🙏🏼 Preparing For Your First San Diego Comic-Con

Editors Note: I began this blog to help people enjoy San Diego Comic Con. But I soon realized I wanted more. Enter the nerd girl community. I was so happy to discover some amazing fangirls upon beginning my blog. One of those very first nerd girl friends I made was Sam. It took us almost three years to meet IRL but once we did it was nerd heaven. Like we'd always seen each other in person! I am so happy and excited to have this amazing woman in my life! GO pre-order her amazing book Fangirl's Guide To The Galaxy NOW!

By: Sam Maggs

Okay, here’s the honest truth: this year I’ll be hitting up my first-ever SDCC, and I’m terrified. It’s not like I’m a con noob, either – this year alone, I’ve been to NYCC, ECCC, C2E2, Fan Expo Toronto, and more. I even wrote a whole chapter on preparing for cons in Fangirl’s Guide. But there’s something about the size of San Diego that’s particularly intimidating – even though NYCC boasts nearly the same attendance numbers, you never hear stories of people standing outside in lines for four days in order to get into a panel, you know?

So even though SDCC is still a couple of months away, here’s what I’m doing to prep for my big, exciting first time.

{Long-Term Logistics}

Hopefully you’ve already entered the hotel lottery and figured out where you’ll be staying. But you should also figure out how you’re going to be getting to the con each day (Shuttle? Car? Will you need to worry about on-site parking?). Also try to remember to pack light on the way there so that you can fill your suitcase with goodies on the way home – though try to limit yourself to buying things you can only get at the con. If you can find that Funko at your local comic book store, leave it on the con floor! 

{Blech, Budgeting}

So this is obviously the worst thing, but you’ve got to figure out your money situation. After you factor in your transport, hotel, and food game, you’ll need to factor in how much you want to spend at the con itself. Always budget a little more than you think you’ll need, just in case – and don’t forget to take cash out before you get to the con, because those ATM lines are going to be wacky.

{Overnight Booster Packs}

The schedule isn’t out yet, but there might just be one extra-special panel you think it’s worth standing in line for. If you’re going to try and pull an overnighter, bring food and water, a pillow, an eye mask and earplugs, brushes for your teeth and hair, and a jacket for chilly evenings. 

{Far-Out Prep}

Now’s a great time to buy the little things you’re going to need for the week so that you don’t feel so panicked the day before your flight. Comfy shoes and gel insoles are a must, as are any tech you might need – cameras and portable chargers come to mind (seriously, portable chargers will save your life). Find an awesome backpack or messenger bag to store all your necessities in as well – you don’t want to be caught with just a tiny purse at the con. 

What do you think, SDCC vets? Am I missing anything important for a few months out? Let me know in the comments, or on Twitter @SamMaggs!

Thank you Sam for your awesome advice. I cannot wait to hang out again, this time at the most EPIC con of them all! See you nerds in San Diego in only a few more months!!!

There and Back Again: A Fan’s Tale

{Editor's Note:  I'm sure you are all tired of hearing about A Silent Film, but they have given me not just great music, but great friends.  Another one of those special ladies is Noel.  I met her a year ago at an ASF show and we've been friends ever since.  She even cuts my hair!  When I learned that we both nerded out over many similar things I knew she would be perfect as a guest blogger for The Nerdy Girlie.  Here she tells about her amazing Hobbit adventure, attending Peter Jackson's Walk of Fame ceremony, the Hobbit red carpet and premiere in Hollywood plus a Billy Boyde mini concert at The Grove.  WOW!  Get reading her amazing journey now!}

By: Noel Marie

I wish I could say that Megan asked me to write this little piece about my journey to “Middle Earth.” The truth is I asked her, because how fun would it be to relive my adventure and share it with everyone.  Now that I am sitting here trying to recount every moment, I find myself stuck.  Where do I even begin to explain the craziness that happened in those three days? Maybe if I just put on “Concerning Hobbits” from the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack. 

