DIAGNOSIS: GEEK, PRESCRIPTION: SOCIAL LIFE
The Return of the Con
BY DR. CHARMING I JULY 19, 2011
Dr. Charming is not a real doctor and is not liable if his advice does not pay off. Always remember the power lies within you and that these are simply guide lines that may help you achieve goals in your newfound social life.
As Wizard’s Chicago Comic Con fast approaches let’s relive some highlights from the last.
May of last year marked the debut of C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), and, knowing this, Chicago Comic Con, held in August, pulled out all the stops. As per usual, the Sloth Jockey crew was there to experience it in its entirety. We witnessed everything from Adam West to William Shatner, and for many fellow geeks you can’t pack much in between. Well, perhaps a little Battlestar Galactica, which was indeed included. This year’s lineup promises to include both Patrick Stewart and Bruce Campbell (a personal favorite of ours here at SJ), and the excitement is quickly building. Really the only way to describe it is...Groovy.
Last year, yours truly was there to hear the main man himself address the adoring public. I speak, of course, about William Shatner. His persona as seen on TV is very much the same in real life. The Shat Man speaks fast and passionately about trending topics in his life. Unfortunately for the fan boys, no one could out-negotiate our hero from raving and shamelessly self-promoting his new project, based off of the popular Twitter account @shitmydadsays. Shatner literally answered a whole three questions and somehow managed to spin each answer into the topic of his latest career move. I for one do not blame the man. He’s only been at this for over thirty years, and I’m quite sure getting asked the same questions about fighting the Gorn can only be amusing for so long. Despite wanting to hear more about his Star Trek experiences, specifically his fight with Ricardo Montalban, I willingly admit that I was just happy to be in the room when James Tiberius Kirk took the stage.
As for sticking to a list of legends, last year’s con also brought us the original man behind the cowl, Adam West. Much like Shatner, Adam West in person is much like the characters he plays on TV. He speaks with a distinct swagger and drama in his voice, and delivers humor with more precision timing than a metronome. To the excitement of this fan boy (and the rest of the audience), the Caped Crusader stuck to what the fans wanted to hear and answered a variety of questions spanning his career as Batman to his role as the Mayor of Quahog in Family Guy. Did I neglect to mention that he was accompanied by none other than the Boy Wonder, Burt Ward? The duo still maintains the same chemistry that made them a campy cult classic back in the 1960’s. Twice in one day I was able to find myself a little star struck. Cliché as it may sound, I literally did grow up watching (reruns of) these men portraying some of my biggest heroes.
Apart from the icons, the con brought in the usual list of memorable B-list characters, including Jon Schneider, Adrianne Curry, that guy that played the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, and even̬yep you guessed it—Rod Blagojevich. Along with these B-listers, who I someday hope to be a part of, the con pulled out all those usual glorious sights of video game expos, toys, collectables, movie props and very creatively costumed patrons. I was even lucky enough to catch and take part in judging the third NYC Horror Film Festival Killer Shorts Sudden Death Film Competition. If you have a little time to kill, I highly suggest the short film "Get Off My Porch" by Patrick Rea (http://vimeo.com/12166883):
This year, I can only hope to be exposed to more and more. Accompanied by the lovely June Marsh (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), I’ll be patrolling and perusing the aisles, seeking out all the Comic Con has to offer. This time around I’ll be sure to take plenty of photos too. Bruce Campbell, Patrick Stewart, the streak of legends continues…
Hope to see you there,
Dr. Charming (Danny)
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