Last month, I was out in California and my friend Larry told me he was exhibiting at a small convention in Burbank. I decided to check it out and ended up staying there for hours.
“Cons” have been a part of the science fiction/fantasy scene for a long time (like 70 years). It’s an opportunity for the fans to get together and celebrate the stuff they love. In my time, I can’t even remember attending these events. I remember spending a day at Comic-Con in 1976. I have a photo of me with some guy in a Star Trek convention; that must be from about 1981.
And that’s it. I’m a big geek and I love the content, but I’ve always tended to avoid cons as being too nerdy for me.
But I know better. Back in 2007, Larry was attending Star Wars Celebration IV (on the 30th anniversary of the original film) and I spoke to him by telephone from the event. I probably had in mind writing some piece about the crazy fans and their hi-jinks, but instead I ending up writing a column about being your authentic self.
When I attended the 2nd annual Monsterpalooza convention on April 10, that’s the same experience I had. The con was focused on science fiction, fantasy and horror, with the emphasis on monsters of all shapes and sizes. The crowd was quite diverse, with a larger percentage of female attendees than I had anticipated. There were a few people in costume, but only a handful. There were parents with little kids.
I spent the day largely standing at Larry’s booth, talking to people. Looking at a stuffed Gizmo (one that sang and danced), I had two different parents tell me that Gremlins was their two-year-olds’ favorite movie. A top activity was checking out people’s printed tees and saying, “Cool shirt!”
And it was all cool. We all shared common interests. We could talk about our favorite movies or TV shows or comic books for hours. Instead of being the lone-man-out – the nerd – you could be accepted for what you are.
I specialize in lower-level celebrities. No superstars for me; give me that second-billed comic relief. I was introduced to Daniel Roebuck, who has had a long acting career, but who I now think of as Dr. Leslie Arzt from Lost. As you can see from the photo above, there’s writer Steve Niles (who I’ve met before) sitting next to legendary comic book artist Bernie Wrightson. They had done a graphic novel together, so I had to buy a copy and have them both sign it.
So, I had a great time and I decided I need to go to more cons. And I scored this great t-shirt.