Ahh yes…….

Before I break down into fangirl tears let me just say I have never been to a movie premiere.  I have camped out many times for concerts but never for the red carpet.  I also have never witnessed anyone receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  That being said and not to be overdramatic or anything, but I had no idea that I would be thrown into a possible emotional breakdown.  But that is another story entirely.

If I were to start from the very beginning I would tell you that I had been searching through as many websites as I could on any information about The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies premiere for months at a time. When it was rumored to be held at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Blvd. I knew my time had come.  This was it.  The last journey into Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth.  There was no next time.  This was #OneLastTime.

Now it is not a hard task to find fellow fans to partake in this adventure with.  I met up with four lovely hobbits who I never met in person before.  All I can say is that I have found four new friendships that I know will last a lifetime!  Our first stop on our adventure was Hollywood and Highland to try and catch a glimpse of the ceremony for Peter Jackson to have his star marked on the Walk of Fame.  People had been lined up since 8 pm the night before, and there we came, strolling up to Hollywood Blvd. an hour before show time, and magically a new section opened up, leading us directly in front with a tremendous view of where Orlando Bloom, Richard Armitage, Lee Pace, Elijah Wood, and Evangeline Lilly were going to sit.  Yep!

I was ready.  My phone was in one hand and my LOTR book was in the other.  The first person I spotted was Lee Pace, standing almost a foot above everyone else.  One by one I saw Frodo, Thorin, Tauriel, and Thranduil walking around and chatting!  And then I saw Gollum, going to hug Peter Jackson.  All that went through my mind was, “What is my life right now?!  I should be taking pictures!  Is that..?  Orlando?  ORLANDO BLOOM!”  All of a sudden all of my teenage feelings for Legolas came back to me tenfold!  Who gave Orlando Bloom the right to be perfect I’ll never know.  

As guest speaker Andy Serkis took the stage he told Peter, “…you brought much needed magic, mystery, cinematic poetry, creative ambition, and most of all joy to the film industry and to the world.”  As I stood there looking on I felt so proud to be there with the cast, the fans, and most of all Peter Jackson.  It was a short but sweet ceremony.  When it was over, Peter was so nice to chat with everyone.  I was able to thank him and have him sign my LOTR book.  We were able to take some shots of us next to Peter’s star and we quickly began to plan out our strategy for the premiere for the next night.  We were going to line up at midnight and take shifts so we could try to get a little sleep. 

Sleep?  What is that?  I got maybe 20 minutes worth that night.

At 11:45 pm my friend Daisy and I were lined up in our fold out chairs, wrapped in blankets. I felt like Theoden ready for battle: “So it begins.”  Every once in a while we got strange looks and laughter but I didn’t care.  I was on a mission.  Around 1am, we noticed theonering.net had posted our picture on their Instagram letting everyone know that there were indeed people already camped out.  About 15 minutes later, they came out to take some video shots of us lined up.  I was thinking, “I am sleep deprived with no makeup on -  why are you filming me!?”  Then from the corner of my eye I saw Graham McTavish (Dwalin) - let me repeat - GRAHAM MCTAVISH standing around talking to the line sitters. I couldn’t speak.  Literally words could not come out of my mouth as I turned to alert Daisy.  Then from behind me out popped Dean O’Gorman (Fili)!

“Hey guys, are you ready to see The Hobbit?” 

Daisy lets out a scream as I once again could not speak.  My blankets went flying, my phone fell to the ground, and I tried to stand up.  He gave us both a great big hug and he smelled so good.  I couldn’t think straight.  Graham made his way over to us along with Stephen Hunter (Bomber).  I wish I could explain the feelings that went through me at that moment!  All three were so very sweet and charming.  They were completely amazed that we were staying out all night and asked us if we were warm enough.  Before they left we took a group picture: Three dwarves and thirteen fans grouped up on Hollywood Blvd.  As everyone settled back into their seats, half of us were crying the other half were shaking.  Someone yelled out, “Did that just happen?!?” 

