Regeneration Who 4

This past weekend was the Regeneration Who 4 convention. It's one of the best cons out there. Run by the amazing Oni Hartstein and James Harknell. They have a wonderful crew who care about you, your experience, and making it the best out there.

I was vending for a second year for my Geek Girls' Castle shop. This year I bought a table instead of a booth. And while smaller, the table was much better for me. Sales were better, exposure was better, and location tons better. I love being at this con with "me people". Fans who are like minded, no judgements, no drama. Everyone is there for the love of Who and each other. We really are one big family at this convention.

While I can't get away from my table too often, I was able to get away for a few things. First off, Michelle Gomez was at the con. She plays Missy on Doctor Who, and well, my name being Missy, I do cosplay her at Who events and needed to meet her. She seemed so cool and fun and funny on her social media accounts. I got to fulfill that dream this weekend.

Here's how all my encounters with Michelle Gomez went.

Friday night, late-ish, she was signing autographs. My hubby went to get his autographs done for her that evening. As he got to the front, he called me over to leave my table to meet her too. I got over there, hubby introduced me and said, "Yes, her name really is Missy." She deadpanned, looked at hubby, and said, "Was that your only criteria??" We had a good laugh about that. But she was stunned by my actual name and asked in all seriousness, if it was short for something. I did answer, "Yes, it's short for Melissa..." 

My friend Amy was with us. She had on a handmade skirt. Michelle commented she loved it. She then saw mine as well. Hubby went into sales pitch mode saying that I make mine too and sell them, pointing towards my table. I unconsciously put my hands in my pockets to flare out the skirt so she could see the design, etc. Well, Michelle nearly jumped over the table, screamming, "It has pockets?!!?" I then went into sort of salesman mode too, saying "Yes! Large pockets that fit iphone 8+!" She looked at both assistants, one on each side, looking amazed and mouthing/not being able to talk about how she needs one! The one assistant said, "We have a photo op we need to get to..." Well, let me tell you, the look she shot her assistant was llike "B*tch, do NOT tell me we can't get one!" Hubby mentioned I was still open and I'd stay open if she needed... But the assistants needed to stick to their schedule of course. So they said they'd try to stop by another time. As they left the area, I did give her a cyberman luggage tag tho.

Saturday was a usual setup morning for my table. Got there early to reset the table and get it buyer ready. Within a couple hours of being open, I saw a blonde woman say hello at my table. I looked thru the shelves and said hello and such. Then I peer to the left of her, and see it's Michelle Gomez!!! OMG I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD! BUT KEEP IT COOL! hahaha

I walk around to the front of the table. I say hello and all that. She hugs me! *dying* Ha! She had picked up the pink toiletry bag with the DC comics superheroines on it. But she quickly said, "No, but where are the things with pockets?!!" heehee

So I show her the skirts I have left, which aren't many. (Thank you attendees for buying so many haha). I have a Marvel Avengers, Downton Abbey, Cyberman/Dalek combo, Star Wars, and Haunted Mansion left. First, she saw the Marvel and asked her assistant what that was. She answered. The Michelle immediately shoved it aside and said, "Oh, that's irrelevant." HAHAHAH 

I said the Downton Abbey one would be too cheeky. She agreed. hehe

I pulled the cyberman/dalek one off for her to see it but she didn't think it was really for her. Which I can understand that. The assistant said I should have had more Tardis ones. Which I did, but they all sold! *womp womp* Sorry, Michelle!!

So they didn't buy anything. But it was so nice she really did want something from me.
And my table neighbor had the foresight to take pictures for me... so she got some really great pics! Thanks Scully!!! (Go check out her shop too! Scully makes some amazing chainmail!)

Ok, so Sat afternoon tho, I was dressed as Missy all day because I was taking my photo with Michelle Gomez. My friend Amy and Jen saved me a seat/place in line while I was selling my wares and such. (Thanks guys!!) So thanks to them, I weas close to the front of the line for her photo session and could get back to my table quicker.

Michelle remembered me and hugged me before the photo was taken. She's so sweet!!!! A great photo was taken. I thanked her and moved along.

