you need to carry something that doesn't fit in one of your 8 pockets.
-A very precisely trimmed goatee.
-A camera that you have no trouble operating when taking a photo of your ferret but that you can seem to figure out how to use when it's your turn to take a picture of a sparsely-clad comic vixen.
*Before I move on from my cargo shorts fixation, I have one question for the guy leaving the morning TV panel in front of me. With all those pockets available on your shorts, why did you have your Snickers bar in your sock?
*There were a lot of really well-done costumes. And some...not so much. I didn't take a lot of pictures. It was sort of a hassle to whip out my camera and hold my bags of swag! I have to say, the Star Wars fans had some of the best costumes. They also had to be sweating profusely in them so a tremendous level of devotion to character was present! http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/inkyprintz/zz513-2.jpg
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/inkyprintz/zz510-1.jpg
*As for comic character costumes- why was every Spiderman, Batman, Superman, or any other spandex-wearer so puny? At least Iron Man had some fake padded muscles! Oh, and if you're going to dress like Venom and sing in the karaoke area, don't pick a weepy, boy-band, ballad. Sing something with balls. Commitment to character, ok?
*Sorry Fat Mamma- We liked you on Who Wants to be a Superhero but I'm not going to pay $10 to take your photo with my own camera.
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/inkyprintz/zz512-2.jpg
*I guess Marvel gave away some good things...as long as you didn't mind begging for them! http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/inkyprintz/zz515.jpg
It was great to see so many artists selling their work. The only "celebrities" that a novice like me recognized were Richard Hatch from the original Battlestar Gallactica, Lou Ferrigno and Michael Madsen (Shudder. Kids - this is why your parents tell you to lead a clean life.) It was a very entertaining day and a lot of fun!