After that everyone was very much awake and all of a sudden things became very real.  The hours seemed to fly by surprisingly fast.  As they began to build up the set and laid out the green carpet I started to get nervous and anxious.  The trailer began to play on the big screen and once Billy Boyd’s “The Last Goodbye” began playing, I was done.  Nothing can bring me to tears quite like Billy Boyd’s voice.

   

We noticed there was a lady passing out wristbands to random people.  We had no idea what they were for but we knew wanted one!  After getting her attention with our awesome neon signs she gave our whole group a wrist band.  She quietly and calmly lets us know that at 7:30 p.m. someone would come and collect us and escort everyone with a wristband into the theatre to see The Battle of the Five Armies.

Wait …WHAT?!?!?!

I had emotionally prepared myself to possibly get a chance to meet my favorite actors but not to see the actual movie in the same theatre as the cast!  Was I ready for it to be over?  Was I ready to finally say goodbye to Bilbo and the Company?  Absolutely not, but I was going to do it anyway.  As the five of us looked at each other in awe we let out a cry of happiness. 

Mission: Accomplished. 

The next hour was such a whirlwind that I can’t remember every detail.  I remember Graham McTavish being the first one to come across the street to sign autographs.  He was wearing a kilt, God bless his heart!  I had my Hobbit book with me this time and he signed my book.  After that Dean O’Gorman, Steven Hunter, Peter Hambleton, Richard Armitage, and Peter Jackson all came down and signed my book.  I couldn’t believe the luck I was having!

My whole hobbit group wanted a picture with Andy Serkis.  As he approached his handler agreed to take a picture with all of us and Andy as long as he could take a few pictures of us for Andy.  Uhh…yeah!!!!  So there we are all huddled around THE Andy Serkis!  Flashes were going off as more than three photographers were snapping away.  Actually a few days later that same picture was posted not only on Andy’s Facebook, but also on The Hobbit’s official page as well!!

I might have mentioned how much I love Billy Boyd and I was so happy to find out that he would be at the premiere as well.  He is fun to watch when he interacts with fans.  You can really tell he appreciates each and every one!  He grabbed my phone from my hand and said he was an expert at taking selfies.  He took an extremely blurry first picture and then he laughed and took a second one. 

The final person to arrive was Orlando Bloom.  Now I can write a short novel about my love for that man, but I will save you the details.  The crowd was insane.  Screaming fans were pushing their way towards him, thrusting their Legolas pictures for him to sign.  I was no different.  I tried to balance my book, my Legolas picture, and my phone while also trying to compose myself.  One of my main goals was to meet Orlando Bloom and there he was!  I set my phone into selfie mode and as he reached me I asked if he wouldn’t mind taking a picture with me.  It took him a second to look around to see who asked.  When his eyes landed on me, he smiled and said yes.  Now I’m not trying to make this into an ode to Orlando but he has the most beautiful face!  As I went to take the picture, a security guard pushed everyone out of the way, and as I took the picture his hand is covered my face!!!!  As Orlando walked away, I am a little more than heartbroken!  Luckily my friend Jen took a few shots of us and you can see us together. 

When it was over we all compared stories and pictures and just reveled in the excitement.  We barely had time to let everything sink in before we were escorted into the Dolby Theatre.  That bittersweet feeling had come to rear its ugly head.  This was it.  In a few hours there would be no more Hobbit or Lord of the Rings movies to look forward to.  We entered the theatre with excitement, not knowing how we would be coming out. 

I’m not going to put any spoilers here, although if you have read the book you obviously know what is going to happen.  All I can say is that there is something special about seeing The Hobbit with a room full of people who understand how much these movies mean to you and how much the Tolkien world has become your home.  There was laughing, cheering, and a whole lot of crying.  I was openly sobbing when that first note from “The Last Goodbye” started.  We all walked out a broken mess. 