Later in the day, hubby and I had a photo op with both Michelle and Peter Capaldi, who played the 12th and most recent Doctor in the show.

We get up to the photo op and Michelle, knowing me by now, and probably sick of me, hugs me, and turns to Peter and kind of gets in his face and says, "Peter, this is Missy, no really, that's her name!" And Peter, mutters something like, "Oh really?" And iI'm like, yeah... But then I swear, in that same moment, it all happened at once, his sideeye, to Michelle, all whilst giving me a smile and nod and muttering, is giving Michelle the side eye of like, "Woman, I cannot take your crazy anymore..." hahahaha 

In that photo we had Michelle and Peter hold up their action figures because they were the same figures we had put on our wedding cake for wedding 1.0. We did tell them that and they were in shock a little. hehe (Crazy fan stories amiright? hehe)

I later got my photo with Missy signed. Thank you staff that allowed me to not be away from my table for long period of time... You guys are awesome. Michelle was a doll during the signing but I felt like I had so many amazing moments with her, I didn't want to say much more to her or take up her valuable time when other fans needed to have their moments instead...But I was so happy and honored to have met her so many times this weekend. She kept the humor and love all around her fans. It was amazing!

I'm still on a con high from the wonderful time I had.

As for business, it was pretty good this weekend. Much better than last year. I definitely want to come back again. Even tho it's a new venue as we've outgrown this hotel already! But I'll be excited to get in again. I just love the people, staff, fans, attendees, guests, panels, and jam sessions. It's all so fabulous. They work so hard to put this together and make it all work for the fans. It's what it's all about. And I love coming every year!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table and bought my wares or just took my card. You all are fantastic and made my weekend! xoxox

Intervention Con Wrap-Up

Another con weekend done!

This weekend was Intervention Con. It's one of the best out there. It started out as a con to mix Internet and convention. With husband and wife team, Oni Hartstein and James Harknell's core mission being to "Intervene and Inspire everyone who participates. With us you can come meet the creators, actors, developers, and producers of your favorite works and also learn about the process of how it’s all made. Our Creator’s Track within the con is all about mentoring people into fandom industries and many of our guest participate as mentors. It’s a 3 day fandom celebration with a heart toward helping the community."

It is in Rockville, MD at the Hilton Hotel there. It;s a great location, right on the Pike and with lots of shopping and food choices within walking distance of the con, across the street and next door on both sides. 

Intervention this year had more celeb guests than previous years but it did not distract from the original mission of the con. I love celebs so that's always a big draw for me anyway, but with Intervention, I always go because I learn a lot from the discussions, panels, and celeb interviews. 

It's really one of the only cons, along with its sister con, RegenerationWho, that I really just want to attend every panel! I even love the panels so much, I need to make sure I find an hour to get food for lunch and dinner! If not I need to make sure I bring food with me so I don't pass out from the awesomeness! HA!

Intervention does what no other con has managed to do for me, I go to the panels to take notes and learn from the experts and those with much more experience than me, to learn about filmmaking, marketing, and starting my own business. All the things I currently do and am trying to thrive in.

One of the things that Intervention tried out this year was something called "Creator Space". It was meant to bring artists and vendors alike, to a safe place that you could for however long you want, sit at a half table in the hall, to sell things you have made-whether is was fine arts artwork like paintings, or jewelry, or other arts and crafts you have made yourself. I actually did partake in it because I didn't want to vend at the con. (Because I love the con too much to want to attend everything that I don't want to be stuck at a table I can't leave to go learn stuff!) So this was great! 

It dd have its hiccup on Friday, day one. You could sign up for Friday online and you should have received an email saying they will text or call you around 1pm to tell you to set up or if there was room to sit there. While I received my initial email, I hadn't received anything further in the day and it looked completely empty all day there. I did have some free time and could have sat and vended for a short time if things had run smoother. There was some lack of communication on the rules and instructions for the volunteer sitting there. So the space went unused all of Friday, unfortunately. And I did talk with James later that night about it. Hiccups happen, miscommunication happens. The good thing with James and Oni is they are aware of situations and we all know mishaps will occur and trial and error prevail. James and Oni though, they fix things. Always. Never be afraid to tell them when something isn't working, they fit that nonsense then and there! Anyway, so we chatted and things were to be fixed for Sat.

