Space City Comic Con: The Voyage Of A Lifetime!

First off, if you’ve never been to a comic con, try it! This was my first Houston Comic Con and I was more than a little nervous. I’ve met several music artists in the past, but I have never met any television/movie actors that I admire.

Getting my nerves in check, my exploration of Space City Comic Con began. Thank goodness lines were formed inside of NRG Center. Texas heat was already on the rise and later that day my car read outside temps into the triple digits.

As we waited in line, another comic con attendee pointed us in the correct direction to get our badges first. There still seemed to be a little confusion on the staff’s part as exactly what they were to do.

We got checked in and received our badges, then got press pass taken care of. (Special thanks to George Comits and SCCC on this!) VIP was allowed early entry into vendor hall. But it appeared that regular passes also started entering as staff still worked out kinks. This really was no major issue. There was plenty of room for everyone and it wasn’t crazy busy yet. So I think it was great.

First stop was the NASA booth. These guys were so awesome! I asked questions about the space suit they had on display and the staff were eager to answer. I was told those packs the astronauts wore were over 300 pounds! Yay for zero gravity! The NASA booth also gave out free posters which the kids seemed to love.

Next, I had to check out the Ultra Sabers‘ booth. I was partial to the one with the ThunderCats logo. I had a huge crush on Lion-O when I was young. A cartoon character, and yet another one of my secret shames… I seem to have a lot of those.

From there, we noticed the guest booths were already set up and photo op booth was open for sales. This is where the biggest problem we faced all weekend came in. VIP package came with photo op voucher, Exclusive VIP print, and SCCC Collectibles. The only thing we received was our photo op vouchers. And this took more than half an hour for them to figure out how to link these to our passes. Apparently either the staff checking people in was supposed to be passing these things out, or there was a huge kink in linking VIP passes to photo op vouchers. Either way, this area needed improvement. My family’s perks are still not completely filled. It’s not a huge deal, but disappointing.

Those little glitches aside, the rest of the comic con weekend was smooth sailing. We made our way around the signing booths to see where all of the guests were going to be located. And just in time, Space City Comic Com had launched their SCCC iOS Apple app that was a huge help in planning my SCCC experience.

On the way to check booth locations I’d noticed a couple of goodies. This was where we now headed. The Supernatural car was sitting there all black and shiny. The staging job was awesome! The Chevy Impala was set up perfectly, from the props in the front seat, the double barreled shotgun lying in the backseat, to all the supernatural ‘cures’ in the trunk. Very cool! And sitting not too far from the Impala was a childhood favorite, Speed Racer‘s Mach 5. That was a real treat to see. I may have sung the Go Speed Racer Go song in my head. Don’t judge.

There were other props that were interesting to see as well. I spotted a Tardis and multiple Daleks from Doctor Who, a couple of Jurassic Park vehicles, and another favorite of mine, the Stargate. They were still in the process of setting the gate up when we spotted it. I did have an idea while watching. (I do have these from time to time.) I think a big hit would’ve been hanging a blue curtain behind the Stargate simulating the wormhole. Then cut various holes for photo ops that Stargate enthusiasts could poke through to make it appear they were going into the wormhole. I probably over thought this, but I would’ve lined up for it!

Now that I was in Stargate mode I went to see the man who’d been there, Marshall Teague. I was more than a little overwhelmed when meeting him. We’ve interacted a little on our Twitter feeds, so it was great to meet face to face. Mr. Teague was so approachable and such a great guy! Before we left SCCC at the end of the weekend, I made sure to stop back by his booth and tell him thanks and how nice it was to meet him and his wife.

Some twitter followers may know where I went next. I had to go see one of my favorite mullet haired Olympus TV men. He may also be in my favorite group of Assassin’s Creed (AC) voice actors. That would be Cas Anvar!

No Karina, aka WormholeRiders @FidgetTBC, thank goodness I did not faint. I do admit I was a little nervous… Okay, a LOT nervous. But I think I came out dignity intact. And I’m now the proud owner of a signed Prince Xerxes pic. Long live the Hot Tub Conspiracy! Now, if only December will hurry and get here with Syfy’s The Expanse so we can meet Alex Kamal. (This photo is part of a larger image I’ll repost, but the only good pic with Cas that I got outside of the photo op.)

Backing up a few steps pre meeting Cas Anvar, we passed another AC and The Expanse actor, Elias Toufexis, walking through the con. That may have prompted this tweet: ‘If @EliasToufexis walks past you at @ComicConHouston… Do you tackle, or let him pass safely @VyronWindstad?’ He was safe that time. The photo op was a near miss. One of my favorite SCCC photos by the way! My son and I call it ‘pinecone’. Also have to add how cool it was to hear the voice of Adam Jensen from Deus Ex in person. And did anyone from Wormhole Riders know that he did a couple episodes of Stargate: Atlantis?! Pesky Replicators…

Then there was a third Assassin’s Creed voice actor visit, Amber Goldfarb. She was also on one of my absolute favorite shows, Helix. She’s super sweet, very funny, and yes people she’s just as freaking cute in person. If you watch Syfy channel chances are you’ve seen her on Helix, Being Human, or Lost Girl. Maybe she should be crowned Syfy’s sweetheart? And she really went out of her way to make sure we were happy with photos taken. Big thanks for the tip Amber! PS: Can we keep her here in the U.S.?