But our adventure wasn’t over yet.

The next day we went to Barnes and Noble at the Grove to see Billy Boyd do a signing and perform “The Last Goodbye” with his band mate BJ from their band Beecake.  I had made a Billy Boyd shirt with his face plastered on the front.  I was ready to see Pippin!  As we walked through the Grove, I happened to spot someone who looked awfully familiar.  Once again my words failed me as I pointed, trying to alert my friends that Dean O’Gorman was walking around the mall!  He was doing a little Christmas shopping with fellow dwarf Stephen Hunter.  Again I ask, how is this my life?! They were gracious enough to take some more pictures with us.  Such great guys and I can’t wait to see what they do next! 

Now it’s no secret that Pippin is my hobbit!  I just adore Billy Boyd and getting to meet him for the third time was such a blessing.  He laughed so much at my shirt, signed it, and said he loved it. Anyone who has met Mr. Boyd knows that when he meets you he doesn’t just sign your picture; he takes the time to talk to you.  I overheard the host talking to her coworker, mentioning that he is such a talker and so nice to his fans but he needs to speed it up.  That right there is one of the reasons I love Billy!  He makes everyone feel so special.  Afterwards Billy and BJ brought out their guitars and played three songs, “The Last Goodbye” “Perfect Time” and “Blessed Eyes.”  Seeing half of Beecake playing my favorite songs had me in so many fangirl feels.  I was honored to be there. 

I played the Battle of the Five Armies soundtrack as I made my drive home back to San Diego.  I had a lot of time to think about everything that had happened and everyone I got to share the experience with.  I couldn’t help but cry as “The Last Goodbye” started to play.  I sent one last Facebook status to my friends under our #OneLastHobbit: “I’m glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee…here at the end of all things.” 

A Very Fond Farewell...

{Editor's Note:  I first met Lindsay where I've met many of my friends, online.  Through our mutual love of little band named A Silent Film our friendship grew into something special.  It was one small hello that started a friendship that has blossomed into a daily ritual.  My day is not complete until we say our hellos.  Besides being a great friend, I find Lindsay to be a stupendous writer.  On her blog The Calligrapher’s Ink she frequently has me losing my breath at the words she writes.  I am so happy to have her and her gorgeous words on the blog this week and hopefully more in the future.}

By:  Lindsay Flanagan

The Battle of the Five Armies is the last installment of The Hobbit trilogy and is “The Last Goodbye” to Middle-earth. The hashtag #OneLastTime is drawing fans together for a final journey to J.R.R. Tolkien’s world as envisioned by Peter Jackson. It is, to use the cliché, the end of an era. The story of Middle-earth has spanned two centuries, born in the 20th century by Tolkien, and brought to life on the big screen in the 21st by Jackson for a whole new host of fans. 

What is it about Middle-earth that draws us to it? It is a story of good versus evil, of the smallest of people overcoming a forbidding evil, of what seems desperate turned into triumph. It is a hero story, sewn together in a language all humans speak—one that says despite the seemingly impossible odds, there is always a flicker of hope. It is the depth and grandeur and genius of Tolkien’s mythology—one that began with the tool he used to tell it – language. 

Tolkien was a professor of linguistics at Oxford University. His love of languages began when he was still a child. He created numerous languages and his mythology of Middle-earth was born as a place for them to be spoken. His other motive for creating a mythology was that he had long desired to create it “for England,” as he felt that he wanted to dedicate it to his country (Carpenter 97). His mythology was first known as “The Book of Lost Tales,” but it would later be called and eventually published posthumously as The Silmarillion. Tolkien’s linguistic background and his invented languages are the inspiration for and the foundation of Middle-earth’s very existence; they are the keystone of the people, their culture, and their stories. 