I go to the sign up sheet Sat and they are to text me if there is space. There was even a column to check off on the sign up sheet if texting was ok or not for you. Still nothing by mid-day. Though I do see the tables are starting to be used at least, So it's a step in the right direction. I couldn't find the woman in charge as she is so busy herself with the vendors most the time and you can only be in one place at a time. (Lovely gal, not her fault I couldn't find her for help.) But in quickly talking with someone else sitting there selling her artwork, she mentioned that we just sit in an open space for however we like (part of the rules page) and someone will come to check you off from the sign up sheet. Oh! Ok! That was not communicated with potential creator space vendors. But with this new and very helpful knowledge, I went off to lunch quickly and then came back to set up for a couple hours. And though I didn't sell anything, I was happy to have that opportunity to try to sell my wares and see what may or may not happen. The creator space was a great opportunity to at least get my business out there and to see the fans and those who may be interested in my skirts and bags. And it was nice to meet other creators doing the same thing and we could talk shop and business skills were shared and such. I really hope, once the kinks get worked out, this comes back next year, maybe even at RegenWho, 

Perhaps there could be an actual timegrid for people to sign up on instead of a con worker needing to contact foks, or maybe make it clearer in the rules and instructions of how the system works-- i.e. - to just plop down when you want and we'll check you off, vs we'll contact you method. They had very clear instructions overall but implementing the instructions is where the miscommunications happened, unfortunately.
Sidenote- The woman in charge of the vendors and creator space did talk to me later and apologized for the miscommunication or lack of communication in general. I understood her side and did not, in any way, blame her. I had some interactions with her at RegenWho as well when we couldn't find another specific volunteer to help us with a different issue. So I knew how hard-working this individual is in general. I am just glad it worked out in the end and I was able to get info from other creators in how the space was suddenly supposed to be run.

At Intervention Con, I can ask questions freely without judgement, or fear of backlash, to those in my field. And I can approach celebs without there really being a barrier between fan and celeb. The celebs are open and honest and love the interaction with the fans and attendees. And I've heard on a number of occasions from the celeb themselves, how much they love the cons Oni and James have developed, even for just the guest-to-fan ratio and personal interactions they can have. They love the one-on-one time and to of course speak about their profession and give behind-the-scenes stories to share with their fans. They love the intimate nature of Intervention and RegenWho. It's great to hear the celeb tell me that themselves. 

I had a great time at Intervention. I always get so much out of talking to other creators, even if they aren't in my field, we all learn from one another's experience, stories, and mistakes. So I love interacting with panelists, guests, and other attendees who are there for the same reason.

I didn't really know who Rachel Talalay was before going in, tho i was familiar with some of her work or IMDB page but once I sat in the first panel with her, wow! She blew me away! She directed Tank Girl, episodes of Sherlock, and Doctor Who to just name some big ones! So much work history in a man dominated workforce. She discussed how that's effected her, how she handles it, and how things have changed or not, in many cases. More on that in a future post. But without this con, I wouldn't even have known who she was really or been so enthralled to want to learn more about her now and really pick apart some of the episodes and movies she's done to see why she made certain choices, whether it be from lighting, scenery, sets to costume choices. What an amazing lady and all thanks to Intervention for introducing me to her name and making me realize just how important she is to the filmmaking and television worlds.

So it's things like this, that make me want to come back to Intervention Con every year, even if I have to drive 4 hours to get there.

Thank you Oni and James and their whole staff of volunteers for everything you do, for making the guests feel at home and at ease, and for making the attendees feel like they are just as important and that their experience at the con matters, too. You all make the con welcoming, safe, enjoyable, and go above and beyond to make your cons the best possible cons out there. Thank you!!!

I'l be posting up my reviews and what I did at the con in the following posts. So look for those soon!

Intervention Con Wrap-Up

Another con weekend done!