I had to wait another day to meet Matt Ryan of AC and Constantine. Cool guy! He was a dream Q&A. One of three we took in. (SCCC could’ve just put in a revolving door for me that afternoon). Loved his Constantine prop story! But it’s a secret so can’t put that in my review. They’re coming for you Matt. It was impressive to learn about his history with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The story about his yeti appearance while he did MULTIPLE auditions for Constantine was interesting too.

At the time, Matt was doing a play and couldn’t shave his face or cut his hair. When he finally could, there was another great hair debate: ‘Too blonde.’ ‘Not blonde enough.’ Things worked out and he was a brilliant Constantine. I also have to mention that there was still no confirmation on those Arrow rumors! Fingers crossed we’ll get to see more Matt Ryan back on our tube soon with this costumed Super crew.

My following SCCC must was Gigi Edgley, Chiana of Farscape. Huge fan here! I’m not sure what the best part about this encounter was, watching her interact with the fans, or interacting with her personally. She is just fantastic. She made sure to make the entire group in front of her feel included by interacted with everyone, even my spouse who she told ‘I see you back there being all stalker-ish Mr. Stalker, get in here’ when he hung back a little. She’s really good at putting people at ease! Then there was the cutest little boy that kept trying to physically pick her up! And no, it wasn’t my eagle eyed son who’d noticed her ink art. I loved her story about her tattoo and how basically what she once considered having removed, she later embraced. If you ever get the chance to meet her, you should do it!

Things started getting hectic around guest booths so we headed to the vendor area and artist alley. We had option to move to front of line at guest booths, but just couldn’t bring myself to move ahead of other fans. I did try multiple times to find the BEST smile at SCCC in the form of Michele Specht of Star Trek Continues, but alas my timing with her booth never lined out.

We did however connect via Twitter, and I’m working on project for that which may involve Ghostbuster’s Stay Puft Marshmallow man and a gargoyle or two. (Aren’t these guys adorable?! Wish I could have taken them home with me!) Thanks Miss Michele! Hope to meet you in person next time!

Now that we’d made our way to the vendor booths, we saw tables like Ettin Games who’d also held a gaming expo at SCCC. There were vendors with everything from swords, jewelry, prints, stuffed critters, cosplay gear, and so many other items. Also came across the craziest little oddities booth! Check out this two-headed duckling!

Then there were the artists! These guys and gals had such amazing works of art. And we bought a lot of it! I’m going to need to build a bigger house… If you ever get the time, check out some of these guys!

We met Dietrich Smith who’s worked with Marvel and DC Comics! It was really great meeting this illustrator and seeing his work. And I was equally impressed with Ash Gonzales, Craig Michael Scott, Chris Oz Fulton, Leticia Frankio, and Jessica Von Braun. These guys were just a few of the great artists at SCCC.

There was a pleasant surprise at Jessica Von Braun’s art table! Her table mate was Chuck Huber of Star Trek Continues and voice actor for Dragon Ball Z. This guy kept us in stitches. Very hilarious, and at one point he may or may not have gone on a small selfie spree with my cell phone. I think I shall call him Chuck Huber the Selfie King. A bonus when visiting Mr. Huber’s table was that he engaged some of his character voices. Some I’ve heard, others were new to me. This was great with for the kids and admittedly the adults too.

In keeping with the Star Trek theme, after our visit a day to Chuck Huber for some laughs, we decided to attend the Q&A with William Shatner. We were early so we took in the Doctor Who Q&A first. So glad we did this!

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are quick witted, funny, and make a great team. In case you didn’t know this, Darvill sings. When asked if he’d sing a little something, he said no. He then relented and gave us a note. ONE note. On who’s the better kisser: ‘Matt and Darvill’s faces fit together better.’ Lots of laughs to this.

On Texas BBQ: When Darvill came here when he was younger he’d asked for chicken: ‘They brought me out a whole chicken.’ Then in a deep voice ‘I love it here!’ Gillan discussed having to shave her head for a role and they’d made her a wig from her own hair. She said it’s on a mannequin head and joked about pinning a photo of her on face onto the mannequin. This Q&A was laugh after laugh! I could get into this whole Doctor Who fandom. I’d watch ANYTHING these two did together. I regret not watching the show when they were on it.

Next came maybe my most memorable time at Space City Comic Con. It was Q&A with William Shatner. Vic Mignogna of Star Trek Continues came out on stage, bonus guest sighting, and did the intro for Shatner.