Tolkien’s love of linguistics and storytelling culminated with his writing of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), which was published in 1954.  The Hobbit, published in 1937, was a children’s book, one that showcased Tolkien’s storytelling ability. Tolkien had been writing stories and told them to his children for many years and The Hobbit, when he first began writing it, was “merely another story for amusement,” a place for Bilbo Baggins and his adventures. However, “elements of [the] mythology began to creep in… it was apparent that the journey of Bilbo Baggins and his companions lay across a corner of that Middle-earth” (Carpenter 182). 

After the success of The Hobbit, and at his publisher’s urging to write a sequel, Tolkien began to “realise the significance of hobbits…they had a crucial role to play in his mythology” (Carpenter 180). In a letter written to Stanley Unwin, his publisher, Tolkien wrote, “Mr Baggins began as a comic tale among conventional and inconsistent Grimm’s fairy-tale dwarves, and got drawn into the edge of it – so that even Sauron the terrible peeped over the edge. And what more can hobbits do?” (qtd by Carpenter 189). When he was writing the manuscript, he wrote a note to himself, “Make return of ring motive.” 

So began the writing of his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, which, as stated before, was a culmination of his love of languages and his storytelling abilities. The books (which were not supposed to be a trilogy, but that’s a story for another time) were a huge success, garnering Tolkien fame throughout Britain, and especially in America where LOTR became a bestselling book and where there was a campus cult in the sixties; young Americans began to wear badges that read “Frodo Lives,” “Gandalf for President,” and “Come to Middle-earth.” Graffiti slogans read “J.R.R. Tolkien is Hobbit-forming.” LOTR was the second-most read book of the 20th century, second only to the Bible. That was the beginning a fandom fire that would be re-ignited in the 21st century by Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s mythology.

The enduring popularity of Tolkien’s mythology, both in the books and the films, is due to universal themes, including human existence, courage, and hope. Dr. Patrick Curry stated that “new generations of readers [and viewers of the films] can keep on finding meanings from their own lives” (Unwin). Although we as fans are journeying into Middle-earth with Jackson #OneLastTime, the fellowship of fans that has been created doesn’t have to end. At the beginning of LOTR, Bilbo Baggins states, “I bid you all a very fond farewell,” but he doesn’t say goodbye—and perhaps there is something significant in this. LOTR ends with Samwise Gamgee stating, “Well, I’m back.”  That is not an ending, nor is it a beginning. It is a continuation, one that means the story doesn’t have to end because the books are written and the films are done.  As Bilbo states, “things are made to endure in the Shire, passing from one generation to the next.”  The love of Middle-earth, the fellowships it has created, and the lessons that have been learned can and will endure and, like the road, go ever on and on.

This is not goodbye. It is merely a very fond farewell. 

Until our next meeting.

#fellowshipforever #middleearthendures

Lindsay Flanagan is a writer, graduate student, and mommy who lives with her husband and two daughters in Orem, Utah. Along with her borderline obsession of Middle-earth, she is a devoted Potterhead and concert junkie. You can find her at The Calligrapher’s Ink and on Twitter @LindsFlanagan.

Works Cited

Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. 

Unwin, Raynor. “J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-earth.” The Two Towers Appendices.  DVD.  New Line Cinema, 2002. 

Images

http://cslewisjrrtolkien.classicalautographs.com/jrrtolkien/JRRTolkien-Writing.jpg

http://www.thehobbitblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/HBFA_1Sht_Tsr_DOM_RGB_2764x4096.jpg

http://www.tolkienbookshelf.com/pictures/medium/000904_1.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42QOs5O1-ZmaWcH4yoDm09UcP6-oZ4JUG3buRUbMxkFwvNvA_bkqTm_LVPLt_eE7oz6aCFn799YDje7ICejySSPPPiLGXFrcllYzGOzbNcjikhHLbMlDo4iyEKi75-YN6iwZ6IeiwrCR-/s320/the-hobbit-book-cover.jpg

http://www.desktopwallpapers4.me/movies/middle-earth-map-the-lord-of-the-rings-18255/

NYCC 2013 Wrap Up with The Knights Blog

By:  Jeff Zyra

Now that I have had time to recover and to soak in all that I have experienced at NYCC last weekend I thought I would give a review of the convention as a whole.  NYCC was held October 10^th to the 13^th and I was there for all four days and it was a whirlwind of fun and excitement.  I’m still recovering from convention hangover so it must have been a rocking time.  Like all shows there were a couple new things that were implemented some good and some well not sure if it was good or not.  But mostly it was all good so read on to see what I thought of NYCC.