This weekend was Intervention Con. It's one of the best out there. It started out as a con to mix Internet and convention. With husband and wife team, Oni Hartstein and James Harknell's core mission being to "Intervene and Inspire everyone who participates. With us you can come meet the creators, actors, developers, and producers of your favorite works and also learn about the process of how it’s all made. Our Creator’s Track within the con is all about mentoring people into fandom industries and many of our guest participate as mentors. It’s a 3 day fandom celebration with a heart toward helping the community."

It is in Rockville, MD at the Hilton Hotel there. It;s a great location, right on the Pike and with lots of shopping and food choices within walking distance of the con, across the street and next door on both sides. 

Intervention this year had more celeb guests than previous years but it did not distract from the original mission of the con. I love celebs so that's always a big draw for me anyway, but with Intervention, I always go because I learn a lot from the discussions, panels, and celeb interviews. 

It's really one of the only cons, along with its sister con, RegenerationWho, that I really just want to attend every panel! I even love the panels so much, I need to make sure I find an hour to get food for lunch and dinner! If not I need to make sure I bring food with me so I don't pass out from the awesomeness! HA!

Intervention does what no other con has managed to do for me, I go to the panels to take notes and learn from the experts and those with much more experience than me, to learn about filmmaking, marketing, and starting my own business. All the things I currently do and am trying to thrive in.

One of the things that Intervention tried out this year was something called "Creator Space". It was meant to bring artists and vendors alike, to a safe place that you could for however long you want, sit at a half table in the hall, to sell things you have made-whether is was fine arts artwork like paintings, or jewelry, or other arts and crafts you have made yourself. I actually did partake in it because I didn't want to vend at the con. (Because I love the con too much to want to attend everything that I don't want to be stuck at a table I can't leave to go learn stuff!) So this was great! 

It dd have its hiccup on Friday, day one. You could sign up for Friday online and you should have received an email saying they will text or call you around 1pm to tell you to set up or if there was room to sit there. While I received my initial email, I hadn't received anything further in the day and it looked completely empty all day there. I did have some free time and could have sat and vended for a short time if things had run smoother. There was some lack of communication on the rules and instructions for the volunteer sitting there. So the space went unused all of Friday, unfortunately. And I did talk with James later that night about it. Hiccups happen, miscommunication happens. The good thing with James and Oni is they are aware of situations and we all know mishaps will occur and trial and error prevail. James and Oni though, they fix things. Always. Never be afraid to tell them when something isn't working, they fit that nonsense then and there! Anyway, so we chatted and things were to be fixed for Sat.

I go to the sign up sheet Sat and they are to text me if there is space. There was even a column to check off on the sign up sheet if texting was ok or not for you. Still nothing by mid-day. Though I do see the tables are starting to be used at least, So it's a step in the right direction. I couldn't find the woman in charge as she is so busy herself with the vendors most the time and you can only be in one place at a time. (Lovely gal, not her fault I couldn't find her for help.) But in quickly talking with someone else sitting there selling her artwork, she mentioned that we just sit in an open space for however we like (part of the rules page) and someone will come to check you off from the sign up sheet. Oh! Ok! That was not communicated with potential creator space vendors. But with this new and very helpful knowledge, I went off to lunch quickly and then came back to set up for a couple hours. And though I didn't sell anything, I was happy to have that opportunity to try to sell my wares and see what may or may not happen. The creator space was a great opportunity to at least get my business out there and to see the fans and those who may be interested in my skirts and bags. And it was nice to meet other creators doing the same thing and we could talk shop and business skills were shared and such. I really hope, once the kinks get worked out, this comes back next year, maybe even at RegenWho, 

Perhaps there could be an actual timegrid for people to sign up on instead of a con worker needing to contact foks, or maybe make it clearer in the rules and instructions of how the system works-- i.e. - to just plop down when you want and we'll check you off, vs we'll contact you method. They had very clear instructions overall but implementing the instructions is where the miscommunications happened, unfortunately.
Sidenote- The woman in charge of the vendors and creator space did talk to me later and apologized for the miscommunication or lack of communication in general. I understood her side and did not, in any way, blame her. I had some interactions with her at RegenWho as well when we couldn't find another specific volunteer to help us with a different issue. So I knew how hard-working this individual is in general. I am just glad it worked out in the end and I was able to get info from other creators in how the space was suddenly supposed to be run.