These days, I’m rarely rendered speechless. That’s hard to believe right? But this was one of those times. Here, walking maybe ten feet in front of me, was the man some only ever DREAM of seeing in person, William Shatner. The most overwhelming feeling came over me. I was speechless, my breath caught in my throat, and yes, I choked up a little.

My son who sat to my right gave me a funny look, but he was grinning from ear to ear. He felt it too. There’s just this presence that radiates from Shatner. Mr. Shatner opened with ‘Nice to be in Dallas’. He talked about horses and how he was tricked into bidding on one. His love for them was very clear. He talked a lot about space.

I have only known him from TV shows, movies, and Priceline commercials. Hard to get a true feel for someone through a screen. He’s intelligent and funny as hell. A young guy got the final question. It was more a ribbing about Star Trek parodies and how Shatner himself had participated in one on Saturday Night Live. To which Shatner responded: ‘I did?’ He asked the kid how old he was and he replied that he was seventeen. Shatner replied: ‘Between 17 and 20 you’ll learn the difference between parody and gentle joshing.’

The interaction between Shatner and this 17 year old was brilliant! The teen went as far as mimicking Captain Kirk’s pauses in speech! Shatner’s response, in the same Kirk pause: ‘Maybe.. I.. Was.. Trying.. To.. Remember.. What.. I.. Was.. Supposed.. To.. Do.. Next.’ The room erupted! I’m so glad I made the decision to take in this Q&A! PS: Did I mention how much I love William Shatner?

And I loved Spock! I was impressed by some of the cosplayer costumes, but the Spock… I’ve been dying to show everyone the picture of this cosplayer! He looks so eerily close to Leonard Nimoy that one SCCC attendee told me she cried when she saw him. I completely got it when I saw him for myself. If you ever head to a comic con, and you are a Spock fan, try to spot Spock Vegas!

There were so many other great costumes at SCCC! My first day, I got to see two of my cosplay wish list costumes, Harley Quinn and X-Men’s Cyclops. My first Harley Quinn cosplayer was spunky & put herself into the character! Captain Jack Sparrow was not too bad either. I was kind of digging the pirate look. Then there were the Medieval Loki duo. These were the most elaborate, put together costumes. So heavy, so realistic, you could hear these guys coming across the vendor hall. I may have gawked, which may have in turn led to my simulated abduction/head clubbing from the duo. At that point, this happened on day one, I was fully immersed in my Comic Con experience.

I did have a few cosplayers that I was dying to meet that I’d discovered through SCCC’s Twitter feed: Kristen Hughey, Carl Martin, and Mista Sean J. Two out of three aren’t bad. Never saw Mista Sean J, but Carl Martin Had a couple of really good costumes from Kingdom Hearts, Terra, and Dragon Ball Z, Goku. Both of these happen to be some of my son’s favorites.

I loved his attention to detail all the way down to the hair. And thanks to Kristen Hughey who was my second Harley Quinn sighting, and the only Battlestar Galactica Caprica-Six I spotted, I now see ladies of cosplay differently. Admit it girls, we are all at least a tad jealous of these gorgeous cosplayers.

But now I see it more for the creativity, the dedication to detail, perfecting the character. A lot of these women, and men, create and design their own costumes, which in itself is a form of art. I’d also like to add how much grace Miss Hughey carried herself with. Her interaction with fans, the respect her fans showed her. She gained a huge fan at SCCC.

We also discovered some fairies at Space City Comic Con, Dim N Wit. They won my most colorful duo approval. That seems fitting since these guys are putting together a coloring book. If you get time to check out their photos you’ll see they’ve definitely been busy little Comic Con fairies.

There were so many more guests that I would have loved to meet! I missed Bridget Regan but did find her in the form of a fan booth with all things Legend Of The Seeker. I did spot Chad Michael Murray and his family, but only in a photo I took of an awesome Centaur. Hope to catch him in person next time though. I love he and Bridget’s performances in Agent Carter. Also on my still want to meet list is Naomi Grossman, Rachel Skarsten, and Manu Bennett.

I did get some bonus meets though! Through Space City Comic Con tweets I met mutual fans of AC and other things comic con related. I did make it a point to seek out and meet some tweeters in person. I met some members of The First Assassins and NAACG.

Thanks for letting me snap your pics Nick, William, and crew! Assassin’s Creed fans are intensely dedicated. Love the costumes, and they posted a great video with the gang singing! You can see it on Twitter using #SingingAJody. Cas Anvar may have made a non-singing appearance.

Again, I’d like to give a huge thanks to Space City Comic Con and George Comits for giving me the opportunity to cover SCCC. You’ve created a monster! And a big shout out to the ASL crew, @comicconterp, who signed for the Q&A’s! Love the work you guys do and that this allows more fans to enjoy their comic con experience!

Well, I hope I have not bored you guys to tears. And there are some things I’m surely forgetting. But hope my perspective on Space City Comic Con is enough to make you want to attend one!

Thanks to Kenn for final audio, video embedding , and additional image staging, and many thanks to you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

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Thank you!

Tonja (@twotees68)