This year was the first year that NYCC used RFID chips in the passes for all the attendees.  Whether you had a VIP, Press, Pro, Exhibitor, Single Day etc, etc you had to activate your pass on your home computer before you attended the convention.  They have said that their passes have been counterfeited and they went the route of using Radio Identification chips to stop that and to prevent the convention center from being overrun.  I have to admit last year the convention was really crowded and it was extremely hard to walk around the convention.  This year not so much as they seem to have cut down on the people who did not pay and crashed the convention so for the most part I am in favor of the chips in the passes.  Lots of people were complaining that you needed to get scanned to enter and exit the convention.  I did not find this to be a big problem as I got there early and they had lots of people with the scanning device at the entrance.  Even when leaving when there was a line to get out I did not find it to be a hassle.  It was pretty easy and did not take a lot of time and I did not think it was that much of a hassle or inconvenience as people are making it out to be.  If it keeps the crowds down to a manageable number and keeps the counterfeiters out then I am all for it. 

What was strange and not the fault of NYCC was that DC Comics did not have a booth on the main convention floor.  What they did have was a display of Superman’s costumes from across TV and the movies and it was really out of the way at the far end of the convention center on the lower level near the escalators to the Empire Stage level.  I did not care for this as DC Comics usually has a pretty cool booth and it was really missed.  What they did for their creator signings was set up a signing area in artist alley.  This was actually a pretty good idea as DC Comics signings on the main floor is hectic at best.  By having them in artist alley in an area that is hardly used at all makes sense and they are able to maintain a line that is not hectic and organized.  It also cut down on those trying to cut into the line also which is a good thing.  Another thing they could have done was hand out wrist bands to those waiting in line to get into Artist Alley first thing in the morning for the Scott Snyder Greg Capullo signing.  It would cut down on a lot of people running through Artist Alley to get in line before it gets capped.  It was first come first serve and you should have seen the people run to get in line.  I was fortunate to get in line early and did not have to run and was still able to get a spot in line to get my books signed.

This time around I attended more panels than I normally do and I have to say that I was really impressed and bowled over with how greatly attended the two Doctor Who panels were.  There were so many people that fans were standing up in the back of the rooms to listen to the speakers.  This included the fan run panel that at first did not have any celebrities until the end when Colin Baker and Nick Briggs made a surprise appearance.  The crowed was fired up and full of excitement.  It made me pretty happy how much Doctor Who fandom has grown since the new show and the fact that a lot of young fans wanted to see Colin was a good sign that the newer fans are interested in the shows history.  It was really a great moment for NYCC and hopefully they continue to have a Doctor Who presence at their convention.  John Barrowman was without a doubt the best panel I have ever attended.  I’m not going to give much away but if you ever have the chance to see one of his panels then do yourself a favor and go and see it.  Just leave the children away from this panel as they will get quite the education. 

If there were any problems I did not see any even though I did hear about some once I got home and was glad to hear  the convention organizer put a stop to it really quickly.  For me I thought this convention was really well organized and I found that the main area was not that congested at all making it easier to get around.  Which seemed odd to say since they announced that there was 130,000 people attending this convention the same amount as San Diego.  NYCC was lots of fun including Sunday which is kids day which is a NYCC tradition and one that I hope they continue for years to come.  It is pretty cool seeing all the kids dressed up as their favorite super heroes.  