At Intervention Con, I can ask questions freely without judgement, or fear of backlash, to those in my field. And I can approach celebs without there really being a barrier between fan and celeb. The celebs are open and honest and love the interaction with the fans and attendees. And I've heard on a number of occasions from the celeb themselves, how much they love the cons Oni and James have developed, even for just the guest-to-fan ratio and personal interactions they can have. They love the one-on-one time and to of course speak about their profession and give behind-the-scenes stories to share with their fans. They love the intimate nature of Intervention and RegenWho. It's great to hear the celeb tell me that themselves. 

I had a great time at Intervention. I always get so much out of talking to other creators, even if they aren't in my field, we all learn from one another's experience, stories, and mistakes. So I love interacting with panelists, guests, and other attendees who are there for the same reason.

I didn't really know who Rachel Talalay was before going in, tho i was familiar with some of her work or IMDB page but once I sat in the first panel with her, wow! She blew me away! She directed Tank Girl, episodes of Sherlock, and Doctor Who to just name some big ones! So much work history in a man dominated workforce. She discussed how that's effected her, how she handles it, and how things have changed or not, in many cases. More on that in a future post. But without this con, I wouldn't even have known who she was really or been so enthralled to want to learn more about her now and really pick apart some of the episodes and movies she's done to see why she made certain choices, whether it be from lighting, scenery, sets to costume choices. What an amazing lady and all thanks to Intervention for introducing me to her name and making me realize just how important she is to the filmmaking and television worlds.

So it's things like this, that make me want to come back to Intervention Con every year, even if I have to drive 4 hours to get there.

Thank you Oni and James and their whole staff of volunteers for everything you do, for making the guests feel at home and at ease, and for making the attendees feel like they are just as important and that their experience at the con matters, too. You all make the con welcoming, safe, enjoyable, and go above and beyond to make your cons the best possible cons out there. Thank you!!!

I'l be posting up my reviews and what I did at the con in the following posts. So look for those soon!

InterventionCon: Where the Not-So-Strong Have a Place As Well

I have a guest writer this time around. Please welcome Brad Trechak to the blog! He writes a review of Intervention Con.
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InterventionCon: Where the Not-So-Strong Have a Place As Well
By Brad Trechak

In an age of mega-conventions with top tier stars charging top dollar for either a photograph or autograph, it’s nice to know that conventions like InterventionCon exist.  That is, conventions that exist for love and not for money.

I attended Intervention 6 in Rockville, Maryland August 14th and 15th and was amazed at the levels of creativity on display for the attendees.  Want to create a web presence and build a following for it?  There’s a class for that.  Want to create a film and put it online for the world to see?  There’s a discussion group for that.  Want to develop crafts to sell online?  Well, you get the picture.

InterventionCon is a strange mix of fan and professional conventions where members are there to learn and get new ideas.  You will not find any big-name media companies at this convention.  This is to break in to that world, and then maybe break out to an audience.

You still get the occasional celebrity.  I attended one of Terry Molloy’s presentations on the audio drama and got to listen to clips of audio plays of the last seven decades.  Terry Molloy is best known as the villainous Davros in the Doctor Who television series, but in this case he was there as an instructor, not a celebrity.

InterventionCon is not about taking money from you.  It’s not about giving you the opportunity to meet your favorite celebrity.  It’s about sharing the knowledge and tools that could potentially make you a celebrity. What you next do with this information is up to you.

Intervention Con Aug 14-16th

This weekend I will be at this awesome convention, Intervention Con.

What is "Intervention Con" you ask? Well, have a seat and let me dive right in!

Intervention combines "internet" and "convention" in order to get "Intervention" which is basically meant to "intervene and inspire real people to explore art, technology, and to pursue their dreams. Artists, Writers, Podcasts, Filmmakers, Actors, Musicians, and more will be holding interactive events all weekend that you can participate in." -Oni Hartstein, James Harknell explain, of Onezumi Events; showrunners of Intervention.

