San Diego Comic Con 2013 (Part 2)

Saturday, day 3, began with the Riddler. My first stop was the DC booth, but I was already too late to get tickets for the Geoff Johns and Jim Lee signings. I did get autographs from some of the artists there, and managed to accomplish one of my goals: I recorded something for DC Nation. I answered a few questions about my favorite characters and why I chose to be the Riddler, then recorded a line for the commercial break for the new Batman animated show.

Also while I was the Riddler, I managed to get an autograph from John Barrowman, of "Doctor Who," 'Torchwood," and more recently "Arrow." He was signing a book he co-wrote, along with the other author, so I purchased a copy and had the two of them sign it; as I wasn't expecting to meet Barrowman, this was a great and welcome surprise for me.

After I once again failed to meet the creators of the Avatar series, and failed to meet Jim Lee or Geoff Johns, I found my way to the DC gathering. This one was somewhat larger than the Marvel one, but was also fun, if more crowded. There was also a big surprise, as a Robin cosplayer proposed to his Poison Ivy girlfriend, so congratulations once again to the happy couple!

When that ended, I prepared my Wheatley costume for the masquerade. I was in a group, and we were entering with a Portal skit. The very thought of competing in a masquerade at Comic Con, of all places, had me feeling like a small fish in a very large pond, especially when I saw some of the cosplays we were up against. Yet everyone there was exceedingly nice, and I had some great conversations with the other competitors. The backstage area was also very well organized, and we were kept in a green room with a screen to watch the masquerade and snacks to eat on. It was one of the best masquerades I've ever been in, and while my group didn't win anything, we still had fun, and it was a very good experience.

By the time it was over, the night was late, and we were all tired. It was time to turn in and prepare for the last day.

Inside the Ice King's castle at the Adventure Time booth

The Doctor and his TARDIS

Zoot, from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I suppose I could have camped out for the Doctor Who panel, but even then, I doubt I'd have gotten in. In spite of that, I still cosplayed as the Eleventh Doctor the next day, on the off chance I'd run into Matt Smith. Suffice to say, I did not.

However, I did get in line for the Adventure Time autographs. I purchased the Adventure Time Encyclopedia, and began waiting for my chance to meet Olivia Olson, who voices Marceline, and Martin Olson, her father, who also voices Marceline's dad. You may remember that I have a cosplay of Marceline's dad, and while I didn't have the cosplay with me, I did have a picture on my 3DS, which I showed to them. Both seemed to like it a lot, and I was asked to send more pictures of it to Martin. I also asked Olivia "Oh Marceline, why're you so mean?" as one of the songs in the show did, and she replied in song, which pretty well made my day.

Also while wandering, I saw Felicia Day being interviewed at the Marvel booth. I decided to wait around a bit for the interview to end, and managed to quickly grab a picture with her before she had to leave. It wasn't a lengthy encounter, but a good one nonetheless.

I spent the remainder of the day enjoying what remained, until the convention closed. I spent the night in the hotel, before my group left the following morning to drive back.

So, that was San Diego Comic Con. How was it? Really, it was a blend of amazing encounters and crushing disappointment. I still feel strong disappointment every time I look at how much Avatar awesomeness I missed out on, and I really, really hope I can make up for it the next time I have the chance. While I missed Matt Smith, I did get to meet John Barrowman, and getting to see some of the other guests I encountered was a blast.

Still, it was an insanely crowded convention; going anywhere proved a challenge. Some of the staff members were not the best, such as those who kept shouting at the lines, and one who stood in the middle of a room shouting "No standing or sitting against the doors" over and over instead of just talking to the one person sitting in front of the door who clearly wasn't hearing it until myself and one other politely let her know.

There was not as much cosplay as at other conventions, although there was a pretty even balance between store-bought and "oh my god that is amazing how did you make that" costumes. I met some great cosplayers, who I hope to keep in touch with for later cons.

I'm still trying to figure out if the good outweighed the bad for this convention. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but that's partially because I don't know if I'll be going back again.

Ah, hell. I've learned some valuable lessons from this one, next time I won't repeat some of my mistakes. See you again, Comic Con!

Boba Fett

Green Lantern bust and Sinestro statue

Eighth and Eleventh Doctors

Gender-bent JLI