New York Comic Con was a lot of fun for me this year.  I had a blast going to different panels and interacting with the fans.  Covering NYCC is a lot of work but very rewarding as you get to see all sorts of cool stuff and the fans were really clever with their cosplay this year.  I was really impressed with the skill and detail they put into their costumes.  It is always a sad time when I head for Grand Central and the train back to New Haven as it dawns on me that it will be another whole year until NYCC happens again. 

*Check out Jeff on Twitter and his blog!  Tell us about your NYCC experiences in the comments below!  Hopefully I can make it out next year!  Thank you Jeff!*

Wizard World Philly 2013

By: Jeff from The DW Knights

Yet again it is June and yet again the Trio of Three headed down to the city of Philadelphia on the weekend of June 1st and 2nd for the annual pilgrimage of geek and hero worship that is Wizard World Philly.  This year there was a lot for everyone to get engrossed in as stars from The Walking Dead, Firefly, Star Trek and Doctor Who filled the convention center with their presence.  

The aisles were filled with tons of dealers from comics to Mind Craft and all sorts of Doctor Who merchandise to get the fans excited for the 50th with an array of cool knick knacks to be had.   This year I found it to be organized the best in years.  When we arrived on Sunday we entered the Penn Convention Center and promptly walked to the far end of the building where they had it all set up.  What was really great is that once you got there you were able to process your VIP tickets and get your goodies and then head to the VIP line.  

This was a great improvement and made things easier than standing in a line and then getting cut off to get the goodies and then lose your spot in the line you were originally in.  I also have to applaud the people running the autograph lines as they had everything planned just right and when the star had to leave they handed out tickets with numbers on it. When the autograph session started up again they had those with the tickets form another line in order and then had them enter the autograph line first.  This was a good move as those who were waiting before were not screwed if they did not make it the first time.

The Trio of Three was on a mission to see three guests.  After a problem free ride down on Saturday and after digesting the news that Matt Smith had decided to leave the role of The Doctor we headed to the Penn Convention to meet Gina Torres, Summer Glau and John Barrowman.  It was pretty good timing when we got to Gina Torres line as there wasn’t many people there to see her yet.  She was very nice to her fans and talked to everyone that went to get an autograph from her.  She talked to my son who said he wasn’t having a good time as we had just came from John Barrowman’s line where it was cut right at us.  So that action got my son miffed.

Summer Glau’s line was a pretty decent size but it moved incredibly slow.  She would talk to her fans for at least 10 minutes and would pose for pictures also.  This made the line incredible slow and standing around and waiting a long time to meet her was a bit of a downer but that is all part of going to conventions and part of the convention experience.  At least the people in line where sociable and when I got to Summer Glau I was able to talk to her for a bit which made the wait worth it.  

The highlight of the weekend was the VIP experience the Trio had with John Barrowman.  He is definitely one of the best guests I have ever met and if you get a chance to see him at a convention he is definitely worth seeing and you will have a good time and you will not be disappointed.  John Barrowman interacted with everyone in the autograph line and was a really fast signer.  He talked to my son for a bit and liked his Pokemon hat.  He was really funny and mostly everything goes with him.  

If mostly everything goes in the autograph line then everything goes in the photo op.  John Barrowman came out and addressed the line that he would do anything but kissing. As he did not want to get sick he ruled out kissing.   Indeed nothing was ruled out as people posed with John Barrowmen getting felt up, hands on breasts, and all sort of weird things.  I went conservative and just posed with him.   He asked my son if he plays baseball and he said yes and I then mentioned he also does gymnastics also.  So John Barrowman wanted to see something and my son did a handstand and then John Barrowman tried to do one and held it for 10 seconds and my son kept going until john Barrowman picked him by his legs.  This was an awesome moment and was the highlight of the convention.  John Barrowman is the best guest I have ever met and would see him again in a heartbeat if he comes to my area again.  Thank You Wizard World for a wonderful time this past weekend.