Held in Rockville, Maryland at the Hilton Washington, DC/Rockville on Aug. 14-16th, Oni explains that she hopes the convention will "empower people to take control of their lives by going DIY with the internet and to showcase those who have done so already. We feel that the internet is the present and the future. This is the event for the internet generation." And after successful runs since 2010, this year will mark Hartstein’s sixth time organizing the event.

According to the site, the con features "educational content, children’s programming, board gaming, video gaming, an extensive art festival, live action roleplaying, musical performances, and plenty of giveaways. The event team will also be donating to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international non-profit digital advocacy group that helps to defend civil liberties in the digital space."

I am most looking forward to a lot of the educational panels. Mostly, the filmmaking panels. There are a few this year, even with an acquaintance I met at another con, who will be teaching indie filmmaking and explaining why now is the time for indie films! (see description below). Now to check the schedule to see which ones and how many of these I can attend in one weekend! :)

The Time For Indie Film Is Now!
Do you want to make a film? Do it now! The time has never been better for to get involved with film production. It won't be easy of course, but our panelists will give you some info on how you can get started in a professional (and hopefully) profitable way.

Other panels of interest to me are the following:

Filmmaking 101
Join us for an introductory discussion on the tools and methods used today to produce film.

Real Talk on Video and Movie Production
Get the real info on how to get started in video and movie production. Equipment, techniques, and business knowledge of getting things done.

Oni Hartstein's Real Talk Marketing 1: Setting up Your Business Online
Setting up Your Business Online - This will cover the basic points that you need to hit and how you need to hit them in order to have an in-person and digital presence that works and grows.

Unique Geek Chic
Are you interested in learning more about how to integrate your geeky side with your everyday style and end up with something that looks chic? Come get tips on how to dress and dress up your life that doesn't compromise your uniquely geeky outlook while still looking great.

Blogging For Fun and Profit
Do you have something to say? Why not start or join a blog? Is it really that easy? Our panelists will talk about the fun parts, and the not so fun parts, about making your blog and online writing successful and possibly even profitable.

And even more so, I really want to go to the Terry Molloy workshop about voice acting! Yes, *that* Terry Molloy, Davros from Doctor Who fame! I always wanted to do voice acting. I know, I can't really do impressions or anything like that, but I have a child-like voice that would be good for a lot of characters I think. But I never knew how to break into it or what it involved. So I'll find out during this 3-part workshop!

Tickets for Intervention 6 can be bought at https://interventioncon.com/registration/register-for-intervention/ for the pre-registration price of $45, or at the door for $50. There are single day tickets available as well, by going to the link above.

If anyone I know will be there, find me and let's go to some panels together!

Tardis cookies

The other weekend I went to RegenWho con in Maryland with friends. In prep for it I made Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies with Tardis sprinkles! I handed them out to people I would meet or already knew and was meeting up with at the con. I wanted, of course, to make cupcakes but time prevented that and traveling through NYC with them was not really an option. So cookies it was!

The Tardis sprinkles were part of a kickstarter I backed that also made steampunk sprinkles (little gears), lightening bolt sprinkles (which are reminiscent for Harry Potter fans) and Meeples which is from a tabletop game. I only had the funds for the Tardis ones. And I absolutely love them!

If you missed the kickstarter though, you can still purchase these geeky sprinkles here! 

Before the oven...

Tardis sprinkles!

What better way to take them out of the oven but with my Tardis spatula!

Finished product!

Long Island Who Con Cosplay 2014

Long Island Who 2 convention held in November 2014, always brings out the best cosplayers and costumes for Doctor Who. So here's a selection of so many amazing cosplays I saw that weekend!

Kyle Williamson as Jackson Lake aka The Next Doctor, getting ready for the first panel of the day at LIWho2.
He talked about fan filmmaking and showed some of his own fan films from
his SciFiGeekProductions company.

Delete!

Cutest adipose & a scary weeping angel

Me in a rockabilly 4th Doctor dress

Me in the same dress with my handmade 4th Doctor scarf.

Clockwork guy and The Wire - Careful, she's hungry!

Clockwork guy

Hungry!!

Jackson Lake trying to save us from the Clockwork guy!

Corseted Dalek

Are you my Mummy? Totally awesome cosplay by this mom and son.

Me and the Tardis

Run!

Dianna Tucker Baritot and Adam Baritot - Dinna as the Tardis and Adam as the 12th Doctor

This was pretty brilliant -- Van Gogh with the famous Starry Night painting

Me in my rockabilly 9th Doctor dress

The museum had pieces of wardrobe and props from the show.

Many of the props used in Doctor Who- from sonic scewdrivers to River's journal (tho that was a Kindle cover), to the whistle and celery stalk.

One of the few Paul McGann's actual 8th Doctor jacket he used in the 1996 film.

4th Doctor's outfit pieces used in the show.

Closer shot of the various props used.

4th Doctor Sonic (red-tipped one) and you can see the bottom of the celery stalk above right, 10th Doctor sonic in the middle.

10th Doctor sonic and the plastic/rubber celery stalk for 5th Doctor

It's much heavier than it looks. It was made out of metal and it's pretty sturdy for tossing about.

The tip didn't glow much anymore but overall it still functioned with the slider working to make it longer, etc.

The slide whistle is at top screen, a Yeti that I can't recall what that prop was from (corrected from thinking it was an owl), the Pandorica box, Tardis keys, and various other sonics from earlier Doctors.

NY Comic Con, Chaotic Calm Before the Real Storm

This year I got to go to NYCC under an exhibitor badge. Friends of friends let me buy that under their booth (Imagination Asylum, thank you!) So with that in mind, I picked up my badge on Wed night after work instead of trying to deal with crowds on Thursday. (Course that backfired as I had issues with the badge Thursday that were sort of quickly resolved). In picking up the badge on Wed, I got to see the loadin from various groups. Most notably I got to see R2D2 and Chopper roll in! Love! R2 was merely being pushed in but Chopper was being remotely controlled which was just awesome! I giggled like I was 5 seeing Santa for the first time! Ha!

Sorry I didn't crop the pics but no time for that... hehe

I loved seeing the convention hall getting set up though. All the fork lifts, the carpets being rolled out still, booths setting up for the big four days of hell, I mean fun... All the big statues and such that I could take pics of without any crowds around me! Was fun! I am a behind-the-scenes type of person and will always love seeing how things are put together and made. So this was fun to just walk around the hall with everything still being set up. Not that I ever want to work a convention like this from behind the scenes but it's fun to watch it unfold!

R2D2 being rolled into the convention center

Chopper coming in!

Carpets still need to be unrolled for booths!

Smaug!!!! he's still sleeping...

The Block area. the calm before the storm.

Gollum at the Weta booth

Gandalf's hat for purchase from Weta

Giant troll!!! AAAAH RUN!!

The incredible Weta booth!

Me and my buddy!

The night before the con started, I got to go see my friend Ben Leach present at Union Hall in Brooklyn for "Sci-Fi Explosion". It was a neat show. Ben presented foreign movie posters compared to US released posters, focusing on Thailand and two other countries I cannot recall now. (Sorry!) It was a really interesting and odd phenomenom that happens with movie posters from its original intent to what other countries decide to use as images on their own posters for their countries. Just google some of them. You'll get a good laugh. Along with Ben's fun lecture, were videos of old 80's commercials and what Robocop is up to in places like Korea, hawking ramen noodles and kitchen appliances! Also shown, was a fun commercial of Leonard Nimoy selling something called a LaserDisc player. ooooOOOOOoh! those didn't take off at all! Haha (I like to think those were the next Betamax's of our generation to the VCR hehe) And then Skeletor sang to us! That was an experience one cannot replicate elsewhere. He also helped hand out trivia awards. To which most of us in the audience won multiple times (small audience...)

Ben Leach giving his presentation at Union Hall

Skeletor serenades us.

Sideways, but I won a couple things at the event. Avengers velvet coloring page,
V the novelization of the tv series, an ET figure, and an old Battlestar Gallactica
baseball card checklist.